Saturday, August 30, 2008

CAMPING!

We had soooooooo much fun camping :) Here are a few pics of our adventure!


Kris & Hunter

Colt and his party hat

Jamie & ME!

Dane eating Chocolate

Hunter holding a "happy" Colt

Bald meets Bald

Hunter eating his candy

My three brats!

Hunter & ME

Erick & ME

Hunter
Colt
Boys were sooooooo tired, they fell out on the blanket!

Dane & ME

DANE!









Friday, August 22, 2008

Colt will.not.laugh

This baby smiles and smiles and smiles but can NOT figure out laughing. He tries to laugh when I am tickling him, but can't quite figure it out yet!

Anyday now --- anyday!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

IT'S THURSDAY!











Wednesday, August 20, 2008

WARNING

This blog is NOT for the mentally stable



peace.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Movies - 27 Dresses, Juno & Mad Money

27 Dresses
CUTE MOVIE! I was really looking forward to this movie because I had heard great things about it and it lived up to its reputation. I loved how she narrated at the beginning and the end of it to draw it all together. I will admit though, as much as a like Katherine Heigl on Grey's Anatomy - her recent behavior in the media makes me dislike her a little.

Juno
GREATEST MOVIE! I loved her attitude on life! She said outloud what most of us think about saying.

Mad Money
Eh, it was OK. katie Holmes was a little over the top for me... Also, they shredded all that money... It was heart breakin!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Work Shmerk

I love going to work! No, seriously, I do! My job is neat and challenging and it gives me a "glimpse" into the world of adults. Of course, I only work 6 hours a week - so that is why it's so great :)

Connie's Favorite Joke

What do you call 10 blondes in a freezer?


Frosted Flakes


HA! I don't know whats worse - that joke, or that I remember that as mom's favorite joke from years and years and years ago.

ROLL CALL

I am just curious who reads my blog. Please, please, PLEASE leave me a comment to let me know you are an avid reader (or even just a nosey reader!)

Besides, this will help me figure out who I can and can not talk about :)

*evil laughter*

peace.

Funny of the Day


Sunday, August 17, 2008

Kids Emulate Everything

First of all - is Emulate a word? It sounds like the word I want but I don't feel like checking to see. I want it to mean - act just like what they have seen- is that right?

Anyway - in the car today Hunter was pretending to be a daddy whose kid had just spilled thier pancakes (his fantasy, not mine!) This is what he was saying:

"Come in here this instant! You had better pick up every single piece of these pancakes or you are going into time out for 10 years!"

I am pretty sure I have never told them they would be in time out for 10 years - but it's possible - hey, we all have bad days!

Anyway - I was cracking up at home "grown up" he sounded!


peace.

Happy Anniversary to US!

Today is our 6th Wedding Anniversary - can you believe it! If I wasn't so lazy I would scan in a picture of our wedding day and upload it for all to see. Ah, screw it - if you were there you remember and if you weren't there you didn't care enough to go, so why see a picture now??! ;)

Anyway - some news for our wedding anniversary - there will be NO obligatory sex (this is the one day a year that all married couples MUST do it) this year since Jamie had a vasectomy on Friday. That was our wedding anniversary to ourselves :) The baby machine is closed.


So, if you are reading this today (Sunday) don't forget to wish us a Happy Anniversary in your head - phone calls are NOT necessary :)

peace.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Da Crib

Have I told you that Colt has slept in the crib 2 nights in a row now! Well, it was only for a few hours each night BUT he did it! He would have slept in there longer if I would have fed him and put him back - but I was too tired. Anyway - this is a monumentous accomplishment and now my mom has to stop calling Colt's room the "sitting room" because no one actually stayed in there!


:)


peace.

There's nothing better than...

A Saturday afternoon nap.


I hope you got one - I sure didn't.


peace.

Michael Phelps

I could watch that boy swim all day long! I don't know what I find so attractive about him, but I think it is the $$ he is certainly going to be making after winning all those medals! I would have his love child just for the child support, fo shure! (don't tell Jamie!)




Did you know that Michael Phelps consumes 12,000 calories a day! That is crazy...


He told NBC that an average day might have the following menu:
Breakfast: 3 fried egg sandwiches, 2 cups coffee, 5-egg omlette, bowl of grits, 3 pieces of french toast, 3 chocolate chip pancakes

Lunch: 1 pound pasta, 2 ham and cheese sandwiches, energy drink (1,000 calorie)

Dinner: 1 pound pasta, 1 large pizza, energy drink (1,000 calorie)

Three years ago, Phelps told an interviewer:
I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don't have a strict diet. It's all about cramming in as many calories into my system as I possibly can. To be honest with you, I have a tough time keeping weight on.

