CVS
Get a $5 off printable HERE
Rite Aid
Walgreens
Publix
Publix penny item, Publix frozen pizza
Kroger
Shaws
Food World
Blessings,
Dana
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Parent's Vacation -- Please don't decide to hate me until you've read it
For the first time in six years, Adam and I were childless for a few days. We had left Emma for ministry reasons on occasion and never had left Chloe for more than a few hours. But this time, the trip was simply to let the girls spend time with their extended family and to give Adam and I time to spend together alone. So, this was a switch for us. On Friday July 24th, we met my parents and sister at Six Flags in Atlanta and played a little and handed the girls off. We went out to eat a couple of times at places that serve big people food, slept in a few days, Adam got some school work done and though it would take me a year with no children to do all that I want to do around the house, I was able to catch up on a few things. They spent a couple of days with my mom, and then a couple with my sister. We met my sister in Montgomery on Thursday July 3oth and got the girls and went to south Alabama for Wynn's first birthday party. I must admit that it was nice to be free of some responsibility but by the time we got back to them, my heart was beginning to ache a little. We were in Alabama for a couple of days and then we left Emma with Adam's parents and came back home. On Thursday, we met Lynn back in Atlanta to get Emma. We are glad to have everyone back in their rightful places. And, Emma and Chloe are learning once again how to share our attention (not a fun lesson for any of us).
The following e-mail was sent to me by my sister. I was very hesitant to post it because I feel like the easiest way to make sure your children are little monsters is to brag about your parenting. But, it seems as if just my sister doing it has caused them to be little monsters because we've had a few rough days here lately.
Please read my commentary on my sister's "guest post" before you decide to stop being my friend.
Dana, I would like to do another guest blog post for you. I know that it is hard to brag on yourself but I just want everyone to know what a great time I have had with my nieces and I know that most of the enjoyment is due to you being such a great mother! I will be awfully hurt if you do not post this, it is very important!!!
First, I want to point out that I asked Dana if I could do another guest post for her blog. Then I told her how hurt I would be if she did not post it. Everyone who knows Dana knows that she would not blatantly brag on herself. For that matter, I am not sure if she even fully knows what a wonderful mother she is! I think that it is very important to acknowledge the accomplishments of those that we love and doing what she does every day, I have found out, is quite an accomplishment!
Emma and Chloe came to spend several days with my mom and me recently. Now, I have a 20 year old son and even though I teach 5 and 6 year olds all day, it has been quite a while since I have had any little ones full time by myself, so you might imagine that I wondered how this would all go down! Well, it went of seamlessly, I believe, in thanks to my sister’s wonderful parenting.
The thing that I was most worried about was bedtime. If you have ever had a toddler off a schedule, you know that bedtime can be difficult. Well, not so with this toddler! All I had to do was tell her that it was bedtime and put her in the pack-n-play. She immediately stuck that hiney up in the air, I put a blanket over it and that was the last I heard from her! How many two year olds can you do that with? I chalk that up to good parenting! There were several nights that she ended up in bed with us but even then, she laid right back down and went right back to sleep. (and Aunt Denise enjoyed the snuggling anyway!) On the same note, Emma went straight down when told also. Even though it was apparent that she might not be quite ready, she has been taught not to argue, so she obeyed and got a good night sleep so that we could play all day the next day!
I think that it is important for Dana to know that her girls have great manners, obey very well, and are the sweetest little ones that anyone could ever meet. Even when they are told “no” they take it well. Emma has a little pout (which looks an awful lot like Dana at that age) that might show up for a split second but she recovers very quickly. When Chloe gets upset, she also recovers very quickly. For a two year old, she seems to understand and accept explanations quite readily. Another sign of good parenting! And the manners of these girls! Both very sweetly say “please” and “thank you” and even when Chloe has her nose wrinkled up and is refusing something, she is saying “no thank you”. You would have to see this one to believe it.
I have seen so much more that could illustrate what great parents Dana and Adam are but I know that you have other things to do. So I will just say that I am very proud of my little sister and the role she has chosen. She has definitely found what she does best. Being a stay at home mother is often a thankless job. But I can tell you that even though Dana makes it look easy, it is NOT! I would take her girls anywhere without a second thought and I can do that because of her talent for being a mom!
So today, my dear sweet sister, I salute you! Please know that you are doing a tremendous job with your two girls and I love you!
P.S. I don’t want to leave Adam out. I know that he is an excellent father and provider and should be commended for his part in the upbringing of these wonderful children. Maybe I will write about that at another time. Love you too, Adam!
Okay, so yeah, that was uncomfortable..
I had to laugh when I read this because I opened this e-mail just after I had lost my temper and yelled at Emma. Honestly, I was surprised that they behaved so well while they were away from me. I was concerned that since they are with me all the time, they wouldn't be able to behave without me (the enforcer). So, this was very good news to me. I think it's way too early to judge our parenting. We still have the hardest ahead of us. Emma has started to show signs of developing some of the character traits that we hope will follow her into adulthood. But, for the most part, at this point, please forgive me for referring to my children as dogs but, they are pretty much like trained dogs. Not to say that having a trained dog is a bad thing when that is the thing that works. Do this, there are bad consequences, do this, good consequences. Going to bed easily is the result of "On Becoming Baby Wise". I realize that that book is almost as controversial as the bottle/breastfeeding or the stay at home/working mom debate. I just want to say here that if you let your children sleep in the bed with you or if you rock them to sleep or do anything differently than I do, I don't think that makes me a better mother. In fact it very well might mean that you are a better mother than I am. My children go to bed in their own beds because after a long day of having children hanging on me, I need space. Plain and simple, it was because of my needs, not theirs that we decided to use that system. If I had slept better next to them, that's where they would be. And as far as Chloe not throwing fits... This is just a part of her temperament. I know that it isn't because of my parenting because Emma did throw fits. BIG ONES. In fact, that was what sparked me starting this blog. It was my therapy. If you were to go back to the beginning, which was four years ago, you wouldn't find that my very first post was titled "Terrible Twos". Besides, Chloe isn't even two yet, I may still have it coming. My prayers is that one day, I will see my children determine the choices that they make based on what is right, not what is easy. And then, I will feel like I have succeeded as a parent.
