I have today off! Yeah! Hubby and I went and had pizza for lunch and then went to the grocery store. Note to self: never grocery shop on New Year's Eve. It was a madhouse. But we needed to get some blackeyed peas for tomorrow. And we needed a few other things.
We may go out for Mexican food tonight. We usually do that on New Year's Eve, so I guess it is a tradition. As well as ringing out the old year, we are celebrating an anniversary. Hubby and I met 15 years ago a little after midnight on New Years. It was one of the luckiest nights of my life!
Everyone have a wonderful New Year and be safe!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
I need a new name!
I recently realized that I need to change my blog name. It was originally "Looking forward to a more frugal 2009." Then last year I changed it to the current.
Well, in 2 days it will no longer be 2010. I don't kow if I want to keep looking forward or if I need to call it something else.
I am giving myself a headache. LOL!
Well, in 2 days it will no longer be 2010. I don't kow if I want to keep looking forward or if I need to call it something else.
I am giving myself a headache. LOL!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Back at work and I am swamped!!
I am back at work today and despite the fact that our office is pretty empty this week, I am SWAMPED! But I decided to take a short break to let you now about our Christmas.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were so unbelievable stress-free and quiet. Hubby and I truly loved it. On Christmas Eve, we just finished some last minute stuff, I baked 4 loaves of Cranberry Almond Bread and went to eat Mexican food for dinner. Yummy! Christmas morning, we leisurely opened our gifts from/to each other. I am not going to list what I got, because I was incredibly spoiled and feel a little guilty. We were not supposed to go crazy buying for each other since our television died and we had to buy a new one a couple of weeks ago. THAT was supposed to be our Christmas gift.
But Hubby can't help himself. LOL! Fortunately, he did not buy extravagant gifts, just a lot of them. But I loved everything. He also loved all that he received. That afternoon, I cooked a turkey for the get together on Sunday and then baked 4 more loaves of Cranberry Almond Bread, just because I was in the mood.
Christmas morning, we went and picked up Jacob, our almost 4 year old grandson, and got to MIL's around 11:30. Samantha and her boyfriend, John, got there a little later. Then Mere and her brood showed up around noon. We ate first, since everyone was hungry. Of course, Theo wanted to open presents, but we made him wait until everyone ate. We had a ridiculous amount of delicious food!
The boys had a ball opening gifts and we had a ball watching them. MIL gave everyone (adults) $100. Hubby and I had told her over the last couple of months that we did not want her to give us money. Especially when she has some unexpected expenses. We had both told her that if she gave it to us, we would just hide it somewhere in her house for her to find. LOL! She DID give it to us and we DID hide it. She found it yesterday. She called and I again explained to her how much we appreciated it, but we wanted to help her out with Christmas. She thanked me and will keep it. Hubby and I are really glad.
We had a wonderful, wonderful stress free celebration and even MIL admitted that it was really nice splitting it up the way we did, as her house is getting too small for the entire family to be together at the same time. Well, the family is getting bigger. Her house is not shrinking.
Here is a pic of me and my babies:
From left to right, Jacob (will be 4 in February) Theo (4) and Wyatt (20 months) (I told Hubby not to try to get a perfect pic....just to get one. LOL!)
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were so unbelievable stress-free and quiet. Hubby and I truly loved it. On Christmas Eve, we just finished some last minute stuff, I baked 4 loaves of Cranberry Almond Bread and went to eat Mexican food for dinner. Yummy! Christmas morning, we leisurely opened our gifts from/to each other. I am not going to list what I got, because I was incredibly spoiled and feel a little guilty. We were not supposed to go crazy buying for each other since our television died and we had to buy a new one a couple of weeks ago. THAT was supposed to be our Christmas gift.
But Hubby can't help himself. LOL! Fortunately, he did not buy extravagant gifts, just a lot of them. But I loved everything. He also loved all that he received. That afternoon, I cooked a turkey for the get together on Sunday and then baked 4 more loaves of Cranberry Almond Bread, just because I was in the mood.
Christmas morning, we went and picked up Jacob, our almost 4 year old grandson, and got to MIL's around 11:30. Samantha and her boyfriend, John, got there a little later. Then Mere and her brood showed up around noon. We ate first, since everyone was hungry. Of course, Theo wanted to open presents, but we made him wait until everyone ate. We had a ridiculous amount of delicious food!
The boys had a ball opening gifts and we had a ball watching them. MIL gave everyone (adults) $100. Hubby and I had told her over the last couple of months that we did not want her to give us money. Especially when she has some unexpected expenses. We had both told her that if she gave it to us, we would just hide it somewhere in her house for her to find. LOL! She DID give it to us and we DID hide it. She found it yesterday. She called and I again explained to her how much we appreciated it, but we wanted to help her out with Christmas. She thanked me and will keep it. Hubby and I are really glad.
We had a wonderful, wonderful stress free celebration and even MIL admitted that it was really nice splitting it up the way we did, as her house is getting too small for the entire family to be together at the same time. Well, the family is getting bigger. Her house is not shrinking.
Here is a pic of me and my babies:
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas to all my bloggy friends!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day, filled with family, friends and much joy!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
What the heck!
Hubby's cold started a couple of days after out Thanksgiving get together. Mine started the next weekend. We seemed to get a little better, then feel crappy again. Hubby said, "Wouldn't it be funny if we just kept giving back and forth to each other. "
Ummmm....no. That would not be funny.
I thought I was almost better then this weekend I started feeling bad again. I gave in to my sinus infection and finally went to the doctor. I now have drugs.
This morning, I woke up with less of a sinus headache, but my left eye has been red and watery all day.
What the heck is going on?!
We will be having our Christmas celebration on Sunday at my MIL's house. Samantha and her bf, Meredith, Billy, Theo and Wyatt will be coming and Hubby and I will go pick up Jacob to spend the day with us. So we will have 2 of our kiddos and all our grandbabies with us. Yeah!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!
Ummmm....no. That would not be funny.
I thought I was almost better then this weekend I started feeling bad again. I gave in to my sinus infection and finally went to the doctor. I now have drugs.
This morning, I woke up with less of a sinus headache, but my left eye has been red and watery all day.
What the heck is going on?!
We will be having our Christmas celebration on Sunday at my MIL's house. Samantha and her bf, Meredith, Billy, Theo and Wyatt will be coming and Hubby and I will go pick up Jacob to spend the day with us. So we will have 2 of our kiddos and all our grandbabies with us. Yeah!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sluggy is giving away cookies!!
Sluggy is baking AND having a giveaway! Go here to enter to win cookie mix, Gladware and a Safeway gift card.
Tell her I sent you and we will both get 3 extra entries!
Tell her I sent you and we will both get 3 extra entries!
Winner of the Chex Party Mix!
The winner of the Chex Party Mix Giveaway is JC!! Congrats JC! JC said...
Already a follower.
I will send you an email when I get home to get your mailing information. (I cannot access my personal email at work.)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Our Christmas Scandal
So after the big fiasco over not attending the family Thanksgiving get together it got worse. Hubby and I are causing quite the scandal this year.
Let me go back a little. We had a very quiet Thanksgiving, just me and Hubby, hanging out at home and relaxing. Hubby talked to Samantha on Friday and found out that her boyfriend had to work on Saturday, so our Thanksgiving dinner was moved to Sunday. No problem for me as I was off on Monday as well. So, Friday was another relaxing day.
On Saturday, I started making things that could be make ahead and prepping ingredients for easy mixing on Sunday. Meredith called Saturday evening and she and the boys were on their way back from New Orleans. She said, “I heard that you are having your dinner tomorrow…..can we come?” LOL! I said “Of course.” I told her she didn’t even need to ask, but she said she wanted to make sure we had enough food. I laughed and asked her if we had ever had a shortage of food at our house. She laughed too.
So, Sunday morning, I cooked and cooked. Hubby helped and also helped with some furniture arranging, as it has been a while since we had a bunch of people over. And, oh yeah, we live in an apartment.
Dinner was wonderful, the company was wonderful and we all had a good time. I took some pics, but they are all at home and I am not.
The only bad part was that after eating and while we were all visiting, we learned that Hubby’s sister had apparently gone even crazier than we thought and she was sending messages to everyone on the family through Facebook. It was like she was trying to get our kids to side against us. Meredith said, “I didn’t even know what I was supposed to say, so I just deleted it.” SIL even sent a message about me to the kids’ mom! How lame is that?! Mere and Sam said that their mom asked what was going on between me and SIL. She also did not respond to SIL.
I try to put all this aside and go on, but Hubby was furious about the messages to Meredith. So, last week, he told me that he was NOT going the Christmas get together at his mom’s. What??? We have gone for the last 13 years. The first time I went was when we were dating and, of course, Hubby has gone every year. So, I told him he needed to go for his mom and just stay away from his sister.
He then told me more about the argument they had on the phone over Thanksgiving, about things that his sister had done and said in the past and said that she has gone too far and he doesn’t want to be around her. He was so upset that I told him that I finally understood and that he needed to explain the same thing to MIL when he told her we weren’t coming. He told me I could go, but if I wanted to celebrate Christmas without my husband, I would go to Tennessee and see MY family.
After thinking about it, I realized that I don’t really care if we go there. I love my MIL. I love my kids. I love my grandkids. But I can do without my SILs and I guess Hubby can too.
So, we are being scandalous this year and not attending the family celebration. I think it will be a good Christmas. MIL told Hubby she understands, but SIL has been sending "can't we all get along for Mom's sake" emails. Hubby is ignoring them. I think I will too. Much less stress if I don't get into it with her.
Let me go back a little. We had a very quiet Thanksgiving, just me and Hubby, hanging out at home and relaxing. Hubby talked to Samantha on Friday and found out that her boyfriend had to work on Saturday, so our Thanksgiving dinner was moved to Sunday. No problem for me as I was off on Monday as well. So, Friday was another relaxing day.
