First Day of School

Bittersweet time for me. I truly enjoyed the summer with my girls. This last week and a half they have been at each other's throats though. Yesterday the BG's went to their first day and today Lou has her first day. I am relishing in the thought of having no children home for a few hours a few times a week. One day I am gonna come home and just sleep......perhaps today. It is another beautiful fallish day here in the tri. The type where you want to throw on jeans, a comfy sweatshirt and fuzzy socks. Grab a warm cup of joe and a good book.....maybe that is what I will do this afternoon. We'll see.

Lou is super excited about her day. I suggested that she wear her tutu last week but she said "no". This morning she came out with it on and I was more than pleased, I just had to be her idea. On a side note, we are surprising the kids with an impromptu trip to Silverwood. Iam sooo excited to see their faces when they realize where we are going. Also, the hotel we are staying at has a pool and hot breakfast in the morning (both pre-reqs in my my for a good hotel).

Fun Fun Fun couponing

Here were my transactions from this morning. Sadly, no picture to show:

Albies:

(4) Nestle refrigerated cookie dough
(4) Danimals Crush cups
(4) Rhodes Frozen Rolls
(2) Always Pads
(2) Tampax Tampons
Amaretto coffeemate creamer
Bagel Bites
Playtex Tampons( free coupon for this printed out after buying 2 tampax and 1 always)

Total OOP= $9.60

So, this was spread over 6 transactions and here are the coupons I used:
4 $1/1 nestle cookie dough 8/22 SS
4 $1/1 rhodes warm n serve rolls 8/8 RP
2 $1/1 Always pads 8/1 PG
2 $1/1 Tampax tampons 8/1 PG
4 $1/1 Danimals crush cup coupons from fall coupon book
$1/1 bagel bite coupon from a magazine
$.55/1 coffee mate creamer from Sept All You magazine (great coupons this month!)


total of 18 doubler coupons, three per transaction

Killer deals and now my husby is out pillaging Walgreens for their great deals.

Benton County Fair

Last night we took the girls to the fair, yeehaw! We are cheapos so the girls only got to go on one ride each. That alone cost almost $12. WOWZA! Alli went on this big silde/ maze/ obstacle course thing that was over in like a minute. Dani didnt understand the options so she didnt go on anything. and little Lou went on a kiddie roller coaster all by herself. I really cherished watching the confidence in her walk and joy in her face getting into that thing. The little girl getting on right before her did not have anyone to sit with either, so it worked out nicely that they had each other. Towards the end of the ride they started putting their hands in the air as they went around. Incredible joy on their faces. I loved it.

Next year I think we might try to go to the rodeo. We got there a little late to get a seat but saw some calf ropin' and the rodeo princess and queen. That was a highlight for the girls. "Is she a real queen?" The were mesmerized.

Dont Judge Me

God is more gracious to me than I ever would have dreamed....
I am blessed beyond measure...
I treat headaches with ooey gooey carmel brownie blizzards...
I love to let my girls cake on make-up compliments of a certain retired Mary Kay consultant...
My youngest two girls rule at "chicken foot"....
Bejeweled blitz is the single most addicting game I have ever played...
Twilight is stinkin' awesome....
Vampires Suck movie was totally off color and totally hilarious....
I love pomegranate martinis....
Rum is my hard A of choice....
My husband is a rockstar that lets me get away and not be "mom" for a while....
It took me about a month for me to forgive my dog for pooping on my new carpet...
Peanut butter frosts and peppermint mocha creamer is heavenly....
Couponing is an amazing hobby....
My daughters are beautiful, smart and hilarious....
The words "Flint Lockwood" can be soooooooo funny when tired and silly....
My friends brother totally looks like a guy from Hannah Montana....
The summer has flown by....
I love love love my Wednesday zumba class....
Zumba skirts rock....
Bucking the rules of conformity is fun....
Zucchini in the oven is delish....
Boom!

28

Yesterday was my brothers birthday. Here are some of the pics from said event. My girls adore him and Im sort of fond too. I cant imagine how difficult it has been for him all these years knowing he is my parents "second" favorite but he seems to get by! BHAHAHAHA! The boy rarely reads my blog so let's see just how long I will be able to get away with that. Funny I am!

In other news my little lovies have been sick which has really put a cramp in my work out schedule. Wondering if God is "giving" me this as a break that I desired a couple weeks back. I remember while in MT thinking that I would like to go a whole week without having to go anywhere or do anything. And thus far, that is what this week has looked like. Funny how things that look like an annoyance in your life might turn out to be a gift. Deep I know. The battle that goes on in my mind when not working out is, " Can I justify eating this if I am not working out?" Silly to be worried about stuff like that but it is like an addiction. I honestly worry that I will instantly get fat when not working out. So, today my goal is to be good with food. Not crazy, but good.