I do think there is something very important that can be gleaned from this e-mail from my sister. I needed it.. I had started to question myself. In a world with lots of opinions, I often find myself interacting with people that believe corporal punishment (spanking) is wrong. This is another one of those topics that contribute to those political labels that make me so angry. Somehow, caring about the environment makes me a liberal hippie but, the fact that I "spank" my children makes me a staunch conservative.. I really don't see what either of the two things have to do with politics. Anyway, I don't believe that there is only one way to parent a child but for us, using corporal punishment along with other types of reinforcement works best. But, I had noticed that I had slacked off on disciplining my children when we were around other people (not that I spank my children in front of other people. My goal is not to embarrass them) because of the current debate about this subject. It left me feeling helpless and even violated.
Anyway, reading my sister's e-mail helped me to see that the best thing to do was to consistently stick with our course of action. You see, if I have done anything right in this parenting thing, I owe the gratitude to my supportive family. All of the people that are important to me are incredibly encouraging and supportive. That keeps me able to be confident and consistent. If you are a person that doesn't have great support from your family, I'm not saying this to try to make you angry or to make you feel bad. Shame on them!
But, for those of you that have a mother in your life, I can guarantee you that she not only desires but she needs your support. And if you love the child of this mother, the best thing you can do for that child is to support that mother.
And to our families, I owe you a debt of gratitude. Yes for taking our children and giving us a chance to focus on each other. But even more for your love and support. For my dad for teaching me the importance of work and dedication. To my mom for being the mother I want to be. To Lynn for teaching her son how to love me. To Keith for teaching him how to be a daddy and for our sisters for being unconditional best friends.
I feel confident that because of God's and your love and support, I will one day become the mother that you insist that I be.
And here are some pictures from the trip.
Blessings,
Dana
The following e-mail was sent to me by my sister. I was very hesitant to post it because I feel like the easiest way to make sure your children are little monsters is to brag about your parenting. But, it seems as if just my sister doing it has caused them to be little monsters because we've had a few rough days here lately.
Please read my commentary on my sister's "guest post" before you decide to stop being my friend.
Dana, I would like to do another guest blog post for you. I know that it is hard to brag on yourself but I just want everyone to know what a great time I have had with my nieces and I know that most of the enjoyment is due to you being such a great mother! I will be awfully hurt if you do not post this, it is very important!!!
First, I want to point out that I asked Dana if I could do another guest post for her blog. Then I told her how hurt I would be if she did not post it. Everyone who knows Dana knows that she would not blatantly brag on herself. For that matter, I am not sure if she even fully knows what a wonderful mother she is! I think that it is very important to acknowledge the accomplishments of those that we love and doing what she does every day, I have found out, is quite an accomplishment!
Emma and Chloe came to spend several days with my mom and me recently. Now, I have a 20 year old son and even though I teach 5 and 6 year olds all day, it has been quite a while since I have had any little ones full time by myself, so you might imagine that I wondered how this would all go down! Well, it went of seamlessly, I believe, in thanks to my sister’s wonderful parenting.
The thing that I was most worried about was bedtime. If you have ever had a toddler off a schedule, you know that bedtime can be difficult. Well, not so with this toddler! All I had to do was tell her that it was bedtime and put her in the pack-n-play. She immediately stuck that hiney up in the air, I put a blanket over it and that was the last I heard from her! How many two year olds can you do that with? I chalk that up to good parenting! There were several nights that she ended up in bed with us but even then, she laid right back down and went right back to sleep. (and Aunt Denise enjoyed the snuggling anyway!) On the same note, Emma went straight down when told also. Even though it was apparent that she might not be quite ready, she has been taught not to argue, so she obeyed and got a good night sleep so that we could play all day the next day!
I think that it is important for Dana to know that her girls have great manners, obey very well, and are the sweetest little ones that anyone could ever meet. Even when they are told “no” they take it well. Emma has a little pout (which looks an awful lot like Dana at that age) that might show up for a split second but she recovers very quickly. When Chloe gets upset, she also recovers very quickly. For a two year old, she seems to understand and accept explanations quite readily. Another sign of good parenting! And the manners of these girls! Both very sweetly say “please” and “thank you” and even when Chloe has her nose wrinkled up and is refusing something, she is saying “no thank you”. You would have to see this one to believe it.
I have seen so much more that could illustrate what great parents Dana and Adam are but I know that you have other things to do. So I will just say that I am very proud of my little sister and the role she has chosen. She has definitely found what she does best. Being a stay at home mother is often a thankless job. But I can tell you that even though Dana makes it look easy, it is NOT! I would take her girls anywhere without a second thought and I can do that because of her talent for being a mom!
So today, my dear sweet sister, I salute you! Please know that you are doing a tremendous job with your two girls and I love you!
P.S. I don’t want to leave Adam out. I know that he is an excellent father and provider and should be commended for his part in the upbringing of these wonderful children. Maybe I will write about that at another time. Love you too, Adam!
Okay, so yeah, that was uncomfortable..
