Birthday party

Here's a pic from our party last night. It was really great to have everyone together for a nice meal. We had a lot of fun. I took this pic with the camera timer and I sat it on the mantle, when it started flashing I ran to be in the picture and that nearly gave ABby a heart attack, she was screaming "Hurry Mommy!!!". It was so funny. I loved that everybody was looking and pretty much smiling on the first take!!! So here's: Me, Steve, Noah, Abby, My Mom and Dad, My Brother Jason, his wife Tiffany, their son (my nephew) Riley, Steve's Mom, His Sister Becky, her Husband Tom, their kids (my neice and nephew) Julie and Aaron. I think we look pretty nice!!!

Getting ready for the Holidays!

Hi all!!

I've had a busy but fun last week or so. Our Thanksgiving was very nice. It was also Steve's Birthday!! It started with the incredible shopping trip to CVS with Sonya!!! I got pretty much the same thing she did, so there's no use in posting that deal. I was so excited when I got home from that, that I couldn't sleep!! I ended up getting about 2 or 3 hours of sleep, but it was so worth it!! I got up Thursday and and the kids and I gave Steve the gifts they picked for him. Noah got him a Wii game and Abby got him an orange frog with a Bengals shirt that sings and dances!! They were both very cute! I then made some cute napking ring holders and the green beans for our dinner and then went to my Mom's. I also made the pumpkin pie and pilgrim pies (a pumpkin moon pie type concoction, that's really delicious!) on Wednesday. We hung out there for about 3 hours, I helped my Mom cook the dinner and Steve and my Dad debated politics, it only got loud for about 5 minutes!! SM My brother and his family came right as the dinner was ready, they had been at Tiffany's parents first. We had a very nice and yummy dinner. It was just sooooo goood!!!!!

After that we went to STeve's mom's for more deserts with her and Steve's Sister's family. The kids had a blast playing together there and it was a nice end to the evening. We left the kids there to spend the night, so Steve and I could shop early in the morning. But since I was already a bit sleep deprived, when the alarm went off at 4am, it just wasn't happening!! We ended up getting up around 8, went to Meijer, Target, back to Meijer, Walmart, another Meijer, lunch at Panera and then went to pick the kids up. We got lots of good deals and had a great time.

When we got home we put up the Christmas tree in the family room together and then I started decorating the rest of the house. We now have a 7 foot tree, a 6 foot tree, a 3 foot tree and two 2 foot trees up!!! I love decorating, especially when we're having a party or something during the holiday season like we are tomorrow. We're having a small family dinner to celebrate mine and Steve's Birthday's. His was the 22nd and mine is Dec. 7th. We're having our siblings and parents over for a total of 14 people. It should be nice. I decided to make a sort of pasta bar for the dinner. I'm making the three different Disney pastas at Kroger now and I got a MIckey one while in Walt Disney World, then I'm making my homemade Macaroni and Cheese sauce, my homemade alfredo sauce, a hamburger spaghetti sauce and a just plain spaghetti sauce. Then some garlic bread and salad and that's it!! It should be yummy!!

I've been busy cleaning up the house and finishing the decorations this week. It's a lot of work!! The kids are now studying Christmas in school. That's actually a lot of fun. We're reading all kinds of stories, learning the sign language to Silent Night, reading the Bible and learning about God's greating Gift. Today we talked about the traditions celebrated in Mexico. It's a really great study. Oh, last week we did eventually go to Sunwatch Indian Village and that was really neat. It's in conjunction with Boonshoft Museum in Dayton, so if you have a membership to the Cincinnati Museum Center (or COSI, I think Charity), you get into the Indian Village for free. So that was a nice surprise!! It's really cool though. They have started to rebuild a village that was discovered and it's just really cool to get to go into the buildings and things. I really enjoyed it.

Our church is doing something called a Christmas ADVENTure on Friday night and basically it's a chance for parents to get out and do some shopping while the kids get to do some great activites. It's for 3 hours and they are doing crafts, singing carols, eating, watching movies, all kinds of things. I can't wait to get another date night!!

Then Saturday I get to go meet Amanda with Sonya and Crystal. I can't wait to laugh our butts off all the way there!! It's gonna be so much fun!! I can't wait to meet Amanda finally and see the kiddies. I just want to give them all big giant hugs!!!

