Hot Topic: Couponing

Today's hot topic (at least for frugal mothers) seems to be couponing and using those coupons in conjunction with sales ads at grocery stores and drug stores. I'm ALL for saving money...in fact, my husband will tell you he is not allowed to go grocery shopping. I may ask him to pick up a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread if we're at the very end, but even in that I am VERY SPECIFIC about what kind of bread or milk. He is not a bargain shopper...doesn't like the challenge. Me, on the other hand, I'm a sucker for a good deal! Give me 50% off and I'm game. I love looking for a good deal, and the fact that websites like www.southernsavers.com and www.thethriftymama.com and www.moneysavingmom.com do all the leg work for you is just WONDERFUL! Now, I don't pay others money to give me the coupons I need as in the Grocery Game (I think it's like $5 or something like that), but I'm pretty advanced in my cutting coupons, filing them in my system, and checking those websites before I go to the store to make sure I'm matching super duper coupons with super duper sales.

My problem with the whole thing is the idea is to stockpile a bunch of items so that you have them when needed. This is so you don't have to go out and buy papertowels or whatever the needed item is at that time at regular price. Yes, that's a bad idea...that's how my hubby operates and it doesn't save us A.N.Y. money. Now, I know we'll eventually use papertowels and need more for a long, LONG time to come (assuming we live past today...which by the way isn't for certain), but why does it seem that some people are buying items they don't normally use just for the sake of having it free or at a reduced cost. I mean, I saw a blog the other day where the person had written how she had gotten like 3 shampoos and 3 deodorants for FREE at her local CVS all by using coupons along with sales ads and then accumulating ECB (extra care bucks) to pay for the remaining deodorants and shampoos. It was a remarkable plan and I applaud her for figuring all that out. I mean, it really takes planning and rationalization to think that whole process through. That sounded like a fabulous idea and one I should head over to CVS to take advantage of.

Problem is, I don't use P*rt shampoo or D*gree deodorant or whatever kind was in her "deal". It would do me no good to stockpile these things since NO ONE in my household uses these things. We are generally a pretty standard, simple family, and we don't buy what I call frivolous things....things that are not completely essential. Like mouthwash, poptarts, room deodorizer, scented Gl*de candles, F*sion razors, P*lsar toothbrushes, sparkly toothpaste for kids, etc. Who really needs these things? I've had no cavities since I was 2 or 3 and I have not missed out in not having mouthwash.

Now, we do buy another kind of deodorant and another kind of razor and another kind of manual toothbrush, but we do not need to have all the name brand's latest and greatest in order to be clean, well-groomed people. Generic 2-ply toilet paper and generic toothbrushes equivalent to Or*l B will be just fine. My cheap razor works fine, too. My hair is specific to one type of shampoo (P*ntene if you must know), so I do cut coupons for that anytime I see one and I would LOVE to have a free deal at CVS on that. I guess some people just like P*rt shampoo and others have to have their candles to make their house smell good, but I plain old refuse to start buying things and "working deals" just to get all that junk stockpiled that I may NEVER use. I find the most helpful part of those websites with great deals is the food section where you can get peanut butter for FREE and cereal for $.14 a box. That's what I'm talking about!!! I know we'll use those things.

Well, I'll shut my blogger trap for now and go finish finding my great deal on Eb*y for homeschool curriculum for our 4 year old's preschool this year! See, I told you I'm a sucker for a great deal!

Good News!

I have a praise item to report! Some of you know I had some lab work done recently at the OB/GYN office for my hormone levels (no shock to anyone), thyroid, prolactin, iron, cholesterol, etc. Thankfully all of them came back normal except two. The prolactin, which comes from the work of the pituitary (located in your head) helps to control milk production. SHOCKER---I have milk!!! Duh!....have had it somewhat since before I was ever pregnant with Emma Grace! Well, the nursing is over and has been, but the milk remains. It's annoying wearing breast pads all the time! Thus the reason my prolactin was 86.4 instead of below 20 (really, it's supposed to be between 2.0 and 10.0 unless you're pregnant, but they wouldn't worry about 20.0 in a woman who has finished nursing in the last 4 months even). Also, my cholesterol (the LDL--that's the bad one, not the triglycerides) was a little elevated. But not elevated enough that I will need to go on medication. The doctor just prescribed "diet and exercise" as I'm sure they always do for elevated LDL's. She did put me on dostinex, the same medication I took before to stop the milk, which helped us get pregnant with Emma Grace.

