gratituesday #212

For the first time in 2018, I am caught up on work.  WOOT WOOT  This is obviously the lifting of a huge back-of-the-mind weight off my shoulders.  Sure, that's a mixed metaphor of body parts, but you get my drift.

Our co-op is going exceedingly well.  Every mother is responsible, positive, and kind. In my years of co-op observation/participation, the truest measure of the co-op is its mothers, not its children.  Good mothers usually have good children, both of which make for a good co-op.

Our local library is such a rich resource.  I use a library book almost every week at co-op; we read physical books daily; we access audiobooks via overdrive every day; and "books on tape" narrate most minutes spent in the car. Just this week I used the new scanner for the first time - how easy and fast!  13 pages with the push of a button sure beats 1 page/minute on my machine at home! Even if I went to the library just to scan, I'm convinced it would be faster than one page at a time at home. :)

Hazel got to play her first 2 games of soccer 2 Saturdays ago.  Of the 4 Saturdays scheduled for soccer, only 1 has actually happened due to the rain.  It looks like we'll be bunching up double headers for the remainder of the season.  She has a great coach (knowledgeable, kind, encouraging), she had 3 friends on the same team, and she's enjoying the opportunity to meet new girls.

Rain.  We've had so much of it in Sept/Oct, and it's amazingly green around here.  In years past I've heard that a wet autumn means brighter colors on the falling leaves.  Wouldn't that be beautiful?

I had a "personal" meeting last night with a student who is struggling in life and confused about her educational pursuits.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to speak honestly and faithfully into the lives of students at crossroads.  It's a trust I don't want to waste.

We're going through a couple of great studies right now: Praying the Names of Jesus and The Hole in Our Holiness.  Both have provided great weekly small group discussions and truths to ponder daily.

The windows and doors are open right now letting in the delicious cool air.

Wes and Zeke are planning a camping trip soon. I'm excited for the memories they'll make outside and the memories the girls and I will make while they're away. Those BOGO Dairy Queen coupons we got in the paper this morning will come in pretty handy, I think. ;)

Unlike last time, Betty neither pooped nor peed in Petsmart this afternoon while there to get her nails trimmed.  Phew.

thank You friday

(((A day late and a dollar short (see grainy phone pictures below), but here.  Victory!)))

We hopped on a cow bus this week with some buds to check out the Braum's bakery and ice cream factory.



Pearl was delighted with her first bus ride.



I was delighted by the ice cream bar at the end of the tour.

The delay timer on the dishwasher.

A coupon coup which resulted in three boxes of cereal AND a gallon of milk for $5.  High five!

Zeke willingly agreed to play some goat hooves at the library's Latin music show for kids yesterday.  Actually, I don't know if he would have agreed if he had known they were goat hooves before he played, but it's a moot point now.



Pearl actually likes to wear her glasses and asks for them to be fixed if they've gone askew on her cutie little face.

A clean refrigerator.  I'm pretty sure that's the first time I've actually really cleaned our fridge... as in removed the shelves to wash them in the sink and stuff.  But hey, what's eight years???

The city's new recycling program.

Another young couple from church is headed out on mission for the year.  (That sounds Mormon, doesn't it?  It's not.)  I met Jesse when she was in junior high, and now she's an old married missionary.  Wow.  It doesn't seem possible.

gratituesday

Preparing for an upcoming trip, I knew I'd want a few books to read, so I had a decision to make: 

Q:  

a)  take some library books
b) buy a few books
c) buy a kindle and download some free books and/or borrow some ebooks from the library

A: 

Craigslist to the rescue!  I've downloaded several (free) classics that ought to keep me busy for awhile, and checking out ebooks from the library is easy peasy.

So thankful for this modern convenience and the expendable cash to make it a reality.

(Taking library books out of town seems naughty to me.  Anyone else?)

thank You thursday

Kind friends.

Parents who serve faithfully.

Dinner with newlyweds Logan and Paige Sunday night.  Learning all about their time overseas and desire to share Christ with Indians.

Tom and Jerry.  The giggles produced by this classic are of epic proportion.

Kids' cookies at the grocery store.

Coupons.

Smoked turkey from the Meat House.

A brave couple shared their testimony in Sunday school; I so appreciated their transparency because the change Christ has made in their lives gives Him such glory.

Kids who are easy to please.

A good "marriage" conversation.

Hazel's enthusiasm for learning.