On Saturday, I started making things that could be make ahead and prepping ingredients for easy mixing on Sunday. Meredith called Saturday evening and she and the boys were on their way back from New Orleans. She said, “I heard that you are having your dinner tomorrow…..can we come?” LOL! I said “Of course.” I told her she didn’t even need to ask, but she said she wanted to make sure we had enough food. I laughed and asked her if we had ever had a shortage of food at our house. She laughed too.
So, Sunday morning, I cooked and cooked. Hubby helped and also helped with some furniture arranging, as it has been a while since we had a bunch of people over. And, oh yeah, we live in an apartment.
Dinner was wonderful, the company was wonderful and we all had a good time. I took some pics, but they are all at home and I am not.
The only bad part was that after eating and while we were all visiting, we learned that Hubby’s sister had apparently gone even crazier than we thought and she was sending messages to everyone on the family through Facebook. It was like she was trying to get our kids to side against us. Meredith said, “I didn’t even know what I was supposed to say, so I just deleted it.” SIL even sent a message about me to the kids’ mom! How lame is that?! Mere and Sam said that their mom asked what was going on between me and SIL. She also did not respond to SIL.
I try to put all this aside and go on, but Hubby was furious about the messages to Meredith. So, last week, he told me that he was NOT going the Christmas get together at his mom’s. What??? We have gone for the last 13 years. The first time I went was when we were dating and, of course, Hubby has gone every year. So, I told him he needed to go for his mom and just stay away from his sister.
He then told me more about the argument they had on the phone over Thanksgiving, about things that his sister had done and said in the past and said that she has gone too far and he doesn’t want to be around her. He was so upset that I told him that I finally understood and that he needed to explain the same thing to MIL when he told her we weren’t coming. He told me I could go, but if I wanted to celebrate Christmas without my husband, I would go to Tennessee and see MY family.
After thinking about it, I realized that I don’t really care if we go there. I love my MIL. I love my kids. I love my grandkids. But I can do without my SILs and I guess Hubby can too.
So, we are being scandalous this year and not attending the family celebration. I think it will be a good Christmas. MIL told Hubby she understands, but SIL has been sending "can't we all get along for Mom's sake" emails. Hubby is ignoring them. I think I will too. Much less stress if I don't get into it with her.
Don't forget to enter my Chex Mix giveaway!
Today is the last day to enter here. There aren't a ton of entries, so you have a great chance of winning!!
Good luck all!
Good luck all!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Chex Party Mix Giveaway!
Looking for an easy gift idea for friends, family or co-workers? Try wrapping your favorite Chex Party Mix in a colorful tin or bag and personalize it with your own recipe card.
To make things even sweeter, Kroger Family of Stores will have Chex cereal on sale so you can impress your guests without stressing your wallet. For 3 weeks, from December 2nd – December 25th, Kroger will offer Chex cereal at their lowest prices of the year!
Chex and Kroger provided me with a great Kroger “Chex Holiday Recipes” gift pack that included two samples of Chex cereal and a $25 gift card valid at the Kroger Family of Stores. These were not some puny single serve samples, either! I received 2 full sized boxes of Chex cereals.
I am so excited that Chex and Kroger have also offered to send one of my readers their own Kroger “Chex Holiday Recipes” gift pack!
I need to get more into the holiday spirit after being sick for the last several days, so to enter, just leave a comment sharing your favorite Christmas memory. (Don't forget to include your email address, so I can notify you when you win!)
To give my followers an extra chance, if you ALREADY FOLLOW MY BLOG, leave a comment to that effect, for a second entry. DO NOT start following just to enter, as I won't count that comment. (There has to be an occasional perk for putting up with me!)
Good luck all!
EDITTED TO ADD: If you don't have a Kroger near you, the gc would make a great gift, or you could even turn around and give it away on your blog!
ETA, again: I just realized that I forgot to include and end date. Entries will be taken through Wednesday, December 15.
Friday, December 3, 2010
It was not even on sale!
This morning I woke up with a scratchy throat. Normally, I would just contribute it to sinus problems, which I have year round. BUT, this week, Hubby has had a really bad cold. Tuesday and Wednesday, he spent most of the days in bed. He felt really, really miserable. Today, he said he was starting to feel better, but he is still at home in bed.
His cold started with a scratchy throat Monday morning.
At work, the guys on either side of me have colds.
I am surrounded. Ugh!
This morning, when I felt the scratchy feeling, I knew that I needed to make it through work today, then I have 3 days off, so maybe I would be over the worst by the time I go back to work. So, before I left for work I dug through the medicine cabinet and found some Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs. Yes, I know they have been pulled off the market, but I still have some. My last precious box. But it has always worked for me with no adverse effects, so I broke one open and applied. I make them last as long as I can, since I will never be able to buy anymore once I am out. I also dosed up on Vitamin C, since it can't hurt. Right?
Then I went by Walgreens on the way to the park and ride and bought some cold/flu medicine. It....was....not....on....sale. So, you all know I was starting to feel bad to even consider buying something NOT ON SALE, but this stuff really works for me when I have colds, so I got it. I did, however, have a couple of $3 RRs to use, so got 2 boxes for $3.98. Not expensive. But you know, it is really hard for me to buy anything not on sale. I mean, really hard.
Apparently, my drug strategy is working. The 2 guys on either side of me are coughing and hacking and I feel like I am in a typhus ward or something. I have been sucking on cough drops, so barely a cough. My drugs are working so I don't feel too bad. And I am able to get my work done. So that is good.
Hope everyone is having a great Friday and looking forward to a lovely weekend. I am hoping for one.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Cooking Thanksgiving dinner.
We are having our Thanksgiving dinner today and I have been cooking since last evening. We will have 2 kids, 2 grandkids and my MIL with us today. We will miss our son, Chance, and other grandson, Jacob. We will be giving thanks for all the wonderful family and friends we are so blessed to have.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
I will not be cooking Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, as we will be having the full blown dinner on Saturday. Hubby told me that there was no need for me to cook huge meals on both days. I am sure we will find something to eat tomorrow. LOL!
Samantha, her bf John and MIL will be coming to dinner on Saturday. It should be a nice, quiet, comfortable Thanksgiving celebration. I will be serving the standard holiday yummies:
Turkey
Dressing
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Sweet potato casserole
Green bean casserole
Devilled eggs
Rolls
Pumpkin pie
Peach cobbler
MIL will be bringing a corn casserole. I don't know if Sam and John will bring anything. I told them they did not need to. They are still poor college students, so I have sympathy for them. Samantha graduates next month, so next year, she will have to cook something. LOL!
I am so happy we will not be going to the big family shebang where there will surely be some type of drama. It will be nice to have a quiet holiday.
I will be counting my many blessings all weekend long...my wonderful family, wonderful friends, financial stability and goo health. To all my bloggy friends, have a safe and happy holiday!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Why I bought a Nook instead of a Kindle.
Kindle 3 VS Nook
A couple of people asked why I chose my Nook from Barnes and Noble over the Kindle from Amazon. I am a long time Amazon customer and love Amazon, so really thought I would end up with a Kindle. But as with all new toys I want to buy, I did some extensive research. One of the best comparisons I found was here. It is very detailed and was of great help in my decision. Since some people might be buying ebook readers for Christmas, I thought I would share.
I will share the main points that won me over on the Nook:
- The Nook has a user replaceable battery. The battery may last for years, but when it dies I can replace it. If/when the Kindle battery dies, you have to send it back to Amazon to be changed.
- The Nook accepts a microSD card if you want to expand the memory. You can also put music on your memory card to listen to on the Nook.
- LIBRARY EBOOKS. This is the big one. Many library have ebooks you can check out...thye are in the ePub format. Kindle doesn't read ePub. (You have to download these to your computer, then move to your Nook using the USB cable...known as sideloading....but they are FREE to read ebooks.)
Both come with WiFi and 3G. I did not see any reason to pay an extra $50 for 3G, so I bought the Nook with WiFi only. It is not a web browser, it is an ebook reader. I load my books via WiFi at home. I don't foresee that I will have a book emergency and need 3G to download a book "right now." Although, if I did, I could just find a WiFi hotspot and download to my hearts content.
There is a Nook color now, but I was not interested as it does not have the eInk feature of the Nook. If I want to look at a glossy, backlit color screen, I will use my netbook.
Hope this helped anyone looking to purchase an e-reader.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Sluggy is the winner of the Taco Night Giveaway!
I will email you from my home address this evening to get your address and phone number, in case you aren't in today. (I don't want to email you from work, then not get your response until Monday.) Or you can send it to me before that. My home emaill addy is fperkins2000 @ yahoo.com.
Congrats again!!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Swagbucks for using coupons!
WooHoo! I just found out that Swagbucks has the feature now where you can print and redeem coupons from Coupons.com and get 10 Swagbucks for each one printed and redeemed! Log into your Swagbucks account, and under Ways to Earn, there is a new button for "Coupons." It will then pull up the coupons.com site. Check it out!
How cool is that, earning Swagbucks for something we are already doing!
Check out the Swagbucks blog here, for more info.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
I'm supposed to be thankful for this?
This should be how my family looks on Thanksgiving Day:
Alas, that will not happen. I will try not to write a book......
Since I married Hubby, we have always gone to his parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes it would be on Thanksgiving and sometimes it would be on the Friday after. Hubby's mom and sisters always decided what day and we were told to be there. And we were.
A couple of years, the parents in law went camping and we would drive to the state park to have Thanksgiving with them. One year, SIL decided she wanted to have it at her house....an hour away from us. Okay.....we went. Then one year, the same SIL decided that it would be at her daughter's house....over an hour away. Okay....we went.
