Savings and more Spectacularness

I've had several people ask more about couponing and CVS-ing, so I'm going to do a break-down of the deal I did this week. Here's what I got for $6.38:

(mega pack Pampers, Cascade dish soap, Colgate toothpaste)

Here's how I did it:

When you get a CVS card and use it during your deals, you periodically get print-outs on your receipts with coupons, as well as periodic e-mail coupons. I also check a blog at a glance (http://moneysavingmom.blogspot.com) every day or two because she is a CVS lover and posts their deals, coupons that are available that can make deals work better, etc. Keeping the coupons and print-outs in mind that I've searched for, this is a list of coupons I used.

1. $4/$20 coupon (this is a CVS coupon that means it takes $4 off a $20 purchase) - generally these are found floating around on-line, or print off of your receipt...see blog above.
2. $1.50 off Pampers (got this coupon in the mail, but you can find them a lot in the Sunday edition of the newspaper, too)
3. $1.50 off Colgate whitening toothpaste (got this from the moneysavingmom blog also, which provided a link to the coupon on-line that I printed off my computer)
4. $6.99 ECB (Extra Care Bucks that I earned from buying certain items last week)

So I started with a total of right around $20, but then used all of the above and ended with $6.38, PLUS (here's where it gets sweet), I received $5 in ECB back ($3 from the diapers, $2 from the toothpaste), which I will be able to use next time, PLUS in my Pampers package, there was a $1.50 coupon off one box of Cheerios, which totally rocks because we eat those like nobody's business. So essentially with the ECB, it's like I spent $1.38, with a coupon for cereal :)

I was a bit skeptical about CVS-ing when I first started, but the truth is, it totally works. I allot myself $10 or less each week to spend at CVS, buying mostly paper products, snack foods, diapers, cleaning products, and toiletries that we need. Then, I use coupons clipped from the paper and found online to buy the remaining $40 of my groceries (usually at Wal-mart, sometimes at Kroger if my coupons line up well with deals they're having). I plan my menu for the week of cooking for our family around both the coupons I have and recipes we like.

I was NOT a coupon clipper until this March, about 3 months ago, and I totally didn't believe it helped, but especially with how sweet CVS works, plus grocery shopping weeks like the one I'm about to have tomorrow (I have $10 worth of coupons I'll be using for things we need), it really does add up and make a HUGE difference. I've been at it for 3 months now, and I still spend just $50 a week, including all of my baby supplies (diapers, wipes, etc.) and including my CVS trip.

And one final tip for those of you who have been inquiring and are truly interested, I also recommend the coupon links on my blog for signing up for freebies. You go to different websites and give them your name, address, and b-day, and they mail you free samples and freebies of things. Here's a list of things we've gotten so far:
diapers, wipes, potty training DVD, Rand McNally Atlas, laundry detergent, paper towels, cereal, granola bars, coupons for diapers, stain remover, tampons, Tylenol, and several others I've forgotten. You wouldn't think samples would make much of a difference either, but again, it all adds up.
(You also have to give your e-mail most times, but I've set up a separate e-mail account for ALL of my couponing and money saving stuff, and it keeps my regular inbox from being cluttered or annoying).

And now for my wall of pictures (from our Summer Spectacular decorating!):

Whew, that's all for now, my friends!

Season passes

Can I just say that NRH2O is the best thing that's ever happened to me and my little buddy?!


We played hard and crazy in that water for about 2 hours, with a break for lunch. From there, my Benito fell asleep on the way home, which he NEVER does, and he has currently been sleeping for FOUR HOURS which is an absolute record for him. My house is clean, my feet are rested, and dinner is in the making. All of this, plus a day of fun in the sun for him. F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C. There will be season passes in heaven.

Spectacular Summer

Since it's been a while this will be a hodge-podge blog with lots of random stuff and some questions/requests for advice.

1. SUMMER SPECTACULAR -- my team and I are FINALLY finished with our decorations for this crazy big VBS for our church, which happens this Monday-Wednesday (June 16-18th). It's going go be an amazing production with great classes, awesome gifts and prizes for the kiddos each night, a rockin' free t-shirt, and an actual broadway-style show, three nights in a row. The theme this year is Jonah. It's all free and fun for the family. Not sure on the times specifically, but you can go to www.rhchurch.org and find the info there. And if you go, make sure to check out all the upstairs hallways - that's been my baby, my big project for weeks now, and our team did a rockin' job - I think the kiddos are gonna LOVE it. And because I'm done with all of this awesomeness, I should be around a bit more and able to actually be a friend to all my friends :) I'll post pictures of the upstairs fantabulousness soon.