Bomb Deals

Ok, quickly here are a couple scenarios I am gonna rock tonight:

Albertsons:

5 Betty Crocker Cake Mixes $1.00 each
5 betty Crocker Frostings $ 1.50 each

Use (5) $.75/2 coupons from 8/8 gm insert
Use (3) doublers
Instant $5 Promo off

= $1.50 oop and 50 box tops for school
WOWZA!!!

Safeway:

4 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks

use (2) $.50/2 coupons from 8/8 GM insert or coupons.com internet printable
load your card from shortcuts.com with $.50/2 (this will only work the first time)

=$2.50 oop--->you get a $2 oyno catalina

Do it again

4 Betty Crocker Fruit snacks

use (2) $.50/2 coupons from 8/8 GM insert or coupons.com internet printable
use your $2.50 catalina

=$.50 oop WOWZA again-----> $2.00 catalina

You can keep doing this till your hearts content. With school starting and sports coming, it is good to have these on hand when it is your turn to bring a snack! Happy couponing.

**Update** I did this transaction three times last night totaling $5.87!

couponing post for tomorrow!

Here is the damage I plan to do at Albies tomorrow:

#1

3 Nut Clusters
(3) $1/1 from 8/8 GM insert
(3) doublers
$1.50 OOP---->$1.50 catalina to roll on next transaction

2 Pillisbury Sweet Moments
(2) $1/1 from 8/8 GM insert
$3.00 OOP

5 Totinos Party Pizzas
$1/5 internet printable @ coupons.com
$5.25 OOP

OK, Total $9.75 total - $5 promo(every 10 items you buy)= $4.75 OOP and $1.50 catalina

#2
6 Yoplait Go-gurt
(3) $.75/2 from 8/8 GM insert
(3) doublers
$7.50 OOP

2 Bugles
(2) $.50/1 from 8/8 GM insert
$2.00 OOP

2 chex mix
(2) $.50/1 GM insert
$2.00 OOP

Ok, Total $11.50 - $5 promo- $1.50 catalina= $5 OOP

#3
2 Pepperidge farm cookies $1.99
(2) $1/1 internet printables
(2) doublers
1 Chips Ahoy cookie pack
(1)$1/1 July All You magazine
(1) doubler

$.49 OOP Wowza!

#4
3 Ritz Crackerfuls $1.99
(3) $1/1 from SS 6/6
(3) doublers
$3 OOP( my fam adores these so it is worth the $1 each)

Sidenote*** The first two transactions will yield 50 boxtops each too! Free money for your school is always a bonus!***

**Update** I altered the first transaction into one and did the nut clusters at safeway as they were a better deal. Totaly OOP for the pic above was $2.20!

Long Overdue Post- Cannon 2010

Here are some fun pics from our family vacation a couple months back. We stayed for a while week and it was peaceful.... most of it. C really enjoys playing with the camera and while we were there, Kathy (my sil) showed him how to use another feature on it (b/c we have the same camera). So as you can imagine, I became a photo widow for a bit, but I didnt mind b/c the company was sooo great.
My in-laws rented this amazing house right by Haystack. Seriously, they had a picturesque window with Haystack right in the middle of it, absolutely beautiful. We sure enjoyed spending time with them and making s'mores right on the beach. Another really fun thing we did with them was to rent recumbant bikes and go on the beach. At the time is was a disaster. Alli cried almost the entire time and Dani about 1/3 of it. Their legs hurt, they were not in 1st place (little competitive hearts), they were tired.....and on and on and on. Later that evening when we asked them their favorite part of the day, they said the bikes. Really? You guys whined and complained the entire time???? It was a highlight for me too though. We got to see a lot of the beach and it was fun to all be one big family, all 11 of us! Love the pic of my fam on the rock too. This might make another appearance on Christmas cards even though not everyone is smiling. Do you realize how hard it is to get a picture with everyone smiling? Like trying to catch the wind.
We also went to Hug Point one day and got some nice pics there! The girls enjoyed hiking up to the waterfall and going in little caves. We touched star fish and sea anemone (sp). I hope to go back again but I think we might stay in Seaside next year. We end up going there almost every day anyway and I think it is a bit cheaper. The lowlight of the trip was that I had to rent a carpet cleaner for a bed. Lou peed the bed, yuck! Also C spilled red wine on the carpet so I got to use it on that too. Praise God for Safeway in Seaside.

***evidently my computer is playing stupid today so no pics. Two unsuccessful tries and I am done***** PEACE OUT

Thrifty Thursday!