This year, that SIL decided she wanted to have it at her son's house. (Yes, these are our neice and nephew. I am just trying to make it less confusing.) MIL said that would be great, as she wants to see his house. He just bought it about 6 months ago. Said nephew is a single guy who we don't think cooks a lot, so that means everyone has to bring all the food. Now, we all always bring dishes and don't make anyone do all the work. BUT you would expect that the host would do some of it. Like say the turkey. But we found out MIL will be making and bringing the turkey. Transporting a turkey is a lot different than a few casserole dishes.
Anyway, trying to get back to the point...Hubby does not want to go all the way to nephew's house. I don't really care to. Samantha doesn't want to and she is our only kid that will be in town that week. She asked if we could just have dinner at our place. We all thought that was a fine idea.
So, when SIL sent me a message telling me to bring devilled eggs and 2 pies, last week, I replied that we would not be coming. You would think that it is not acceptable to decide not to attend and she made some very snippy remarks. Then Samantha and her bf found out that bf's family wanted to have dinner on Thursday since it is bf's birthday, so she asked if we could eat at our place on Saturday. I said it was fine.
Well, SIL found out Samantha is not coming here on Thursday and she jumped all over me about how Hubby could just not be bothered. When I asked why she assumed that about Hubby instead of thinking that maybe our plans were changed, she got ugly asking if I even knew my own husband.
She was nasty. I tried not to be. We were messaging through Facebook, and I was responding to her very cordially since I learned long ago not to write anything down that you didn't want a judge to see. LOL!
I told Hubby what was going on and he got really irritated, since both of his sisters think it is perfectly acceptable to be rude and mean to everyone and we are all supposed to put up with it. Generally, our side of the family tries to ignore their behavior to keep the peace and not upset MIL. So, Hubby called SIL on Monday and apparently had a huge fight and told each other that they didn't want anything to do with the other anymore.
Hubby is okay with it. He is just fed up with their crap. But SIL is now making comments on FB about how our side of the family won't be at the family dinner and that Thanksgiving is all about family drama. Since Hubby and I don't tend to air our dirty laundry to everyone like she does, of course everyone will only have her side of the story. That part kinds sucks.
Oh, yeah and then there will be Christmas with the family. (Rolling eyes)
We will still have a nice Thanksgiving and we will be thankful for all the blessings that we have. But it will be hard to be thankful for all of our family.
Since I married Hubby, we have always gone to his parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes it would be on Thanksgiving and sometimes it would be on the Friday after. Hubby's mom and sisters always decided what day and we were told to be there. And we were.
A couple of years, the parents in law went camping and we would drive to the state park to have Thanksgiving with them. One year, SIL decided she wanted to have it at her house....an hour away from us. Okay.....we went. Then one year, the same SIL decided that it would be at her daughter's house....over an hour away. Okay....we went.
This year, that SIL decided she wanted to have it at her son's house. (Yes, these are our neice and nephew. I am just trying to make it less confusing.) MIL said that would be great, as she wants to see his house. He just bought it about 6 months ago. Said nephew is a single guy who we don't think cooks a lot, so that means everyone has to bring all the food. Now, we all always bring dishes and don't make anyone do all the work. BUT you would expect that the host would do some of it. Like say the turkey. But we found out MIL will be making and bringing the turkey. Transporting a turkey is a lot different than a few casserole dishes.
Anyway, trying to get back to the point...Hubby does not want to go all the way to nephew's house. I don't really care to. Samantha doesn't want to and she is our only kid that will be in town that week. She asked if we could just have dinner at our place. We all thought that was a fine idea.
So, when SIL sent me a message telling me to bring devilled eggs and 2 pies, last week, I replied that we would not be coming. You would think that it is not acceptable to decide not to attend and she made some very snippy remarks. Then Samantha and her bf found out that bf's family wanted to have dinner on Thursday since it is bf's birthday, so she asked if we could eat at our place on Saturday. I said it was fine.
Well, SIL found out Samantha is not coming here on Thursday and she jumped all over me about how Hubby could just not be bothered. When I asked why she assumed that about Hubby instead of thinking that maybe our plans were changed, she got ugly asking if I even knew my own husband.
She was nasty. I tried not to be. We were messaging through Facebook, and I was responding to her very cordially since I learned long ago not to write anything down that you didn't want a judge to see. LOL!
I told Hubby what was going on and he got really irritated, since both of his sisters think it is perfectly acceptable to be rude and mean to everyone and we are all supposed to put up with it. Generally, our side of the family tries to ignore their behavior to keep the peace and not upset MIL. So, Hubby called SIL on Monday and apparently had a huge fight and told each other that they didn't want anything to do with the other anymore.
Hubby is okay with it. He is just fed up with their crap. But SIL is now making comments on FB about how our side of the family won't be at the family dinner and that Thanksgiving is all about family drama. Since Hubby and I don't tend to air our dirty laundry to everyone like she does, of course everyone will only have her side of the story. That part kinds sucks.
Oh, yeah and then there will be Christmas with the family. (Rolling eyes)
We will still have a nice Thanksgiving and we will be thankful for all the blessings that we have. But it will be hard to be thankful for all of our family.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
I actually sewed this weekend.
As, I have posted before, our son Chance is currently serving in Afghanistan. One night on Facebook, he commented that it was really chilly and he could use a blanket and hot chocolate. I sent a message asking if the Army didn't provide blankets. LOL! He responded that they did, but he was still cold, so I offered to make him a blanket. I had told him that I would for Christmas, but decided I would do it early. He thought that was a wonderful idea.
So, last weekend, I went to Hancock Fabrics, my closest fabric store, and spent 30 minutes looking at all the fleece. I just couldn't find exactly what I wanted. But I looked at every bolt, some of them multiple times and finally settled on this one...
I didn't want to get camo, since I figured Chance was sick of camo, but I really like this one with the peace signs on it. It is not really a camo pattern, just has some camo colors. There is also some blue in it. I really like it. I bought 2 1/2 yards, since Chance is 6'4" and was really glad that it was on sale. It is the good stuff! Regular price $12.99/yard!
Sunday, I pulled out my sewing machine and after trimming off the rough selvages, sewed a hem around it, using a zig zag stick for strength. It was a totally easy finish and much quicker than any fringing method. I have made tied fleece blankets, but they take a lot longer and I wanted to get this done and sent.
It was pretty "fluffy" so would fill the priority mail box, but I had the brilliant idea to package it up using my Seal a Meal and it worked! I was able to shrink it down to quarter size, so could fit a bunch of other goodies in the box, including hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.
I love making stuff for my family.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
"Family Taco Night" Giveaway!
My family loves tacos! Of course we do....we live in Texas. We regularly eat tacos as our house as it is a really easy “go-to” meal that is quick to prepare and we all love them. The kids loved taco night when they lived at home and are really excited, even now, when they happen to come over and we are having tacos. Hubby makes some great tacos! Heck, even I make great tacos. Seriously, we have them about once a week.
Old El Paso wants everyone to enjoy taco night, so why not set aside time at least once a month for “Family Taco Night?” Old El Paso offers a variety of seasonings, sides, sauces, and meal kits as simple solutions for a night of catching up with the family over a delicious taco dinner. To satisfy your Mexican style cravings, the Old El Paso® line up of products includes chilies, dinner kits, dips and sides, enchilada sauce, refried beans, seasoning mixes, shells, taco sauce and salsa. The Old El Paso taco seasoning mix selection includes flavors like Burrito, Cheesy Taco, Chili, Fajita, Taco, Mild Taco and even a seasoning with 40% less sodium. For a fun twist on Taco Night, be sure to try one of the delicious recipes below.
Double Layer Tacos
Old El Paso Favorite Recipe! Layered taco shells and tortillas create the "double" in beef- and bean-stuffed tacos.
Chicken Ranch Tacos
Need a new idea for a 30-minute dinner? Here's a twist on tacos using precooked chicken.
To keep your family laughing at the dinner table, have some fun with El Tacodor™, the world’s only Family Taco Night Game. With El Tacodor, your family can share a special night at home by challenging one another to quick fire trivia, wordplay and pantomime. Visit http://www.eltacodor.com/ today to download instructions, a score card, and a challenge sheet for even more fun on Family Taco Night!
Visit Old El Paso for news and great tips, recipes and more. Take a minute to share family fiesta photos and videos from Family Taco Nights on the El Tacodor Family Spotlight!
In addition, you can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/b069/to download a printable coupon for $0.60 off any two Old El Paso products today!
Thanks to Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark, one of my readers will win an Old El Paso “Family Taco Night” prize pack which includes a packet of original Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish, a set of 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes and a $10 gift card to purchase your taco fixings.
How do you win??? Easy!
Please note: My pack and the prize pack I am giving away were both provided by Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark.
Double Layer Tacos
Old El Paso Favorite Recipe! Layered taco shells and tortillas create the "double" in beef- and bean-stuffed tacos.
Chicken Ranch Tacos
Need a new idea for a 30-minute dinner? Here's a twist on tacos using precooked chicken.
To keep your family laughing at the dinner table, have some fun with El Tacodor™, the world’s only Family Taco Night Game. With El Tacodor, your family can share a special night at home by challenging one another to quick fire trivia, wordplay and pantomime. Visit http://www.eltacodor.com/ today to download instructions, a score card, and a challenge sheet for even more fun on Family Taco Night!
Visit Old El Paso for news and great tips, recipes and more. Take a minute to share family fiesta photos and videos from Family Taco Nights on the El Tacodor Family Spotlight!
In addition, you can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/b069/to download a printable coupon for $0.60 off any two Old El Paso products today!
Thanks to Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark, one of my readers will win an Old El Paso “Family Taco Night” prize pack which includes a packet of original Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish, a set of 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes and a $10 gift card to purchase your taco fixings.
How do you win??? Easy! - Share why you think your family would enjoy Family Taco Night. See, told you it was easy!
- You can get a second entry if you follow my blog. Just leave a separate comment to let me know that you are a follower.
