The Coupon Coup

I've MOVED!!!

2009-07-08T07:56:00.003-05:00

After a year of blogging...I've decided I need a little more direction and organization (imagine that) ... with the help of some friends I've created a new bloggy space. Without fail, I'm having technical issues redirecting the feed ... so bear with us. Click on over to SUPER JENN and you can read all of my most recent posts there!!! Bookmark and check back daily...lots of new fun things to read... as well as ALL of the oldies but goodies...I've taken them all with me!

Thanks so much for reading!!!

Fitness Friday/Maternity Mommies Husband of the Year

2009-07-03T21:30:00.003-05:00

We've talked over and over again at Wii Mommies about how support is an imparitive part of your fitness and weight loss success. If you don't have that, you are in for an uphill struggle the entire way. This is the reason that Sarah, Julie and I created the Wii Mommies...to help support you... and to get support for ourselves.

It goes a little bit further than that, however. Its really important to have support at home, as well. Often our spouses, our children...don't understand and make it more difficult for us to accomplish our goals. This is the way it is at my house. While my husband loves and supports me...he doesn't have the same drive that I do for weight loss...and can/will only follow a plan if I lay it out in pieces for him. This is really frustrating for me.

Struggling as I have been the last few months to keep my pregnancy weight gain to a minimum...I don't feel successful, I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything...and I'm VERY anxious about meeting so many of you in just THREE weeks at BlogHer. What will you think? This very round Wii Mommy...

So today, on his day off...my husband and I packed up the kids bright and early...and we took them to his brother's house. His brother and my pregnant sister in law took on our two kids along with their own toddler so that we could go shopping, uniterrupted.

Then my husband proceeded to spend over 2 hours in Motherhood Maternity with me... pulling out every single thing he could find that "might" work...and many that he just hoped would appease me... listening to my snide comments...stepping back when I hormonally snapped at him because only *I* can make those jokes...and holding my hand when I was on the verge of tears.

And do you know...that through all of this he maintained composure...showing a strength of character and strong will that I didn't know existed. I put this man through the RINGER...as I am NOT in the proper state of mind to be shopping.

Then to follow it up....he took me to a tanning salon that does spray on tanning...(he has been on my case about being pasty...see more about THAT on Tuesday)...and sat in the car for half an hour while I got it all figured out. And he only referred to me as "Ross" once. He just couldn't resist.

My point in telling you all of this...is to remind you again of how important it is to continue to support each other. Eric being with me today didn't make me any thinner, didn't make me any more comfortable in my current body...but it did make me feel like I could get through it... like there was a light at the end of this pregnancy...and that, my friends, makes all the difference in the world.

Need some support of your own? Want to read some stellar inspirational stories of fitness and weight loss? Visit the Wii Mommies and read other Fitness Friday posts...then hop on over and join our forum...you just never know what you will find there.

Lawrence Walking School Bus: Volunteer Help Needed

2009-07-02T11:29:00.007-05:00

In accordance with my new outlook on blogging..I've set aside Thursdays to accept posts from groups and organizations in my community that want a little more exposure...another venue to spread the word about their cause or events.

if you are in the Lawrence/Topeka area and would like to submit an article please feel free to Email Me.

This week, my new friend I found on Twitter, Amerika Grewell is writing about the need for organization of a Lawrence Walking School Bus.

In late May the Lawrence school board eliminated bus routes for most students living less than 2.5 miles from their schools. Previously students within a 2.5 mile radius of their school were eligible to "pay to ride" their school bus.

Parents have been encouraged by the school district to pursue alternate modes of transportation to their schools, including walking school buses, bicycle trains, and car pools. At this time there are no formal walking school bus or bicycle train routes in Lawrence, but grass roots attempts are underway to create them.

At its heart, a walking school bus is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults. That may sound simple, and that is part of the appeal. It can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school or as structured as a planned route with meeting points, a timetable and a schedule of trained volunteers.

A variation on the walking school bus is a bicycle train where a group of children and adult leaders ride together to school.

I am looking for parents and community volunteers who are interested in helping to get a Lawrence walking school bus in motion.

***Upcoming opportunities to get involved include***
- Answering questions at the Lawrence Walking School Bus info table at the Red Dog World Record Workout on Wednesday, July 8 either before or after the workout

- Volunteer Coordinator Training, July 7, KCMO, carpool available

- "Driver" training, July 8, Kansas City, MO, carpool available

Anyone attending either training will receive free tickets to the Walk To School Night at the August 9 T-Bones game.

Bridging the Gap will also be holding a community meeting in Lawrence in mid July. Bridging the Gap will also provide a free day long volunteer training at a later date when at least five people are committed to the training.

I encourage you to contact your school's principal and PTO president for more information about your school's participation in this. You are also welcome to email me at amerikag@gmail.com. You can follow our progress towards a walking bus at http://www.twitter.com/amerikag

Useful websites:
http://www.walkingschoolbus.org/
http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/guide/walking_school_bus/index.cfm
http://www.pednet.org/programs/
http://www.kchealthykids.org/Initiative-Walking-School-Bus/Index.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/resources.htm#guide

Wordless Wednesday: 3 Years Ago

2009-07-01T00:01:00.005-05:00

We were married 4 years ago last Wednesday...our Wedding was 3 years ago last Wednesday...and last Friday I finally got around to getting our Wedding Photos...so its kind of exciting to look at them...please excuse the..um..several... that I'm sharing.