I had to laugh when I read this because I opened this e-mail just after I had lost my temper and yelled at Emma. Honestly, I was surprised that they behaved so well while they were away from me. I was concerned that since they are with me all the time, they wouldn't be able to behave without me (the enforcer). So, this was very good news to me. I think it's way too early to judge our parenting. We still have the hardest ahead of us. Emma has started to show signs of developing some of the character traits that we hope will follow her into adulthood. But, for the most part, at this point, please forgive me for referring to my children as dogs but, they are pretty much like trained dogs. Not to say that having a trained dog is a bad thing when that is the thing that works. Do this, there are bad consequences, do this, good consequences. Going to bed easily is the result of "On Becoming Baby Wise". I realize that that book is almost as controversial as the bottle/breastfeeding or the stay at home/working mom debate. I just want to say here that if you let your children sleep in the bed with you or if you rock them to sleep or do anything differently than I do, I don't think that makes me a better mother. In fact it very well might mean that you are a better mother than I am. My children go to bed in their own beds because after a long day of having children hanging on me, I need space. Plain and simple, it was because of my needs, not theirs that we decided to use that system. If I had slept better next to them, that's where they would be. And as far as Chloe not throwing fits... This is just a part of her temperament. I know that it isn't because of my parenting because Emma did throw fits. BIG ONES. In fact, that was what sparked me starting this blog. It was my therapy. If you were to go back to the beginning, which was four years ago, you wouldn't find that my very first post was titled "Terrible Twos". Besides, Chloe isn't even two yet, I may still have it coming. My prayers is that one day, I will see my children determine the choices that they make based on what is right, not what is easy. And then, I will feel like I have succeeded as a parent.
I do think there is something very important that can be gleaned from this e-mail from my sister. I needed it.. I had started to question myself. In a world with lots of opinions, I often find myself interacting with people that believe corporal punishment (spanking) is wrong. This is another one of those topics that contribute to those political labels that make me so angry. Somehow, caring about the environment makes me a liberal hippie but, the fact that I "spank" my children makes me a staunch conservative.. I really don't see what either of the two things have to do with politics. Anyway, I don't believe that there is only one way to parent a child but for us, using corporal punishment along with other types of reinforcement works best. But, I had noticed that I had slacked off on disciplining my children when we were around other people (not that I spank my children in front of other people. My goal is not to embarrass them) because of the current debate about this subject. It left me feeling helpless and even violated.
Anyway, reading my sister's e-mail helped me to see that the best thing to do was to consistently stick with our course of action. You see, if I have done anything right in this parenting thing, I owe the gratitude to my supportive family. All of the people that are important to me are incredibly encouraging and supportive. That keeps me able to be confident and consistent. If you are a person that doesn't have great support from your family, I'm not saying this to try to make you angry or to make you feel bad. Shame on them!
But, for those of you that have a mother in your life, I can guarantee you that she not only desires but she needs your support. And if you love the child of this mother, the best thing you can do for that child is to support that mother.
And to our families, I owe you a debt of gratitude. Yes for taking our children and giving us a chance to focus on each other. But even more for your love and support. For my dad for teaching me the importance of work and dedication. To my mom for being the mother I want to be. To Lynn for teaching her son how to love me. To Keith for teaching him how to be a daddy and for our sisters for being unconditional best friends.
I feel confident that because of God's and your love and support, I will one day become the mother that you insist that I be.
And here are some pictures from the trip.
Blessings,
Dana
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Chemicals in Baby Products..
So once I made my post about being concerned about the chemicals in cosmetic products (especially those used on my children), I have received an overwhelming amount of information. I am glad to see that I am not the only mother with those concerns. And I do have to tell you that I am far from being true "hippie" If I were a true "hippie", I would be more peaceful instead of bitter about the scrutiny I seem to be getting over being concerned about my children's health. Nothing like being mocked for trying to make the best choices for your children. None the less, the information out there is no less that frightening. Before I announce the winner of my ECOSTORE USA GIVEAWAY, I want to tell you about a sale they have going on. For the month of August, if you spend more than 50 dollars, they will double your order! Plus, they have free shipping for orders over 25 dollars. I made my order yesterday so I can get stocked up while it's on sale. With the sale, it came out way cheaper than the chemical free stuff I've bought in the store.
Also very useful is this website where you can go and check the levels of toxins in your current baby care products.
Cosmetic database
and here is a news story that I came across.
I must say, it got my attention..
And now, the winner selected by a random drawing at www.random.org, is Elodie over at, Grinning While Growing! Congratulations Elodie!! I have e-mailed Melissa to let her know you are the winner. She will be e-mailing you with a Code to enter for 25 dollars off! I'd love to hear what you think once you get your products. Your gift certificate will apply to the 50 dollar doubling deal if you want to do that. Make sure you get some of that baby moisturizer. It is divine!
Also very useful is this website where you can go and check the levels of toxins in your current baby care products.
Cosmetic database
and here is a news story that I came across.
I must say, it got my attention..
And now, the winner selected by a random drawing at www.random.org, is Elodie over at, Grinning While Growing! Congratulations Elodie!! I have e-mailed Melissa to let her know you are the winner. She will be e-mailing you with a Code to enter for 25 dollars off! I'd love to hear what you think once you get your products. Your gift certificate will apply to the 50 dollar doubling deal if you want to do that. Make sure you get some of that baby moisturizer. It is divine!
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Tuesday's Tips and Tricks-- Linen closet
I really thought that this was a simple trick that no one would be interested in but my sister insists that I should post it because she would have never thought of it...
So: here we go...
I used to dream that my linen closet looked like this:
I have even at times worked hard and got it close (minus all the matching) and it lasted until someone pulled one thing out of the closet.. So, I have given up that dream and gone for more practical methods. One of those methods is storing all the pieces of one sheet set inside one of the pillowcases. Then, I can reach in there and grab that one set without worrying about jumbling up everything that sits on top.. So, there you go. Pretty simple. But, effective, at least for me.
And no, I am not showing you a picture of my linen closet..
Blessing,
Dana
So: here we go...
I used to dream that my linen closet looked like this:
I have even at times worked hard and got it close (minus all the matching) and it lasted until someone pulled one thing out of the closet.. So, I have given up that dream and gone for more practical methods. One of those methods is storing all the pieces of one sheet set inside one of the pillowcases. Then, I can reach in there and grab that one set without worrying about jumbling up everything that sits on top.. So, there you go. Pretty simple. But, effective, at least for me.