2. SUMMER PLANS -- I've decided to get me and Benito season passes to the water park, for several reasons: a) my little buddy is free this year so I only have to buy one pass b) it's just me and him this summer, and I'm not positive that'll be the case for a super long time more c) Bennett LOVES the water and so do I, and they have a rockin' awesome baby/little kids area d) several of my friends have passes and will be going with their munchkins all summer long.
All that being said, is there a certain day any of you guys go? Do you go more than one day a week? What times seem to be best? Do you pack a cooler and do you get a locker?
Michael and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary this August and are going on an amazing trip to New York City for a few days at the end of that month. I am SO excited because I've never been to NYC and have ALWAYS wanted to go, and ESPECIALLY because we're going to see PHANTOM and WICKED on Broadway!! AHHHHH! I could just die of excitement and happiness. SOOO cool. We haven't been on a trip in a long time, and this will be a nice marker of time and work and renewal of things...

3. FRIENDS -- I am very excited because I've long been praying for more Christian women as friends, especially married women with children and in the same phase of life as me...I feel like God has been steadily and faithfully answering these prayers. Being with other women and having "playdates" and just hanging out is such a blessing to me - I've always been a social person and I need the interaction...plus I just like to have fun with other silly, ridiculous people :) So to you guys out there who have sought me out, just know that you are a GREAT blessing to me and I am very excited about continuing to get to know you better.

4. SEASONS -- I think we've all heard the analogies/comparisons of life to a roller coaster, or the seasons, or a box of chocolates...I tend to relate to the seasons the most. Some of you don't know, and many of you may not know why, but there was a very long, very intense period of winter in my life for about a year, and really more than that if I'm being completely honest. During this time, I now recognize that due to my circumstances and situation, I was dealing with mild depression, increasing social anxiety, self-doubt, and insecurities that became almost crippling emotionally. I say this to say that God is SO very faithful and also that He is a God who answers prayers. I consider my situation to have been quite serious, and here I am, in what I would call a late spring, where things have been blooming and thriving, growing and increasing for several months now, almost ready to plod into a healthy, steady, summer of stability and beauty. I know I have many friends out there that read this blog, and many more lurkers :) so I wanted to give you all an update and let you know that things are better now than they've ever been, which is thrilling and exciting, and leaves me anticipating what lies around the bend. Amazing how God delights and takes joy in going above and beyond our imaginations, isn't it?

5. BENNETT -- He turned 18 months old about a week ago, and in all the madness, I wasn't able to post anything. Soon I'll be attempting (again) to post a video, but for now I'll follow suit of what others have done and list some things (humor me, and if you're not family, you might just want to skip this part because you probably won't care) he's up to and can do right now.
Words: hi, bye-bye, got the ball, bird, dog, no, yes, yeah-yeah!, night-night, touch it, there, this, juice, cheese, banana, please, hungry, whoa, thanks, book, outside, bubbles, Mama, Daddy, Joseph (his uncle), eye, sweet, throw, spin, duck, up, down, go, and a few more that I can't for the life of me remember right now.
Letters he can name and sound: Ss, Oo, Tt, Hh, Gg
Body parts he points to: hair, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, cheek, hands, tummy, feet, toes
Funny things: He has a slight obsession with peoples' feet. He goes "Aww, sweet!" and then lays down on them or kisses them...it's pretty darn cute right now...I confess I hope he grows out of it eventually :); we play the "knock-knock game" on our doors. He stands on one side of a closed door and I stand on the other and we take turns knocking to each other. Every now and then I'll open the door and say "Hi!", which Bennett thinks is HILARIOUS.; He's a social butterfly. He says hi to just about everyone, but especially young, pretty women, and old, white-haired women.; He doesn't like messes. If something drops on the floor or spills, it really bothers him and he wants it picked up and put back where it belongs.; We've recently started writing on his erasing write pad that Aunt Rachel gave him for Christmas, and I was amazed to discover that he holds the little pen CORRECTLY rather than with a fisted grip. (when I discuss Bennett's "accomplishments" with my family, they say, that's great, but can he wipe his rear-end?...there's a REALLY funny story that accompanies this comment and explains it, dealing with a kindergarten student I once taught, who was accomplished at many many skills...apart from ones pertaining to the potty - ask me sometime when you need a laugh, or at least a really big smile).