Wii Eat Healthy Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal

2009-07-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

One of the new features I am going to give a run is a piece called "Wii Eat Healthy"...as a Wii Mommy I of course want to get fit and be healthy...with a pregnancy that is a pain in my uterus...the exercise portion of my life is slowing down, drastically. I've decided to turn lemons into lemonade and focus my energy on eating more healthfully....and, of course, frugally!

I'm going to use this opportunity to share with you some healthy recipes, some great ways to save money on healthy food, and how to bring more healthy into your kitchen. Over the next four months I will rotate Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks each week...hopefully passing on some great ideas!

This week I'm going to share a breakfast dish I discovered about a month ago on The Thrifty Mama. This recipe for baked oatmeal can be found originally at $5 Dinners. It is quick, healthy, and inexpensive...and everyone in my family loves it!

This recipe is so flexible, you can add whatever fruit you want and it will be fantastic. We used blueberries this time and served it with vanilla yogurt.

My husband topped his off with some crushed strawberries that I was preparing to make jam with and thought that was pretty tasty.

The original recipe can be found at $5 Dinners it is super simple, just oats, eggs, sugar, applesauce and fruit..a little baking soda and some salt.... The Thrifty Mama suggests that you can substitute yogurt for applesauce in the recipe...I've tried it both ways and we liked it better when we baked it with applesauce. We've also cut the recipe in half and found that is a better meal size for our family of four. We just baked it in an 8 x 8 glass pan.

I entered this recipe into the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder...half of a recipe with a full cup of blueberries and 1% milk and got 3 points per serving for six servings in an 8 x8 pan. Add to this whatever topping you choose to use...it still makes for a very healthy, filling, low points breakfast!

The most expensive part of this meal for us what the blueberries which cost about $2.50 for a bag of frozen... you could use whatever fruit you have on hand...apples, strawberries, raisins... if it is in season it will be even LESS expensive.

This is a big hit in our family...I hope it is in yours!

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Television Personalities

2009-06-30T00:01:00.003-05:00

For quite some time now I've been struggling with my feelings about a certain handyman in our life....Handy Manny, to be exact.

My kids love this show...they watch it almost daily (yeah, that's right...daily). It is a good show, well written, teaches values, blah blah blah.

All I can think of when I watch this show...is that those tools are really creepy...and wouldn't it be funny if they were distinct splits in this crazy man's personality? Like..maybe this weirdo guy walks all around SheetRock Hills pretending to fix stuff...and everyone is really nice to him and talks to his "Tools" ... its really him breaking stuff instead of his clumsy tools and everyone is just afraid to set him off.

I'm really kind of obsessed with this notion. I can't watch the show without thinking of the alternate universe possibility.

I also spend some time watching soap operas that I DVR... and I'm extremely irritated as of late with the "moms" on the show who go stroller walking together...and as they walk off down the street in their fancy clothes they have these high heels on... as if.

My husband says I get way to wrapped up in television..he says "THIS is what you think of when you watch this?" Yeah, it really is.

It occurs to me that with the impending arrival of our third baby...there is another stark reality... I'm pretty sure this time no one is coming. Like...I was thinking today how when I was pregnant with Lilli and Brendan was 18mo crying my eyes out because I was overwhelmed (really? with one kid?)...and my mom coming up to help me out for the day. I'm very aware that this time around there is no one coming to my rescue. My sister is pregnant with her first...and my SIL is pregnant with their second...I'm having to admit to myself that third is nothin' but old hat. *sigh*

Amazingly enough, I have no peni update this week. He has managed to "keep it in his pants" so to speak...now dad...that's another story....I'll keep it to myself.

For some truly fabulous Random Tuesday Thoughts...head on over and visit SuperKeely at The UnMom. She is cool.

Notebook Experiments: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowl Sundae

2009-06-29T16:03:00.009-05:00

Amy at MomAdvice puts together a notebook entry every Wednesday with fabulous ideas for activities, crafts and recipes you can do with your family...great ideas that she has rounded up around the blogosphere. She invites anyone who wants to try one of the projects out to blog it and link up on Thursday when she posts her own experiment.

I used to do this quite regularly... I enjoyed it so much and found it was a great way to inspire me with new ideas of activities to do with Brendan ... I'm not sure why I drifted. With my new plan for blogging in place, I have scheduled this activity for me...and my family. A weekly Notebook Experiment. I hope you enjoy it...I hope you check out MomAdvice and see how absolutely wonderful her site is....and maybe you will join the Notebook Experiments, too!

This week I chose to try out The Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowl Sundae from Michael Ruhlman's blog. His son James inspired him to make these awesome ice cream bowls...and my son thanks him, profusely. This idea was posted in the June 24th edition of Amy's Notebook.

The idea is simple enough...make cookie dough....mold into cups and bake. I do have fairly decent skills in the kitchen...but I had a little more trouble with this than I anticipated...in fact I don't think we are quite done experimenting.

Michael Ruhlman gives an adapted cookie recipe that makes for a slightly lighter, crispier cookie...which should hold up well for the bowls. I say "should".

We followed the recipe...

We thoroughly enjoyed the cookie dough...

I think the problem came when I loaded up the bowls...

