Events

  • CVS: Spent $3 and $12 ECB’s Back

    Groceries, Household, Baby, Beauty and Gift Items from CVS

    I went to CVS on my way home from an appointment this week.  The CVS had a bunch of cosmetic items marked down 50% to 75% off.  I was able to get the items pictured above for $3.16 including tax and received $12.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Today I used some store, manufacturer coupons and ECB’s to help pay for the purchase.

    You can get great deals even without clipping a lot of coupons.  My receipt shows that as of December 6th I have saved over $2,000  at CVS this year (and I don’t even go every week) so you can do it without investing a lot of time into it or being an extreme couponer that empties the shelves.  Over time the savings add up and I have even taken several weeks off here and there while I have been busy or traveling or when our stock pile is full.   All of the items I purchased were on sale or clearance.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 1 – Cherry Candy Canes (10 count) for $1.27  (FREE plus overage after ECB’s because the Extra Care Bucks did not print when I checked so I ended up getting $2 ECB’s for this item.)
    • 1 – Ali Deep Brown Brow Definer for $1.19 (on clearance for 75% off)
    • 3 – Lip Smacker Lip Gloss (Clear) for $2.46 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance, perfect for stocking stuffers)
    • 10 – bottles Confetti Nail Polish for $8.20 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance, another great stocking stuffer)
    • 11 – bottles Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish for $9.02 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance)
    • 1 – Sally Hansen Fingernail Clippers for $1.37 (after 75% off clearance)
    • 3 – Wet & Wild Mega Silk Glossy Apple for $2.97 ($0.99 each after 75% clearance)
    • 1 – Wet & Wild Mega Silk Glossy Berry Burst for $0.99 (after 75% clearance)
    • 1 – Wet & Wild Liquid Lip Color Coco for $0.99 (after 75% clearance)
    • 1 – Huggies Supreme Diapers Size 1 (40 count) for $9.49 (received a $1.00 ECB)
    • 1 – Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread for $0.57 (on clearance)
    • 1 – Sara Lee White Bread for $0.57 (on clearance)
    • 4 – American Greetings Cards for (used store and manufacturer coupons and received $3.00 ECBs)
    • 1 – Revlon Deluxe Clipper Set for $2.99 (received $6.00 ECBs)
    • 1 – Revlon Valupak Emory Boards for $3.59 (received $6.00 ECBs)

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $5.00 off $20.00 Coupon from CVS Kiosk
    • Used $0.99 CVS coupon from Kiosk for a free American Greeting Card
    • Used $2.00 manufacturer coupon for American Greeting Card
    • Used $3.00 CVS coupon for Huggies
    • Used $2.00 manufacturer coupon from Huggies
    • Used $1.00 manufacturer coupon from Revlon
    • Used $5.00 CVS Beauty Club Reward Coupon
    • Used $25.99 CVS ECB’s

    I received $12.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $6.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products
    • $3.00 ECB’s for American Greeting Cards
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Candy Canes
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Huggies Products

    Today I was able to save $109.01 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.

    Here are some more up close pictures of the products I was able to pick up.

     

    CVS had a lot of cosmetic items on clearance for 50% to 75% off

    Was able to get 2 loaves of Sara Lee Bread for $0.57 each on clearance!

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Gift Giving: Cinnamon Handprint Ornaments

    Are you looking for great gifts to give but are on a tight budget?   This is a simple recipe that uses a few items from your pantry and makes a thoughtful Christmas Gift.  I posted this last year and it was a huge hit so I am sharing it again this year.  These were inexpensive, easy to do, and the girls had a lot of fun. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already.

    Cinnamon Handprint Ornaments:

    • 2 cups Flour
    • 1 cup Salt
    • 5 teaspoons Cinnamon
    • 3/4 cup Water

    Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Stir in water gradually to make dough.  If it is sticking to your hands, add more flour or if it is too crumbling add more water.  Knead dough for approximately 8 minutes until smooth.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Roll out dough to desired thickness (typically between 1/4 to 3/4 inches thick).

