Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Couponing

Inspired by More Free Toothpaste!
I decided to give couponing a try.

Here is my first attempt:
I purchased these items this week for a total of $4.90.

Two 18oz. Irish Spring Body Wash: $1.50 Walgreens
L'OReal Bold Volume Building Mascara: $1.00 Rite-Aid
18 oz. Juicy Pomegranate and Mango Softsoap Body Wash: $1.50 King Soopers
2 liter bottle of Sprite: $0.40 King Soopers
25 oz. Palmolive: $0.50 King Soopers

6.4 oz Colgate Toothpaste: FREE King Soopers
Two packs of 18 no damage Scunci rubber bands: FREE Walgreens
Schick Quattro Titanium blade refills: FREE Walgreens
5.8 oz Colgate Total Toothpaste: FREE Rite-Aid
Two 18 stick packs of Trident gum: FREE Rite-Aid
60 Chewable Flintstones Tablets: FREE Rite-Aid
Irish Spring Antiperspirant Deodorant: FREE Rite-Aid

Total sales savings this week: $43.37
Total coupon savings this week: $22.25
Total Register Rewards this week: $10.00

Total savings this week: $75.62

And I have plans for a Target trip in the next day...
12 oz. Renu Fresh contact solution on sale for $6.49 - my $2.00 coupon
Buy two value pack of diapers for $29 - $4.50 in coupons...get a $10 gift card!
$16.50 in savings!

Making my new savings total: $92.12

This couponing stuff can become addicting.
I can't freakin' wait for Sunday's paper!

Monday, July 25, 2011

A Thomas Birthday Party

We have gotten away with the family birthday party for ages 2, 3, and 4...
but AJ has been to enough friend birthday parties to start requesting his own this year.

He surprised us by wanting a Thomas the train party...
not a firefighter party...
not a Phineas and Ferb party...
Thomas.
I'm not going to lie, I was super nervous to host his first friend party...
so I researched Thomas parties on-line for weeks.

Peeps out there are crazy, over the top with their birthday parties...
renting carnival rides...creating spreads fit for a wedding...parents renting conductor costumes for $70...

what?!

How about some cake, ice cream, and good old fashion backyard fun?

A little bit of my teacher roots came out, and we did have a time-line...
more to help me stay on track than anything else.
Store bought decorations...
Some veggie dipper snacks...
I love this idea! My kids will eat anything they can dip. It's like magic.
I also saw an extension of this idea where a genius mom out there keeps her peanut butter jars and puts peanut butter in the bottom, tosses in some celery sticks, pops the lid back on, and throws it in the cooler for picnics and camping trips!
Why don't I think of these ideas?!
We had coloring pages as time fillers to fall back on...
Girlfriend loves to color...
if only she didn't color on my dining room tablecloth the morning after the party...
as she powered down "a few" extra pez she found from the party...
She lives by the philosophy do now, seek forgiveness later...
Something about having a preschool crush melts my heart...
He's been telling me for the last year they are going to get married...
and after VBS this summer he expanded his future plans to include having a baby to get baptised.
After snacks, we kicked off the party with a Train Walk...
where everyone walked around during the Thomas music
and stopped on a number when the music stopped...
just like a cake walk...except instead of getting a cake, you got a conductor hat.
Then the kids cooled off with a water relay...
trying to fill their team's bucket with water first...
except Andy had drilled holes in their cups, making it significantly more challenging to get the water there...good for a few laughs...

Girlfriend didn't get it and slowed her team down as she tried to drink the water out of her cup...
Next, we went inside to put together some foam train frames with double sided tape...
We brought the train table up from the basement as a time filler.
I don't know a kid that can resist the pull of a train table.
We had temp. tattoos...
Tattoo tip: When you need to get 13 tattoos on 13 kids fast...
pull the plastic sheet off, soak a tray of paper towels, lay the tattoos out on the wet paper towels tattoo facing up, then just pick them up and stick them on! No holding down and counting to 30. Just grab, stick, and go! The key is to remember to take off the plastic sheet...otherwise you adhere the tattoo to the plastic...not good.
And a backyard party is not complete with a pinata...
We opted for the pull the ribbon pinata for a less violent approach...
just make sure all kids understand to only pull ONE ribbon...
because it sucks if you were behind the one kid in line that didn't get the memo...
Check out Girlfriend showing her daddy her sucker loot...
she loves her sugar.
We served pizza and juice boxes...
a balanced diet according to AJ.
And enjoyed cake (thank you King Soopers)...
and Blue Bell ice cream (thank you Texas)!
Whew! That was fun,
but I have to say next year I think I'm paying the zoo $350 to host his party and clean up.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Baby Quilt Bliss

Not only does my BFF keep me sane every week,
she is an amazing crafter with a generous spirit.

She made baby Brody this funky, adorable quilt.
I love everything about it.
I love the colors.
I love the quilting technique.
I love the fabrics.
I love the backing and the binding.
I love how it crinkled.
I love looking at it.
I love holding it.
He is one lucky baby.
And I am one blessed friend.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Marshmallow Poppers

When the natives get restless around here,
we have to get creative with our resources.

You got to try this
for hours of easy fun...

First, collect a few simple supplies and an eager audience.
Second, cut the bottom off of a cup.
Third, tie a balloon.
Fourth, cut the tip off the top of a balloon and stretch it over the bottom of your cup.
Fifth, load it with a few mini marshmallows.
Sixth, pull back.
Seventh, release!
Eighth, laugh your butt off.
Ninth, reload
and do it again and again.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Color Makes Happy

But I always struggle with putting together coordinating outfits for family pictures.
This time my photographer recommended I check out
www.design-seeds.com
for inspiration,

and I am in love!


This is great for scrapbooking layouts...
outfits...
quilts...
decorating...
endless possibilities.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Wedding Gift Album

In between meals and trips to firefighter camp and the zoo last week,
I knocked out an 8 by 8 album for my MIL to give as a wedding gift.

Naturally, the album has a funky, vintage flair to it...
since I had free reign.

We're talking tulle...
pennant banners...
vintage buttons...
ruffles...
rhinestones...
lace...
ribbon...
crocheted flowers...
fabric...
butterflies...
scalloped edges...
zigzag stitching...
yellow...
polka dots...
chalking...

all the things that make me giddy.















Now if I could just get caught up on my own family albums...

in the scrapbook world, my child that just turned 5 is still 1...
and Abby doesn't exist yet...