The directions call for two different sizes of bowls..one slightly bigger than the other. We didn't have this...all of our little bowls are the same size...so we forged ahead that way. We made one at a time so that we could learn from our mistakes without wasting all of the dough. Here is a Twitpic of Michael and James' original crafting of the bowl.

Round 1: We put the cookie dough in the cup and squished the other down on top of it. The dough barely moved up the sides of the bowl...so I decided we needed more dough. Took the top bowl up...added more dough and re-squished. Stuck it in the oven, re-read the directions and noticed it said "Until dough begins to creep up the side of the bowl...rising will take care of the rest"...oops. As you can guess....between pulling the bowl out after the first squish...and adding too much dough...this bowl was a flop. (In shape only, hubby devoured it.)

Round 2: Added only 1/3 c. dough as prescribed. Very carefully centered the top bowl and squished it down...then placed it in the oven. This one also failed. It was still way too thin on one side and when I removed the top bowl most of the top part of the cookie bowl came with it on one side. Again, that didn't prevent it from being eaten. :)

Round 3: Looked for something else to do the initial squish...wanted to thin out the bottom of the cookie bowl a little more and give us more dough to work with on the sides. Used a drinking glass to pre-squish...the centered the top bowl and gave it a good push. This version seemed to be doing much better...but at the end of the first cooking round was again much larger on one side.

I'm told my husband that I think perhaps our oven is slanted.

Round 4: Proceeded as in Round 3, but half way through first baking time turned the bowl 90 degrees in case my oven is, indeed, slanted. This worked a little better.

That is all I've gotten done so far. We had a fair amount of trouble getting the cookie bowls out of the glass bowls...but I attribute that to the top sides being so thin. In the comments on Michael's original post I saw suggestions to bake the cookie then mold it over a muffin tin when you pull it out of the oven. I may give this version a spin next.

So why am I blogging my failed experiment? Because I believe that when the smile is this big....

You haven't failed.

I'm going to keep trying at these. I see this as an awesome make ahead dessert for playdates or birthday parties. You can make up the bowls and fill them with ice cream...stick the whole thing in the freezer and pull it out when you are ready for them... you could serve them as is...with chocolate syrup...or make it into a sundae bar (be sure you are sending kids directly home afterwards if you plan to do this! LOL!)

Ice Cream Just Right for Wii Mommies

2009-06-25T22:29:00.004-05:00

Right now Target has some sweet deals on Ice Cream...Edy's Slow Churned, to be exact. This is the perfect summer treat for this Wii Mommy ... so I thought I'd share it with you! How can ice cream be good for someone like myself struggling with their weight? Easily!

First of all...if you deprive yourself of the things that you love while you are trying to get fit or loose weight, you will be fighting a losing battle. The best thing you can do for yourself is to allow yourself the occasional treat... and practice portion control.

The Edy's ice cream come in individual sized cartons. You can enjoy a cool summer treat without over indulging. What could be better??

How about the fact that these little gems are nearly FREE? At my Target, single serving containers of Edy's Ice Cream are priced at $1.19 each. Target has a printable coupon available for $1/1 Edy's Ice Cream that does not specify a size...making these $0.19 each!

Enjoy!

Take a Look at What Coupons Can Do

2009-06-25T22:20:00.003-05:00

My friend Tricia at Gardner's Have the Best Dirt set out on a mission this week...to only purchase items that were $0.99 or less after coupons....and she JUST about did it!! Last week she stocked up really well (saving TONS of money, I might add) and was able to do her deal shopping this week!

Tricia (@trica on Twitter) jumped on the coupon wagon only a few short weeks ago and she is already doing a GREAT JOB! It just takes a little concentration to make it work for you, too!

Check out Tricia's post on what deals she got and what coupons she used...then make it work for you!

Wordless Wednesday: Family Portrait

2009-06-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2009-06-22T20:58:00.006-05:00

Another week has slipped through my fingers...and yet this pregnancy is take FOR-EV-ER. I have decided that this baby is NOT due on October 16 as declared by the doctors...but will remain with the belief that it is due Oct 6 ...which means if I can convince my doctor of this we will be able to get him here by October 1. Deal?

I don't watch Jon and Kate + 8. Never really have. My husband, for some reason is intrigued by this madness. He never gets into this kind of thing...its slightly mystifying. He decided the show should be renamed "Kate Minus Jon Plus 8".

As a regular feature to my RTT I'm including peni updates from my 3yo. He is intrigued by his...and I, in turn am intrigued by his fascination....so without further ado:
PENI UPDATE: The greatest peni news in our household and Brendan's world this week is the addition of yet another peni. He is fascinated with the Eiffle Tower sono pic we received declaring to all the world that our newest addition will be a boy. He has also decided that the weirdo outing of my bellybutton is the baby's butt sticking out. Nice.

This week two people whom I love dearly are having surgeries that are kinda scary. My Aunt Tina whom I love to pieces and who takes care of me like I'm 5 whenever I need her to... told me on Sunday that she has cancer and is having surgery on Wednesday to remove her remaining thyroid. My friend Julie is having a hysterectomy on Thursday...and we hope that is all that has to be done. I have zero control over anything that happens to them....and it freaks my shit out.