Oh, just a quick deal update, I only found a few things worth mentioning this week. Meijer has Kellog cereal on sale 3/5 and if you have any of those $1 off one box coupons left, you can get some for .67. Hamburger Helpers with sale and coupons are .50 a box. Kroger just had Tony's frozen pizzas for 1.88 (a favorite here) and the frozen OJ for $1, both good sale prices but sadly no coupons! Has anyone else really missed Money Saving/Making Mom this past week or so???

Well have a good day/morning/evening, whatever!! I'll post pics soon!

Today's loot

Well I did some more bargain shopping today. I just get so excited to see what I can get that I have a hard time waiting!! No pics today, just a list. I went to Meijer, Kroger and CVS. Kroger's deals are over tonight, but I"ll list them anyway. I'll list everything by name and the final price after sales and coupons. I spent a total of 48.50 cash and 21 ECB's. I got back a $5 off next order from Kroger and 15 ECB's at CVS. Here's the deals

Meijer

12 Cans of Purina One dog food free
1 can of Mighty Dog food free
3 bags of Purina Indoor bites dog food free
Skyline Chili can 2.79
2 Martha White Muffin Mixes .52
2 2lb Domino Powdered Sugar 1.68
2 2lb Domino Lt. brown suge 1.68
Sunbeam Bread 1.59
16 cans of Del Monte Vegetables 4.40
4 cans of del monte pears 4.00
Kraft jar of Parmesean cheese 1.89
Kraft jar of shredded parm, romano and asiago cheese 1.89
10 Campbells Chicken Noodle soup 4.00
Pillsbury Cookie Dough free
10 I can't believe it's not butter spreads 2.00
3 Purex Laundry detergents 4.50
2 24pk Diet Pepsi 8.98

And I used 2 $10 off coupons. After she used the first one another one printed out and she took it and put it on the same order. So I got $20 off!!


Kroger

6 Tennesee Pride Sausage Gravies free
6 Sara Lee Simple Sweets Pies 1.95 (Sonya, they used two on each set again, you've gotta do the USCan!!)
2 Betty Crocker Potatoes .36
2 Gallons Milk 4.94
2 half gallon private selection ice creams 5.98
2 frozen kroger apple juices 1.92
2 frozen kroger oj 3.00
1 frozen kroger pink lemonade 1.04
16 slice Kraft Select American Cheese 1.59



CVS

100ct Lipton Tea Bags 1.50
Ferrero Rochelle Chocolates 1.24
Pledge Duster Kit 1.99
Dawn Ultra 28 oz dish detergent 2.29
2 Robitussin Pediatric cough medicines 3.98
1 3ct Venus Disposable Razors 5.99
1 Crest 6.4oz Toothpaste 1.49
3 St Ives Facial Scrubs 8.37
One Touch Ultra Mini Glucose Tester free
1 Wrigley's pack of gum 1.19

those prices don't seem as good as they are when you don't take into account their ECB's. But I earned 15 of them on this deal. I also used the $5/30 and the $2/10 coupons on that order. All in all a pretty decent day. I got 189.28 worth of product for a total of 69.50 (Including the 21 ECB's) plus I got back the $5 coupon and 15 ECB's.

Well have a great Monday, Steve's off all week and we're going to visit Sunwatch Indian Village tomorrow together. It should be fun!!

Why am I so sad??

I heard the news this morning about the passing of Joe Nuxhall and for some reason, it really hit me hard. I hadn't been nearly so affected when I heard of his health problems through the years, but I guess just knowing that we'll never hear his voice again, really got to me. I grew up in a baseball lovin' family. My brother played for many, many years and my family and I spent all of our summers out there rooting him on. We were also big Reds lovers (still are!!), and I grew up listening to Marty and Joe as if there were no other radio voices out there. My dad used to have to work really early and so he would go to bed early and I remember that he would always go to sleep during the summer with the Reds game on his clock radio. I sometimes went in there to get something and would hear those familiar voices. I guess it's just kind of hard to let go of something so big from my childhood. We were very passionate about baseball. I would have never guessed though, that this would hit me so hard. I cried when I heard it, I cried as I drove to Wal-Mart and listened to Marty on 700 talking about him, I cried as I watched them do such a beautiful job of remembering him on 9 news this noon, and now as I type I cry again. Why? Is it the man or my childhood memories that I mourn? I"m not sure, but I know he will be missed. Thanks for so many wonderful memories!!!