A successful "game" of blind taste test that convinced the kids to try tri-color pasta salad AND like it. :)

After looking for days, finding my camera battery charger with just enough time to charge before Zeke's birthday celebration.

The card Hazel drew and message she wrote Zeke for his birthday.

This is Hazel & Zeke in our living room.  The lamp is my favorite part.

 

Hazel's patience and tolerance of all-things-Zeke's-way-all-day on his birthday.  She was so excited to see him open the gifts she "got" him.

This girl liked the cake.



This boy likes his camera.  And his "four" shirt.  And his "rubber boots."



We made the best of the weather Wednesday morning and met a friend at the park for a rainy day breakfast picnic.  The kids loved tromping through puddles.



While we were there, Zeke spotted a duck in the "brush" next to the pavilion.  A few minutes later the group came yelling about how the duck had laid an egg.  I thought they must have confused, but upon further inspection...

why is it that...

Why is it that I'm a shutterfly fan?

Click here to view this photo book larger

{{{Shutterfly baby photo books are the perfect way to preserve your baby's precious moments.}}}

Another great book - at a great price - is headed my way soon. :)

thank You thursday

Last Thursday we had the Suttons over for a fun day.  We blew bubbles, played T-ball, sidewalk chalked, rode bikes/trikes, jumped on the trampoline, and swang - and that was just in the first hour.  :)



Henry was very sweet on Pearl and tried no less than 20 times to get her attention in the span of about 5 minutes.  She was masterful in her avoidance, but he was persistent nonetheless.



Saturday evening found us supping at Miss Calisters.  The stars aligned just so and Pearl found herself in a restaurant high chair for the first time.



She was apprehensive at first but then decided to be thrilled with her promotion.



Side note 1: That is her new crinkle-nosed smile.  She employs it when she wants to score extra cute points as it is fail proof.

Side note 2: When I whipped the point-and-shoot out of my bag to snap Pearl's high chair accomplishment, not a single member of my family - most importantly Wes - even batted an eye.  I made a mental note of this and record it here now as the moment when I realized after years of dedication, I have deadened my family's senses to pictures being taken at all times for seemingly pointless purposes.  Did you hear that?  It's victory.  Sweet victory.

Sunday marked two weeks in a row when Pearl successfully took a nap and a bottle in the nursery.  If you happened to be at FBC and heard the Hallelujah chorus, it wasn't coming from the sanctuary.

We had a little breakfast picnic at Hafer Tuesday morning, and it could not have been more delightful.



Target coupons came in the mail yesterday.  Stacking those with manufacturer coupons makes diaper purchases a little less painful.  With every box purchased, I am more thankful that 2 out of 3 kids are potty trained.

Speaking of potty trained, since he is such, Zeke gets to attend real Vacation Bible School next week.  We're all excited about VBS up in here.

Three strange men have climbed on our roof in the last couple of days.  Good thing they're roofing inspectors/adjustors and not just creeps who like to walk on other people's roofs.  I'll be glad to have a new roof over our heads.

The kids were coloring the other day when I stepped to the back of the house for a minute.  Hazel came to show me her special surprise.  They were so pleased with themselves.  It was as if they were the first on the planet to realize that people can actually color themselves.  Oh, joy.  What a discovery.



I told them they should at least look sad for their transgression. :)



I'm not convinced.  Are you?

I am convinced of how AMAZING it is that God forgives me over and over and over again even when my sin is as foolish as trying to marker myself.  Does He look at me the same way when I approach Him with marker all over my face?

thank You thursday

How Pearl's eyes and nose crinkle with a big smile.

We have a little giggler on our hands!  Pearl first giggled at Wes last Friday night and has giggled every day since, but yesterday was the best: Hazel laughed as she was playing with Pearl, and Pearl giggled right back.  Hazel was dee-lighted; she absolutely could not contain her excitement.  It was the coolest.

With a couple coupons, I scored two 11X14 faux canvases from Wally World for $20 this week.  Best part?  I love them.

Hot showers.

The vacuum cleaner.

Healthy children.

A fun leap year council time at AWANA last night.

A friend chasing me down to give me a hug last night.

How much Zeke looks forward to his MANdate with Wes each Wednesday night.

Some new Easter books on the cheap from Amazon.

The man driving the garbage truck has waved at the kids the last two weeks.  It was a sub last week, and he even honked the horn.  Sweet.  It's the little things.

