my mind is a swinging pendulum

We'll homeschool and I'll buy a ready to use curriculum. We'll homeschool and I'll piece together a curriculum. I'll re-do first grade. She'll have a good foundation when we start more difficult math and cursive in second grade. Plus, she'll be at the "real" academic level for her age since we put her in "early." I'll start with second grade because she could get bored if we re-do first. If we can pull her out now, I'll do first grade up until August and then start second. I want to do a classical education and have no problem with the christian-laced curriculum. The Baron doesn't want her whole education full of God. Nevermind that she is currently enrolled in Catholic school and we aren't Catholic. I'll leave her in private school. I'll pull her out now assuming I haven't signed a contract. I'll start next year.

On a less insane note, this was an exchange between the Baron and the big kid in the car a couple of days ago.

The big kid, playing with a tiny stuffed penguin: La, la, do, do... (general noise and happiness)

The Baron: Hey, big kid, how do you sPell penguin?

The big kid: You catch him, lift his wing and smell.

The Baroness and Baron look at each other, puzzled. They both realize at the same time she thinks he said sMell, not sPell. Not sure why I would have to bury my face in a penguin armpit to get an good sniff...

is it valentine's day yet?

This year, Valentine's Day will mark our 13th anniversary. Amazing.

Living in the south affords me the luxury of moving from pine trees and lights to red hearts and lace doilies with ease. There is no bitter cold or ice to remind me it's winter. As much as I love having my house decorated from floor to ceiling with green and red, I was tired of tiny bite-marks in the candles and broken ornaments. In the spirit of Christmas I allowed the girls to play, somewhat freely, with the decorations. Without a doubt, the broken-and-super-glued ornaments now out number the still-in-their-natural-state ornaments at our house.

I'm realizing we aren't the total losers we were just a few short months ago. We spent Christmas Eve with a nice couple and their kids. Last night, we had Wii fun night and leftovers at another couple's house. The wee one had a playmate just her size and the big kid fussed and fretted over their new baby. I had a neighborly conversation with the young couple across the street. I've made it my mission to get her involved in the command functions so she stays informed once the men-folk deploy.

I received two packages of books along with a nice, handwritten letter from New York, on Christmas Eve. A couple up the street had his mother, grandmother, and younger brother and sister visiting a few weeks ago. The Baron stopped and asked if they needed help mending their elaborate Christmas decorations after a big storm. He knew the husband from the last time he was on sea duty.

The visiting family were the only ones home and gladly took the Baron's help. They started chatting about this and that and stumbled onto the homeschooling topic. Turns out, the mother home schools this guys younger brother and sister (teenagers) in New York. Later that evening, at her request, the big kid and I stopped by to chat a bit. She was doing crafts with the couples young girls and the big kid joined in. This friendly woman took my name and address but I had no idea she'd be so generous.

Don't worry, I'm sure my life is still sufficiently blah that I can maintain this blog without any trouble. Be warned, though, I do have a glimmer of hope and my need to be thankful for the blessings in my life may shine through from time to time.

christmas memories

We had a nice morning here in the Blah household. Hope everyone has a great day, whatever you are doing.

When I was a kid, we went to 11pm church service. My grandfather would somehow leave church, make it home, put out the gifts, and make it back before anybody noticed he was gone. We grew up believing Santa made an exception and delivered gifts to their house early. With divorced parents, Christmas was always a scramble. One year, we actually SAW Mr. and Mrs. Claus getting into a Model T just two houses down the block. I was older and had outgrown the Santa story but I recall even the adults scratching their heads, that year.

My step-father's family had a fun tradition that I would love to revive if we had family nearby to participate. My step-grandparents would travel around and buy little odd shaped items throughout the year. (This was in the time before kitchen gadget stores or fun specialty shops were in every town. There wasn't an HGTV or Food channel.) They would remove all the packaging. Something like this:


or this:




wouldn't have been as well known as they are now. Usually the gadgets were smaller than these. The adults would take turns guessing the items purpose and have a great time making things up. I'd find better examples, but I have the big kid breathing down my neck to get on www.webkinz.com. You get the idea though, right?

new year's resolution

When I started this blog, the big kid had recently entered private school. In reading past entries, I can see I came off as a little whiny about money. We chose to send the big kid to private school for many good reasons. As a result, our leisure spending was cut. Nobody is any worse for it. We're probably better.

I kept last year's resolution. Be more frugal with our money. We turned of the time wasting cable and have all survived. We got rid of the pointless land-line telephone. I started clipping coupons and paying attention to sales. We asked ourselves if we really needed X, Y, or Z before purchasing. We picked up some fun things here and there. The kids are well fed, dressed, and exercised.

So, this year's resolution is to be more frugal with our time. Those coupons and sales I've come to love can be passed up if they aren't a true, slick deal. Getting papers, clipping coupons, browsing deal sites, flipping through weekly ads, and driving store to store enabled me donate large quantities to charities and single sailors. I will miss that. With the Baron deploying soon, I need to focus on time spent with the kids. Plus, if I home school, we won't have that pesky private school expense.

facebook

Should I have added my blog to my facebook profile? Probably not. I was okay with those of you near and dear to me in recent years seeing my ramblings. I think most of my long lost friends remember that I have a penchant for sarcasm and drama. Hopefully, they make the connection that, while my life isn't 24/7 bliss, I am a happy person with a great family. Military life is challenging. Moving is stressful. Making friends takes time. I know these things but that doesn't make a funny blog.