Strange

A little photo to make you smile!!


Hi, how's everyone out there in blogger world tonight??? Or maybe it's morning where you are!!! I jsut wanted to type up a quick post so that when those of you who check, will have something new and fresh to read!! I had a dream two nights ago that me and the kids were walking away from an airport when I saw a plane take off, turn 90 degrees and then crash. Everyone around us were freaking out and someone got word that it was Hillary Clinton's airplane. I called Steve and he said the news wasn't sure she was on it. I remember thinking how it would be much more difficult for the Democrats now! Wow, what a strange dream and it was one of those ones that seem so realistic. Very strange, I need to have my head examined!!!

I spent the day at my parents today because our washer is leaking and we needed some clean clothes. I brought our school work and we had a nice day. Neither parent was home, so we partied like frat boys and left a huge mess!! Just kidding!!! I always work extra hard to make sure it seems like we weren't even there. My mama saved me the last three weeks worth of coupons so I worked on clipping those tonight. I think they deserve a box of Betty Crocker Potatoes and maybe even some Skippy Peanut Butter for that!! SM

Well I'm really sleepy now, I need to go night-night. Sweet dreams, and may they all be normal and not completely strange!!!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

CVS Trip

Here's my trip this afternoon. I couldn't do the 4th transaction I had planned because my Garnier ECB's printed as a $20 instead of 2 $10's. Oh well!! I still got these. I paid 17.20 total (4.20 in cash and 13 in ECB's) and got back $21 in ECB's. I got 3 Garnier Facial Cleansers, 1 Garnier Towlette Cleanser, 2 Children's Dimetapps, 1 Palmolive Dish Soap, and 2 Coloring Books (the kids were behaving and I needed fillers for my coupons to work anyway!!). Sonya, I did use 3 ECB's in one transaction and they all worked. She didn't say anything and nothing beeped, it just worked. I don't know if that normal, but it worked today!! Happy Shopping All!!!

More deals

Yesterday's deal from Kroger

11 Boxes of Betty Crocker Potatoes on sale for .88, used one .40 and ten .35 cent coupons (all doubled) paid 1.88 total

3 jars of Heinz Gravy, on sale for .88 used one .75 off 3 (doubled to $1) paid 1.64 total

3 Wish Bone Dressings (thanks Sonya) on sale for 3 for $5, used three .60 (doubled to $1) paid $2 total

5 12ct Beano to Go packs on sale for $1, used 5 $1 off coupons paid 0

Total for all 5.52

Used 16.80 in coupons

Good Deals at Meijer!!!

The Lord is Good!!!!

I was so excited to get to Meijer today, because I saw that there were many good deals with sale prices and coupons combined. I didn't realize however, just how good it would be until I checked out. I ended up going back a second time!! I bought a total of 10 newspapers (each just .99), and after two trips this is my loot!! When she hit total for the two different orders (after sale prices), the first was 88.55, the second 79.52 and after all my coupons the first ended at 23.25 and the second at 13.47. So I got 168.07 (after sale prices) worth of groceries for 36.72 savings of 78%!!! Here's what I got!

9 bags of 4lb Purina dog food-- Free
16 jars of Ragu Sauce - 13.33
16 cans of Meijer Veggies--4.80
8 boxes of Stove Top Stuffing Mix--6.00
11 Boxes of 15ct Totinos Pizza Rolls --(1 Free), 1.90
4 Sara Lee Frozen Pies--5.92
10 jars of Skippy Peanut Butter--2.00
6 Rolls of Bob Evans Sausage --8.34
10 Rolls of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls--7.50
2 Rolls of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls--1.50
2 Land O Lakes Butters--4.00
1 Pillsbury Cookie Dough--Free
10 Cans of Mighty Dog Food--Free
3 75ft Reynolds Aluminum Foil--3.00
1 Reynolds Plastic Wrap--1.00
4 Bags of Doritos--5.50
1 Box of Ritz Crackers and 1 Box of Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers--2.08
1 Libby Pumpkin Pie Mix--1.67
1 Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk--.67
2 New York Texas Toasts--1.33
3 Suave Shampoos and 3 Suave Conditioners--2.28
1 Keebler Pie Crust--.79
1 Gallon Milk--2.69


