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Sunday, October 9, 2011

So I Went To Rite Aid Today...

...and I got all this stuff!!


I had a great shopping trip to Rite Aid this afternoon! I got almost everything I wanted, and will likely go back Wednesday when their truck comes in and get the three items I wasn't able to get.

I started this trip with $16,50 in UP+ Rewards from my awesome trip last week. Here's what I got today:

1 Scope Dual Blast Mouthwash
1 Crest Complete Toothpaste
2 Colgate Optic White Toothpaste
1 Hyland's Cough & Cold Medicine
1 Chloraseptic Throat Spray
1 Rite Aid Hand Sanitizer
1 Cepacol Throat Lozenges
1 Comtrex Cold & Sinus Medicine
1 Bayer Aspirin
2 Carefree Pantiliners
1 Blistex
1 Preparation H Totables
1 Burt's Bees Throat Drops
2 Luden's Cough Drops

Total retail value of all of the above items = $72.43

Total I spent = $3.39 + tax

Tax was $3.64 (more than my sub-total!), so the total amount I paid was $7.03! For more than $70.00 worth of stuff!! And all stuff that my family will use or I can donate!

To sweeten the pot, I still have $19.50 in UP+ Rewards to use for future shopping trips!!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Weight Watchers: Week 3

Today was our weigh-in for week 3 of Weight Watchers. I wasn't expecting great things this week, as I used a TON of my weekly points, and I was right. I only lost 0.4 lbs this week, but hey - it's still a loss! I am down a total of 8 lbs. in three weeks, so I can't complain! I have 15 lbs. to go to meet my goal weight.

My wonderful husband, on the other hand, rocked it this week with a 2.2 lb. loss! He's down a total of 14 lbs. in three weeks! Way to go, babe!

I plan on using lots of weekly points tomorrow - it's date night, and we're headed to Wasabi!! :-)

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

My CVS Trip Today


I had another great drugstore run today - this time to CVS! I was surprised that they had everything on my list, especially since it's already Tuesday. Usually, they are out of most of the good deals by Monday. I started out with $13.79 in Extra Bucks. Here's what I bought:

6 Dove Shampoos & Conditioners
1 Schick Hydro 5 Razor
1 Skintimate Shave Cream
2 2-pk Reach Toothbrushes

Total retail value of all the above items = $54.90

After the sale prices were applied and I used all my coupons and Extra Bucks from last week, I paid a total of $0.00 + tax! Yes, folks, that's ZERO DOLLARS!! I only paid sales tax for all of the stuff pictured above!

On top of that, I also received $13.00 in Extra Bucks to use on my next shopping trip!!

For those of you that doubt, couponing really does work! I am living proof!

Monday, October 3, 2011

My Rite Aid Trip Today


I am so super excited about my trip to Rite Aid this afternoon! The P&G insert this week had a super-high value coupon for Cover Girl - $8.00 off any 2 Cover Girl products! I use a ton of Cover Girl products! I bought 5 papers yesterday just for this coupon!

I started with $10.69 in UP+ Rewards from last week, and I bought the following:

4 Cover Girl eye shadows (in my favorite color!)
2 Cover Girl blushes (also my favorite color)
2 Cover Girl mascaras (again - favorite kind!)
1 pair of No Nonsense pantyhose
1 bottle of Pert Plus Shampoo
1 bottle of Scope Mouthwash

Total retail value of all of the above = $63.09

After the sale prices were applied and I used all my coupons and UP+ Rewards from last week, my total was only $0.42 + tax!! Forty two cents!!!

On top of that, I earned $16.50 in UP+ Rewards to use on my next trip!!!

And that, my friends, is why I coupon!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Weight Watchers: Week 2

Today was our weekly weigh-in and as promised, I'm here to share our results. This week wasn't nearly as good as last week, but we didn't expect it to be. Adam and I both lost 1.2 lbs. this week! I was a little disappointed about not losing more; however, when I logged on to record my weight, I had a message pop up that said I was losing weight too quickly and to please slow down! :-)

So far, I am down 7.6 lbs. and Adam is down 11.8 lbs! We are thrilled with this and look forward to continuing our journey to our goal weight! Only 15.4 more lbs. for me!!

Friday, September 23, 2011

One Year

One year ago today, I had a breakfast date at Cracker Barrel with the coolest 2 year old in town! Afterwards, we went to the park and played, then went to Kroger to pick up a few things, then back home for lunch and a nap.

How do I remember all of this? Because I was 9 months pregnant, and at 4:30 in the afternoon when B got up from his nap, my water broke! Two hours and 47 minutes later, my sweet baby girl was born (still in the triage room!) and my life changed (again!) forever.




