photos {father's day}

This is what Father's Day is all about... This photo melts my heart every time I look at it...

i am so loving my boys :)

Our day began by my getting up with Spencer and Coleman while Matt slept in (ok, honestly not that unusual). One of Matt’s gifts was a coffee mug that Spencer had painted at Art Space Studio (one of those paint-your-own-pottery places). We had wrapped it up with his other gifts, but when it was time to take Matt some coffee in bed, I asked Spencer if he’d rather give him the mug that way. Spencer thought it was a neat idea, so his breakfast in bed included coffee in his new mug. The mug features outlines of Spencer and Coleman’s hands – very cool!

While Matt ate his breakfast in bed, Spencer got situated inside the highchair box. He realized the night before that he could (barely) fit inside so he thought it’d be cute to surprise Matt by jumping out with his gifts.

In addition to the mug, Matt also got a new Dual Shock Sixaxis controller for his PS3 (whatever the h*ll that means).

And Coleman made this cool thing (with some help) at AJ’s. This is why we love her!!!Later, we headed to Matt’s parents’ house for lunch – a Father’s Day tradition. Here is Matt's dad with is grandbaby :)

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get this many males to cooperate for a group photo. Yay me!!! It was so worth it. And they are all almost sort of kind of smiling...ok, at least looking at the camera.

And later that night...steak kabobs on the grill for dinner.

photos {coleman + real food}

coleman hit the big 4-month mark, so we introduced a few solid foods. these photos were from his first time in the high chair and with solids. he had some oatmeal cereal and apples. the first picture you can see a little hesitation on his face and then the 2nd you can see he's enjoying it. the funniest looks are actually caught on video which i'm trying to post to flickr. more photos here (and hopefully the video soon).

now that he's been doing this for about a week, he is doing GREAT. he really didn't have much of a learning curve. he likes to eat :) so far he's had apples, sweet potatoes and bananas.

photos {beach vacation 2009}

Here are a few of the many photos from our beach vacation in early June. You can see them all here.

coleman in the pool

coleman on the beach

spencer and his friend, nick, on the beach

and spencer in the pool :)

layouts {coleman's 3rd month}

These are the small pages for Coleman's first year album (reminder: it's one of those 7gypsies carousel things). These pages capture his third month (from when he was 2 months old to 3 months old). Now that his fourth month is officially over, I need to get caught up on those. I don't like to work on the current month. I'd rather wait until it's over and see all the milestones, photos, etc so I can choose what I think best captured that month (as if you care).

layout {month 9}

And the final month...for my pregnancy album of course. I only needed to do a final page and it'll be DONE. The circle accents were punched from baby greeting cards - how's that for recycling??? :)

layout {coleman's nursery}

Another one for my pregnancy album - Coleman's nursery. I got really lucky finding this paper with colors that matched so well.

layouts {baby shower}

This is a 2-page, 11x8.5 layout of my baby shower - for my pregnancy journal. I have a TON of pictures from this so I will probably do another layout that has more journaling, etc. for my main "library albums".

CVS {6.29}

I made a quick stop by CVS on my lunch hour but nothing too exciting. I didn't have any ECBs so I had to pay out of pocket...
2 boxes of General Mills Cereal
on sale for 2/$6 + $2 ECB + $1 coupon + $0.75 coupon (paid $1.13 per box)
Benadryl ready mist thingy
@ $5.49 + $2 ECB + $1.00 coupon

Summary:
Full Retail = $14.67
Paid Out of Pocket after coupons = $9.23
ECBs to use next time = $4
Total savings = $9.93 (68%)

mosaic monday {6.29}

In honor of the Fourth of July

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!

1. Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, New York, USA, by jmhdezhdez, 2. * Independence Day July 4th *, 3. Independence Day, 4. Fireworks Twelve

savings sunday {6.28}

I did my grocery shopping today. Harris Teeter was doing SUPER DOUBLE coupons, which was awesome (they doubled coupons up to $1.98 in value). Nothing special going on at Bi-Lo.

Harris Teeter
I won't bore you with all the details but here are some serious deals that I got:
- Kashi granola bars ($3.99) only paid $0.29
- Dannon Activa yogurt 4pk ($2.50) got it FREE!
- Uncle Ben's Rice ($2.49) FREE coupon
- Kraft & Velvetta Mac & Cheese, creamy kind ($1.99 ea), paid $0.49 each
* I also used a $3 coupon from my last visit
I could've gotten some free toothpaste but they were all out. They were also out of HT brand bleach which was on sale

Summary:
Total @ Full Retail = $129.62
VIC Savings = $17.18
Coupon Savings = $56.27 (seriously!!!!)
Total Paid = $56.17
TOTAL SAVINGS = $73.45 (57%)

Bi-Lo
As always, I wrap up my shopping here (and buy things we need that aren't on sale), so the savings is always less. Still got a couple of good deals:
- Easy Mac cups ($0.88), paid only $0.33 each
- Luzianne tea bags ($1.99), paid only $0.30
- Hefty 50 styrofoam plates ($2.82) paid only $0.41
At the end of my transaction, a $2 catalina coupon printed. I have no idea what it was for, but the cashier saw it and went ahead and took it off this transaction (which I thought was nice).


