Welp, we (read: I) got tired of the old pink/brown pear tree theme. So we switched. Let me know if you have any troubles with it. It has been a quick/smooth transition so far on our end. Enjoy!
A Good Example of Why I Bother Spending Coupons
March 5, 2010 Filed Under Family
Spent – $3.94
Saved – $80.57
Register Rewards earned – $11
Grace and I attended a Pampered Chef party at a friend’s house tonight (a little Mommy-Daughter time), and on our way home, we stopped at Walgreens for a coupon-spending spree. (I’m teaching Gracie the frugal ways, you know.)
We were able to get all of these things pictured – including a package of Huggies, 8 boxes of tissues, 12 rolls of toilet paper, and MORE. I spent $3.94 out of pocket, but because I earned $11 in Register Rewards, it’s as if I *made* more than $7 overall.
I’d say that’s pretty spiffy for toilet paper and tissues – things we all use, don’t we?
(Do you like how I busted out the word “spiffy?” Haven’t used that one since, oh, junior high.)
In order to get my out-of-pocket total that low, I used a $25 gift check (like a gift card, but has to be spent in one transaction) that I earned from filling a prescription at Walgreens last month. (Earning store rewards from constant filling of prescriptions is one big perk to having diabetics in the house!)
I know many people look at couponing and think, “I spent a coupon once and it wasn’t that great of a deal.” Or “It’s so much effort. It’s not really worth my time.”
I’m not going to lie and say it’s easy-breezy. It does take some time. Definitely more at the beginning, until you really get a feel for what you’re doing. BUT I will say that our family (and our budget) has reaped the rewards of a little bit of work.
We do love a free roll of toilet paper, after all.
When Mommy’s Away…
March 5, 2010 Filed Under Family
…Daddy’s the coolest “babysitter” ever.
I love that man.
Ava’s 2 (Current) Favorite Phrases…and Some Colors
March 2, 2010 Filed Under Family
“I don’t like it.”
“It’s bothering me.”
My personal favorite is “not pink.”
Happy 100th Day of School!
March 1, 2010 Filed Under Family
Today we’re celebrating Grace’s (and my) 100th day of kindergarten! We were happy to have our friends Jesse, Wes, and Brooke here to help us celebrate.
The sign says it all.
Luke and I blew up 100 balloons while we watched the end of a movie last night. Okay, I’ll be honest, Luke did much more blowing up than I did. I have wimpy cheek muscles.
To begin our celebration, I read Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten by Joseph Slate. We love the Miss Bindergarten books, and this one was just perfect for today!
Then the kids worked on Froot Loop necklaces – with a goal of stringing 100 Froot Loops on the string. Grace and Wes (pictured here with their finished necklaces) are the two that stuck with it long enough to reach the goal. Caleb got distracted after a while, and the girls (Ava and Brooke) ate a lot of the cereal they were supposed to string! 
While the kids worked on their necklaces, I read Psalm 100 to them, and we tried to come up with a list of 100 things we’re thankful for. We’ll continue to add to this list until we have 100. It’s a good exercise for all of us, to focus on giving thanks.
For lunch, we ate pizza with 100 pepperonis on it. Yum! For dessert, we counted out 100 M&Ms and ate them! Double yum!
Grace and Wes also made “100″ glasses. Don’t Jesse and I just look beautiful in them?
I taught Grace how to write “one hundred,” though I don’t really think she’ll remember the word “hundred” unless we practice it, and let’s be honest. It’s just not a priority for me! It was a fun little activity, though.
Grace also did some worksheets – filling in a 100 number chart, coloring/counting 100 balloons, etc. After that, we played a rousing 2 rounds of Hi Ho Cherry-O!, and she is currently in the midst of her 100-minute nap.
I love the 100th day of school!
