Black Friday

So, yesterday was the BEST black friday I have ever sported through. We did not start till 6am, which is a bit late for us, but wowza it paid off in spades. The lines were non existent, products we were after were still there, and no drama going on around me. So this could mean one of three things:
1. Starting an hour later really makes a huge difference!
2. The icy roads will keeps shoppers home.
or
3. The economy is so horrid that people were simply not out spending yesterday.

I hope it was one of the first two. I know that rule #3 did not apply to Toy'R'US as C worked from 9-1am "babysitting" the shoppers. Some people straight up cut the line while others were waiting for hours. C totally told them to "do the right thing"! Love it! Love him, he is hilarious! I got some good deals. I really didnt see amazing things in the ads to be honest. My highlight was eating at Famous Daves and watching the movie Unstoppable. Very suspensful!

4

I know not many people read my blog so here is the scuttle butt (as my MIL would say). Im pregnant, knocked up, harboring a human, have a bun in the oven, am "with child" . Chris and I are expecting the next addition to our family in June or July. I will know more details next week and update then. Here are some answers for the questions that are now coming to your mind:

Q: I thought you were done.?
A: We were, God had a different plan. This is our unexpected blessing!

Q: Are you excited?
A: Yes~!

Q: How are the girls doing with the news?
A: Are you kidding? They are three little mama's. They are thrilled to say the least. The only quam with it all is that Leilani wants to maintain the rank of "baby". I will get back to you on how that all pans out.

Q: Will you move to a bigger house?
A: Not sure. We are always looking but would love to be able to stay in our neighborhood and in our little home.

Q: Are you crazy?
A: Most certainly.

Q: How is Chris dealing?
A: Honestly, he has been amazing. More endearing and excited than I have ever seen him when I am "with child".

Q: Will you find out what you are having?
A: Have you met Chris and I? There is no way we could wait to know, far too impatient.

Q: How are you (me) doing?
A: Blessed. Hard to explain my feelings right now. I feel extremely blessed to be given this opportunity again. I will say that I am a bit guarded in my excitement. Since this was a surprise to me, I dont completely believe it. For those of you who know me, I am a planner. So when there was this new plan, I dont completely believe it. Next week I should get to hear the heartbeat and I will be real to me then. I grieved being done with children for the last two years. For the most part I was not wanting another (tho there were times) but truly just grieving never getting to feel a baby inside me again. Never nursing another little infant. Never getting up at all hours of the night with a newborn (was happy but still grieved that one). Anywho, I had litterally just moved to a place where I was at peace with this stuff. And now I will be a mother again. Praise God for entrusting me with another life. I am sure blessed.

So, there is the news. I will post on facebook about this after my first appointment next week. Prayers for health and safety would be greatly appreciated.
Jaimie and MB (mystery baby)

Safeway Coupon Book Scandal

So about a week and a half ago there was an amazing coupon book that came out at Safeway stores. This book had tons of manufacturers coupons in it and my couponers heart went pitter pat at the thought of doubling these great things. Well, some couponers (no names mentioned) (mainly becuase I dont have their names because I would so call them out) ruined for the rest of us because they went in and grabbed handfuls of books at a time. This left none for the rest of us when we went to get the books.

Safeway was quite miffed when they caught on to what was happening. They even said people had "stolen" the book. Not sure, but I am pretty sure that taking something "free" cant be called stealing, but who am I? Anywho, I got one book before they ran out. My couponer compadre and I continued to check back at Safeway and see if they had gotten any books in but to no avail. Stink. And the people at Safeway were even a bit rude about it. Oh well.

Well last week my friends husband texted her a link that said, " Run to not walk to Safeway and get your coupon book now." So we did just that. Left everything and went to get the books. Well, when we got there they did not have any. So we called said husband back and he had looked at an old post, so he had sent us on a wild goose chase. We will not name names here either, but I will say that said husbands name rhymes with Gone Barker. Im just sayin'.

Fastforward to my friends husband who works in Pendelton (same as above). He was terrified of us and rightly so. In an effort to redeem himself he brought a surprise home. Guess what is NOT pillaged at Safeway in Pendelton.....coupon books. So he scored us some and we continued on our merry way. AND, the local Safeways now have the coupon books in but are limiting people to one each and you have to go to customer service to procure it. Worth it!

So, today I used said coupon books and got:

4 Fudge Brownie Mixes

12 cans of Green Giant Vegetables

10 jars of Ragu sauce

for

$3 OOP, killer deal

I had to reorganize my pantry to accomodate such purchases but praise God for "problems" like that. I am really blessed!

Retro Repost: Rules of Black Friday!

It is almost that time of year again. BLACK FRIDAY. Be still my heart. The women of my family love this day and practically treat it as a sport. Here are the rules that I came up with a couple years ago after some mega frustrating experiences:

1. Do not buy things that are not on sale. They will be there tomorrow and there is no reason to stand in long lines for stuff like that.

2. Do not get a cart unless your purchase calls for it. they are too big to maneuver and in large crowds you end up with a traffic jam situation.

