Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Funny :)

Since the peak of craziness is happening within the next few days, I thought everyone could use a laugh!

I think this is so funny and cute! Enjoy!
Have a Merry Christmas!


Monday, December 14, 2009

Target Deals

So on one of these deals, I lost my receipt. On the other one, I didn't take a picture!!

Ah! Things were crazy and apparently I lost my head!

Again, I didn't go crazy shopping this month, these trips were spread out.














- 2 Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate - . 44
( I tried to use 2 $1 off Target coupons, but the lady wouldn't let me, but still a great deal! It was cheaper than getting 1!)
- Dove -$3.99- sale
-Reach floss- .97
-2 Cat Treats - $1 each sale

Used:
-$1 off Swiss Miss Target coupon
- .50 off 2 Swiss Miss
- $1 off Dove
-$1 Reach
-$2 off Purina cat treats

Total paid: $3.43!

Got FREE:
-2 cat treats
-1 Swiss Miss
- 1 Reach floss

The other trip to Target has no picture :(

Here is what I got:
-2 Trident Layers gum ($1.29 each)
-1 Clean and Clear face wash (on sale for $3.41)
-2 Purina cat treats(on sale $1 each)

Used:
- 1 $.75 off of Trident gum
- 1 B1G1 Free Trident
- $2 off Clean and Clear
-1 $1 off Cat treats Target coupon
-1 $1 manufacture coupon for cat treats

Total paid: $2.06

Got FREE:
- 2 cat treats
- 1 Trident gum

Usually with these trips I use my survey money. I do surveys online and I get paid to take them! One site I use pays $3 each survey, not a lot, but each of these trips were either around $3 or under! Total I have made about $20!! Another survey website I use pays in points, each survey is around 20 points, which is $2.00. After you earn $5 there, you can request a check or get an Amazon gift card. Total there I have made $16. 20!! YAY! :D

The first site is:
This one has a lot of surveys you actually qualify for, since they ask you a lot of questions when you sign up. They email you when there is a survey you qualify for. I am not sure if there are any more spots, but it's worth checking out! They are legit too, I have received checks in the mail and have cashed them...they work :)

The second site is:
This one you get notifications for, but it is harder to complete. You do fill out a questionare, but it is not as specific questions than the survey people above. However, they will send you an email when they have a survey open. If you qualify for it (it will let you know) then you will get however many points they said it was worth in the email. They have ranged for me from 15 pts to 40 pts. I didn't qualify for the 40 pts though! :)

The only thing needed for doing surveys is time. One survey I took seemed to take forever, but I did get paid for it! Some are longer than others, but in the email, they will say the time it should take. If you have time, this is a great way to get some extra money! I usually do my surveys either when Joey and I are watching tv or during the day when Joey is at work. Just check and see how long it will take and then decide if you want to participate or not! I really like doing these surveys since I usually use that money to go and get deals, like you see above! The $16.20 check I am going to use to buy some stuff I have been eyeing on Etsy.

Oh! I wanted to let you readers know about this site too: http://www.freecycle.org/
A friend told me about this! You find your city (like our Richmond/Rosenberg area is in there). Once you do that you can search for stuff that people are giving away for FREE!! Mandi, my friend, said there is a lot of baby stuff, but the other day her husband had a chance to get a golf cart that was fully functional! The only thing is it is first come, first serve! That and you have to go pick it up. But FREE stuff! Mandi said you can post to the message board saying you are looking for certain things and you will receive emails from others. How awesome is that! :D Only thing is girls, I would VERY HIGHLY recommend taking a man with you to pick up stuff! Do NOT go by yourself!! Just be careful and wise to pick up some free stuff! :)

Man I had a lot to post about today!!

Hope that helps ya'll out!

Keep warm!

Kohl's, JcPenny, and Target!

The only reason I went to Kohl's and JcPenny was I recieved a $10 off of $10 or more for Penny's. And I had $5 store credit for Kohl's. I then went to Target, to see what good deals I could get!














Here is all I got:

Kohl's:
- placemat ($7.99)
- rug($19.99)

The placemat was on sale for .79, and the rug for $3.99
I used the $5 credit and only paid .17 out of pocket!!!

Jcpenny's:
- Soap pump
- gift (not pictured)

The soap pump was on sale for $6.99 from $11.99
The gift was a good deal too :)
Total (after $10 off): $2.12

Target:
- Hot chocolate(on sale for .97)
- Gillette shaving gel (on clearance for $1.68)
Total paid: .68!
- I had a $1 off Target coupon for the hot chocolate, so it was FREE! Then I had a $1 off of Gillette shaving gel. Even though that is not the kind I like Joey using, his smells good (this is not scented), I figured I will use it, since I am running out of shaving gel.

The GRAND total of that day was: $2.97!! For 6 items!

I went to Sonic that day, and the total there was about $4 more than the total of those shopping trips! lol

Hope you enjoy! Keep a look out for the JcPenny's mail out! That was the 2nd one I have gotten! I have seen Old Navy had one for the same deal. I saw a blog post where the lady had just under $10 and she got everything for free!

So the deal is, go and try to get things that would just put you over $10! Of course, sometimes you may need things and the $10 off the total would be great. I totally understand that! Whatever your situation allows, the $10 off is still a great deal!

So keep your eyes open for those mail outs! Make sure it is not $10 off a certain amount, unless you plan to buy more :)


Snow!!



As I have mentioned in a previous post. IT SNOWED!! :D

The snow actually stuck too!!

Here are some pictures from that day! :)


Burney watching the snow fall, he actually tried to attack it :) It was so cute!

















Our house all covered with snow!










My snowman!















Joey's snow blob :)
















I was SO excited that day!! Not only did it snow, but Joey got off of work early!! :D Such a sweet man! He was home when I got home, he had a fire going and on his way home he bought hot chocolate! :) I was SOO happy that he was able to come home early!