Sweet baby girl, I love you with every fiber of my being. Only when you become a Mama yourself will you understand how I love you and your brother. I've gotta admit, thought, little girl - I wondered about you. You see, it had just been your brother for 2 1/2 years, and I love him so very much. I wondered how there would be enough love to go around. But I didn't need to worry. The second they placed you in my arms, my heart grew twice as big, and I loved you just as much as I love him. You bring so much joy to every single day, and your Daddy and I love you more than life!

Happy birthday, baby girl!

Weight Watchers: Week 1

If you remember, Adam and I started Weight Watchers this past Monday. We're doing Weight Watchers online, and we picked Friday as our official weigh-in day. So this morning when we got up, we both weighed in. It's not technically been a week yet, since we only started Monday. So in five days, Adam lost 10.6 pounds and I have lost 6.4 pounds!

I am incredibly proud of both of us! It's great to see those numbers on the scale drop (especially since I thought I was going to starve to death the first two days we were into it!). Here's to keeping with the plan and seeing our weight continue to drop!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

My Goal For Today...

...is to clip and file ALL of these coupons that I have been so lazy as to not get to the past couple of weeks! It's raining here today, so we'll be staying in and I might as well tackle it!

What are you're plans for today?

Happy Tuesday, y'all!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Starting The Journey

Twelve years and two kids will do a lot of things to you. When I married my husband more than 12 years ago, I weighed a very healthy 119 pounds. He weighed about 180 or so - very healthy for his size, too.

Fast forward 12 years and 2 kids later - suffice it to say, we don't weigh that anymore! Not anywhere close! So we've finally decided to do something about it.

Together, we've joined millions of others in the Weight Watchers program. My BFF joined Weight Watchers a couple of months ago and has lost over 20 lbs. already! So Adam and I have decided to give it a try. We're doing the online program (with both of us doing it, it'd be impossible to get a babysitter every week for the meetings/weigh-ins) - we signed up last night and officially started this morning.

My weight goal is to lose 23 pounds. My point goal per day is 29. It's just after lunch, and I've already used 19 of my points! Guess I've got some work to do, huh? :-)

We've chosen to weigh in on Fridays (my husband's logic is that if we splurge on the weekend, we'll have all week to work it back off!). I'll share each week how I'm doing and any good recipes I find along the way. If you are on this journey as well, I'd love to hear your stories! Please feel free to comment!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

What I Did With My Free Carrots


I had four pounds of carrots that I got for free (plus overage!) at Wal-Mart this week. We don't eat a ton of carrots (who does?), but I didn't want them to go to waste, so I decided to can them to use in beef stew, veggie soup, etc. I gave some to my Mom and kept some for myself.

I might just turn out to be a little homemaker after all!

PS - If you're interested, you can go here to find out how I canned them!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Why I Love Using Coupons

First, let me apologize for being MIA in bloggy-land for a couple of weeks. We've been super busy, and decided at the last minute to go to the beach the last week of August. Life just kind of got in the way! So I apologize! Now, on to today's post...

If you know anything about me, it's that I love to save my family money on the things we need. In fact, as a stay at home Mom, it's a big part of my job. My husband works very hard, and it's my job to stretch that money as far as possible. Using coupons allows me to do just that! Take, for example, my trip to Wal-Mart this morning. I didn't need much - just a loaf of bread for supper tonight. But I had coupons for everything else. Here's what I bought:


2 boxes of K-Y Jelly
6 travel size Tide detergents
4 trial size Cascade Action packs
2 one-pound bags of carrots
1 loaf of Italian bread

Before coupons, my sub-total (before taxes) was $18.62.

After my coupons were deducted, my sub-total was just $2.12. $2.12!! That's a savings of 89%!!

The K-Y will be donated, and everything else will be used by my family.

You may ask why I bought the K-Y if I didn't need it. At Wal-Mart, they allow for what's called "coupon overage". This means that regardless of what the price of the product is, the full value of the coupon will be deducted. For example, the K-Y was priced at $2.84. I had a coupon for $3.00 off any K-Y product. This means the product was totally free, plus I had $0.16 in coupon overage!

When I can get a product for free, I always do, even if it's something my family can't/won't use. There are lots of places that would be thrilled with the donation. We don't have a ton of extra cash to give to charity, but this allows me to do something without spending a lot of money.

Occasionally, I will highlight some of my best shopping trips here on my blog. Feel free to chime in with your best trips as well! Leave a comment with a link to a blog (if you have one), or just tell me kind of deals you scored this week! I'd love to hear from you!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

25 Manners Kids Should Know

While browsing my new favorite website, I came across this on my friend Sarah's boards. I really enjoyed it, so I thought I'd share it with you.