I strongly dislike uninvited porn. It was on Twitter tonight and I'm not thrilled about it. Don't get me wrong...I got nothin' against porn...but suddenly in my face (so to speak) and uninvited irritates me. Then it showed up every other post or so. I had to stop with Twitter for the night.

Someone just posted a recipe for Cake Balls. They look yummy...divine, actually...but all I can think of is SNL "Pete's Schwetty Balls".

A bottle of Lysol leaked in my minivan. It stinks...and its hot and humid...so it stinks even more. There is a little white stain where it spilled ...any thoughts on getting it out? Shall I just soak it with water?

I don't know where this came from...I saw it on Twitter and I love it... "Silence is Golden but Duct Tape is Silver" ..... perfect. PERFECT!

That's it folks. It is officially Tuesday...and these are rather random. To read some SUPERBLY gratifying randomness you should check out Keely at The UnMom.

If you are random...leave your linky below so I can revel in it.

Fitness Friday: Maternity Mommies: Imposter

2009-06-19T10:29:00.004-05:00

This is my day for coming clean with the rest of you fabulous Wii Mommies. I feel like a total imposter (Julie says its hypocrite...I don't think it matters THAT much)... because you all are working so very hard...and I just am not. I encourage you, I NAG you (Chris...I mean you), and I am genuinely happy for you...and sick with myself.

I was so optimistic this pregnancy...maybe a little bit in denial. When I was pregnant with Lilli I was on bedrest from 19 weeks on because I was having contractions that landed me in the hospital. Nothing EVER came of those contractions but for a wee little bit of dilation. Let's say "Irritable Uterus". A better description would be "irritating uterus". So here we are with #3 and I'm thinking that exercise and less weight gain will help me avoid that complication again...but I was wrong.

Maybe its that I started 18lbs over my previous start weight...maybe its that I'm getting OLD (I will be 35 in August) or maybe its just the way I'm built. I've been having fairly regular contractions since I hit the 18 week mark, 5 weeks ago. I was thinking that doing the EA Sports Active would be okay with just the upper body and dance routines..a little Wii Fit FreeStep on the side...but in reality I can only do that about every 3 days or so...and that is the ONLY thing I can do that day...no shopping, no housecleaning, nothing else or I'm in some serious trouble...and I'm generally worn out the next day as well. Am I that out of shape? Other pregnant women are working out and getting fit!!

NOW...that being said...it is also important to know that I am completely at peace with the well being of my baby and my pregnancy. I've delivered 2 healthy, full term babies..this one will be no different. I get my cervix checked via sono on a regular basis to make sure nothing crazy is going on. It is just annoying...and a little painful.

So there it is...I've unburdened my soul...I feel *slightly* better. I'm just unable to work as hard as the rest of you right now...but darn it if I'm not holding on to your every struggle and success to get me through and keep me motivated to burn all of this off once this little boy arrives!

All whining aside...I AM doing SO MUCH BETTER this pregnancy than I did with either of my other two...its just that pesky 18lbs extra I started with that is making it not seem so. Today I am 23 weeks pregnant (26 if you ask me LOL) ...and to date I have gained 8lbs. EIGHT! That is unheard of for me. I would really like to have my total weight gain for this month be 3 lbs, not 4 ..and I have one week to go *gulp*...wish me luck.

To see some REALLY fit folks giving it their all...visit the Wii Mommies. Have a fitness goal of your own? Grab our button and BLOG IT! Then come on over on Fitness Fridays and link up your story! Need some support or advice? Join us in our Forum. This ain't just for Mommies you know!

Wordless Wednesday: The Results Are In ...

2009-06-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2009-06-16T00:05:00.000-05:00

Not really the point of RANDOM...but this is a do-over. I tried to write this last night after being super dosed up on benedryl...it was a small disaster so I gave up.

We had the biggest thunderstorms I can remember in a looong time last night...all through the night. I woke up at one point (in my groggy state) and thought about getting an inflatable life raft. The house was shaking...the glass(es)...on my nightstand were rattling...it was crazy. Everyone in my family slept through it. Including the dogs...because I gave them benedryl too.

Part of the reason I didn't write my RTT earlier was that my internet was out. I'm good with storms except when I can't "follow" them so I was really freaked out and cursing the technology Gods.

Except my internet didn't go out. I apparently unplugged it. Stellar. At least I figured it out before I had to ask Eric for help.

We found out the sex of our baby....but I'm not going to tell you. I think I'll post it on Wednesday. And because I'm a little bit number hungry...I'm going to post a link on Facebook and make all of my friends visit over here to find out what it is...So check back tomorrow!!

As interest in the peni has not died down around here...thought I would add a weekly feature to my RTT..."Peni Updates" so here is goes:

Peni Update for the week of 6/15: Newest obsession of 3yo DS is to sneak around the corner, buns first, into the living room after going potty. He then jumps to turn around, grabs his balls and points the little thing at me yelling "MOM! MOM! My peni is starin' at you!!" Its getting a little out of control.

I'm wondering if there is a fine line between being a fantastic couponer and being an addict. I've been contemplating a Netbook for BlogHer and other trips I take (I'm intrigued by the new 3G aspect and the many family memebers I visit with no WiFi) and remembering how heavy my laptop was when I lugged it through numerous airports visiting my sister earlier this year...(how ridiculous is that? Complaining about the weight of a laptop? We are a spoiled society...or at least I am)..I had mostly convinced myself that was a gadget I didn't need...I'm a STAY AT HOME MOM... and then Sarah at BassAckwards and Frugal started putting on the peer pressure....and THEN...I realized that it would be yet another computer on which to print the most stellar of printable coupons. Seriously...that is its biggest selling point.

