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! :)

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Summer is having a comeback!



So nevermind about that last post! All this week it's been in the 90's. God decided to give us a little more summer. I'm tryin to be grateful, since He knows what He's doing! Well Joey doesn't like the cold, so it makes him happy that it is warm :)

Oh and about my kettle. The other night I went to make some tea with it. I was washing the inside out and realized it was RUSTED!!! The inside of the kettle is rusted! So I can't use it! I have to buy another one! I guess a good thing is, at least it's hot outside and I'm not in the mood for tea.

If I believed in being jinxed and that stuff I would say that I jinxed the weather and my kettle!

Oh! I did see a little praying mantis on the outside of our computer room's window this morning! :) If you have read my blog for a while, you would think after my last experience with a praying mantis I would hate those bugs. However I find them neat! This one was not a bunch of creepy babies like last time! lol It was green and about 2 1/2 inches long. Burney thought it was interesting, he wanted to attack it. I waved my hand on the window and the lil praying mantis was watching it and moved a little. I might have terrified it or he thought it was something to eat. I thought it was neat to see him move though, then I felt bad just in case he was scared by me :)

That is all!

Have a lovely night! BBQ or cook hotdogs, try to enjoy the warm weather while it lasts!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Fall Weather



I am SO excited about this nice fall weather we had this past week!  I hope that this cooler weather continues! :D This weekend was cooler and rainy, perfect weather for hot tea or hot coco! That's one of the things I am looking forward to in the fall! That and getting to wear my pretty boots! :) I'm excited about using my kettle! Perhaps I should get our coats dry cleaned.

Just some random thoughts I wanted to share!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Helper (The Excellent Wife)

As I am sitting waiting for my other class to start at 2, I decided I should post a lil more about The Excellent Wife. I am really enjoy reading it and are learning more things.

 One point that I read is something I think a lot of women might have a problem with.
A wife is a helper. Sorry ladies, but it's true. Man was made first and then God thought it was not good not have him be alone so he created a helper for man. (Genesis 2:18) 

We were both made in the image of God, however men were made first. That didn't just happen. God just didn't flip a coin to see which sex to create first. He knew who to make first. (Genesis 2:7,18, 21-22) Martha Peace (the author of The Excellent Wife) states that the order of creation was significant, the husband was created to rule over the earth; the wife later, was created to be a "helper" that would be suitable for him. Each one of us were created in His image, but are created to carry out a different role. 

Peace continues to say that woman were created for the man, not the other way around! (1 Corinthians 11:7-9) Paul is talking here about God's intent.

Another thing I read was man is to glorify God and woman is to glorify the man.
    • When I first read this I was like WAIT! Aren't Christians supposed to glorify God above all else?! Then I started thinking. The majority of the scriptures that talk about wives are directed towards how she should treat her husband or submit to him! 
      • Ephesians 22-24
      • Proverbs 31
      • Ephesians 5:33
      • And some other scripture I will talk about a lil later. 
    • So my understanding is when a wife treats her husband like the Bible says she should, she is glorifying God.
Mrs. Peace explains that the husband is to be like Christ is to the church. While the wife is to be what the Church is to Christ (glorifying and submitting). 
      • Ephesians 5:23- "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being Savior of the body..."
      • Ephesians 5:22-24, 32- "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."
I figured I should add some stuff for the guys who might read my blog so you don't feel left out! :)
      • Husbands are to model Christ's response to the Church
        • Christ died for the church, a sacrifice of self 
        • Ephesians 5:25 - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her."
      •  Christ loves, nourishes, and cherishes the church.
        •  Ephesians 5:28-29 -So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church.
Now I don't want wives to go to their husbands and nag at them and say "why don't you do.... like the Bible says." That is not a nice way of going about that. Instead pray for him! Focus on what you as a wife should be doing, being a helper.

So to summarize all this...women were created to be a helper to their husbands. As a wife we are to glorify and submit to our husbands. And husbands are to be as Christ is to the Church (cherishing, sacrificing for, nourishes, and loving) to their wife.


Oh my goodness that was a lot of information, but I really wanted to share it with y'all. I really enjoy reading this book. I recommend it to anyone who just got married, or is thinking about getting married.

 Just a disclaimer! :) I don't know everything about this stuff and I might not ever. I am simply blogging about this to help my fellow sisters in Christ. 

I hope you like and I will keep posting about my thoughts and things I liked about The Excellent Wife.

Have a great day!