I wanted to give a fuzzy update to why I pick up stray cats. I only do this when I think of it, when the weather is good (rain ruins cats), and if I plan to shop at Winn Dixie rather than the base commissary. A couple of weeks ago I found several $10/$75 cats. The next week, when I went shopping, I had a lot of fun walking up and down the check outs, glancing at people's totals, and essentially, giving them $10. It was one of my good deeds for the holidays.

musing, grumbling, embarassment and a revelation...

...but they have nothing to do with each other.

Really

Any

Just

Even

I really use these words too much. It doesn't make any sense. I just wish I could quit using them. I don't even know how I got to be this way. Now the big kid is using them. Ugh. We're working on it together. She corrects me, which is as cute as it is obnoxious.

Do you consider pesticide and blank digital video tapes exotic? I've gone to the base store only 2 times in the past 6 months because they consistently don't have what I'm looking for. It's very close but not at all convenient. I am beyond frustrated. I want dead bugs and video of our kids at Christmas. Guess that's too much to ask. Bah humbug.

My debit card didn't work today at Winn Dixie. I was that lady, babbling, "I don't know why it isn't working," while trying not to look pathetic. It's payday. What the hell? I've been lazy and have used my debit card more than usual. Apparently checking won't pull from savings if checking is completely empty. This is why, normally, I only use cash. I use the debit card so infrequently, I don't even know the rules.

Why have I spent the last three years putting a flat sheet on the big kid's bed? She never uses it. By morning it has been kicked to the end of the bed where it dangles, inches from the floor. Today, I finally realized I don't have to put one on there at all! Duh! Let's see how long before I go crazy because the bed is incomplete.

fun finds at the library book sale

In The Clinic, by Eleanor Kay, R.N., you get an interesting peek into the 1970's view of health care. The chapter, Clinics of Tomorrow, predicts amazing facilities with, "...whole rooms, that can be lifted in and out of the building..." Wow! I can hardly wait! Lodged in the middle of this gem was a Scholastic Book order form from 1980.



Who wouldn't want to learn all about Farrah's beauty secrets in her unauthorized biography?? Want to know Travolta's dreams and desires? Don't delay! Order his illustrated biography now! You can get both for the low, low price of $1.25. It's a steal.



What the heck is this all about? Scholastic sold soft porn in the 80's?

snow? seriously?

I like moderate weather. California really is my kind of place. If not for the traffic, crime, high cost of living, traffic and traffic; I'd be chomping at the bit to move back. I became an adult there. My own place. My own bills. I met the Baron, fell in love, and got married. It's more hip and cool than my southern experience, for sure. They have mountains and ocean. I'll stop there with the comparisons. I don't want to anger any of those who feel a deep love for a specific region.

There is a roaring wave of nostalgia that overtakes me when I smell wood burning. Bonfires, fireplaces, and even brush piles being burned in fall; all make me homesick. Hot cocoa, chapstick, slippers, and fuzzy blankets are something I want in my life.

However, you can keep your 6+ inches of snow. It's nice to look at. The occasional snowman would be lovely. I think sledding is grand. I just don't want to drive in it. Black ice, sleet, tractor-trailers flipped on their sides on the morning news, and scraping ice are not for me. I enjoyed the flurries for two minutes yesterday. No more, please.

And yet, I want to move to Colorado. Also, did you notice I'm into lists today?

guessing game

We have a few vintage Little Golden Books from the Baron's youth. Frosty the Snowman, The Twelve Days of Christmas, etc. They sit in a pile of other Christmas themed books we put out every year for our reading enjoyment.

What does the wee one chant while jumping and pointing at the stack of books?

A) Tawny Scrawny Lion

B) "Rawr"

C) Mooze It

I am picky about movies. I prefer the kids watch "G" rated films. I find "PG" movies to have too much potty humor. They also tend to be laced with sassy comments and rude behavior. However, while the Baron was gone a few weeks ago I took them to see Madagascar 2. I thought ONE time, at the theater, wouldn't corrupt them for life, right?

Back to the game, if you answered "C" you'd be correct. Why does she chant Mooze It, you ask? Isn't it obvious?? Madagascar 2 has a lion character. The lion character and his friends dance to "I Like to Move It." Therefore, lions and zebras are Mooze It. She doesn't ask to see Big Bird. She doesn't care about Mickey. She just wants to look at the lion.

6' 2" tooth fairy

The big kid lost her first tooth last night. The Baron tried to creep in and do the switch but she woke up. He played it off, asking if her mouth was bleeding. Yeah, good job, freak her out why don't you? He eventually had to carry her and her pillow? to our bed, go back and turn the light on, do the switch, and then carry her back. I know it's cliche, but I can't believe how fast she is growing. The wee one is getting what the big kid is losing.

falling behind

I'm in a rut and can't keep up with things. What kind of rut could I be in, you ask? The kind of rut that makes one lose one's mind. I am in the middle of contemplating homeschooling the big kid. This would mean a lot of changes (all for the better if I can give in to them) in our daily routines.

I shouldn't even be uttering the words "home school" when I've barely scratched the surface. On to other things...

We made church windows. I don't have photos of the finished craft. The piles of delicate, colorful tissue paper make me happy anyway.



I used the mandoline/mandolin/Benriner again. I sort-of kind-of followed this recipe for Yukon Gold Potato Gratin. It was good. It may have been better with a stronger cheese.



This is proof of how very different the wee one is from the big kid. The big kid never differentiated between bread and crust. The wee one is a finicky eater.

doubles, yo

Got a Kmart? Get thee there! They are doubling coupons up to and including 2.00. It's an amazing savings that can even make for FREE items. For example I found Kotex pantiliners for $1.29. I had a .75/1 coupon.