Now I am off to do some shopping while my kids play and act a fool at camp. For some truly Random BRILLIANCE be sure to visit Keely, the coolest UnMom I know.

Be sure to leave your linky below...if you are a participant in Random Tuesday Thoughts. Please make sure that your link goes straight to your post...we all appreciate it when everyone plays along :)

Fitness Friday: THE BIG RACE

2009-06-11T22:11:00.004-05:00

If you follow me or the other two Wii Mommies on Twitter... you may have seen us tweeting with the hashtag #thebigrace with vague references to what we have in store....

Well the time has come!! The Wii Mommies are taking a short detour in our mission to Fitness this week...everyone has been working so hard...its time for a little play! In just 4 weeks we will be hosting a giant Mario Kart Race!

Starting this Monday, June 15th members of the Wii Mommies Forum can begin to register for The Big Mario Kart Race. What's that? Not a member of the forum? What are you waiting for?? Not only will you be able to join in the Mario Kart racing fun...but you can get support in all of your fitness ventures! You don't even have to be a Mom to join!

Here are some benefits to joining the Wii Mommies Forum:

* Support from nearly 750 members with goals just like yours: To get fit...to get and stay healthy!
* Tips and tricks as well as recipes that will help you cook for a more healthy you and your family!
* Your own personal therapist! Ok...sort of. We have an entire "On the Couch" section of our forum where you can look for support in areas not directly related to weight loss and fitness...but which absolutely affect your ability to accomplish your goals!
* Exposure! The next 8 people in our forum to reach over 100 legitimate posts will get their blog's RSS feed routed straight into the forum. After that...it will take 200 posts to get your feed linked in.
* Don't forget...access to the Greatest Mario Kart Race on Earth!!

Ok...so next week, Monday June 15 through Friday June 19th you can sign up for The Big Race.

In order to register and play you will need to following things:
* Be a member of the forum
* Have access to Nintendo WFC (internet access)
* Have a Mario Kart Driver's License Number to enter at registration (see Julie's Post)

That's it!

Some of our details are up in the air...and will be subject to how many people we have register for the race. We will release You will be divided into teams of either 6 or 12.

Each team will have a Captain designated by the Wii Mommies.

The races will be run on the standard courses on the Nintendo Wii Mario Kart game. This way you don't have to worry about unlocking courses or characters in order to race...and you will not be hit with a course you've never raced before (unless you don't practice!!) when it is time to race.

All races will be VS races... no Coin Runners this time. We will run a cup series in order to determine winners and team Captains will verify the winners for us. Courses and series will not be announced until the day of the race! (Gotta keep it interesting!)

Here is the schedule:
June 15 - 19th : The Big Race: Mario Kart registration in the Wii Mommies Forum

Week of June 22nd: We will announce the number of participants and assign team captains.

Friday, June 26th: We will announce teams and "brackets". A special section of our forum will be open that will list all participants by team and their Mario Kart Driver's License Number. This will allow you to begin registering each other on the Nintendo WFC. We will register by DL numbers ONLY...not personal Wii registration.

Monday, June 29th: We will announce the actual dates and times of the races.

Friday July 3rd: Deadline to have your act together! You must have everyone's DL numbers registered on your Wii by this point or you will not be allowed to participate.

Week of July 6th: THE BIG RACE

You can use the hashtag #thebigrace along with #wiimoms to tweet about this on Twitter. You can practice online with other members of the forum...and you can meet up with your team to practice once they have been announced. If you have questions or problems, tweet them or leave them in the forum and we will do our best to help you out!

Not a great gamer? Don't worry! Neither are we!! Sarah has a great post that will get you started on Mario Kart Racing...with some tips and tricks to help bring out your inner Indy Driver.

Cheap Deals at Dillon's

2009-06-11T16:05:00.003-05:00

CRAZY day here at my house...including a trip to Dillon's that included a poopy blow-out with no diaper bag....and consequently a 1.5yo wearing a 3yo's training undies...and a mom working at the speed of light to feed her kids and shop... so I have just a couple of very quick deals I saw to share with you today :) But they are good ones!

Ken's Salad Dressing Spritzer's ... the "one calorie per spray" kind... is on sale for $1.75. There are $0.75/1 coupons from the paper a few weeks back that will double making this dressing $0.75.

Kraft Cheese is on sale...all kinds...for $1.77. There are so many printables available that you should be able to find some and get these for $0.77. Cheese freezes well so stock up while these deals are going on.

Lysol products are on sale for around $1.79 and there were literally TONS of coupons for $0.75 ...again, doubled you are paying $0.75 for cleaning products.

I'm sure there are many more good deals...this was just what I saw in our blur of a trip today!

Wordless Wednesday: Smooches

2009-06-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

** I love my husband..and he said I could post this :) **

Organic Juice at Kroger

2009-06-09T23:48:00.002-05:00

I got a great tip from The Thrifty Mama about Santa Cruz organic juice at Kroger this week. She pointed out that in the "Health Market" you can find some coupon booklets full of coupons for organic products...including one for $0.75 off of Santa Cruz organic juice...which is on sale this week 3/$5...or about $1.66 each. The coupon doubles to $1 off so that is $0.66 for organic juice...that is a STEAL! We bought three different kinds of lemonade tonight while we were out.

