photos {coleman @ aunt sherry's}

coleman is spending the day with aunt sherry...as you can see, he seems to be doing OK :) what a fun day!!!

savings saturday {9.26}

I did a lot of shopping and was very proud of some of my finds. My favorite being that I got four cans of formula (full price is $26-27 per can), for less than $10 each!!

Rite Aid
Fantastic deal on Huggies. I got three "jumbo packs" (full price $11.99 ea) for only $1.25 each (after SCR rebate). I also got two Clean & Clear facial cleansers for free.
Total @ Full Retail = $68.16
Coupons = $39.00
Sale Savings = $16.29
Paid = $16.90 (75% Savings)
This will actually be a 90% savings after I receive my $10 rebate on the diapers.

Food Lion
Total @ Full Retail = $118.84
Coupons = $48.01
MVP Savings = $19.43
Paid = $51.40 (57% Savings)

Bi-Lo
Total @ Full Retail = $108.51
Coupons = $30.89
Bonuscard Savings = $30.22
Paid = $47.40 (56% Savings)

Harris Teeter
Total @ Full Retail = $101.21
Coupons = $12.00
VIC savings = $30.18
Paid = $59.03 (42% Savings)
savings weren't as good here because I had to buy a few full price things :(

{jumpstart: read for the record}

just read about a cool thing...jumpstart and wal-mart are pairing up. if you have a child or even just know one, check out the site and see how you can be a part of this by reading a very hungry caterpillar to a child(ren) on 10.8.09. i plan on buying a copy from wal-mart this weekend (all proceeds go back to jumpstart) and reading it to coleman. plus, i'm going to buy a copy for aj so she can read to the kids there. and i'm forwarding the information to spencer's school.

jumpstart's read for the record

thrifty thursday {9.17}

i made a trip to food lion, mainly for formula, but picked up some other stuff as well:

food lion
total @ full retail = $78.95
mvp savings = $6.23
coupons = $15.25
total savings = $ 21.48 (27%)
highlights: cheap baby food and $8.00 off formula and two free sippy cups!

then, of course, it's TRIPLE COUPONS week at harris teeter. wooooohoooo. i hate the 20 coupon limit. i really need to make a 2nd trip.

harris teeter
total @ full retail = $84.90
vic savings = $16.92
coupons = $38.95
total savings = $55.87 (66%)

highlights: lots of free pasta, cheap baby food, well...pretty much cheap everything

savings saturday {9/12}

I'm late posting, but here is how I made out with my grocery shopping on Saturday. The results aren't as good as normal because I had to buy some stuff for Spencer's party, but taking that into consideration, I think I did pretty well.

Bi-Lo
Total @ Full Retail = $50.32
Bonuscard Savings = $10.48
Coupons = $10.05
Total Savings = $20.53 (41%)
This trip included Spencer's cake and balloons, so not too shabby considering that!
highlight: free tea bags

Harris Teeter
Total @ Full Retail = $111.46
VIC savings = $29.33
Coupons = $12.00
Total Savings = $41.33 (37%)
highlight: $0.50 boxes of cereal :)
biggest non-coupon expense: two cases of beer

Food Lion
Total @ Full Retail = $76.23
MVP Savings = $5.80
Coupons = $21.00
Total Savings = $26.80 (35%)
includes 2 trips (both include baby formula); lots of 2L drinks for party
highlight:20 cent jars of baby food

{9.11}

all day i have felt compelled to address today here on my blog. however, i honestly don't know what to say. i remember that day, 8 years ago, quite clearly. but my day doesn't compare to the tragedy that others were facing and doesn't really warrant being recited. i dressed coleman and i in red, white and blue today. but in the grand scheme of what today stands for...how petty is that really? as if my small sign of patriotism means anything to the families that lost a loved one that day, or the service men and women that are still sacrificing for our freedom.

so, words escape me.

i'm including a picture of my baby this morning in his red, white and blue because despite the horror of this anniversary, he can brighten my day quicker than anything. it saddens me that he will never know or understand a world that existed before 9-11. one of the reasons i wasn't sure if i wanted to have a child is because i often feel this world isn't a place into which i want to be responsible for bringing someone. i know i can't protect him forever, but i pray that he will live a life free of the terror that happened on that day and the many other cruel things that take place daily in our world.