1.29
-.75 coupon
-.54 coupon doubled up to the price of the item
= Free pantiliners

Betty Crocker cookie mix is 10/$10. I had .40/1 coupons. Frosting is 2/$3. I had .50/1 coupons. You automatically get $1.00 off when you buy (WYB) 5 or more items.

1.00 cookie mix
1.00 cookie mix
1.00 cookie mix
1.00 cookie mix
1.50 frosting
-.40 coupon
-.40 coupon
-.40 coupon
-.40 coupon
-.40 coupon doubled
-.40 coupon doubled
-.40 coupon doubled
-.40 coupon doubled
-.50 coupon
-.50 coupon doubled
-1.00 WYB 5 Betty Crocker
= .30 for all of the above

The cookie mix will come in handy for making cookies for school or when the big kid is bored and I'm to lazy to dig out Granny's recipe.

happy thanksgiving

I am thankful for so much. Even if I do live a bland, blah life here, I have been blessed. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

keeper - only because it's small

I finally got around to using the Benriner today. I picked up a few round-ish sweet potatoes yesterday in anticipation of the experiment. I'm not sure this dusty gadget actually felt loved, more than likely it just feels used.

I am a clutz. I used a hot pad to hold the potatoes initially. Once they were smaller pieces, I switched to the guard.


Here they are, all nice and uniform in thickness.


Ready for a little flavor addition.


The big kid sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar (maybe they did feel the love?)


I had to fight the kids off to take this picture.


They weren't all crispy. Many were chewy. Some were overdone. Usually, baking on stone helps prevent some of these issues. I'll need to dig around and find another recipe. For now, this is going back in the cupboard. Thankfully, it isn't very big. Perhaps it's more of a summer salad and slaw tool, in my kitchen.

rethinking my shopping addiction

With the new year just around the corner, I am doing a self evaluation of my coupon and stockpiling habits. My standard was to buy 4-6 papers. Always an even numbers in case of a buy one get one (BOGO) sale. I mainly focused on drug stores for the health and beauty aids. I would guess my current HBA supply will last me 2 years. At this point, I really could lay off on the CVS and Walgreens deals.

Since my yard sale didn't go as I'd hoped, I think my buy-extra-to-sell strategy is moot. I made approximately $100. It really should go towards the purchase of a chest freezer. That way, I can focus on food stock. I do worry about hurricanes and random power outages, though.

I'll try to get rid of the rest of my excess HBA at the spring yard sale. Until then, I'm going to limit my drug store shopping to money makers only. Frees will be fine if it's something I need.

Last thought on this, I may switch to only purchasing the coupons I need from clipping sites and HCW. There are so few coupons for foods that aren't crap, no point in having 90% of them go unused. Without the drug store coupons, the paper isn't worth the purchase price

fragrance review

That is a laughable title. Anyone who knows me well, knows I am not a fragrance and beauty aficionado. However, I recently made my annual cosmetic purchase from Sephora. I chose the little fragrance samples for my free gifts. Included was Kenzo Amour eau de parfum. I purposely didn't look up the expert desciption. I wanted to post my impression before verifying what the undertones and notes are supposed to be.

My description: A light vanilla scent followed by the pungent aroma of play-dough.

Now, I'm going to look up the real description.



Kenzo Amour

Kenzo introduces a soft, sensual, serene fragrance with a woody, musky scent. Olfactory evocations of travelling through Asia, with memories of India, Indonesia, Japan, Burma, and Thailand. Lovely places, filled with vibrant colors and aromas.

Notes:
Frangipani Blossoms from Bali or Borobudur, Cherry Blossoms from Japan, Tanakha Wood, Incense, Thai Rice Steam, Vanilla of La Réunion, White Tea from China.

Style:
Soft. Sensual. Feminine.

Hmmm, no mention of play-dough. Know what's funny? I really like it! The play-dough smell goes away once it's on my body.

slow today, better luck tomorrow

We made $65 today. I hope to make twice as much tomorrow, at the least. Here's my mascot, the creepy toy guy I found half buried, face first in the yard, when we moved in. He normally sits on the kitchen windowsill. He's enjoying the setting sun shining through shampoo and body wash bottles.



Things that sold:

kid themed band-aids
razors
olay body wash

Stuff nobody wanted:

Pert
Stayfree pads

toothpaste and razors and pert, oh my!

Tomorrow is the big yard sale around these parts. I have a lot of health and beauty stuff I'm putting out. I'll try to get a picture in the morning. I'm hoping to make enough to get new phones for Christmas. If not, I'll dump the money in Paypal to fund my coupon/insert habit.

I would love the chance to look around for kid's clothes, too. I've been to some local resale shops and Goodwill but they are relatively expensive. Especially the resale shop. I can buy stuff on sale combined with % off coupons NEW for less than they want for used.

I'm doing terrible with my kitchen challenge and nobody else has jumped in either. :(

truly a blah day

Don't know why, it just is. We went to a fundraiser dinner for the big kid's school last night. That was nice. We had conversation with other adults. Before dinner we drove a short way along the coast and stopped at a "closed beach" because I was itching to see the sunset. They've been so pretty lately. This is totally manipulated by increasing the contrast using the color curves in PSE6. I promise I did it only to make it look as it did in person. It's amazing how someplace that makes me so miserable can have such beauty.



