Coupon Queen (in training)

I feel an obsession coming on, a coupon obsession! I'm definitely taking baby steps (teehee, get it, baby steps...ok sorry) but I'm really excited about it. Above is the result of my first outing specifically for the purpose of using all of a certain coupon to get a good deal. It's no Extreme Couponing feat of savings but I did get $23.16 worth of baby food and baby cereal for $14.06! Sweetness! I was so disappointed that two of my coupons didn't scan for an unknown reason, those would have gotten me $24 in formula for $14. Still learning the rules and regs! In the pic below are some batteries from Office Depot that I will get 100% back in gift cards just by using my free rewards card when purchasing them, that made me happy!

You know the saying it takes money to make money? That would be my binder below. Not that it was hugely expensive but it was sort of hard to spend money when you're going into this thing to save. My binder makes me too happy, I'm sure it's a sickness. I keep telling my husband "everything in life should be like this binder, everything neatly in it's place, labelled, clean and tidy. Mmmmm."

My first grocery shopping trip with my binder felt like a disaster. Between store card, coupons and digital coupons I saved about $30, fine except that my total bill was about 2x's the usual, wowza! For a family of 5 with three pets you can imagine that would be a large amount. I felt a little better about it later when I took a good look at it. Turns out attention to detail equals big grocery bill...but hopefully no small trips in addition to the big one, tricking me into thinking I spend less on groceries. Ok, off to hunt some bargains and try to keep the reigns on this potential addiction, moderation in all things right?

Christmas Junkie

I love Christmas, there are no two ways about it. I love everything about it and this year is turning out to be the best in awhile. Mostly because I decided this year to take a big giant chill pill before the start of the season, to know that it's supposed to be fun for all involved not stressful, and to be intentionally friendly and kind to those I run into in my daily goings about who may be dealing with extra rudeness during this season (aka any poor soul working retail and cash registers).

I also have 3 of the sweetest little boys and having kids puts a new excitement into Christmas, every year is more exciting, and filled with more interesting comments. The Little Mister is going to be 9 months old in a few days, he's loving the lights and music. He's getting new skills at the speed of light. Sitting up and pulling up all in one day, signing for food and drink, knowing that he wants to have and do things that he can't.

 The big boys are starting to say fun things. Lets see, what stories do I have...

The other day someone gifted us the most gorgeous Christmas train. I was more excited than the boys, I mean really embarrassingly giddy, like a little kid. To the boys I said "You know I love Christmas but I love Christmas trains even more!!!" and Mr. Golden Curls, my little lover of trains since before he could say "Thomas" mind you, says "Mama, I think I like Christmas even more than trains because I get to celebrate Jesus' birthday." Wow, now if that's not convicting!

 Hilarious things get said when you have a Fisher-Price Nativity set and several boys running around, awesomely hilarious things. Poor baby Jesus, eaten, slobbered on, trapped in little boys' stinky pits, made to converse with the likes of Lightening McQueen and Lego Harry Potter. One night on our way home from the boys' school musical we stopped to buy eggnog and ginger snaps to take home. On the way into the house Spitfire is swinging the bag of ginger snaps, trash talking "You better watch it or I will smash all your ginger snaps and turn you into a giiiirl!!!" Clearly at 5 years old he did not know the implication of his threat but I thought I'd hurt myself with laughter.

So I carry on into the season belting out Dolly Parton Christmas songs to myself, being overjoyed that it snowed the tiniest bit while I was doing some Christmas shopping and keeping a constant stock of eggnog, candy canes and peppermint ice cream and being way too excited about the little things. Then in the New Year I think I'll make it a resolution to try and keep that happiness all year. I'm too much of a sarcastic 'ole grump, it's time to spread out that Christmas spirit!