my sincerest thanks to those serving for our country and sacrificing for our freedom. my prayers continue for the loved ones of those left here at home, and those that lost someone on this day 8 years ago.

p.s. yes, i know he looks drunk in this picture

consignment sale {happiness}

i have never been to a large consignment sale but had heard that, as a new parent, this was something i *had* to do. so i did. yesterday. it was a bit intimidating. a bit overwhelming. but a heck of a lot of fun :)

i spent $98 and got so, so much!!! most of my finds were for coleman but i did get a couple of shirts for spencer (shhh...don't tell him they are "used"!). i got a couple of good-sized toys that will serve as christmas gifts, an infant-to-toddler rocker, an umbrella stroller to keep at my sister's. fall/winter clothes. and a few random items.

you know how i am, so i had to do the math to figure how much i had saved. so, if i had paid full retail for everything i got...i would've paid $314! that's a savings of almost 70%!!!!!!!

whatever wednesday {9.9}

Here are some cool things that have made me happy lately...

• Kindle on iPhone: One of my favorite money-saving sites (Common Sense with Money) shared that Amazon had free Kindle books. I've always thought Kindle was kind of a cool concept, but I didn't like the idea of the expensive gadget and felt I could never give up real books entirely (making it hard to justify the expense of said gadget). So...this post also happens to mention that you can download a Kindle app for iPhone. I'm so tickled. So, I now have the FREE app and can read Kindle books on my iPhone! And I downloaded six free books. Granted they aren't necessarily ones I'd run out and buy, but like I said...they are FREE. I like the idea because it's an easy way to always have a book with you (particularly handy while travelling).

• Retail Me Not: The above-mentioned website also shared this site: Retail Me Not. Basically, you should NEVER place an online order without checking here first. They have coupon codes and things of that sort for all sorts of online retailers. I have already used it several times - sometimes I've found things that work, other times not. But it's worth the extra 60 seconds to check. I just saved an additional $5 at Target a few minutes ago.

• Target: Speaking of Target - a friend let me know that they were having a big baby sale online. If you buy 3 of select items (there are lots of options, not just a few things), you get 20% off. Plus, free shipping on orders over $50. Then I found the additional $5 coupon code. So, I just ordered 3 packs of diapers (72 ct each) and a t-shirt and pair of shorts (Red Sox) for Spencer...all for a whopping $43. Can't beat that with a stick. I think the sale goes through the 13th.

• Ella Publishing: This is a cute new scrapbooking website. They are a "publishing" company of digital books. They all seem to run about $5-6 each, which is pretty cool. I haven't bought one yet, but I'm sure I will at some point. If nothing else, I'd recommend browsing the site (there are a few freebies) and signing up for their free newsletter. I just got the first one and it was quite enjoyable.

• Lose It: Several years ago, I lose about 15 pounds just by counting calories. It was slow (a pound a week) and I did not exercise (yes, I know this is bad), but it worked. To aid me in my quest, I used a handy website called FitDay. I honestly couldn't have done it without this easy way of tracking calories. Well....obviously, I've got some baby weight to lose and I've been procrastinating doing anything about it. I was recently flipping through one of the many free baby/parenting magazines that shows up at my house and an article mentioned an iPhone app called Lose It. I downloaded it (it was free!) and it's AWESOME!!! It is just like FitDay but even easier to use AND it's on my phone which means I can enter foods anywhere and everywhere without having to be in front of my computer. So, as of yesterday, I'm officially counting calories. I went over my calorie budget by 102 yesterday, but I still think that's pretty good for the first day :) My main issue was the sausage biscuit from Mickey D's.

gamecocks v nc state {results}

it wasn't pretty, but we did it. we have our work cut out for us against georgia next week...

how'd the rock hill boys do???

- spencer lanning: bad, very bad. really bad.

- stephon gilmore...can you say KICK A$$ TRUE FRESHMAN SAVES THE GAME?

- devonte holloman: not too shabby for a true freshman...heck, he was on the field, that's a pretty darn good start!