Then I came home and read THIS post The Thrifty Mama had up where she found printables for this same coupon...in PDF...(wait for it)... that don't expire until December, 2009! Be sure to save this to your computer and print it out frequently!!

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Horrible Mother

2009-06-09T00:05:00.006-05:00

We took the kids to "Day Out with Thomas the Train" in a nearby town...it was a 4 hour adventure on the "Island of Sodor" ... a train ride being the main attraction....lots of kids screaming and crying and lots of parents trying to convince them they were having fun.

My kids were in AWE...had a great time... we played on the games...the bouncy castles...you know those giant inflatable toys that kids throw themselves around in....effectively a padded room that doesn't involve guilt or years of therapy to recover from... we actually purchased one of these two years ago at Walmart... absolute BEST $200 I have spent on kid-type toys or activities....GOOD investment... I digress...

They had a HUGE one with a slide that my 3yo tackled immediately...and a smaller one that is larger than our home version...but small enough that my 1.5yo still wanted to jump on in.

There were bigger kids in it as well...and I waited for the largest of the large to get out before I threw her in... but I still got screamed at by some psychotic, nosy woman.

Lilli may only be 1.5yo but she has been holding her own and kicking some ass since she was in my belly. This is a rough and tumble girl who takes pride in her rambunctious abilities.

She is in there bouncing around...a few parents are reminding their kids to watch out for the little girl... and some woman with an accent comes screaming up to the high school aged kid manning the door "GET THAT BABY OUT OF THERE!!! SHE IS GOING TO GET VERY HURT!" ... honestly..my first reaction was a non-reaction...because it didn't even occur to me that she was talking about my daughter. When she kept yelling at the kid..and I realized it was Lilli she was talking about I was grateful that someone would take interest and be concerned... so I say something similar to "Oh thank you..that's my daughter and she is ok" ...

At which point this well meaning, good citizen starts hollering at me about endangering my child. I say "I am her mother...and I know what she is capable of. She. Is. Fine." ...at which point the woman tells me "Well then you are a HORRIBLE mother and I feel sorry for that beautiful little girl!"...

I need to curse now: Bitch.

I used to sell vibrators for a living. I have a plastic tupperware chest of drawers full of excess inventory that I need to sell. I never thought I would be sick of messing with sex toys.

I have a friend who is so dear to me...and I can't do shit for her right now...and that blows monkey balls. I need some dirty jokes to send her. Email me if you know some good ones.

My brother sent me an article from the New York Times that can be read HERE ... and I am baffled. Child pornography on his computer and the man's name is actually Sodomsky.

This baby in my belly pulled a switcheroo on me and I am NOT happy...started off all calm and relaxed like....the way my more laid back 3yo was... and now is suddenly a manic flipper,kicker type of baby that is attacking me from the inside out...at all hours of the day...just like its sister...who was the same way then...and now. ...the chic can't sit still (see above).

I remember now one of the things I strongly dislike about pregnancy...pee. I smell pee all the time...I think I might leak just a tiny bit. Gross. Add to that a 3yo son, 3 old and semi-incontinent dogs and pee encompasses my life.

The stain of pregnancy has descended upon me as well... all of my shirts have a stain...of some sort...in the same spot. My normal clothes don't get this stain...only when I'm pregnant.

That's it. I'm out. Tuesdays are my new day of freedom...two kids in "class" at the gymnastics academy for 3 hours. "Class" in quotations because I don't have to be there like a parent participation class. B calls it that..they call if "Mommy's Morning Out" and "Mini-Munchkin Camp" ...I call it "Heaven on Earth".

Want to read some fabulous Random Tuesday Thoughts from the greatest random writer since sliced bread? Visit Keely at The UnMom ...she is FABULOUS.

Some Thoughts On Wags

2009-06-07T00:11:00.004-05:00

I'm not really a Walgreen's shopper. I find their deals hard to navigate, tedious and frustrating...and their customer service is deplorable.

That being said, my friend Chris is an AVID Walgreen's shopper...she has made it her part time job. She averages a $400 profit per MONTH..both when she had the Monthly Rebates to work with and now that she is dealing strictly with Register Rewards. She is always telling me "You should do this...." so the past couple of weeks, I have been. She is so incredibly kind that she emails me a list of exactly what I need to do ... transaction by transaction so I can have a little extra cash. (Have I mentioned that with all of the product she assembles, Chris held an "overstock" garage sale this weekend and made well over $600?! She is amazing.)

So I've done some deals...I've amassed about 30 packages of diapers that I paid pennies (literally) for....boxes upon boxes of wipes, fish oil, aspirin...the list goes on. This week...from Sat to Sat.. I profited nearly $200 at Walgreen's...with the help of Chris and my loving husband. This all seems good....EXCEPT....

The really horrible....actually DEPLORABLE customer service to be found at Walgreen's.

First let it be said that when I shop for deals and I have a lot of coupons...no matter where I am shopping...I make sure to do the following things, ALWAYS:
*I thank the clerk for their kindness and patience with my multiple transactions and/or coupons.
*Acknowledge that dealing with all of this can be frustrating...and thank them, AGAIN.
*If I am doing multiple transactions at a store...I always let the people in line behind me go first.
*I have my coupons/act together when I hit the register so I'm not wasting anyone's time.
* I do not try to pull one over on the clerk or the company.

