Thanksgiving week

Turkey cookie making. Maggie singing in a can (name that movie). CVSing early Thanksgiving morning. They paid me $14 to take this stuff. Thanksgiving breakfast. Swinging with the 2nd cousins after lunch. Then off to dinner at my parents' house followed by a movie with friends. We have so much to be thankful for!

When I was in the sixth grade, my family hosted an exchange student from Japan. She lived with us for about 10 months while she attended her junior year at Glendale. It was one of the highlights of my childhood. I finally had someone to share clothes with and fight for shotgun in the car. Yuka quickly became a special member of our family. I can still remember how sad I was when she left. I didn't know if I'd ever see her again. Since that sad day 15 years ago, she has visited us 4 times and we met up with her in Hawaii one time. We were so happy to have her and her parents with us the last 5 days. They are such sweet people. I can't wait until we meet again.

It's official!

Congratulations to Sam and his family!!!

We shall never speak of this again.....

Ok. By request, here it is. Call me Clay Aiken because I'm coming out of the closet. The coupon closet. I started this couponing thing last winter but I wanted to keep it quiet. I didn't want to be known as the crazy coupon lady who talked about all of her free toothpaste. Well, I have become that lady. I have 8 tubes sitting in my cabinet right now. I got all of them for free. Anyway, because I keep getting asked about it, here is how to embark on your own crazy coupon journey should you be so inclined.

First, let me tell you where I get the coupons. Online, Here is a great list of lots and lots of printable coupons. Coupons.com is pretty decent, too. The News-Leader's coupons stink so I buy 2 copies of the Kansas City Star every Sunday. I file them all in my really cool coupon binder that looks a lot like a trapper keeper. Except it's bigger.

Now on to using the coupons....I shop at CVS, Walgreens, Dillon's, and Wal-Mart. Here are the websites that tell me what to buy where and with what coupons. There is a whole art form in matching the sales to the coupons so you can get free or almost free stuff.
moneysavingmom.com
comicalcouponcents.com
iheartcvs.com
becentsible.com
mommystayshome.com

Is it worth the time and effort? For a lot of people it wouldn't be. That's the honest truth but for me it is worth it. I have to buy a lot of stuff for the 6 of us. I have 2 children in diapers. I just finished shopping for the whole month's worth of groceries. I spent $133.19. That included 2 packs of diapers, 12lbs of chicken breasts, 3lbs of ground beef, 3 gallons of milk, and lots of other stuff. My pantry is busting at the seams. Without coupons I would of spent $325.43. A savings of almost $200. I will, of course, go back weekly to buy milk and produce but that should only be about another $60 or so. I will also go to CVS every week to load up on whatever free stuff they are handing out. Other than that, we are set.

I have now bared my coupon loving soul to you, the blogging audience. And we shall never speak of this again...

weekend with the Brittons

Such a fun time. We trick or treated, ate, shopped, conquered my fear of propellers, spent an evening with Tre, ate some more, and shopped some more.