Kroger Savings!



Alright, it has been a while since I had time to blog, so I am gonna be catching up today :)

Even though this was about a week ago or so, I want to share :)

Here it goes!!

I am really starting to LOVE Kroger's 10 for $10


Here I went and got 22 items

Everything you see here was the 10 for $10, except for the honey and the yogurt.

I was doing the 20 for $20 basically :)

The normal total of all this would have been (without the $1 sale and w/o coupons): $34.14

Instead I paid: $18. 79!! :D

Total saved was: $15. 38

I had coupons for:
The Knorr Rice Sides
Hunt's Tomato stuff
Pillsbury Cresant Rolls
Progresso Soup
The only thing that was kinda "ACK" about this was the yogurt. It was on "Manager's Special" for $1.25. I had a $1 off coupon, so it was supposed to be .25! Instead the girl rang it up full price, I went in to get it price adjusted, she didn't apply my coupon. But that's ok, live and learn :)


Another Kroger Trip:

Once our new awesome Kroger Marketplace opened, they had a 50% off all Kellogg stuff! I had coupons so I ran to the store that Friday morning, the day where it was snowing! I'm crazy, I know! I couldn't pass up the deals though! Plus it was crowded since it just opened. But the trip was way worth it!!

The normal price of all of this would have been: $27. 32

I paid (with coupons and sale price): $8. 15!!

I had 2 -$1.50 off of 2 Keebler cookies, $1.50 off of 2 Club Crackers, and $1 off of 3 Fruit Loops.
I those darn Club crackers are normally $4.19 a box!!! How crazy! So I had to get some of those!

I also went to Kroger another time and got 3 different Manager's Specials on meat!! :)

That is one suggestion that I give you readers, look for the Manager's Specials spot in Kroger. I am sure other stores have them, I know Target puts their clearance stuff on the endcaps near the ziploc bags and that stuff in the Target in Rosenberg.

At Kroger (the old one) I found 2 things of ground turkey (it tastes almost the same as hamburger meat, I will use it in dishes where you can't tell) for $1.79 each!! That was cheaper than the tube of hamburger meat, so I snatched those up! I also found some lunch meat for $1.39 which is normally about $3. Those items were there just because they were a few days for needed to be "frozen or eaten". I froze my stuff.

I was excited to find the Manager's Specials place in the new Kroger. I was happy to see that they had quite a bit in there! I was afraid since it was a new store, they wouldn't have much. Nope, they do! :) So if you shop there regularly go check out that spot!

I told you it's been a while, I really don't go to Kroger like every other day! I promise! lol

I have more posts coming!

Have a great day! :)

Sunday, December 6, 2009

SKILLET!

So Joey and I took 3 of our youth and Rachel(Joey's sister) to see Skillet. It has been a few weeks, but I am still in that "Oh my gosh, that concert was SO awesome!" set of mind! :D

The concert included The Letter Black, Decyfer Down, Hawk Nelson, and Skillet! KSBJ put on this concert. This was the best concert I have ever been to! (Even though I have been to a Third Day concert and enjoyed it, this one was more rockin' lol)

We arrived just a lil too late for The Letter Black (but here is one of their music videos). They didn't play very long I heard. I wish I would have seen them, but it's ok :) They are kinda like Flyleaf. The lead singer is female and she has tattoo sleeves. I think that's cool, but that's just me!

Decyfer Down was the first band we saw. They were pretty good. They are pretty hard-core scream type. A Christian scream-o band! Christian music has come such a long way! Now there are many different styles, instead of all Michael W. Smith type stuff. (He's not a bad man, he just doesn't have the type of music I like!)

Next was Hawk Nelson. They were the odd ball. I loved seeing them though since I knew almost all the songs they played. They are kinda like Relient K. I'm sure most people that came to just see Decyfer Down and Skillet were really hating it. They probably took a bathroom break. There were some people rocking out though, and I was one of them! :D

Then last of all was SKILLET!! We went to see them. They were AMAZING!! One of the songs I love, "Comatose", they played!! The beginning of "Comatose" starts out with a violin and a cello. I really like it when rock bands use violins! (Red is another band that uses violins and piano in their songs.) I think it sounds very unique and awesome.

Needless to say, Rachel was looking at me as if I had two heads when Skillet was playing because I was having a BLAST and rocking out! :) Skillet has some awesome stage effects! It's not in place of their music, as if their music is crappy, no it adds to it! A lot of it was just for the "WOAH!" effect! :) They had fire, fireworks, and cool platforms that moved up and down (later in their songs, that's were the violist and cellist was).


The 3 youth that we took had a great time! And I am ready to go back to a Skillet concert. I don't even care if they play the exact same set and say the exact same things! It was that good!

Alright picture time! I took a lot of video, so if you are a friend of mine on Facebook, you can see my videos. I'll try to upload them on here :)


Decyfer Down




Hawk Nelson



When they revealed this banner, everyone started cheering!!




Us waiting for Skillet!


Skillet!!






The violist is on the left and the cellist is on the right!
I think that would be the coolest violist job ever!


Time for videos!


Sorry about the blurriness and shakiness in advance. My camera was on overload with the lights and movement. And apparently I had can't hold a camera steady.


This is how Skillet opened!



"Whispers In the Dark"
See the fire! :D We could feel it from where we were! And the mother duck side of me was worried about the two guitarists that were right next to it!



Off of Skillet's new album/CD "Hero"
- The female singing in this song is also the drummer. She played the drums and sung. Plus she is younger than me! I think that is super cool!



"Comatose"
This is the beginning of the song. I got to record most of it :) You can hear me in the background, I was very excited that they played this song!

Alright, now that I figured out how to upload videos on here, I'm going to go back and add videos to my older posts. So if you are interested they are there :)

Have a lovely night!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

What a Crazy Few Weeks!!

