Family
Travel & Vacation: Isle of Palms Beach, South Carolina
On our recent trip to Charleston, South Carolina we had the opportunity to spend a long day at the Isle of Palms Beach. The beach was busier than Tybee Beach in Georgia but it was beautiful. It was a great day swimming and relaxing together.
Two chickies at the beach! Karlie and Brina ready to swim at Isle of Palms Beach near Charleston, SC.
Karlie and Daddy digging. Karlie and Daddy made a sand castle while Brina and Mommy picked up sea shells.
Brina's favorite sea shells, she said they look like colorful butterflies. We found a lot of these little clam shells on the beach. Even though they are fragile Brina still insisted on picking up as many as possible!
Brina found a shell! There were a lot of people on the beach that day but Brina still spotted a bunch of shells!
Daddy and the girls swimming....well really just everyone standing on Daddy. Brina thought it was hilarious that she could stand on Daddy’s knee and Karlie is trying to put her glasses back on, silly girls!
Here it comes! I think Daddy was the only one aware of the big wave about to get them!
Karlie and Mommy swimming Karlie wore her sunglasses the entire time we were in the ocean.
Pruned feet from swimming in the ocean too long! The girls thought it was hilarious seeing their hands and feet pruned after swimming in the ocean. We had been in for at least an hour maybe two so its going to happen eventually.
Cool shades Karlie cat. Karlie chilling for a few minutes after eating her snack.
Brina spent the entire time eating her snack watching the little puppy next to our tent. Entertained by the little dog next to us.
Brina catching seashells. Brina thought it was great sitting at the edge of the water waiting for wave and catching seashells.
Karlie on the run. Karlie had fun looking for treasures in the water, she is running to the shell bucket. The best find that day was 2 quarters.
After several hours in the sun at the beach we went back to the hotel and swam for another three hours. I am not sure how the girls did it but they slept well that night. It was a lot of fun to spend a day at the beach and pool 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!
Gymboree: 20% Off and $15 Off Coupon Codes
Here are two codes for 20% off your entire purchase at Gymboree.com
11J8FTZSPF83916 – expires on August 31, 2011
12D6Q2D05999240 – expires on August 7, 2011
Save $15 off your purchase of $60 or more with coupon code 12GP46DG5T92294 – expires on August 7, 2011
Thank you Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life!
Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards: 5 Free Points
Receive 5 FREE Points from Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards Program with the following codes!These codes are different from the previous codes I have given.
Use Code: BKZRQ-KHCFK-QWPGB
The codes don’t have an expiration date listed so don’t wait to use it just in case!
You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts, diapers, and many more great items!
For more information about the Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards Program and how you can start earning Rewards for your family go to Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards!
Travel & Vacation: Fun in Charleston
On our family road trip to Charleston we got to discover neat places. Thanks to a friend, who gave us some information in advance, we had a blast exploring new kid playgrounds during our time away. It was a fun filled inexpensive mini vacation together.
Karlie climbing. The girls and I spent one morning at the Mt. Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park. They loved it!
Brina on the tire swing. Brina loves spinning on this swing!
Karlie enjoying her time at the playground. It took a lot of work to climb up the jungle gym and go down this slide, Karlie is quite pleased with her accomplishment!
Brina loves this slide. Brina happy to finally go down the slide, several kids fell trying to get up the jungle gym to go down this slide.
Giggling as they look down on Mommy! Brina and Karlie loved being up high and thought it was hilarious how “tiny” Mommy was on the ground.
Brina determined to get find the diving stick. The girls swam for hours in the hotel pool. They had fun splashing, playing, relaxing and meeting new friends.
Karlie loved splashing around in the pool. We spent almost five hours in the pool that afternoon. The nice part about where the pool was located is that part of it was in the shade throughout the day so you didn’t have to be out in the intense heat all day swimming.
Daddy, Karlie and Brina ready for dinner at Red's We ate at a local seafood restaurant one night. The girls favorite part was that the kids meals were served on a frisbee so they were able to take it home with them, they thought it was so funny.
Crossing the Arthur Ravenel Bridge just after sun down to go into downtown Charleston. We gave the girls the option after dinner to go back to the hotel and swim or go to downtown Charleston and drive around. Much to our surprise they wanted to go explore downtown Charleston. They always enjoyed going over this bridge!