Michael and I have started doing a quiet time with Bennett every night where we read a story from his bible (thanks, Mindy!!) and then pray for him and our family. It's SO sweet because after a few days of doing this, he sits there quietly, listening to daddy read, looking at the pictures, and pointing at things he recognizes, and then when we pray, he sits quietly, watching me and daddy, and then after we say Amen, he giggles and claps his hands and says "Yeah!" It's a precious thing to watch, and so exciting to know that seeds are being planted early. Any advice anyone has on continuing this and expanding, or adapting this as your child grows would be greatly appreciated, especially the praying together part.

That's about it for the latest updates here. This has become the world's next great novel (minus the great, perhaps), so I'll sign off now.

Addicted to crack

I couldn't resist.

CVS

Seriously, this blog will NOT be turning into a "bargain mom" blog - there are a TON of them out there. I have lots more things to write about than CVS and money saving deals. However, that being said, I got another amazing deal this week. Feel free to inquire further, as I won't be breaking it down specifically here...

For $7 this week I got all of this:




And in one transaction alone, I got all of this for $.16!!


I ended up with $9 in Extra Care Bucks (again, like a gift card to CVS) to use next time, so essentially, they paid ME $2 for all of the stuff in the first picture. HA!!

Now, you may be thinking, Jennifer, why on EARTH did you buy FOUR toothbrushes and two of the mascaras and shampoo? And will you really use this stuff? The lady I'm learning from who does tutorials on this stuff shows you how to buy things to make deals work right that a) you may not need or really use, but can give away to charity or as gifts (because they're free anyway), or b) you can stock up on stuff when there's a SUPER good deal and store them up to have a few months supply, so that you can ALWAYS only buy things when there's an awesome deal and never have to pay a lot out of pocket. Plus, when you consider the fact that one tube of mascara alone cost $5-$7 all by itself, it's absolutely amazing that that's what I spent on ALL of this, even if there are a few items I'll pass on to others. I'm actually pretty excited about being more structured and intentional about giving to others in need through all of this, and STILL spending LESS money! Sweet.

The deal I was actually most excited about was the $.16 one, not only because it was the cheapest, but also because the Fructis shampoo is one I actually use, and the tiny little batteries were actually a purchase we HAD to make because my garage door opener burned out. The batteries alone were priced at almost $5, but I got the whole deal for almost nothing (plus they gave me $7 ECB on this particular deal).

Don't hate me for my CVS-iliciousness. :)

Friday Favorite

I have caught the couponing fever, my friends. I'm a regular reader of Kristen C.'s blog (see link on the side) and she has been avidly couponing and CVS-ing since January. I was totally blown away (and initially confused and overwhelmed) by how much money she saves each week - especially at CVS. I am no good at explaining things, and I'm certainly not one to provide a tutorial for others. But you can buy your groceries (especially cleaning and paper products) for close to free at CVS when you get everything set up, do a little planning, and follow through. I'm totally a believer now.

So my favorite thing for this Friday is SAVING MONEY (and who doesn't like doing that??). I didn't take a picture of all the stuff I got this week (Kristen usually does this and it's so cool to see what all she got for so little OOT - Out Of Pocket), but I am going to make a list, which isn't as great, but I'll try to remember to take pictures next time.

This week at CVS for right at $9 I got:

*2 boxes of cereal
*2 containers of Cascade dishwasher soap
*2 bottles of Febreeze fabric spray
*3 cans of Pringles
*2 tins of Icebreakers mints
*2 bottles of nail glue
*1 container of Dawn dish/hand soap
*10 picture prints from Bennett's 1 year birthday party (I'm WAY behind on scrapbooking)
Plus I have $5 Extra Care Bucks (kind of like a gift card) to use on my next purchase (so essentially it's like I spent $4 on the above items, since I also got $5 back, and to put things in perspective at how good of a deal this truly is, that's how much you'd spend for just 1 bottle of Febreeze alone).

Like I said, I'm not good at explaining things, but if you go to my link that says "Coupons" on the side, it'll take you to a blog called Money Saving Mom, and on her blog is a link that says "CVS 101" and it can explain why CVS is so amazing and how to use it.

All in all, I will be spending right under $50 for ALL of my groceries this week, INCLUDING a 92 pack of diapers for Bennett (at Target) and the CVS purchases mentioned above. The remaining groceries will come from Wal-mart, where I'll use a few coupons I clipped from the newspaper on Sunday. Not too shabby if you ask me. And this is only my 2nd week to do it all, so I fully expect I'll get better and better and save even more money as time goes by.

If you are interested in this stuff at all, let me know and we can chat about it in person. As I said before, I am no good at explaining this kind of stuff via blog.


