Rite Aid

Today was a day of shopping and money saving!!  Target, Wal-Mart and Rite Aid.  I am so proud of my Rite Aid trip.  Here is what I got:

4 Boxes of Pot of Gold candy
2 bags of Hershey's Kisses
1 bag Mars Ast Minis
2 bags Reese's Minis
2 bags Hershey's Minis
3 bags Snicker's Minis
2 tubes of Colgate toothpaste
8 Wet and Wild nail polishes
1 Tide
1 Shave Gel
1 Liners

My total before coupons was $68.13.  That was with sale prices.  I saved $19.50 in coupons and then got $26.00 back in + up rewards to spend next time.  So I spent $22.63 and saved a total of $45.50.  Not 

bad if I do say so myself!! 

Rite Aid

This was my trip to Walgreen's today

6 stocking stuffer size Snickers and a candy cane for $.58  They had the candy on sale 3/$1 and I had a coupon for $2/3.  I had to get 6 in order to make it the $2 limit but they gave me the chance to get more!!  I only had to pay $.58 for the candy cane!

Tomorrow I am making my first trip to Rite Aid for a true shopping trip.  I have been going through all of my coupons and ad papers tonight and making my list.  It will not normally take this long but I am redoing my binder and had not clipped any coupons for a few weeks so that is taking a while.  I was happy to read another lady say when she first started it would take her a while to do this but now it takes her no time on a Sunday to make her list.  I am so excited about this.  I ordered my book today.  I could have gotten it at B&N but I like to shop local when I can.  I will be sure to post about how my trip tomorrow goes.  My goal is going to be to save at least 50% this time.  Once I get good I will go for 75%!!

Free Free Free!!!

I will be the first to tell you I am all about some free stuff!  And I have been getting lots free lately.  Today we went to a free Snacks with Santa.  Tempe's school readiness program puts it on every year.  Local businesses set up at the fair grounds with crafts for the kids to do.  She got to make all kinds of ornaments and then had cookies and juice for snack.

Then we went to a donations only brunch with Santa that is put on by my MOPS group.  That was a lot of fun and Tempe sat on Santa's lap!

The next thing I am excited about is that I have gotten some stocking stuffers for free!!  Rite Aid had the men's Gillette gift pack that includes a battery powered razor, shave gel, face scrub, and lotion on sale for $9.  I had a P&G coupon for $4 off and then Rite Aid also gave you $5 + rewards.  So in the long run it was FREE!!

I told you I was going to get into couponing!  Just wait until you see what is up my sleeve soon.  It is a total mind set that you have to train yourself to do but it is well worth it once you do!

Sickness

Hi there!!!  I have been a way for a little while.  Sadly Tempe and I have both been sick.  We have only been doing things that we needed to do.  But thank God we are both on the mends and feeling better.  We have been able to do a few fun things here and there between the sickness.  Like her first birthday!  I am going to do another post tomorrow about that.  We also saw Santa,

and we also went on the Jingle Bell Express,

and I have to admit I am getting into some coupon shopping.  I know that I have always done it but I found a new book that I will share after I read and from what I read in reviews I am going full force come Jan. 1!  Just look at all of this I got for $2.75 including tax at Rite Aid!!!

I am not going to tell much until after I get things all settled with the book and everything.  I don't want to give misleading info but I will say this I am SUPER excited!!!  I am also excited about Christmas this year.  I was just now able to get the tree up because of the sickness but as I sit here now by the glow of it's lights I can't help but think of the true reason we celebrate this season.  I am looking forward to sharing all of our exciting happenings for this month now that we are all getting better.

Christmas Deal's

Although it isn't even Thanksgiving I am already thinking of Christmas and shopping.  One of the things I wanted to get Tempe was a Leapfrog Tag Junior.

They retail for $35.99.  I saw on another blog (sorry not sure which one) that a lady had bought the Toy Story 3 one on clearance for $19.98 and used a Target coupon for $10 off and a Leapfrog one for $5 off so she got it for $4.98!!!  WOW what a deal!  After calling around Target stores none of them had the Toy Story one.  I headed to Target anyway.  Unfortunately my printer wouldn't print off the Leapfrog coupon but I was able to get it on sale at Target for $29.99 and then used their $10 off coupon and so I paid only $19.99 for it!!  Toys R Us is going to have it on sale the day after Thanksgiving for $17.99 so for $2 more I didn't have to fight that crowd!!!  YAY!

Jingle Bells Jingle Bells Christmas is coming soon!!

