Coupon Monday!

Honestly, I wondered why people took the time to post about their coupon victories, but now I know how long it takes (2-3 hours per week, including shopping time) so it's a chunk of what I do and it makes me happy. Can I answer a couple of questions that I've been asked directly or indirectly:

I DO use all the stuff. I don't buy stuff that I wouldn't normally buy. Maybe I wouldn't normally get that specific kind of cereal (because it would ordinarily be too expensive) or that kind of shampoo (same reason) but when it's cheaper than the store brand/bulk store buy then OF COURSE I'll get it! I eat/use everything I get. It wouldn't make sense to buy something just because it's on a great deal if I weren't going to use it.

The way to make coupons work is to buy what you are going to need instead of what you need that week. I still have to go grocery shopping for my weekly menu. But I've already seen a drastic decrease in my need to go to Costco because of the stuff I buy with coupons. Besides, coupons work when you pair them with a sale-not if you just pull them out for the things you need. If you compare an average coupon brand name vs. a store brand then the store brand will always win. But if you buy what you think you'll need then you end up paying way less than the store brand.

26.56 and I paid 9.56 for it. The ziploc bags were free and the cereals were .89 cents each. The meat was obviously the expensive part but I needed it and it was still cheaper per ounce then the store brand.

This was an impulse buy (kind of). We were watching movies, I wanted a treat and I remembered that they had free Reeses at CVS with coupons. So these were all free. I don't want you thinking I ate all of them though, we shared them amongst all four of us. They would have been 2.00 without coupons.

48.22 but I paid 14.56 and got 10.00 to use at CVS next time I go. The toothpastes were free.

Flashback Friday

Eliza wore the dress Samantha is wearing in this picture. It's funny because Eliza is smaller comparatively but I often used to put my kids in clothes according to labels until I realized that didn't really work for my kids. That's why this may be a 2T dress but it fits my 12 month Eliza.

Anyways, these pictures are darling, Samantha was so cute that day. It was at a friends birthday party (I think it was Samantha's first real party). There were cupcakes, balloons, bubbles and a pinata. She was in heaven.

This is what happens when....

A 4 year old dresses herself.

A Savings Master (or at least apprentice)

COUPON UPDATE!!

So I have been faithfully doing my coupons for a few more weeks now. It's kind of fun actually. I've made some mistakes and missed out on some fabulous deals but I'm learned and saving money on stuff I'll actually use/eat so that's great.

Here are about 3 weeks worth (5 pictures)

This was worth 51.06 and I got it for 15.84. The crest white strips were free (and what really bumped up the original price). The lady at the register didn't want to let me use the coupons but it was legit. It's also an example of messing up. Tom went for me (with a detailed list) but he forgot to use some coupons so the Kashi should have been much cheaper. But we're learning.

My crowning achievement. Retailed for 19.90 (those tubes are day firming cream-expensive) and I got it for .37 cents. Oh yeah.

This was 49.21 and I paid half- 24.06. Plus I got a 5 dollar Target Gift Card as well. Target has some amazing coupon policies, very generous.

12.03 and I paid 2.33. The bubble mailers were free so it was basically the mascara-but I got a coupon for a free mascara next time.

More mistakes, I messed up with the cereal but the bacon was free and the Huggies were 2.50!!!! Isn't that amazing? (Plus there should be another yogurt but we had already eaten all 4 by picture time) Anyway, 31.31 for 18.08.

Slide Rock

On Saturday I went with the youth in our ward (I'm in the YW presidency) to a place just past Sedona called Slide Rock. I'm going to admit that I wasn't excited about it and was hoping that the rain we were getting was going to be enough to call the whole thing off. It wasn't but I DID have a great time. It's a natural water slide in a river. I went down it twice and it was fun. Not too scary at all. The water was COLD though, 66 degrees. And then, guess what?!? I jumped off a cliff!! No really, I did. I went with the president and she was scared but after a few minutes she just did. I stood there (and I'm not exaggerating) for 15 minutes trying to muster the courage. And then, I did it. I was happy to do it, but now it's out of my system. I don't know high the cliff was, I just know that it wasn't the 37 foot one. It was probably just higher than a 10 meter diving board, but still-I was terrified.

Here's a 3 second video of part of my trip down.

I don't have a picture of the cliff jump, but if the brother in our ward gets his film developed and gets me a copy-then I'm going to for sure post it here.

Mr. Bluebird on My Shoulder

It's that time again-DANCE RECITAL!!!! The time where I start gushing pink and glittery thoughts and my XX chromosomes go into hyperdrive. I love recitals. Samantha was just as lovely and just as clueless. Part of the problem this time was we missed like 1/4 of the classes because of trips. For now, I love that she's in dance class and it's really all about the costumes anyway. (Plus there's the small issue of her being 4, and how good can a 4 year old be?)

Samantha with her teacher, Miss Caroline.

And after actually watching the video again, she had about as good an idea as anyone.

My goal for Samantha-Done: A Caldecott Odyssey

A year ago, when I was lonely, pregnant, and desperate for something to do I went to the library at least once a week. And since I can't do things without having some sort of goal attached to it I thought: "What better way to make Samantha neurotic like me then have a goal for library stories." So I decided we would read all the Caldecott Award winning books. These are the awards for illustrations. I think it's important to note that these awards are NOT and I repeat not awarded for the story line. Here is a 1 sentence history of the Caldecott, copied straight from ala.org

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

There are 72 winners, from 1938 to the present. And since I read about 2 to 3 per library trip I would have been finished a long while ago but for this book:

There wasn't a single copy in my entire library system. So I put it on hold once in my mom's system, didn't pick it up and then checked it out last time I went to CA (and paid .50 for not picking it up the first time). It wasn't worth the wait.


Then I tackled 2008. It is over 500 pages (but with lots and lots of pictures) and fyi-it was controversial that it won, but hey-Juv. fiction is juv fiction so whatever. Here it is:

It took us about 2 weeks of reading it at night to finish this puppy, but this is a great story. And because I've been waiting a year to do this I am going to let you book lovers out there know what my recommendations are:

Well-known classics you love:
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McClosky
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allensburg
Jumanji by Chris Van Allensburg
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans

Lesser Knowns that you'll Love:
A House in the Night (2009) by Susan Marie Swanson
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (2004) by Mordecai Gerstein - Please go check this out, Samantha asked for it every day we had it
Rapunzel (1998) by Paul O. Zelinsky
Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China (1990) by Ed Young
The Biggest Bear (1953) by Lyn Ward

2 for Adults:
They Were Strong and Good (1941) by Robert Lawson
So you Want to Be President (2001) by Judith St. George

And finally:

Why did they ever think these were appropriate for children/So stinkin' bad
(narrowed down one per decade)
1930's: Mei Li by Thomas Handforth
1940's: Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'aulaire (they called him "Abe" through the whole thing and if you've ever read ANYTHING on Abraham Lincoln you wouldn't call him that, especially in a biography)
1950's: Nothing too bad
1960's: Drummer Hoff by Barbra Emberly isn't bad, but I think the person illustrating HAD to be smoking something (which would make sense, it was the 60's)
1970's: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Leo and Diane Dillon is SO BORING I WANTED TO DIE. Do you really think kids want to read about 26 African tribes. The pictures weren't that impressive either
1980's: Obviously everything was great because I was born that decade
1990's: Golem!!!!!!! by David Wisniewski. I think you should go and check this one out just so you can see how terrible it was.
2000's: The Three Pigs by David Weisner-isn't terrible but I don't see how kids could get the humor.

I'd be surprised if anyone made it this far into the post