Please note: My pack and the prize pack I am giving away were both provided by Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Happy Birthday to Me!
I took Friday off, since I just didn't feel like working on my birthday like I have most years. I celebrated by sleeping late. Ahhhhhhhh...... Then Hubby and I went to a pizza buffet (Pizza Hut...my fave.) It was not really my birthday choice, but we always go eat pizza when I take a day off, as the pizza place does not have the buffet on weekends.
Then we went by the thrift store, where the only thing I picked up was a book for the grandsons' toy box at our house. Hubby found a few items to sell on ebay. Then we stopped at the petstore on the way home and bought some fish to add to our aquarium. We haven't bought any in a while and since we had lost some fish, the remaining ones were looking lonely. LOL! They are all happy now.
The rest of the day we just hung out at home, relaxing. Hubby did not make me a birthday dinner, as he was too stuffed from lunch to eat dinner, so I told him not to worry about it. He did bring my flowers, though. He is a good hubby.
I already had my gift. I got it early in September. I got a Nook. I don't know if you remember way back when I was trying to decide between a Kindle and a Net book, at which time I ended up getting my netbook that I wrote about here. Now I still love my little netbook! It is cute, it does what I want and it is totally portable. I actually have ended up using it more than I use our desktop pc and it is one kick-ass pc.
BUT the netbook did not work the way I would like as an ebook reader, so I started researching and ended up getting a Nook from Barnes and Noble. Well, I really bought it from Best Buy, since they had a deal on at the time. I just love, love, love my new Nook. I have loaded almost 60 books on it, have read quite a few and have not paid for one! Yes, I have found a ton of free ebooks on the web, readable by my little baby. this is not a review post. If anyone wants to know why I chose the Nook over the Kindle, just let me know. I will be happy to share.
The rest of the weekend was a relaxation celebration. I had threatened Hubby with all sorts of evil if he bought me anything else but flowers for my birthday and was very pleased that he didn't. He cooked a lovely birthday dinner for me on Saturday. Of course we had cake. And it was a totally wonderful weekend!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
I drank coffee this morning.
I NEVER drink coffee. I don't like it. But I need it today.
I think I jinxed myself, yesterday, when my girlfriend and I were working out. She said that she can only sleep about 7 hours a night....blames it on perimenopause. I said that I would not be able to function on only 7 hours of sleep a night. I need a good 8 to feel good.
So, last night, I went to bed and could NOT fall asleep. So I turned the light back on and read until I was bleary-eyed. I finally conked out sometime after midnight.
Then and electrical storm hit around 3:30 and woke me up. I can sleep through rain, heavy rain and even thunder sometimes, but this was LOUD. I was pretty dingy, but thought that the storm was pretty strong and I might lose power, so dug my cell phone out of my purse and set the alarm. Then I went back to bed.
I think I jinxed myself, yesterday, when my girlfriend and I were working out. She said that she can only sleep about 7 hours a night....blames it on perimenopause. I said that I would not be able to function on only 7 hours of sleep a night. I need a good 8 to feel good.
So, last night, I went to bed and could NOT fall asleep. So I turned the light back on and read until I was bleary-eyed. I finally conked out sometime after midnight.
Then and electrical storm hit around 3:30 and woke me up. I can sleep through rain, heavy rain and even thunder sometimes, but this was LOUD. I was pretty dingy, but thought that the storm was pretty strong and I might lose power, so dug my cell phone out of my purse and set the alarm. Then I went back to bed.
Then A CAT decided I needed to be up before 6 and started licking my face! Arrrggghhhhh!! Our cats, Max and Mini, usually sleep in "their room" as Hubby doesn't like cats on the bed when he is sleeping because they bug him. But Hubby has been on a camping trip and I let them sleep where ever they want when he is not home. Mini does not like to sleep in our bed. I don't know where she sleeps, but I know where she doesn't. Max loves to sleep in our bed has been really good all week and not woken me up during the night. He was BAD today.
It is a good thing he is so pretty.
Both alarms went off at 6 and I stumbled out of bed, got ready for work and made it in to the office.
I am really tired. Iced tea isn’t doing it, so I just drank a cup of coffee WITH hot chocolate mixed in. If that is not enough caffeine to wake me up, then there isn’t enough. LOL!
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
Monday, November 1, 2010
I was ruthless!
I have been wanting to buy new clothes for a couple of months now. Why? Because I am bored with what I wear and realized I was wearing the same things over and over again, even though I have a closet full of clothes.
Hubby tells me "Go shopping if you want." We can afford it. As a matter of fact, I have $250 in a prepaid Visa and an American Express Gift Check that I got as incentives from work. I could buy pretty good wardrobe for $250. (Yes, I am a clothing bargain shopper as well.)
One problem is that it is hard for me to get motivated. The biggest reason being that I have to try on a LOT of clothes to find things I like and that fit well. Though, I discovered Fashion Bug about 6 months ago and their clothing sizes seemed to be more consistent. I used to be a JCPenney fan, but every brand there is sized differently. Oh, and it is always really crowded.
Another problem I had was that my part of the closet was PACKED. Well, not jam-packed. I could move the hangers back and forth, but still pretty packed. I kept telling my self that I needed to get rid of some clothes, but just hadn't done it.
Then yesterday, I walked in the closet to get the laundry and saw a sleeve hanging out and thought, "I don't like that anymore." So, I took it off the hanger and tossed it out of the closet. Then I started pulling more out. "Don't like it." "Why did I even buy this." "Too raggedy." and on and on.
When I was done, I had a BIG 2 foot high pile of clothes outside the closet door. I should have taken a pic, but didn't even think about it. So, I climbed over the pile and went and got a trash bag and the laundry basket. Then I started sorting into dark donate, light donate and too crappy to even give away. The too crappy bag ended up full (It was a 13 gallong kitchen bag.) and went to the dumpster today. I washed the dark load and it is all folded into a second bag. And the white load is in the dryer...I left it going when I went to bed...and I will unload and bag them up tonight.
So, my closet is much emptier and I have a ton of empty hangers. I will NOT be buying that many clothes, so we will probably get rid of some hangers as well.
Hubby has been camping and I think he will be shocked when he comes home to see my much depleted clothing supply. LOL!
I think I will go shopping this weekend.
Hubby tells me "Go shopping if you want." We can afford it. As a matter of fact, I have $250 in a prepaid Visa and an American Express Gift Check that I got as incentives from work. I could buy pretty good wardrobe for $250. (Yes, I am a clothing bargain shopper as well.)
One problem is that it is hard for me to get motivated. The biggest reason being that I have to try on a LOT of clothes to find things I like and that fit well. Though, I discovered Fashion Bug about 6 months ago and their clothing sizes seemed to be more consistent. I used to be a JCPenney fan, but every brand there is sized differently. Oh, and it is always really crowded.
Another problem I had was that my part of the closet was PACKED. Well, not jam-packed. I could move the hangers back and forth, but still pretty packed. I kept telling my self that I needed to get rid of some clothes, but just hadn't done it.
Then yesterday, I walked in the closet to get the laundry and saw a sleeve hanging out and thought, "I don't like that anymore." So, I took it off the hanger and tossed it out of the closet. Then I started pulling more out. "Don't like it." "Why did I even buy this." "Too raggedy." and on and on.
When I was done, I had a BIG 2 foot high pile of clothes outside the closet door. I should have taken a pic, but didn't even think about it. So, I climbed over the pile and went and got a trash bag and the laundry basket. Then I started sorting into dark donate, light donate and too crappy to even give away. The too crappy bag ended up full (It was a 13 gallong kitchen bag.) and went to the dumpster today. I washed the dark load and it is all folded into a second bag. And the white load is in the dryer...I left it going when I went to bed...and I will unload and bag them up tonight.
So, my closet is much emptier and I have a ton of empty hangers. I will NOT be buying that many clothes, so we will probably get rid of some hangers as well.
Hubby has been camping and I think he will be shocked when he comes home to see my much depleted clothing supply. LOL!
I think I will go shopping this weekend.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Ways the Library Can Save You Money
I found this article on RedPlum and thought I would share. It was called "10 Ways..." but I only counted 7 in the article. Maybe I missed something. LOL!
Movies and sitcoms. You'd be surprised how many DVDs your library carries. You may have to wait for new releases, but there's plenty to choose from in the meantime. Libraries often carry more foreign films and documentaries - a great way to shake up your viewing habits. Beware: British comedies are quite addictive!
Exercise videos. Aren't exercise videos annoying after the twentieth viewing? With the library's collection, you could watch a different exercise video every week. At least try exercise videos out from the library before committing to buy one.
Language and other educational materials. These can cost a bundle if you have to buy them outright. And when you borrow them, there's motivation to complete the course before it can't be renewed again.
Computer use. Libraries are devoting more space now to computers to provide all their patrons with Internet access. You may not even need to pay for Internet at home if you can get to the library easily enough.
Free classes and talks. Check out the library schedule for classes on language, job hunting skills, health, genealogy, personal finance, and so on.
Few spending temptations. It's hard to spend money at the library. Unlike the local bookstore or video rental store, there's no candy for the kids to beg for, or latte stand calling to you. And an outing to the library is certain to end less badly for your pocketbook than a stroll through the mall.
Books (of course). Why buy books, and then try to find places to store them all, when you can check them out of the library? It used to be hard to find specific books, especially new or popular ones. Now, in many places you can request an interlibrary loan at no cost to you, and have the book you want sent to your library. Never buy a book without checking your library first.
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I will add my own entry: ebooks! If you have an ebook reader, a lot of libraries now have ebooks to loan so you don't have to buy them.
Monday, October 25, 2010
We had a wonderful weekend!
The kids’ mom went to Louisiana on Friday instead of Thursday as she had told everyone. But she picked up Jacob, Chance’s son, and took him to visit. (Okay…she can be nice once in a while.) Meredith and Samantha both said that Bio Mom texted them Thursday night that the deployment day was changed to Tuesday.
