Happy Mama

Guess how much this stuff cost me at Walgreens today!
$0.00!!

4 cans of Campbell's Select Harvest
2 jars of Skippy Extra Crunchy (MMMM!)
1 box of Kleenex tissues
2 Glade air freshners
5 sm Royal jello
2 40 count Snuggle dryer sheets

Two weeks ago I took advantage of Walgreen's spend $40.00 get $10.00 back in Register Rewards. I spent $62.00 but saved over $100.00 using coupons and lowest price sales -- we're stocked for winter colds and flu!!!
God is soooo good to me and brought to mind that today was the last day to use my register rewards (they do expire) of $16.50. The tissues and notebook were add-ons by the girls - not necessary in my opinion but needed by them -- I mean who doesn't want a tissue box that "matches" the decor??! And after all that puppy is cute!

Guess how much I spent on these items at Kroger?
$0.00!!
Using the Grocery Game and special coupons from Kroger, I was able to get:
3 - T paper
2 - Tums Smoothies
2 - Kroger Grape Jelly
2 - Land of Lakes spreadable butter
1 - 18 count Kotex

Guess how much all this stuff, combined with my Freebies cost!!!

6 Suave Shampoo
2 - Kroger Bread
1 - Kroger Hotdog buns
2 - Ball Park Bun length Hotdogs
3 - Kroger dz. eggs
2 - Kroger 8oz. cheese
1 Gallon of milk
1 - some kind of Ham spread (for Dave) (.09 cents)
2 - Kraft Easy Mac N Cheese (boy's ski lunches?)


I am excited to report that I spent .... drum roll please....



$10.02!!!!

an 82% savings! BIG SMILE

To complete my day I came home and made homemade potato soup and cornbread.
My children rose up and called me "blessed."

It's been a good day!

It was sort of fun to post again -- maybe I'll work harder at it again....maybe.

WOO HOO!!! YEA!!! CELEBRATE

The electricity returned today -- Friday --- at 1:33 PM!!!!!! What shouts of joy as we played with the light switch to see if it was really true!

It's 2:10 --- the laundry is started, the fridge is cooling down, the freezers are cooling down too, the e-mail has been checked as has the bank account and Amazon sales. What a wonderful world!

Charlotte

Hurricane Ike

Today, Wednesday, marks our 4th day to be without power. A dear friend offered her home for laundry and computer check-in. So here I sit with lights on, a cold Power-C vitamin water, and the sound of jean zippers hitting the inside of a dryer tub as it spins. Who knew that I would put those things on a "blessings" list -- oh AND Mackinac Island fudge (peanut butter and turtle) to enjoy! God is good and friends are wonderful!

Last night we spent the evening at the home of other friends who favored us with a delicious supper and twig/branch burning entertainment. You have to understand the men in my family to understand the "fun" of burning stuff. I'll have to post pictures of the fire sometime --- it was HUGE --- maybe to huge actually.

The night before, I visited with a friend who lives just a block away but we never have time to sit and chat....plus I was desperate for a cup of coffee! Electricity does that -- it gives you time with your neighbors...a very nice thing.

No electricity gives you time with your family...sitting around the little fire pit talking and laughing together...it gives you time to read by candle or lamp light - a book just for the fun of it! It gives you time to get caught up on coupon clipping and sorting, time to plan ahead for classes and Kenwood Kidz, time to paint the porch and all the outside steps, time to eat simply but savor the taste and conversation....

It's been a good thing for us...we are blessed...besides that we never lost water...our gas heater gives us opportunity for hot showers and dish washing and some house cleaning. We were able to save all of our fridge and freezer items thanks to the Sysco company who brought a refridgerated truck to the school to save all the GBS food items and their was room left over. Our gas stove allows us to cook and we have the grill...it's not been so bad...actually - it's been a blessing. We have slowed our pace and had time to enjoy each other. God is good!