Family
Twice as Fun: A Visit From The Tooth Fairy
Brina had a visit from the tooth fairy! Brina recently lost her first baby tooth which was another exciting day for the whole family. It marked a new stage in her life which means my baby is growing up! Although our girls know the “tooth fairy” really doesn’t exist it is fun to celebrate a new milestone in the lives of our kids.
Brina has been waiting for her first tooth to come out since Karlie’s came out several months ago. That is one hard part about having two at the same age, they are excited for each other but are ready for their turn too. Each of us is made uniquely so we let Brina know she will have a chance to celebrate too when her big teeth come through. I told her teeth will come in when it is perfect for her. Those who know me realize that I have been dreading this stage of Motherhood because I just don’t like wiggly teeth. I have to say it is amazing how much you can actually handle once you are going through it with your child.
Here are more pictures from Brina’s First Tooth Fairy Celebration:
Tooth Fairy visited Brina after she lost her first baby tooth and gave her $1! We put $1 Dollar in a butterfly Ziploc bag for Brina losing her first tooth! She was super excited to see cash under her pillow the next morning. Brina had forgotten about the tooth fairy and was trying to figure out why she had a present under her pillow, it didn’t take long. She was ready for us to read her the new book that morning!
A Special Note from the Tooth Fairy The front side of her present had a note from the Tooth Fairy that said – “Congratulations Brina on getting your 1st big girl tooth! Love, Tooth Fairy” She thought it was super cute with the heart and note!
A Note from the Tooth Fairy to Brina!
On the back side of her gift there was another note from the Tooth Fairy – “Brina, Congratulations on losing your 1st baby tooth! You are growing up to be a beautiful girl! Love, The Tooth Fairy” Brina was super excited to get her special notes and gifts for losing her first tooth. We did not get to keep Brina’s first tooth because we are not sure where it went, we think it either got thrown away with her apple, swallowed, down the sink when she was brushing her teeth or in the bath tub. We have a time span of when it was lost but not sure exactly where it disappeared.
It was a lot of fun celebrating the loss of Brina’s first baby tooth. Brina knows that there is no such thing as “The Tooth Fairy” even though we call it the Tooth Fairy. She was thrilled to get something special either way even if Mom and Dad are the Tooth Fairy. As parents we feel like it is okay to celebrate the monumental moments with your kids, however, we chose let them know if something that we celebrate such as the “Tooth Fairy” is really imaginary. We don’t want our kids growing up thinking we lied to them about something that isn’t even real. Every family has to make a decision about what is best for their family.
Please share with us your ideas on what you do to celebrate your children losing their teeth and what the “Tooth Fairy” brings for special goodies!
Twice as Fun is a series on raising Twins and all the joy that comes with it. We have been richly blessed to have twin daughters in our lives and want to share with you our thoughts, challenges, wisdom and love for raising multiples. Our girls have different interests and hobbies but they both know how to add excitement to our lives and make us chuckle.
Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Okra, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Purple Beans,Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers and More!
We are enjoying the fresh vegetables from our garden! This week we were traveling for part of the week. We picked some veggies to take with us on a recent road trip to Charleston and came home with an empty basket. It was nice having the opportunity to share goodies with the people we knew in Charleston.
Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:
Fresh Garden Produce Fresh garden produce this week – green peppers, red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, okra (our first one), cucumbers, banana peppers, purple beans, green beans, and lettuce.
Garden Produce A picked a few tomatoes and strawberries earlier in the week and forgot to take a picture. These were another quick pick on a busy day – okra, strawberry, purple beans, green beans, tomatoes and cucumbers.
We have had a lot of great tomatoes the last couple of weeks. If you are looking for a new recipe to try using fresh tomatoes check out the one that my friend Ashley from Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life posted called “Tomato Pie”!
What are you eating out of your garden this week?
Travel & Vacation: Downtown Charleston, South Carolina
Daddy's Girls! Brina and Karlie walking with Daddy in downtown Charleston. They love their Daddy and always are full of so many questions that he so patiently answers for them. Thankful they enjoy exploring with us!
Exploring the "Charleston City Market" We walked through the Charleston City Market during a recent trip to Charleston. The Market has a variety of different vendors including people hand making baskets, the girls found it very fascinating.
Brina taking a drink of the soda. Daddy bought us a Peach Soda to share, Brina thought it was yummy!
Karlie enjoying her drink! Karlie thought it was so funny that they made soda out of peaches!
Karlie and Brina running through the fountain. This was their first run through the fountain as they were running back to me they stated, that water is COLD! They eventually got soaked and had a blast even though the initial water was chilly.
