CVS couponing

Its time for some CVS tips. As you may know, my favorite high, is going to CVS and getting a bunch of stuff for just a few bucks. This doesn't happen all the time. And it hasn't happened a lot lately, because I haven't shopped there enough. (no need to pop in since I quit smoking ;)  But I am going to try to do weekly couponing hauls again, which will also help increase my credits with them.  You know the phrase..."The more you shop, the more you save."   However, before I attempt a haul this week for you all, I wanted to give you some tips, along with the ins & outs of how CVS works, and what you need to do to take full advantage of the perks. 

#1 - GET A CARD!  Simple...all stores have them. You can even apply for them online these days and get it mailed to you.

#2 REGISTER THAT CARD ONLINE.  I know I said this in another blog, but I'm saying it again. You just go to https://www.cvs.com, register an account, and register your card. Also, there is a separate Extra Care Beauty Club. Just search for it on the site and register your card# for that also. (will further explain down further what this is)

 

#3: DOWNLOAD THE APP.   You can view the circular this way and you can also check to see what type of coupons you have waiting for you to use. 

#4: SCAN YOUR CARD AT THE COUPON CENTER. I know a lot of people like to just give their number at the register for your deals, but it helps to have your card with you. As soon as you walk in, scan it at the Coupon center and see what coupons there are for you to use. 

Now for the many areas of savings....(and I am sure I am forgetting a few)

EXTRA CARE BUCKS - these are free money. You can get them for multiple reasons. However, each week there are deals all around the store like "Spend $15 on this brand, get $5 ECBs" or "get back $1 ECBs if you purchase this item".  They are everywhere. They will also randomly mail these to your house for events suck as  your BD or an big promotion they are doing, along with percent off coupons.

These will usually print out on your receipt after  you purchase that specific item. So if need be, you can turn right around and use the ECB to go purchase something else. 

Quarterly throughout the year, you will get back 2% of your spending for that quarter, in ECBs. This total is calculated by the retail price of what you bought, not by the sale price or how much you actually paid.  EX:  If you spent $200 before sales and coupons, from Jan to Mar. you will get back  $4 extra care bucks in April.

BEAUTY CLUB - this is another perk to register for. This club tracks your beauty purchases. Again that will be the retail price, not the sale price or after coupons. They automatically send you $5 ECBs with each $50 you spend. This is pretty easy for us women to do because this includes any face products, any make up, all hair products, any perfumes or body sprays, body wash and soaps, sun care, etc. But again, you must register for this to get the them to track it for the Extra Care bucks.  Typically, once you hit the $50, the $5 ECBs will print on your next receipt a few days later. This is not printed in real time like normal ECBs. 

COUPON MACHINE - this is typically in the front of the store. (its also a price checker) You just scan your card, and it will print out notices of any coupons you may have sent to your card via the app or the website. There are weekly special coupons that print our from here too for random items. You should always scan your card...its like the lottery sometimes. Along with special coupons, there is typically always a coupon that makes something free, once a week. And this item is typically on the shelf right by the coupon machine. I have gotten things from free paper towels to $.10 candy bars. 

THE APP - there is no excuse that you didn't get the circular. Its on the app. And so is the list of coupons that will print for you when you get there (which I think now you can send right to your card from the app & the website). 

**Note: you can mix and match CVS coupons. For example, if you have an ECB, and a coupon CVS coupon for % off, and a coupon machine print for $1 off an item, you CAN use all those on the same item/transaction. 

EX:  Tide laundry soap is $7.00. You have a $3 ECB and $1 off tide coupon machine print, $2.00 off tide manufacturer coupon and a CVS mailed coupon for 25% off. You can use those all and end up paying only $.75 plus tax.

I feel like I am leaving something out, but there is just so many ways to get coupons and save money at CVS. I used to think it was too expensive, but its not really....if you know how to work it!

I am going to try to do a CVS haul this week (hopefully tomorrow, but can't promise), with pics and step by step, transaction by transaction, of how I did it. 

On that note....good night all!!!!!!

  

Candyland BD party

 

(balloons very tediously taped and pinned to the wall)

 

Hey, its me!
I know this post is over a year old, but I found these pics and thought I would share with you all, the Candy-land themed birthday party I did for the twins 6th BD in Dec. 2012.  This took a lot of simple but tedious work, and a lot of people with helping hands.


