She's Just Too Smart

This past Friday, I had the pleasure of attending my dear sweet friend, Leisha's, baby shower. Her mom and sister worked hard and quietly for weeks planning a surprise shower for her at Kobe Steakhouse. The rest of us were thrilled to be in on the surprise. However, Leisha, being the super smart lady that she is, figured things out ahead of time, and spoiled the surprise. She really is just too smart! Oh well! It was still fun for ALL!!!

Here is Leisha walking in on the big surprise. Isn't she precious?!Here are all the kids in the hot spot...right beside the gift opener. Is there any greater place to be???After the shower, I got someone to take a picture of Rachael, Leisha, and me. I have none! These ladies are two of my best friends, yet I've never had a picture of us together. Now I do! Yippee! :)
Baby Luke will be here very soon, and I, for one, can't wait to meet him! If he's anything like the rest of his family, he will be hard not to love.
Hairston Family, we sure do love you!!! Leisha, you're almost there. Soon, you'll be tickling little Luke's toes. I can't wait!!!

Best Friends

See that blue blanket? That, my friends, is a priceless masterpiece. That is, of course, if you're asking Asher. This blankie is his lovey, and his lovey is extremely important to him. I don't know what we would do if anything ever happened to Lovey. Asher refuses to sleep without him, and lately, he takes him everywhere.

Tristan, knowing how important Lovey is to Asher, likes to snatch him and run away. This always elicits loud screams from Asher. It's gotten to the point that when I'm out of the room and I hear him scream, I immediately say, "Tristan, give Ash his lovey back." Then I hear Tristan laugh and run away. It happens at least once every other day.

Look at this love! Whenever I showed Asher this picture, he said, "Oh wee..." because that's what we say when he snuggles Lovey. Now it's an automatic response out of him.

This picture is a rare one. He was actually going to share Lovey with me. I couldn't believe it!

"Ok, Mom, if you're not going to take him, I'll just chew him!"
Great thing about Lovey is that he's very forgiving. He has been thrown, gnawed on, thrown up on; he's been dragged and snatched. He's been with Asher through loud nights of screaming in the nursery at church and in his bed. He's been on every trip Asher's been on. Lovey is a loyal friend. I dare say that Lovey is Asher's best friend. Again I say, what would we do without Lovey. I hope we never have to find out.

A New You...Actually a New Me...and the Boys

The boys and I have all gotten new haircuts. Well actually, Asher didn't. The big boys did. Between the three of us, I think we lost about 20 pounds in hair alone! If I were super organized and had lots of time, I would post before and afters. Alas, I'm not super organized, and it's probably not worth the time it would take me to do so. So, you'll just see the after. What a thrill, right?
I'll have to get a more clear shot of Channing, but for now, this sweet one of him reading toTristan will have to do...So that's it. I know, I know. Really exciting. You'll probably want to pass this link on to thousands. I know. I understand.

This Week's Publix Trip

Like my friend, Hillary, I LOVE Publix. Not only is the place clean and organized and the workers helpful, but Publix is also the home of the double-seat car buggy. This is a plus for me but an even bigger plus for my boys! They love to steer and drive themselves all over the store. I mean, look at that picture...don't they look happy? This was taken before the free cookie, so imagine how happy they were after that!

This post probably won't help any of you get deals since I shopped on Tuesday, and all those deals are over. But I had these sweet pictures of my boys and got some great deals, so I had to share. Normally, I will probably forgo sharing my Publix deals because I almost always shop there on Tuesday nights (which is the last night for each week's sales). I do this so that I can get rainchecks for whatever they've run out of. By Tuesday night, they are usually out of several things, but have comparable things which allow me to take advantage of the sale AND allow me to get rainchecks for later. I LOVE it! Anyway, on to this week's deals. This is what I got:

I did two transactions on this trip (with the help of my patient husband) because I had two $5/$25 coupons that I wanted to use AND two $2/$10 CVS coupons.