Summary:
Total @ Full Retail = $59.35
Bonuscard Savings = $11.08
Coupon Savings = $7.70
Total Paid = $40.60
TOTAL SAVINGS = $18.75 (32%)

free-for-all friday {6.26}

it was a sad week in hollywood, so i'm devoting today's post to those lost this week...

ed mcmahon - he has a soft spot in my heart because of star search. that show was the best. my loving it should come as no surprise given my love of american idol.

farrah fawcett - i don't have much of a story here (but matt had *the* poster growing up). i admire her for fighting the cancer the way she did. she seemed to have a really good attitude about it. such an evil disease.

and of course, michael jackson, the king of pop himself. i've really enjoyed all the songs and videos that have been on mtv and the radio. it's a shame that he turned out the way he did, but he was an amazing artist and deserves to be remembered as such.
here are a few of my MJ favorites: we are the world, give me one more chance, man in the mirror, abc, billie jean, and you are not alone (just to name a few)

{bloom ~ triple coupons}

There is not a bloom where I live, but there is one in the town where I work. I don't typically do real grocery shopping on my lunch hour due to the obvious probably - perishables. But, when I heard it was triple coupon week at bloom, I couldn't resist trying to get some deals.

Free:
Hefty EZ Foil baking pan = full price @ $1.49; $0.50 coupon (tripled) = FREE
Dawn dish liquid (small) = full price @ $1.43; $0.50 coupon (tripled) = FREE

Almost Free:
Chex Mix = sale @ $1.67; $0.50 coupon (tripled); paid $0.17
Pillsbury Cheescake Swirl Brownies = $2.15 BOGO; $0.35 coupon tripled; paid $0.03
Orville R. Popcorn (4pk) = sale @ $2.00; $0.50 coupon tripled; paid $0.50
Gerber baby food 2pks (3) = full price @ $1 each; $0.75/3 coupon tripled; paid $0.25 each
Texas Pete = full price @ $1.59; $0.40 coupon tripled; paid $0.39

Other decent deals:
Scott Paper Towels = sale @ $4.99 + $1 coupon (no tripling there); paid $3.99 for 8 rolls
Cottonelle = sale @ $6.99 + $0.50 coupon (tripled); paid $5.49 for 12 dbl rolls
Gerber Oatmeal Cereal (2) = full price @ $2.49 each; $0.55 coupon (tripled); paid $1.67 each
Ground Chuck @ $1.98 lb was happy about this because we eat a ton of ground beef, are totally out and no other grocery store has it on sale this week! Now I just have to remember to get it out of the work fridge when I leave today.
Matthew Fox wine @ $4.00 - everyday price - going to give it a whirl and see if it's any good. They claim it's fantastic :)

SUMMARY:
Total @ full retail = $63.92
Breeze Savings = $17.92
Coupon Savings = $13.58
Total Savings = $31.50 (49%)
Paid = $32.42

I also received a catalina coupon for .75 off 6 Gerber baby food 2-packs. And 3 stickers towards a free knife that I will never earn :)

thankful thursday {6.25}

today, i am thankful for...

credit unions - i've belonged to founders since college. i love it and can't imagine ever having to deal with a real bank again. yuck :)

rite aid - read my post about getting free formula and this will be self-explanatory! the people working in the pharmacy at one of the mooresville locations were SUPER nice too.

southern savers - this website is AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME. I can't say it enough. If you want to save some money or learn about "couponing" this is the site for you (particularly if you live in the southeast).


big huge labs - just a super fun website that lets you do nifty things with your photos.

AJ (who watches Coleman) - LOVE that she sends me at least one picture message of my baby everyday. I have listed this as a favorite before but some things are worth repeating.

Today's picture:

wordy wednesday {6.24}

Kind of short on time....

Lots of great quotes during the month of June on Stacy Julian's blog.

{free formula}

With some creativity, I was able to get two 24 ounce cans of formula for free. Here's how:
At Rite Aid, they are on sale for $19.99 each. I then used a $5 off $25 coupon, bringing my total down from $40 to $35. Then I used two $5 off Enfamil coupons, bringing my subtotal down to $25. Then, I transferred a prescription from CVS and used a coupon to get a $25 gift card w/ a transfer. Ta Da!!! Oh, and the prescription only cost $5 and needed to be refilled anyway...and I used my FSA debit card. Yay!

money monday {6.22}

I went to CVS and Walgreen's on my lunch hour...

