To the highest bidder! After several long months with minimal activity, our house seemingly became the hottest house on the market. In the last week we had 5 showings. Last night we had two competing offers and had only until midnight to make a decision. The first offer was already very good but got better when they found out they had competition. Their final offer was "$500 over the highest offer"! So after all was said and done, the house sold for a bit more than it's current asking price!
Oh, yeah...just one thing...they want us out of here by March 28th and we don't have another house...yet! Jer is taking off Friday and we're going to go look at a few houses. That house we really liked several months ago is still on the market so if we don't see something we like better we'll be making an offer on that one Friday. Keep the last weekend in March open to help the Shown family move!
If you want to see the houses we'll be looking at go to Coldwell Homes and put in the following MLS numbers in the search box. I'm not putting direct links since that didn't work the last time. The listings are also on Realtor.com but the CH site has more pictures.
Trotter house MLS# 10800796
Horseshoe-ranch MLS# 10713845
Horseshoe-two story MLS# 10800366
Whistling Swan MLS# 10711686
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Weekly Report 2/17-2/23
Weekly budget for groceries and household: $170
Amount spent: $158.15
Coupons used: $66.97 (not including ECBs or RRs)
I would say that is pretty good. I did better than last week. Spent less and used more coupons. This is including diapers for now. I normally use cloth but while the house is up for sale I am giving myself a break to lighten the laundry load. Once we get settled in a new house I'll get back on track with that. With the deals I've been getting at CVS lately though I might have to re-d0 the math on that...especially since I only have 2 in diapers. (The twins still wear something at night though.)
Amount spent: $158.15
Coupons used: $66.97 (not including ECBs or RRs)
I would say that is pretty good. I did better than last week. Spent less and used more coupons. This is including diapers for now. I normally use cloth but while the house is up for sale I am giving myself a break to lighten the laundry load. Once we get settled in a new house I'll get back on track with that. With the deals I've been getting at CVS lately though I might have to re-d0 the math on that...especially since I only have 2 in diapers. (The twins still wear something at night though.)
I'm a Stockpiler...
I have been thinking about this idea a lot lately and then I came across this blog post that I found interesting. Thought you might want to read this too. I have been following the "pantry principle" for about 10 years now (since I first read about it in the Tightwad Gazette) and I think it has saved us a lot of money. If you have been in my basement "pantry" or looked in my upright freezer you know it's true I have a lot of food stockpiled. But that food was bought at the LOWEST price I could find.
When my four "biggies" go on sale I really stock up and those are: peanut butter, cheese, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and ground beef. I only buy peanut butter when it is $1 or less. I buy a case or sometimes 2 to get us through until the next sale. So I spend $12 on peanut butter at once instead of buying each one individually for $1.50 saving myself $6 maybe more (not including coupons) that I know I'm going to spend anyway. Chicken breasts aren't a good deal to me if they aren't about $1.66 per pound but sometimes I have to settle for anything under $2 per pound. If it's more than that I just don't get them. I used to be able to get ground beef for $.99 per pound but that hasn't happened for a LONG time. Now anything at about $1.5o or less per pound is a good deal in my opinion. (Found some at Woodman's two weeks ago for $1.25 per pound!) Cheese also used to go on sale for $1 (8 oz. packages) but the lowest I've gotten it lately is $1.25. The cashier always gives me a strange look when I buy 20 packages of cheese. Once a lady at Piggly Wiggly even asked me what I was going to do with it all. I told her the expiration date for cheese is usually a long way off so as long as you keep it in the fridge it will be fine. (I used to freeze it but then it crumbles and I hate that.) I stack it on the bottom shelf in the way back of the fridge. But it doesn't last long in this house of cheese lovers...we go through a lot of cheese. Since it is perishable and takes up fridge space sometimes I do pay more for cheese since I just cannot buy enough to last me until the next sale.
Just think of all the things you buy on a regular basis. Even if you didn't use coupons, if you only bought that item when it was on sale, buying enough to last you until it is on sale again, you would save a good sum of money. Don't have enough space in your cupboards or linen closet to stash bargain food and toilet paper? Think of other places to store it. Keep a few items handy in the kitchen (or bathroom) and put the rest in the basement on shelves. I very rarely run out of anything. I don't ever use the last bit of ketchup and say "oh, we're out of ketchup I better get some when I go to the store". I open the next bottle that I had stored in the "pantry" and add it to my list to get when I see a good sale or find a coupon. It has gotten to the point that when we get down to 40 rolls of toilet paper or 10 jars of peanut butter Jerry will say to me: "Hey, did you know we're getting low?"
Aldi has lessened my need to stockpile some. Lots of items are the lowest price there all the time, so I don't feel like I have to stockpile things that I know I can get there on a regular basis. But sometimes with a sale and a coupon I can beat an Aldi price so I try and stock up when I can. Sometimes I don't have enough coupons to really stockpile. Sometimes it is too perishable to stockpile...can't stock up on lettuce! Some things never have a coupon or rarely go on sale. That's when I think Aldi saves us money. This summer when I was taking it easy and Jer was in charge of shopping we cut back to shopping at mostly just Aldi with an occasional run to the Pig or Cub for items Aldi didn't have or a great sale. We were able to get most of our groceries there for around $100 per week. Not back for a family of (then) seven!
Stockpiling also saves money in other little ways. Saves on gas, fewer quick trips to the store to get one or two items. Cub scouts knocking on the door for the food drive...no problem, just pull out a few cans and boxes. It's also a bit of "insurance" in case we have a bad snowstorm and can't leave the house. We could eat from the stockpile and would really only need milk and produce for at least a month or maybe even two!