ACK! Sorry I haven't been posting much lately! I have been REALLY busy!

The week I had  major projects due Monday and Tuesday, that Sunday right before then(before Thanksgiving), my grandpa(mom's dad) passed away. So I emailed my teacher that I had class for on Tues, and told her about it. God is awesome! She allowed me to turn it in the following Tuesday. His funeral was on Tuesday, we drove down that morning and came back that night. Wednesday we had dinner at my grandma's (mom's mom) house. Then Thursday was Thanksgiving at Joey's stepfamily. Friday we went to Galveston and we stayed until Saturday.  Whew! It was a little crazy, but it was done. I was so worried about my projects and getting them done, but again God knew what He was doing (as He always does) and I was able to get everything I needed done.

My grandpa passed away almost the same time we went to bed from getting home from the Skillet Concert. (I will make a separate post w/ pics about that)

Then this week has been crazy since things were all needed to be turned in before finals this next week. Then Friday, yesterday, a little Texas miracle happened! IT SNOWED!! I don't mean the wimpy snow where it just melts when it hits the ground (even though it started out that way). I mean the type of snow that sticks and covers stuff!! I made a tiny snowman, which is in our freezer right this minute, and Joey made a snowman blob. :) Friday was a GREAT day! I was driving home wishing Joey was home, and I opened the garage....there was his car!! :D He came home at lunch and worked from home! I was SOO happy! He even built a fire and bought hot chocolate on his way home! What an awesome man! :)

Today was a sad day though, I'm sorry I don't mean to be a downer, but it happened. Joey's grandma passed away this morning. I loved that woman! I only knew her for almost 7 years, but I know she was a great lady! Even when she was in the hospital with major problems she would joke around and smile at us. I loved her sense of humor! She is the type of old lady I want to be in that sense. She was very sweet and a strong woman. She reminds me of my great grandma in that way :) She will be missed. However she can now see just fine and hear perfectly. She can even dance if she wanted to!

God is Great! I don't mean that to be cheesy. He really is amazing! We may not understand why He does the things He does in that moment, but sometimes you can look back and see why that had to happen in your life! If not, there is always a reason, He does not hate you. He loves you more than you can ever know. There is a reason behind what happens. Just remember that!

Have a great night!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Target, Kohl's and JcPenney's Savings!

So it has been a little while since I have posted about my savings. I'm gonna combine my past 4 trips savings :) I went to Kohl's, Target twice, and  JcPenney's.

Here is what I got:


I took closer up pictures so you could see it better :)
Target Trip 1

 
Target Trip 2

 
JcPenney's

Kohl's

The total amount for these items if I would have paid normal price (this includes sale and normal price, since some of the things I got were already on sale) : $49.20


I got all these items, for a total of... $6.89!!!

For those who hate math like me, that is a total savings of $42. 31!!

Here's how I did it!

Target Trip 1
  • Del Monte (select) canned veggies on sale for .45 
    • Bought 8 cans of green beans (french cut and normal cut)
    • Used 1 Buy 8, save $1
    • Used a Target Coupon for buy 6, save $1
    • Paid .20 each = $1.60
  • Slower Cooker Bags $1.87
    • Used $1 off
    • Paid .87
  • Steaz Tea
    • Used a coupon for a free one here 
    • FREE
  • Trident Gum $1.29 (The apple and pinapple is cheaper than the strawberry and orange flavor!)
    • This was an accident , I thought I was using a save $1 on 1, but it was save $1 on 2, the Target lady pushed it through though!
    • B1G1 Free
    • Buy 2 Save $1
    • Paid .29 for both!
  • Total: $2.71
Target Trip 2 
  • Strawberries on sale for $2.49
    • $1 off 
    • Paid $1.49 for a whole container!
  • Apples
    • On sale for .99 a pound
    • Paid $1. 89
  • Cat Treats
    • Found one on clearance 
    • Bought one at full price (1.34)
    • Had $2 off of 2
    • Had a $1 off 2 Target coupon
    • Free! Plus .61 that went to my other stuff!
Total: $2.69

JcPenney's 
  • Soap dispenar ($9.99)
    • On sale for $5.99
  • Washclothes ($9.99)
    • On sale for $3.99
  • Used a $10 off of $10 or more (got in the mail!)
Total: $1. 06

Kohl's
  • Purse($40.00 normally!)
    • on sale for 8.99
  • Earrings ($12.99)
    • on sale for $2.40
  • Used a $10 off of $10 or more (got in the mail)
Total: $.43

I am so blessed to find these good deals! I was extremely happy to find that purse, since mine was coming apart! We also needed a soap dispenser and more washcloths!

We will be set on green beans and kitty treats for a while! lol That's what stockpiling is all about though! :)

Here's a deal that might be happening next week, it all depends if the preview of the coupon section is correct. I use a Schick Quattro razor. Supposedly there will be a $2 off coupon in this Sunday's paper. At Kroger, until next Thurs. they have it B1G1 Schick Quattro razor blades(if I'm reading the ad right!). So you can use 2 of those $2 off and save $4 (since 2 are rung up, you can use 2 coupons)! That is a total of about $5 for both!!
I'm hoping that coupon will be there, since I am in need of razor blades. I hate buying them for full price bc they are very expensive, and hardly ever have a coupon. So if you need those too, keep your eyes open for that coupon. Just in case, I'm sorry if it's not there!
Edit: (11/23)

The coupon was in the Houston Chronicle this past Sunday (22nd). It is for $2 off! So if you need razors: disposable, or refills of razor blades for Schick, go to Kroger and use up to 2 of those coupons and B1G1 free! :)

Have a lovely day!