The girls wanted to know all the history behind the cannons. Daddy patiently answered many questions on the history behind Charleston and the surrounding area during our walk through the park and downtown.
The most bizarre thing we saw in Charleston. As we were walking through the part we saw a visible path of white feathers about 3 to 5 feet across from one tree to the next tree (about 30 to 40 feet away). The feathers had obviously been placed there for a reason, we believe there is some historical resemblance but not sure. Can anyone who has more knowledge on the history of Charleston give us an explanation? It was odd seeing a path of feathers between two huge trees and several cars as they were driving by honked as they passed that part of the park.
See the white line between the two trees? It is a wide path of white feathers. I am still a little perplexed by this one…..
Our family thoroughly enjoy Charleston the food, adventures, and time together was refreshing. I am thrilled the girls had fun exploring the town. I have a little bit more about our Charleston adventures coming up soon so stay tuned!
“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 20 – 26, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. Save A Lot is introducing their “Save A Lot Today” brand products this month and 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.
Travel & Vacation: Road Trip to Charleston
We recently went on a road family road trip to Charleston, it technically was a work and family fun trip combined. I am thankful for a wonderful time together exploring Charleston. A lot of great memories were made that week!
Brina and Karlie in Charleston! This is the pier near the Waterfront Park, you can get a good view of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge from the pier.
Brina enjoying the slide! The girls loved the Waterfront Park, thanks Janet for telling us about this great park! The park is directly under the large Arthur Ravenel Bridge. It is great having the park under the bridge because the majority of it is shaded even during the hottest parts of the day.
Karlie fun at the Waterfront Park. Karlie climbing on the jungle gym at Waterfront Park. If you look above her head you can see the cement from the bridge above us. You can hear all the traffic going along the bridge as you are playing on the playground. It’s a great park and if you go they charge $0.50 per hour to park (they take cash, coins, credit / debit). I was never able to get the credit / debit to work so I would suggest making sure you have cash or coins prior to going to the park.
Brina spinning at the park. The girls do better at spinning then I do. They thought this was so much fun standing and twisting around!
Karlie doing her workbook at the hotel. Karlie and Brina thought it was great doing a few pages of their workbooks in the hotel. They did really well! Karlie made her own desk out of an end table and used the cooler for her chair, she was so proud of her “creative” desk.
Brina on the Waterfront slide. Back at Waterfront park for more fun. The girls loved the park so much they wanted to show Daddy so we got pizza, ate a picnic at the park and let the girls play so more.
Karlie on the slide. Karlie having a blast on the slide at the park.
Brina spinning. The girls thought these were awesome. No matter how you sat in these stools you would spin. I was surprised at how long they could spin, Mommy didn’t last nearly as long!
Karlie still dazed from a big spin. These seats were hilarious. Karlie lost a shoe on this spin!
Daddy and Brina on the double swing. They had double swings under awnings along the pier. It was beautiful and cool sitting together enjoying a swing!
Mommy and Karlie swinging on the other side! We had a blast in Charleston. The first day we spent exploring a little bit and enjoying some time playing at their beautiful park. Thankful for a great time with the family creating memories!
“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!
Walgreens: 10 Gifts for $1
Walgreens Clearance Deal I went to Walgreens to stock up on some of their deals this week. Once again the best deal I got was in their clearance aisle where they had their Bandit O’s (Silly Bands) on clearance. I had a Register Rewards that was expiring soon so it worked out well. I spent $0.67 including tax at Walgreens for this transaction. I picked up a couple other items (including food which you will see in a later post this week) but this was my best deal at Walgreens this week. The silly bands will be great for upcoming birthdays, activities and maybe even stocking stuffers.
- 10 – packs of Bandit O’s (originally on sale for $0.99 each, marked down to $0.49 and on clearance for $0.25 each)
The total was $2.67 with tax before using discounts & coupons. Here are the coupons I used on the ten items.
- Used $2 Walgreens Register Rewards
Walgreen’s Register Rewards will expire two weeks from the date they are printed so you will need to make sure to use them before their expiration date. I always keep the ones that are expiring the soonest on top of the stack to make sure to use them first.
