Everyone Has Their Own Way of Doing Things...

....here is my way....of saving money at the grocery store.

It is no secret, I love shopping the grocery sales. I've blogged about my old ways and my new ways, so I won't go into all of that. If you are curious, I guess that you could grab a cup of coffee and spend the next several hours in front of your computer looking through all of the archives...

Anyways, I thought that I would share the way that I go about shopping for my family at Publix. I know that everyone has their own method. I've tried a few new ones recently, but found that I needed to stick with what worked best for me. So, here we go...

And yes, I realize just how geeky this is, but I digress.

First, I look through my sales flier that comes to my driveway every Wednesday morning. I circle the items that are on sale that WE use in our house. My next step is to go through my coupon book and pull out all of my coupons to match the sale items in the flier. I stick my coupons at the front of my book and wait for the Sunday paper. Publix's weekly sale runs through the following Tuesday and there is usually a good chance that you will get a few extra coupons for a few items in the sale's flier. Today, I walked away with 9 new coupons to use on my shopping trip. (I did get two of one of the coupon inserts. I love it when they do that!)


My next step is to sit down and actually write out the items that I have circled and the sale price beside the item. This helps me to make sure that I am getting the right price and keeps me from having to look through my paper. I also write out the number of the each item that I will need to get if my coupon specifies something like, buy 2 and save $.75. This also keeps me from having to look at each coupon while shopping. For some of my other buy one get one free items, I usually buy 1, but there are others that I like to stock up on if it is a good deal.


This is my loot from today's Publix adventure. My total was $62.20, with a savings of $73.13!


This is my favorite part of my receipt! A list of all of the coupons used during my transaction!


I almost always leave with a raincheck! The Starbuck frappaccinos were buy one get one free, so I didn't want to pass up my offer for 2 packs of frappaccinos for $4.99!


Okay, so here is what I did today with my trip.

*I only buy what is on sale. My only exceptions are milk and bread, which we always seem to be buying.

*I bought several items that were on sale that I didn't have any coupons for. I considered the sale a good deal and stocked up on my canned veggies, nutrigrain cereal bars, crackers, butter, bacon, turkey meat, chips, cool whip, fruits, and cheeses.

*2 Sister Shubert Rolls - 2.50 each
(2 Coupon for $.50 each - doubled) = $1.50 each

*1 Honey Nut Cheerios - 1.99
(Coupon for $1) = $.99

*2 Chocolate Cheerios - 1.99 each
(1 Coupon for $1 and 1 Coupon for $.50 (doubled) = $.99 each

*2 Lipton Tea - 1.90 each
(Coupon for $.75 off of 2)= $1.52 each

*2 Muffin Mixes - 1.29 each
(2 Coupons for $.50 each (doubled) = $.30 each

*3 Cans of Chicken Broth - .59 each
(1 Coupon for $.40 (doubled) = $.32 each

*2 Bottles of Vegetable Oil - 1.89 each
(2 Coupons for $.25 (doubled) = $1.40 each

*2 Boxes of Popcorn - 2.44 each
(2 Coupons for $.40 (doubled) = 1.64 each

*1 Hefty Foil Pans - 2.50 each
(1 Coupon for $.50 (doubled) = $1.50

*I used a $5.00 off a $50.00 purchase Star Grocery Store Coupon which our Publix matches.


Did you notice that I got all of those groceries for $12.20? Thanks to my mom and dad for that awesome gift card to my favorite grocery store!

Things I'm Lovin'

I love Hostess' Cup Cakes. I've tried the Little Debbie Cup Cakes, but they don't hit the spot like the classic. I have fond memories of getting to eat these as special treats with my dad. I inherited my chocolate addiction from him. My all-time favorite story happened one Easter when I was in junior high. The Easter bunny always brought my brother and me a Russell Stover's solid milk chocolate bunny rabbit. Each night at dinner, we were allowed a few bites for dessert. I guess that we had learned to store our candy in our rooms over the years because my dad would eat it if we left it in his sight. So I headed off to my bedroom to get my chocolate bunny and was a little surprised by how light my bunny felt when I picked up the box. Upon my return to the kitchen table, my dad was trying his hardest to keep from busting out laughing. I still didn't realize what was going on until I pulled out my bunny. He was practically gone. Apparently my dad had found my stash and had a little snack earlier in the day. I still think about that story every time I am tempted to eat my kids' candy that they leave lying around the house.