P.S. We are going to a Skillet concert tonight!! I'm SOO excited! Artists include: The Letter Black, Decyfer Down, Hawk Nelson, and Skillet! :D

Monday, November 16, 2009

Oh Sweet Joy Etsy Shop

Over at Heather's blog Sit a Spell, (Heather had the coupon class) she has been talking about knowing where your food and where your products come from (clothes, gifts, etc.)





Well she found an Etsy shop named Oh Sweet Joy that helps not only supply low cost gifts, but also helps others!

Kim, the creator, donates 20% of what she makes off of her products to Compassion International and Love 146.

From Kim:

"I started oh, sweet joy when I needed a break from apparel. I've worked retail for years and refurbished vintage t-shirts for a while, as well. I lost my retail job in early September and started nannying for a family in town. One of the boys, Ollie, had a birthday coming up, and I wanted to make him something unique. I bought some eco-felt, grabbed some of my designer fabric scraps and went to town on a cute little owl. I loved making the little owl, so I kept making more and sold a few at a local art studio tour. Little did I know the Lord had bigger plans for this little project.

I took everything out of one etsy shop and opened another with a new focus. My husband has been encouraging me to be more focused and gospel centered in every endeavor. I couldn't really figure out what that meant until I searched my heart and the Lord revealed and reminded me what He has created me for and what I am passionate about. It took me a while to figure everything out, but the Lord has laid on my heart to bring joy into homes by using my gifts and talents to further the Kingdom and bring children hope (as silly as it sounds...one owl at a time).

One way I am accomplishing this is donating a percentage of all sales to Compassion International and Love 146. 20% of everything I make (after etsy & paypal take their generous cuts haha) will go to truly make a difference in children's lives. I couldn't be more excited about this effort, and I am so thankful that the Lord has changed my selfish heart. He has turned something that started as me wanting to make some extra spending money to something that is so much bigger than myself. He is faithful."


I love her owls! They are adorable! She also sells headbands, they are really cute too!

So if you need an idea for someone for Christmas I definitely recommend going and checking out Oh Sweet Joy! The prices are really good for the quality you recieve! The owl pictured above is only $12! Kim includes what is included in her products in the description, all of it is environmentally friendly and not harmful to little ones.  Plus right now if you buy 2 items, shipping is FREE! :D Just let her know that you want your order grouped together!

You can even order a cute owl family for $25! Which I think is so cute!


Right now  over at Heather's blog there is a giveaway where you can win the "Ollie" owl in the top picture (or the one in the middle of the family pic)

Here is what you do:
To enter the giveaway you need to have a US shipping address. The winner will be announced next Monday, November 23. There are many ways to enter and you can have up to 6 entries per person.

1. If you browse Oh Sweet Joy you can come back here and leave your name in a comment and say "I browsed".

2. Tweet about Oh Sweet Joy and then leave a comment telling us you did.

3. Become a fan of Oh Sweet Joy on Facebook then leave a comment telling us you're now a Facebook fan. Go here to become a fan.

4. If you post about this giveaway on Facebook, leave a comment telling us you did so..

5. If you post about Oh Sweet Joy and this give away on your blog you can leave your name in a comment with your blog address.

6. If you have an Etsy account and you "favorite" or "heart" Oh Sweet Joy then you can also leave a comment letting us know.

Here is the blog you need to comment on:


I really love that Heather is helping me be informed.  I like finding companies, or people who create products which I can buy and know where they came from, and know that it benefited the person who made it!

Have a beautiful and sunny day! Enjoy this amazing weather! :)

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Homemade Applesauce and other Cooking Adventures



Today I thought I would try a recipe that I found on an organic blog. No my applesauce is not organic. I bought 2 lbs of normal apples for $1.00!

Since 10:30 this morning I have been preparing the apples (peeling, coring and slicing them in quarters), and then about 20 minutes later I had them cooking. I was excited to try this recipe since you cooked it in the crockpot! I only have one other recipe for the crockpot, so I was excited!

I added cinnamon and other spices, it made our house smell SO good! :) I just got done mashing the last of the apples and now we have applesauce!! :D

I am so excited! It's a little bit chunkier than Motts, but I made it myself, from the apples I picked and prepared, so I am happy with it, no matter how weird/gross it looks! hehe

Earlier this week (on Monday) I made Baked Ziti! Just in case you don't know what that is, it's almost like lasagna, but with these type of noodles:                  
I think they are called ziti noodles, even though the box said something different.

Instead of making my own spaghetti sauce, I used the Traditional Ragu, then added Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Margarine(the spice not the butter), and pepper. The sauce turned out SO well! That was my first time using spices like that! So that encouraged me to try more with spices! I added my already browned hamburger meat, which I had frozen and simmered it. The meal turned out awesome!!

I'm on a roll! :D It's been a while since I made a meal that was gross. lol

I still have the Chicken Spaghetti mix frozen, for an easy meal. All I have to do is boil and add noodles to it. I LOVE that!

One of the blogs I check often for coupon, sales, and deals talked about freezing meals. (http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/11/freezer-cooking-day-the-final-results-and-come-link-up-your-posts-too.html) She actually spends one whole day preparing, making and then freezing meals for the whole next month!! She says it helps her save money, by buying in bulk and actually using what she buys, and it also keeps her family from eating out. She also gets to spend more time with her son by doing this! Another thing is even though she spends 8 hours that day in the kitchen, that is much less time if she totals the hours she would have to be in the kitchen each night preparing the meal!

I can't be that extreme...for one, our freezer is too small for that and two I don't have that kind of time right now. But I love the fact that all she has to do is take a meal out, thaw it, and cook it! So that is something I want to work on! Preparing and freezing at least one meal a week if not more!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Where did November Go?!

Wow! It is the middle of November ALREADY! WHAT! Did I accidentally hibernate for some time or did I travel to the future?! Man!

