MailBox Monday~!

Since joining The Grocery Game, I have also been reading several new blogs, money saving ones to be exact! I have signed up for lots of free stuff and I am happy to report that it's some of it's starting to trickle in :)~

Over the course of last week I received:

* Free bag of popcorn with a coupon flyer (from startmakingchoices.com)

* Betty Crocker newsletter (with $10 worth of coupons)

* Soap Opera Digest- week of April 7, 2009

* Women's Health- March 2009

* Women's Health- April 2009

Yes folks, all of these things were FREE! I don't have a lot of time to read magazines, but I'll save them up and have something to read when we go camping. Or on the rare occassion that I get to take a LONG, HOT BATH ALONE!!!!

Spring Break- Day 1, Bouncing Off The Walls

$13 to play for SEVERAL HOURS

$10 for lunch (Quizno's)

$10 Grocery run to Safeway (saved 80%)

$32 Trip to WalMart (not DIRE essentials, but DESERVED)

Sunday Savings @ Safeway

Since we did not make it to Mass last night, Wayne took MacKenzie to church in Warm Springs. Gabe and I stayed home, since he is NOT ALLOWED in church there. The church is smaller than our house, and there are not many pews to sit in- thus any noise made can be heard. And yes, my son is FULL of noises, all sorts!

Gabe and I had a leisurely time. We sat in bed, watched some TV, read a book, talked and played. Which was a nice change. I thought someone had taken my sweet child and was never going to return him. But his bout with whatever was giving him an attitude problem seems to have left the building :)~ YAY!

Wayne came home and cooked breakfast. Gabe and I had already eaten, but Gabe decided he needed to eat again :)~ Growing boy!

Then the kids and Wayne watched some TV and took naps. I took the opportunity to go to town ALL ALONE! Made a quick trip to the grocery store. Spent $33 and saved 76%! Woo Hoo! I was happy with my purchases.

Tomorrow I am going to take the kids to a place called Bouncing off the Walls, or something like that! My cousin took her son there for a mommy date on his 1st bday. He loved it! So I am going to meet her there with my friend and her kids. I am sure the kids will love it. I am just a little concerned with Gabe. It would be LOVELY if he played so hard that he took a nice nap on the way home! Good enough that he would sleep through my stop to Safeway & WalMart! LOL! I can always be hopeful! And no, not leaving him by himself, we are carpooling and I am the only one who needs to stop! Ok, almost 10pm and I have to be up and out of here by 9 am- YUCK! It's hard to get up early these days since I don't get much sleep as it is!

Blah Day

Well I can't say that I did much of anything today. I did not feel well. Not sure really what was up with that? I had a headache that never really went away. Thank goodness my little man has decided to feel better and have a change of attitude. This mama greatly appreciates it :)~

Papa came out to work on the boat all day. They thought they were gonna get the motor all put back together, but at the very end something got broken and the parts store was already closed- for the weekend! So they will have to deal with that on Monday.

Nana came out for a little bit. She is under the weather with a head cold, so did not stay long. But her & papa missed the big #2 bday party, so she NEEDED to come out & see Gabe-man & his new toys!

Late this afternoon Gabe, Mac & I all took a nap! It was nice. After the nap & hubs coming in to get cleaned up, the 2 of us went to have dinner out- without the kids! It was supposed to be kinda a date night. No such luck, they in-laws walked in just as we ordered. They ordered & sat with us. It was a nice visit, but we live a mile (if that) from them so we see them a lot! LOL! Oh well, not complaining. No kids and adult conversation and GOOD CHINESE- it was worth it!

Ok, hoping to convince hubby to let me get out of here in the morning to do some shopping, BY MYSELF! So I need to get going!

Official Birthday Party

Gabe started blowing the candles as soon as he saw them!


They had to be relit SEVERAL times, lol!

We weren't even done singing and the left one is out!

Aunt Sherri's present was the 1st to be opened. Matchbox cars and a red bucket to contain them all! Good choice!

Aunt Joanie was the BIG WINNER! She got a set of 4 monster trucks. See blond boy Oli checking them out! Those 2 boys played for an hour with the trucks! Vrroommm!

Saving Lots of Money!

At the end of January my cousin, Vanessa told me about this thing she was doing called The Grocery Game. I had never heard of it. She sent me some info and I read up on it and I decided to sign up. It was $1 for a month. A lady named Terri started the wholle thing who knows how long ago. Anyhow, she & her people research all the sales @ certain stores for the week. They post a "list" of the good buys and what coupons to use. I figured I would try it, not knowing just how much I would use it or how much savings there would actually be. Since I live in poe-dunk-ville there was only 1 store to choose from, Safeway- which is where I do my shopping anyway. I re-subscribed to the newspaper and started clipping. At 1st, I wasn't saving what I wanted. But I found it was because I didn't have a lot of the older coupons. Now that I have been doing this since the beginning of February I have most all that are called for. My stockpile has increased a lot! My freezer is full, my pantry is bursting and I have enough soaps, etc to last awhile! I have been getting freebies, and I even have a give-away pile to take to a shelter! I get quite a rush from shopping, especially when I am saving over 80%! It's incredible.

I now cook from what's in my pantry and shop for only what's on sale- unless it's an item that I have to have (milk, bread, cheese). So there is no more spending money to cook a special item, when none of the items needed to fix it are on sale! I calculated all of of my savings the other day and I am happy to report that I have saved over 55%! Granted, it could be better, but this includes a HUGE stockpile of diapers and wipes for a new baby that will arrive here soon! And diapers for his big brother! I have over 1000 diapers for the new baby! And probably 500 or so for Gabe-Man! Woo Hoo!!!

I am sure once Luke is born, we will be living off the stockpile I have gathered, since I will not be able to go into town as often to shop. I just hope that doesn't happen for too long. I don't want to deplete my stockpile too much! It has taken a lot to get it where it is now :)~

I was going to take some pics and post, but can't find my camera at the moment. Maybe by my next post! I'm just happy I have now posted 2 days in a row!!! WOOT WOOT!!!

Happy Second Birthday Gabriel!

Gabriel Andrew- November 2007

Old Faithful

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

So, no I can't find any other pics of my young man... They are on my old laptop- a long story!

But this picture is just so dang cute, and he looks like a baby compared to how he looks today! LOL!

But today is not the bestest birthday if you are Gabe-Man. He has been sick since last Thursday or so. Went to the doctor and it was nothing obvious as to why he is sick. Low grade fever, runny/stuffy nose. And nope, he can't tell us what is wrong, just yet anyhow! Today has been a challenge with him. He wants me and then not. Then the same goes for his Dad... but I have to call him out of the shop from working- so that doesn't go over so well when Gabe doesn't want him! Oh well, that's what being a parent is all about, right?!

We are not celebrating Gabe's birthday today. It is Sissy's swim team awards banquet tonight. So that is where we will be. Thinking that we will do something low key here @ our house on Friday. Just cake & ice cream- as it is Lent and a Friday, which means FISH for us Catholic folks. Not gonna spend tons of money to feed 30+ people Fish on Friday! Still gotta iron out the details. Maybe we'll change it to Saturday after Mass @ the pizza place- who knows! But little man NEEDS a party! LOL!

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy (for now you're the baby 'til Luke is here in a month & a half)!