Chance called me Friday evening and told me that they just found out that afternoon that they would be leaving Tuesday. I told him about his mom’s texts the night before and he told me that until Friday afternoon, it was 50/50 on whether they would leave Saturday or Tuesday. So either Bio Mom is much closer contact with the Lord than I am, or she just took a chance. Oh well, I will not worry my pretty little head about her.
Although it is funny that she ended up getting a hotel in Alexandria….an hour and a half away from DeRidder…because there were no rooms available. Well, DUH, you have to book early for a deployment weekend. Oh, and apparently there were no rooms in Lake Charles either….45 minutes away.
Bob and I got to DeRidder around 1:30 and I texted Chance our room number. About 2:00 or so, there was a knock at the door and there were Mere, Sam, Chance and John (Sam’s boyfriend.) They walked in and said, “What a great room. Mom is staying in a dump.” I did not LOL. We hung out for a while, then headed to a Mexican restaurant for a late lunch.
We had a blast and got stuffed on delicious Mexican food. It was not cheap, though. As usual, I picked up the tab….$89. Surprisingly, I did not pass out. I have just accepted the fact that when we go out to eat with our kids, we are expected to pay. Maybe they will not always be that way. I quit expecting my parents to pay for my meals when I finished college. But, that is me. Not everyone is a perfect child like me. LOL!
After lunch, we went back to our hotel and just hung out. It was hilarious and fun. Sam and John had come up Friday and stayed with Mindy, I guess. Or they may have gotten their own room. I didn’t ask. Anyway, they were coming back to Houston on Saturday, but after we had been there for a while laughing our butts off, Samantha said, “I don't want to go. I want to stay here tonight.” Then started figuring out where everyone would sleep. LOL! Fortunately, THAT did not come to pass. There were 2 queen beds and 5 people. (Since Chance would go back to base.) Anyway, it was pretty funny.
But Sam and John did head back home Saturday night. Meredith went back to Alexandria to stay at the “dump” by herself, as their mom decided to go back to Houston on Saturday. I think that she had already paid for the room and didn’t leave Mere to pay that night, but I did not ask. We told her she should have just checked out and stayed with us. But it was too far away for her to go get her stuff, check out and come back. So, she went back there.
Yesterday morning, Mere and Chance came to the hotel and joined us for free breakfast. Yummy. And lest anyone think that I am less than ethical regarding said free breakfast, I did ask the manager if I could pay for Chance and Mere's breakfast and they said not to worry about it.Then they came back to our room and hung around a couple of hours until almost checkout time. Chance said he needed to go do laundry and I think he needed a nap. LOL! Mere was ready to head home and so was Bob.
There was never a sad moment. Though we did all tell Chance how much we will miss him and how proud we are of him. We told him he was a hero and he said, “I don’t think like that. I am just doing my job.” That made me even prouder of him. We also discussed care packages and what he would like to receive while he is there. Which was great. When he was in Iraq, he would just tell us to send whatever. It will be nice to send something we know he likes, wants and needs. (Though he says he liked and used everything sent to him last time.)
We got home around 2 yesterday, Bob watered the plants, then left to go camping. It is his early Christmas gift. Apparently there are some “big games” on over the next week and this is his favorite time to go camping. I think I will clean out the closet while he is gone. LOL!
Here is a pic. I look more than chubby and I am getting old. But I don’t care. I was really happy.
Chance called me Friday evening and told me that they just found out that afternoon that they would be leaving Tuesday. I told him about his mom’s texts the night before and he told me that until Friday afternoon, it was 50/50 on whether they would leave Saturday or Tuesday. So either Bio Mom is much closer contact with the Lord than I am, or she just took a chance. Oh well, I will not worry my pretty little head about her.
Although it is funny that she ended up getting a hotel in Alexandria….an hour and a half away from DeRidder…because there were no rooms available. Well, DUH, you have to book early for a deployment weekend. Oh, and apparently there were no rooms in Lake Charles either….45 minutes away.
Bob and I got to DeRidder around 1:30 and I texted Chance our room number. About 2:00 or so, there was a knock at the door and there were Mere, Sam, Chance and John (Sam’s boyfriend.) They walked in and said, “What a great room. Mom is staying in a dump.” I did not LOL. We hung out for a while, then headed to a Mexican restaurant for a late lunch.
We had a blast and got stuffed on delicious Mexican food. It was not cheap, though. As usual, I picked up the tab….$89. Surprisingly, I did not pass out. I have just accepted the fact that when we go out to eat with our kids, we are expected to pay. Maybe they will not always be that way. I quit expecting my parents to pay for my meals when I finished college. But, that is me. Not everyone is a perfect child like me. LOL!
After lunch, we went back to our hotel and just hung out. It was hilarious and fun. Sam and John had come up Friday and stayed with Mindy, I guess. Or they may have gotten their own room. I didn’t ask. Anyway, they were coming back to Houston on Saturday, but after we had been there for a while laughing our butts off, Samantha said, “I don't want to go. I want to stay here tonight.” Then started figuring out where everyone would sleep. LOL! Fortunately, THAT did not come to pass. There were 2 queen beds and 5 people. (Since Chance would go back to base.) Anyway, it was pretty funny.
But Sam and John did head back home Saturday night. Meredith went back to Alexandria to stay at the “dump” by herself, as their mom decided to go back to Houston on Saturday. I think that she had already paid for the room and didn’t leave Mere to pay that night, but I did not ask. We told her she should have just checked out and stayed with us. But it was too far away for her to go get her stuff, check out and come back. So, she went back there.
Yesterday morning, Mere and Chance came to the hotel and joined us for free breakfast. Yummy. And lest anyone think that I am less than ethical regarding said free breakfast, I did ask the manager if I could pay for Chance and Mere's breakfast and they said not to worry about it.Then they came back to our room and hung around a couple of hours until almost checkout time. Chance said he needed to go do laundry and I think he needed a nap. LOL! Mere was ready to head home and so was Bob.
There was never a sad moment. Though we did all tell Chance how much we will miss him and how proud we are of him. We told him he was a hero and he said, “I don’t think like that. I am just doing my job.” That made me even prouder of him. We also discussed care packages and what he would like to receive while he is there. Which was great. When he was in Iraq, he would just tell us to send whatever. It will be nice to send something we know he likes, wants and needs. (Though he says he liked and used everything sent to him last time.)
We got home around 2 yesterday, Bob watered the plants, then left to go camping. It is his early Christmas gift. Apparently there are some “big games” on over the next week and this is his favorite time to go camping. I think I will clean out the closet while he is gone. LOL!
Here is a pic. I look more than chubby and I am getting old. But I don’t care. I was really happy.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Our son is deploying to Afghanistan
This is not a surprise....we have known about it for a while. Our baby boy will be 22 tomorrow. Happy birthday to him!
He was scheduled to deploy tomorrow, on his birthday. The day we found out when he was supposed to go, I called and booked a room at the hotel we stayed at when we went to visit him last month. So we have had our trip planned for about 3 weeks.
Chance is leaving his car with his bio mom while he is deployed. His choice...Hubby and I don't mind at all. Our oldest daughter, Meredith, told us a couple of weeks ago that her mom asked her to go to Fort Polk with her mom to drive Chance’s car back to Houston. Mere said she would. Later, bio mom told Mere that she was taking off this Thursday and Friday to go to Fort Polk and get in a last visit with Chance. Mere told her mom that she could not take off 4 days from work, so her mom suggested that Mere just drive over on Saturday.
DUH!
As usual, bio mom decides what she wants to do and everyone else is supposed to work around her. Meredith told her mom that if she drove her car, they would have 2 people and 3 cars. Bio mom said that maybe our other daughter, Samantha, and her bf, John, would be going to see Chance off, so Mere could ride with them. I guess that was the end of bio mom’s concern about the issue.
I told Mere that she could ride with Hubby and me, if Sam isn’t going, since we are going on Saturday morning. We had not found out what time Chance leaves, but decided that when we did, that would determine what time we leave on Saturday morning.
I have been worrying since then about this. Wednesday, I was driving home, thinking that I needed to call Meredith and find out if she was riding with us. Then I realized that this is not my problem. It is their mom’s problem. She is bringing the car back, so she needs to figure out how to do it. We will still let Mere ride with us, if she wants to and calls us, but I am not going to be calling and emailing people to work out bio mom’s problem.
I was pretty proud of myself that I was able to let this go. :-)
In the meantime, we have been waiting to hear what time tomorrow Chance will be leaving, I have sent message through Facebook and even sent him a text message and I do NOT text. LOL! We have not heard back from him. I got an email from Samantha that she and bf were leaving today at noon, so that meant Mere needed to ride with us.
Then Hubby calls me today. Mere called him. Her mom told her that Chance is not leaving until TUESDAY. Then I got an email from Samantha that her mom had told her the same. Stupid family! Everyone knows that Hubby and I have been waiting to hear when Chance is leaving and no one lets us know.
Hubby said we will still go tomorrow and see Chance for his birthday, stay the night, then come home on Sunday. Samantha is going tomorrow, as well. Bio mom is already there and who knows how long she is staying, but we usually manage to avoid her pretty well. Mere told Bob she does not know if she will go tomorrow or wait and see if she and her mom have to drive back over there to get Chance's car.
Hubby is leaving Monday morning to go on a week long camping trip, so we will be seeing Chance off this weekend. I don’t know who will be there when he actually leaves. Of course, they may change the day again....and again...and again. LOL! I won’t feel bad about not going, as we have spent quite a bit of time with Chance over the last month. And we will see him on his birthday.
Of course, if Chance asks his dad to come back Tuesday, Hubby probably will. That is what happened when he deployed before. We went the weekend before, then Hubby went back on the day.
So, that is what is going on with me. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Being a grandma is fun!