When my four "biggies" go on sale I really stock up and those are: peanut butter, cheese, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and ground beef. I only buy peanut butter when it is $1 or less. I buy a case or sometimes 2 to get us through until the next sale. So I spend $12 on peanut butter at once instead of buying each one individually for $1.50 saving myself $6 maybe more (not including coupons) that I know I'm going to spend anyway. Chicken breasts aren't a good deal to me if they aren't about $1.66 per pound but sometimes I have to settle for anything under $2 per pound. If it's more than that I just don't get them. I used to be able to get ground beef for $.99 per pound but that hasn't happened for a LONG time. Now anything at about $1.5o or less per pound is a good deal in my opinion. (Found some at Woodman's two weeks ago for $1.25 per pound!) Cheese also used to go on sale for $1 (8 oz. packages) but the lowest I've gotten it lately is $1.25. The cashier always gives me a strange look when I buy 20 packages of cheese. Once a lady at Piggly Wiggly even asked me what I was going to do with it all. I told her the expiration date for cheese is usually a long way off so as long as you keep it in the fridge it will be fine. (I used to freeze it but then it crumbles and I hate that.) I stack it on the bottom shelf in the way back of the fridge. But it doesn't last long in this house of cheese lovers...we go through a lot of cheese. Since it is perishable and takes up fridge space sometimes I do pay more for cheese since I just cannot buy enough to last me until the next sale.
Just think of all the things you buy on a regular basis. Even if you didn't use coupons, if you only bought that item when it was on sale, buying enough to last you until it is on sale again, you would save a good sum of money. Don't have enough space in your cupboards or linen closet to stash bargain food and toilet paper? Think of other places to store it. Keep a few items handy in the kitchen (or bathroom) and put the rest in the basement on shelves. I very rarely run out of anything. I don't ever use the last bit of ketchup and say "oh, we're out of ketchup I better get some when I go to the store". I open the next bottle that I had stored in the "pantry" and add it to my list to get when I see a good sale or find a coupon. It has gotten to the point that when we get down to 40 rolls of toilet paper or 10 jars of peanut butter Jerry will say to me: "Hey, did you know we're getting low?"
Aldi has lessened my need to stockpile some. Lots of items are the lowest price there all the time, so I don't feel like I have to stockpile things that I know I can get there on a regular basis. But sometimes with a sale and a coupon I can beat an Aldi price so I try and stock up when I can. Sometimes I don't have enough coupons to really stockpile. Sometimes it is too perishable to stockpile...can't stock up on lettuce! Some things never have a coupon or rarely go on sale. That's when I think Aldi saves us money. This summer when I was taking it easy and Jer was in charge of shopping we cut back to shopping at mostly just Aldi with an occasional run to the Pig or Cub for items Aldi didn't have or a great sale. We were able to get most of our groceries there for around $100 per week. Not back for a family of (then) seven!
Stockpiling also saves money in other little ways. Saves on gas, fewer quick trips to the store to get one or two items. Cub scouts knocking on the door for the food drive...no problem, just pull out a few cans and boxes. It's also a bit of "insurance" in case we have a bad snowstorm and can't leave the house. We could eat from the stockpile and would really only need milk and produce for at least a month or maybe even two!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Video: Wesley Wins!
Here is the short video of Wesley's first run at the AWANA race on Tuesday. It was a "double elimination" race and the very first race Wesley's car had to race against his very good friend Erin's car. He won. The next race he lost. He didn't lose again until he won third place.
AWANA Car Video
Here is another short video. This is the second run when Wesley's car lost, although not by much! I thought this would give you a better view of the track and how the race looks from the other end. The beginning is a bit long sorry about that...didn't have time to edit. If you look off to the left you can see Jerry standing there holding JD (just under the screen on the wall).
AWANA Grand Prix
Tuesday night was the big Grand Prix Race at AWANA. Jerry helped paint (then repaint) Wesley's car. [Eli put an extra coat of paint on while we weren't looking so it had to be repainted.] Wesley was so excited and shocked us all by winning 3rd place! He was awarded a trophy and also a certificate for "Best Block of Wood" in the beauty portion of the contest. Considering lots of people put more time in on the modifications of their cars we were pretty surprised at how well Wesley's car did. I'll post some video next. Here are some photos:
Wesley and his 3rd place trophy
The "Best Block of Wood Car" in all its glory!
Getting cars in place for the first run, Wesley vs. Erin
One proud Wesley with his car (and trophy!)
Wesley and his 3rd place trophy
The "Best Block of Wood Car" in all its glory!
Getting cars in place for the first run, Wesley vs. Erin
One proud Wesley with his car (and trophy!)Monday, February 18, 2008
A Short Book Review
Don't know if you ever look at my reading list, but I just finished The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How my Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan. It was a quick non-fiction read. Terry Ryan, the author, is one of Evelyn Ryan's ten kids. Evelyn kept the family afloat by winning contests with her jingles of 25 words or less. Some parts had me laughing out loud! Evelyn was born a few decades too soon. She would have been an awesome advertising executive. Mr. Ryan was quite a piece of work (aren't all Irishmen!). As I read I couldn't help thinking how fun this families blog would have been! Some pieces of her "round robin" letters to her "contesting" friends even sound like blog posts! It's a quick glimpse back in time to a large family with a great sense of humor that remained upbeat in spite of their circumstances!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
New Blog
In an effort to keep the Shown Family blog about the Shown family, I decided to start a new blog. It will be no frills and low maintenance (so no cute backgrounds). I'll put my CVS and Walgreens shopping lists over there so I don't bore everyone to death with my lists. That way if you want to see my lists you'll know where they are...if not then they won't be in the way here! I think I'll still post (or maybe double post?) my general money saving ideas here since I am using it as a kind of journal and want to print it out someday.
