Bargain Shopper-Extrordinaire!

For Enrichment night 3 weeks ago they had some lady from Grocery Smarts come and teach us how to cut our grocery bill by crazy amounts and get your food storage all at the same time. This lady said she cut her monthly bill from $700.00 to about $220.00 a month! Yeah right I thought. But I am here to testify...that so far it has worked. By using the Grocery Smarts website, getting 5 Sunday papers for the coupons, and spending a little time you can do it! I just have to tell you about my experience.
Last week at Albertsons, they had a deal that you buy 10 items get $10 back on your next shopping trip. I bought 50 items, spent about $100 bucks, and got a $50 dollar coupon back. So this week they had a deal where you buy $10 dollars worth of stuff and get $3 dollars back. So I did that, used some coupons, my $50 dollars worth of coupons from last shopping trip and this is what I got for free yesterday...yes FREE: 2 boxes freezer storage bags, 2 boxes sandwich baggies, 5-6packs of Kool-aid, Glad press-n-seal, Glad cling wrap, 2 bottles of Clorox, 2 large packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 huge chuck roasts, 20 lbs of sugar, 1 carton of eggs, and 2 packages of refrigerated cookie dough. Crazy huh?
Last week the great deals were cake mixes for 0.25 cents, cereal for 1.00 a box, Progresso soups for 0.50 cents, frosting for 0.67 cents.
Yes I know I sound crazy, but it's a great feeling to be building up a short term food storage AND saving money. I am just making it my new project to get my mind on something other than getting our house done...whatever works!

Update On Doggie

Good news? She is adorable with the kids. Bad news? She IS a cat killer. Yesterday I forgot I had put the cat out of the garage and let the little dog out. Pretty soon I went to check on her and her and the cat were screaming and growling and barking at each other. All I saw was a ball of white fur rolling around on the neighbors back patio. I had to run inside, get my shoes on, and literally beat her off of the cat. I reprimanded her so hard. Then I felt terrible. I was so startled by it all that I was just shaking. I felt awful for the cat, so I put the dog in her crate and went and petted the kitty and put her back in the garage. Then I was so mad at the dog-but how do you curb their natural instinct? I wish there was some other part I hated about her so it would make it easy to give her away...but there isn't. She lets the kids poke and prod and sit on her. She is so smart and I have already taught her to lay down and roll over. And she just loves to be by you touching you when she lays down and sleeps. AAAAHHHH! What to do! I don't want to betray my cat, but yet I don't want to give up such a cute dog. I don't know if I should get her an electric collar and just juice her when she takes in after the cat...or what.

Oh...and a little off the subject. They poured the 2-car garage part of my driveway today! Hooray! Hopefully, weather cooperating they will pour the 1-car part tomorrow. That was the last big thing we were concerned about getting done.

Well, followers I will keep you updated on our situation! Thanks for reading!

Saved

We would like to welcome the newest member of our family! Yes. We got another dog. We needed one like we needed a hole in our heads. But of course Andy called with a sob story of how she was in the pound and it was her turn to be put to sleep. After looking her over, she just couldn't do it. From what we have gathered she is a Jack Russell Terrier, is about 1 1/2 years old, has excellent conformation, is not spayed, is fully potty trained, knows how to sit and lay down, and LOVES riding in the truck. We just had to give her a chance! After spending a few days with her my guess is that she is someone's beloved pet and they are missing her greatly. She is the sweetest little thing, good with the kids, loves Diesel, and loves to be right where we are. Who wouldn't want a dog that is potty trained and adorable?

The only bad thing? I think she is a cat killer. And we have a cat. Her and kitty had a run-in with one another and all we heard was screaming and growling and a poof of hair 4 feet in the air.

Any suggestions on names? We need something cute and just perfect for her...and quick. We are sick of calling her dog or doggie. Ideas anyone?

Favorite Things!

Slate tile in entryway

Kitchen cabinets and countertops

My granite...love it!

Island with extra deep drawers

Fireplace

Cabinets above the toilets...aren't those cubbys cute!

Pounded copper star sinks in master bathroom

Master bathroom vanity and sinks

Yes, yes...I know. It looks just like me. That's what everyone says when they come to look at our new house. I am just going to take that in a good way. I am glad my house reflects who we are. Rustic yes. Very rustic. But I love it!

Here a few of my very favorite things in our house. I absolutley love our cabinets...rustic maple. Especially the cabinets above the toilets with all the useful cubbys. Also our colorful slate tile. It extends from the entryway into the small bathroom and down the hall to our bedrooms. In our old house I hated how our carpet tracked down in the hall way...so we just eliminated that problem all together!

Our pounded copper sinks I acquired in Vegas at the NFR Cowboy Christmas. The store owner wanted $250 bucks a piece for them. I offered $200 a piece and they declined, so I walked away (just like I told myself to do if they wouldn't take it). Until 10 minutes later. I saw the store owner running up the aisle towards me and they decided they could take $200 a piece. They only had 1 sink in stock...but they shipped the other for free...which I also required as part of the deal. Then the owner said, "You drive a hard bargain. You are good at this!" Then he offered me a job! Funny. I guess I have a little bit of Dad in me. Thanks Dad for teaching me how to "deal"!

I also love how our granite turned out and I am very excited about the undermount sink. I get sick of not being able just to wipe the crumbs into the sink easily and I also get tired of cleaning around the edge of the sink. I think this will be so fun!