I'm working on my recipes for the kitchen challenge. How about you?

challenge: love your kitchen gadget(s)

After some thought, I am going to pick only one item to pamper this week. We are having a garage sale this weekend and I need to resist the urge to toss a bunch of things in the pile. I've done it before. Then I ask the Baron where my M&M shaped cookie jar* went, forgetting we sacrificed it the year before.

I am going to make a point of using my mandolin. It was a much appreciated gift from a friend but I've found it cumbersome to clean. I'm a bit of a clutz, too, and washing it makes me nervous. I like having 10 fingers.

I am first going to read about my lovely Beriner mandolin. Then I'm going to hunt for recipes.

So, what are you going to dig out of your cupboards this week? Any plans for how you'll use it? Please post in your own blog and link back in the comments section. I hope we have a good turn out for this little challenge as I'd like to make it a regular thing.

*I do not, nor have I ever, owned an M&M shaped cookie jar.

heard it on the news

Walmart's sales are up because Americans can't afford to shop anywhere else. First, ::barf:: and second, it's just not true! I'll admit it's easier to shop at Walmart and not deal with coupons or looking at sales in other stores. It's not always cheaper. One of the things I've loved, since I started clipping coupons and paying better attention, is that I rarely shop at Walmart anymore. That place is nauseating. It makes me feel like I'm drowning in light and noise. Even the wee one "oooh's and ahhh's" when we enter the plastic palace. She's familiar with the quaint, cozy surroundings at our favorite Walgreen's or Winn Dixie.

If the general public wants to believe Walmart is the best and cheapest option, okay with me. It gives me better odds of stalking the deals around town.

i want this

Reusable Bags has some great stuff and a lot of it is on sale!

little oatmeal date bites

I had three bags of dates (now I have two) that will expire this month. I got them (of course!) on sale for .99 and couldn't pass them up. They were too dry to eat out of hand. Nothing like the dates I used to buy in bulk at Down To Earth.

I went searching the WWW for recipes with dates and banans (I got a giant bunch for .39 because they were speckled.) I found this recipe for Healthy Banana Cookies. I read some of the reviews, made a few adjustments, and was very pleased. They get the wee one's approval.

I baked them on my Pampered Chef stone, in case you are wondering why my pan is so dirty.

My adjustments:

1/4 cup (measured whole) ground flax seeds

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup applesauce in place of oil

want a challenge?

There must be somebody reading this because I see some of you have opted to follow my boring blog. I am proposing a kitchen challenge unlike most others.

In doing my regular Thursday kitchen cleaning, I've come across little treasures. Poor, neglected gadgets and novelties, covered in dust, live among my beautiful Fiesta. I want to make them feel loved. I already know which THREE items I am going to liberate next week. I challenge you to find at least one, maximum of three, of your own unattended cooking do-dahs and give them life. I'd love pictures, but a simple explanation in the form of a comment will work.

I'll post a reminder on Monday, which is when I am starting the challenge (and so are YOU.) I'll take snaps of mine, sitting sad and alone, as well as in use. I'm issuing a BOLO for fondue pots, bread machines, pasta makers and the like! Please, be my friend and participate.

good deed

In my pursuit of cats last week*, I acquired two 10/75 and one 10/50. I went to Winn Dixie today to use the 10/50 on my purchases. I gave the cashier and the lady ahead of me each a 10/75. The lady in front of me had a giant stroller full of twin baby boys and used the cat on her $100+ total. We both left with a smile.

Vlasic stackers for $1.00 a jar, clearance Pampers (60ct) for $8.00, and free Crest toothpaste for troop boxes. Yay!

*Link added for explanation of "cats". :P

remember those birds?

One of them pooped on me today. The best part? I didn't realize it until I'd walked around, grocery shopped, and came home to relax on the couch. There it was, just out of my peripheral, on the front of my shirt. Gross.

They targeted me on my way to a Mommy and Me type event. The wee one and I walked because it was a beautiful day. When we arrived, there was a sign on the door saying they were closed today. Gee, thanks. It started last week, on election day. Then this week was Veteran's Day. Whoever is organizing this thing is a moron.

Four more days until the Baron is home. I think I can. I think I can.

sabotage

I knew from previous memos home there was going to be a fund-raiser event at Chuck E. Cheese this week. What I didn't know was just how aggressively the school was going to pursue our attendance. I picked the big kid up and there, at the door, was a large t-shirt and sneaker clad rodent. He was waving and patting the children on the head as they exited the building. She emerged from the school wearing a smile and a coercive Chuck E. Cheese sticker promising 10 BONUS tokens if she attended this evening.

We aren't going. Bah-humbug.

judgements based on first impressions

I was that crazy lady, today. I was sitting on the couch, sipping some free tea, when I noticed a huge flock of birds taking flight outside. We have some pretty birds here but we rarely see them in any quantity worth mentioning. I quickly grabbed my camera and a sweater and the wee one and I went outside. It was roughly 48 degrees this morning and I didn't bother to put on any shoes. No big deal, I thought, because I was planning to stay right there and watch.

Fast forward 10 minutes and two blocks later, the wee one and I are across the street and into another neighborhood, following the birds. We're dodging bird poo. and rocks. and fire ants. and whatever other undesirable things come our way. All was well until, on our way back, I got a dirty look from a woman driving by. That look said, "What kind of mother are you? A baby in socks in the frigid morning air? Walking on dew soaked grass? And you, BAREFOOT? I never." I swear. The looks said all that in the nano second it took for her to drive past.