I am lovin' my new LARGE PRINT Bible. Yes, LARGE PRINT! For Christmas a few years ago, I had asked for a Bible that I had seen in the sale's flyer for LifeWay. I was thrilled with my new Bible, but there was one small problem - the print. I could barely read the print in my Bible because it was so small. Well, I finally talked Jason into buying me a new Bible the other day. He has one just like it that he uses to preach from. The print isn't really that big, but it is easy on the eyes. I am really enjoying reading my new Bible.

While we were there, the kids also found a Storybook Bible that they wanted. It was pretty funny watching them plead with Jason about getting them a new Bible. I mean, who can say no to their child asking for a Bible? I love how my children have such a thirst for God's word at such a young age. I love watching Abby Kate look at all of the pictures, asking questions about the characters and then telling the stories over and over again, while "reading" the Bible. I pray that their thirst for God's word is never quenched.





Jason and I started watching Survivor in 2001. We are now 17 seasons in and still loving the show. At first, we were pretty skeptical and dismissed it all together. I felt a little hypocritical about my strong feelings toward the show, when I realized that I hadn't even seen an episode to know what I was talking about. We sat down together on a Thursday night in 2001 and it has pretty much been our reality show for the past 9 years. This season is proving to be another great one.




And, who doesn't love Everybody Loves Raymond? This is our all-time favorite show! Recently we moved our DVD player into our bedroom and there is nothing that I love more than watching an episode while trying to fall asleep. However, I find that I am not really falling asleep because I am too invested in the show. There are so many classic moments and scenes that just make you laugh so hard. This was one of those shows that we've just always watched. I love everything about it! I only wish that it were still on the air. I don't think that there will be another show that compares in my book.













Okay, I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't in love with my iPod Touch when Jason gave it to me awhile back. I pretty much left it alone because I couldn't figure it out right away. I'm not really big into iTunes. By that, I mean that I don't go there and download songs. I get Jason to do that for me. :) Anyways, the Touch was something new for me to learn and I didn't feel like figuring it out at the time. So I left my Touch alone for several months.

In February I went on a trip to the aquarium in Chattanooga and thought that I might want to listen to some music on the way up. Jason charged up my Touch and I was happy to have something to listen to on my trip. Once again, I came home and tucked away my Touch for another rainy day.

A few weekends back, Jason headed out of town as a guest speaker at a Men's Retreat. My computer has not been very cooperative the past several months, so I've taken a break from it (poor gal just needs some more memory from all of those pictures I keep putting on it). Since Jason was going to have his computer for the weekend, I thought that I would give the Touch another go. And, I have been hooked since then! I love my iPod Touch and am happy that I have one!

"Now Your Getting The Green In Your Routine"

Several months ago, our family was "heading toward greener pastures". After making a few more changes in our house, I took the green score challenge again tonight. I was happy to see that my score increased to a 41 out of 100. The last time that I checked my score I was at a 34. I am "now getting the green in my routine" with a score of 41. I love that we have been able to take some small steps in an effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle. It feels good to be doing a small part to take care of God's earth.

My GoGreenScore is

41

Now you can take the GoGreenScore challenge.

This week, I decided to take on a new challenge with our "green-ness"...




...I have stopped using baggies for the kids' lunches. And yes, I think that I might be a little crazy, but I'm giving it a shot. The kids have really loved toting around their containers. I do have to run a sink of dishes at the end of the day, but other than that, the containers have worked out really well. My only problem has been fitting the containers into the kids' lunchboxes. I guess that we will continue packing our lunches in our containers. I really like that my baggies will no longer be filling up our landfills.

Someone

Someone...is ready for teeball season to begin!

Someone...lined up for a picture.

Someone...took a picture of their momma and daddy.

(And the camera survived those little hands.)

Someone...is excited about the Vols being in the Sweet Sixteen!

Someone...loves working puzzles.

Someone...is a little obsessive over organization.

(And it makes her momma so proud!)

Someone...is having fun with the camera.

Scrabble

The other day the kids got out our Scrabble game and scattered the pieces all over the house. Tonight as I was getting everything back inside the box, the memories made over this game came flooding back...

I don't really remember how old I was when I was given my first Scrabble game. The box that I have is from 1989. I love that over all these years, I still have my original game, box and pieces. Inside that box, I also have all of the scorecards from the past 10 years.

My maid of honor threw Jason and me a game shower before our wedding. We were quite proud of our game collection. I still look back on all of those games and the memories come flooding back from our time together at the shower with all of our friends. We might not have had pots and pans when we moved into our first apartment, but we had Baseball Monopoly.