I wouldn't mind that November is almost over, except for the fact that all my teachers have stuff due that week of Thanksgiving, since once we have a week after that, then finals! I stressed out this morning about stuff, but I prayed and I felt better :) God wants me to be in school, so He will help me do everything I need to do for it! This is all what is due in these next few weeks:
- Museum Exhibit - for Social Studies class, this is collecting stuff for a unit I'm planning to help teach the material
- Unit Plan
- Have to present a lesson from my unit plan
- Case Study
- Create a puppet (easy I know!)
- other little things!

I will get it done :)

I wanted to write about something that I discovered in another person's blog!
Sseko shoes!!




 Liz is the founder of Sseko Designs


These are the awesome women who make the shoes!
(Mercy, Mary and Rebbecca)

Here is their story:
  • Sseko \say-ko\ Designs was created to help these bright young women continue their education. The Ugandan school system is designed with a nine month gap between secondary school and university. These nine months are intended to allow time for students to earn money for tuition before continuing on to university. However, in an impoverished and male dominated society, many of these young women struggle to find fair work during this time.

  • Sseko Designs hires recent secondary school graduates for this nine month period to live and work together, while earning money that will go directly towards their university education. These women will not make sandals forever. They will go on to be doctors, lawyers, politicians, writers and teachers that will bring change and unification to a country divided and ravished by a 22 year-long war.

  • Sseko Designs is a not-just-for-profit enterprise that recognizes the power of business and responsible consumerism to support sustainable economic development, which in turn affects a country's educational, justice, and health care systems. The goal of Sseko Designs is two-fold: provide university tuition for these promising young women through a sustainable monthly income, while also contributing to the overall economic development of Uganda.

  • Although consumerism makes many empty promises, responsible and proactive consumerism has the ability to change lives. Like the lives of Mercy, Mary and Rebbecca.
One thing that I really love about these shoes, is that it helps others.You see where your shoes came from, you can put a face to the women who made your shoes. Plus these women are working in great conditions, and you can see that in the pictures and videos Liz posts. You don't have to worry if poor little children are making your shoes or anything! It's a more responsible consumer choice!

A cool thing is these shoes have interchangeable straps!!! There are many different straps to choose from, and they make different ones for the different seasons! :D

These shoes are a little more than I have ever paid for shoes, since I can get more shoes if  I get cheaper ones, but that's not always the best thing.  Anyways, depending on what strap you want when you purchase the shoes, the patterned ones are $42, and the solid color strap sandals are $40.  I am SUPER excited to get me some of these! That's what I asked Joey for, for Christmas :)
Another fun thing is that you can decide different ways to wear the straps! There are many different ways to wear the straps even if you only have 1 color/pattern.

Ok here is the website if you were wondering:
http://www.ssekodesigns.com/shop/

I think riverbend is cute!
Plus right now they have buy a pair of sandles and you get another strap for FREE!


I just wanted to let all you ladies know about these shoes, I think they are cute, creative, and I love that we can help these women to have a better life!


On another note, Burney had to spend the night at the vet's last night. To put everything lightly, he would have benefited from Activia.  We have those cardboard scratches, and he likes to eat what falls off, and...well....that caused problems. I am so thankful and blessed to have a great vet, Dr. Dietz, that manually helped Burney out. He was in no pain since he was drugged. Burney was also dehydrated because of his situation! Poor guy! I didn't expect him to have to stay overnight, but I am glad he did. I picked him up this afternoon and he was meowing!! He hardly ever meows, so I think he was really happy to see me! :) I know the other kitties missed him, and are happy to see him! He is doing much better now and I am so happy that he is!

That's all that has been going on! :)

Have a lovely night!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

My Random Thoughts

As I go through my day I have really random thoughts. I've been thinking about posting them for your enjoyment. Some of these may have answers that I just don't know. So here it goes:


- In those mascara commercials, those women look like they have a broom for eyelashes. What woman wants that? I guess there are some men that like that look?

- Why does the new(ish) Snuggle bear look so creepy in those commercials!

- Why hasn't anyone in those Geico pile-of-cash-with-eyes commercials ever just pick the eyes off and pocket the cash? That's what I would do!

- What did mosquitoes eat before the fall of man, or what did they feed on? Since I am assuming they did not feed on man.

- That would have been so weird to be Eve and have no fear or disgust about cockroaches.

- If the side effects are worse than the condition the person is taking the medicine for, then why would they use your medication?

- What did moths buzz around in Adam and Eve's time? The campfire? The moon?

- How cool would it have been to see Johnny Cash, June Carter, Elvis, Sinatra and artists in those days, play live!

- How do the owners of huge motorcycles keep the their motorcycle up when they are stopped? They must have crazy strong leg muscles!

- I love sunflowers! Some may see them as a weed, but I think they are beautiful!

- I wonder how they came up with a frog peeing on you would cause warts.

- Thank you Jesus for fried cheese (this was when I was eating mozzarella sticks)

- I love living in Texas...bc of Whataburger. (This one changes as I think of more things that is only in Texas)

- I love it when people are nice to each other...we have a man who I call Santa Claus(he has a white beard and a belly) who lives down the road from us (we have to pass his house to leave the subdivision) and everytime he sees me or Joey (prob. any car) he waves. :) It always makes me smile!

- The Michelin doggy commercial is so cute! (The one where the Michelin man goes to find his doggy in the storm...its a cute lil tube dog!!)

- Today I drove by the horse farm...there were 2 horses on the middle of the bridge, with many behind them. I believed the horses behind the 2 were trying to get through, if they could talk English they prob. were saying "EXCUSE MEEE!! HELLO?! HEY! I'M TRYING TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE! PLEASE MOVE!" or perhaps the 2 horses in the front were giving a tour, "And here we have the creek, it has water in it usually...sometimes it gets very high! Ethel, the elder, said she once saw a gator in there! And it was as long as this bridge!" Other horses: *GASP!* hehe (Those are random thoughts I have often...if animals could talk and we understood them, what would they be saying in the different situations I currently see them in)

- Why don't they have fans on the back of vacuums. Man, once I clean the whole house I am sweating like crazy! (sorry... gross, I know!) What do the older women with hot flashes do when they need to vacuum? Just not vacuum, what if they are having company and they have to? So that is why I think there needs to be a nice little fan blowing cold air on your face as you vacuum!