The people who work the front (separate from the Pharmacy) at Walgreen's are generally nasty and unfriendly to myself and other people I know with coupons. They go so far as to say things about "you people" to us...referring to people who use coupons, the managers have told us we are greedy...and they randomly refuse to let us purchase items. I had a clerk refuse to give me my Register Rewards because she didn't think it was "fair" that I got back more than I paid.

**Insert sarcasm** "I'm sorry...I didn't realize my Register Rewards came out of your paycheck..that really ISN'T fair..." I guess I should be glad that a massive company like Walgreen's treats their employees SO WELL that they instill such fierce loyalty and defensive behaviors...??**End sarcasm**

Soo...the point to this very long winded whining is this: Why do they care? Stores that accept manufacturers coupons are reimbursed by the manufacturer for the cost of the coupon. They do not lose money. If we come in and buy 68 (slight exaggeration) bottles of Ecotrin in one week, I'm QUITE CERTAIN that they have made more money on that product than they have on any other given week. Manufacturers don't issue coupons so that people will say "how nice" and not use them!

Register Rewards are also manufacturer's coupons. They say so right on the reward. They also say "Thank you from X company". Not "thank you for ripping off Walgreen's" which is sort of what you would expect by their attitude. So again, when we turn around and make a purchase at Walgreen's with those Register Rewards, they are making money off of us. WHY DOES THIS MAKE THEM BITTER?

I walked into Target with my family tonight and saved over $75. I used approximately 60 coupons ( I would have used nearly 80 and saved nearly $95 if Chris hadn't bought up all of the Gold N Plump Chickens!)....and at Target...their printables don't often work and cause a little hassle. I also had to ask for a rain check for the chickens...and the entire time I got smiles and friendly conversation and an enthusiastic "No problem!" when I thanked the cashier for her time and patience. This is routinely my experience at Target, at Dillon's and at CVS Pharmacy. All of these are places where I use more coupons, make more purchases, and spend more time "annoying" the staff with my purchases than I do at Walgreen's.

Even at CVS Pharmacy, a program very similar (but more user friendly) to Walgreen's...the majority of the cashiers are friendly and they expect our shopping techniques. They are helpful and some will even let us know if there is a special deal we should know about.

So why should I care that Walgreen's is ending their Register Rewards program effective July 2009? I don't. I'm relieved. I won't have to go in there again. There will be no tempting deal that will cause me to drag myself in there to make some extra cash. If the program they replace the Register Rewards with is similar to that of CVS...it most certainly would not be enticing enough to draw my attention away from CVS. I will stay as far away from their poor attitude as possible.

Fitness Friday: EASports Active and This Wii Mommy

2009-06-05T00:20:00.006-05:00

I'm really hoping this week that we will see a lot of posts about the EA Sports Active! Not because I want to promote it...because I'm so incredibly curious as to what everyone's impressions are. I want to feel the excitement as people are re-energized by a new twist to their workout routine.

I was super excited that the beginning of the 30 day challenge fell during Julie's visit to Kansas. I'm getting a little nervous about my own exercise routines with my pregnancy. I've had complications in the past and I'm sort of treading on thin ice as it is..so I don't want to do anything to jeopardize my pregnancy or my ability to work out. So I was thrilled that she would be here and I could use her experience with the EA Sports Active to help me customize a challenge workout that would be both safe and beneficial.

When we got the profile set up we headed straight into the challenge. Julie was showing me how to customize the workout and how to x out the things I shouldn't be doing....and we kept x'ing and x'ing... and when we were finished...we had an 11 minute workout that had a target caloric burn of around 75. Oops. That wasn't going to do anyone any good.

So we played around for a little while and decided that the best bet for me right now was to do the upper body workouts that are separate from the 30 day challenge. I take great issue with my arms and their flabbiness and in a pregnancy where I have little control over my body...this seems like an area I should be able to actually see some progress in.

I will be following the schedule of the 30 day challenge (I'm on Day 4 today)... and attempting to use the Wii Fit at LEAST on my "off" days to do some aerobic exercise.

I've found the upper body exercises...at low intensity...to do a fabulous job of exposing my weakness!! My arms were hurting as I did the first day of exercises. Julie kept asking me if anything else hurt...could I "feel the burn" anywhere else. The only thing I could think of was that my front-heavy self wasn't liking the bent rows very much and it made my back hurt.

I discovered on Tuesday what she was talking about. My back was ACHING...in a good way! I can feel across my shoulders and down the sides of my back muscles that have been neglected. I'm having more and more trouble with my posture the more my tummy grows...and I felt strength in my posture that I haven't felt in a couple of months!

Julie and I made a vlog of my Day One experience...but, true to form, I haven't finished editing it yet. I'll try to get it up and running before the day is over! It will be good for a laugh, no doubt!

I also want to take a moment to invite you all to visit Frugalicious Mommy and welcome her to the Wii Mommies forum! She and I are sharing many similarities in our pregnancies...both pregnant with #3 ... we are due just weeks apart from each other... and we both love our wii fits! The difference, I believe, is that she looks pretty in shape to me!! ANYWAY...I have tweeted and tweeted to find another preggo taking the 30 day challenge to no avail.