The praise comes in on days when I take the dostinex (twice a week--Saturdays and Tuesdays) and when it DOESN'T cause a headache. For the last week or two I've been trying to figure out if it was the medicine causing the headaches, which I am able to rid with tylenol usually, or if it was being out in the sun or not having anymore sodas on this diet or if I was just hungry. Well, I still don't know yet if it was the dostinex, but on Tuesday I took the medication with breakfast as I always do and I was THRILLED that I went the entire day and all day yesterday (Wed.) without a headache of any kind. PRAISE! Wonderful! Whatever it was, the Lord saw fit to give me a no headache day. :) Let's just hope I can have a good Saturday this weekend while my mom is here and we have 2 parties to attend with Emma Grace.

Y'all have a super weekend! May YOU be blessed by the Lord!

Our 9th Anniversary

The beach line near Springmaid.
Swinging on the Springmaid Pier around midnight on our anniversary.
Eating seafood at Sara J's in Garden City! Oh. My. Goodness.

For our 9th anniversary we were able to go to Myrtle Beach together for a couple of days (thanks to Bibbi and Papa Jeep for watching the children for us!). Actually, it was for Jason's SC State Firefighter's Convention that he always goes down this time of the year and it always falls on our anniversary (oh, how fortunate am I! Ha! Didn't even get to go last year b/c we had a 5 week old baby). Anyway, the cost of the room at Springmaid is covered and all of his meals are covered by work (he really did have to work each day even if just for 2 or 3 hours on our anniversary). The main expenses were my gas since I couldn't stay the whole week and my meals.

We did a lot of things; I went Christmas shopping and got all the kids' things! Oh, what a relief! I also got to.....listen to this.....READ in peace out by the pool and coast around the lazy river for nearly 2 hours! WOW. I know you're all jealous right now...especially if you have little ones. :)

But, the most important thing is that Jason and I got to spend quality, uninterrupted time with each other! How wonderful! I'm now reaquainted with Jason's chest hairs! Ha! I had forgotten that he even had them since it isn't very often that I get to lay my head on his chest for snuggle time. We last had that quality time without children back in Feb. when we went to the mountains together for a super weekend. And I hope that we can have a date night or two the week we go back to Garden City in September for a full family vacation, but we'll have to see. I may see if a sitter wants to come with us for the week! I know lots of families who do just that! Kelsey, are you available? :)

I must tell you, my husband wrote the sweetest, most loving note to me for our anniversary. Simply beats all the Hallmark cards he has ever gotten for me in the past. I cannot tell you how I love this man...he loves me for who I am and helps me to be all that God has intended for me to be. How blessed I am!

Girls, ladies, all you who are single even if you are just 12 years old...start NOW developing the list for the kind of characteristics you want in a godly husband. I don't mean "macho" or "muscular"...I'm talking long-lasting qualities that edify the Lord. Don't just make the list, but stick to the list. Don't date anyone who wouldn't qualify. Then, begin praying diligently for that godly man. Pray for him each day...pray for him to be developing into the kind of leader you would wish for in a godly husband and godly father. Pray for his patience, contentment, and strength. I am SOOO glad I did this and God has been faithful in bringing me that man. First, though, He had to develop me into a godly woman that Jason would want in a wife and mother. Oh, please don't get me wrong, we "have not yet arrived". We have our downfalls and areas that we need work in, but oh, how wonderful marriage can be when lived according to His principles instead of our own!! Praise Him!

Well, here's to 59 more years (oh, wow, that makes me 94 years old---hey, it can happen and I'm praying for it!)!

A Long Way to Ohio

Callie, the bride, throwing the bouquet

Emma Grace and Jason

The car ride up to Ohio
This past weekend (really a 4 day trip) we ventured up to Marion, OH because Jason and Bubba were both in Daniel and Callie's wedding. First, I would like to say, "Thank you, MOM!" We are so thankful to my mom for keeping Jase for 4 whole days! That is the longest we've EVER left any of our kids, and we missed him so much. We know how much dedication it takes to take time off from work and travel up where we live in order to give undivided attention to one special little boy. I know he enjoyed being with his Mimi with no distractions or sister to split the time with. :) We also know that we couldn't have made the trip with him either. Emma Grace was a sheer delight. She was SOOOO good---probably fared better in the van than I did. Kids are so resilient and flexible! She even had to hang with the adults and went to bed around midnight two of the nights!