When Jason and I married and moved away to Kingsport, there was nothing better than heading over to some friends' houses for dinner and a game night. We were newlyweds and we had just moved away from all of our family. We met some incredible friends, whom we still miss to this day. We loved playing games and getting to share a meal with our friends.

One day Jason and I were looking for something to do and we decided on playing a game. It was just the two of us, and so that kind of limited some of our possibilities. I suggested Life, Monopoly, Scattergories (remember that one), and some other classic games. Jason didn't really find any of those entertaining at the time and then I decided to suggest Scrabble. It wasn't a game that I just played all of the time, but I did enjoy a good game of Scrabble. Jason, on the other hand, had no idea what Scrabble was. I was excited to share a new game and so we jumped right in.

Jason caught on really fast and couldn't get enough of the game. The first game was a "we'll learn as we play" type game. I walked away the winner of that game. I had no idea what I would be setting myself up for all these years later.

Here we are 10 1/2 years later, and I have yet to win a game of Scrabble!!!

That's right, he has won EVERY SINGLE GAME that we have played!!!

Over the years, I've come close, but not close enough.

One day, I will be victorious!!!

A Big Day

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty eventful day for Little Miss Abby Kate! First, she got glasses! She absolutely LOVES her glasses and is still proudly showing them off to everyone. I get a little tickled at her because she is fascinated with her case and cleaning cloth. Even this morning she was asking me if when she turns 6 she can clean her own glasses. She is so eager to grow up and she is growing up right before our eyes.

Abby Kate has had a wiggly tooth for a few weeks now. I have to admit, the two things that gross me out more than anything else are the newborn umbilical cords and wiggly teeth. Joshua lost his umbilical cord while in the NICU and I had only hoped that Abby Kate would have lost hers while she was there too, but she didn't. I don't know what it is, but there is something about a loose tooth that turns my stomach.

On the way to church last night Abby Kate kept telling me about how much her tooth was moving. I was a little surprised to hear that my baby girl had pulled her own tooth in Bible class last night. She was beaming with pride and was so excited!!! Joshua was right there beside her just cheering her own and sharing the news about his twin with any and all who would listen.

Then the tooth fairy talk began...

Before I was able to tuck Abby Kate into bed she insisted upon writing a note to the tooth fairy. She wanted to make sure that the tooth fairy would be able to find her, so she wrote down the place where she lost her tooth. She was pleased with her note and tuck it under her pillow for the tooth fairy to find.

Jason and I had been trying to figure out what we wanted to do for our little family tradition. We had talked about money, books, toys, or candy. Well our tooth fairy came last night and left Abby Kate a new shiny quarter! She came bouncing out of her room this morning saying that the tooth fairy had brought her a PENNY!!! She was ecstatic!!! Jason took a good look at it and told her that it was a quarter and she was just as happy! She bagged up her treasure from the tooth fairy and brought it to school to share with her class. I'm glad that our tooth fairy settled on a reasonable amount. We do have 3 little babies who all have to lose a lot of baby teeth. :)

It seems like only yesterday that my sweet little baby girl was getting her first tooth. Jason and I had headed out for the evening for a Christmas party and my sister-in-law had come down to keep the twins for us. I remember driving back home and Tara calling to tell us that Abby Kate had a little tooth poking through her gums. We had no idea! She was only 5 months old (and she was born 7 weeks early) and hadn't acted like anything was bothering her. She definitely let us know about every other tooth that she had coming in after that first one.

Abby Kate cutting her first tooth
December 16, 2004

Love those chubby cheeks!

Abby Kate's first lost tooth!
March 10, 2010

Abby Kate's letter to the Tooth Fairy
Tooth Fairy ~ Abby Kate ~ Mayfair

Our sweet Abby Kate, we love you so much and are so very proud of you! You bring us such joy! " I delight greatly in the LORD...my soul rejoices in my God." Isa. 61: 10
We love you baby girl!
Momma and Daddy

A New Look

Abby Kate

At Abby Kate's 5 year old well child visit, our doctor noticed that Abby Kate's vision was not what it is supposed to be. Early this past fall, we visited with our friend, Dr. Jennifer. Jennifer is a good friend of ours and was so patient with our little Abby Kate. (She has always been a fighter and to this day, she still is.) We returned the other week for a recheck and it was confirmed that Abby Kate needed glasses. To say that she was excited would be an understatement! She picked out a little pink pair and they arrived today. She has been counting down the days and she couldn't be any happier. She is definitely proud of her new look!

There's More Than One Way...

...to eat a doughnut!