I will keep adding to this list. Just for your amusement :)

Have a great night!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Walgreens Savings!



As I was checking ads on Sunday, I decided to look at Walgreens' ad. I have read on many of my money saving blogs that Walgreens runs good deals. So I decided to check on what they had.

Well I stumbled upon 2 great deals!
- One deal they had was the 2 pack of Glade Oil Refills and The new Glade Home Fragrance (I think that's what they are called, it's the new fancy Glade stuff) candles (the 4.9 oz size) were on sale for 3.99. At the register you would get a coupon for a $1.00 your next purchase. So it was like it was $2.99.
- The next deal I found was Glade Sense and Spray, Glade Home Fragrance Reed Diffuser, Glade Lasting Impressions (where it holds 2 oils and alternates the scent), and the 3 Wick candle of that new Glade line were $4.99.

Here is what I got:
- 2 Reed Diffusers ($9.99 each - $19.89 for 2)
- 2 Sense and Spray($9.99 each - $19.89 for 2)
- 1 4.9 oz. candle ($5.99 each)
- 1- 2 pack of oil refill ($5.99 each)

No I did not pay those prices, those are the normal not on sale price of each of those items!!

These items total not on sale and without coupons is: $ 51. 94

I paid: $12.92!! Plus I got $2 off my next purchases! So it was like it was $10.92!!

How did I do this? Well I'm about to tell you! :)

The reed diffusers: I had 2-  $3 off coupon! So each of those were $1.99!
The Sense and Sprays: I had 2- $4 off coupon. So I paid....$.99 for those!! How awesome is that?! :D
The candle: I had a $1 off coupon, so it was 2.99, but if you add the $1 off next purchase thing, then it was really $1.99!
The oil refills: I had a $1 off coupon so those were really $2.99, but if you count the $1 off of next purchase then they were $1.99!

So I saved almost $40!!

So now my house smells nice, and I have 2-3 Christmas gifts! :D

That was my last deal hunting for this week. Man, saving money can get addicting! So be careful and don't forget Who it is that allows you to earn that money and then allows you to find the good deals! I think it is such a blessing that I went to that coupon class!  I feel like I am being a better shopper and being more wise with the money Joey makes.

Have a great night everyone! :)


Monday, November 2, 2009

Halloween Weekend!

Wow this past week and weekend has been CrAzY!

This past week I had 2 tests and 2 lessons to teach. Doesn't sound like much, but it was a very stressful week! This weekend was crazy, but in a good way!

It all started Friday. Friday I did this:













I cut my hair off! :) I love it! It is so much easier to take care of!











Friday night I hung out with some education (major) girls. That was fun :) I made yummy bean dip and they liked it!

Let's see...Saturday:

We went to Stubb's in Houston/Clear Lake(?)
Since this past weekend was the Lone Star Rally in Galveston, tons of bikers met at Stubb's for a benefit. They paid $20 to ride and the proceeds went to a ranch for at risk children and abandoned animals. (They have the children take care of the animals).

There were SO many bikers there! At least a couple of hundred! They had a police escort down 45 to Galveston! It was neat to see all those bikes, mostly Harleys. Then we went to Galveston. Oh my gosh! Bikers, everywhere!!! Joe, Joey's dad, wanted me to see the strand and what it becomes, the only way you can get through is on a motorcycle. Well he has one, so I got to ride on the back!!! It was scary at first, but I loved it!! Don't worry we both wore helmets, and the highest speed he got was 40mph. :)
But back to my story. The strand Sat. had two rows of bikes on each side. One row behind the other on each side. It was handle-bars to handle-bars! With just an aisle for bikes to go through the middle! It was such an awesome sight! Well some of it was....there were a lot of leather skin ladies that were under-dressed for their age. That was gross. There were SO many people on the strand though!

Supposedly Jesse James was supposed to be there (He is Sandra Bullock's husband and owns/began West Coast Choppers) but we didn't go and walk around.

Here are some pictures I took of all the motorcylces:

This was a bank's parking lot, it was FULL of bikes.




On the left you can see some of the bikes lined up. This wasn't even on the strand. It was on a street near it! It looked like that on the right side too!


As we drove by the strand and these were all the motorcycles that drove by us.


Here you can see a glimpse of what the Strand looked like!

Needless to say it was SO fun!


Saturday night:
Trick-or-Treaters! We had a good amount. It didn't take long to get low on the candy. Of course I was being generous with the amount given out bc I didn't know how many children we would get. I stopped in time though to save us some candy! :D

Today:

Today was crazy! We went to church, and (lil) Rachel came home with us so she could work on her project and use our color printer. Well after church we went to Best Buy and contemplated wither or not to buy a new color printer since our's was broken in a way that we couldn't use 2 of the 3 features. We decided not to, bought some ink for our one we had and went and got lunch and went home. Well got home and needed more ink than we thought. I went to Kroger to get good deals, then swung by my mom to pick up some stuff. Joey decided to go ahead and get another printer. So he went and got it, set it up and it didn't work right. So at 5:30, which we were to go to dinner with my mom and grandma (for my granny's birthday) at 6, Joey went and returned it quickly. We left the house at 6:20, and went to eat with them. While Rachel finished her stuff, then Mary came to pick her up. We visited for a while then they left. Then I am doing a load of laundry now!

