Been a long time...

since I posted a CVS or Walgreens deal. At the beginning of 2009 I was really in to couponing, etc. We got pretty much stocked up on toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, toothbrushes, etc. so I kind of just let it go. But a couple of weeks ago I started clipping coupons again and this week at CVS it paid off! Here's my deal:

Transaction #1:
2 Pantene shampoos
1 Clairol Perfect 10 hair color
2 Oust Surface & Air spray

Total purchases: $24.97
Less Mfr coupons: $10.99
Less ECBs: $2.00
Less CVS coupon $4 off $20
Total OOP: $9.40 w/tax
ECBs earned: $11.00

Trasaction #2:
2 Diet Sierra Mist 12 packs
2 Diet Cherry Pepsi 12 packs

Total purchase: $11.00
Less ECBs: $11.00
Total OOP: $.74 (TAX ONLY) :o)
ECBs earned: 2.00

Transaction #3:
2 Nivea bath wash
1 Green Bag tag (every 4th time I bring in my own bag, I get a $1 ECB)

Less MFR coupon: $3.00
Less ECB: $2.00
Total OOP: $8.85 w/tax
ECBs earned: $5.00

Transaction #4:
2 boxes Ritz crackers
2 boxes Wheat Thins
1 box of Triscuit

Less MFR coupons: $4.00
Less ECB: $5.00
Total OOP: $1.10 w/tax
ECBs earned: $3.00

So I got $58.94 worth of product for $20.09 OOP and still have $3.00 in ECBs for next time. The soda and the crackers were worth way more than that! Also I just have to say, I've heard ALOT of people online gripe about their CVS managers but mine is a sweetheart. He was standing there when I was doing the first 2 trans. and he thought it was great! And, I was only gonna do the first 2 yesterday but then when I went out and saw the snow starting to come down I went back in and did the other 2...he didn't bat an eye. He thinks its fantastic!

Hope you all have a fabulous and blessed day!

What do you get....

when you mix piles of clean snow and the coldest day of the year? Why snow ice cream of course!! Emily and I put our culinary skills to work this evening making this delectable dessert.

The software includes:

A large bowl of CLEAN snow
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk (preferably whole)

1/2-1 t. vanilla

Combine sugar, vanilla and milk:

Mix in enough fluffy WHITE snow until it is the consistancy of ice cream:

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Mommy to Emily): "So does yellow snow make lemon ice cream?"
(Emily to Mommy): "THAT'S DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Hope you all have had a blessed day!

Happy New Year!!!

Just wishing everyone a Happy and Blessed 2010. Wow, that sounds weird...2010. Do you say "twenty-ten" or two thousand ten? I think twenty-ten sounds very space odessyish.

We spent New Year's Eve at the Harr's house down in Flora. It is always great seeing them. We also stopped by to see Emily's first babysitters, Kari and Evan. Kari only has about 18 days until she will be having a little one of her own-can't wait to meet him or her.

Emily was able to make it until midnight and then was able to sleep until 9:30 the next morning thanks to us sleeping in the basement with NO windows. It was awesome!

After we got home, we ate a light supper and had a relaxing end to the first day of the year. Hope you all enjoyed your day as well.

Until next time...

Christmas Eve 2009

Merry Christmas Eve to all of our family and friends. I can't believe that tomorrow is Christmas day, where has the year gone?

Emily and I finished wrapping Delmar's gifts this morning but this afternoon has been a lazy, rainy one. The boys have been gone since about 12:30 and Delmar got home from work about 1:30. He and Emily are sitting on the couch watching Eloise at Christmas.

Tonight we will go to Delmar's mom & dad's for games and sandwiches, tomorrow morning we are at home and then off to lunch at Sandage's again, tomorrow night we will go to dad's and then to Aunt Nancy's afterward. We had Christmas with mom last Sunday.

Delmar, Emily and I hope you have VERY Merry Christmas. Please take a minute out of your busy schedules to thank God for sending his son to us.

Have a blessed day,

It's time for school again!!!

I think Emily was a "little" excited about her first day of Second grade. She was up at 6:20 am ready to go! Here are our annual first day of school pics. The second one is of her and her new bus driver. For the last 3 years, her driver has been Twilla and we loved her. I don't know about Emily but I was sad to not see her this morning. But, alas, change happens and now we introduce Mable. I hear that she is also wonderful and loves the kids and honestly, that's all that really matters. YEAH!!Have a blessed day,

July in a nutshell

WARNING, THIS POST IS INCREDIBLY LONG AND FULL OF PICTURES-Proceed at your own risk... :O)

This summer has flown by and I can't believe that school starts this Friday (albeit, only a 3 hour day??) Anyway, since the posting has been sporadic at best, I thought a jumbo post covering July would catch us up a bit. Here goes............