This was the famous candy-land sidewalk. I know there were better ways to do it, but I got impatient and just went with the process of cutting poster board in squares and coloring each one. I don't suggest this method, but the idea is there anyway. I went through 2-3 packs of permanent markers and about 4 adults all killing their arms coloring away, over a period of a week. Ha Ha  We then found some heavy duty double stick tape and laid the path.

The giant lollipops. Well this was only doable because my florist sister, still had the bases to come topiaries that she did for our other sisters wedding a few years earlier.  its basically just pvc pipe cemented into a flower pot. Then you can see she glued some cotton filling to the bottom  to give it a cotton candy, on a cloud, look.
I don't think that balloons were secured to the bases at all, but once we wrapped the cellophane and tied with, the stayed in place. 

These cakes i did myself. i used giant cupcake cake molds. I wanted them to have a polka dot look to them. I used a star tip to create the polka dots in one color them the same tips to fill in all around it.
Not the most professional looking but.....in the ends, who doesn't like cake and icing?? 

This was our candy buffet. More of the life size lollipops, along with bowls of candy and gum balls of all different colors. The table skirt I found online at http://www.orientaltrading.com and thought it was perfect for the party theme.

Hope this helps inspire some of you, for your next party. 

Not sure if I should really post this but....

I have started so many blogs and so many vlogs, with photos or videos of myself, and just can't bring myself to post them. Heck, by the time I post this, I will have probably re-written it ten times.

I don't feel like I can be on camera because, I am very unhappy with how I look right now. 
No matter what some people may think, I am not OK with it. My weight issues are always front and center for me - ALWAYS have been .  I may now be a little harder and bitchier and demand respect, but its all because of how I felt in high school. I was  that shy little girl with the glasses, who was was looked past, while her friends got the attention. I was the fat one of the group (at a whopping 125 lbs).  I always felt like I was in the shadow of my friends who were prettier and skinnier then I was. I knew the boys were all looking at them & not me. If someone seemed interested in me, I felt like it was because someone else turned them down. Heck there were times,  I even felt like I was part of a bet of some sort.  And the only person who made me feel comfortable as myself, had to be a hidden.  Much like I feel now.  I feel like I have to hide my true feeling now, about a lot. I'm an adult...I know I should be able to speak my mind, but I bite my tongue all the time. And I am still that little shy high school girl, who feels no matter how pretty she feels, the guys will still be looking at someone skinnier then she is. I have a year.......until my 20th reunion......

 I have tried to embrace my body & curves and I just can't. And I really don't want to hear anymore that if I want it, I will make it happen. Screw that! Sometimes life just doesn't allow it, with the job, and the house chores that need to be kept up with, and the trying to find time to schedule it. With my life the way it is, I have to go to the gym in the morning and be on a time limit, or really late at night. I can't consistently schedule it in the mornings because there are times I only get 4-5 hrs of sleep and who wants to go works out first thing in the morning on that kind of sleep.Or what if Brian gets home late...I don't want to force him to wake up and take the kids to school, just so I can go to the gym.  And I'm not going half asleep at 11pm, by myself - NO THANKS!  So I only go when I can, but that changes every week. Then I start to think "whats the point of going for 2 hrs once a week, not gonna lose any weight that way"... and that's why I gave up for 6 months, along with having some off the wall pain, which everyone just chalks up to my profession (at a desk all day) or from my weight. I feel like its a no win situation sometimes and I really feel like people just don't get it.  Some people can change their eating habits and lose weight - well f*cking good for you!   I have to try sooo hard to lose weight, but if I go off course the slightest bit, boom 5 lbs back.
All I have been told my docs is that due to my age, my metabolism has slowed down. Well thanks.....I've always had a slow metabolism...so now what????  I have changed some eating habits of mine, to the point where its now normal. I used to HATE water ad now i don't even buy soda but maybe once a month.

People who don't care about losing weight don't pay for a gym membership & i did. I was very proud of myself for taking that step. Yes I didn't go for a while, but I never fully gave up....I never cancelled that gym membership. I have faith that my schedule will allow it someday.

I had a blog a while ago, and didn't make it public because I was afraid that someone would think it was corny and stupid, or that someone thought I was looking for attention. That feeling will be VERY present once I post this also. But its called freedom of speach for a reason, right???

I have been bit with the vlogging bug, but....I don't feel like I can post the type of material I want because ....well....who wants to watch a fat mom follow her kids around all day?? And who wants to watch a fat mom talk about the boring clothes she has to buy to cover up her fat rolls?

I know its up to me & only me, but I just really  wish I had a diet or gym buddy, that was consistent.  Everyone I know is either on a different schedule, or can't go to the gym for whatever reasons.