Hunterism

Hunter: Can I have a drink of your pop?

Me: Sure, go ahead.

H: Wow - you are being nice tonight. That is so nice of you.

M: Thanks. Now you only get one drink b/c it is late and I don't want you to wet the bed.

H: Well, I THOUGHT you were being nice.

...what the crap - my props were gone JUST LIKE THAT!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Colt is 12 weeks already!

These videos may not look like much to you - but this is the FIRST time Colt noticed his toys and actually was enjoying himself for a moment....




Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Witty Tuesday (a day early)

Just for fun!









Thursday, August 7, 2008

An analysis of diapers...

Before you ask - I will answer a few basic questions....
1. YES I do have too much time on my hands to notice what diapers have on them.

2. NO I don't usually waste my money on expensive Pampers - but they were on clearance :)

3. YES I have a sick sense of humor...

4. YES I HAD to take pictures of it - this post would be worthless without it!


First up is Cookie Monster - he is soooo cute!

Then there is Zoe - cute little pig tails!

There were 2 different Elmo diapers - he must be the most loved - BUT still cute!

There is a sleepy big bird - - -awwww!


And then...

There is Ernie...

Who has OBVIOUSLY just smoked a bowl before they took the picture!

I hope they don't think he looks "tired" because he most certainly looks high as a kite, not tired.

Me thinks there is a lurking pot-head at the Pampers Manufacturing HQ!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Sneaky coupon tricks: 6 frugal hacks

Last week's Safeway ad had a coupon for a dozen eggs for $1, a swell deal these days. I consider eggs a fridge staple because they make a quick and cheap light supper. Besides, finals are coming up, and I always fortify myself with bacon, eggs and toast on exam mornings.
However, the coupon's fine print -- there's always fine print -- said shoppers needed to spend at least $10 to use the dollar-a-dozen coupon. The thing was, I didn't need $10 worth of stuff. Just eggs. But I wasn't about to let a teeny-tiny disclaimer keep me from getting cheap protein. I have a frugal hack for just such an occasion.

Generally I get around the "minimum purchase" by buying a grocery store gift card in that amount, and using it on subsequent shopping trips. This time I needed stamps ($8.40) so I simply cruised the store for $1.60 worth of nonperishables for my stealth stock-up plan. Dill pickles were on sale two jars for $4, and I had two $1-off coupons for that brand. With the stamps, that totaled $10.40, qualifying me to buy the $1 eggs.

Minuscule disclaimers like "minimum $10 purchase" iare one reason some folks distrust coupons. (Other people love them; ask the woman who saved $1,100 with coupons last year whether it was worth it.) However, the stores are within their rights to set limits on their loss leaders. It's up to consumers to learn to play the game, and maybe come up with a few sneaky tricks of our own.

Frugal hack No. 1: To fulfill a minimum-purchase requirement, buy a gift card or sale-priced nonperishables (with coupons if possible).


Better than the dollar storeIn the same shopping complex as the Safeway is a Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft store, which offers a 40%-off coupon in its Sunday newspaper ads. (Being on their mailing list gets me more coupons.) Michaels, another sewing/crafts store, also runs Sunday ads. Both stores have a selection of $1 items, and some locations will accept the other guy's coupons.
On this particular trip, I got a miniature Pirates of the Caribbean puzzle for my great-nephew's Christmas stocking. Next on my list is a frog-shaped bath mitt for another great-nephew's stocking. (It's not for me. Honest.) In the past I've bought scrapbook supplies for a crafty relative, art note cards for my gift stash, and gloves for the homeless shelter. Each item cost only 60 cents plus tax.

Frugal hack No. 2: Use Jo-Ann and Michaels coupons in the dollar section. Get on their mailing lists for extra coupons.


After Jo-Ann, I hit the Albertsons supermarket on my way home. (I'm lucky enough to live within a couple of miles of numerous grocers, pharmacies, and discount and dollar stores.) It occurred to me to ask if they accept competitors' coupons. They do.
For weeks I'd been carrying around a Safeway printed-at-the-register coupon for $2 off Scott toilet paper. Four-packs were $3.49 at Safeway but $2.19 at Albertsons, so I redeemed it there and got four rolls of toilet paper for 19 cents plus tax.

Frugal hack No. 3: Ask if your store takes competitors' coupons. Use them wherever the price is best.