Still to come:

1. The requested picture of my modeling debut on our new couch...(no, I haven't forgotten, and aren't you glad?)

2. Pictures of Benito's chair that my mom and I have been re-covering to match his room (bought it for $10 at a consignment shop - sweet deal.)

I've been tagged

by Kristen C., so here goes:

What Was I Doing Ten Years Ago:

I was a sophomore in high school at F-Dub, completely oblivious to the realities of life *sigh.* I was also bumming rides off my friends (thanks LB) because I was one of the youngest in our grade and one of the only ones who still couldn't drive.

5 Things On My To-Do List Today:

1. Do the awesomely cheap diaper/wipes deal at Target.
2. 1 load of laundry.
3. Type out more family favorite recipes (I'm putting them all in a handy folder).
4. Watch American Idol :)...thank goodness Brooke White is finally gone.
5. REST.

5 Places I Have Traveled:

1. Scotland on a singing tour
2. Honduras and Mexico on mission trips
3. European tour with mom and grandma
4. Caribbean Cruise for our honeymoon
5. China on 6 week mission trip (climbed the great wall with Benito in my tummy :) )

5 Snacks Or Treats I Enjoy:

1. Kettle corn popcorn
2. Diet cherry coke
3. crab salad with crackers
4. ice cream in any flavor but chocolate
5. Reeses of any kind

What Would I Do If I Were A Billionaire:

Give away a ton of money, fund orphanages in China, buy a big house and adopt a bunch of kids, buy amazing sound equipment and musical instruments and record the songs I've written, travel and go on stinkin' awesome family vacations

Places I've Lived:

Rowlett, TX.
Garland, TX.
Houston, TX.
Austin, TX.
Albany, GA.
Noblesville, IN.
Bedford, TX.
NRH, TX.
Searcy, AR.
Watauga, TX.


Jobs I've Had:

Babysitter
Floor worker, The Gap
Cashier, Bearly Used Retail
Kindergarten teacher, Daycare
Chapel coordinater, Daycare
Office worker, Harding University
Sandwich artist, Subway (sandwich makers unite, Kristen)
First Grade Teacher
Kindergarten Teacher
Pre-school Teacher


5 People I'm Tagging:

Amanda
Lori
Haley
Kristi P.
Kristen D.

Friday Favorites

Michael has spoiled me a lot lately, so I'm going the "romantic/thoughtful" route with Friday Favorites this week.

1. FRESH FLOWERS -- it really doesn't matter to me if they're the $2 Walmart flowers, or the $60 dozen roses (actually, I prefer the cheaper ones since flowers die in a week or two anyway). My very favorite flowers are white roses, or at least have been for a long time. I think I'm in a transition phase of sorts right now, because I'm very attracted to spring flowers, like lilies and daffodils right now. And my favorite favorite flower that's just for planting, not really for romancing, is a violet. I wanted my bridesmaids to carry violets in my wedding before I realized they don't come individually, just as a plant you stick in the ground. When I told the florist what I wanted, she looked at me like I'd sprouted two heads :) And I TOTALLY agree with Kristen C. Buying some inexpensive flowers from the grocery store and putting them in a pretty vase can completely transform the way you feel about a room.

2. SWEETS -- I'm not a big sweets eater, and I'm not one of those women who passes out over a good bar of chocolate, but I love me some Little Debbie snacks (especially the donut sticks or the white cupcake thingys), although technically I probably shouldn't even be talking about them since I'm trying to be good and lose 5 lbs. before the wedding I'm in this August (yes, I know it's 4 months away - I'm using the first couple of months to get mentally prepared :) ). I also ADORE Reeses - both the cups and the pieces. The Easter bunny (aka. my mom - yes my mom STILL gives me an Easter basket - LOVE it!) spoiled me with Reester Bunnies this Easter - HA! They were delicious, and had such a corny name, I got a good laugh, too.

3. BEST DATE EVER -- When we were dating in college our sophomore year, Michael was beginning to get a grasp on how much I love music and how I wanted to perform someday (my dream was to tour or be in a show or to have a record deal). So he told me we were going out, and proceeded to drive me several hours to Branson, MS. and took me around to all of the different stages and auditoriums that people perform in there. We picked up brochures, looked through them, and talked about dreams. Then we stopped inside a place to get some fresh hot fudge and took it to the car, where to my surprise, Michael had two wine glasses and sparkling white grape juice (which began a tradition to be included at romantic or special events - we toasted with sparkling white grape juice at our wedding). We drove back, and I thought the night was over, but NO. He came to my window and SERENADED me with his guitar. It was slightly cheesy, but totally Michael, and it was the sweetest thing ever. All the girls from other windows around mine (in the dorm) were ooh-ing and ahh-ing. It was great. And when I turned around after I thought he was finished, he'd had my roommate bring in roses for me...none of this was for a special occassion - just him being super sweet and thoughtful, and trying hard to make me happy...which he did :)
(Side note: No, this is not a picture of my husband. HA!)