I can NOT believe Christmas is right around the corner!  It is my favorite holiday.  I used to be really good at sending Christmas cards and then slacked off a little but this year with the help of Shutterfly I am going to be getting 50 FREE to send out!  I can remember being a child at home and when it got to be Thanksgiving I would check the mail everyday from then until Christmas looking for Christmas cards.  My dad owns his own business so most of them were from clients.  But I would open them and look at the pictures and read all of the sayings. 

Now all of you know how I am about pictures so this offer is great for me!  I can't help but send out pictures of us as a family.  We have a lot of family and friends that don't live around here so what a better way to show how much Tempe has grown.

For all of my blogging friends here is the link so that you too can get 50 FREE cards from Shutterfly!

I have already been looking and found these three that I like:

(link)

I love the monogram on this one!  And that you can add several pictures.

(link)

This one is really neat!  You have to click on the link and check it out.  On the inside it has a place for 4 different pictures and a little note to go with each.  Would be great to tell about Tempe or things that happened trough out the year.

(link)

And this one I just think is so pretty!

I am going to have a hard time picking which one to get.  I have seen Shutterfly's work many times and know it is wonderful so I am not worried at all and know that this is one thing I can check off my list already!  Even if you are not a blogger go check out their holiday cards here.  They have a lot of specials going on right now.  A great gift idea is their Photo Books or Calendars!

Tempe's New Bling

We FINALLY made it to the mall to have Tempe's ears pierced!  We have been wanting to do them for over 6 months now but I wouldn't take her without the hubby and he just has not had time.  It was a last minute, we aren't going to church, we will park and go straight to store before having to be somewhere else trip!!  She did so good!! 

They were not able to do both at the same time but it was ok.  She didn't even flinch with the first one.

But got a little upset with the second.  She was more mad than hurt. 

She has been great at not messing with them today though.  I love them on her.  She looks so big now!!

Ch Ch Changes!

No, not the song!  But in the fall trees and in my life!  I believe that we are all growing people and it is important to change things sometimes.  So while riding through the mountains the other day I did a lot of thinking and praying.  I feel like it is time to make some goals and changes for my life.  I once heard that it was proven if you write them down you are more likely to follow through them.  So here is my list of changes I want to make

• Wake up before Tempe and shower, dress, and put make up on each day.
• Only spend two hours a day on the computer.
• Daily devotionals each night.
• Work better at saving my family money.
• Keep laundry washed up.
• Mop and vac each day.
• Plan menus for weekly meals.
• Only eat out once a week.
• Give more to the church.
• Attend church on a more regular basis.
• Give more to others.

There are some more personal ones that I don't want to post for the world to see that I am writing somewhere else!  And I am sure there are more to add to this.  But these are a few and are important to me.  Most of these I do sometimes just not always or used to do but don't anymore so it is time to get back on track!!

Fall Leaves

Today we took a family trip to the mountains to see the fall leaves.  We had a very relaxing day.  We went up and stopped and bought Tempe a pumpkin for us to carve for her

and some apple butter, blackberry syrup, peanuts, and Josh some pickled eggs (yuck!).

We drove to the Mill and walked around also.  We had such a great day and it was so nice to take the time to look at everything God created.  It gave me a really good chance to do a lot of thinking and praying about several things that have been on my mind.

Ziploc Book

Mrs. Leslie came this morning!  She had a great activity I had to share with you.  It is called a Ziploc book.  What this is for is an inexpensive way to make your own books.  Babies at the age need books with pictures of real things.  What you do is cut some construction paper to the size of your baggie, cut out or print off pictures of real things, glue them to the paper, put them in the baggies, and hole punch and tie your baggie together.  You now have a book of real pictures that if your baby chews up you can just throw it away!!  Very inexpensive and I bet you have all of this laying around your house.  :)

You can choose to tie them together on the zip part so the little fingers cant open them or you can do it along another edge of the bag so that you can open it and change out the pictures.

Just make sure you glue the pictures going the right way if you do them on both sides!!  Mrs. Leslie and I got to talking and we glued some of them the wrong way!!

Share Your Talents and Ideas

Tonight was the first night of our MOPS share your talents and ideas night.  It it was so much fun!!  It was nice to get with the ladies and learn something new.  Elizabeth showed us how to make bows.  She also showed how to fold napkins but I had to leave before she was able to do that.  I have to tell that although I am just really getting to know her Elizabeth is such a inspiration to me.  She is a wonderful, friendly woman that has so many talents.  I just really admire and look up to her.  All of the ladies of this group are wonderful women.  I almost left in tears because of something that one of the ladies I knew before Mops said.  Someone asked if we had known each other before Mops and how and her answer was that God brought us together.  That really meant a lot to me because I feel the same way.  God put her in my life right when we started fertility treatments and her and her husband had just had twin babies as a result of treatments.  I had no one in my life that had been there and gone through what I was getting ready to go through and He brought her to me to help me get thorough what I was getting ready to go through!  I know that He has also brought all of these ladies to me right now in this perfect time as apart of His plan!