That wasn't the lowest price I've ever paid, incidentally. Recently a coupon for $1 off any Scott toilet paper printed out at the cash register at Albertsons, and four-packs were on sale for a buck that week. That meant I got a four-pack for just 9 cents in sales tax. On a subsequent trip I found a second coupon that someone hadn't bothered to pick up, so I got another four-pack for 9 cents. These were added to my stash of deeply discounted toilet tissue, currently at 60 rolls (most of which are the double-roll size).

Yes, I know that hoarding can be a form of mental illness. But it's not as though this stuff has an expiration date. And have you priced toilet paper lately? To me, it just makes sense to stock up when you see an irresistible deal -- and free is pretty hard to turn down.

Frugal hack No. 4: Watch for print-at-register coupons, including ones that other people leave behind.


Talk shopping to meSome stores, like Home Depot and Walgreens, offer cash prizes to take phone surveys about your shopping experiences. An 800 number is printed on store receipts. I do these even though the odds of winning are probably slim.
However, I've sometimes encountered a sure-thing prize, also from Albertsons: take a two-minute survey and receive a code redeemable for a free loaf of French bread. Naturally I was willing, since French bread turns leftover soup into a nice supper and also makes fabulous toast.
But here's the beauty part: When I redeemed the code for the free bread, another survey offer printed out. And when I redeemed that one later on, a third one printed out. This is better than the used bread store.

Frugal hack No. 5: Keep an eye out for prizes.


Instant rebate, no stamp neededIn addition to its monthly rebate program, Walgreens offers a "rebate" that prints out as a coupon. When you buy a certain number of advertised specials you get this "Register Reward" good for your next visit; I've gotten $2 and $5 coupons this way. The CVS chain's "ExtraCare Rewards" program gives these rewards every three months, based on how much you've bought each quarter. (Back in Oak Park, Ill., I lived just one block away from a CVS but that chain doesn't operate here in Seattle. Sigh.)

The Walgreens rewards have relatively short expiration dates, leading me to come up with my own definition of "next" visit. First I buy only the things I need to get the reward. Then I pay for the rest of my items in a separate transaction, using the coupon I was just awarded.
Not a single cashier has demurred; in fact, a store manager once rang me up in this fashion. If any objection were to arise, I'd simply put my purchases in the car and come back in to finish shopping -- my "next" visit.

When possible, use manufacturer's coupons in conjunction with the reward program. For example, this week with coupons and the instant rebate I could get two Gillette Fusion razors (power or manual) plus a can of shave gel for $6.45. Not that I need two razors or shave gel, but I could either donate them to a shelter or use them as stocking stuffers for the grownups in my family. A Pirates of the Caribbean puzzle or a frog bath mitt both sound like more fun, though.

Frugal hack No. 6: If a store offers instant rebates, try to use the coupon the same day. If you can't, pay close attention to its expiration date. Use manufacturer's coupons to make these deals even better.

by Donna Freedman

Walgreens 8/3 - 8/9

Walgreens has a great deal on Kelloggs cereal and poptarts this week.

Cereal
Buy 4 for $10 - get $5 rr - so really 4 for $5.

There are coupons in this weeks paper for $1 off of 2 cereal. Use 2 coupons, so your total will be $8 - and get a $5 rr.

4 boxes of cereal for $3 :)

Poptarts
Buy 5 for $10 - get $5 rr - so really 5 for $5.

There are coupons in this weeks paper for $1 off 2 poptarts. Use 2 coupons, so your total will be $8 - get a $5 rr.

5 boxes of poptarts for $3 :)

This is why it pays to buy extra papers or get inserts from friends and family that do not use the coupons - so you can save extra money and get cheap food!! :)

Plus Size Lingerie Ads

***I apologize in advance for the graphic pictures you are about to experience***


OK - first of all, no skinny chicks can EVER complain about plus sized lingerie ads - just being skinny eliminates their asses.

Now that that is out of the way, I am completely perplexed when it comes to plus sized lingerie ads. I find it completely insane and irritating when they use models like this for lingerie for big girls...

(found on plus sized site)

What the hell is so plus-sized about this model? It's a horrible disillusion that if a big girl bought this undewear set she will look skinny. The model above is NOT plus-sized (if anything she is a spokeswoman for anorexia)... how dumb.




BUT - I also do not want to see a fat ass in lingerie.

Yeah, this is probably what we actually look like - but I don't want to have to look at it. I want to think we look a little better than this!
So, since I don't want to see skinny chicks in plus size lingerie nor do I want to see fat chicks in plus size lingerie - I guess the answer is just do not advertise big girl lingerie.