I am not looking for pitty or attention.  I am not looking for anything. I just wanted to vent about this without feeling like someone thinks I am pathetic.

No matter what though, I do know that, no matter what my size, my daughters will love me no matter what. And I just need to make sure I remain healthy for them....at whatever size that may mean. 

 Vent over.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Hey, its me!

Tonight, I decided to make the kids some homemade chicken nuggets. Madison asked for the ones that taste like Chik-Fil-A nuggets. In other words, instead of Italian dressing in the soak, I use pickle juice.  So, I thought I would just share this quick little recipe with you all, because my kids LOVE these.

*For the soak, mix 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, and enough pickle juice to taste.
I then put all the chicken pieces in the liquid soak and poke it a few times with a fork. Let it sit while you get together the rest of the stuff.

*For the breading, I mix a little of my regular Italian bread crumbs and some panko bread crumbs (pictured below). Then I used a cup to grind it all up a little bit more. The panko was a little too crunchy for the size nuggets I had cut up.  


Now its time to coat the wet chicken pieces in the breading.

Last step is obviously, to fry them up in vegetable oil. I use just about a little less them half way up the pan. Cook one on side, then flip them.

Finally, chow down. My kids loved these. They were extra extra extra crunchy from the Panko breadcrumbs. Also, those breadcrumbs somehow helped them cook faster, and the chicken inside did not get oily.  I think we have definitely found our new fave breadcrumbs!!

Garnier review and compare

Hey - it's me!

I am a big fan of Garnier hair products. I typically have never had a complaint. However, I tried to replace my holy grail product I use from them, and wasn't too impressed. I do not regret trying the new product but...I do not see how it is any different then the holy grail I always buy.

This is my holy grail, Garnier Fructis, Sleek & Shine - Anti-Frizz Serum.   I LOVE this stuff!
I use this to on wet hair after a shower, as a dentangler, on both me and the girls. I add it to my water bottle I use on the girls, as a dentangler. I rub it in my hands and smooth through my dry hair before I use my straightener. It helps my hair stay frizz free and soft, without being oily.

This is the new Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil - Frizz Defy - 5 action hair elixir .  I just purchased this last week, thinking it might work even better then the Anti Frizz Serum. Nope, not really. It pretty much works exactly the same. They sell it to let you think you can use it in 5 different ways....all the same ways I was already using the Anti-Frizz Serum.   Also, when I bought this, I thought it was a spray and its not.  It's a pump. And in my experience using it this last week, the pump was not too helpful to me. You have to hold the bottle and pump at the same time, and if its the second go around using it in a short amount of time, your hands can be pretty slippery. I like the pump on the other product better.


All in all, I like both of these products just the same. The Anti-Frizz serum is easier to pump. But if you are looking to try one of these products, I can only suggest to pick the one that best matches your decor, because they both work pretty well!!

Daily Life - 4/25/14 - Air conditioners and dentist

Woo Hoo Friday!!!! Although the kids only had 2 days of school this week, I feel like its been a looonnnngggg week and Ican't wait to sleep in this weekend!!!!!

So, Brian took the old living room air conditioner until out today, so we can put our newer one in. its been taking him all morning. It was so rusted in the frame, that is bolted to the Who Knows How Old window, and the old owner, bolted another piece of window over it, to prevent air coming in or something....I don't know. But when he pulled that thing out it was nasty!!! No wonder my allergies are sooo bad in summer, bleh.

The twins also has dental check ups today. poor kids have bad teeth like mommy. But at least the bad front ones, are now starting to fall out, just as they should be about this age. But I hate hearing and seeing all they need to get done :(

After dinner, we decided to take a trip to Sonic for dessert. While there, we stopped in at Marburn Curtains to see what we could find. We found the new curtains below, to go on the back porch door. They sooo fit in with the coffee house theme we are going for. I can't wait til its alll done. Just have to do the new trim on the basement door and paint the door.

Daily life - 4/24 - Back to School

Its back to School for the girls today. Normally I would be excited, but I'm actually a little nervous. Two of them were up in the middle of the night with some type of sickness. So yeah.....its a coffee POT kind of day.