    We used a football cookie cutter for the oval (you can use a circle or anything big enough that they can fit their hands in) than lightly floured their hands before making a slight indention on the clay.  We took a stamp and pressed their first initial in the bottom of each palm to help us remember who it belonged to.  Since my girls are twins their hand sizes are almost the same!

    After making the handprint in the clay use a straw to make a hole in the top so you can hang the ornament.

    Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hour.  (Thicker dough will take longer to bake).  They are done when the clay is dry, you notice a slight change in color.  Cool and add a ribbon of your choice!

    Optional: Once cooled you can use spray on polyurethane for extra shine.

    Ours still smell great even after a year.  We made more than one batch since we have a large family but you can do as many as you want.  With the extra dough we made Christmas ornaments so we could hang them on the tree.

  • Amazon: Melissa & Doug Toys 50% off – $10 each (Today Only)

    Today only (12/8/11) Amazon has a wide variety of Melissa & Doug toys for just $10

    The sale includes Wood Blocks, Food Sets, Puzzles, Educational Toys and more!

    Plus you can get FREE SHIPPING with your Amazon Mom account or Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.

    Use your Amazon Gift Cards from Swagbucks for additional savings, to learn how to get started go here!

    Melissa & Doug toys are great gifts if you have any kids left to buy for on your Christmas list.

  • Organized Chaos: Organizing Our Games

    Our Family Game Closet

    Our family LOVES games!  Every year for Christmas we get a new family game to play.  It has been fun having a Family Game Night or a Game Party with friends at our house.  One of the problems with our games is we used to store them in two separate places so when guests were over we either had to show them two games storage places or try to list off all the games for them to choose from.  A couple months ago as I was cleaning out the front closet I realized several things……

    • The front coat closet is only used about 3 months a year (we live in South Carolina so we have a shorter winter season)
    • We keep the coats we use the most in other places in the house (this closet was only storing extra coats / jackets,  table linens, and our vacuum.)
    • Usually when our guests arrive the coats / jackets get laid over a chair near the closet instead of actually hanging them up in the coat closet.
    • We get into our two game closets a lot more then we get into the coat closet (with exception to take the vacuum out).
    • If we were to put our games in this closet all our games can be put into one location.
    • We could still store the vacuum (which was the only item currently in the closet that we used regularly) in the closet with our games.

    After pondering the layout for our “new” game closet I decided to see what my husband thought of the idea.  He thought it was a great idea too.  We already had some of the materials we would need leftover from re-doing the bedroom closets so we agreed to do it.

    Here is what I did:

    1. Removed everything from our front closet (donated the coats / jackets that the girls had outgrown and put the table linens in the linen cabinet with the sheets and towels).
    2. Used the leftover shelving items from re-doing the bedroom closets.
    3. Purchase a few additional shelving pieces with a gift card that we have from Home Depot.
    4. Put away all the games from the other two locations into the closet.

    I was very excited to get the shelves up and get all the games into the one closet.  The new system is both practical and perfect for our family.   It is much easier picking out a game to play when we have a family game night or when our guests are over.  Plus, there is no more trying to figure out where we put a game since they are all in one place.   I am pleased with our new game closet, just wish I it hadn’t taken me so long to figure out where to put our games!  Where do you store all your games?

  • Family Recipe: Cream Cheese Candies

    My cousin Rachel shared this recipe with me many years ago.  These are perfect for holidays, weddings, showers, birthdays, or any special celebrations.  You can make them any color to match the theme of the party.

    Cream Cheese Candies:

    • 1 package Cream Cheese, softened (8 oz)
    • 1/3 teaspoon Peppermint or Almond Extract
    • 3 cups Confectioners Sugar
    • Food Coloring
    • Colored Sugar, optional

    In a small mixing bowl combine cream cheese and extract.  Beat in 1 1/2 cup Confectioner’s Sugar.  Knead in remaining Confectioner’s Sugar until smooth.  Shape into 1/2 inch balls.  Roll in colored sugar if desired.  Place in ungreased baking sheets and flatten with a fork or form into the shape you want.  Let stand 1 hour to harden and store in airtight container in the refrigerator.  Yields – 6 dozen

    Photo by Jo Naylor

     

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings

     

    I have been thinking about ways we can be a blessing to others throughout this Christmas season. It is easy to get caught up with the shopping, parties, celebrations, and everything else that we lose sight of what’s really important.  I want the girls to experience the joy of giving and helping those around us so we are delivering special surprises over the next 25 days.  I came up with the acronym B.L.E.S.S. to help remind us why we are sharing these little blessings.