Karlie in the middle of the fountain. Karlie was the first one of our girls to make it to the middle of the fountain. The water had some force behind it, most of the kids in the middle were older. She was thrilled to make it to the middle all by herself!
Brina made it to the middle too. Brina didn’t want to hang out in the middle of the fountain. She was excited to make it to the middle and just as excited to run out of the spray from the water.
Thankful for our opportunities to explore Charleston, SC this summer. The girls have been enjoying our time traveling together. It has been a fun summer full of new memories with the family.
“A Vacation To Remember” series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of July 27 – August 2, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. Save A Lot continued their sale so it is a great time to stock up on several items (no coupons necessary to get the Save A Lot Today prices). Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fairgrounds Meat Hot Dogs (12 oz) – $0.69
Fresh Chicken Wings – $1.49 per lb
Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Popsicle or Fudgsicles – $1.00
American Basics American Cheese Slices – $1.00
Save A Lot Today Orange Juice – $1.99
Save A Lot Today Party Pizza – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Imitation Shreds – $1.00
Household
Save A Lot Today Bath Tissue – $0.89
Save A Lot Today Laundry Detergent – $1.99
Produce
Cherries – $1.99 per lb
Salad Mix (12 oz) – $0.99
Idaho Potatoes (5 lb bag) – $1.49
Grocery
Budget Gourmet Fettuccine Alfredo or Mac N Cheese – $0.69
Campbell’s Original O’s (26 oz) – $0.97
Kool Aid – $0.10
Use B2G1F coupon from the July All You Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.50/5 coupons from Kool Aid Facebook Page
As low as $0.00 each after couponDoritos, Cheetos, Fritos Scoops – $1.00
Nabisco Cheese Nips Snack Crackers – $1.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 6/19 Smart Source (Expires 7/30/11)
$0.50 each after couponSplash Out Gallon Drink (128 oz) – $1.00
Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups – $1.00
Save A Lot Today BBQ Sauce – $0.79
Save A Lot Today Ranch Dressing – $0.89
Save A Lot Today Apple Juice – $1.19
Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Pancake Mix – $0.49
Save A Lot Today Pancake Syrup – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Mashed Potatoes – $0.79
Save A Lot Today Biscuit Mix – $0.79
Save A Lot Today Brownie Mix – $0.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Family Celebrations: Happy Birthday Jake!!!
Happy Birthday to my Handsome Man!
Today I have the honor of celebrating Jake’s Birthday!
You are an amazing Husband, wonderful Daddy, and my best friend.
Thank you for all you do for our family.
Your girls want to wish you a very Happy Birthday full of great memories!!!
Love you babycake!
Photo by Theresa Thompson
Kohls: Up to 80% Off Clearance Sale + 15% Off Coupon & Free Shipping Codes
Kohls has up to 80% off in Clearance Section plus a 15% off Coupon Code AND you can get free shipping on any order over $50.
- 15% Off – SHOP20NOW
- Free Shipping Over $50 – FIFTY4U
- Free Shipping Over $75 – FREE4U75
CVS: Spent $0.43 and Got $21 ECB’s Back!
CVS has a few good deals this week. I was happy to stock up on some items including shaving cream and toothpaste this week while utilizing a few of my coupons. Today I was able to get the items for $0.43 including tax and received $21.99 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase. My CVS receipt this week states that as of July 18th I have saved $1,067.08 this year at CVS. It really does add up!!! Here is what I purchased this week.
- 2 – Caliber 1 Subject Notebook for $0.50 ($0.25 each)
- 3 – Kleenex Facial Tissues for $2.64 ($0.88 each)
- 1 – Paper Mate Grip Pens (8 count) for $1.99
- 1 – Crest Pro Health Rinse for $2.99
- 1 – Crest Pro Health Toothpaste for $2.99
- 1 – Skintimate Strawberry Shaving Cream for $2.19
- 1 – Skintimate Raspberry Shaving cream for $2.19
- 2 – Schick Xtreme Women’s Razors $15.98 ($7.99 each)
Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $0.50 Kleenex Manufacturer Coupon (SS 7/17)
- Used $1.00 Crest Toothpaste Manufacturer Coupon (PG 6/5)
- Used $1.50 Skintimate Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source printable coupon)
- Used $1.50 Skintimate Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source printable coupon)
- Used $3.00 Schick Manufacturer Coupon (Schick Facebook printable coupon)
- Used $2.00 Schick Manufacturer Coupon (peelie on the razor package)
- Used $2.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
- Used $21.00 ECB coupons from prior purchases
I received $21.99 ECB’s back today:
- $10.00 ECB’s for Schick and Playtex Products
- $5.00 ECB’s for Beauty Club Rewards
- $4.00 ECB’s for Crest and Oral B Products
- $1.99 ECB’s for Paper Mate Products
- $1.00 ECB’s for Green Bag Tag Rewards
Today I was able to save $54.23 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.