25 Manners Kids Should Know
1. When asking for something, say "Please".
2. When receiving something, say "Thank you".
3. Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.
4. If you do need to get someone's attention right away, the phrase "excuse me" is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation.
5. When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later.
6. The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, out of the earshot of adults.
7. Do not comment on other people's physical characteristics unless, of course, it's to compliment them, which is always welcome.
8. When people ask how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are.
9. When you have spent time at your friend's house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had,
10. Knock on closed doors - and wait to see if there's a response - before entering.
11. When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.
12. Be appreciative and say "thank you" for any gift you receive. In the age of e-mail, a handwritten thank-you note can have a powerful effect.
13. Never use foul language in front of adults. Grown-ups already know all those words, and they find them boring and unpleasant.
14. Don't call people mean names.
15. Do not make fun of anyone for any reason. Teasing shows others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel.
16. Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit thru it quietly and pretend that you are interested. The performers and presenters are doing their best.
17. If you bump into somebody, immediately say "Excuse me".
18. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don't pick your nose in public.
19. As you walk thru a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.
20. If you come across a parent, a teacher or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say "yes", do so - you may learn something new.
21. When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile.
22. When someone helps you, say "Thank you". That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers.
23. Use eating utensils properly. If you are unsure how to do so, ask your parents to teach you or watch what adults do.
24. Keep a napkin on your lap; use it to wipe your mouth when necessary.
25. Don't reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.

What other manners do you think kids should be taught?

In The Kitchen - Soup's On!

There's just a touch of fall in the air in the early morning hours here at our house and I love it! It's still hot in the afternoon, but those cooler mornings have me longing for a big pot of soup simmering on the stove! So today, I'd like you to share your favorite soup recipes!

Two of my favorite soups are Taco Soup and Baked Potato Soup (which I once forgot to use baked potatoes for, but that's another story!). I have no idea where I got the recipe for Taco Soup, but the Baked Potato Soup recipe came from allrecipes.com. Here are the recipes, in case you'd like to try them out soon:

Taco Soup

2 lb. ground chuck, browned and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
4 (16 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can pinto or kidney beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 qt. water

Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with corn chips, shredded Cheddar cheese and sour cream.


12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all purpose flour
7 cups milk
4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and green onions (reserving a few for garnish). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in bacon (reserving some for garnish), Cheddar cheese (reserving some for garnish), sour cream, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese in melted. Serve topped with reserved green onions, bacon and Cheddar cheese.

If you'd like, I love to hear your favorite soup recipes! If this goes well, I'd like to make this a weekly feature here on my blog - a place to share our favorite recipes.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Homeschooling your Preschooler

We have decided to do "preschool" at home this fall, starting sometime after Labor Day. B is almost 3 1/2 and while we have always taken learning opportunities as they come, we will be doing a more structured "school" time.

I purchased four Pre-K books from The Mailbox to use as our "curriculum". This year, we will focus on the Alphabet, Numbers and Colors & Shapes. While B is fairly proficient in these areas already (he can recognize and name all the letters of the alphabet, count to 15 - as well as count objects - and can recognize and name all of the basic colors and shapes), we will be working to solidify these for him, as well as begin working on the sounds the letters make, learning our numbers to at least 20, etc.

I also bought a Day-by-Day lesson plan book for Pre-K. Each week we will have a different "theme", such as weather, community helpers, getting along with others, etc. The plans include craft ideas, books to read, corresponding activities.

I am excited about "school" this fall and think this will be a great learning experience, and a trial period to see if homeschooling is really the way we want to go for our kids. I am interested if any of you have homeschooled your children, and if so, any tips you may have. We are totally new to this and while we've researched homeschooling quite a bit, we have so much to learn.

And with that, I'll leave you with a picture of my beautiful babies, taken this afternoon...



P.S. - Did you know it's hard to get a picture of a teething baby without her hands in her mouth? Or chewing on her shirt? I gave up on trying!


Sunday, August 14, 2011

My New Favorite Website

So I have a new favorite website. It's called pinterest.com. Have ya'll heard of it? I hadn't until a few days ago when my friend Tara told me about it. It's great! I don't know of another way to describe it than to call it a virtual bulletin board.

Here's how it works - say you're surfing the web and you see something you like and you think "Hey, that's a great idea. I need to bookmark that or print it off and file it so I'll remember it". But then your computer crashes or you forget you printed it off. With Pinterest, you "pin" the website to a "board" and it's always there. You can have as many boards as you want, too. I've got boards for homeschooling ideas, crafts, recipes, house ideas, kids, etc.

I know it sounds confusing, but trust me - if you just try it, I know you'll love it! If you'd like to try it, just shoot me your e-mail address and I'll send you an invite! (I don't know if you can sign up on your own - you probably can, but my friend sent me an invite).

A Fresh Start

So, can I just tell ya'll? I totally abandoned this blog last year. And I miss it. So I've decided to start over - a fresh start, if you will! So join me - sit down, grab a cup of coffee and follow along as I share about our life. You can also follow me on Twitter @ stella_clark.

Check back often as I blog about anything and everything!