This Sunday will be our last week teaching the pre-marital material to the newly/nearly married class.  I've had a lot of fun with this group.

My new cell phone - although my choices were fairly limited.  Jitterbug, anyone?  Just because I don't want a smart phone does not mean I'm 85, thankyouverymuch.

The church's youth brought 45 gift cards to give to DHS to disperse at an adoption fair.  Thank You, God!

Remember how TJ installed a new router last week?  It has only shut down once in over a week, and that was when some little hands were overcome with curiosity, so that doesn't really even count.  Magnifique!

Glorious weather.  Almost daily family walks.  Park picnic plans today.

thank You thursday

Once again, I'm thankful for Shutterfly! I scored a free book yesterday and 11 free cards today just for "being one of their best customers." I knew I was cool, but that's legit. Here's a link to my card creation. If you do something nice for me, you might get to see the real deal, Lucille. :)

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

And just for posting this link and sending it back to the company, I'll get another $10 off my order. Sweet.

Now back to regularly scheduled programming...

We've spotted 3 monarch butterflies this week. Aren't they just so beautiful?

After weeks of voluntary hugs and kisses from Zeke being MIA, his affection has returned this week. I was beginning to miss it terribly. I'll even take a hug or kiss with his finger still firmly embedded in his mouth.

Regardless of hugs and kisses, he has remained otherwise a pretty cuddly little bear. He often asks me to sit with him or just comes to climb on my lap for awhile. Love.

Peanut butter toast.

Pizza.

Just about any bread with just about any fattening stuff spread all over it and warmed up.

This morning's rain EVEN THOUGH it ruined our opportunity to go to the fair today with MawMaw and grab a Nutty Buddy in PawPaw's stead.

I will say it before and I will repeat as often as possible: This weather is glorious!

We had a fun visit from the Kelloggs this weekend.

Hazel is in Awanas this year and L.O.V.E.S. it so far. Last night she received her vest, bag, and book. She was over the moon and could not wait to show her dad when she got home.

Speaking of that husband of mine, I am so thrilled he is mine. He gave our kids some beautiful brown eyes. He puts up with me when I would not. He works so hard to provide for our family, and I'm never worried about our finances because I trust he has it all under control.

And really, I'm thankful that the Lord has blessed Wes with the ability to think and work hard so we can receive God's monetary blessing of employment. Every good and perfect gift really is from above.

Our best man ran off and got married in some exotic locale a few weeks ago, and we get to attend his reception tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to a fun evening while wearing something other than gym clothes (which is what I will always call them even if I never actually made it to exercise that day).

A new crockpot recipe to try out Sunday morning.

We had another great check-up at the OB this morning. Little one is still measuring a week or so bigger, and I am becoming increasingly impatient to meet her - seven weeks from today!

I finally combed through a huge lot of maternity clothes a friend is lending me and found some fun stuff that actually fits. Yes! This same friend has also given us a ton of baby girl stuff so our littlest one will have some new-to-us duds to wear. Thanks, Traci!

a little snail mail love

I'm a big shutterfly fan! I've used them for all sorts of projects, and their books are my favorite by far. The best thing is that I often receive codes for free products. I got another one this month and used it to make some Valentine cards that I'll be using to show a little love to the grandparents, aunts, and uncles. If you fall into one of those categories, don't peek! You'll ruin your surprise!

Love Hugs Kisses Valentine's Day 5x7 folded card

Modern greeting cards and party invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

coupon stuff

Want to learn how to do this coupon thing for yourself? Here's your chance!

Want to gather with some other frugal peeps and trade your I-don't-care-about-this-product coupon for another person's I-use-that-product-every-day coupon? Here's your chance!

SMO

No, SMO is not a misspelled Yiddish word akin to schmuck. It stands for Science Museum of Oklahoma... Ta da!

I already told you about the great annual pass that we snagged for the Omniplex, but I also wanted to let you know about a really fun giveaway. Or should I say giveaway giveaway? Confused?

Let me explain. Good ole' Amanda over at Simple Saving Savvy is giving away the opportunity to give away 4 passes to the Science Museum to be used by 11/19/2010. Know someone who would be blessed by these passes? Nominate them!

Cast Your Vote!

What do you get when you add two of my favorite things (photos and frugality) together? One happy girl!