12:30ish am - Mommy starts to get tired enough to fall asleep.
12: 45ish am - Ava wakes up crying. Ends up getting sick and as part of it, I have to scrub the tub at 1:00am. But she ends up better and passes out. Think Mommy got to sleep about 1:30ish am.
4:45 - Mommy wakes up to Madison having a coughing attack. Rubs her down with Vicks after trying to see if it will just stop....for half hour.
7:00am- Time to get up!!! Luckily everyone was OK and got to school.
8:10am - drop twins off at school and stop for tp.
Get home and do dishes.
9:00am - log in and start the work day.

At this point the rest of the day was pretty un-eventful.....until the power went out tonight, just as bed time was happening. The entire block was out...not sure why yet.  Isabel started freaking out hysterically, Madison wanted to go to sleep but wanted to be with us down stairs and was just confused. Ha ha.     
At least the weather was ok for this to happen but still. Luckily it was only out for about a half hour but damn....it was DARK!!!! 
So now its time for bed....as long as my brain shuts off. Nite all!!

Changing out seasonal clothes

Hey all!

So I was just doing some laundry, and I started putting some clothes aside that no longer fit the twins, and thought maybe some of you might be interested to know how I swap out season clothes.
This is not going to be from a well very organized view point or something that only takes me an hour or two, one day on the weekend. NO. This process takes me a few weeks. And the reason i thought I would share it is because, although it happens over a few weeks, I find it soooo much less stressful to do it this way.  This is for us lazy people. Hee Hee

I will warn you that you will need A LOT of hangers.  Most dollar stores sell these, so I like to pick up a pack here and there, so I always have a decent stock.

 (this is also just for the kids clothes - mommy & daddy clothes are much easier a process)

*About March, I pull out the bins and go through them quickly. I pull out everything that needs to be donated and throw it in a bag. Then I take all short sleeve clothes, and hang them in a closet along with any newer clothes we have bought for this year (but not in the kids closet b/c they will insist on wearing things when the weather is not appropriate). This way, there are already clothes out and easy access in the case weather changes to really warm over night. Also, then when you are ready to put them in the kids closets, they are already ready.

*At this time of the year, I try to just do ALL laundry. Ya know, that basket or 2 that is lying around that you shoved clothes in at one point, and just never went back to. Or a pile of stuff you shoved somewhere once to get it out of the way. ;) Yes, its time to pull that ALL out and get it done.

*While I am folding/hanging clothes, (as they come out of the dryer,not from a basket later on), I throw anything that is too small into a donate bag that I keep by the washer. And anything that has holes or is stained real bad, goes right into the trash. I put everything else that fits right now, on a hanger, whether it be long or short sleeves.   This will all go into the closet. By doing this, when you really no longer need long sleeves, its much easier to just pull everything off hangers and put into the off season bin.

*Pick a small time frame to go through the heavier clothes -- like sweatshirts, sweat pants, and winter PJs. We typically keep this all in drawers, so I can go through it pretty quickly and throw it into a bin. Same thing here, if anything is too small, throw it in a donate bag.  NOW, I have room to put the regular t-shirts in the drawers, folded.  Which in turn will free up more hangers, if needed.

After doing this over the matter of a few weeks or month, usually by mid-June I have everything swapped out completely, and can go on with my life..... until September hits.

Daily Life - 4/22/14 - More RED paint

Brian is still painting the back porch. Not sure where he got the idea, but ... whatever. He grabbed the red accent wall color from the kitchen and took it into the back porch. So now its all freshy fresh. And when you do have a view of the back porch from the kitchen, it kinda flows better now. So yeah, not too bad. Would still like my kitchen finished first but.....ya know.... sigh.  I will post some before and after pics once its done and cleaned up. Same for the kitchen. (for those of you who know we have been working on it.)

The girls are home for Spring break....ummmmm..yeah. They aren't being antsy, but they are just home while I am trying to get work done. Sometimes I can tune it out and other days like today, I just need everyone to not make any noise, so i can concentrate. However, Brian did take them out fishing so I was able to get a little piece for a while there.
I also insisted that I take Madison to dance tonight, alone. So I was able to just saunter around Target, by myself. I did pick up a few grocery items and some hair/beauty items that I needed, but most of all, did I mention I was alone?!?!?  Ha Ha All was great until I got stuck in the middle of a thunderstorm on the way home. Luckily, me and the storm were just passing each other in the night.  I only puled over for a few minutes ;)

Last but not least, Madison wanted me to record her doing her recital dance, tonight. Then Isabel jumped in too. So, I posted it on YouTube. Will link video below. Please excuse the first 10 or so seconds. If anyone has any suggestions of editing programs that I can use to cut out parts of what I record, please let me know.