And no, I am not showing you a picture of my linen closet..
Blessing,
Dana
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Store Deals and Coupon matchups
Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY!!
There are enough good coupons in the paper this week that I will buy a few papers. You can see the coupon list HERE
CVS
pay attention to the scenerio of what she plans to buy. If you are new and unsure of how to approach it, completely following her list would be a great way to get a feel of how CVS works.
There are a ton of free school supplies with your EB. Also, before you make the mistake that I did... Blink Tears are are 7.99 with 7.99 ECBs making them free. Except, there was a three dollar off coupon in todays paper making them a three dollar money maker. I ran out this morning because my CVS is so popular that they run out of things before church. But, when I got back home, I realized that I lost three dollars. :(
Walgreens
Rite Aid
Publix Penny item is 6 pack Publix water.
Kroger someone has also started a "free or really cheap" thread.
And in other areas:
Food World
Kroger Texas Region
Shaws deals only matchups are not yet made.
Find Coupon FAQ's and Lingo HERE
There are enough good coupons in the paper this week that I will buy a few papers. You can see the coupon list HERE
CVS
pay attention to the scenerio of what she plans to buy. If you are new and unsure of how to approach it, completely following her list would be a great way to get a feel of how CVS works.
There are a ton of free school supplies with your EB. Also, before you make the mistake that I did... Blink Tears are are 7.99 with 7.99 ECBs making them free. Except, there was a three dollar off coupon in todays paper making them a three dollar money maker. I ran out this morning because my CVS is so popular that they run out of things before church. But, when I got back home, I realized that I lost three dollars. :(
Walgreens
Rite Aid
Publix Penny item is 6 pack Publix water.
Kroger someone has also started a "free or really cheap" thread.
And in other areas:
Food World
Kroger Texas Region
Shaws deals only matchups are not yet made.
Find Coupon FAQ's and Lingo HERE
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Couponing for the Casual Couponer..
I was hesitant to put another post here because I don't want to deter anyone away from entering my giveaway. So please, don't forget to scroll down and enter my giveaway in the post below!
On to the couponing... I've had several questions lately about my coupon system.. Well first, let me address this assumption that I have a system.. I am a person that passionately desires to have a system.. I am also a person that can't seem to stop trying to spin a hundred plates at one time.. Often while trying to spin those many plates, a few crash to the floor. Notice that you haven't seen much photography from me lately? Well, that's because my photography is one of those fallen plates at the moment because I'm trying to sweep up the plates that I dropped at the end of the school year... Coupons and paper work kind of stuff are the current plate focus.. Okay, okay, I took the plate analogy too far.. The point is, I want to have a system but usually, I fall just a little short..
So, I will say if you have the dream of becoming a pro couponer... There are a lot better places to learn to do that. I will suggest a few sites during this post from ladies that are experts in the couponing arena. If you want to learn to spin one more plate that will likely teeter every now and then, then maybe I have something to offer... So here is my couponing un-system..
First, I highly recommend that you read "The Southern Saver's" getting started guides. If you read those, you probably will have more information than you can imagine. She also has great sales lists with coupon matchups. Another great place to find deals and matchups is Hot Coupon World. I also post matchups on my blog every Sunday. I began doing this for myself, so I could have all of my lists in one easy to locate place, and for my hard working mom and sister, so they didn't have to learn to navigate through everything to find what they needed. But, as I've found that it's been useful for others, I have added their stores. If you have a store that you would like to be included, let me know. If I can find it, I'll add it for you so you don't have to search through different places to find it.
The most important thing that you need to know is that a coupon is pretty useless on it's own. You have to combine it with sales to really save money. Learn your stores coupon policy. Some will let you double coupons, use competitor coupons, and/or use a store coupon combined with a manufacture coupon.. You can probably find their policy by googling it (or swagbucking it if you want to earn points while you search).
Second, I don't clip coupons.. Well, not until I need them anyway. When I first started doing coupons, I tried to mock my friend Tiffany's system. Tiffany is a dedicated coupon mom. Tiffany uses the baseball card binder method. She clips each coupon and puts them in slot, and has them divided into categories. It is truly a work of art.. It took me one Sunday paper to realize that that was not something I was going to be committed enough to keep up with. So, I switched to an accordian filer. This worked pretty well but I still found that at times when my life was the busiest, I fell behind on clipping coupons and would do something like squander all of my savings by eating out because I didn't have my coupons clipped and ready to go to the store. So, I began to use the system that the girl over IheartCVS described. Basically, you take the coupons out of the paper, put them in a file with the date on it and then you look at a list of the deals and coupon matchups and then you locate your coupons and clip only the ones you are going to use. I have found that this is the system that works best for me.
I just go to the deal and matchup list of the store of my choice, make a grocery list on an envelope, put the coupons that I need in the envelope, and then there is no clipping coupons I don't use and no shuffling coupons around in the store. This does mean that I miss out on any unadvertised deals but for myself, I decided that those deals weren't worth the extra work.. I still have cut my grocery bill in more than half and for right now, I've settled for that being the best I can do.
On to the couponing... I've had several questions lately about my coupon system.. Well first, let me address this assumption that I have a system.. I am a person that passionately desires to have a system.. I am also a person that can't seem to stop trying to spin a hundred plates at one time.. Often while trying to spin those many plates, a few crash to the floor. Notice that you haven't seen much photography from me lately? Well, that's because my photography is one of those fallen plates at the moment because I'm trying to sweep up the plates that I dropped at the end of the school year... Coupons and paper work kind of stuff are the current plate focus.. Okay, okay, I took the plate analogy too far.. The point is, I want to have a system but usually, I fall just a little short..
So, I will say if you have the dream of becoming a pro couponer... There are a lot better places to learn to do that. I will suggest a few sites during this post from ladies that are experts in the couponing arena. If you want to learn to spin one more plate that will likely teeter every now and then, then maybe I have something to offer... So here is my couponing un-system..