    • Blessing
    • Lives
    • Everyday with
    • Special
    • Surprises

    The plan is to deliver a small special surprise to at least one person every day from December 1st to December 25th.  Each bag contains an activity to spread cheer and a scripture verse to discuss.  At dinner we will discuss our current days activity, pray for the people that received our gift, and get our bag for the next day.   The girls and I have came up with a lot of great ideas of ways we can share blessings with people around us (some will go to people we know and others to complete strangers or people we will never meet).

    Here’s how we put our B.L.E.S.S. activity together:

    Stack of B.L.E.S.S activities with scripture verses

    B.L.E.S.S. Cards to give out during our activities

    One of the B.L.E.S.S. Cards we made

    Day 1 through Day 25 bagged and ready to hang up

    All 25 Days of B.L.E.S.S. hung up and ready for us to start!

    The girls are very excited about doing this fun 25 Days of Christmas Blessings activity.  I hope to share some of the stories, what we did, experiences, pictures and lessons learned as we go throughout the the 25 days.  It is my intention to update you at least once a week.  I will share as much as I can but the real reason for doing this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving to others.

    (Update) I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Our family had a blast spending some time together for Thanksgiving last week.  I was beginning to wonder what kind of week it would be when we started the week tired and with a little one throwing up.  Thankfully we didn’t have any big travel plans and have gotten past that little spurt of sickness now everyone seems to be on the mend.    Over the Thanksgiving week together we laughed, snuggled, read books, worked on projects, ate delicious food, went shopping, put up the Christmas tree, and just had fun relaxing as well as doing stuff around the house.    I am thankful for a wonderful family and an opportunity to spend some extra time together.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week – didn’t make do it 5 days
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – not quite every night
    5. Spend extra time with my family over the Thanksgiving Holiday

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – the first half of the week went well
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Wednesday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Put up the Christmas Tree

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk – my desk was buried by the end of the weekend, time with the family took priority
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – ahem….this one didn’t happen with birthday and Holidays, my sweet husband did a trip for me which brought it up as well. 
    2. Pay off remaining debt – working on it
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – on hold until the debt is paid off

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Get the girls passport pictures taken

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday
    3. Finish reading  The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year by Crystal Paine who has a blog called Money Saving Mom (VERY excited about the opportunity to preview this book by a blogger I have been following for years and thankful to be featured on her blog weekly with the Save A Lot Deals!)
    4. Listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. File the receipts and coupons for the last couple of months.

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
    4. Deliver a meal to a new Mom.

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Happy Thanksgiving!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    May you have a truly amazing day with your family and friends.  I am thankful for the many wonderful blessings in my life.  I love this quote because even during the difficult times there is “always something to be thankful for”.  What a great reminder not just for Thanksgiving Day but for everyday of our lives!

    photo credit

  • Raising Multiples: Upstate Multiples Club Fall Party

    Checking out the rabbits

    Our family had fun at the Multiples Club Fall Party!  We went to Fisher’s Orchard in Greer, South Carolina.  It is a small peach farm with a little barn, farm animals, pumpkins, hayrides and more for families to enjoy.

    Karlie having a blast with the rabbits!

    Karlie loved petting, talking to, and looking at all the rabbits on the farm.  She was thrilled to find that they were very soft and enjoyed eating the apple pieces she was feeding them.

    Brina tickled pink to have a chance to hand feed the bunny rabbits!

    Brina has a soft spot for animals and babies.  She had a grand time hand feeding all the animals on the farm.

    Hand feeding and petting the farm animals.

    The girls thought it was awesome hand feeding all the farm animals.

    Karlie running through the maze with a friend

    They had a really neat maze that the girls loved.  Both girls went through it several times on their own.  They enjoyed being able to do it by themselves yet they could still see us!

    Brina giggling as she rounded the final corner of the maze!