- burger (friend of my nephew, oh yeah!): he kept the bench toasty warm (but with the way lanning performed, he might not be there too long)

this cool photo of garcia handing off the ball to maddox showed up in my inbox today:

{are you ready for some football?}

Today is a good day. Any day that starts with a Pumpkin Spice Latte and ends with a Gamecock win...well, that's just *good stuff*. I'm super pumped about the start of football season tonight.

kick off at nc state is at 7:03 p.m. GO COCKS!!!

this morning...the blackwell boys are ready to go!

i stole a couple of photos from the SPURS UP blog.

these are some stadium improvements recently made - recognizing record holders


and this is the new banner on the equipment truck...pretty cool.

rite aid {9.2}

i am very proud of my rite aid trip today. usually i end up paying a lot out-of-pocket because they don't do anything like RRs and ECBs. but today i only paid $2.03 and got all of this:

2 reese's peanut butter cups
2 cover girl make up products (foundation and powder)
1 aveeno body wash
2 two-packs of GE light bulbs

can't beat that with a stick! none of these were SCR deals, only great deals because of coupons and sales

Southern Savers posted a great deal where you get the Cover Girl make up free (4 items), PLUS a $10 gift card. However, I didn't have 2 of the two coupons I needed to pull it off. So I've done half the deal and it's only good for the week. I would love to get my grubby hands on those two coupons. But there are also other items that would complete the deal so I need to decide if it's worth it or not.

remember, my goal is pretty much to spend VERY LITTLE on grocery type stuff for at least a week or longer. i was pleased that there wasn't much to offer (for me) in today's grocery ads and i think i can be quite productive (cheaply) at cvs + walgreen's because i have RRs and ECBs to use.

another note...all of my august receipts have gone through on their website and my "single check rebate" from rite aid will be $56.47 - woohoo!!!

thrifty tuesday {9.1}

these purchases are from much more than just today. they include 2 trips to Food Lion, 2 to Harris Teeter and one each to Bi-Lo, Target and Rite Aid. Totally long story as to why I made so many trips...

Target
Total Spent = $102.97 (though I did have a $15 gift card that brought that total down)
Saved = $56.75 (35%)
Lots of baby stuff, some grocery items. Did a lot of coupon stacking...

Food Lion
Total Spent = $68.44
Saved = $53.51 (44%)
highlights included super cheap baby food, nearly free wipes, crazy cheap ground beef

Rite Aid
Total Spent = $15.60
Saved = $16.00 (51%)
this was an important purchase because it one big SCR for August and gets me very close to a Zyrtec rebate. Oh, and I got a small birthday gift for Spencer :)

Bi-Lo
Total Spent = $25.81
Saved = $25.40 (50%)
did a meal deal for some free goodies

Harris Teeter
Total Spent = $99.06
Saved = $100.13 (50%)
SUPER DOUBLES so lots of good deals. i got a ton of frozen pizzas for super cheap. free baby wipes. cheap wet ones. cheap baby cereal. free yogurt.

If you are paying close attention, you may have noticed that, despite my savings, I spent a ton on groceries (though lots of the Target stuff wasn't in the category). I actually consumed about 2 weeks budget this past week. Though this is a bit annoying, we have an incredibly well-stocked kitchen right now. So my plan for at least the next two weeks or so is to only buy food necessities and pick up freebies at the drugstores. We'll see :)

{sept digi desktops}

a few months ago i began downloading a free digital desktop design - you just add photos and use it as the wallpaper on your computer. Super fun. I was surprised how many are available for free. Here are some...now I have to choose just one???

- just found this super cute free Semptember desktop calendar download from Weeds and Wildflowers Designs (cute name, huh?). I like it so much, I may print it out as a layout for Spencer's school album...if I get any decent photos from the month to go into it. it appears they post a free one every month.

- this one from krystal hartley doesn't have a calendar but it school themed - would be cute for a teacher to use!

- here is a whimsy one with a calendar (not school-themed), by Funky Playground Designs.

- Christina Brown Designs has one that doesn't have a calendar, but does say "September", with a fall/autumn theme.

- From Connie Prince/Scrap Infusions, cute one with a calendar (not school themed).