To my frugal shopping friends (you know who you are!), I'll send you an "invite" to be authors so you can post there too so we can all share deals! Give me a few days and I'll also put some links up over on the other site. In hopes that others besides me will be posting I called it "Green Bay Savers" and the address is: www.gbsavers.blogspot.com
To my frugal shopping friends (you know who you are!), I'll send you an "invite" to be authors so you can post there too so we can all share deals! Give me a few days and I'll also put some links up over on the other site. In hopes that others besides me will be posting I called it "Green Bay Savers" and the address is: www.gbsavers.blogspot.com
Coupons
Since church was canceled I was able to put the finishing touches on the coupon post I was have been working on...
Here is my coupon strategy: use them! Okay, I guess I can explain a bit more. First, you have to collect coupons. The best place to find coupons is still the Sunday paper. I don't get the Sunday paper BUT I know a bunch of people who do and since they don't use coupons they give me theirs. Even if you have to buy the paper though, I think it is still worth it. Just a few coupons will save you the cost of the paper. (You could always use your CVS ECBs to buy the paper too.) If you only want the coupons and ads I suggest signing up for the "weekender" deal where you only get the paper on the weekend. Why pay for it all week if you won't be reading it?! This is usually a bit cheaper than buying it from a store each Sunday. If you are just going to buy it weekly from a store don't bother buying it on a holiday. There are no coupons in the paper on holidays. I have no idea why, so don't ask me!
There are also TONS of coupons available online. I have had no trouble at all using internet coupons. (Wait...I take that back Copps won't take internet coupons if they are over $1.) Print them in black and white to save on ink. Get cheap paper from Wal-mart (about $3/ream) to print your coupons out. Sometimes a coupon prints at the top of a page with an ad below. If you hit cancel right after you see the coupon on the paper it will save you the ink of printing the whole ad. Sometimes, if possible, I print the coupon, rotate the page, and use the "other end" of the page to print the next coupon. I really like the coupon sites like SmartSource that let you print more than one per page. I hate wasting all that paper.
Love Betty Crocker or Huggies or any major name brand? Sign up for their online product newsletter and you may find printable coupons in your inbox. Get on their snail mail list too while you're at it! Don't buy a name brand product with out at least checking for a coupon. The CouponLoop has a list of currently available printable coupons and the CouponMom has a list of coupons that were available in past Sunday papers. Some other good coupon websites are SmartSource, CouponBug, Coupons.com, Red Plum, and Box Tops. Most of these sites limit the number of coupons you can print (usually 2) but often more than one site will offer some of the same coupons. For example, the Betty Crocker and Box Tops sites have some duplicate coupons so you can print four coupons instead of only two, which is helpful if you find a really good deal and want to stock up or if cereal is 5 boxes for $10 and you want a coupon for each box of cereal.
If you get a defective product or are not satisfied with something you buy call (or email) the company and tell them. They will usually send you a coupon for a free item and often even more. Two weeks ago, I bought a Dial foaming soap hand pump and the pumper was broken. I called them and they sent me a coupon for a free one to replace the broken one and several other coupons for various products made by their company. In the past I've also called Dawn to tell them I didn't like their new dish soap scent and Kraft when my macaroni cheese packet wasn't sealed properly. Both companies sent me several coupons. Even if you call and just ask a question sometimes you will get coupons as well. I called Enfamil when the twins were born to ask a question about their preemie formula and they sent me a CASE of formula. Since I only used formula for a short time to fortify my milk I never had to actually buy any. If you can, call instead of emailing. For some reason you just don't get the same response if you don't actually talk to a person.
Don't forget to keep an eye out at the store for those little red boxes that spit out coupons. If it is a product you like take a few extra for your collection. I got a good deal on soy sauce last week at Cub Foods thanks to some coupons from the little box!
Don't waste your time cutting every single coupon out of the paper. Just cut the ones you know you will use and save the rest of the coupon "inserts" in a file folder sorted by date. When MoneySavingMom or someone mentions a coupon they usually tell you which insert it was in and you can go get it out when you need it later. You can also search the "Virtual Coupon Organizer" at CouponMom to see if/when a certain coupon came out. This has been especially helpful since I started shopping at CVS. I have been buying things there that I normally would not have saved the coupon for, but since it is free, I'll get it. This tip has saved me a bunch of time...and space in my coupon file! The down side to this is if you don't have a coupon with you that would get you a great deal, like if you find something on clearance for instance. But it is still much better than cutting out the ones you will use and tossing the rest!
Coupon File Box (above and below)
My coupon box is an accordion style check file from Walmart (for about $4). It is a bit longer than a regular coupon organizer but I like that I don't have to fold some of the longer coupons. It also has a little compartment in the front that I use to store scissors, a pen, and a calculator. Put your name and phone number on your coupon organizer somewhere so if you lose it (say in a church parking lot) then you'll hopefully get it back.
Open
Closed
Organize your coupons so you can find what you need quickly. I organize my coupons by category. I use envelopes to divide each category. For example, in my "mouth" section I have envelopes for toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrushes, floss, etc. On some of my envelopes, I jotted down the known lowest price (like from Sams or Aldi) for items I buy frequently. That way I know if I can get a better deal with the coupon then I should stock up.
Envelopes
Here is my coupon strategy: use them! Okay, I guess I can explain a bit more. First, you have to collect coupons. The best place to find coupons is still the Sunday paper. I don't get the Sunday paper BUT I know a bunch of people who do and since they don't use coupons they give me theirs. Even if you have to buy the paper though, I think it is still worth it. Just a few coupons will save you the cost of the paper. (You could always use your CVS ECBs to buy the paper too.) If you only want the coupons and ads I suggest signing up for the "weekender" deal where you only get the paper on the weekend. Why pay for it all week if you won't be reading it?! This is usually a bit cheaper than buying it from a store each Sunday. If you are just going to buy it weekly from a store don't bother buying it on a holiday. There are no coupons in the paper on holidays. I have no idea why, so don't ask me!
