Family Outings
SheSpeaks: Dove® Deodorant “Don’t Fret The Sweat”
Goody Bags ready for the Tween Girls at our Church! A couple months ago I signed up for a Dove Go Fresh Party from SheSpeaks. Last week I received my Dove Go Fresh package with all kinds of goodies inside. They sent Dove Go Fresh Deodorants Burst (Nectarine and White Ginger Scent), Dove Go Fresh Deodorants Revive (Pomegranate and Lemon Verbena Scent), Dove Go Fresh Body Mist Revive (Pomegranate and Lemon Verbena Scent). The items were developed for Tween Girls (ages 8 to 12).
A close up of the goody bags with products from Dove and SheSpeaks! A picture of one of the goody bags including the body mist and deodorant! I had the privilege of treating the tween girls at our church along with several other family and friends with the awesome products that Dove and SheSpeaks sent to me.
A couple more goody bags ready for my guests! Another picture of the goody bags my guests were able to take with them.
Thanks Dove and SheSpeaks for the amazing products!
Please try out Dove’s new deodorants and provide feedback to help them continue creating great products.
If you are wanting to sign up for special offers from SheSpeaks please register here!
Thanks for all those who participated in this event with me!
Family Celebrations: Graduation in Savannah, Georgia
In a previous post I mentioned that our family was able to take a road trip to Savannah to celebrate my cousin Laurel’s graduation from college, SCAD. Here are a few more pictures of our trip.
2011 SCAD Graduation - Way to GO Laurel! We were able to see Laurel Graduate. It was a fun trip of celebrating and catching up with family while enjoying Savannah!
Uncle Rick, Laurel, and Aunt Mary Ann! Proud parents of the graduating college student!
Three Graduates - Karlie and Brina from Kindergarten and Laurel from College! The girls thought Laurel was so cool because she graduated the same year they did. Although they thought her classes might have been harder and definitely bigger! We were thrilled to have a graduation to attend on the East coast. Thankful for the opportunity to celebrate with Laurel.
Vacation & Travel: Family Time in Historic Savannah, Georgia
We recently went to Savannah, Georgia to celebrate my cousins graduation from SCAD (Savannah College of Arts and Design). It was great having a reason to travel to Savannah again. Our family enjoys all the history in the area and loves an opportunity to go to the beach. We arrived on Friday nights just in time to see Savannah’s first Friday Firework display downtown on River Street. Saturday was graduation day so we had a mix of sightseeing, graduation ceremony and celebrating with Laurel. The girls thought Laurel had a lot more in her class then they did in their kindergarten graduation earlier that week. My Mom was able to fly out from Kansas and spend a couple days with us and drive with us to Savannah. It was great spending some extra time with her and the girls loved having Grandma around.
Hilarious....Karlie fast asleep with her treat still in her mouth! The girls picked out a snack to munch on during the ride to Savannah. Karlie picked out a special treat, fruit by the foot. Obviously she was too tired to finish eating it because when I looked back this is what I saw…..her fast asleep with the last six inches of the fruit by the foot hanging out her mouth. All of us got a good laugh at this one such a classic road trip picture!
Brina opening her goodie bag from Aunt Mary Ann and Aunt Laurel! Aunt Mary Ann and Aunt Laurel put together a sweet goodie bag for each of the girls. They had a lot of fun playing with the toys, drinking through the silly straws and writing in their new notebooks.
Friday Night Fireworks on River Street in Savannah, GA The first Friday evening of every month (at least during the summer months) Savannah has fireworks. They start after sundown about 9 PM at night. The fireworks are set off over the river and are beautiful.
Brina, Daddy and Karlie exploring Savannah! Saturday morning we decided to explore Savannah on foot while it was still early and cool. The girls had a fun time walking and asking questions about the town. Love this picture of Jake walking hand in hand with the girls, if only you could hear the conversation going on…..so many questions and Daddy patiently answering each one. Such a great Daddy, love these three very much!
Brina showing off her new purple seashell necklace and watching the horse carriages driving by at the same time! 
Karlie showing off her new seashell necklace! When we were looking through the shops and picking out postcards we found two purple seashell necklaces on clearance for $0.99 so the girls got their first seashell necklaces to remember Savannah.
Relaxing before graduation! Karlie and Brina kept Laurel entertained as lunch was being made. The bed in Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary Ann’s room was a make shift couch throughout the weekend. Karlie and Brina had fun talking with Laurel. It was pretty funny listening to some of their “stories”!
The ladies in our group that went on the Trolley Tour - Renelle, Bridgette, Randy and Penny! Jake and I had been on the trolley tour before but wanted to go again. It was amazing the amount of different information we learned this time around. Every tour guide has a unique way of presenting the information. Renelle, Randy, and Mom had never been on the tour and enjoyed it as well. Even though it was pretty hot outside with the open trolley and breeze it was comfortable. Thanks babe for running to grab waters for everyone while we took this picture.