First, I highly recommend that you read "The Southern Saver's" getting started guides. If you read those, you probably will have more information than you can imagine. She also has great sales lists with coupon matchups. Another great place to find deals and matchups is Hot Coupon World. I also post matchups on my blog every Sunday. I began doing this for myself, so I could have all of my lists in one easy to locate place, and for my hard working mom and sister, so they didn't have to learn to navigate through everything to find what they needed. But, as I've found that it's been useful for others, I have added their stores. If you have a store that you would like to be included, let me know. If I can find it, I'll add it for you so you don't have to search through different places to find it.
The most important thing that you need to know is that a coupon is pretty useless on it's own. You have to combine it with sales to really save money. Learn your stores coupon policy. Some will let you double coupons, use competitor coupons, and/or use a store coupon combined with a manufacture coupon.. You can probably find their policy by googling it (or swagbucking it if you want to earn points while you search).
Second, I don't clip coupons.. Well, not until I need them anyway. When I first started doing coupons, I tried to mock my friend Tiffany's system. Tiffany is a dedicated coupon mom. Tiffany uses the baseball card binder method. She clips each coupon and puts them in slot, and has them divided into categories. It is truly a work of art.. It took me one Sunday paper to realize that that was not something I was going to be committed enough to keep up with. So, I switched to an accordian filer. This worked pretty well but I still found that at times when my life was the busiest, I fell behind on clipping coupons and would do something like squander all of my savings by eating out because I didn't have my coupons clipped and ready to go to the store. So, I began to use the system that the girl over IheartCVS described. Basically, you take the coupons out of the paper, put them in a file with the date on it and then you look at a list of the deals and coupon matchups and then you locate your coupons and clip only the ones you are going to use. I have found that this is the system that works best for me.
I just go to the deal and matchup list of the store of my choice, make a grocery list on an envelope, put the coupons that I need in the envelope, and then there is no clipping coupons I don't use and no shuffling coupons around in the store. This does mean that I miss out on any unadvertised deals but for myself, I decided that those deals weren't worth the extra work.. I still have cut my grocery bill in more than half and for right now, I've settled for that being the best I can do.
I would also advise setting some sort of parameters for yourself to keep you buying things simply because you have a coupon for it. Here are my parameters: If it is free, or a money maker like I described in the CVS 101 post, I get it regardless of what it is. If I don't use it, I donate it to someone that can. There is one glaring exception to this and that is when a companies product or philosophy conflicts with my conscience. For example: a company that employees child labor or a company that actively expresses a lack of support for our military troops. For other items, my rule of thumb is that it has to save more money than the generic brand (few exceptions for me are toilet paper, mayonaise, and peanut butter) or it has to replace an item that would normally cost me more money. For example: If there is cereal on a great deal. I might purchase it as a replacement for the waffles that I normally buy for breakfast for the girls.
When I find a great deal, I usually stock up on that item. The goal is to get stocked up enough to where you never have to buy an item when you need it. That way, I can hold out for a deal Example: Last week Kroger had crest toothpaste on sale for 10 for 10. I had three dollar off coupons. I got three tubes of toothpaste for free. That gets me stocked up on toothpaste enough that now, I can hold out for a deal before I buy more, or better yet, get some for free.
Lastly, start small and don't give up. If it's too overwhelming for you, make a small list and do a small trip. Practice makes perfect.. Or rather, practice makes you really good. Who needs to pressure of being perfect. As you do it, things will "click" with each trip.
I know that this just a small jab at all the questions you might have. If you have more questions or other tips and suggestions, please leave them in a comment here so that everyone can benefit from them. If I don't know the answer, I probably know somewhere that we can find it.
Blessings,
Dana
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Eco-Store USA Giveaway!
If you read my post a couple of days ago about my quest to have a chemical free home. You will know why I was very excited when Melissa at Eco Store USA contacted me to ask if I was interested in reviewing their products. I of course jumped on the opportunity and was even more excited when I found out they were going to give me the opportunity to do a giveaway so that one lucky reader will have the opportunity to also try the products.
First, let me tell you just a little bit about the company.
Eco Store USA is an extension of a 20 year old company that makes plant and mineral based Household Cleaning, Baby and Personal Care products that contain No Nasty Chemicals(tm).
They are an e-commerce site that has recently launched at the MEIJER grocery store chain in the Midwest with plans to expand nationally. Yea! So excited about the idea of having more options when shopping for these types of products...
Okay so now on to the products. Melissa sent me two different things..
First let's talk about their All purpose cleaner..
As I've mentioned before, I typically use vinegar and baking soda for most of my cleaning. But, the problem has come when I need something a little stronger for things like the calcium build up that I get in my sinks and toilets. Most cleaners burn my throat.. No, I'm not drinking them... But when there is a strong chemical present, my throat burns, just from the fumes. When I used the spray cleaner. It worked just as well as any other spray cleaner that I've used, without burning my throat. It even took care of the light pink ring in my toilet... Yea! SOLD...
The product that I am most excited to tell you about is the Baby Moisturizer that they sent me.
If you don't know already, you can read about why I am so insistent on using chemical free products on my children HERE.
In the past, when I've used natural products for babies, there have been two things that I haven't been crazy about. One, they often seem "clumpy" and two, they often smell like "dirt". Now, I've still thought that the health benefits outweigh the costs so I've still used these products and with the strong reaction I have to scents, the "dirt" smell was still better than the scratchy eyes and scratchy throat that I get from chemicals and perfumes.
But this stuff is AMAZING!! Is it horrible that I've used more of it on myself than my kids? It is so utterly smooth and it has such a crisp smooth smell that I am in love. I have used it daily as my moisturizer and my skin feels great and has a wonderful glow.. I have to see if I can get this stuff by the crate. It would make awesome baby gifts.