There are also TONS of coupons available online. I have had no trouble at all using internet coupons. (Wait...I take that back Copps won't take internet coupons if they are over $1.) Print them in black and white to save on ink. Get cheap paper from Wal-mart (about $3/ream) to print your coupons out. Sometimes a coupon prints at the top of a page with an ad below. If you hit cancel right after you see the coupon on the paper it will save you the ink of printing the whole ad. Sometimes, if possible, I print the coupon, rotate the page, and use the "other end" of the page to print the next coupon. I really like the coupon sites like SmartSource that let you print more than one per page. I hate wasting all that paper.
Love Betty Crocker or Huggies or any major name brand? Sign up for their online product newsletter and you may find printable coupons in your inbox. Get on their snail mail list too while you're at it! Don't buy a name brand product with out at least checking for a coupon. The CouponLoop has a list of currently available printable coupons and the CouponMom has a list of coupons that were available in past Sunday papers. Some other good coupon websites are SmartSource, CouponBug, Coupons.com, Red Plum, and Box Tops. Most of these sites limit the number of coupons you can print (usually 2) but often more than one site will offer some of the same coupons. For example, the Betty Crocker and Box Tops sites have some duplicate coupons so you can print four coupons instead of only two, which is helpful if you find a really good deal and want to stock up or if cereal is 5 boxes for $10 and you want a coupon for each box of cereal.
If you get a defective product or are not satisfied with something you buy call (or email) the company and tell them. They will usually send you a coupon for a free item and often even more. Two weeks ago, I bought a Dial foaming soap hand pump and the pumper was broken. I called them and they sent me a coupon for a free one to replace the broken one and several other coupons for various products made by their company. In the past I've also called Dawn to tell them I didn't like their new dish soap scent and Kraft when my macaroni cheese packet wasn't sealed properly. Both companies sent me several coupons. Even if you call and just ask a question sometimes you will get coupons as well. I called Enfamil when the twins were born to ask a question about their preemie formula and they sent me a CASE of formula. Since I only used formula for a short time to fortify my milk I never had to actually buy any. If you can, call instead of emailing. For some reason you just don't get the same response if you don't actually talk to a person.
Don't forget to keep an eye out at the store for those little red boxes that spit out coupons. If it is a product you like take a few extra for your collection. I got a good deal on soy sauce last week at Cub Foods thanks to some coupons from the little box!
Don't waste your time cutting every single coupon out of the paper. Just cut the ones you know you will use and save the rest of the coupon "inserts" in a file folder sorted by date. When MoneySavingMom or someone mentions a coupon they usually tell you which insert it was in and you can go get it out when you need it later. You can also search the "Virtual Coupon Organizer" at CouponMom to see if/when a certain coupon came out. This has been especially helpful since I started shopping at CVS. I have been buying things there that I normally would not have saved the coupon for, but since it is free, I'll get it. This tip has saved me a bunch of time...and space in my coupon file! The down side to this is if you don't have a coupon with you that would get you a great deal, like if you find something on clearance for instance. But it is still much better than cutting out the ones you will use and tossing the rest!
Coupon File Box (above and below)
My coupon box is an accordion style check file from Walmart (for about $4). It is a bit longer than a regular coupon organizer but I like that I don't have to fold some of the longer coupons. It also has a little compartment in the front that I use to store scissors, a pen, and a calculator. Put your name and phone number on your coupon organizer somewhere so if you lose it (say in a church parking lot) then you'll hopefully get it back.
Open
Closed
EnvelopesThis is probably obvious, but don't forget to go through your coupons every so often and remove the expired ones. I hate that... I think I've found a great deal and then notice the coupon is expired.
Get your list and coupons ready to go before you head out the door. That way your not fumbling around and wasting time at the store. In the back of my coupon organizer I have an envelope for each store I shop at (Piggly Wiggly, Cub, CVS, Walgreens, etc) and as I make my list I stick the coupons in the store envelope. Do bring your coupon organizer along though even if you pulled all the coupons out ahead of time to match your list...you never know when you'll find a deal.
So coupons in a nutshell...get them...use them! Questions?!
Get your list and coupons ready to go before you head out the door. That way your not fumbling around and wasting time at the store. In the back of my coupon organizer I have an envelope for each store I shop at (Piggly Wiggly, Cub, CVS, Walgreens, etc) and as I make my list I stick the coupons in the store envelope. Do bring your coupon organizer along though even if you pulled all the coupons out ahead of time to match your list...you never know when you'll find a deal.
So coupons in a nutshell...get them...use them! Questions?!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
First Weekly Report
We have a currently have a budget of $170 per week for groceries and household items. I don't normally keep track on paper but I want to give it a try. So I thought I'd put it here and then knowing you all are "watching" might help me keep better track. I know I can do even better than that with CVS so as I get better with that I plan on lowering the amount to challenge myself more. Just for fun, I thought I'd keep track of how much I saved each week using coupons. This is coupons only and does not include CVS ECBs.
This week I spent: $169.57
Coupon savings: $57.50
I had a nice running total in my head and was right on track to go under budget at about $150 but then Jerry ran to Walmart Friday during his lunch hour to replace the ice scraper that I stepped on (oops!) and to get dog food. Good thing I only spent $1.92 at CVS this week or we would have gone over budget. While that wasn't my lowest CVS total ever it was my best since I got more ECBs back than I spent (in both ECBs and cash). This weeks best bargain though was 3 reams of paper at Office Max for under $3...they had a buy two get one free sale and then I used what was left on my "Teacher" MaxPerks gift card to pay for most of it. I'll use that paper to print more money...I mean coupons...from home!