And that's that for this week :)

Merely an Observation

I have an observation to make about Oprah. But first let me say that there are two main reasons for this post. 1) I think it's important that women out there that seem to think this particular talk show host has all the answers or is wise beyond her years, or is the end all be all to life advice and direction, also see and are exposed to/reminded of the fact that she has weaknesses and problems and struggles, just like the rest of us. This point is especially important to me because I believe in this society and culture, we can be strongly influenced, and even set up idols for ourselves without even realizing it. There are women out there who depend on the word of Oprah more than the word of God. As ridiculous as that sounds, in reality, it's true. Oprah's law and beliefs are not God's, and her truth is most certainly not absolute truth. 2) The observation I have made is slightly amusing to me. Not in a cruel, bwuh-hah-hah kind of way, but in an ironic, somewhat "point proven" type way. I think you'll see what I mean when I explain.

My observation is this: When Ms. Winfrey is thin and exercising and taking good care of herself, she speaks to her audience constantly about the importance of overcoming food addiction, emotional eating, comfort foods, etc., and how her on-going battle with all of this is a continuing process, but that she basically has it all figured out. She freely, openly, and continuously offers advice to others about this particular subject (when she's thin and lookin' good).

However, when she packs on the pounds, has to bump her wardrobe up a few sizes, and begins to have bags and circles under her eyes, the talk about healthy lifestyles, healthy eating, overcoming emotional eating, weight gain/loss, etc., disappear. And oddly enough, this "honest and frank" talk show host, says nothing about her continued weight gain or the possible issues behind it, although she presents herself as a wise woman who has the answers for just about everything, and someone who knows how to overcome all obstacles in life.

I'm not saying that her issues are any of my business, and frankly, it doesn't matter to me, except that on one side of the coin, she presents herself as this spiritual, emotional, and physical mentor and prophet of sorts, when she clearly has problems that she's not in control of. She talks about issues and events in life as if she has all of the answers. But she's made it clear that losing weight, being thinner and healthier, and looking good are important to her and she wants all women to enjoy it. If this is the case and she has all of the answers, why the substantial weight gain? And why the avoidance of the subject if she's truly the advocate for supporting women with troubles and her goal is healing and helping?

This may seem like a trivial post to most of you. For those of you who have already understood that Oprah is turning a page in the influence she has on our country and that it is not a positive one, good for you. I'm not writing this to poke fun or speak meanly about Oprah. And as I said before, she can lose 5 lbs. or gain 50 - whatever, I don't care. What I am saying is that this woman is nobody's savior, and she certainly doesn't have all the answers (I don't think she has very many of them at all, actually). A lot of what she does/says is a perversion of the truth, and recognizing this in the little inconsistencies is important. It's important that we keep our minds sharp and are able to label things that don't quite make sense or that we know to have falsehood in them. The weight gain is not meant to be a criticism or a jab - just an inconsistency in her "ministry" to others, one of many these days...I just think it's so important to know what we stand for and what we are supporting, whether it be through the TV shows we watch, the books we read, the money we spend, etc.

Thanks for giving me a minute to observe,
Jen

Pictures of my Favorite Friday Favorite

Okay, my little Benito is (obviously) one of my very favorite favorites, and I'm WAAAY behind on pictures, so humor me this week...I'm posting a TON of pics of my little buddy. Some people say, "Oh, I know I'm boring everybody with pictures of my kid or that you just need to indulge me this time," but actually, I really do love looking at pictures of other peoples' kids, babies, vacations, etc. Pictures say so much more than words. So I'm taking for granted that all of you people out there feel the same way! :) hee.

FRIENDS

M is for Monkey, B is for Bennett :)

Bennett and Sage

G.C. and Bennett at the zoo.
They roared and laughed at
the white tiger for a while. :)

Bennett and Sydney

Playing ball with the neighbors.



MAKING MESSES

He's busted his face or lip
THREE times this week.
(please ignore the snot)

What happens when I allow
him to get his own snack.

How Bennett likes to
"clean up" his snack.

PLAY TIME

He was playing so quietly it was
making me nervous. When I went
to check, this is what I found.

Lining his blocks up all in a row. :)

And that should just about do it for pictures of my favorite favorite for a while. Have a fabulous weekend, my friends!