Man! If you are still reading, I got a great deal at Kroger! :)

Here it goes:

- 2 Snuggle Fabric Softners
- 2 Ricola Cough Drops
- 2 Ball Park hot dogs
- 2 Birdseye Steamfresh Corn on the Cob
- 2 Break and Bake Pillsbury Cookie Dough
- 1 Aussie styler
- 1 Pepperidge Farm Garlic Bread

All this totals normally to: $ 35.83

I got it for:

$7.66! Savings of $28.17!
How did I do this?
-Kroger is having a sale buy 10 (participating items) and get $5 off instantly
- I had 2- $3 off 1 for Snuggle, which were 2.49 when you bought 10 things. So I got those FREE!!!
- I had a coupon for buy 1 get 1 Free for the cough drops, which were .50, so I got 2 for $. 50

- I had:
- $1 off of 2 for the hot dogs
- $1 off of 2 for the cookie dough
- $1 off Aussie hair products
- .40 off of Pepperidge Farm, which doubles to .80
- 2- .50 off 1 on Steamfresh Veggies


Basically everything I bought I had a coupon for! Then the prices were cheaper when you bought 10 items. Then I got the $5 off at the register!

Those 2 Snuggle fabric softeners would normally cost almost as much as my whole total today!


Another great deal I got the other day at Walmart was on those Glade Candle Tins. I have many of those buy a tin and get a refill pack for FREE! So at Walmart I had that coupon and then found a $1.50 off the tin inside the candle tin. It cost me $.75 for BOTH!!

I bought other things too and saved $6.75 there.


I also found some really cute and cheap fall decorations for our house at Target and the Dollar Tree!


At Target I bought:


This was seperate pieces, each were 50% off of $2.50! (1.25 each!)

Then at Dollar Tree I got:



I found some leaves to go into this glass vase! It might be hard to see, but I bought 3 packs of leaves, but I only used 2. I didn't know how many it would take, so I got 3 just in case! Those were each $1.00! It looks really nice, you wouldn't know that's where they came from unless you went to the store and saw them or read it on here :)


I am really happy with my fall decor!


Alright, time for me to go to bed! I am so tired!


Have a great night! Enjoy that extra hour of sleep! :)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Take that Broom!

Ok I am so pleased with this new device I got, I am going to share the news with you!

So for a long while I have been sweeping about every other day if not everyday and multiple times because of our three cats and their love of getting litter everywhere. It was driving me crazy!! And it hurt my back, I know I'm not that old, but it did hurt my back to sweep all the time.

So I did my homework on a vacuum that could suck up all the litter. I found one and decided to try it.


The Bissell Featherweight Lightweight Vacuum. It is awesome! 

Great features:
- it's corded, so it won't die on you in the middle of use
- The stick and the bottom you see are attachments, it is actually a hand vac. So if wanted you can add or remove those to make it how you need to use it
- A crevasse tool. (idk about that spelling) but that is the tool that gets stuff out of corners or tight spaces.
- With the attachment seen above, it moves along the floor and gets ALL the litter I have!
- Maneuvers easily when using the stick and attachment seen above.
- The bottom attachment above is small enough to get into hard to reach places!
- Picks up cat hair, litter, dirt, and little pieces of food that fell out our cat's mouth.

Another great advantage for me is that it helps improve my mood verses when I had to sweep. Sweeping the whole kitchen was tiring and made me grumpy at times. Now I look forward to this! Just push it as you walk around and WAA-LAA a clean floor!! 

The only thing that I have discovered is it might be a little messy when emptying the vac. We have a garbage can in the garage and so it's not that big of a deal for me. But I think for someone trying to empty it into a normal kitchen trashcan, it might be a little messy. However you could always empty it outside. (Well depending on what you vacuumed up)

Oh the best thing....it was only $19.99 at Home Depot!! Such a great deal!
So I recommend this to people with cats. I did read though that some had a hard time with it picking up bigger things, like dog food. So it just depends on what you want to clean with it.


On another note...

I was thinking today about my status I have posted on Facebook recently. They are about couponing and this vacuum. Then I realized, man I sound like a wife. lol Not that it is a bad thing, I just thought it was amusing that here I am 21 years old, and I am SO excited about things like a house cleaning device, and deal getting. Definitely not a normal college age person. I like it that way. I may be weird, but I am happy. :)

Have a great night and stay warm!

Friday, October 23, 2009

YAY! More couponing!

Today I went to Kroger and got groceries, it doesn't sound exciting but I promise it is! I planned out some meals and what we could have for lunch and snacks and such, which is a good idea if whoever is reading does the grocery shopping. Meal planning! However don't make the mistake I have, buying stuff and never using it, or buying the stuff at full price! Always look for a sale and if you have coupons it's even better!!

Ok So today I went to Kroger. I was really nervous about this trip since this was my first time doing actual meal planning grocery shopping and using coupons.It turned out to be very successful!! I took a picture of my purchase again to show you because I was so excited!

A lot of stuff I know!! :D I took close up pics so you can see what is actually there. I told you I was excited!




Alright here is the list of what I got: 
- 2 Pillsbury Grands Biscuts
- 2 Pillsbury Crescent rolls
- 1 Sour Cream
- Eggs
- 2 packages of little smokie suasages
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 tomatoes
- 6 bananas
- 3 apples
- 2 cans of pineapple
- 5 packets of Koolaid
- 1 can of Bush's chili beans
- 1 can of Bush's kidney beans
- 1 package of cookie frosting
- 3 cans of refried beans
- 4 Nature Valley Nut Clusters
- 1 box fruit loops
- 1 Fritos Scoops
- 4 boxes of Fiber One bars
- 1 can of pears
- 2 cans of Progresso soup
- 2 Healthy Choice microwave soups
- 4 Cream of Chicken soup
- 1 pack of lunchmeat
- 1 ketchup
- 1 8-pack of Bounty
- Bread
- 1 can of Rotel
- 1 frozen corn
- 3 Healthy Choice frozen meals
- 1 thing of flour tortillas
- 1 1lb ground hamburger meat
- 1 package of cornmeal
- 1 gallon of milk

If you are still reading, I promise it is worth it :)

All of that totals normally to $119.48

I got it for.....