This week I spent: $169.57
Coupon savings: $57.50
I had a nice running total in my head and was right on track to go under budget at about $150 but then Jerry ran to Walmart Friday during his lunch hour to replace the ice scraper that I stepped on (oops!) and to get dog food. Good thing I only spent $1.92 at CVS this week or we would have gone over budget. While that wasn't my lowest CVS total ever it was my best since I got more ECBs back than I spent (in both ECBs and cash). This weeks best bargain though was 3 reams of paper at Office Max for under $3...they had a buy two get one free sale and then I used what was left on my "Teacher" MaxPerks gift card to pay for most of it. I'll use that paper to print more money...I mean coupons...from home!
My Poor Baby
Poor JD has inherited his mother's ultra sensitive skin. I'm afraid I made an error last night that just made matters worse. Last night was bath night, so each boy had his turn in the tub. JD's skin has been so dry that I thought I'd lotion him up after his bath. I don't normally use lotion on the kids so I don't have a big bottle. I couldn't find my little sample bottle of J&J baby lotion so I grabbed a different sample lotion from Aquaphor. I use the Aquaphor cream on his cheeks all the time since his little cheeks get rashy and splotchy. It really helps but the cream was just too thick to try and spread all over his whole body.
Well, this morning when I pulled off his jammies to get him dressed he was all red and his skin was hot to the touch just in the parts where I put the "lotion". He looked like he had a terrible sunburn. I called Jerry in and showed him the "reaction". I then grabbed the little sample bottle to look and see what in the world would have irritated him so much when I use a similar product on his cheeks with no trouble. Well, what I thought was lotion was really "baby wash". It says right on the bottle "Baby Aquaphor"and "for dry, sensitive skin" with "gentle wash" in small print in the middle. I'm sure if he didn't have such sensitive skin it wouldn't have been as bad. I just picked the wrong kid to make that mistake on!
I felt (and still feel) terrible. I put him in the sink right away to give him a good rinse but the damage was already done. I gave him some Tylenol and put hydrocoritsone cream on the affected places. Thankfully, it isn't making him crabby or anything. I am sure a "fussier" baby would be screaming. I should have known something was up at midnight when I got up to feed him and he was wiggling around all funny. (Probably cause it was itching.) But he went back to sleep and didn't fuss. As of his last diaper change it was still pretty red, warm, and starting to flake a bit too. While this was entirely my fault I might have to give the makers of Aquaphor Gentle Wash a call to let them know they might want to put "gentle wash" in bigger letters! Gentle! Not quite!
Well, this morning when I pulled off his jammies to get him dressed he was all red and his skin was hot to the touch just in the parts where I put the "lotion". He looked like he had a terrible sunburn. I called Jerry in and showed him the "reaction". I then grabbed the little sample bottle to look and see what in the world would have irritated him so much when I use a similar product on his cheeks with no trouble. Well, what I thought was lotion was really "baby wash". It says right on the bottle "Baby Aquaphor"and "for dry, sensitive skin" with "gentle wash" in small print in the middle. I'm sure if he didn't have such sensitive skin it wouldn't have been as bad. I just picked the wrong kid to make that mistake on!
I felt (and still feel) terrible. I put him in the sink right away to give him a good rinse but the damage was already done. I gave him some Tylenol and put hydrocoritsone cream on the affected places. Thankfully, it isn't making him crabby or anything. I am sure a "fussier" baby would be screaming. I should have known something was up at midnight when I got up to feed him and he was wiggling around all funny. (Probably cause it was itching.) But he went back to sleep and didn't fuss. As of his last diaper change it was still pretty red, warm, and starting to flake a bit too. While this was entirely my fault I might have to give the makers of Aquaphor Gentle Wash a call to let them know they might want to put "gentle wash" in bigger letters! Gentle! Not quite!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A Video Valentine from The Shown Boys
Happy Valentine's Day!
Excuse the messy hair! They all need a trim (well, not JD!) and I didn't bother to get the comb out before we started.
And for Grandma Linda and Pa...since they can't see the video. Here is a still shot:
Excuse the messy hair! They all need a trim (well, not JD!) and I didn't bother to get the comb out before we started.
And for Grandma Linda and Pa...since they can't see the video. Here is a still shot:
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Shopping with Shelly, An Update
I haven't made it to CVS yet this week but while I was out grocery shopping last night I went to Walgreens. I learned a few things and made one mistake that I'll share so you don't do the same thing...
The Walgreens that I went to (Main & Mason) would not allow me to use the $2 off $1.99 Aquafresh toothpaste. I asked her to adjust the coupon down to $1.99 but she wouldn't, so I had her take it off my order and I didn't buy it. (I don't know why the store wouldn't take when they get the face value plus 8 cents or whatever when they process a coupon. CVS would have taken it!) They also didn't have the right chapstick or the free after rebate razor. The clerk told me they only got 4 of the razors...how ridiculous! They shouldn't have advertised those if they were only going to give a handful to each store.
I bought two of the Suave products that were 3 for $4. For some reason it completely slipped my mind (probably cause I didn't read my own list!) that I had to get 3 to get the $2 register reward. Unfortunately, at Walgreens you can't go back and buy one more to get the reward like at CVS...so I'm kicking myself for that one!
The rest of the list, thankfully, went as planned.