3. Decide who will be the place holder upon entering the store. Put that person in line and then go get what you need and bring it to them. Warn the other shoppers around you that you are merely a placeholder and others will be bringing their stuff to you. People are usually cool with you doing this.

4. Cut the weak link from the herd. If you give people fair warning about where you are in the line progression and they do not make it back by the time you are at checkout....leave them. They need to just fend for themselves. Brutal, I know.

5. For the love, if you have a cart take it with you. Do not leave it in the middle of an aisle. Nothing drives me more crazy than people who detach from the cart for a side conversation thus causing a traffic jam. Costco shoppers are notorious for this.

6. If you are not sure if you want to buy the on sale item, get it anyway and bring it back if you change your mind. At least you will have gotten it at the sale price if you decide to keep it.

7. NEW RULE! (Thanks Kelly) Sweet mercy people, if you cant find childcare for black Friday, dont go. I hate few things more than seeing little children out in the cold at 0"dark hundred with their parents. And on a harsh note, I dont want to hear you children screaming at 4am and you being a horrible parent to them at that hour....well ever. Stay home!

Killer deals!

Here are my killer deals that I will be doing tomorrow morning. All of the below listed deals will be using the coupons from the stellar "Big Thanksgiving Coupon Book" from Safeway. If you didnt get one of those yet, good luck. It might be easier to procure crack, Im sayin.

Yokes:
1. (4) Progress Soups 4/$5
-(2) $1/2 coupons
-(2) doublers
(2) Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mixes $.99
-(1) $1/2 coupon
-(1) doubler
Total OOP= $1 BOOM

2. (2) Bisquick Mixes $2.99
-(2) $1/1 coupons
-(2) doublers
(2) Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mixes $.99
-(1) $1/2 coupon
-(1) doubler
Total OOP= $2

Albertsons

1. Kikoman soy sauce $1.99
- use $1/1 internet printable (ok so almost all from Safeway coupon book)
-use 1 doubler
(2) Coffee mate creamers*****peppermint mocha, oh yah****
-use (2) $.50/1 coupons
-use (2) doublers
Total OOP= $1

2. ( 2) Sierra Mist $1.29
- use (2) $1/1 coupons
- use (2) doublers
1 McCormick Black Pepper $2.50
-use $1/1
-use doubler
Total OOP= $.50

Happy couponing

Ode to the Eye

This morning I thought I would try,

To write an ode to the eye.

This is not a sad story so dont cry,

It's just an ode to my eye.

It has been over two decades now,

My brother was showing me how,

To swing a club like a bat,

I should have watched out for that!

My left eye he hit and I fell,

To the ground and it hurt like h3ll.

I dont remember starting to cry,

but from there I couldnt see out of my eye.

Many surgeries came the following years,

No more tears, no more tears.

Now I see two of all vistas,

People sometimes think Iam a sista! (lol) (I am hilarious)

Depth perception I have not,

But my real eye I still have got.

Anytime my girls are starting to fail,

I remind them about this tale.

I dont want them to one day try,

to write an ode to their "eye".

Small Group

We have the funnest small group if I do say so myself. One year we went to a Bed and Breakfast here in the tri (different group). Last year we got food poisoning together from the Whitehouse Crawford. This year we celebrated Valentines day together.....well those of us who werent having a baby. And Friday night we had a progressive dinner, in costume. Pictued above we have some great costumes.

The Cooks were cave men or maybe the pc way to say it is cave people. Their costumes rocked and Mary's was complete with a bone in her hair. The cooks prepared the appetizer for the night and the highlight for me was eyeballs.

The Shultzs' did not dress up at first (Terry later got dressed in a clown costume with Rasta hair, lol). So someone said that they were dressed as homicidal maniacs becuase they look like the average Joe, right? Inventive if you ask me. The Shultzs started us out with drinks.

The Gundersons got decked out in western 20's attire. Stacia completed the outfit with a fag. Yah, I typed that right a fag. That is the proper name for a long stick that a cigarette is put on the end of way back when, or so Im told. Matt made some delish pies for dessert.

The Cases were very creative. They were Chilean miners. Im sure you probably know of how all those miners were rescued just recently. Very current eventish and "A" gameish. My fav part to the outfits was the note that they handed us when opening the door it read, "We are ok". Hilarious!The Cases made da' bomb salad with Josh's great grandpas french dressing, a real treat.

The Parkers vibed Twilight. This was a major feat for Sean to dress up. But Amy Edwarded his hair and sprayed him with glitter. She was vampire Bella sporting a team Edward shirt, converse shoes, brunette wig and backpack. Stellar. Also, she glittered too. Parkers and Littrells teamed for the main dish and made fajitas.

We were superheros. I have wanted to do this for several years but it just came together this year. Everyone kept calling Chris Dash instead of Mr. Incredible. I thought he looked like MR. incredible. If I looked like someone it would have been Violet and that would have just bee weird. Father/daughter, or brother, sister. Awkward. Anyways, we stopped by the Pasmas so that they could judge our costume contest and the Cullens won. it was fun to go see everyones houses! FUN FUN FUN