Beautiful Church in Savannah, GA Savannah has a lot of amazing history. This is one of several beautiful churches in the downtown area of Savannah.
Savannah has a lot of great squares with Monuments and historical information in each one. There are a lot of shaded squares in Savannah that you can walk through and read a bunch of history. Each square has some type of monument to view and benches for those wanted to rest or have a picnic. If you are wanting to get an overview of Savannah I recommend taking one of the trolley tours first then you can come back later and learn more about the sights that interest you. We chose the Oglethrope Trolley Tour because it was the best price and we didn’t have to pay for parking. Finding parking in downtown Savannah can be difficult and expensive. Plus the trolley would pick us up and drop us off at a number of locations throughout Savannah all day. You could explore a historical sight or go shopping and when you were done or wanted transportation to the next area of interest you would wait a few minutes or call them and they would come pick you up.
More Savannah Trip Pictures Coming soon!
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. I was able to stock up on some items but overall it was a quiet grocery shopping week because a lot of unexpected activities came up. We are trying to eat up our perishables this week since we have a lot of produce already in the fridge and from the garden. A lot of the items we picked up will be great for the upcoming road trips we have this summer! I am hoping to get back on schedule soon with grocery shopping although I have a feeling the summer months may have a new type of shopping schedule with the kiddos along helping. Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!
Groceries from CVS and Walgreens! CVS Groceries:
- $1.46 at CVS for 1 Powerade Fruit Punch, 1 Powerade Mountain Blue, 1 Vitamin Water Energy Blast, 1 Fuze Refreshing Peach, 1 Fuze Strawberry Melon, 1 Chex Mix Cheddar, 1 Chex Mix Honey, 2 Chex Mix Turtle, and 1 Powerbar Energy Snack. I used coupons on the Chex Mix and a couple ECB’s to help with the savings. I received an $2.49 ECB for the Powerbar and $2.00 ECB for the drinks. These items will be great for our upcoming vacation road trip.
Walgreens Groceries:
- $2.01 at Walgreens for 4 cans of Mandarin Oranges, 2 boxes Strawberry Royal Gelatin, and 2 boxes of Raspberry Royal Gelatin.
Groceries from BiLo BiLo Groceries:
- $14.49 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Whole Milk, 1 gallon of Skim Milk, 1 container of Country Crock, 1 box of Oatmeal Cremes, 1 box Blue Bonnet, 1 box of Peanut Butter Bar, and 1 container fresh Mushroom. (I had three munchkins with me on this trip so I didn’t have a chance to match the sales and coupons). I probably spent a little more than expected but it was worth to have the extra time with the kids.
I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again. This week I spent $17.96 on groceries. Even though I wasn’t even close to the budgeted amount for the week I was still able to stock up on several items. Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason although I would like to see a little extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over. Plus I hope to have more time soon to do more regular grocery shopping. We were out of town for the weekend part of this grocery week so it a little different from our usual events, however, we brought the majority of our food with us to make meals or just did two meals a day with snacks in between.
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.
Summer Activities: Fun Family Day at Home!
School’s out and the summer heat is here. We love spending time as a family outside, however, some of that time involves finding cool activities to do during the summer heat. There is always something fun to do during the girls summer vacation away from school. Below are some of the fun adventures we did on a recent Saturday together.
Swimming in the Pool
- Brina and Karlie Swimming in the Pool!
Eating Ice Cream
Daddy, Karlie, Brina and Skipper enjoying a bowl of ice cream on the front porch! Napping in the Hammock
Karlie snoozing in the shade on the hammock after a swim in the pool! Playing Under the Jungle Gym – Sand Fun
Brina "cleaning" the sand off the Jungle Gym after swimming in the pool! Science Experiments
Growing Rocks in a Rainbow of Colors! Since one of the girls is into "sharks" I choose a shark background for this experiment. 
Brina and Karlie watching the rocks grow! It was an interesting experiment over a couple days! Summer Activities: Greenville Drive Baseball Game (Take 2)
Greenville Drive Baseball Game - let's play ball! After getting rained out for the girls first Greenville Drive Game we decided to give it another shot and go again. The day looked like it may rain but ended up being beautiful. Since our first game was rained out we ended up being able to attend a double header. The girls did great and enjoyed watching the two games and the fireworks afterward. They had an amazing firework display following the second game.
Brina having fun at the Greenville Drive Baseball game! 
Karlie having fun at the Greenville Drive game. 
Greenville Drive Team Players warming up before the second game. 
Karlie and Brina watching the Greenville Drive Team Players warm up before the second game. 
Brina and Karlie wanted a picture with the "Cow" 
Fireworks after the Greenville Drive Game! 