Another FYI coupon rule you might want to know about...Copps won't take internet coupons for amounts greater than $1. (So don't go trying to use your Huggies internet coupons there!) With that minor exception, so far I haven't had any trouble with stores taking coupons printed from the internet. I thought I might, especially since I print them in black and white, not color.
The Walgreens that I went to (Main & Mason) would not allow me to use the $2 off $1.99 Aquafresh toothpaste. I asked her to adjust the coupon down to $1.99 but she wouldn't, so I had her take it off my order and I didn't buy it. (I don't know why the store wouldn't take when they get the face value plus 8 cents or whatever when they process a coupon. CVS would have taken it!) They also didn't have the right chapstick or the free after rebate razor. The clerk told me they only got 4 of the razors...how ridiculous! They shouldn't have advertised those if they were only going to give a handful to each store.
I bought two of the Suave products that were 3 for $4. For some reason it completely slipped my mind (probably cause I didn't read my own list!) that I had to get 3 to get the $2 register reward. Unfortunately, at Walgreens you can't go back and buy one more to get the reward like at CVS...so I'm kicking myself for that one!
The rest of the list, thankfully, went as planned.
Another FYI coupon rule you might want to know about...Copps won't take internet coupons for amounts greater than $1. (So don't go trying to use your Huggies internet coupons there!) With that minor exception, so far I haven't had any trouble with stores taking coupons printed from the internet. I thought I might, especially since I print them in black and white, not color.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Shopping with Shelly
Since several people have asked I thought I'd type out my shopping list for this week. Feel free to skip reading this post if it doesn't interest you! :)
Unfortunately, this week is pretty slim pickings at CVS. If you are new to the CVS thing don't judge the whole deal based on this weeks ad. Some bloggers in the know are prediciting that next week will be better. Supposedly there will be a deal... buy $30 worth of Huggies stuff get $15 back. So get your Huggies and Pull Ups coupons ready. There are some printable Huggies coupons and Pull Ups coupons available right now online. If I have time I'll post the links to those in another post or next week if I do another list.
Walgreens has some good deals this week. If you didn't already know this Walgreens also has a rebate program where you can get things free or more than free. Most of the time you have to actually fill out a form though, you don't get it back instantly like at CVS. Wisconsin (and AZ!) is one of the few lucky states that can file the rebate form online. Actually, Walgreens does have a few items that you can get instant rebates (Register Rewards) that are just like the Extra Care Bucks but they aren't as common as the ECBs at CVS. Walgreens has a weekly ad and a monthly Easy Saver booklet. When shopping at Walgreens you can use a store coupon WITH a manufacturers coupon to maximize your savings. I have also been told that you can use a monthly Easy Saver booklet coupon WITH a weekly ad coupon although I have not tried that myself yet (will try this week though!).
I'm planning another post about coupons but for now set up a spam email account that you can use to sign in to get all these printable coupons. My new spam-mail is mrs.frugal@sbcglobal.net. Cute, huh?
WALGREENS SHOPPING LIST
Okay, that's it for now. All these embedded links are going to be the death of me. Let me know if you find any errors or can't get the link to work. FYI, if you are on a Mac these coupon printers do not work with Firefox. I have to use Safari to print. If you found this helpful, please leave a comment or I'm never going to do it again! :)
Unfortunately, this week is pretty slim pickings at CVS. If you are new to the CVS thing don't judge the whole deal based on this weeks ad. Some bloggers in the know are prediciting that next week will be better. Supposedly there will be a deal... buy $30 worth of Huggies stuff get $15 back. So get your Huggies and Pull Ups coupons ready. There are some printable Huggies coupons and Pull Ups coupons available right now online. If I have time I'll post the links to those in another post or next week if I do another list.
Walgreens has some good deals this week. If you didn't already know this Walgreens also has a rebate program where you can get things free or more than free. Most of the time you have to actually fill out a form though, you don't get it back instantly like at CVS. Wisconsin (and AZ!) is one of the few lucky states that can file the rebate form online. Actually, Walgreens does have a few items that you can get instant rebates (Register Rewards) that are just like the Extra Care Bucks but they aren't as common as the ECBs at CVS. Walgreens has a weekly ad and a monthly Easy Saver booklet. When shopping at Walgreens you can use a store coupon WITH a manufacturers coupon to maximize your savings. I have also been told that you can use a monthly Easy Saver booklet coupon WITH a weekly ad coupon although I have not tried that myself yet (will try this week though!).
I'm planning another post about coupons but for now set up a spam email account that you can use to sign in to get all these printable coupons. My new spam-mail is mrs.frugal@sbcglobal.net. Cute, huh?
WALGREENS SHOPPING LIST
- Aquafresh toothpaste $1.99 free after using this coupon
- Bayer Aspirin $.99 free after using coupon from the Feb. 3 paper
- Bounty Basic paper towels-Walgreens coupon $.79 plus coupon from this week and Jan. 20= $.54 per roll (limit 3)
- Robitussin $3.99 more than free with printable coupon and $2 Register Reward
- Gillette Venus razor $9.99 free after Walgreens rebate (I tried to get this last week but they were out)
- General Mills (Cheerios, Lucky Charms) cereal 3 for $7 get $2 register reward use coupons from paper or from Betty Crocker or Box Tops or from Pillsbury. That is $1.17 per box of Cheerios or Lucky Charms
- Hefty Zip Bags buy one for $2.79 get one free (or $1.40 each) there was a coupon in the paper to make this an even better deal but we didn't get it.
- Chapstick $.99 with coupon but if you get the "naturals" brand you supposedly get $2 register reward making it more than free.
- Gillette Fusion Phenom razor $9.99 get $6 register rewards, use $4 off coupon from this weeks paper get it for free. Can also get this same deal at CVS so I'll probably do it there since I have ECBs.