$65.37!!!
A savings of $54.11!
I told you it was worth it to keep reading :) 

How did I do it you ask? Combing sale prices and coupons!

The reason why I got 4 Fiber One bars is not because I have a huge problem with my digestive health. They were on sale and I had 4 coupons. Joey likes to eat one for breakfast every day, so I figure stocking up would be a good thing!

The Fiber One Bars were 4 for $10. At the register you got an instant $4 off. So that meant they were 4 for $6. I then had a $.40 coupon for each one of them. That doubles to $.80. So that made the bars $2.80 for 4 boxes! Usually just one box costs that much!

The other deal I got was on the Nature Valley Nut Clusters. They were also 4 for $10. So they were 4 for $6 (after the instant discount, again) I had a coupon for $1.00 for each box. So I got them for at least $2.00 if not cheaper! I say that because for both the Fiber One bars and these I had coupons loaded on my Kroger card for them. I can't tell if I got even more off, but I wouldn't doubt it!! :D Oh and normally the nut clusters are about $3.20 or so!

The only things I bought that I didn't have a coupon for were the sour cream, the refried beans, the fritos, can of rotel, the produce, bread, tortillas, cornbread, the beans, koolaid and milk.  That is it. However some of those things were on sale. The other things I had physical coupons or some loaded on my Kroger card. In some cases both :)

I am super excited about my shopping trip! :)

Have a lovely night!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Couponing

Hi Guys!

So about a week ago I decided to attend a coupon class. I have been reading Heather's blog and how she has saved SO much money on groceries for her family. Her family is a family of 6, so I thought that if she could get her groceries for cheap, I could too! The night before there was only one spot left and I felt that I was supposed to attend.  Here's a link to Heather's blog that has a list of previous blogs about her savings(scroll to the bottom, where it says "here" then click):http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/2009/09/houston-coupon-class-ready-for-sign-ups.html

I attended and got so much good advice! I will share only a little though since Heather and her friend Kirby make money from their coupon class. I don't want to tell too much. :)

If you want to get started with this...
here is another one of Heather's blog to help you get started: (keep reading it will be there)
http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/2009/04/350-worth-of-groceries-for-125.html

She recommends The Grocery Game, but I am not using it, since the blogs below have most of the deals. One deal for Kroger was not on the TGG but it was on a blog. So if you just want an easy list to look at I recommend it, if you are pretty good at checking the blogs below and looking in ads I think you would be ok without it. 

Some of the blogs she talks about there, which you can find good deals from stores on there are:
http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/
http://mommysnacks.net/

Money saving mom got me good deals today!!! :D

I went to Target twice today. But that's ok, since the deal was worth it :) ( the coupons were 1 per transaction) I am so excited to share what I got and how much I saved!!
Here is what I got

- 2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest  Penne Pasta
- 2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Thin Spaghetti
- 4 pack of lightbulbs
- 2 Degree Fine Fragrance Collection Deodorants
- 2 Degree Fine Fragrance Collection Body Mist
- 1 hand sanitizer (nothing special, I just needed some)
Retail total: $20.88

I got it for......





$5.68!!!
I am SO excited!!! 

How I did this:

   - The pasta it is on sale at Target for $1 now. I got 2 coupons online for buy 2 save $1! So I got 2 pastas for $1.00.
   -Then with the degree products, there is a Target coupon for save $3 when you buy the mist and the deodorant. Then there are coupons online for save $1.50 for 1 deodorant or mist. Well at Target you can use their coupon and another manufacturers coupon! So with that I bought 2 (one mist and deodorant) I got to use 2 $1.50 coupons then the $3.00!! I got the deodorant and the mist for $.58! :D
  - The lighbulbs are on sale for $2. I had a $1 coupon that I got from the paper. So those 4 lightbulbs were only $1! And those are the nice bright light ones!

I found out about the Degree products and the pasta from the "money saving mom" blog. The lightbulbs I found the deal by looking at the Target ad :)

Alright that is all for now! :D I will keep you up to date about the good deals I get!
I am so grateful that Heather and Kirby are teaching that class. My hopes for using coupons and saving money is to be a blessing to others with the money I save and just to be a wise shopper with the money God has blessed us with!

One thing I really loved that Heather said was about saving money on things her and her family don't even use. She said that sometimes things are extremely cheap(with the use of coupons and a sale) and even though they do not use them, she will buy the items and give them away! What a great idea! There are always people doing food drives for different places, and there are times people are collecting stuff to send to soldiers/children in different countries, and sometimes even your church might need something for the kitchen. This is what I meant by blessing others with the money I save. Saving money can help us be able to contribute more to the church or something to help others! I love that idea! :)

I am so excited to see what other deals I am going to find! I hope this helps anyone who is interested in saving money!

Have a beautiful, sunny day!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Pictures

This is going to be a random picture blog.

Oh and on a side note, I'm going to stop blogging about the weather bc as soon as I do it changes. lol Today it rained a whole bunch and now it's cold! Well it's 63, but the wind is blowing and it feels cold!

Ok back to photos...


Yao was sitting under the blanket and I decided it would be funny to make his ears poke out the top. He's such a good kitty! He didn't mind me doing that at all.



While Joey cleaned the tank I was going to take the turtles to sun. However, the sun was setting and it wouldn't shine into the container. So I brought them back inside. Burney was amused. He loves watching them swim in their tank, so he loved seeing them up close. 






Yao intensely watching the birds.


That is all I have right now. If you are wondering where our third cat is, she doesn't like to be photographed so I respect her wishes!

Have a great night, enjoy some hot coco or hot tea! :)