Did I mention the wee one was toting a baby wipe around, as well? That adds to the "trashiness" of the complete scene, don't you think?

wheel of fortune

The wheel is in Hawaii. It made me cry. Okay, so I didn't cry but I did shed a tear and feel a lump in my throat. My chest got tight and stuff, too.

fiesta?

I love my dishes. I went with the basic rainbow approach and purchased scarlet, tangerine, sunflower, shamrock, peacock, and heather. They were my Birthday/Christmas present last year.

The dishes we had before were ho-hum Pfaltzgraff "Hopscotch" pattern from 12 years prior. They were white with a blue checkered border and varying pieces of fruit painted in the middle. The perfect blah dishes for a blah me.

The Fiesta appeals to the hidden, chaotic me. I find great pleasure in the table set with a red plate and peacock bowl resting on a yellow place mat. I have dreams of using these dishes when we have friends over for dinner. Anybody know where I can get a rainbow of friends?

The amazing place mats are from Kohl's. They were a clearance item that I found this summer. Granny and I stumbled on them when she was here last month and I stocked up. They are too perfect.

why i need my husband

I am a terrible parent on my own. I love the age gap between the big kid (6) and the wee one (18 months) most of the time. It gets rough when the big kid gets home from school and needs to do her homework. She's had to tell the teacher, "My sister ate my homework," more than once. We manage to complete the work, but it arrives a little bit crumpled and occasionally, with a few holes.

After dinner, which is prepared hastily with a whiny, clingy baby clawing at my thighs, we need something to keep us entertained. I feel unfulfilled after an evening of grab-what-I-can-and-throw-it-or-hide-it-or-eat-it and Webkinz. For the record, the big kid rarely plays the online games. She gets together with her friends (she has more than me) and they play modern day Barbies.

The Baron calls every evening from his temporary, two week, job site. It's hard to connect when the big kid and the wee one are chattering in the background. We can't really talk once they are in bed because I'm so exhausted, I'm asleep by 8pm.

Coming soon, pics of my Fiesta dishes. It is a testament of how far I've come in my matchy-match ways and makes me smile.

Go Vote!

today's haul

18 boxes of Celestial Seasonings tea - check
18 packages of Schick Quattro disposable razors - check
14 packs of gum in a variety of flavors - check
money spent - 0.00 plus tax (damn that sales tax!)

I'll have silky smooth legs, minty fresh breath, and a steamy hot cup of tea to keep me relaxed this winter.

I also picked up some essentials for next years haunted house and yard decor.

severed leg - check
giant skull head with gauze body - check
skull light stakes - check
"floating" ghost and 25 foot wire - check
bag o' eyeball bouncy balls - check

We haven't heard anything about the yard contest we were hoping to win. We received a lot of praise in passing from children and their parents on Halloween. I didn't get pictures. I'm terrible, I know.

shopping with coupons

I like to check out a couple of helpful sites and browse store sales ads a few weeks in advance of their circulation dates. For example, I already know what's going to be on sale at Walgreen's the weeks of 11-2, 11-9, and 11-16. I know 11-2 is a hot week for Celestial Seasonings tea, Schick razors, and Wrigley's gum. I will pull those coupons and put them in my pink accordion organizer I use for drug store items. If there are any grocery sales, I pull them and put them in my purple accordion folder I use for grocery store items.

how to clip coupons

I buy a minimum of 4 papers/inserts. I have two papers available in my area. I will thumb through both occasionally but most often buy the more expensive, imported (from 50 miles away) paper. They get better coupons, meaning more coupon variety and higher coupon values.

Here is how I cut down on the work load.

Gather all like inserts.


Peel off the top page (which is the front/back cover) and stack them neatly. I am showing them stacked not-so-neatly.

Cut the stack of inserts leaving a good size margin around the dotted line. You don't want to chop off the expiration or bar code. Be careful you aren't infringing on another coupon on the flip side.

Flip insert page(s) over and check for more coupons.
You're done(with that page)! Repeat until all coupons are clipped. File away for future redemption. I sometimes pull aside the coupons I know are going to be hot that week so I don't have to search later. See the following post.

organize your coupons, organize your life

Not really. I've had organized coupons for months and my life still gets crazy. It's a nice title though, no?

I have a photo storage box from Michaels that I think cost me $10 for three. As you can see, my box is looking a little worn and it's probably time to grab one of those other two boxes I picked up. I like this box because it fits coupons that run the width of an insert page without buckling. The dividers are made from cardstock and packing tape. The photo boxes come with index cards but not enough for the number of categories I created. Also, the colors help me find what I'm looking for quicker. I tried to put the categories in aisle order.



Categories:

Paper/Soap (toilet paper, paper towel, paper dishes, kleenex, hand soap and dish soap)
Air Freshner (plug ins, candles, and sprays)
Soda/Candy (bottled water, candy, chocolates, soda, energy drinks, and "health" bars)
Make Up (cosmetics and beauty tools)
Lotion
Face (cleansers, creams, and treatments)
Shampoo
Hair product (hair dye, treatments, etc.)
Kids/Diaper (wipes, diapers, baby food, nutritional supplements, soaps, shampoos, etc.)
Eye Drops
Band Aids (adhesive bandages, first aid, and ointments)
Deodorant
Body Wash (bar soaps and liquid body soap)
Dental (toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, etc.)
Feminine (lubricants, hygiene, OTC medication)
Vitamins (preventative supplements)
Razors (shaving cream and razors)
Cold Remedy
Allergy
Pain Reliever
Sunscreen/Bug Spray
Stomach (gas, indigestion, heartburn, etc.)
Cleaning (this could stand to be broken up more, in hindsight)
Laundry
Baking (flour, sugar, yeast, baking mixes, artificial sweeteners, etc.)
BBQ Sauce/Marinade
Condiments
Jelly/PB
Dips/Spreads/Dressings
Soups
Rice/Pasta
Canned Veg/Fruit
Cereal (breakfast foods)
Juice
Coffee/Cocoa Mix/Tea/Drink Mix
Snacks
Canned Food
Ziploc/Trash
Frozen Meal
Frozen Fruit/Veg
Desserts
Refrigerated Meats
Bread/Produce
Yogurt
Cheese
Milk/Eggs/Margarine
Diet
Odds and Ends
Animal