Walgreen's
- 2 containers of Lysol Wipes = on sale for 2/$5 + $1RR + $1 off 2 coupon = paid $1.50 each
- Skintimate Shave Gel = regular price of $2.59 + Walgreen's coupon for $1.99 + Manufacturer $1 coupon = paid 99 cents
- Lady Speed Stick deoderant = sale price of $2.99 + $2RR = paid 99 cents

They have a good deal on Lysol Disinfectant Spray as well, but this store was out. I may try to hit another location this week, because I have a good coupon to pair with it. And Matt loves to spray some Lysol!! I also may take advantage of a toothpaste deal...

Summary:
Total @ Full Retail = $14.06
Total Store Savings = $3.48
Total Coupons = $2.60
Total RR earned = $3.00
Total savings = $9.08 (65%)
Total paid = $5.98 (used $2 RR from last week's purchase)

CVS
- Starbucks Coffee: $9.59 on sale for $6.99 + $1.50 coupon
- Reese's Cups: sale for 99 cents
- Revlon lip gloss: $7.99 marked 50%, but Revlon was BOGO, so it was free
- Revlon eye shadow: $6.49 + CVS coupon (from last purchase) for $3 off + manu coupon for $1
Paid $2.49 for lip gloss and eye shadow combined ($14.48 @ retail)
- Kashi Granola Bars (2 boxes): $4.59; advertised as 2/$6, but rang up at $2.35 each + $1.50 off 2 coupon

Summary:
Total @ Full Retail = $34.75
Store Savings = $15.58
Coupons = $7.00
Total Savings = $22.58 (65%)
Total Paid - $ 2.40 (used $10 ECB from last week)
*the only bad thing about this transaction was that i did not get any ECBs, so I'm out. Next purchase I'll have to start from scratch with some out-of-pocket expense.

Soy Joy bars are $1 each this week, with a $4 ECB when you buy four (making them free). There is also a printable coupon out there for $1 off/5 bars. So, supposedly if you buy 20 of them using 4 of those coupons, you will get five of the $4 ECBs (5 is the limit). You will actually make $4.00 plus have 20 soy bars to show for it. Some people that don't like them are getting them and donating. At the store I went to, they only had a handful left and they were all strawberry. I may check another store, but I doubt I'd like these, so I'm not going to kill myself to make $4.

mosaic monday {6.22}

This week's theme (for obvious reasons) is Father's Day. The mosaic below consists of four images that remind me of Matt - who just happens to be a wonderful father!!! :) In case you can't tell, the four things are (from left to right): Nautica clothing, USC Gamecocks, Playstation 3, and Miller Lite.

1. POLO NAUTICA HOMBRE DIC 08, 2. Wallpaper University of South Carolina, 3. ps3, 4. Happy Miller Lite Bokeh Wednesday!

rite aid {6.21}

A quick stop at rite aid yesterday... their formula was on sale for $19.99 - a good deal. I added some $4.99 ant spray - something we needed and just enough to get me to the $25 mark. Used a $5 off $25 coupon, and then a $5 Enfamil coupon. Paid only $15.53 for both items. It's such a good deal, and the printable coupon is still available, and I still have two more Enfamil coupons...I think I may go buy 2 more.

However, it wasn't a very good experience. The cashier was moving at a snail-like pace AND gave me the third degree about the coupon because it was printed in black and white (it's an online printable coupon!). Then she gave me a hard time about the Enfamil coupon (what the ???) and called a manager up there. The whole thing was ridiculous, but at least I got a good deal on some formula.

{random photos}

A few more photos...

Last week, Spencer attended a Gamecock baseball camp at the new Carolina Stadium.

While scrapbooking, we had a Macarena break - scary!

photos {early june}

Just a few random pictures for the first part of June...

can you say overstimulation????

matt & coleman at one of spencer's baseball games

teddy is such a great cousin - entertaining coleman

spencer forgot to take his yearbook or a t-shirt for his classmates to sign on the last day of school. so....he came home with autographed arms!

spencer and his 4th grade teacher on awards day

photos {neighborhood cookout}

A few weeks ago, our neighbor had a cookout for her birthday. It was a fun evening - and they had tons of great food.

kids playing basketball...with coach les :)

This is the lady that watches Coleman.

Matt on baby duty

The lady in black & white - that's Stacy - it was her birthday.

{cards for heroes}

A few weeks before the end of the school year, I heard about Cards for Heroes. Check out their website for more information. I emailed Spencer's teacher and asked her if she would let the students make cards during one of the days at the end of the school year where they don't do much. She liked the idea and I received back this batch of super cute cards that I will be sending to his organization. They are cute, funny, touching, and all sorts of warm-fuzzy.

That following weekend I got together with my mom and sisters to scrapbook. We decided we'd make some blank cards for them as well. Time got away from us and I actually had to come home with Coleman before we completed it. But when I met up with them for brunch the next day, they gave me a big 'ole bag of beautiful cards to send over. Yay Family! I haven't mailed them yet and plan to add a few of my own additions to the stack. I hope to be able to send some a few times a year or something. I think it's an awesome cause.

This is the card Spencer made (sorry parts of it are turned all cock-eyed).