It was a great trip up and really was a special time for Daniel and Callie! We wish God's blessings on them as they begin their lives together as one in Him! Such a fun time! I remember it like it was yesterday, and I can tell them it only gets better!! A godly husband is SUCH a blessing---and speaking of husbands and Father's Day....



I wanted to take this time to first thank my own Dad for all that he provided for us 3 girls growing up. I would say I got my work ethic from my dad, and for that I am grateful! There are lots of things said in the Bible about working and not being slothful or lazy.



I also want to thank my hubby Jason for being the greatest father to our children. He loves our children so much and spends so much time with us as a family---that can't be said of every father. He bathes the children, feeds them, plays with them, reads and prays with them, laughs with them, and more than anything he is the finest example of a godly father and husband both at our church and in our home. The way they run to him when he enters the door in the evenings is very special! Our whole family loves to be with DADDY. And I have fallen more in love with him every day over the 9 years we've been married!

I love you, Jason!

Too Many Irons in the Fire?

Have you ever just looked around at your desk (my home desk I mean) and thought, "Wow, what pile am I working on now?" I guess I have so many things going on, especially that require me to look up some phone number on the internet or compile my list of grocery deals from the website I mentioned below or get a card out to so and so who is sick.....on....and....on it goes. As I look over my desk, there is SOME semblance of order to me even if no one else knows what's going on.

I have one pile of papers about my Educator Recertification, which I need to call the SDOE to find out if a couple of classes I want to take this summer for CEU's (continuing education units) will count toward my recertification. My certificate is due to expire in June 2011, so I really have over a year to do this, but I might as well take one day classes that are only $25-$50 versus $900 a taking up 7-11 days and even weekends.

Another pile is papers I printed with information about our reservations this week for Daniel's wedding in Ohio, which my husband and his brother are groomsmen in. I like to plan ahead, so of course I've tried to look for places to eat, shop, fun things to do, etc.

Another pile is Father's Day cards and gifts that will need to go out before we leave for Ohio or will need to be wrapped and taken with us to Ohio for hubby and his dad who are going with us.

The other stack relates to an ongoing file of resources/catalogs/price lists/etc. of homeschool resources and field trips we hope to take this year.

Oh, and there is just one more stack that I would call the "Get Ready for Emma Grace's 4 1/2 Birthday swimming party" that is coming up June 27th. I'm trying to get my ducks in a row as far as presents, food for everyone, decorations, invitations, games they can play besides swimming, treat bags for the guests, etc.

Woops, hidden under the recertification stack is a small bunch of papers (2-3 sheets) that relate to our current insurances and life insurance policies. I need to evaluate what we have--- is it enough for us now that we also have Jase, are we paying for some policies we don't need, and do we need to add other term or whole life policies to be sure? I want to sit down soon with Jason and a Christian financial planner to see if we're on target and being wise with the resources we currently have coming in. I don't want us to sit down and one day say what one lady in our church shared recently about her being punished for her sins in the area of financial irresponsibility from years back.

Now I guess I should turn around and look at the scrapbooking table behind me sitting open with pictures ready to go in from June 2008 (YIKES, I'm one year behind already!!!!).

Saving Money---working on a budget

A couple of friends' blogs have referenced frugalness lately, and some on FB had me searching around on www.southernsavers.com for grocery deals at local grocery stores. People, if you live in the southern states, this is the best website I have ever found for helping me know what the weekly sales ads are in conjunction with coupons. It frankly amazes me how people can get Pampers Jumbo size diapers at CVS for .49! You'll just have to look at that website on the CVS section to see what I am talking about. They get bread for free at Bi-Lo.....only .66 for a block of cheese at Bi-Lo this week when you use your coupons. SO MANY deals---you could easily get your groceries for virtually FREE if you shop around!! Why not?? And now I know exactly why I have clipped coupons for years and have them organized by isles in my coupon organizer. God has certainly told us to be wise with the money and resources He gives us.

????

There are so many things I've wanted to title this post, but none seemed to fit well, so I will just leave the question marks. I'll just say that I need prayer in dealing with my attitude with others in general. Maybe it's rooted in jealousy, which I definitely can fall prey to coveting others "fun" time with their older children. I would imagine most people do not have a CLUE what I'm talking about since the way I feel is not often displayed on the outside for all to see, but ask my husband and he knows what I feel on a daily basis (he probably will not tell you, though, because he knows it is my weakness and an area of prayer).