My friend Ada sent me a link to an online invitation to bloggers who could receive 50 free holiday cards just for blogging about the wonders of Shutterfly. I instantly knew this would be a no-brainer for me because, as I might have mentioned, I'm a wee bit fond of the photos and the frugality.

The icing on the cake, however, is that not only were the photo cards to be free, they were coming from Shutterfly! After kissing a few frogs in the photo printing world (dare I name names?), Shutterfly is my absolute favorite affordable site for printing photos and photo-related paraphernalia. Forget Prince Charming... I'll take Prints of Affordable and Quality Photos, please. Get it? Prince/Prints! Oh, I laugh.

As far as I could figure, there might have been just one hitch in this giddy-up. I'm a girl who likes to shake things up a bit - be a little different just for fun. The last few years I've sent out Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas cards because.... Well, I'll let you guess:

1. I'm so organized and put-together that I simply can't wait to send out the cards ASAP
2. I'm so tenderhearted I can't bear to add to the postman's burden in December
3. I'm so social I simply must send out my festive greetings at the first hint of holiday

If you thought it was a trick question, you're right! The correct answer is D) All of the above! (Also, if you had written in an answer about how there's just no stopping a girl who's decided to embrace her weirdness, you would have received partial credit.)

I was afraid that Shutterfly would not be able to meet my Thanksgiving greeting needs, but, lo and behold, Shutterfly did not disappoint! Their Thanksgiving cards are included in this promotion! Now all I have to do is pick from 41 great designs. Since the fact that you read this blog means that you might very well end up with one of these lovelies in your mailbox, cast your vote! What's your pick?

You might have noticed that this has been posted in honor of Election Day. You are a bright crowd, after all. :) Please know that to me, even more than I desire your vote in this *very important* card contest, I encourage you to get to the polls! Exercise your right to vote!

And then, try not to hold your breath in anticipation of some awesome Thanksgiving cheer coming to a mailbox near you!

free coupon class

Okay, okay... From time to time I've bragged about some awesome coupon deals or how I kicked Homeland in the hind end. If you too would like to acquire some serious skills (and you can make it to Edmond on short notice), here's your chance! Amanda - superhero of Simple Saving Savvy - is conducting another free coupon class this Tuesday night. For more details, click here.

thank You thursday

This week we are thankful for the glorious weather and little kid playgrounds.

I am also thankful for the providence of God which was manifested yesterday in the form my sweet friend Gina. I had planned my couponing for some serious diaper deals at Target and made my way around the store (with 2 carts) only to arrive at the cash register with no wallet. Here are some of the things that occurred as a result of God's detailed provision:

• I got out my coupons and realized that if I were going to get these deals, it had to be today.
• Hazel fell asleep on the floor 30 minutes before nap time which means that she woke up earlier than normal which means that we got to the store earlier than we would have otherwise.
• Gina was looking for an (adorable) crib bumper at Target, and "my" store was the only one with the one she needed.
• Gina happened to look up and consider a woman with 2 carts only to realize it was her friend scurrying about the store and check out before one or both of her children had a melt down.
• I found a friendly looking checker and started unloading my stuff while encouraging all the people who came in line behind me to find another line b/c my situation was complicated and they would might have to wait too long.
• This meant that my line was open when Gina walked by
• which meant that when my checker had rung up my stuff and I realized I had no wallet, Gina was right behind me and ready to pay my bill.

Only by God's grace was I able to leave the store with the diapers/wipes and my sanity. (Can you imagine getting all the coupons ready, loading 2 kids up for the store, dragging around 2 carts full of kids, 6 packages of wipes, 4 boxes of diapers, and various groceries only to discover at check out that you are not able to pay for your goods and leave? I would have cried for sure. Maybe not in front of the checker... maybe not in front of the kids in the car on the way home... maybe only as a crumpled heap on the floor of my closet later in the day... but for sure.) The number of details that occurred just right are far too many to be coincidental, so for the bajillionth time in my life, I am reminded that I serve a loving Lord who is concerned with the small details of my life.

Homeland is my whipping boy.

Combining store specials and doubled coupons, Monday's trip to Homeland was a wonderful success! Yes! Some examples???

• Kraft ranch dressing for FREE
• Kraft BBQ sauce for FREE
• Dawn dish soap for $.09
• Jell-o pudding for $.33 a box
• 6 cups of Kraft shredded cheese for $2
• Rice Krispie cereal for $1.19
• Velveeta for $2.49
  

I like how...