As for moving in? They started digging out where the drive-way will go today, and depending on weather next week-we very may well have a driveway and stairs to our front door. The plumbers will hopefully come next week as well to install faucets and toilets. The carpet is coming the next Monday and then the painters to touch up. So we are very very close. I just can't picture us moving in...I can hardly stand myself!

I am so thankful to Ron and Becky for answering 50 phone calls a day and being patient with me. They have done so much work to help us. I am just glad that Ron understands I don't know anything and I want everything perfect. But then again he IS married to my sister who is that way much more than I am. He just has to deal with us! I am also so glad for my sweet husband who is so patient with me when I am freaking out...which is most of the time. Hats off to all of you who put up with me. Love ya!

Valentine's Dinner

So on Valentine's Day Cody and I chose to forgo the traditional date without kids. The logistics of that were just alot easier. And we were so glad we did. We had a special dinner of marinated grilled chicken breasts, Spanish beans, cornbread muffins, red potatoes, and pink water. It was delicious. For dessert we had my all time favorite Strawberry shortcake. It is a yellow cake with a whipping cream and cream cheese frosting and then you pour Danish dessert with strawberries over the top. I think I had Mom make it every year for my birthday dessert since I can remember. Yummy! I went to the dollar-store and got some fancy decorations and confetti and the kid's favorite-balloons. Andy, Mom, and our family had a lovely candelight dinner. It was alot of work...but very well worth it. I want to be able to create traditions and memories for our kids and I thought this was a good start. It was so fun to have Andy and Mom there.

Addie's Valentine prize consisted of some giraffe glasses, bead necklaces, bracelet, gummy frogs, and stick on earrings. I think it cost me 2 bucks. I love that she still likes cheap stuff.

Cody gave me some chocolate dipped strawberries and a heart shaped Mindy-mint from Mrs. Cavanaghs. He also did the cutest heart- shaped hand made card...sometimes he really surprises me. I love my little family so much it just makes my heart want to pop sometimes. I am so very blessed!

The Letter "M"

So today Addie was playing with her blocks that have pictures and letters of the alphabet on them. After a while she handed a block to me and said "M, mom!" and loe and behold...it was the letter M. I couldn't believe it! She also did the same with the letter A. All those times I try to teach her she acts like she isn't even paying attention and I am retarded to try. But she must pick up on something. Or she learnes from her best friend...the T.V. PBS kids and Nickalodeon do wonders obviously.

Evolvement

Mason boy is evolving into our grown-up world. We figured he is about 2 weeks away from his 1st birthday and he is the size of a line-backer so we turned his car seat around. He actually couldn't believe it! When I tried to put him in it he just kept trying to turn around in it while I was buckling him in. Then when we were driving he just kept looking around at Addie, Cody, Grandma, and I and smiling like "no way!" (we were headed up to Andy's to watch the Super Bowl). It was pretty cute. Now for getting rid of formula and bottles. He is doing pretty good on a sippy cup...so sorry to say bottles and formula will both be gone by his 1st birthday...I am kind of mean. I just am sick of washing them and paying for formula. Now if Addie would only potty-train herself we could have one less child in diapers...aaahh!

Nursery

Yay! Today was the first time I have been able to take Addie to nursery, get her settled, and leave to my own class! It is such a relief. I sat her at the table for snack and pointed out her friends as they came in. Then I just said "It's time for Mommy to go to her class now. Love you!" She just smiled and didn't give me a second look. The trick to Addie is routines and rituals. If she just knows what is coming next she can mentally prepare herself. I have never enjoyed Relief Society more than now. Not being able to go at all or go with children makes you appreciate when you can actually go by yourself and listen to a spiritual message. My little punkin is really starting to grow up-which is great in some ways and sad in others. I like her to be little and just fit in my arms!

Here Comes Trouble...

So I guess Mason has learned to climb. I guess I should have known it wouldn't be long, especially on the dishwasher. Whenever I am loading or unloading he is fascinated in "helping" (I hope that lasts into adulthood). I had unloaded the bottom half and ran out of the kitchen to do something and when I came back this is what I saw. It is so fun to see them grow and develop normally, but every new thing they learn is melancholy for me because that means he isn't going to stay my little baby forever!

This was a terribly unfortunate incident that happened recently. I was checking my email for about 2 minutes and when I walked out of the office this is what I saw. My two small children had opened the coat closet door, pulled out the diaper bag and all it's contents, opened the small can of formula, and were tossing handfuls in the air and giggling. I immediatley wanted to freak out, but instead I calmly put Addie in time-out and then remebered to grab my camera. Notice the fine formula powder in Mason's hair on the second picture. It was EVERYWHERE! I am finding that Mace and Addie are becoming great partners-in-crime together and they sure do keep me on my toes.

And lastly-the scarf. We were headed out to do our daily errands when I stepped out the door to a bone-chilling wind. I didn't have a coat on and the kids needed "glubs" (Addie's version of gloves) and hats so I went back inside after I got the kids in the truck. I found their winter gear and then found mine. I have this fabulous pink fuzzy scarf Andy made me a while ago and decided that would be cozy. As I jumped in the truck all bundled up, Addie was freaking out that I had a scarf-just like Winnie the Pooh and Piglet wear in a book we read. So I relenquished my scarf to a very happy little girl. And boy, did she wear it with pride!