The first week of July ushered in a new experience for Emily. Our local YMCA hosts a day camp called Camp Osage and Emily LOVED it! We went on vacation so early this year that I was worried Emily would have a long BORING summer at home. But never fear, Y Camp is here!!! She has learned how to fish, play lots of new games, learned several new songs, seen many friends from school and met lots of new friends. Here she is on her first day and a picture with Delaney, her friend from down the street.

Here is a song that she learned entitled, "God Bless My Underwear". Just in case you can't understand here are the words (to the tune of God Bless America):

God bless my underwear

My only pair

Thru the washer

Thru the dryer

On the clothesline

In the air

Oh, God bless my underwear

My only pair......

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Repeat until it drives your parents CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, this time was hysterical. She was just belting it out in the shower one night after camp. Cracked me up!!!

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July also brought the first fruits from my garden, go figure, it was zucchini.And who doesn't need a little more mulch on their garden in the heat of summer? Certainly not I. And our neighbor, Emily's best friend Don, was willing to share his grass clippings with us and Emily helped him out with the rake.Still keeping with the garden theme,I am proud to say that I learned how to can. My dad's friend Mel gave me a rather large bag of green beans that I used as my "guinea pig". Back in June, I had told my step-dad Bob that I wanted him to teach me how to can as my birthday gift. So he came over one day while Emily was at camp (mom came with him to keep an eye on my little ones that I babysit) and I had my first (and only) lesson. Here are some pictures from the experience.

Beans before:
Necessary tools:
Me and my teacher. Final results, MMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These jars sat on my counter all afternoon and evening and every time I walked by I just smiled and felt so proud that I had provided food for my family. And it was all free! The jars came from Freecycle. I was also blessed with a pressure canner as well as some other items needed. And I was presented with the Ball Blue Book for Canning and Preserving by my teacher. THERE'S NO STOPPIN' ME NOW!!!

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THE CHICKEN BORDER COMES DOWN!!!

From the day that we moved into our home, I've not particularly cared for the border in my laundry room. After all, what to chickens/roosters have to do with laundry??? Anyway, one day I got a wild hair and started pulling it down.

Before:
During:

After:

The aprons are mine and Emily's cooking aprons. Delmar's mom gave me the black and white checked one and I love it! I would like to get some other vintage ones. The pink one has a ladybug on it and Emily loves to wear it when we cook. As you can also see, I still haven't decided what color I'm going to paint the doors.

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Relay for Life

Most of you know that I've been participating in Relay for Life since my sister Lori was diagnosed with Kidney cancer in 2002. My first one was in 2003 and I've been doing it every year since, making this my seventh year WOW! Our team is now sponsored by our church and we had a great night this year. The weather was beautiful but cold. But, I'd much rather it be cold than hot.

This year our camp had a hippy/Woodstock/Age of Aquarius feel to it. Here is a picture of our mascots. (Thanks David, Delmar & Gene for keeping us laughing well into the night!)

What is a night being up until dawn without a little food?Kids lap (Emily is in the orange shirt right in the middle of the pic):Me and my man. Stay away ladies...he's all mine!! :o)One of the chiropractors in town was selling massages (all proceeds went to the Relay). Pat tried it out first and convinced MANY on our team that it was awesome and it was!What???? Mike is asleep and SNORING??? No way!

Each year they make a banner of hand prints of survivors. This banner is from 2003, Lori's hand print is the pink one and it overlaps our dad's (the upside down one). I take a picture of it every year.

What a great end to Relay week, the stargazer lillies that I planted in my garden in memory of Lori bloomed! I honestly didn't think they were going to this year but one day, there they were! These were Lori's favorite flower and were in all the bouquets that Mike would send her.

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Our final adventure in July was tent camping at Weldon Springs. We were invited by our neighbor Jenny to join her and some of her family and friends. What a weekend! Friday night was great but Saturday it rained almost all day. We didn't care, we stood around under umbrellas around the fire and at one point gave up on the umbrellas and sat at a picnic table in the rain playing Scrabble. Fortunately, the Scrabble game was mostly wood and plastic!!!

Here is princess Jenny in her castle. Not too bad considering she started Friday with a ridiculously small tent with a queen sized mattress in it. She was movin' on up!!!

Lilly trying to learn to ride a 2 wheeler:

Rise and shine Emily and Kyla:

Here I am helping Sal make breakfast. This covered screen room would have been a great idea BEFORE it rained. Here are a group of campers putting it up and you can't tell but it is pouring!! HA!UHHH...Delmar....Emily....everyone else is up!!

I pray that you all had a blessed summer. While it has gone incredibly fast, Emily and I are both excited that school is starting in a few days. She has already met her teacher and we've heard that she is great!