I also plan to try their dishwashing detergents and laundry detergents in the near future..
Okay, okay, on with it... What you really want to know about, is the GIVEAWAY right? Well, Ecostore USA is giving me a 25 dollar gift certificate to give away to some lucky reader. You don't know how bad I wanted to keep this for myself. However, this giveaway is open to anyone in the continental US.
So how to enter: The usual, leave me a comment with your e-mail address..
And for additional entries:
For 5 additional entries, become a follower of my blog so that I can inform you of other great giveaways like this.
For 5 more entries, Go over to Ecostore's BLOG and sign up for their newsletter.
For 5 more entries, tell about my giveaway on your blog..
So, possibility of 16 entries. Yea!
Leave me one comment on what you did and the total numbers of entries you're entitled to and a winner will be chosen at random using www.random.org on 8/8/09.
Since Ecostore is new to this area, they have been doing a lot of giveaways. I was sad to see that I had missed a chance at a $500 gift card. But, you can add them on Twitter
and Facebook
First, let me tell you just a little bit about the company.
Eco Store USA is an extension of a 20 year old company that makes plant and mineral based Household Cleaning, Baby and Personal Care products that contain No Nasty Chemicals(tm).
They are an e-commerce site that has recently launched at the MEIJER grocery store chain in the Midwest with plans to expand nationally. Yea! So excited about the idea of having more options when shopping for these types of products...
Okay so now on to the products. Melissa sent me two different things..
First let's talk about their All purpose cleaner..
As I've mentioned before, I typically use vinegar and baking soda for most of my cleaning. But, the problem has come when I need something a little stronger for things like the calcium build up that I get in my sinks and toilets. Most cleaners burn my throat.. No, I'm not drinking them... But when there is a strong chemical present, my throat burns, just from the fumes. When I used the spray cleaner. It worked just as well as any other spray cleaner that I've used, without burning my throat. It even took care of the light pink ring in my toilet... Yea! SOLD...
The product that I am most excited to tell you about is the Baby Moisturizer that they sent me.
If you don't know already, you can read about why I am so insistent on using chemical free products on my children HERE.
In the past, when I've used natural products for babies, there have been two things that I haven't been crazy about. One, they often seem "clumpy" and two, they often smell like "dirt". Now, I've still thought that the health benefits outweigh the costs so I've still used these products and with the strong reaction I have to scents, the "dirt" smell was still better than the scratchy eyes and scratchy throat that I get from chemicals and perfumes.
But this stuff is AMAZING!! Is it horrible that I've used more of it on myself than my kids? It is so utterly smooth and it has such a crisp smooth smell that I am in love. I have used it daily as my moisturizer and my skin feels great and has a wonderful glow.. I have to see if I can get this stuff by the crate. It would make awesome baby gifts.
I also plan to try their dishwashing detergents and laundry detergents in the near future..
Okay, okay, on with it... What you really want to know about, is the GIVEAWAY right? Well, Ecostore USA is giving me a 25 dollar gift certificate to give away to some lucky reader. You don't know how bad I wanted to keep this for myself. However, this giveaway is open to anyone in the continental US.
So how to enter: The usual, leave me a comment with your e-mail address..
And for additional entries:
For 5 additional entries, become a follower of my blog so that I can inform you of other great giveaways like this.
For 5 more entries, Go over to Ecostore's BLOG and sign up for their newsletter.
For 5 more entries, tell about my giveaway on your blog..
So, possibility of 16 entries. Yea!
Leave me one comment on what you did and the total numbers of entries you're entitled to and a winner will be chosen at random using www.random.org on 8/8/09.
Since Ecostore is new to this area, they have been doing a lot of giveaways. I was sad to see that I had missed a chance at a $500 gift card. But, you can add them on Twitter
and Facebook
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Ellis Family Update
The girls are at my sister's house right now. This is the first time we've been away from Chloe more than just a few hours and it's the first time since we had Emma six years ago that we've been away from her and it wasn't work related (aside from one night away, less than 24 hours on our 10th anniversary just a couple of months ago). Adam and I have really enjoyed getting to spend some alone time together. Now that Chloe is weaned, I think we'll do this more often, if my mom and sister can handle it. Last Friday, we met my sister and her family at Six Flags and handed the girls off. I have to admit that I've done very well and have enjoyed the break. But, some time yesterday my heart felt a little hole start to creep in and I'm longing for them. We are going to go over for my nieces first birthday tomorrow and I will be anxiously counting the hours until I meet my sister in Montgomery to get my babies. It has been nice to catch up on my blog posts and some things around the house.
I haven't taken many pictures lately. I had to send my camera into Canon for some work. But, I wanted to get caught up with the few things I did get in the last couple of weeks.
My friend Rebecca's little boy stayed with us for a week so their nanny could take a trip to the beach. Chloe just loves Mason and Emma enjoyed him too.
His favorite toy here was the vacuum cleaner. I figured it was good training for the future, just in case Chloe keeps her affections for him :). Emma of course insisted that he played dress up so, here he is as our Dirt Devil King.
I took Mason and the girls to the library because as part of the summer reading program, they were having the "reptile and amphibian guy" do a demonstration. Now if you know me at all. You know I have a tremendous fear of snakes. I get scared of a crayon colored picture of a snake. When I was a child, I took the blankets off my bed every night before I got into bed to make sure there were no snakes. If I see a snake or a snake on TV, I'll have nightmares for days. Some have called this fear irrational. I do not consider a fear of something that is dangerous as irrational. I have many people in my life that have some sort of psychology degree. I DO NOT FEEL THE NEED TO RID MYSELF OF THIS FEAR, IRRATIONAL OR NOT. IF YOU TRY TO PUT ME INTO CONTACT WITH A SNAKE TO TRY TO "HELP" ME. YOU ARE LIKELY TO DIE. IF I DON'T DIE OF A HEART ATTACK FIRST.