Two of our grandsons, Theo and Wyatt, spent the weekend at MIL's. (She begged Meredith to get their daddy to let MIL have the boys. LOL!) So, Hubby and I went over there Sunday morning, around 9am. Theo came running out the door, saying it must be 9 bacause that is what time we were coming.
He was so excited that we were going to take him to the park. It is really funny, since MIL took them to Hermann Park....a huge place....and to ride the train there. Theo loves that train, but he was just as excited to see us and go to a little park. We went to nice little park near MIL's. Since she still lives in the house Hubby grew up in, we were in his old stomping grounds. It was near the high school, so I am thinking it might have been a nice "make out place" back in the olden days. LOL! Anyway, here are a couple of pics of my "boys".
After we played for a couple of hours, we headed back to MIL's and were happily surprised that Chance had come by. He deploys next Saturday, on his 22nd birthday, to Afghanistan. We knew he would be in town this weekend to see his little boy, but we didn't expect to see him, since we will be going to see him off next weekend. But MIL will not be going as she says it is too sad to see him go. We were surprised and pleased that he stopped by to see MIL, but he laughed and said that he told her last Sunday he would come by. I laughed, too, since she called me every day last week to see if I had heard from him and was he coming over. Despite her insistance that he did NOT tell her, we have a lovely visit. Here we are in the backyard.
So, we had a great visit with some grandkids and a big kid and had a lovely Sunday. Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
He was so excited that we were going to take him to the park. It is really funny, since MIL took them to Hermann Park....a huge place....and to ride the train there. Theo loves that train, but he was just as excited to see us and go to a little park. We went to nice little park near MIL's. Since she still lives in the house Hubby grew up in, we were in his old stomping grounds. It was near the high school, so I am thinking it might have been a nice "make out place" back in the olden days. LOL! Anyway, here are a couple of pics of my "boys".
After we played for a couple of hours, we headed back to MIL's and were happily surprised that Chance had come by. He deploys next Saturday, on his 22nd birthday, to Afghanistan. We knew he would be in town this weekend to see his little boy, but we didn't expect to see him, since we will be going to see him off next weekend. But MIL will not be going as she says it is too sad to see him go. We were surprised and pleased that he stopped by to see MIL, but he laughed and said that he told her last Sunday he would come by. I laughed, too, since she called me every day last week to see if I had heard from him and was he coming over. Despite her insistance that he did NOT tell her, we have a lovely visit. Here we are in the backyard.
So, we had a great visit with some grandkids and a big kid and had a lovely Sunday. Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Sluggy's Boring Box Giveaway ends tonight!
Run over to Slugmama's blog and enter her Boring Box Giveaway. She added more chocolate!!!
Friday, October 8, 2010
We have a winner in the Pillsbury Giveaway!!
Pam, you are the winner of the Pillsbury Biscuit giveaway!!I will send you an email from home this evening to get your address information.
ETA: Pam I need your mailing info. You didn't leave your email addy and I can't find it on your blog.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Trojans don't always lead to pleasure....
Most of last week, this was me...
Every evening....all evening long....Tuesday through Friday. What happened? Trojans. Yes, 2 nasty little trojans took up residence in my computer at home. They weren't causing a lot of trouble, but they were there and I wanted them off. I worked on that thing almost from the time I got home every evening until it was time to get ready for bed. Ugh! Oh, yeah, and on Saturday, too.
I finally got rid of the trojans, but it was difficult and I kept screwing up other things and having to fix them back. And I used to be an IT systems manager. And I built computers!! I have forgotten more than many people know and it just ticked me off last week.
It should not have taken me so long. It is fixed now. Thank goodness. I was almost ready to go visit the Geek Squad and have them fix it. And I have NEVER paid someone to work on my pc. Usually, I am the one getting paid.
Okay. I am back. SonyaAnn, are you happy now?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
MMMMMMMMMM.....Chocolate!!! Giveaway at Sluggy's.
Run over to Slugmama's blog and enter her Boring Box Giveaway. She just put chocolate in it!!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Are You Hungry? Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits Giveaway
Bring the mouthwatering aroma of fresh-baked biscuits to your kitchen when you serve Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits.Each 70-calorie biscuit is a delight when served hot from the oven, with a warm fluffy center and golden, flaky crust. Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits are the perfect size for kids, or for mini sandwiches and appetizers. There are countless recipe options, from miniature ham sandwiches come lunchtime, to delicious sliders for nighttime entertaining. There are so many ways to make these biscuits and your family will love trying each one.
MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury invited me to come up with my own recipe or place a personal spin on an existing recipe using Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits. Without even checking out recipes, I knew what I would make….mini breakfast sandwiches. I take my lunch to work everyday, but sometimes it is hard to put together breakfast to take. I am bad about not planning ahead so, sometimes, I stop and pick up a sausage biscuit or a breakfast taco. That is NOT frugal. So when I was invited to do this Spark, I immediately said yes. I have not made my breakfast sandwiches yet, but will be doing that this weekend. How will I make them? Cook the biscuits, load them up with sausage, egg and cheese. Yummy!! Then I will wrap in foil and freeze. How easy it will be to just grab one, or two, as I head out the door.
If you click HERE you can save $1.00 on the purchase of any Frozen Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits. For delicious recipes, be sure to check out Pillsbury on Facebook today!
Pillsbury and My BlogSpark are giving one of my readers a Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits prize pack which includes a VIP coupon good for a free package of biscuits, a $15 gift card to purchase recipe creation/experimentation needs, a biscuit basket, a butter dish and spreader! Here is what it looks like minus the coupon and gift card. (You have to go to the store to get your biscuits. LOL!) Isn’t it nice?
How do you enter? It’s easy. Just let me know what you like on your biscuits. Do you just like them plain with butter.. jelly… gravy, or have a delicious recipe? Your comment is your entry. Please leave your email address in your comment.For a second entry, blog about this giveaway. Then leave a comment that you did.
This giveaway will end on October 5, 2010PM ET. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, 18 years old or over, and the winner will be chosen by using random.org. The winner will be contacted by email for information to provide to MyBlogSpark for prize fulfillment and will have 48 hours to respond.
I received no financial compensation for this post. The people at Pillsbury and My BlogSpark have provided me with a Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits prize pack and will also supply a Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits prize pack for one of my readers. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Bob got lucky on his birthday!
At the casino! His birthday was on Tuesday and after lunch, we headed to the casino. After a couple of hours he called me. "Guess how much I just won?" And he started giggling....yes, giggling. I knew it had to be pretty good and asked how much. $500!! On one hand of video poker. He won a couple other hands and walked out of the casino with over $800!!
We took $400 to gamble with, so even with my bad luck he doubled our money and paid for our entire trip. Yeah for birthday luck! Here he is with his winnings.
We really had a great time and it is even better that it was all paid for by the casino. Yeah!
We took $400 to gamble with, so even with my bad luck he doubled our money and paid for our entire trip. Yeah for birthday luck! Here he is with his winnings.
We really had a great time and it is even better that it was all paid for by the casino. Yeah!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Having a wonderful time! Wish you were here!
No, really, I do wish you were here....so I could borrow some money. LOL!
It's not really that bad. I am really kidding. Really, I am. We are having a great vacation. We drove to DeRidder, LA yesterday, checked in to our hotel, then met Chance for lunch. He had a great Mexican food restaurant he thought we would like and we DID. It was so delicious! And then ihe offered to buy. I was so impressed at our little boy offering to buy us lunch. But, of course, I didn't let him.
He then took us on a tour of Fort Polk and took us out in the areas where they do pre-deployment training and told us all about it. They have little towns that feel like you were in the Middle East. Well, except there were no people there, since there was no training going on right then. We could not have gone if there had been. It was totally interesting. Here is a picture of Bob and Chance in front of an amazing memorial wall he showed us. He had driven by it many times, but never got out and explored it until he took us. It has so much history on it.
Then we went back to our hotel and hung out for several hours, since Chance has moved out of his apartment and is living in the barracks. We hung out and had a wonderful time, as always. We got to hear a lot of what Chance has been training to do and some of his accomplishments and we are even prouder of him than we were. Later, we went to a steakhouse for dinner where I had the most delicious cheeseburger. Yum! Then back to our room for more hijinks. Chance headed back to base around 8:30 and Bob and I just watched some tv, then read for a while and then to bed.
It's not really that bad. I am really kidding. Really, I am. We are having a great vacation. We drove to DeRidder, LA yesterday, checked in to our hotel, then met Chance for lunch. He had a great Mexican food restaurant he thought we would like and we DID. It was so delicious! And then ihe offered to buy. I was so impressed at our little boy offering to buy us lunch. But, of course, I didn't let him.
He then took us on a tour of Fort Polk and took us out in the areas where they do pre-deployment training and told us all about it. They have little towns that feel like you were in the Middle East. Well, except there were no people there, since there was no training going on right then. We could not have gone if there had been. It was totally interesting. Here is a picture of Bob and Chance in front of an amazing memorial wall he showed us. He had driven by it many times, but never got out and explored it until he took us. It has so much history on it.
Then we went back to our hotel and hung out for several hours, since Chance has moved out of his apartment and is living in the barracks. We hung out and had a wonderful time, as always. We got to hear a lot of what Chance has been training to do and some of his accomplishments and we are even prouder of him than we were. Later, we went to a steakhouse for dinner where I had the most delicious cheeseburger. Yum! Then back to our room for more hijinks. Chance headed back to base around 8:30 and Bob and I just watched some tv, then read for a while and then to bed.This morning, Chance joined us for free breakfast at the hotel. Apparently, soldiers are welcome to join their families, who are staying at the hotel, for breakfast. Then we went back to our room and visited some more. Chance had to leave around 10. He was on a pass today, but had to go take care of some personal business, so we said our goodbyes and he headed of. We had loaded the car before going to breakfast, so we headed out too.