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.
Book: “Half Broke Horses – A True-Life Novel” by Jeannette Walls
We listened to the audio book “Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel” by Jeannette Walls on a recent road trip with the family. It is a true story about a frontier family in the early 1900’s. The book follows the life of the matriarch, Lily, from her childhood until her children are grown. She was a gun toting, teacher of a one room school house, who helped her husband manage an active 180 square mile cattle ranch while raising two children. The story follows her as she and the country overcome hardship within an unending love of adventure and life.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
We were on the road again this week, it really has been a summer full of adventures and road trips. I didn’t take a lot of time to use coupons since time was tight but was able to score a cluster of clearance items. The bad news is I went over budget this week, the good news is the freezer is restocked with meat, vegetables, and fruit! Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and BiLo Ingles Groceries:
- $50.34 at Ingles for 5 containers of Strawberries (on clearance for $0.99), 5 containers of Blueberries (on clearance for $0.99), 8 packages of Ground Hamburger (93% lean on clearance), 1 package of Lobster (on clearance), 1 package of Alaskan Salmon (on clearance), 2 heads of Cauliflower (on clearance), 2 bags of Brussel Sprouts (on clearance), 1 bag of Bananas (7 pounds on clearance), 2 bags of Apples (on clearance), 2 containers of Carmel Dip (on clearance), and 3 bottles of fruit drinks (on clearance).
BiLo Groceries:
- $23.87 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Skim Milk, 1 bag of Potatoes (on clearance), 2 bags of Purple Grapes (on clearance), 1 bag of Green Grapes (on clearance), 1 bag of Tomatoes (on clearance), 1 bag of Grapefruit (on clearance), 1 bag of Onions (on clearance), 1 bag of Summer Squash (on clearance), 1 package of Catfish (on clearance), 1 package of Perch (on clearance) and 1 gallon of 2% Milk.
Groceries from CVS, Walgreens, Dollar Tree and Walmart Walgreen Groceries:
- $2.25 at Walgreen’s for 2 Hamburger Helpers and 1 Tuna Helper.
CVS Groceries:
- $1.78 at CVS for 2 two liters of Mountain Dew.
Dollar Tree Groceries:
- $1.01 at Dollar Tree for 1 loaf of Nature’s Own Bread
Walmart Groceries:
- $2.76 at Walmart for 1 loaf of French Bread (on clearance) and 1 loaf Cheese Bread (on clearance).
This week I spent $82.01 on groceries. Even though I was over my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items on clearance and bread items to use as we traveled. I really hope to have a better week for my next update. I am happy to stock up but need bumped on the head for going over the budget this week. We were out of town for a part of this grocery week so it was a little different from our usual events.
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Recipes: Fresh Blueberry Goodies
A friend let me come over and pick fresh blueberries last week. Our family has been enjoying delicious blueberry goodies all week. It was great having a chance to catch up with a friend and pick blueberries. I am thankful for the many amazing people in our lives. Thanks Dee for your hospitality and the blueberries!
Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie The Strawberry Blueberry Smoothies have been a huge hit with our family and the girls ask to have one every day for lunch now. Here’s what we put in our smoothie (we have done several other variations throughout the week):
- 1 cup Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Banana
- 1/2 cup Strawberry Yogurt (any flavor will work, we used Strawberry Cheesecake a couple times too)
- 1/2 cup Skim Milk
Blend everything in a blender until smooth and poor into cups. I poured this amount into three small cups, if you need more double the recipe.
Homemade Ice Cream Topped with Freshly Picked Blueberries We had Homemade Ice Cream and as a special treat we topped it with fresh blueberries. Next time I might put the blueberries in the ice cream from the beginning, I am sure Homemade Blueberry Ice Cream would taste delicious. The fresh blueberries were a perfect topping.
Blueberry Banana Pancakes Our family ate Blueberry Banana Pancakes for dinner this week. I added fresh blueberries to the recipe and more on top. It turned out very tasty. The girls loved the Blueberry Banana Pancakes and had three each.
Fresh Blueberries on my cereal The girls and I were eating Blueberry Pomegranate cereal for breakfast and added fresh blueberries as a special treat. Brina and Karlie thought it was the best cereal they had eaten. Our entire family has been enjoying the fresh blueberries.
Another great blueberry recipe is Blueberry Cobbler. You can make Blueberry Cobbler using this recipe. We have had blueberries on our yogurts and as a snacks. What is your favorite ways to fresh blueberries?