So many of my favorite bloggers have clever little daily sayings, so I thought I might try a blog with one. Here are a few of my favorite thrifty things:

1. Coupon, coupon, coupon! I save hundreds monthly doing this. It was quite time consuming for the first several months, but in recent months I do it at my leisure. It is totally a hobby now and I see a regular savings of $200/ month. This is not buying cheap food, but name brands. And, I am increasing my stockpile of food and still doing these kinds of savings. For tips here are a few of my favorite blogs:
fistfulofcoupons.com and fabulesslyfrugal.com

2. If you enjoy going out, hit restaurants when the kids eat free or there is a discount. Here are some of my favorites:
Monday: 6 Degrees- Kids Eat Free
Tuesday: Fiesta- 1/2 price Steak Fajitas. My whole family can eat for about $17 before tip.
Wednesday: Applebees: Kids Eat Free wyb an adult meal.

Many local restaurant websites also offer free "birthday" meals if you sign up for their newsletter. Something to think about.

3. Take your own school pictures. When we lived in Everett I could get a massive package of pictures for $14. I was horrified not to find this when we moved home to the tri. It is crazy expensive. For $14, I can print all of the girls pictures and have enough to hand out to friends and family. Im just sayin, if it is just a matter of handing out photos to fam. take your own pictures and print them out at costco or home. way cheaper and you can see what you are getting before buying.

The Deadliest Catch

I love this show. I have taken to renting episodes from the library as I do not have the discovery channel boo. The Northwestern is my favorite boat and Sig my favorite captain. Funny fact: When I lived in Everett, my friend Michelle (who lived in Edmonds) had a student that had Sig as a neighbor. I even went as far as to look up Sig and Edgar in the phone book. What was I gonna do? Stalker much, I know. Silly things I do.

Few things I dont like:
Vomiting kids: Praise God I dont have any right now. Hope to keep it like that, just a general disdain.
When someone walks out of the bathroom you are waiting for and they have torn it up. Seriously, then the person waiting after me is gonna think I created that disaster. Oh, I hate that!
Cleaning guns: love the convo that ensues with C during such events, but seriously hate doing it.
Twilight Haters: Seriously? Have you read the books and you are still a hater? Tell me what you like and I will "hate" on it. BOOM!
Bad Drivers: Get off your phone for the love of pete! You already stink as a driver, you talking and driving is not a good combination. May you get a ticket!
Feeling Fat or Ugly: self explanitory
Having to discipline in public always concerned that someone will get up in arms on me. but in recent years have decided I dont care. I know the law and am not breaking it. I see all the sucky parenting around me and guess I am just leveling the parenting field.
Sexy movie scenes nine times out of ten, the same message could have been conveyed without the sex. Really uncomfortable especially if you are watch this type of movie with anyone other than your spouse. Awkward!
Sucky Fitness Instructors: I might be spoiled by amazing instructors, but some outright suck and shouldnt be doing it.
Bad Customer Service: My inner bitch tends to come out without my knowing. Several times after getting off the phone with people C will point out how utterly annoyed I sounded. Working on this......sometimes.

The Happs

Ok, so I only have three minutes to write this before my drop dead internet time begins. here is the happs with us the last few days:

Swim lessons continue to go well for my chitlins
Enjoyin leisure evenings with the family
Still cracking up about lines from the movie 4 Christmases
DQ ooey gooey carmel brownie blizzards continue to need me, or I them, whatever
The weather in the Tri is beautiful! and breezy
My girls are excited to go back to school.
I am still going to bed at a decent hour b/c I get up at an undecent hour.
My hairstylist did an amazing job last time on my hair and I am still lovin it
Couponing is awesome when the store practically pays me to exit!
Boom!
Getting a little burnt out on the club. Missing zumba but hopefully that will change when I can start going to that class again.
Doing a hula show tonight and excited about it.

Ok, time is out!

The Milky Way

Tonight while gazing at the stars I saw the milky way for the first time. Can you believe that? I am 29 years old and I had never seen the milky way.....it was there all along. My exact words were, "What are the light streaks in the sky, is there a light shining out there?" That would be the milky way. who knew? Also, there are constantly satellites going around out there. It is absolutely amazing. Apparently you have to have someone else see it too to "verify" that you saw it. This is the same rule for shooting stars which I also saw. Big night in BSC.

This really got me thinking. I have never been in the location or taken the time to see this that God made. What else am I missing? I was even called a "city girl". Not a term I would have used on myself, but it's true. I learned a couple things about myself . 1. I am a city girl. 2. I do not take enough time to truly enjoy the splendor put out there for us to marvel in. 3. I want my girls to know this vastness that I found tonight in BSC. 4. Reeses s'mores still rock. 5. My life has been very peaceful these last couple of days, I want to continue this tempo upon my return by whatever means necessary. 6. I attract the crazies. 7. There are far more stars than I ever dreamed out there.