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day

Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day.  We all light a candle at 7pm our time in remembrance of those babies lost.

Our candle lit.

This is a very sensitive subject for me.  I have several friends that have lost babies in both ways.  Where I can not begin to imagine the sadness and lost they or any parents as felt losing a baby I do know how it feels to do everything you possibly can to try for a baby.  Each month that you try you feel as though you "lost" that baby for that month.  No it wasn't a true baby yet but it was that chance at a baby.  And that chance is now gone.  While waiting in the waiting room at my fertility specialist office I was reading a magazine for parents with infertility and an article written by a doctor that had done studies described a parent dealing with infertility as suffering from the same emotions as those parents that had lost a baby.  So where I have never knowingly 100% for sure lost a baby I light this candle in remembrance of all the babies that could have been for us. 

I urge you to light your own candle, even if it is after 7pm because I know I am late posting this.  And when you light that candle pray for all of the babies, parents, and families of babies that have been lost.  One's that were lost before they came to this world, one's that were only here a short time, and one's that could have been for parents suffering with infertility.

How to add gadgets to your blog

There are a lot of things you can add to your blog such as pictures, counters, links, and lots more.  Most of these are called Gadgets.  There are several different ways to add these and I am going to show you the basic here.  Your blog is set up with three started gadgets followers, blog archive, and about me.  First log into blogger and then go to design.  On the left hand side click "Add a Gadget".

There will be a list of all kinds of gadgets you can add.  I am going to show you how to do a picture gadget.  I use this alot on my blog.  You can use this to add photos on the side of you/family or you can add graphics you find online as I have to label my Favorites, Followes, etc.  Once in "Add a Gadget" click on Picture.

You can title or caption your picture but remember that will show on your blog!  I am going to upload a label picture.

Once you have added your picture and you are back to your design page you can move it around to where you need it.  It will go in any of the spots with the dotted line around it, or where it says Add a Gagdet. 

Now you can add pictures of yourself or labels for your gadgets already there!!  Now I am going to show you how to get those lables online!

 

Autumn Leaves (Failed to post on Saturday and went to draft post)

Friday morning I hosted my first play date for my small group within my MOPS group.  It was one at a local park where we painted pumpkins and played.  Only one mom and her son (3) were able to come because of vacations but we had a blast.  Little Eli was so much fun and so fearless. I was surprised at him running and sliding!!

Pumpkin I painted for Tempe

Friday night we took off and drove to a near by town and their fall street festival.  I am a little obsessed with street festivals this time of year.  I love to walk around and people watch and see all different types of crafts.  Tempe is going to be just like me when it comes to this!  While we walked around she waved and said "hey" to people.  She had so much fun and it brought so much joy to me to watch her smile and try to talk to everyone.  Things are still no new to her and she is learning and experiencing so much that the looks in her eyes are worth all five years of tears, meds, doctors, and anything else we had to go through to get her here.  It is just so amazing not only to watch her but realize that yes we did do this.  Even with never knowing what was wrong and being told that they couldn't find out why we couldn't have a baby and thinking that there was a possibility of never having a baby we did it!  We have our daughter, she is here, in our arms!  It was a great evening just us three as a family all on our own.  We do so much with extended family and friends, which we love, but it was nice just to be us for a change.

Operation Christmas Child

If you have never heard of Operation Christmas Child it is a program that has been around for years (I looked but couldn't find the exact number) that is through Samaritan's Purse.  What happens is people like you and I fill shoe boxes with different items for children and then volunteers take those shoe boxes to different countries where children other wise would not get gifts and give them the boxes.  What makes this so special is that those volunteers minister to the children that may not have ever heard of God or Jesus. 

I can remember doing this as a child and plan to do it every year with Tempe.  It is very important to Josh and I to teach her to give back.  Even at this young of an age we involve her in the work we do.  When she gets older she will be allowed to choose which she wants to be involved in but will have to be involved in something.  I hope to encourage her to not only do work for other countries but also work here in her own town as well.  We are just so blessed to have what we have and God has given us every bit of it that we feel it is important to give back.  I have done volunteer work ever since I was in middle school.  Most of which I do not tell about but this is so easy and great to do that I wanted to share it with you.

If you would like more information on Operation Christmas Child click here or comment and ask!

Matthew 6:3-4 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.