I received an extra copy of EA Sports Active to give away to anyone I chose to be a workout buddy...so I thought what better than to add another preggo to the blogroll! Virginia will be joining us next week on the challenge once she receives her Active!

I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about the 30 day challenge...about your own fitness quests... about pregnancy or fitness in general!

Want some support on your journey to a more fit you? Check out the Wii Mommies website and forum and see what all of the fuss is about! Find your niche and receive much needed support to help you achieve your goals!

Worldless Wednesday: In Real Life

2009-06-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

A little less than wordless today: This weekend was GREAT... A very tired pregnant me (in heels, at 11pm!) and my beautiful, wonderful friend Julie from Momspective... our first weekend meeting in real life.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: First Crush

2009-06-02T10:26:00.004-05:00

Hopefully Mr. Linky will hold up better this week...I was an awful blogger about returning posts last week without him...I think that makes me lazy...so my apologies if I didn't make it back around to you... I will try to make up for it this week!!

My son, Brendan, will be 3.5 years old next month. He is quite the little guy...very grown up in the last 6 months or so. And now...he has had his little heart broken for the first time. The culprit? Julie Maloney from Momspective.

My friend Julie came to visit us all the way out here in little ol' Kansas for the weekend. It was a fabulous time...just hanging out and enjoying each other's company in real life. What was unexpected was the ginormous crush that my 3yo developed on her...instantly.

He was excited to meet the new person who would be staying with us...and waited and watched out the window for her to arrive...threw open the door and welcomed her with open arms...literally.

He proceeded to spend the next 4 days wondering where "Joo-ie" was...what she was doing...wanting to tell her something...and being very proud of himself for giving up his room so she could have a place to sleep.

She arrived on Friday and on Saturday afternoon went sight seeing around Lawrence. Upon her departure Brendan got very upset because he forgot to give her "HOOGE" kisses and hugs. When she came back he announced that he would be going out to dinner with us, not staying home with daddy....and was distracted only by the tickling, tackling antics of our friends when it was time for us to sneak out the door.

At one point this weekend Julie had a migrane...Brendan walked around telling his sister to be quiet for Joo-ie and he wanted to be the one to give her her medicine.

He got all smiley and dopey whenever Julie was around...he wanted to show her his art work from camp and said "Joo-ie is gonna be sooo proud o' meeeee"...and she was.

On Monday morning he woke me up asking if we really had to take Joo-ie to the orport. I said yes and he was visibly upset. When we dropped her off he got very pouty and needed "one more" round of kisses and hugs before she left. I did manage to snap the picture above for him to keep for posterity.... but as we closed the doors and she walked into the "orport" ... he had big, huge tears welling up in his eyes. He said "I'm gonna miss Joo-ie yots". It was really, really sad.

When we got home he went into his room and saw the down comforter that I had put on the bed for her to use and got all excited "Oh no! Joo-ie forgots her stuff! Now she gonna have to come back, yeah".

We had a thunderstorm last night...at 2:30 in the morning he woke me up screaming and I assumed that was the problem. While I think it was the thunder that woke him up...when I got to his room he was crying and saying "oh no"... I asked him what happened he said, very confused, "I forgot to tell Joo-ie sompim" ... but couldn't remember what. I asked him if he was confused, he said yes. I asked him if he was dreaming, he said "I dreamin' 'bout Joo-ie".

WTH?!?! So my little boy had his first crush...his first lonely heart. I don't think I'm going to be able to handle the real thing when it comes along. AND...now that I've met "Night time Julie" ... I'm a little concerned that THIS is what my son is attracted to!! LOL We are in for some T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!

I love you Julie!!! We all miss you!!

Cheap, Cheap ... Chicken

2009-06-01T10:45:00.003-05:00

It seems to me that Target has been especially generous with their coupons and sales these past few weeks...and this week is no exception.

One of my new favorite, easy things to cook for dinner is whole chicken in the slow cooker. I use a great recipe for Sticky Chicken that I got from Amy at Mom Advice... it makes a great dinner...and then the leftovers can be popped into another recipe later in the week...I like to use ANOTHER MomAdvice recipe ... Homemade Chicken Enchiladas.

This week at Target Gold N Plump All Natural Whole Chickens are on sale for $3.52 each. If you go to A Full Cup you can print coupons from their Target Coupon Generator for $1/1 Gold N Plump Chicken ... and if you go HERE you can register with Gold N Plump and print off coupons $1/1 whole chicken or $1.50/1 package of chicken breasts. BOTH are on sale this week...making an entire chicken only $1.52!! That is a STEAL!!! You can print as many coupons as you want from A Full Cup and the Gold N Plump Coupon is a PDF file. If you have freezer space....stock up now!

These chickens are small...only 3.5lbs... so depending on the size of your family you may not have enough for two full meals... but you could freeze the leftovers and combine them the next time...or use them for lunch!

Wordless Wednesday: Attitude, Already

2009-05-27T00:01:00.003-05:00

Be sure to visit 5minutes for Mom, GoGrahmGo, JollyMom and Momspective for more great Wordless Wednesday Posts.

Since Mister Linky is still acting incredibly stellar...be sure to leave a link (directly) to your Wordless Wednesday post in your comments!!