I LOVE COUPONS!!!

Guam is not a coupon users paradise. However, CA has been! I have been having a BLAST. I am having so much fun and saving a ton of $$. I am going to start sharing photos of my good deals. Here is my picture from last night's shopping trip. I stopped at our local Ralph's and purchased:

4 pkgs. of Oscar Meyer hot dogs
2 pkgs. of Kool Aid Fun Fizz
1 bag of Dibs
2 bags of Rhodes dinner rolls
4 boxes of Green Giant vegi's
2 bags of Green Giant steam fresh vegi's
2 boxes of Stouffers pannini's
2 toothbrushes
4 packs of gum
1 French's mustard
1 Ken's salad dressing
2 pkgs of q-tips
1 pkg of Pampers baby wipes

Are you ready for this? Before coupons and Ralph's card my total was $88 and some change. After? $19.66!!! Less than $20!

I have heard people say that they don't use coupons, because they can't find coupons for the things they use. I can tell you that every single one of those items will be used. This was such a fun trip. Tomorrow is Target and CVS. Friday, Wal Mart and Walgreens. I love saving money!

old fashioned

(Etan helping his Grandpa with woodworking)


(Harmony with her cousin Wyatt and Grandma working on a sewing project)

I am very old fashioned in the way I think. It also comes about in the way I raise my kids. Having only one girl, I feel the need to teach her homemaking skills...Cleaning, laundry, cooking, crafts etc.

However, having 4 boys, I feel that the skills they need, are taught more by their dad. Although with him being deployed or gone often, I also have to teach them those skills. Taking out the trash, caring for the lawn, being gentleman...but also cleaning up, cooking and being the "man of the house". Each boy has helped me to pump gas at least once.

I thought it was very interesting, while at my parents house, how the kids naturally went to their Grandparents and helped/were taught new skills.

I know that both genders need to learn both sets of skills, in case they are on their own for awhile, but I just found this interesting.

**BTW- yes I do realize that while I am talking about gender roles etc, that the picture of my mom and daughter, there is a BOY, he was actually just playing with the pins)

Muffin mania

(same nephew, different son getting the last drop!)

(My son and nephew licking a batter bowl clean!)

Muffins are pretty much a staple at my house. And not just for breakfast either! Harmony is the only one that likes nuts and so I have to omit them a lot :(
Here are our favorites though:

chocolate chip (of course!!)
bannana (sometimes I sneak walnuts in)
strawberry
bannana streusel (Ethan's ultimate favorite!)
blueberry
cinnamon streusel
chocolate made with pumpkin puree& a cake mix
spice/carrot made with pumpkin puree & a cake mix
Lemon poppy seed

What about you? What are your favorite kind of muffins?

Sew much fun!!

Growing up, I was a tomboy. I had no interest in learning how to cook, sew, cross stitch...or anything that my Mom was teaching my older sisters. Now as a wife and mother, there are skills that I wished I had learned. Hindsight is 20/20 right? Well, while I was at my Mom's, she helped me to sew my first item...a pair of pj pants! After a fabric buying trip to the store, I returned home with lots of fun fabrics and patterns. But the first thing I wanted to learn was pj pants.

I made these pants for...Connor. However, Ivan stole them! Luckily he and Connor wear the same size. Ivan told me that the next pair can be for Connor. (: I am looking forward to many more sewing adventures!

You did WHAT?

(Ivan meeting Grandma after a long day of traveling!)

When people heard that I was flying from Guam to Washington, the first words out of people's mouths were, " are you insane?!". But I knew that although it would be hard, I could get through it. I have had trips where I was over prepared, and trips that I was under prepared...a trip through the O'Hare airport with a child who had a poopy diaper and I had no extra's comes to mind. Bless the nice lady in the bathroom who gave me one of her child's!

Anyway, this was my list for Mason (who is not yet 1):
lots of diapers
wipes
baby food/utensils/bottles
diaper rash cream
bibs (throw away kind)
diaper sacks
3 extra outfits (he ended up getting changed in every airport we were in)
burp cloths
blanket
toys
tylenol

My other kids had backpacks full of:
favorite snacks
gum
coloring books and new crayons/markers
empty notebook
stickers
magazines
etch a sketch
magna doodle
travel pillow
a chapter book
DS/games
sippy cup (for my 5 year old who has a tendancy to spill!)

I also brought something that saved me...a surge protector! At every airport I was able to charge up all of the video games and my lap top.

The kids did an amazing job on the plane. I am glad I don't have to do it again though!

Product Review-Got 2 B

*I was provided a sample through Got 2 B hair products. I am not being compensated for my review. All thoughts are my opinion*

I was recently contacted by Bzzz Agent, if I would be interested in trying out a sample for Got 2 b Smooth Operator hair products. As I have ALWAYS had insane fly aways, I thought it would be fun to try!

Like I said, I have always had fly aways. If I don't dry and flat iron my hair right away...well it is not a pretty sight!

When I recieved the samples in the mail, I was anxious to use it. Upon openng it, the smell was fabulous! I really liked the fruity scent.

As for the product itself? Well, this is not the first time I have tried a smoothing product. I have to say, that in the actual using of the product,I didn't notice a difference between Got 2 B and any other smoothing products. I wish I could say I did but I really didn't.

Did it work well?Yes it did.

Would I buy it again? Sure, for a good price and with a coupon.

Did I notice a difference between it and other products claiming the same thing? Nope

The generous people at Got 2 B did send me samples and free coupons to share. So if you are interested in some samples, high value coupons and one free item coupon, leave a comment! That is all you have to do! For an extra entry (please leave a seperate comment) you can follow me on this blog. If you want another entry, follow me on Facebook! (Please leave a seperate comment for that also!)
If you already do follow me, just let me know!