Plus I had 2 $10 off purchase of $75 or more that I used and got two back!! I also got another coupon for another Free Pillsbury Cookie Dough. All that for 36.72!! Wow, God is Good!!!!!!!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

Ok, for some reason, I'm up a six on Sunday and don't need to be up u ntil 8. What's wrong with me??? And today's our anniversary, why do I need to be up early for that? I need my beauty sleep!!!! SM

It's been a fun few weeks, and although I didn't want to post, so we could all hear more of Sonya's top 10, I will give you all a quick update!

We had a great time at Trunk N Treat with Sonya, Steve, Sammy and Sawyer. Her boys were so cute in their themed costumes. I loved them!! We got tons of yummy candy and enjoyed very nice weather. It was lots of fun.

I took the kids to Miamisburg Mound for a field trip. It was such an awesome trip. It's a conical shaped Indian burial mound near Dayton. We went on Halloween, I guess that might make it spooky, but it was during the day and not spooky at all!!! We climbed the rock steps to the top where the view was just incredible. The whole park is on top of a hill and then going up to the top of the mound makes your view 360 degrees and miles in each direction. The trees were full of beautiful leaves. We were the only one's there most of the time, except some men working to repair the platform at the top of the mound. They had to carry 40lb bags of concrete mix up those stairs. They worked on that the whole time we were there, that must've been really hard work!! There is a small but very nice park there as well, and we played on the playgrounds, and brought a picnic lunch. After we ate, we sat on our blanket and did Math lessons and the kids played in the leaves awhile. It was just so peaceful and beautiful. Oh and we made sure to pray for the Indian's souls buried in the mound while we were on top too. It was just so nice and I was sitting there thinking, this is why I homeschool. This beats any old classroom any day!!

Well yes we also Trick or Treated that day too!! We got yet even more delicious candy which will make great doorprizes for Noah's Birthday in January!!! If I don't eat it all first!! Again that night we had nice weather, though it was weird that it wasn't as dark as usual until the end due to the new time change. It was still a lot of fun though.

Oh, I forgot we did carve our pumpkins, Abby chose Cinderella from our pattern book and Noah asked me to do a Lego one, so I freehanded it. It turned out pretty good, both of them did, I hope you can tell from the photo.

I've been doing a lot of bargain shopping and doing pretty well. It's a lot of fun to come home with bags of stuff for little $'s!! My coupon collection is now getting to where I want it to be, this will be my 4th week of buying 3 papers, so I'm getting a nice collection going.

My little cousin Zach celebrated his 5th Birthday with a bowling party. We all had a blast there. I scored the same as the kids, but I didn't have bumpers!! We really did have a great time there.

We went to a Birthday party for a brother and sister that are friends with our kids (both of their Birthdays are on Halloween) the brother was turning 7 and the sister 5. It was lots of fun. We still have two more parties in November, one for Abby's friend Samantha and the other for our niece Julie.

Yesterday Steve and I went out all day while Grammy (his Mom) watched the kids here. We went all over doing Christmas shopping, bargain shopping and our usual stop at Outback. Every year beginning with our honeymoon, we eat at a different Outback. Our honeymoon was in Maui, then we went to one in Massachusetts, two in Texas, one in Kentucky and now three in Ohio. It's always fun to pick which one we'll go to next. We also had lunch at Panera and I ran in to get us a piece of pumpkin cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory for dessert. We've been so frugal and really been good with our budget, that this was our big splurge day and it was so worth it. We had a great time. We got tons of gifts and even some groceries from our new Aldi's in West Chester. We left around 9:15 and got home at 7. Good times!!

Well I better go get things moving for church. I may go ahead and make a crock pot meal for dinner, since I'm up so early!! Have a great Sunday!!



Abby bowling right down the middle!!




Trick or Treating




Noah bowling at Zach's party




Noah's math lesson at Miamisburg Mound




Abby's lesson at Miamisburg Mound




our pumpkins




The kids running up to the mound.




Abby as SnowWhite for Halloween




Noah as a Lego Bionicle Red Piraka