It's an ongoing struggle in my head involving where I am in this season of life and trying to soak up babyhood while still yearning for some sense of what I would call "fun" that I think will come as Jase finally grows out of babyhood. A lot of my friends who have kids (some even have just one who is older) try to pawn their kids off all the time to grandparents or daycare or sitters so they can be by themselves and it won't "cramp their style". I, on the other hand, have sooo many things I want to do this summer and even during the school year that involve Emma Grace having fun and doing those "homeschool" experiences, but I feel she often gets the short end of the stick because of us having to stay home with Jase. We tried the strawberry patch thing with him, and we had a little fun and got strawberries (which was the thing we did go for), but it doesn't take but an hour or so in a stroller or being carried (which he HATES) and then we're heading back home for his nappy-noo-noo.

I want to take Emma Grace to places I know she'll enjoy---it's about making memories, right? Some of the places are to the Riverbanks Zoo, the free movies on T/W (once a month maybe--not every Tues. and Wed.), Putt-Putting, Fort Jackson Water Park, Edventure (they have the butterfly garden right now), Happy Cow Creamery tour, etc. But all of those would last more than an hour or two, and Jase would be begging for his bed....not to mention how I'd be toting a diaper bag, a snack and/or lunch for him, a stroller, his juice, sunscreen, probably a cooler, etc. It's just not like putting Emma Grace in the van and going. I really don't think it would be worth it to go for an hour to the zoo and then head home---waste of money. Nor to Edventure and home after an hour---you could easily spend 2-4 hours in that place and not see everything---and the cost is like $7 for a child 2 and over and $9 for adults. I'm quite certain, also, that he would not sit through a movie or putt-putting (I'm envisioning right now him crawling down the embankment into a green colored pond while I'm putting a hole-in-one)! So I guess I should ask those of you who read this blog, do you:

1.) Have to wait until your children are out of babyhood to begin to enjoy life?
2.) Hire a sitter since you can't expect grandma to watch him once a week or more often if you have doctor appointments that week too or if grandma has to work that week?
3.) Take the baby anyway and forego making the most of a visit your older child will enjoy (hence wasting $$ since you'll have to go back again to catch the rest of the visit)?
4.) Some other option I'm not realizing??

I guess you can see that I sort of feel doomed to leave my van parked right here at home and not go anywhere all week long. Now, don't get me wrong, we do activities here at home and she's really loving riding her bike lately (won't go outside unless I go out with her still---which is hard b/c Jase again is crawling and pavement isn't a nice friend to knees), but there is just so much cooking, cleaning, playing babies, reading books, sidewalk chalk, etc. you can do before you need to get out of the house. Hopefully the pool at MIL's next door will be ready soon and we can go enjoy the outside weather---Lord knows we've been cooped up in this house too long!

I guess I have a problem like http://www.theprayerofhannah.blogspot.com/ has been hitting on this week about "Entitlement". I need to pray hard about overcoming my feelings of expecting other family members and friends to want to help me in taking care of Jase. (Lord, don't let me go there...part of my attitude thing) This is especially hard on me this year as a stay-at-home mom. Those of you who know me know I'm a mover and shaker. I don't like to sit still for long...don't understand how people can stay at home day after day with no activity. Just would drive me NUTS....does drive me nuts. Now, don't get me wrong...we're busy bees---at least it seems my kitchen gets a pretty good workout! I'm a people person and I like to see progress. Like I told my MIL (we've had this discussion before about her being a home-body and me the opposite), I am a people person and I crave action. I crave the day when we can pack up the kids' bikes and go camping and hiking! I want to cook marshmallows and weenies over the fire with my kids! I want to see their eyes light up at feeding the lorikeets and giraffes. Want to take Emma Grace to dance lessons or allow her to take gymnastics if that's what she wants to do. And the thoughts that weigh me down now are that I could be doing thrifty activities with Emma Grace if I had a reliable sitter ($5 water park, free movies, zoo membership). Just makes me sick to my stomach. :(

Y'all please pray for me in these areas and I'd love feedback from other moms who have the same issues. I know I'm not the only one to ever trod down this path of stay-at-home blues. :)