First transaction:
Natures Own Wheat Bread 2.69
Turkey and Cheddar Lunchable 1.89
Strawberries 2.50 (on sale)
Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Raisin Bread 2.50 (on sale)
Spinach 1.50 (on sale)
Bananas 1.42
Baby cut carrots .85 (on sale)
Gerber meat sticks 1.25
Gerber carrot dices .75 (on sale)
Simply Orange Juice 3.00 (on sale)
Greenwise organic milk gallon 5.69
Coupons used:
$5/$25 Piggly Wiggly
$2/$10 CVS
.50 off Pepperidge Farm bread~Target
Total OOP: $18.03
My savings: $11.90!!!

Second Transaction:
2 Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats (I used a raincheck from last week) B1G1 Free at 3.99
2 Fiber One Cereals B1G1 Free at 2.00
2 Total Raisin Brans B1G1 Free at 2.00
2 Boxes of Spider Man Fruit Snacks B1G1 Free at 2.69
2 Pringles chips on sale @ 5/$4
Cucumber on sale @ .75
Kraft pudding .97 (I usually try to shop only sales when possible, but Tristan really wanted some pudding)
Yo Kids yogurt on sale 1.40
Plums on sale 1.76
Coupons used:
$2/$10 CVS
$5/$25 Piggly Wiggly
Kellogg's $1/2 cereal
(2) .75 Total cereal
(2) .75 Fiber One cereal
1.50 online printable yogurt coupon
.50/2 Pringles coupon~online Target
Total OOP: $8.57
Total Savings: $26.92!

So in this trip, I spent a total of $26.60 and saved $38.82!!!
Even though you can't go out and get these deals (since the deals have changed), I hope this gives someone hope. You too can get your grocery bill down. With the high cost of things you can't control (like gas), this is one way that you can minimize your expenses.
Happy shopping! OH! And as always, for a list of all the Publix deals and corresponding coupons, check out Sarah at Fiddledeedee.

I'll leave you with this picture of my boys:

As you can see, Asher was ready to get moving....quite possibly because he knew there was a cookie in his very near future.

Even When They Mess Up...

I still LOVE CVS!Ok, let me just go ahead and give you this disclaimer...when you see my total out of pocket, it is larger than $5; however, this is because CVS messed up, not me. My total should have been just cents over $5. Thanks a lot, CVS! I'm hoping to get everything cleared up tomorrow. In the meantime, check out my scenarios for some great deals!
Transaction #1:
2 Cover Girl Lip colors B1G1 Free $3.99
Lamisil 7.59
Lamisilk 8.29
Coupons:
CVS $2/$10 purchase
$4 off Lamisil SS 7/20
$3 off Lamisilk SS 7/20
2 $1/1 Cover girl products P&G August
ECBs used: $7.79
Total OOP (tax included) = $1.99
Spent $1.99 and Saved $22.78!!! I also earned $10 in ECBs.

Transaction #2:
CVS Cotton Swabs $1.50
2 Huggies Pull Ups $17.98
Coupons:
$2/$10 CVS coupon
$2 off CVS skincare coupon
2 $2 off Huggies Pull ups
ECB's Used: $10 earned in first transaction
Total OOP (tax included) = $1.97
I spent $1.97 and saved $26.49!!!

Transaction #3:
CVS Cotton Swabs $1.50
Johnson & Johnson shampoo $2.99
Johnson & Johnson lotion $2.99
2 Covergirl Lip color B1G1 $3.99
Spree .50 (Had to get in order to use ECBs and to total out correctly)
Mentos .50 (see above explanation)
Coupons Used:
$2/$10 CVS coupon
$2 off CVS skincare
2 $1 off Cover girl products
$1 off Johnsons shampoo
$1 off Johnsons lotion
ECBs used: $4
Total OOP: $.87
I spent $.87 and saved $19.66!!!
(I should have earned $5 ECBs by buying $25 worth of select baby products. CVS messed up, and I didn't get my ECBs).