coming soon

to a post near you: How I Coupon. By popular demand (okay, one person asked) I will bring you my method for clippling, sorting, and storing coupons. I know, I'm such a tease to post this without the photos (YES! There will be photos) and information. Sorry, you'll just have to wait.

does it really take a year?

I had another neighbor encounter today. She had locked herself out while wearing a t-shirt in the crisp, fall air. I knew something was wrong right away. She made eye contact with me as I pulled in from dropping off the big kid at school. We've never made eye contact. I offered to call someone for her but got their answering service. I suggested she try one of the other two doors to the house. Thankfully, for her, her husband hadn't locked the garage door and she was able to get in.

another neighbor story

Second verse, much worse.

I went to my friendly, neighborhood Walgreens today. It's not the closest but it is open 24 hours. That appeals to an early bird like me. I was chatting with the cashier, a woman I'd seen countless times, and lamenting about the weather and the upcoming Haunted House. I mentioned the school's name and how irritated the Baron is about the task. She put two and two together (which is four more than I had) and then said she was my neighbor. Not the we-live-in-the-same-general-area kind of neighbor but the we-live-in-the-house-across-the-street kind of neighbor. They've lived here almost as long as we have, which is over a year. Pathetic.

catch up

Granny is gone. We are sad. While she was here, she was able to meet all my friends aka the people who work at my friendly, neighborhood drug stores. The deals were/are hot recently. I worry she wanted to see more than the inside of Walgreens.

Seriously, we had a nice time. The kids adore her as much as I do. She's great at playing and entertaining both the big kid and the wee one.

The Baron has been busy working on the haunted house props. Here's a taste:

booked

I'm busy this week, for someone with no friends. My granny is here and it's the big kid's birthday today. It's 2am and I'm wide awake. I'll be scarce until next week.

rest on sunday

Don't I wish? I did my activity for the day, bargain shopping, and was up at 5:30 while sale items were still in stock. I came home, had some bland banana bread, and then headed out the door to buy papers. I normally would have done that while I was out but I forgot my quarters. The paper was terrible today. No good coupons at all. One bonus, I only bought 2 of each so I'll have less coupons to cram in my organizer.

When I came home from buying papers (and swinging through the Winn Dixie parking lot - no stray cats today ), I started on my car. Did I mention it's been a looong time since I cleaned my car? Let me give you an idea how long. Last year, we bought a car cleaning gift set on clearance after Christmas. I opened it for the first time, today.

Sunday - Cars

Clean out cars
Wash cars
Fill up
Check tire pressure

Clip coupons
File coupons
Clean out fridge

I will get my oil changed and pull expired coupons, as needed.

boring, bland banana bread

I took this recipe from AllRecipes and ruined it. In the loaf on the left, I replaced the 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of honey, used whole wheat flour, and replaced the butter with applesauce. In the loaf on the right, I replace the 1 cup of sugar with a 1/2 cup of brown sugar, replace the butter with applesauce, and added 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. It baked too long. Honestly, other than the fact that it really wasn't sweet enough, it was pretty good. You could totally taste the honey in the first loaf. It was more moist, too. We topped it with a little butter and cinnamon sugar.

I found two small-ish fire ant mounds but I was, unfortunately, too late. We noticed nasty, pus-filled bumps on the wee one's wee feet yesterday. I boiled two giant pots of water tonight and made their mounds into ant soup.

I'm not going to apologize for mentioning pus and bread in the same post, so there.

bake on saturday

I'd LOVE to bake today. What shall I make? If only I weren't afraid to try bagels... I have this 7 Seed Crust blend I picked up at TJ Maxx and it would make a nice topping for everything bagels. The Wild Yeast blog is my baking wonderland. I read, and dream, of someday being able to bake more than a small, dense loaf of bread. I purchaed The Tassajara Bread Book and The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book a few months ago and realized I don't have the time to read, comprehend, and execute the information and recipes in these books, at this point in my life.

I did make today's activity baking.

Saturday - Yard

Mow lawn (we have a cute little push reel mower)
Spray weeds
Spray for bugs and check for fire ant hills

Big kid cleans out her craft cupboard

Family night (fun dinner, movie, games, relaxed bedtime)
Family meeting (based on format from Positive Discipline)

I will check the propane level in the grill and tidy the garage, as needed.

today's activity

I'm not doing so hot on the *me time* thing. I think I managed to read 4-5 paragraphs of The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Government before I was interrupted for the 10th time. I did accomplish my task of learning something. Did you know The Supreme Court can take as long as they want to return a decision as long as it's before they adjourn for summer recess? Fascinating!

:ho hum:

clean on friday

Well, shoot! That's what I've been doing all week. I wish I would have finished reading the list sooner and saved myself some work. Our place isn't big, but it is bigger than a little house in a big woods. I can't imagine leaving all the cleaning for one day.