And on that note, I need to get tired because it is now 12:06am, and I have to be up & logged on for work in 9 hours. I know, doesn't sound bad, but considering I may not fall asleep until almost 2am at this point.. Oh well, nothing COFFEE can't handle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYKWSn_IMME

Night all!!!

Saving money on groceries and other stuff

Hey all!

So a few of you have now asked me for couponing tips. However, I do not save a lot of MORE money using coupons, due to the way I already shop, even without coupons. And there are so many different coupon tips, that it would be overwhelming for me to list them all. So I am going to just start out with a generalized "here is how I save money on groceries" post. Then if you have any more specific questions, let me know. Below are things that I do or don't do, and end up spending on average about $135 (about) on a family of 5, per week, on just food.

#1 - You cannot be brand specific. By allowing yourself to purchase the store brands or value brands, you can on average save up to $1.00 per item. Now if you typically buy brand name everything, and say you went to the store and purchased 75 items of  brand name everything, you could possibly save about $75. That is where you will see your MOST savings.

#2 - Only buy what you need. I, myself, can be an impulse shopper. You see something that is on sale, that you don't normally buy, so you want to pick it up. And doing this once in a while is fine, but if can admit that you do it too often, maybe its something you really need to try to stop doing.

#3 - Make sure you have a store card.  Pretty much all stores these days have some type of discount card that allows shoppers to get even lower prices. They make it seem like its a secret club....but its not. All stores have them these days. Get one! I have 13 different store cards on my key rings.

#4 - Register that store card online.  Once you register it online, you will receive period emails alerting you of savings coming up, or savings that are specific to what you typically buy from that store. You can also, save electronic coupons to your store card online. Then when you swipe your card, the coupon is automatically applied. Ex: CVS send me coupons via email, that I can either print out or save right to my card. (I can do another post sometime about CVS tricks alone) Another EX: I can save coupons that Shoprite offers, right to my card. And you can use those in line with paper coupons too, at most stores.

#5 - Do not be afraid of stores with the word DOLLAR in them.  My favorite ones to hit are Dollar General and Family Dollar. The low cost items I typically only buy at these stores are value brand medicines (they are cheaper then CVS  brand, and work just as well -- THEY ARE THE SAME THING!!!). Cleaners, laundry products and air fresheners tend to be cheapest at these stores as well. we also always buy our bread from Dollar General - its only $.85 and sooo fresh & soft.
These 2 stores are also my first places to hit when I am looking for small home decorating items like picture frames, vases, table clothes, etc, and you can even get cheap office supplies there too.  My newest obsession is going to Dollar tree for organizational items like bins & baskets.


Last but not least -- this is a BIG one that might shock some of you.
#6 - WALMART IS NOT  ALWAYS THE CHEAPEST PLACE TO GET GROCERIES!!!! NO, its not!!!  If you compare non-sale prices at a regular grocery store, and the prices at Walmart - Yes, its cheaper. BUT....regular grocery stores like Shoprite, put things on sale ALL THE TIME!!!  And their sale prices are much lower then Walmarts 'discount' prices. Now this statement is only towards the groceries. There are plenty of other items that make Walmart the cheapest place to purchase them.


Now, I am not trying to tell you all that what you do is wrong. I am just explaining how I shop to save money. And maybe some of these tips can be applied to your own shopping habits, and maybe help. I know some people will only eat organic, which can be expensive. And some people live with others who are brand specific. I am just lucky enough that my family eats whatever I buy. They don't care who makes it. 

Oh I forgot one....#7 -- Value menus at Fast Food Restaurants.  Admit it, we all eat out at least once a week, just because its easier. And for those of us who live on a tight budget, it tends to be fast food mostly. When we eat out at McD's or KFC or someplace like that, we try to stay away from "meals". For example....when we go to McDonald's, i will typically get 20 piece nuggets, a regular fry, and 2 medium drinks. This usually runs me somewhere around $15 and feeds me and the 3 girls. If I got them all a Happy meal, it would run me that much for them alone, and then my food on top of it. And 1/4 of that food and half the drinks would be left in my car. 

Thanks. I'm done now! Byyyyyeeeee!

Daily Life - 4/21/14

Hey all!

Well today started out interesting. Isabel decided to lose a tooth....at about 3 a.m.  "Mommy, I just lost a tooth. And its not bleeding."   At this point, not really sure I am dreaming, then realized she really was standing there next to me.  WHO loses a tooth in their sleep?!?!?! Guess I should be glad she didn't swallow it.  Although, that would be a bit funny, waking up with a tooth missing and can't find it.
Now, a lot of people wouldn't think this wasn't too much of anything - a kid losing a tooth - but this same child, lost a tooth last week, on National Sibling Day, about a couple hour after her twin sister did. 