It took us about 45 minutes to get to the casino and we were able to check into our "chalet" early. So unloaded the car and unpacked. The kitchen looks like we live here. LOL! We will eat most of our meals here, except for any comped meals we get at the casino.
We headed over for some gambling and played for a while. I started getting hungry, so headed back to eat some lunch and Bob came back a little while later. He was thinking about taking a nap and I told him to go for it. We are on vacation after all!
Now, I think I will watch a movie that is on and clip my coupons. Yes, I brought my coupons with me. LOL!
Hope you are all having a wonderful day. I am!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Vaaaaacccccaaaaatioonnnnnn!!!
Yes, vacation!! I am going on vacation!! Can you tell I am excited!
About a month ago, Hubby asked if we could go visit our son, Chance, for Hubby's birthday, then spend a couple of days at a casino in Louisiana. Yes, sir! I had no problem honoring that request. So we are going on a birthday trip.
We will go first to spend some time with Chance, since he deploys to Afghanistan next month. We are hoping to have a family farewell party for him before he goes here in town, but Hubby and I want a visit with him to ourselves, so we are going. We will stay in a hotel in the town Chance lives in. He said we could stay at his apartment, but Hubby said we could not run around nekkid there, so we got a hotel. I got a discounted room through AARP and it even has free breakfast. Yeah for discounts and free! Then to the casino for a couple of days.
Since I am such a high roller, NOT, the casino comped our room, so it is FREE!(And the regular rate is $95 night!) My favorite. We are staying in what they call a "chalet", which is a little trailer. A little bigger than travel trailers, though. They have a separate bedroom and living space and a full kitchen, stocked with dishes, pots and pans and cutlery.
There is also a nice deck with picnic table and grill. So all we have to take is food to make there. (When we go on trips, we always take food and dishes, utensils, pans and a hotplate to make it. LOL!) We will eat out some, since I am sure I have some food comps at the casino just waiting to be used up, but we prefer not to eat out for every meal. We like to use most of our money for gambling. Yes, gambling.
I know some people have a problem with gambling, but I do not. I consider it entertainment and do not go to win. I just enjoy playing. And we never take more money than we are willing to leave there. We still spend less than we would if we just went on a vacation somewhere else and had to pay for hotels and all our meals.
I plan to spend some time just relaxing in the chalet and not as much time at the casino as I usually do, since I want to get the inflammation in my knee healed up and figure a week off work is the perfect opportunity. I will be taking my netbook, since the room has free wifi, and plenty of reading material. And of course there is a big tv in the living room for a couple of season premieres next week.
We will be home on Wednesday and I plan to spend Thursday and Friday staying off my knee as much as I can.
I am such a good wife to give Hubby a trip for his birthday. A cheap trip, but it is still a trip. LOL!
About a month ago, Hubby asked if we could go visit our son, Chance, for Hubby's birthday, then spend a couple of days at a casino in Louisiana. Yes, sir! I had no problem honoring that request. So we are going on a birthday trip.
We will go first to spend some time with Chance, since he deploys to Afghanistan next month. We are hoping to have a family farewell party for him before he goes here in town, but Hubby and I want a visit with him to ourselves, so we are going. We will stay in a hotel in the town Chance lives in. He said we could stay at his apartment, but Hubby said we could not run around nekkid there, so we got a hotel. I got a discounted room through AARP and it even has free breakfast. Yeah for discounts and free! Then to the casino for a couple of days.
Since I am such a high roller, NOT, the casino comped our room, so it is FREE!(And the regular rate is $95 night!) My favorite. We are staying in what they call a "chalet", which is a little trailer. A little bigger than travel trailers, though. They have a separate bedroom and living space and a full kitchen, stocked with dishes, pots and pans and cutlery.
There is also a nice deck with picnic table and grill. So all we have to take is food to make there. (When we go on trips, we always take food and dishes, utensils, pans and a hotplate to make it. LOL!) We will eat out some, since I am sure I have some food comps at the casino just waiting to be used up, but we prefer not to eat out for every meal. We like to use most of our money for gambling. Yes, gambling.
I know some people have a problem with gambling, but I do not. I consider it entertainment and do not go to win. I just enjoy playing. And we never take more money than we are willing to leave there. We still spend less than we would if we just went on a vacation somewhere else and had to pay for hotels and all our meals.
I plan to spend some time just relaxing in the chalet and not as much time at the casino as I usually do, since I want to get the inflammation in my knee healed up and figure a week off work is the perfect opportunity. I will be taking my netbook, since the room has free wifi, and plenty of reading material. And of course there is a big tv in the living room for a couple of season premieres next week.
We will be home on Wednesday and I plan to spend Thursday and Friday staying off my knee as much as I can.
I am such a good wife to give Hubby a trip for his birthday. A cheap trip, but it is still a trip. LOL!
Hubby's birthday, last year.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Heredity sucks....
I have been having problems with my knee for the last month. Well, the problem was that it was hurting....most of the time. I did not hurt when I didn't move it, but the rest of the time I was in pain. I figured that I had just strained something at Curves, so thought that eventually it would quit hurting.
It did not.
So, yesterday, I went to an Orthopedic to have it checked out. He asked a lot of questions.
He took an XRay.
He informed me that I have osteoarthritis in my left knee, as well as bone spurs. And I have indications of OA in my right knee, though it is much better than my left. Then he put 2 cortisone shots in my knee, told me to take large doses of Aleve or Advil and come back in a month if it isn't better.
He was really nice, but I am sure hoping my knee feels better soon, so I won't need to go back. It feels a lot better today, though not 100% better.
I told him my mom has bad knees and has no cartilege in the joints, he informed me that mine will be like that eventually, as it is hereditary. Thanks, Mom.
It did not.
So, yesterday, I went to an Orthopedic to have it checked out. He asked a lot of questions.
He took an XRay.
(This is not my XRay, but you get the drift.)
He informed me that I have osteoarthritis in my left knee, as well as bone spurs. And I have indications of OA in my right knee, though it is much better than my left. Then he put 2 cortisone shots in my knee, told me to take large doses of Aleve or Advil and come back in a month if it isn't better.
He was really nice, but I am sure hoping my knee feels better soon, so I won't need to go back. It feels a lot better today, though not 100% better.
I told him my mom has bad knees and has no cartilege in the joints, he informed me that mine will be like that eventually, as it is hereditary. Thanks, Mom.
Monday, September 13, 2010
I saved $115!
Yes, I did! Recently, I found out that our cars, both Hondas, have cabin air filters. Who knew??? I have been driving for many years and have had many cars, as has Hubby. I also grew up with both a dad and a brother that are excellent backyard mechanics. And I never knew that there was a cabin air filter in our cars. Maybe they are in all cars. I don't know. LOL!
Anyway, once I found this out, I decided that ours certainly needed to be changed as we had never changed them. I have had my car 2 years, but we have had Hubby's car for 6 1/2 years. So even if they were both changed by Honda before we bought them, it had been a while for both. So, I went on an internet search about how to get this done. When I read that it can cost $100-$150 to have it done by Honda, I of course, decided to figure out if we could do it ourselves.
Then last week, I got a flyer from the dealer where we bought my car and they had a coupon for a cabin air filter change for $64.95. How weird is that that I got this right after I found out these existed?
I went to some DIY car repair forums. Yes, I am either that cheap, or that talented. You decide. LOL! I found instructions and even found that there are how to videos on Youtube. I have no problem following instructions, but a video was just awesome! He and I both figured that I could do this easily. Notice I said I. LOL! He will assist on car maintenance, but he is not as comfortable with tearing apart something in a car as I am. (Please note, I do not do much work on cars. But occasionally, I am happy to jump in and get dirty.)
Last week, Hubby stopped by the auto parts store and got the filters for my car ($16.23), but they did not have his. I told him we would just order on-line instead of him checking stores all over town. Then we jumped on to ebay and there they were for only $9.50 shipped. So he ordered them.
After reviewing the instructions for my car, a CRV, I changed mine on Friday. It was pretty easy and only took about 25 minutes. I was totally impressed with myself. Of course, it only involved pulling out 2 stops on the glove box and the filters are right behind there. Still, I did it and saved. $54.
Hubby's car was another story. We went out Saturday evening after it had cooled off a bit, though it was still in the upper 80s, I think, and really humid. Hubby has a 2000 Accord and it took a little...no a lot more dimantling than mine did. I started unscrewing things. Hubby was my assistant. We worked at it for a good 45 minutes and though I had removed all the screws according to the instructions, I could not get the glove box out. I was hot. I was sweating. Sweat was stinging my eyes. I was getting cranky.
So, I said, maybe I needed to go rewatch the video on this, since I had not seen it in a week and a half. (I was working off paper instructions that I had found.) Hubby thought that was a good idea. (I think I was getting REALLY cranky.)
So in I went and watched the video and cooled off, both physically and mentally. LOL! It showed more screws to be removed than my paper did, so I was ready to proceed. However, by this time, it was really dark, so Hubby said we could wait until the next day.
Yesterday evening, I went out, took out the rest of the screws and it was easy breezy. I finished up in about 30 minutes and saved $61.
I am so macho!
Anyway, once I found this out, I decided that ours certainly needed to be changed as we had never changed them. I have had my car 2 years, but we have had Hubby's car for 6 1/2 years. So even if they were both changed by Honda before we bought them, it had been a while for both. So, I went on an internet search about how to get this done. When I read that it can cost $100-$150 to have it done by Honda, I of course, decided to figure out if we could do it ourselves.
Then last week, I got a flyer from the dealer where we bought my car and they had a coupon for a cabin air filter change for $64.95. How weird is that that I got this right after I found out these existed?
I went to some DIY car repair forums. Yes, I am either that cheap, or that talented. You decide. LOL! I found instructions and even found that there are how to videos on Youtube. I have no problem following instructions, but a video was just awesome! He and I both figured that I could do this easily. Notice I said I. LOL! He will assist on car maintenance, but he is not as comfortable with tearing apart something in a car as I am. (Please note, I do not do much work on cars. But occasionally, I am happy to jump in and get dirty.)
