Couponing again

Some of you have asked me about couponing lately.  I am going to a class on Tuesday, August 9th at 7pm.  If you want to join me, let me know.  Otherwise, I will post the info I learn.  Check out the sites at the bottom of my blog for the coupon sites that I use. 

Couponing

So many people think that extreme couponing takes a lot of time.  It really doesn't.  Take it from a mom of a one year old, a full time teacher, part-time tutor, and full time everything that comes with being a mom and wife! I spend about an hour a week.  However, I save A LOT!!! I use two websites often...
1.  couponmom.com  This website matches ads with coupons!

2.  prevention.com On this website they have a link called "save money at the grocery store." You can go through all of the ads for the week and print your own list.  This is good because couponmom.com doesn't have all of the ads for my area. 

 I have been getting into the freebies lately.  I purchased $150 worth of stuff (mostly bathroom items) for only $10.  I sent all of this to Joplin for the people who lost everything in the May 22nd tornado. 

I learned today that Hen House does double coupons!
Also, savingstar.com will upload coupons to your loyalty cards.  They do not work for Price Chopper.  However, they do for HenHouse and CVS.  This gives additional savings!!!

Relay

I am taking on something new! Justin and I have walked in the Relay for Life for several years now.  However, this year we are team captains! We have a lot of ideas, so we will see where it goes! If you have any fundraising ideas, please let me know.  If you would like to donate to me team, go to http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11PL?px=18091963&pg=personal&fr_id=32125

Price matching

This is my new favorite site! If you click on the "Find Grocery Deals in Your Area" you can enter your zip code and look for all of the grocery ads in your area.  You can add items to your list...then you print the list and take it to Wal-mart where they price match!!! I have price matched for years, but this makes it so much easier!!!

http://www.prevention.com/recipefinderlandingpage/

My New Buy!

So I have recently wanted a new watch.  I have never had a nice watch...always just the 9.99 Walmart finds.  Well, it has all changed! I found a watch that I really liked.  However, it was $75.  I waited...because that is what I do.  I never pay full price for anything.  It paid off...once again! They are now 30% off at Kohls.  Then I also had a 15% (the cashier said that it looked like 30% to her!!!) I love people like that! My grand total for my new $75 watch came to $35!  All of a sudden, it seems so worth it.  And I love my watch! So much that Justin says he is getting tired of hearing how much I love it!

This is so off the subject from a new watch or saving money, but I wanted to also mention that yesterday was picture day!!! I love picture day! My baby appears to be very photogenic and I have an amazing photographer! I will post some pics soon! For now, she is just teasing me with few on facebook!

The Balance of Life

I don't have much to write about...but was feeling a bit guilty that I started a blog, and now haven't written anything this week... So I am writing what is on my mind.  Maybe this is more for me to journal than for you to read.  So if you aren't interested...stop here.  If there are any moms out there who have secrets, please pass them my way.  I am trying to figure out how to balance life.  I work full time, try to do extras for work, attempt to keep my house in order, cook and grocery shop for my family, and the little task of being a mommy! I love all of these things, and don't feel like I can give anything up.  However, there just aren't enough hours in each day.  At the end of the day, I realize all of the things that I didn't get to.  I have recently realized that months have gone by with the same tasks on my list that still never get crossed off.  I have been laying in bed each night thinking about these tasks that are still on my list.  However, since I am a third grade teacher and therefore I teach cause and effect A LOT since it is on the state assessments....I do realize that the lack of sleep then contributes to me not getting as much done the next day...Hmmm.... how do I stop the cause and effect cycle?  I am sure that every working parent has felt this same way, so please tell me what got you through it.  I hope this post doesn't come across as a vent...because I do love all of the things that I do, I just need to balance them!

Favorite Sites

I have just added a widget with my favorite sites to the bottom of this page.  I just want to give a brief description of these sites.  I will update these as I find more favorites!

Shutterfly- if you don't already use this, you should.  I love pictures! This site is great for anything photo! Plus they email some great coupons! Never pay full price...I have repeatedly gotten $100 orders for only $20!

E-mealz- This is a subscription, but it is only $15 per quarter...and well worth it.  You can select which menu works the best for your lifestyle.  They will provide you with recipes and a grocery list every week.  We do the Weight Watchers one.

Relay for Life Team Soldiering On- We are team captains this year for this relay team.  We lost a good friend several years ago to cancer, so every year we walk in his memory.


Coupons- there are several links for coupons and savings...I have more to add later! I am always looking to save! Recently I purchased $98 worth of clothes at Baby Gap for $1.30!

I hope you enjoy my faves as well!

Baby Kisses

I have come to realize that the little things in life are really the most important! I think being a mom brings you to this realization quickly.  Lily just started giving us kisses tonight! She comes to us for them and almost has it down.  She knows to make a pucker noise and to lean in to our lips! She learns something new everyday! It is so fun to watch the wheels in her mind turn.  Her newest things, besides kisses, include trying to pull herself up (not successful yet, but tries hard!), saying the word "yellow" (weird for one of her first words), and mimicking everything her daddy does.  She loves her daddy! She makes any facial expressions or sounds that he does! I can't believe that she is going to be 9 months soon! I will probably look back at this post (just next month) and think about how far she has come since I wrote this...it really goes so fast! For any parent reading this, you are wondering why I am saying the same thing that you have known for however long you have been parent....Here's to time...enjoy every minute!

The beginning...

I am not sure if I really have the time to keep up with a blog, but I am going to try! I have enjoyed reading other blogs for quite some time, and decided today that I should start one.  Maybe I have enough to say that other people want to read...or maybe not! In this blog, I will write about being a mommy, favorite recipes, saving money, and anything else that comes to mind! The reason why today is THE DAY to start a blog is probably because today is day 3 of being snowed in.  Yep...looking for things to do inside.  I will try to post pictures of the snow later.