Another important fact regarding Walgreen’s Register Rewards you will need to know if you haven’t used them before is you can only use 1 coupon per item. If you use a manufacturer’s coupon for every item you are purchasing you will not be able to use any Register Reward for that transaction. If you do have a coupon for each item then check Walgreen’s weekly ad because they will have items on sale each week for pennies up to $1 that you can use as “filler” items but they won’t raise your total too much. Once you get started using coupons and rewards you may discover, like I did, how to purchase many of your health and beauty items for nothing or very little. Since using coupons and reward programs I rarely pay full price for any of our health and beauty items plus I usually have extra to share with guests visiting us or to give away.
For those of you who shop regularly at Walgreens I encourage you to 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 at Walgreens.
Song: “How Can I Keep from Singing” by Chris Tomlin
After a relaxing weekend with my family I came across this song. The song was a reminder to me that when I have the love of the Christ in my life I will want to sing praises for all he has done. I have so much to be thankful for in my life. God chooses to bestow many blessings on me even though I am undeserving of his grace.
How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough,
How amazing is Your love?
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to singWhen is the last time you sang praises to Him?
Book: “Pirate Latitudes” by Michael Crichton
On our recent 40 plus hour road trip with the family listened to the audio book “Pirate Latitudes” by Michael Crichton. It is not my normal type of book but it did keep Jake and I engaged in the story during the wee hours of the morning on our trip. There are some parts of the book I would not recommend for the kids but for the most part it was fine. We listened to it while the girls were sleeping through the night or had their headphones on for their movie. The 17th century pirate story is based in Port Royal, Jamaica. It is a story of pirates in search for a treasure and the adventures that accompanied their journey. Like many of Crichton’s stories it is based on historical fiction which I feel adds to the depth of the book.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
This week was a little different doing our Groceries $40 for 4 because we were on the road for part of the week. It was a great road trip with the family, we traveled over 40 hours in a week and were able to spend time with family during our trip. Thankfully the girls travel well and slept well in the van. I packed a lot of fun activities and snack food for the trip. We came home to a house that was 90 degrees inside, clean, and had an empty fridge since we had eaten or packed pretty much all our perishables. This week I spent most of the grocery budget on restocking items in our fridge and pantry.
Groceries from Walgreens, Ingles, and BiLo Walgreen Groceries:
- $4.07 at Walgreen’s for A & W Root Beer (2 liter), Domino Sugar, Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, Frito Lay Stax BBQ, Frito Lay Stax Original, Frito Lay Stax Sour Cream & Onion, Daisy Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, 4 packs of Ranch Flavored Sunflower Seeds (on clearance for $0.89 each, usually the best price I can get is $1.00 so stocked up on a these for upcoming road trips). I used $10 in Register Rewards that were expiring this week to bring this total down to $4.
Ingles Groceries:
- $4.13 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread (on sale for $0.98), 30 packs Wylers Cherry Drink, 5 packs of Strawberry Cheesecake Yogurts (on clearance for $1.00 each), 1 package of Pork (reduced for quick sale), 1 box of Pretzel Lean Pockets (free with coupon), 6.5 pound bag of banana’s (clearance for $1.49), 4 packs of Raspberry Yogurt Covered Pretzel (on clearance for $0.99 each, normally $6.83 per pound), 1 package of Strawberries (on clearance), 1 package of sliced Mushrooms (on clearance), 1 package of whole Mushrooms (on clearance. I used a gift card I had been given a few months ago for part of the amount and paid for the rest. All of the items were on sale or clearance so it really was a great shopping trip to Ingles.
BiLo Groceries:
- $12.92 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Skim Milk, 1 gallon of 2% Milk, 1 bag of splenda Sugar (store brand and on sale), 1 bottle International Delight Coffee Creamer (free after coupon), 2 boxes of Banquet Pasta Carbonara (on closeout for $0.50 each).
I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again after our big road trip for the summer. I was surprised to see the milk prices spike even more since I bought it last, however, I was pleased to get some great clearance items this week in my shopping trips, (especially at Ingles). This week I spent $21.12 on groceries. Even though I was under budget on my amount for the week I was still able to stock up on several items. Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason so I had little extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over. 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.