Last week, Hubby stopped by the auto parts store and got the filters for my car ($16.23), but they did not have his. I told him we would just order on-line instead of him checking stores all over town. Then we jumped on to ebay and there they were for only $9.50 shipped. So he ordered them.
After reviewing the instructions for my car, a CRV, I changed mine on Friday. It was pretty easy and only took about 25 minutes. I was totally impressed with myself. Of course, it only involved pulling out 2 stops on the glove box and the filters are right behind there. Still, I did it and saved. $54.
Hubby's car was another story. We went out Saturday evening after it had cooled off a bit, though it was still in the upper 80s, I think, and really humid. Hubby has a 2000 Accord and it took a little...no a lot more dimantling than mine did. I started unscrewing things. Hubby was my assistant. We worked at it for a good 45 minutes and though I had removed all the screws according to the instructions, I could not get the glove box out. I was hot. I was sweating. Sweat was stinging my eyes. I was getting cranky.
So, I said, maybe I needed to go rewatch the video on this, since I had not seen it in a week and a half. (I was working off paper instructions that I had found.) Hubby thought that was a good idea. (I think I was getting REALLY cranky.)
So in I went and watched the video and cooled off, both physically and mentally. LOL! It showed more screws to be removed than my paper did, so I was ready to proceed. However, by this time, it was really dark, so Hubby said we could wait until the next day.
Yesterday evening, I went out, took out the rest of the screws and it was easy breezy. I finished up in about 30 minutes and saved $61.
I am so macho!
Friday, September 10, 2010
For the College Students
You all know that I have not monetized my blog. I am not here to make money, just to have fun. And I am not here to sell you anything or advertise for any business.
That being said, I have been playing on the Barnes and Noble website, researching a purchase that I will tell you all about when I make it. In the meantime, I found something quite interesting. It is called Nook Study. It is for college students and professors and sounds really useful. 
It was interesting enough that I sent the info to my sister, the college professor. I plan to tell Samantha about it. And I am sharing it with you. It sounds like it could be very useful to college students.
But wait, there's more! LOL! B&N is giving stuff away to people that download Nook Study. From a press release:
To celebrate the launch of NOOKstudy, Barnes & Noble is providing a number of fun promotional offers for the college audience. Students who download NOOKstudy now through the fall semester will receive a free College Kick Start Kit which includes 50 Survival Tips – advice about how to win at college, including time management advice and even ramen noodle-based gourmet recipes. Also included in the College Kick Start Kit are 12 Essential Books for College – free, high-quality Barnes & Noble Classics eBooks including Canterbury Tales, The Scarlet Letter and Poems of Emily Dickinson, and others.
And there is the potential to win MONEY!
Students who download NOOKstudy through October 29, 2010 will automatically be entered in the Barnes & Noble College Giveaway Sweepstakes, offering one lucky winner a $5,000 cash prize. (Sweepstakes details are available at www.NOOKstudy.com). And students who visit and "like" the new NOOKstudy page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NOOKstudy, will also have the chance to win a $1,000 Barnes & Noble gift card.
I wish I were a student!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
We could use a little rain
But I don't know if we need this much!
While I was checking out, Hubby went and got the car. When I got outside, he motioned me to a spot near one of the doors, then backed up under the overhang to let me load groceries into the trunk without getting wet. Several ladies huddled there commented on how sweet it was that Hubby did that. One of them then sent her son to get the car. LOL! And another backed up under the overhang near us. Hubby started a trend of nice gentlemen helping their wives or moms stay a little dry.
By the time we got home, the rain had tapered off to a drizzle, but I checked the weather on line and saw that there was a freaking tropical storm hitting Texas! Here is what it looks like right now....(See Houston? That is where I am.)
It is dark, thundering and raining outside. I have to turn around to see out of the windows, so have not seen any lightening. For our neighbors south of us, I hope the storm passes quickly for you.
Thank goodness I am inside today.
We had a lovely holiday weekend, spending most of the time just relaxing at home. I ran out to Walgreens on Saturday to get some deals. I came home with:
2 Nice & Easy Haircolor
Total out of pocket was $34, which was a little steep, but I didn't have any RRs to use. (I only had coupons for the haircolor, one BW and the Visine), but I earned $22. So, I was really happy.
On Monday, Hubby and I went and ate pizza for lunch, then stopped by Kroger. He did really well and only got what we came for. LOL! We really only needed bread and some diet sodas, but I had read of a deal on Ronzoni pasta and had printed out coupons, so got 10 packs of Ronzoni for $4.45!! What a great price. I may print out coupons at home and get more if the sale goes on through next week. Darn, I should have checked the shelf tags. Well, I will check HotCouponWorld. I am sure someone there will know.
We had a really nice weekend. Hope you all did, too!
I did not even know there was a tropical storm on the way! I didn't watch much news this weekend, obviously. Hubby and I went to Kroger yesterday....he has redeemed himself and is allowed in the store.....and the sun was shining. While in the store, we heard thunder. We walked toward the front of the store and it was POURING rain! And the wind was swirling, so the rain was going every direction. Ugh!
While I was checking out, Hubby went and got the car. When I got outside, he motioned me to a spot near one of the doors, then backed up under the overhang to let me load groceries into the trunk without getting wet. Several ladies huddled there commented on how sweet it was that Hubby did that. One of them then sent her son to get the car. LOL! And another backed up under the overhang near us. Hubby started a trend of nice gentlemen helping their wives or moms stay a little dry.
By the time we got home, the rain had tapered off to a drizzle, but I checked the weather on line and saw that there was a freaking tropical storm hitting Texas! Here is what it looks like right now....(See Houston? That is where I am.)
It is dark, thundering and raining outside. I have to turn around to see out of the windows, so have not seen any lightening. For our neighbors south of us, I hope the storm passes quickly for you.Thank goodness I am inside today.
We had a lovely holiday weekend, spending most of the time just relaxing at home. I ran out to Walgreens on Saturday to get some deals. I came home with:
2 Nice & Easy Haircolor
4 Softsoap Body Wash, $3 total after RR
2 Colgate Total toothpaste, free after RR
2 Carmex Lip balm, free after RR
2 Wags 8 count tampons, free after RR
2 hand sanitizer, $.75 each on clearance
1 Visine
1 30-count Wags brand of Claritin
Total out of pocket was $34, which was a little steep, but I didn't have any RRs to use. (I only had coupons for the haircolor, one BW and the Visine), but I earned $22. So, I was really happy.
On Monday, Hubby and I went and ate pizza for lunch, then stopped by Kroger. He did really well and only got what we came for. LOL! We really only needed bread and some diet sodas, but I had read of a deal on Ronzoni pasta and had printed out coupons, so got 10 packs of Ronzoni for $4.45!! What a great price. I may print out coupons at home and get more if the sale goes on through next week. Darn, I should have checked the shelf tags. Well, I will check HotCouponWorld. I am sure someone there will know.
We had a really nice weekend. Hope you all did, too!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
You spent WHAT?!
I should have known better. I really should have......
This weekend, Hubby and I were busy all weekend, working on reorganizing his entertainment system. I call it his, though it is really ours, because, he wired that thing up and it would take a real whiz to figure it out. He has our living room set up with surround sound, so that it sounds like a movie theater. LOL!
Anyway, we were making some changes and I helped him most of the weekend. Admittedly, the rest of the time I was doing nothing. I have been trying to stay off my knee as much as possible because I hurt it a couple weeks ago and I do not want to go to the doctor. I am pretty sure it is just tendonitis. So, I had a legitimate reason for doing as little as possible when at home.
I usually go tot he grocery store on Saturday, but did not this weekend, thinking we would be done that day and I would just go on Sunday. I was wrong. And I didn't go. And we would need milk and bread before this week is over.
So, Hubby said, "I'll go on Tuesday." I thought that if he just went for milk and bread and a couple of other things, it would not cost much. I didn't even send him with a deal list and coupons, though, he would have done my deals. I figured they will come along again and was not worried about missing out.
Hubby called a little while ago to let me know he had gone to the store and got everything. Then, hesitantly, he told me he spent $82! ....$82!!! I never spend that much at the grocery store for a week's worth of groceries. He started listing off all the stuff he got, and the prices he told me were good ones. It was just.......$82!!!
I told him he cannot go to the grocery store by himself anymore......or with me.
He is banned from the grocery store.
This weekend, Hubby and I were busy all weekend, working on reorganizing his entertainment system. I call it his, though it is really ours, because, he wired that thing up and it would take a real whiz to figure it out. He has our living room set up with surround sound, so that it sounds like a movie theater. LOL!
Anyway, we were making some changes and I helped him most of the weekend. Admittedly, the rest of the time I was doing nothing. I have been trying to stay off my knee as much as possible because I hurt it a couple weeks ago and I do not want to go to the doctor. I am pretty sure it is just tendonitis. So, I had a legitimate reason for doing as little as possible when at home.
I usually go tot he grocery store on Saturday, but did not this weekend, thinking we would be done that day and I would just go on Sunday. I was wrong. And I didn't go. And we would need milk and bread before this week is over.
So, Hubby said, "I'll go on Tuesday." I thought that if he just went for milk and bread and a couple of other things, it would not cost much. I didn't even send him with a deal list and coupons, though, he would have done my deals. I figured they will come along again and was not worried about missing out.
Hubby called a little while ago to let me know he had gone to the store and got everything. Then, hesitantly, he told me he spent $82! ....$82!!! I never spend that much at the grocery store for a week's worth of groceries. He started listing off all the stuff he got, and the prices he told me were good ones. It was just.......$82!!!
I told him he cannot go to the grocery store by himself anymore......or with me.
He is banned from the grocery store.
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