• all a woman who's in her last month of pregnancy has to do to incite anxiety in her loved ones is to give them a call. I freaked my mom and Wes out today simply by trying to get in touch by phone. Fun times.
• even though the picture book I ordered from Snapfish stunk (I mean really, it was disappointing), they gave me a full refund and so far do not seem interested in getting the book back.
• when I woke up this morning and discovered our recycle bin blew away in the HOWLing wind last night, I had no idea Edmond's customer service rep Tammy would be so delightful in ordering another bin to be sent to my house tomorrow - or that I'd find the bin a few houses down just an hour or so later.
• Hazel is learning something new all the time - even if it's something like "I know I'm doing something wrong and I heard my mom say 'no' but I think I'll just freeze in my misbehavior until she gets up to show me she really means it and then I'll behave right away to avoid impending consequences."
• my last 2 home studies are tidying up nicely and should be turned in early (thereby relieving any anxiety I might have about them being due around the same time as our little man).
• God is granting conviction and wisdom as I'm reading through Ezekiel. (more on that later)
• there are already TWO social events planned for this weekend. Yippee!
• due to stacking Target and manufacturer coupons yesterday, I scored 2 bottles of Kraft salad dressing for $0.50 (among other great deals) and will do so again before the week is over. Salad anyone?

local coupon news

Hello, metro ladies! Actually, hello to everyone, but this post may only apply to those of you in the metro area. A couple of interesting coupon items I wanted to share with you:

1. Amanda (the lady at our church who considers it a ministry to teach other to use coupons wisely) is holding another free class Thursday, May 14. If you're interested, check out this blog post.
2. In my driveway this morning I found today's edition of The Oklahoman with a flyer advertising a year of the Sunday and Wednesday Oklahoman for the low, low price of $9.99. I ignored the grammar mistakes on the flyer and called the number listed. To be honest, the message sounded a little fishy, so I called up the paper directly and they said the deal is indeed legit. Needless to say, I signed up right away b/c with only a week or 2's worth of coupons, I will have paid for the year's paper subscription. Yippee! The number is (405)478-3746. The offer expires May 25, and it is only available in "selected areas," so call and see if your area is selected.

coupon crazed

I'm not exactly sure why, but I have jumped on the coupon bandwagon as of late, and it is so satisfying to score a good deal. Just this week I got 3 bars of soap, some dog food, and a loaf of bread for free, and scored great savings on some other items - like a bottle of Pledge for 47 cents. On some deals I was even credited an "overage" to go toward the overall bill. Wa-hoo!

I thought I'd share these blogs and websites b/c there are great deals to be had everywhere. Some of these coupon people take it very seriously - like a job - so there is a lot information out there depending on how much time and energy you'd like to invest in your thriftiness.

These are the blogs I subscribe to. They are all out of state, so everything doesn't apply here, but there are still great tips for stores like Walmart, Target, and Walgreens. Also, word is a local coupon pro (*the Amanda named below) is going to start her own similar blog, so I'll pass on that information as soon as it is posted.

http://www.couponcravings.com/
http://freebies4mom.blogspot.com/
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/

Ada is a more experienced couponer, and she passed on these websites:

http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.couponbug.com/
http://www.freestufftimes.com/coupons/
http://www.btfe.com/

She also sent me some good advice: You have to be careful about some sites. A lot of them promote illegal couponing practices and post copied coupons. I had no idea there were any laws pertaining to couponing until I took Amanda's* class. Apparently some websites will scan coupons and then post them as a PDF, which is illegal. Just recently Wal-Mart was refusing some printed coupons. There is even a coupon commission that watches for this type of fraud. Anyway, it is really nothing to worry about if you try to print coupons that can be traced back to the manufacturer.

Also, as you begin to print coupons, you'll notice these companies love to spruce things up with a lot of color, and that means a lot of your colored ink. I've just saved a "coupon" setting (fast draft/lower DPI/grayscale) up in my printer preferences so that I can choose it and avoid wasting expensive colored ink.

free arby's roast burger

I can't vouch if these things are any good or not, but a free "burger" is a free "burger" after all. (I just can't bring myself to call it a burger without quotes b/c there's not a patty between those delicious buns.) Anywho, go here to print a coupon for yourself. Happy eating!

free quiznos sub!

Free sub from Quiznos!

Looks like you can do it for every adult in your house! (They're giving away a million, and when I signed up, they were at 80,000 ish.)