Friday - Bathrooms

Wash towels
Replace Towels
Scrub tubs
Wash/Dry rugs
Surface clean

Unload dishwasher
Tidy pet's living space
Pick up laundry room
Organize my desk

I will move the washer and dryer to clean behind and dust the slatted doors to the AC unit as needed.

Today's activity is to read and educate myself. I'll try to avoid reading mindless fluff and focus on topics that interest me. Right now, US government and economics have my attention. Can't imagine why?

cross post

I'm always trying put my ducks in neat, tidy rows. Sometimes I focus on the blue ducks (I've always wanted to see a blue duck), sometimes I focus on the red ducks. Now I'm trying to just focus on the ducks regardless of their color.

I'm doing this by trying to accomplish general order in my life with a routine. I'm big into routines for the kids but never have been able to do them for myself. I take that back. See my duck analogy. I have been known to obsess about the gym OR what I eat OR sewing OR a particular craft OR photography OR you get the picture. I realize it may not be unusual but I'm tired of too many things getting ignored because I'm putting so much into one thing.

Those of you who know me and have ever been to my house may be surprised to know I have never had a cleaning schedule. I do a good job of cleaning when other people are coming over. Here, with no friends, my housekeeping has been pretty sorry. As a consequence, I think, most things about me have been pretty sorry. Which came first, the mess or my sense of self worth? Who knows?

Anyway, I made this pretty little set of business card sized daily chore lists. They fit nicely in the planner I picked up for 10 bucks at ross. I can place mark the weekly pages with the clear plastic business card holder and have my list handy.

Yes, I realize this is just as sick as what I think I'm curing.

I have felt more accomplished and busy so I guess that's good.

churn on thursday

Don't have a cow. Don't have a churn. Instead I'll clean the kitchen.
Thursday - Kitchen

Organize shelves
Wipe outside/inside of microwave
Move the appliances and clean under them
Clean front of stove
Unload dishwasher
Clean outside/inside dishwasher
Clean garbage disposal
Wipe down the trash can
Laundry

One the fourth Thursday of the month I will move the fridge and stove and clean underneath, replace the foil thing in the bottom of the oven, and use the oven self clean feature if it's needed.

A couple of notes, I am saving the inside of the fridge for Sunday because the garbage comes on Monday. No rotting food in the trash is a good thing. Thursday is garbage day, too, but I can't count on getting the fridge done before pick up. That's why I picked today to wipe the can down.

Today's *me activity* is photography. Preferably getting out and taking pictures rather than sitting at the computer fiddling with editing or scrapbooking.

today's activity

Today I was supposed to sew. I've been feeling bad for neglecting a project for a friend and I was going to do it, I swear. Then the wee one didn't nap. No nap meant plenty of whining this afternoon which lead to a very early bedtime for this burnt out Baroness. I was asleep by 9pm, much earlier than the midnight curfew I'd been keeping all week.

*this is being blogged on the 9th but I hate messy chronology.

mend on wednesday

Well, I did make today's *me activity* sewing. Does that count? I do have patches to sew on both the big kid's uniform and the Baron's uniform.

Wednesday - Living Space

Pick up
Dust
Vacuum
Mop
Wipe down dining room chairs

Unload dishwasher
Run errands (including grocery shopping)

On the third Wednesday of the month I will clean the baseboards, fans, and blinds as well as vacuum the furniture in the living spaces. Here, that includes the toy room, dining room, and living room.

today's activy

Today's activity didn't go as I'd hoped. I was going to make some Halloween inspired felt hairclips but spent my window of time sucking up copious amounts of dust. The AC quit working and I didn't notice until it was 80 in the house. I had enough ice built up in there to make virgin daiquiris for the whole neighborhood.

You see, dusting isn't my thing. I'm allergic (yeah, who isn't) and I hate the itchy skin, watery eyes, and stuffy nose I get whenever I dust. Of course, having a house full of dust isn't any better. In my defense, I dust the basics fairly regularly but the slats of the closet that conceals the air conditioning unit have never been a priority.

I did manage to get some frames I've had hanging on the wall for 2 months, only half filled with pictures, finished today. Yay.

iron on tuesday

i-r-o-n? iron? I could take a iron supplement. I could get fit and pump some iron. I do not iron clothes. I don't buy clothes that require an iron. I have nowhere to be and nobody to impress (wish I did) with clothes made from fine woven fabrics. Instead I'll focus on cleaning the kid's bedrooms and bathrooms.

Today's *me focus* will be to do a craft other than sewing and that doesn't require the computer.

Tuesday - Kid's Bedrooms

Pick up
Dust
Strip beds
Spray pillows & mattress
Gather laundry
Vacuum

Unload Dishwasher
Surface clean bathrooms
Write grocery list from menu plan and gather coupons

On the second Tuesday of the month I will rotate toys from bedrooms to toy room, dust ceiling fans, and clean windows.

Building on today being "Craft Day" - I'd like to come up with something we can do in the evenings that is crafty. Maybe not every week, but once a month. Go with a season or holiday theme. Perhaps next week we can make something ghoulish together. True family bonding.

today's activity

I made today the day I explore new recipes and foods. This is one of a few recipes I added to my menu plan for next week. I miss the hot food bar at Down To Earth in Pearl City. I'll try (again) to recreate this chewy tofu dish.