- Suave Kids 3in1 Shampoo is on sale 3 for $6 get $2 register rewards making them $1.33 each...most of the country got coupons for these in this weeks paper but not us. Ugh!
- Wrigley's gum $.59 with weekly coupon plus use coupon $.99 off three from monthly booklet to make $.26 each if you get three.
- Arrid or Arm&Hammer deodorant $.99 each with weekly coupon.
- Gatorade G2 FREE after ECBs
- Colgate Toothpaste $1.88 get $1 ECBs use coupon from here or here more than free
- Excedrin $3.99 get $2 ECBs free after this coupon
- Boost Smoothie $1 get free after $1 ECB (this is a monthly deal, Roz tried one and said it was good so I'll get more...limit 5)
- Purell hand sanatizer $3.69 get $2 ECBs use $1 off coupon from paper making it $.69
- Kleenex buy one for $2.19 get one free use two $.50 off 3 coupon from Jan. 6 or Jan. 27 paper get 6 boxes for $.93 each.
- Gillette Fusion Phenom razor $9.99 get $6 ECBs, use $4 off coupon from this weeks paper get it for free.
Okay, that's it for now. All these embedded links are going to be the death of me. Let me know if you find any errors or can't get the link to work. FYI, if you are on a Mac these coupon printers do not work with Firefox. I have to use Safari to print. If you found this helpful, please leave a comment or I'm never going to do it again! :)
Friday, February 8, 2008
New Laundry System
Ahh...laundry...my never ending companion. Remember my sock math from a few months back? I used to be a once a week laundry person. Let it all build up to a huge pile and spend a whole day sorting, switching, folding, and putting away. No more. It has finally just gotten to be too much to deal with in one day. So I got these two 3 compartment laundry sorters and changed my whole system.
My new friends
Now I empty the laundry chute every morning and sort the loads directly into these handy laundry sorters (I spent a few hours researching and reading reviews and finally decided on these). When one compartment is full that load goes into the washer. No more Mt. Laundry! Thankfully, the mesh bags are just about the an exact match for the size of my washing machine. I didn't even plan that! Another bonus is that it makes it easier to show the house. If I was in the middle of laundry before I had laundry baskets all over the place. With this system it is all either in the sorters, washer, or dryer.
Some days I do three loads, some days none. It builds up quickly if I don't do any loads for more than a day or two. I put loads in and switch them when I can.
Sometimes Wesley will even switch the load from washer to dryer for me. (I put a sticker on the dial so he knows where to turn the dial). Most of the time I don't get down there right when the dryer goes off so I have to "fluff" and warm the load up again before I fold it. The only down side I have found so far is that there is always clean laundry to put away. I guess I just have to get into the habit of putting it away a little at a time instead of all of it at once. I can't stand it all cluttered up in my work zone. Overall though, this has worked out great. Jerry was impressed with the new set up and told me to share it on the blog with you guys.
As long as we're on the topic of laundry. I thought I'd share one other laundry tip. When you have so many boys so close in age sometimes it is hard to tell whose shirts are whose. When Jerry was doing the laundry for me this summer I would often find 3T shirts in Wesley's area of the closet and 5T shirts in Hayden's zone. It is even more confusing when you hand down clothes. Sometimes it seems that Wesley was just wearing a shirt and now it already fits someone else. Or since we like to match them all sometimes, we have the same shirt in at least 3 different sizes.
Confused yet? Yeah, well try putting it all away in the right spot. So now instead of checking sizes every morning when I get their clothes out for the day, I have assigned each boy a color for hangers. Hayden is blue, the twins are white, and Wesley is red (with an occasional peach or purple...I had to use what I had on hand!). JD is white too but his clothes are in a different closet so it doesn't matter. Now as I take the clothes out I put them on the right color hanger. Anyone can put them away and I'll still know whose shirt it is even if it is in the wrong spot. I wish the boys had a bigger closet so I could hang their pants the same way. Unfortunately, those still get mixed up sometimes. Okay, so I know you are dying to know what this looks like in the closet, right? Here you go...
Wesley (red+) and the twins (white) closet sections
Hayden's (blue) closet zone
My new friendsSome days I do three loads, some days none. It builds up quickly if I don't do any loads for more than a day or two. I put loads in and switch them when I can.
Sometimes Wesley will even switch the load from washer to dryer for me. (I put a sticker on the dial so he knows where to turn the dial). Most of the time I don't get down there right when the dryer goes off so I have to "fluff" and warm the load up again before I fold it. The only down side I have found so far is that there is always clean laundry to put away. I guess I just have to get into the habit of putting it away a little at a time instead of all of it at once. I can't stand it all cluttered up in my work zone. Overall though, this has worked out great. Jerry was impressed with the new set up and told me to share it on the blog with you guys.As long as we're on the topic of laundry. I thought I'd share one other laundry tip. When you have so many boys so close in age sometimes it is hard to tell whose shirts are whose. When Jerry was doing the laundry for me this summer I would often find 3T shirts in Wesley's area of the closet and 5T shirts in Hayden's zone. It is even more confusing when you hand down clothes. Sometimes it seems that Wesley was just wearing a shirt and now it already fits someone else. Or since we like to match them all sometimes, we have the same shirt in at least 3 different sizes.
Confused yet? Yeah, well try putting it all away in the right spot. So now instead of checking sizes every morning when I get their clothes out for the day, I have assigned each boy a color for hangers. Hayden is blue, the twins are white, and Wesley is red (with an occasional peach or purple...I had to use what I had on hand!). JD is white too but his clothes are in a different closet so it doesn't matter. Now as I take the clothes out I put them on the right color hanger. Anyone can put them away and I'll still know whose shirt it is even if it is in the wrong spot. I wish the boys had a bigger closet so I could hang their pants the same way. Unfortunately, those still get mixed up sometimes. Okay, so I know you are dying to know what this looks like in the closet, right? Here you go...
