Life Lessons

Thomas continues to learn lessons on his own terms.

Today's lesson: Don't eat a crunchy Nature Valley granola bar while lying shirtless on the couch.

He approached me very distressed because of the crumbs in his belly button. They were itchy and he scratched so much that he gave himself a little road rash. Ahhh, boys.

Playtime

I've been shot in the head.

I've been shot in the bed.

I've been shot in the back.

How did I react?

I got my own gun and had some fun.

I let the boys have it you see.

For they won't get the best of me.

Ambition

Springtime makes me ambitious. I clean, workout, and do laundry like crazy. Yep, even crazier than normal. This weekend it seems as though I've had a double dose. First, The sunlight streaming through our windows has been uncovering all the winter dust I neglected. Second, we are leaving for vacation. I love leaving a clean house so that I can return to a clean house.

Our day started out with normal household chores and a workout. Suprisingly, I didn't get totally annoyed with Thomas for saying "how many more minutes" every minute that I was on the elliptical. Rather, everytime he asked, we counted up to that number. Good practice for his counting!

After the workout...more cleaning. I cleaned and organized the mud room. Which then led to cleaning out, organizing, and decluttering the hall closet. I stopped myself from doing the same to the kitchen - not sure how. I'm guessing it will get done tonight or tomorrow...

After the organizing session, I took Thomas for a bike ride. We ventured out to the Kal Haven Trail. He rode his bike almost 2 miles while I ran along side him! Pretty good for a 4 year old. We turned around at the covered wooden bridge over the Black River.

Thomas had a great time running and riding his bike across the bridge.

Riding a bike that far is hard for a little guy. We stopped frequently to sit on benches, check out bike tires, and move sticks off the trail. Currently, he's upstairs recovering by taking a nap. I hope my energy level can stay up. I've gotten a ton done around here!

WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY

Freebie

I love freebies. Really, who doesn't. Free stuff is exciting. All of the above arrived via Fed Ex on Monday. That's right, it was all free.

I entered a sweepstake and won! So, I'm sure you are wondering why there is so much of everything. (My father in law suggested I learn to play the spoons) As the glass-half-empty pessimist you are also wondering what the catch is. So, here it is.

Kraft sent me all of this stuff. They have a new product, Philadelphia Cooking Creme, and I'll be promoting their product. I'm having my girlfriends over in a couple of weeks and am cooking dinner for them. They'll get to try the product and take home some coupons and freebies. For hosting this party I received an oven mitt, coupons for FREE products, and a Green Pan.

So, I'll spend a little out of pocket to have my girlfriends over and cook them dinner. Sounds like a great deal to me. Food and friends are two of my favorite things!

I have already used my new Green Pan and am in love. It's awesome! My unsolicited testimonial follows- I used the pan this morning to fry some eggs for breakfast. I didn't use any butter, oil, or cooking spray and the eggs literally slid off the pan. They were cooked to perfection! It is coated with a substance that is like Teflon - only better. It's healthier for the body and better for the environment. I did a little research and found that these pans retail for $50-$100. Wowza! If they weren't so expensive I would have a whole fleet of them.

Confessions of a Couponista: Grocery Edition

I love coupons. Really. I love them. I love ads, and sales, and NOT spending money. I have been couponing for a while now and can't believe the difference it has made for our bottom line. I am currently spending about $150 every 2 weeks for groceries. On the off week, I spend a little to add more fresh produce and odds and ends. This week I had $21 in price matched merchandise. This brough my total down to $198. Add in $54 in coupons and I was out the door at $144. I love that my favorite cashiers call me "the coupon lady."

So, how am I doing it? Good question.

1. I am not a brand snob. I will use a coupon to get a product cheaper even if it isn't the brand I normally buy. However, I do avoid partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrups to the best of my ability. So, some coupons just go in the trash after I've read the product labels. (We'll save that soapbox for another day.) Example: This week I had a price match for Simply Orange OJ for $2.25. I had (4) $1 off coupons. So, I got (4) containers of oj for $5. We won't need oj again for a couple of months. Not my typical brand- but hey, for $1.25 - we'll drink it.

2. I match my coupons to sales. Products typically cycle on sale every 5-8 weeks. So, if I get a high value coupon I hold on to it for a while and try to match it to a sale. Example: Soft Scrub Cleaner was on sale for $2.50. I had (2) $1.5o off coupons this week. I spent $2 on (2) bottles.

3. I scour the 'net for coupons. Really, it's a hobby. I LOVE the hunt. A good friend of mine just made a good point about grocery shopping. She said, "you either have the money or the time to coupon." I guess I have the time :)

4. It's not what you save, but what you spend. I don't buy products that we don't/won't use just because I have a coupon. That's just silly.

5. I plan a menu. I plan 5 meals each week for our family. If a meal doesn't get made, it gets added on to the next weeks menu. This way I ensure I have everything I need to make dinner, acutally have a plan for said dinners, and use the food in the pantry that I'm getting at such great prices. Example: Pasta Fagioli in the crock pot this week. Need 2 cans of petite diced tomoatoes. Got 2 cans on sale for .88 each. Had (2) .75 off coupons. Total for tomatoes .26.

Disclaimer: I didn't make any of this up. I'm not the only one out there using coupons like printed money. There are endless resources on the web to help you start saving as well!

Gettin' Muddy

There is really nothing sweeter than a 50 degree day in February. A little time outside in spring jackets is just what we needed to cure the cabin fever. The snow has been melting like crazy and were are getting little peeks of green grass and gravel. We know it will get cold again. It will snow again. But, for now, we are going to cherish this little glimpse of Spring!

He picked right up where he left off in the Fall. Puppy, check. Tools, check. Muddy boots, check. Time to get to work.