Amazing fireworks! Summer Activities: The Girls First Greenville Drive’s Baseball Game
Greenville Drive Stadium - Fluor Field We were able to get tickets to a Greenville Drive Baseball through a work contact so we decided to take the girls to their first Greenville Drive’s Baseball Game. The Greenville Drive is an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox’s Team. Like with any outdoor event such as baseball you are subject to the weather conditions. The girls were super excited but after the game got delayed followed by wind, rain, hail, and thunder they had to cancel the game for the night. Although it was a fascinating experience watching the workers drag the huge tarp out onto the field the game being cancelled was a disappointment. The girls handled it fairly well and we were managed to squeeze in a few minutes of another special activity. We were able to get another set of Drive tickets for a double header so their first Drive game was postponed temporarily.
Having fun on the playground at the Greenville Drive Stadium! 
Saying "HI" to Reedy the Greenville Drive mascot before the game! 
You guessed it! The girls first Greenville Drive baseball game and was pouring rain and hail. The giant tarp was not coming off the field that night! 
Brina had a moment of sadness because it rained and the baseball game was cancelled. 
Daddy trying to cheer up Karlie despite her obvious disappointment that the game was rained out! 
Since the game was cancelled we managed to squeeze in ice cream sundaes and a little bit of play time at McDonald's indoor play area! Can you find them? (Hint - look at the ceiling) 
WAY up high! 
They like to be up in the high towers, can you tell! Fun Activities on the Last Few Days at School
I was able to go spend a morning volunteering at the girls school recently. Thankful that I have had a number opportunities throughout the year to participate in their classroom. One of the benefits to having twins in the same classroom is you don’t have to split your time between several different rooms. The girls LOVE it when Mommy hangs out with them at school and Mommy is excited they still want to have me be a part of their school group. The last several days of school are always busy with extra activities. One of the days I was able to help out with was their annual Field Day which is a full day outside competing in a variety of kid games.
Karlie working at a picture for one of her friends! 
Brina thrilled that Mommy is taking a moment to watch her draw while helping with their class! 
Karlie and Brina resting in between games on Field Day! 
Brina's turn to carry the bean bag in the relay for her team on Field Day! 
Karlie was one of the few kids that made it all the way hopping down and back without losing the ball between her knees. I was pretty impressed, probably couldn't do that myself! 
Brina doing the sack race, she was a trooper for her team! 
Almost to the finish line! Go KARLIE Go!!! It is hard to believe the school is done and they are out for the summer. We have many fun activities already planned for the summer and I know we’ll come up with even more stuff to do. They have already listed several things that we did last summer tat they want to do again (guess that’s good because last summers memories were positive)! Glad they enjoy hanging out with Mom because I love these months at home with the kids!
One Stop Plus: 20 Piece Picnic Set 90% Off + Free Shipping ($3.99)
One Stop Plus has their 20 piece “Woman Within” Picnic Set for 4 normally $39.99 is on clearance for 90% + free shipping for a total of $3.99
To get the FREE Shipping Use coupon code: RD19755
Set of 4 place settings in durable plastic & stainless steel, great for your family or as a gift:
- 4- 10 inch Plates
- 4 Knives
- 4 Forks
- 4 Tablespoons
- 4 Teaspoons
UPDATE (6/2/11): This set is now listed as only 75% Off giving you a total of $9.99. It’s still available if you want it just not for the lower price it was yesterday.
Bass Pro Shops: Free Family Summer Camp Events (Activities / Workshops / Crafts & More!)
Starting June 4th through July 10, 2011 Bass Pro Shops will be having Free Family Summer Camp Events.
There are plenty of fun activities, games, crafts, and workshops to participate in at Bass Pro Shops. Some variations may occur at the individual stores participating in the Free Family Summer Camp Events.
Free Activities (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 12 PM to 4 PM):
- Free Shooting Gallery
- Free Shooting Range
- Free Casting Targets
- Free Photo (on Saturdays & Sundays)
- Free S’Mores Cookout (Saturdays – 7 to 8 PM)
Free Workshops (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 12 PM to 4 PM):
- Archery
- Bird Watching
- Shooting Basics
- Camping Basics
- Plants & Insects
- Animal Identification
- Hiking Basics
- Outdoor Pets
- Fishing Basics
Free Crafts (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM):
- Camp Scene Doorknob Hanger – June 4 & June 5
- Camping Photo Frame – June 7, June 9, June 11, June 12
- Leather Keychain – June 14, June 16, June 17, June 18
- Paint a Wiggle Fish – June 21, June 23, June 25, June 26
- Design Your Own Birdhouse – June 28, June 30, July 2, July 3
- Stamping Fun Animal Tracks – July 5, July 7, July 9, July 10
To learn more information go to Bass Pro or to find a location near you!