Korean BBQ Tofu

a note about my full life

In all seriousness, I'm trying this schedule thing with the hopes of working the kinks out of many areas of my life. I promise to try this new routine I've drawn up for ONE WEEK. I'm not promising any more than that. I may do this for weeks. I may do it for months. I'm only going to post the details the first week to give you an idea of how important and irreplaceable I am. Please be advised the sarcasm is heavy in that last statement.

wash on monday

Just Monday? Thank goodness for modern technology. I can see only being able to do wash once a week as a pioneer. Heating water, shaving soap, boiling the laundry, rubbing out the stains, scrubbing on the washboard, rinsing, and hanging to dry would be an all day chore. Fortunately (unfortunately?), for me, I can accomplish more on a Monday.

Here's my busy schedule. Boy, I'm so glad I don't have friends to tie up my day.

Monday - Master Bedroom

Pick up
Dust
Strip bed
Spray (Oust/Lysol) pillows and mattress
Gather laundry

Unload dishwasher
Start laundry
Vacuum (do stairs on my way up)
Switch/Fold/Put away laundry as needed
Enter coupons on my have/wish lists @ HCW
Menu plan (Wednesday - Tuesday*)

The first Monday of the month I will clean the mater bedroom walls, blinds, baseboards, and fans.

*Grocery store sales run Tuesday through Wednesday. I'll shop on Wednesday and this way I get out when the sales are fresh.

I'm also going to figure out a schedule for the things I love. I think Mondays will be my day to focus on new recipes since it's already menu planning day.

creating something out of nothing

I am going to have a busy schedule. How, you ask? I'm going to come up with a daily routine for myself. I piss away too much time online. I buy (read: get paid to take) too much stuff I don't NEED and have nowhere to put it. I don't play with my kids enough. I am inconsistent with my cleaning, organizing, and errands. More importantly than that, I don't give myself quality time. I steal minutes and hours to *escape* without accomplishing any of the things I want to do.

I want to read both for entertainment and to educate myself. I want to bake more bread. I want to cook new and interesting meals. I want to get outside and explore with my children. I want to take more photos. I want to get active as a family. I want to buy pretty fabrics and sew things for people. I want to be more creative with my hands. I want to play more games.

Maybe if I pretend to be busy and fulfilled it will become reality. Eh? Think it will work?

washing my hair? watching a debate?

Which excuse should I use for not going to PTO this evening?

We're going even though I wish we weren't. The Baron needs to relay information about the haunted house aka haunted field tent he's suddenly found himself organizing. I am supposed to show up and dazzle them with my many sources who are clamoring to be vendors at the Fall Festival.

Thanks to helpful fellow PTO members I had a list of 20 names. The only thing is, I haven't heard back from anybody. Okay, there was that one lady who said, "maybe next year" and the other lady who has moved half a continent away since the PTO acquired her business card, but other than those two, I've got zip. Oh yeah, I told them I had no contacts, no resources, which was my way of saving some dignity. Maybe I should have said I have no friends, no social connections, then I wouldn't be the Chairperson of the Craft Fair at the Fall Festival. Could I be any more pathetic?

won't you be my neighbor?

But, I am your neighbor.

I walked to the block mailbox today with the wee one. It's the same mailbox I've walked to 200 or so times in the year we've lived here. There is a house right in front of the mailbox. Today, I encountered the lady of the house for the first time. She was very friendly. We chatted about the bad reputation of the nearest school and how expensive the alternatives are. She invited us to her child's birthday party that's on the same day as our big kid's birthday party. She also asked if we'd just moved in.

how desperate are you?

I am so desperate for friends, I seriously considered going to a debate watch party last night. I was going to look up a friendly location and just show up. Maybe this isn't strange to some people but I try to avoid "sticking out" as much as possible.

why i pick up stray cats

Yesterday was Tuesday also known as the last day of the grocery store sales ad. That means any $10 off $50 or $10 off $75 coupons that printed out at the Winn Dixie catalina machines yesterday will be good starting today. Every Winn Dixie loyalty card holder gets ONE $X off $XX per week, regardless of how many times you shop there during the Wednesday to Tuesday sale week.

People get these little gems and then litter them all over the parking lot. There is an apartment complex adjacent to my neighborhood Winn Dixie. The residents of this complex walk over to the WD for a gallon of milk or pack of smokes and promptly drop their "cats" on the ground.

Last night we went to the All-You-Can-Eat pizza buffet in the WD strip mall. After eating my fill of mediocre pizza, I left the family to walk around the parking lot. I scooped up a string of cats that included the coveted $10 off $50. This will go nicely with the $10 off $75 I received during my shopping trip earlier in the week.

I ventured over to the field between the parking lot and the apartment complex thinking I'd surely strike it rich. A fire ant hill is all I found. Ouch.

UPDATE:

I went today and worked my pathetic magic. The cashier (my new best friend, of course!) was impressed. She was sure I was, "one of those ladies who is going to only pay $1.00." I had to disappoint her.

who am i kidding?

My social life is already dead. This past Sunday marks a year in this lifeless place. Three more years until my escape. There is no permanent library. There are no fun parks nearby. Sure we have a couple of museums, but I haven't bothered to check them out. I'm not even sure if they've totally recovered from Katrina. There is a Discovery Center but going there reminds me I have no friends (and no money.)

We don't have a babysitter. We couldn't afford one anyway. My only social outlet is PTO and chatting up the cashiers at my local stores. I am a shopping addict of a different kind. I entertain myself by clipping coupons and shopping with as little money out of pocket as possible. Then I come home and take pictures of my booty. It's sad, like a hunter displaying his kill.

I do the occasional craft but that leaves me shut up in a room, keeping scissors and pins out of small hands (and eyes and mouths.) I like to use my two year old Nikon D50 to make myself feel like a fool for spending so much money on something I know nothing about.