Saturday, August 2, 2008

Saving a few bucks...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, I have taken up an interest in saving money on groceries. Not so much to "save money" but because it is a challenge that intrigues me. There is nothing better than going to the store and watching your total go from $80 to $1.20 (or something just as ridiculous!)

I have been doing the stockpiling thing lately gearing up to have a garage sale in September sometime. I have gotten a ton of deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, maxi pads, toothpaste, shave gel, aluminum foil, body wash, bar soap, etc... for FREE or close to FREE! :) But I haven't yet really been good at transfering that to good grocery savings. So far the only great deals I got on food were cereal for .50 box at Walmart (bought 56 boxes! ha!) and free pasta and pretzels from Meijer.

So my new goal is to cut down our food bill by stocking up during AWESOME sales and using coupons. Also, I am going to cut back on buying things such as fruit snacks and juice boxes and go with a cheaper snack and make kool-aid or lemonade at home.

Here is an article about how to lower your food bills.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/ClickYourWayToLowerFoodBills.aspx?vv=600

Also, Hot Coupon World is a great site that has a forum for EVERY store and how to use the newest coupons to save a bundle!

If anyone is interested on taking this journey of savings with me - just stay tuned to my blog :) My first words of advice are KEEP ALL YOUR COUPONS FROM THE PAPER! Many times coupons that come out at the beginning of the month are GREAT on sales for the end of the month - don't throw them away until they are expired. Even if it is a coupon you think you will never use, it may become a money-maker in a great deal :)

Friday, August 1, 2008

10 tips from great grocery shoppers

Know what you spend the most on. Keep a list of the items you buy regularly and track the prices over a three-month period. Then you can buy when they reach the bottom of the range.

Be flexible with brands. If you want to save hundreds of dollars a year on an item, buy the brand that's on sale (or has a coupon or both.)

Don't assume the bigger package is a better deal. Consider the unit price on the shelf tag and buy what goes on sale. Often, a smaller size costs pennies or is free with a coupon.

Plan some of your meals around what's on sale. Make your shopping list with each week's circular nearby, and stick to your plan.

Buy enough of a good thing to last several months. Since many deals don't come around again for two or three months, buy enough when it's on sale to last that long.

Conversely, don't feel compelled to buy four of something just because it is on a four-for-$5 special. That's just a grocery trick to get you to buy more. If you think you'll use only one or two packages, don't buy any more than that. You'll still get the same price.

You can often use manufacturers' ads from one store at another. Many times grocery chains will accept coupons from another store, or that mention other stores on their face, as long as the manufacturer reimburses them. (They should say "manufacturer's coupon" at the top.)

Don't think that you can buy it cheaper at a warehouse club. Gault goes there only to buy eggs, butter and non-grocery items. Diapers, she said, are often a great buy there. But most other name-brand merchandise can be had even cheaper on sale at a major grocery chain.

Consider investing in a couple of copies of the paper if you've got a big family. You'll want more copies of the Sunday coupon supplements, which is where 82% of all coupons are located.

Know your store's coupon policies and rebate programs. Does your store double coupon? If so, up to how much? Is a nearby rival cheaper? Also, check out the rebate programs your chain has on its Web site. Can you accrue frequent-flier miles, free bottles of wine or money toward your kid's education with your spending?

Source

Another Great Read!

This blog is written by a witty, intelligent lady named Irish. Oh wait - I don't think that is her real name, hmmm, oh yes - it's really Mary.

http://rollercoasterfamilylife.wordpress.com/

She has a great way with words and the CUTEST kids to boot! Definitely bookmark this site to keep up with the musings of her life :)

Summer Fun

DaneHunterColt - as usual  )HunterBig Brave Dane off the diving board!CHEEZE!CHEEZE!HunterDaneHunter spitting on Dane

The boys have really started to get comfortable in the pool. They both go down the slide and jump off the diving board with no fear - trust me, this was not the case just a few weeks ago.

Funny Things My Boys Say

Hunter
When I grow up I don't want to be a fixer guy b/c they have to wash their hands and I don't like to do that.

Grandma, can you find me a car - like a race car - with my favorite number on it - 69. (I promise he didn't learn that from me!)

Dane
When I grow up I am going to do NUTTIN'. (oh great, he's going to live with me until he is 50!)

When I grow up I am going to be a bad guy so Hunter can shoot me. (This was when Hunter wanted to be a cop.)