Ok, I have a transaction #4. I know this is breaking the rules (of the CVS $5 challenge; I'm only supposed to do 3 transactions), but my good friend, Emily (who works at CVS), gave me a coupon and told me about this deal, so I HAD to do it ;):
Skin Effects Foaming Face Wash 6.99
Coupons Used:
$2 off Skin Effects CVS
Total OOP: $5.44. I earned $5 in ECBs.

This is where the mistake came. I should have been able to use the $5 ECBs that I was supposed to earn by buying $25 worth of baby products. However, CVS messed up, and my receipts were all different. Long story short, I didn't get my ECBs and have to call corporate to straighten it out. Thanks, CVS! Anyway, so I paid for this out of pocket and earned $5 ECBs. Basically, this facewash was FREE, but since I didn't get my ECBs from the previous transaction, I couldn't get roll them to get this without spending money oop. Oh well. Once I get my other ECBs, I'll have $10 in ECBs, which is still good. It was just incredibly frustrating. I could have waited to get my other ECBs, but I don't plan to go back to CVS this week. One trip is enough for me this week. I'm sure their workers think so too.

I shouldn't complain about CVS. I've been very fortunate there. So this, THANK YOU, CVS, is from my heart! I really do love you, CVS!

So on today's trip, I spent a total of $10.27 and saved $60.93!!! For those of you who want to do these transactions: provided CVS doesn't mess up, you should be able to get all this for $5.27!!! That's pretty great, right?! Go for it!!!

Check out Alyssa's blog and the CVS $5 Challenge for more great deals!

Since We're on the Subject of The Gym...

I thought I would point out some of the styles I notice at the gym. There are SO many! You have the basic t-shirt and shorts. Then you have the sports bra and tight bicycle shorts (definitely not my thing, nor is it my favorite thing to see in the gym. I mean, some people {like myself} just don't belong in that kind of attire, and those that are built for it, is it really necessary? I mean, really?). You also have those who are totally dedicated...the running shorts with bicycle shorts underneath, with the tight sleeveless workout shirt, gloves, and belt. Now that's dedication. There are many others, but I have to say that my favorite style is often worn by elderly women. I saw one today, in fact. She was working out on the machines while wearing her nice khaki pants, pretty button up shirt, long necklaces, earrings, and slip on shoes. She looked quite lovely, but I don't know if I would classify her attire as workout clothing. Yet she didn't let it stop her. She was hitting the weights and looking quite fashionable. :)

So I wonder, one day when I'm 75, will I be in the gym wearing my black pants and sweater? Of course, I'll have to make sure I have the right accessories! Who knows? Hey, I guess the most important thing is that I'm in the gym. You know what?! Maybe I'll make my bicycle shorts debut when I hit 70. Man! I'm sure everyone will LOVE it!

Help Me Understand

Ok, so I don't get it. Why do people have to talk on their phones at the gym? I honestly and truly do not understand. Who are you people talking to? Is it really that pressing? I'm not asking because it bothers me or disturbs my workout, I just really don't understand it. Every time I'm in the gym, I see at least five people talking or texting on their cell phones. It baffles me. I mean, I just want to get in, get focused on my workout, feel the burn, and get out. I don't want to talk to anyone while I'm huffing it on the eliptical trainer...I really don't. How can you carry on a conversation when sweat is running down your face, and you're breathing all heavy?

I'm guessing these "gym phone addicts" are probably people who are never without their cell phones. Maybe that's why I don't understand this phenomenon. I'm not huge on the cell phone. I have one but often forget it or lose it. I'm not big on phones in general, so I guess that's why I would never consider taking my cell phone into the gym.

Anyway, I just got home from the gym and had this on my mind. If you're a gym phone addict, please fill me in. Enlighten me, if you will. I want to understand.