Wesley (red+) and the twins (white) closet sections
Hayden's (blue) closet zoneTuesday, February 5, 2008
Fun with Wesley
Just had to share a few funny Wesley stories. This last weekend Jerry had a cold that make him lose his voice a bit. At one point he joked he had laryngitis. Well, Wesley liked that word and on Monday morning came to me and whispered "I have this so I can't talk" and handed me this paper:
Pretty good for a kindergartener, huh? (We are working on printing. When he is in a hurry he writes in all caps.) He did originally have a D instead of a T but I pronounced it for him and he went and changed it.
Last week, Wesley got his first issue of Humpty Dumpty magazine. (Thanks Grandma Molly!) The first thing he noticed was a coloring contest. He is certain he will win a prize and get his picture printed in the next issue. He informed me that the prize is from Target or CVS since he saw their logos on the page (guess they are sponsors). He planned his entry very carefully... drawing in pencil first then coloring with marker. He made sure it was "colorful" like the instructions stated. I told him Roz once won a coloring contest at Perkins when she was little (it was a Mother's Day thing if I remember right and the gift certificate she won paid for all three of us to eat dinner!). I shouldn't have mentioned that now he thinks if Roz did it he should be able too. I hope the shock of losing isn't too much for him. Thankfully, I think the winner is chosen randomly so when he doesn't win I'll be sure an tell him it wasn't because they didn't like his picture. Here is his entry. They requested a drawing of a favorite thing, nature picture, or a butterfly.
Just as a bonus picture...here is JD sitting in the high chair for the first time. I think he was shocked I put him there! Just kidding, he was looking at his brothers who were surrounding him and shouting all sorts of things about his first time in the chair. This poor child will never know silence. We started trying cereal a couple weeks ago. He's had it twice or three times now. Tonight was his first taste of banana. I'm in no hurry with the solid foods since that whole stage is my least favorite. I'd much rather just breastfeed. If that's not an option than it is much better when they can feed themselves.
Pretty good for a kindergartener, huh? (We are working on printing. When he is in a hurry he writes in all caps.) He did originally have a D instead of a T but I pronounced it for him and he went and changed it.
Last week, Wesley got his first issue of Humpty Dumpty magazine. (Thanks Grandma Molly!) The first thing he noticed was a coloring contest. He is certain he will win a prize and get his picture printed in the next issue. He informed me that the prize is from Target or CVS since he saw their logos on the page (guess they are sponsors). He planned his entry very carefully... drawing in pencil first then coloring with marker. He made sure it was "colorful" like the instructions stated. I told him Roz once won a coloring contest at Perkins when she was little (it was a Mother's Day thing if I remember right and the gift certificate she won paid for all three of us to eat dinner!). I shouldn't have mentioned that now he thinks if Roz did it he should be able too. I hope the shock of losing isn't too much for him. Thankfully, I think the winner is chosen randomly so when he doesn't win I'll be sure an tell him it wasn't because they didn't like his picture. Here is his entry. They requested a drawing of a favorite thing, nature picture, or a butterfly.
Just as a bonus picture...here is JD sitting in the high chair for the first time. I think he was shocked I put him there! Just kidding, he was looking at his brothers who were surrounding him and shouting all sorts of things about his first time in the chair. This poor child will never know silence. We started trying cereal a couple weeks ago. He's had it twice or three times now. Tonight was his first taste of banana. I'm in no hurry with the solid foods since that whole stage is my least favorite. I'd much rather just breastfeed. If that's not an option than it is much better when they can feed themselves.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
A Nice Compliment
Today at church I received a nice compliment. Several months ago I started making these burp cloths to give as new baby gifts. I gave a few to a couple at church who had a baby just before Christmas. The new mom stopped me today and asked if I had made them myself. She said she loved hers and was wondering if she could buy some more from me. I have several made up waiting so I will be giving her a couple more. That made my day!
Apple Pie Muffins
Here is another recipe. I made these for our Thursday morning "muffin day" breakfast. Wesley and Eli each ate two and asked for a third. Justus said they were "horrible" but then ate his anyway. I think he just wanted to say "horrible". The original recipe called for some other type of topping but I didn't like how it looked so I used my own crumb topping recipe which is actually for pies but is also good on muffins or quick breads. This makes a double batch (24) but they freeze well. I froze some to save for our next muffin day but they didn't last... we already got them back out of the freezer and now they are gone.
Apple Pie Muffins
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups diced peeled firm tart apples (Granny smith)
Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oats
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
3 T. butter or margarine
Make topping first by putting the first five topping ingredients in a small bowl and cutting in the butter. Set that aside until you need it. In large bowl whisk together brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, soda, and salt. Stir oil mix into flour mix alternately with buttermilk. Fold in apples, mixing just until combined. Spoon into greased muffin cups. Sprinkle topping over each muffin evenly. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 24 muffins.
*If you don't have buttermilk put 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1 cup line and let sit for several minutes. Then use as you would buttermilk.
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups diced peeled firm tart apples (Granny smith)
Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oats
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
3 T. butter or margarine
Make topping first by putting the first five topping ingredients in a small bowl and cutting in the butter. Set that aside until you need it. In large bowl whisk together brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, soda, and salt. Stir oil mix into flour mix alternately with buttermilk. Fold in apples, mixing just until combined. Spoon into greased muffin cups. Sprinkle topping over each muffin evenly. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 24 muffins.
*If you don't have buttermilk put 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1 cup line and let sit for several minutes. Then use as you would buttermilk.
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