But, my sweet little six year old insisted that the reptile and amphibian guy had been to her school and that he only had things like frogs and turtles and alligators. No snakes. Alligators are fine.. I realize that alligators are more dangerous than some snakes. I don't care hence the irrational part. But anyway, due to Emma's description of the show, we sat on the first row.
There were more pictures... Most of them came out clearly because I was shaking so badly.
Did you notice his smirk in the second picture. I'm pretty sure that he sensed my uneasiness. Not that it wasn't obvious. Therefore, he decided to hold each and every snake directly over my head. Something tells me he is single and will remain that way. There was a mom sitting behind me that kept committing on how pretty the snakes were. I thought she was pretty ignorant but that didn't keep me from sitting in her lap by the time the show was over.
Emma is grounded for life. Just kidding... She still insists that she was telling the truth. I feel sure she has a career in politics somewhere in her future.
Alas, on to better things...
We found out about this lake that is only 20 minutes from our house. It has a beach and a few water slides and diving boards and it's only 5 dollars for adults and 3 for children. We were very excited about this discovery.
I wasn't going to post this picture of Adam in all of his white glory but, I'm pretty sure that the girl in the bikini was checking him out and I just couldn't resist. And by the end of the day, he had turned to a nice shade of candy apple red..
Here is a picture of Emma with a friend she made. The kid makes friends everywhere she goes. I only wish I was as social as she.
And last but not least, our trip to Six Flags. These pictures were copied off of facebook from Denise's account. So, sorry about the resolution. I'm quite sure
that she is making me a CD so that I can have higher res. pictures for our family yearbook ;)
I will post the rest when I get them from Aunt Denise.
Blessings,
Dana
I haven't taken many pictures lately. I had to send my camera into Canon for some work. But, I wanted to get caught up with the few things I did get in the last couple of weeks.
My friend Rebecca's little boy stayed with us for a week so their nanny could take a trip to the beach. Chloe just loves Mason and Emma enjoyed him too.
His favorite toy here was the vacuum cleaner. I figured it was good training for the future, just in case Chloe keeps her affections for him :). Emma of course insisted that he played dress up so, here he is as our Dirt Devil King.
I took Mason and the girls to the library because as part of the summer reading program, they were having the "reptile and amphibian guy" do a demonstration. Now if you know me at all. You know I have a tremendous fear of snakes. I get scared of a crayon colored picture of a snake. When I was a child, I took the blankets off my bed every night before I got into bed to make sure there were no snakes. If I see a snake or a snake on TV, I'll have nightmares for days. Some have called this fear irrational. I do not consider a fear of something that is dangerous as irrational. I have many people in my life that have some sort of psychology degree. I DO NOT FEEL THE NEED TO RID MYSELF OF THIS FEAR, IRRATIONAL OR NOT. IF YOU TRY TO PUT ME INTO CONTACT WITH A SNAKE TO TRY TO "HELP" ME. YOU ARE LIKELY TO DIE. IF I DON'T DIE OF A HEART ATTACK FIRST.
But, my sweet little six year old insisted that the reptile and amphibian guy had been to her school and that he only had things like frogs and turtles and alligators. No snakes. Alligators are fine.. I realize that alligators are more dangerous than some snakes. I don't care hence the irrational part. But anyway, due to Emma's description of the show, we sat on the first row.
There were more pictures... Most of them came out clearly because I was shaking so badly.
Did you notice his smirk in the second picture. I'm pretty sure that he sensed my uneasiness. Not that it wasn't obvious. Therefore, he decided to hold each and every snake directly over my head. Something tells me he is single and will remain that way. There was a mom sitting behind me that kept committing on how pretty the snakes were. I thought she was pretty ignorant but that didn't keep me from sitting in her lap by the time the show was over.
Emma is grounded for life. Just kidding... She still insists that she was telling the truth. I feel sure she has a career in politics somewhere in her future.
Alas, on to better things...
We found out about this lake that is only 20 minutes from our house. It has a beach and a few water slides and diving boards and it's only 5 dollars for adults and 3 for children. We were very excited about this discovery.
I wasn't going to post this picture of Adam in all of his white glory but, I'm pretty sure that the girl in the bikini was checking him out and I just couldn't resist. And by the end of the day, he had turned to a nice shade of candy apple red..
Here is a picture of Emma with a friend she made. The kid makes friends everywhere she goes. I only wish I was as social as she.
And last but not least, our trip to Six Flags. These pictures were copied off of facebook from Denise's account. So, sorry about the resolution. I'm quite sure
that she is making me a CD so that I can have higher res. pictures for our family yearbook ;)
I will post the rest when I get them from Aunt Denise.
Blessings,
Dana
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday's Tips and Tricks-- What Your Child's Teacher Wants You to Know about Kindergarten
My how the summer has flown and how surprised am I that it is already time to start getting Emma ready to go back to school.. sigh... Sending my oldest child to Kindergarten was quite a traumatic experience for me. Instead of re-hashing the emotions, if you feel so inclined, you can read about it HERE. But take my word for it, you would have thought that I was sending my oldest off to college. For those of you that are sending your little one off for the first time this year, let me say that we did survive and it was a wonderful year and Emma grew in beautiful ways. Both, in knowledge and in character. Though I'm going to miss my little delight during the days, and I'm certainly not looking forward to the horrible wake times, this year is sure to be less traumatic. One of the things that helped me survive those first days of Kindergarten was having a sister who is a Kindergarten teacher. Having her reassurance that Emma's teacher wanted her to succeed as much as I and having her share tips with me on how to help Emma succeed helped me to approach the situation with confidence. So, I was very excited when Denise very willingly agreed to do a guest post about the things she wishes the parents of her students knew about Kindergarten.. And so without further delay, I'll stop rambling on and let you hear from the expert...