    Brina thought it was hilarious she made it through the maze before Karlie the first time.

    They got faster every time they did the maze.

    Both girls coming around the final piece of the maze at the farm.

    Hayride through the peach orchard

    The girls enjoyed the ride through the peach orchard.  We saw all kinds of scarecrows, trees, and a giant hay bale spider.

    Our two little pumpkins sitting with the pumpkins.

    Pausing for a moment to snap a picture (much to the girls protest).  They thought that we should take home some of the huge pumpkins but since they were $80 or more we decided they were a little out of the family budget.

    Family at the Fisher Orchard Farm

    Quick family shot on the hay bales at the orchard.

    Karlie getting her hand painted

    There is just something about being able to get your hand or face painted.  The girls had fun getting their hands painted during the party. Karlie got a United States Flag and a Rocket.

    Brina getting her hand painted

     Brina waited for Karlie to finish now she gets to have her hand painted.  So much fun!  Brina got a rainbow on one hand and a flower on the other hand.

    Relaxing on the hay bale outside of the maze

    Brina and Karlie loved all the scarecrows at this farm and hay bales to sit on.

    Pretty girls next to a happy hay bale at Fisher Farm

    It was a lot of fun hanging out with our family and families of Multiples at the farm for a few hours.

  • Family Outings: SkyTop Apple Orchard

    We made it to SkyTop Orchard this year!

    We surprised the girls one Saturday morning by taking a road trip to SkyTop Orchard in North Carolina.  Several friends had told us that it is a great place to go apple picking so we decided to check it out!

    Too busy watching everybody and everything around them to look at the camera!

    Pausing for a moment to take a picture by the Sky Top 2011 Apple.  There were so many people and activities going on that they girls were just mesmerized.

    Hey MOM! Is this a good one?

    Karlie loved picking the apples straight from the tree.  It didn’t take us long with four people picking to fill up our baskets!

    Looking for juicy apples to pick!

    Karlie and Brina looking through all the apples on the branches for the ripe and juicy ones to pick.  They got pretty good at picking out the perfect apples!

    Brina pleased with the apple she found.

    Brina found a good one!  She was so excited when she found a perfect apple to put into the basket.

    Walking with Daddy through the apple orchard

    There were a lot of apples on the ground.  Some of them were whole while others were turning into mush.  If you stepped on a mushy apple you feet would slide.  The girls held our hands when we were walking longer distances to help prevent them from sliding around so much on the slick apples.

    Girls - Look Daddy there's a good one up there! Daddy - You want which one?!

    You know the saying “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence” well the same thing applies to apple picking.  The perfect apple is always at the top of the tree out of reach!

    Daddy gave the girls a few boosts to get some of the "perfect" apples at the top of the trees!

    Thankfully with a little boost from Daddy the girls were able to get some of those pretty apples up on top.  They thought it was neat that they could reach the apples without climbing the trees.

    Brina and Karlie playing on SkyTop's playground

    Another highlight for the girls was playing in the houses and on SkyTop’s playground.  They had a blast checking out all the fun houses, slides, and fun activities.

    Two sweet girls peeking through the playhouse window at me!

    As I was watching them play I caught them peeking at me through the window.  Cute!  Love those two girlies so much and thankful for an opportunity to go on a family adventure together.  Great memories!

    Brina Bee climbing up the wall

    Brina proudly climbed up the climbing wall.  She came over to me and said Mom that is a lot easier then the ones that you have to get buckled into.  Brina loved seeing all the babies and little kids at the orchard.  Glad she had a great time!

    Karlie Kook Kat peeping through the window.

    Sweet picture of Karlie peeping out the window.  It is amazing to see how much they have grown up over the last few months.

    Giant haybale spider

    The girls thought this giant spider was hilarious!  They had fun climbing all over it!

    Our family at SkyTop!

    We had a blast together picking apples and playing at SkyTop Apple Orchard!

    One bushel of apples

    We picked one bushel (approximately 42 pounds of apples)!  These apples were delicious!  It was a lot of fun to eat them plain and in a lot of dishes from apple crisp to apple pie to applesauce to apple smoothies and more!