So how do I go home and bring this peace and awe with me? Big question. I cant exactly transplant the family to BSC. Not sure a short trip would satisfy the fun I want to share with them, so Im not sure of the answer. Maybe this was just a glimpse for me. A gift from God of things to be excited for with my family. I go home tomorrow with renewal and excitement to see my family. It usually takes me a couple days and true to form I am missing them tonight.

Funny story. While at the "Crusin' by the Bay" concert tonight I was sittin' on the grass by Amy's family. The man next to us offered me a chair that was attached to his, it was nice so I accepted. We struck up friendly conversation. Mind you this man was from La Push and about 60. When I say that he had half his teeth I mean literally half. They were there but rotted to half way down. His nephew came back with the hooch and I tried to get up and give him his seat back. La Push man insisted I sit down and put his arm in front of me and said, "dont you dare." Ok, what do you say to that? He then pushed a beer on me. I took it and just put it in my cup holder. Amy said she did not like beer, whiskey however was another story. To her surprise his nephew whipped a bottle out and we laughed. INTEREStinG. Soon after we all decided to leave but not before getting a few pics by the bay. The above pic of us is the "Cullen" shot. Beautiful, stoic, indestructible, you get the picture. The second is of us this morning on the deck with our cups of Joe. The thrid Jordan took without my knowledge but , I'll allow it.

My husband rocks by the way! He daddied on all weekend with his daughters. Hopefully this weekend was as much of a gift for him as it was for me. He and the girls had a movie night, played barbies and ate plenty of ice cream. Thanks Babes I love you!

Relaxing and lookin for La Push

Big Sky Country is everything I would have hoped for. Maybe it is relaxing because I dont have any children with me. Maybe it is because I am not responsible for anyone but myself. Maybe it is because I am getting gobs of quality time with my bestie. Maybe it is just Montana.

I cant tell you the last time I sat on a deck and truly enjoyed the evening. I cant remember the last time I was spontaneous and jumped in the lake on a whim. I cant remember the last time I threw caution to the wind and ate anything and everything I wanted to. I cant remember the last time I napped mid-day and didnt have to wake up at a certain time.

I have done all of the above in the last couple of days. Amy's family has been so kind to let me tag along for a workout, open their home, take us to dinner. watch us go swimming and the list goes on. They have truly gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable. I have even felt comfortable enough to harass her brother, good times!

Tomorrow I will be sleeping in for as long as humanly possible. Really excited about this truth! Oh, BTW, the title of my post is partially due to the fact that Aim and I love Twilight! and we are on an indian reservation aka the Res. Since we love all things twilight there are a lot of "pack" people" here. Shout out to La Push baby!

Big Sky Country

Im leavin on a jet plane, dont know when I'll be back again. Ok, not really. I am leavin in a car and I know I will be back Sunday. First off I have the best husband! He is allowing me to get away for a few days without any responsibilities other than myself. What a gift. He let me go to Canada last year with a friend and Montana this year with another friend. Secondly I get to spend the weekend with Parker. How fun is that? Really fun people.....just in case you didnt know!
Sadly I have never been to Montana and WA is so close. My Montanian friend is very diappointed by this truth but we are about to rid it. We are going to her hometown and I am sooo excited to see everything that is important to her. Family, school, Richwines (best fries anywhere I am told, I will be the judge), Crusin by the Bay, Reeses S'mores (my contribution). My other good friend Dani has family from MT too, so I know good things come from there! Statistics cant lie, right? Two besties with ties to the same state, Im sayin'.
Lady Gaga is not a role model, but woah the lady can sing. Love the songs poker face and telephone. Between the court club and SYTYCD I have been introduced and I am likin! Ok, must go pack and finish gettin the girls ready for the day.
Here's to great husbands, family and friends!
J-Me

Number 6 - Loren/Mirk

scrubs - guy love

This video is hilarious! Makes me smile every time I hear this song.

12 Years......feels like 12 minutes.....underwater

So joking. We heard this funny from Mark Gungor in one of his "Laugh your way to a better marriage" sessions. I definitly feel much too young to have been married for 12 years. It certainly hasn't felt like 12 years. Here are some of the important numbers from the 12 years:

>3 Girls: 9, 7, and 4
>9 major moves as a family (more with C solo)
>6 vehicles
>1 pet
>Almost 7 nieces and nephews
>1 brother in law, 1 sister in law
>6 deaths of family or people who felt like family
>2 homes owned
>3 countries visited (not all of us)
>2 family members who beat breast cancer
>4383 days that I have been a wife
>2 people still in love

****Praise God for the last 12 and here's to the next 12 ****