When Dana first asked me to do a guest post about kindergarten for her blog, I asked myself what I would most want my kindergartener’s parents to know BEFORE their students enter my classroom. I decided there are a few things for which I would love parents to prepare both themselves and their little ones. So here goes….. Lessons I would love to give first time kindergarten parents:
First- We teach because we love children. We want your children to do their very best. Kindergarten is the foundation on which your child will build a lifetime of education, so when we tell you that your child needs to do this or that, it is generally because we love them-- just as you punish them and discipline them because you love them, we do the same. So please don’t ever think that a kindergarten teacher has “it in” for your child….your child becomes ours too and that is why we do what we do!
Having said that, I would love to give you some practical things to think about as you get your little one ready to begin their educational journey:
1. Overalls are so cute on young children but have you ever tried to buckle fifteen pairs after a bathroom break and still make it to the lunchroom on time? Please save those for the weekend. Your child’s teacher will really appreciate it.
2. Either teach your child to tie shoes or buy buckles, Velcro or slip-ons. Double knots do not last all day and shoes generally come off at nap time. This is also a time that your child’s teacher will thank you when she is not tying shoes allllll day!
3. Take your little boys to a public restroom before school starts and make sure that they know what a urinal is. Also, make sure that they know that their pants should be pulled all the way up before they approach the restroom door.
4. Practice makes perfect… practice opening chip bags, putting straws in drink boxes, and opening pudding cups. Your student will feel so powerful at lunch and snack.
5. Let your child dress themselves. I know that you feel the need to help them but they can learn how to put on their coat, sweater or jacket. I promise. Again a powerful experience for them!
6. Flip flops! Oh, flip flops! Another clothing item that is best left for the weekend. Even if they can keep them on their feet while walking down the hall in a line, flip flops become very distracting during large group rug time when they easily slip off to become toys or weapons.
7. Your child will be using scissors, pencils, glue, crayons, markers, and paper. It will be beneficial if they have experienced these supplies before entering the classroom. They will thank you for it later when they can cut and color in a straight line.
8. Finally, READ, READ, READ! Read to your child! Read with your child! Read in front of your child! Talk to your child about what they read! Talk to your child about what you read! You are your child’s first teacher! They will treasure what you treasure. Make reading and learning one of those things!
I will close just by saying that I absolutely love, love, love being a kindergarten teacher. I have met very few kindergarten teachers who do not feel the same. When your child walks into our kindergarten classroom for the first time, they become someone else’s child too! For all parents out there, I want to thank you for sharing your children with us. To date, I have one biological child and 72 that I have because God gave me the honor of being the one to help them begin their educational journey. I look forward to each school year as much as my incoming students. I look forward to adding 20 more to my family this year and I hope that each of you will have a wonderful experience this coming year!
Remember that knowledge is the only thing that no one can take from you! If you want to leave your children with a truly worthwhile gift…..give them knowledge!
There are a couple of other items I remember Denise sharing with me through the year. So, I'm going to add those here:
1. If you have a little girl that wears dresses, put shorts under them.. Do I really need to explain further?
2. The overalls, same thing applies to jewelry and hair barrettes. Try to put things on your kids that will stay on them. It interrupts valuable teaching time for the teacher to have to try to keep up with those items.
3. When your child gets in trouble, try to keep in mind that the teacher is trying to train them for the future. And, it is very difficult for a teacher to teach while someone is misbehaving. It is difficult for any parent to hear that their child has done something wrong (I have a lot of experience with this). I'm not saying that there is never a time to stand in your child's defense but, for the most part, if you place blame on the teacher, you're teaching your child to place blame also instead of taking responsibility for their actions. Emma was one of the few kids in her class that got a medal for "star behavior". I feel strongly the reason for that was because she didn't have "star behavior" in preschool and her teacher lovingly disciplined her. Not, because she had it out for her but because she believed in her. I'm so thankful that she saw some things about Emma that as parents, we were too biased to see.
4. Oh and an important one: When you send money to school for different things, ice cream, lunch, bookfair, whatever. The teacher does not have a cash register in her classroom nor the ability to make change. Either have exact change or write a check for the exact amount. Put the money for each individual purpose in individual envelopes with the purpose of the money and any other information that your child's school requires clearly stated on the envelope (name, class number etc).
I know that there are other teachers and parents with experience in this area that sometimes read here. If you have tips that can be added here, please, please, share with us!
Blessings,
Dana
Monday, July 27, 2009
Manic Monday-- Free Coffee at McDonalds
I didn't browse around for an activity for my kids today because today's activity for my girls is being at Nonna's house which is way more fun than the activities that I supply. And, my activity is playing catchup without having to worry about neglecting my sweet girls. I know, I'm the luckiest girl in the whole USA. It's the first time in six years that we haven't had either teenagers or our own children with us for more than a couple of hours and I must say, Adam and I are really enjoying our second honeymoon. But those of you that are not quite as fortunate to have a safe and fun place to send your kids so that you can get a staycation without your kiddos, McDonald's is giving away free coffee today from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Find out about that HERE
And if you fit into that category of people desperately needing that cup of coffee, I doubt that you have time to hang out on my blog all day but just in case, I've made up a new definition for "going postal" The post-modern definition is what mommy bloggers do when they have free time without their kiddos. They run to their blog and write posts about all the fleeting thoughts they've had in recent months. So, if you do so dare, continue on but I must warn you, there are a few soapboxes I've climbed up on.. So, read at your own risk!
Blessings,
Dana
And if you fit into that category of people desperately needing that cup of coffee, I doubt that you have time to hang out on my blog all day but just in case, I've made up a new definition for "going postal" The post-modern definition is what mommy bloggers do when they have free time without their kiddos. They run to their blog and write posts about all the fleeting thoughts they've had in recent months. So, if you do so dare, continue on but I must warn you, there are a few soapboxes I've climbed up on.. So, read at your own risk!
Blessings,
Dana
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