And this is how Isabel woke up this morning. Ha Ha  I think its sooo cute. Amazingly, she is not talking too weird either. (darn it)

I guess our toothfairy needs to make another trip back here tonight. I hope we aren't making her go for broke.

 

The meaning behind MamaMIA

(Left to right: Madison, Ava, Isabel)

The girls in this picture are what makes me MamaMIA aka Mama of Madison, Isabel and Ava.
My babies!

Madison is 10 yrs old. But if you ask her now, she is "officially 10 and a half". My first born. She doesn't miss a step. She remembers everything you tell you her (even if she acts like she is not listening) Our little smartie of the bunch. She is really into Science & experimenting, a lot like her father. She self teaches herself pretty much everything, even taught herself to read when she was 4-5 yrs old and write in cursive before school started teaching it. She is the child who is constantly ON - always thinking or talking or dancing and just full of energy. We enrolled her in dance hoping that it would be an outlet for her, and she might relax at home a little -- ha ha ha -- Nope! While she is at home she is trying to choreograph routines with her sisters and trying to teacher herself other genres of dance that she does not currently take classes for.And yes, she plays the role of the oldest, pretty well.

Ava  is our older 7 yr old ,twin. I call her my little Diva Mommy. She likes to help me try to set new rules in place and loves to help me organize things. And when someone is being disciplined, she is the first t reiterate what they did wrong, as if SHE were the mom. She is very into fashion also. She does not allow me to pick out her clothes at all. And when going out, she likes to do her makeup and makes sure her outfit is perfect.  Again, another smart kid  we have on our hands there. We actually think she is so smart, that she sometimes she purposely plays the "not so smart" game. She is another who likes to teach herself how to do things. She has taught herself how to ride a 2 wheel bike in a matter of 2 days & teaches herself how to draw art, just by freehand copying it.  

Isabel is our younger 7yr old twin - my baby. She is our little slow poke.She took her time coming into this world, and she still takes her time. She is in her own little world a lot. She plays well alone, and sometimes needs it. She does everything at her own pace, but once she catches on, she does it with so much passion. Her sisters were trying to self teach themselves cartwheels and Isabel just couldn't catch on. So she taught herself some other amazing gymnastics moves, and was practicing allllll the time. Now she takes acro classes and loves it! And again....another smart kid we have on our hands. She actaully enjoys doing her homework and sometimes will do extra homework, just to "teach herself more". She is the most sensitive of them all, but that is part of what makes her our little Isabooboo.

Easter

 

Its that time of year again. When us bouncy little bunnies are hard at work for our children. Thought I would do a post showing what our baskets are looking like this year, to maybe helps some others get some non-candy ideas.  We typically don't do a lot of candy......because......welllll....we eat candy ALL the time in our house. So its not a real "treat" at Easter.  Also, we tend to give things in the Easter baskets that are meant for Spring or Summer and have to do with outdoors!!!!  Also, I have tried to not go overboard this year, as I typically do. 

Below are some of the items I got for each girl and where I got them. I "say" I am done, but come on...we know how we are ;)

Instead of baskets, we got these plastic tub like bins from Dollar Tree:

 

 Little container of Playdoh and tablets that grow into little animal shapes from Dollar General:

 Flip flops from Old Navy & Sunglasses from Target:

 These are just little pots with flowers they can grow. My kids seemed intrested when we saw these at FiveBelow for $3 ea., but they were at Target last night for $2.49 ea.

 This is the only candy we got. Everything was $1, except the Snickers and Twix eggs, they were $.69 - all from Target:

 These are not completely done, but you get the jist of it. I still want to write their names on the bins and get some Easter grass to fill in a bit.

   

Althought we went light this year, I have listed below a few other items that we have gotten in the past, as a few more ideas. Have fun!

*Bubbles

*sidewalk chalk

*Coloring things

*Books

*lip gloss

*hair accesories

*water bottles

*new warmer weather PJs

Welcome to my Blog

Hey all!   Welcome to my first blog post!  Well sort of.....I had one before but I never publicly posted it, it was for myself, as I didn't want anyone to talk about me or think that I was looking for attention. Then I got bored with it. (typical of me)  I decided to delete/remove all those posts and start over. And this time, I don't care what people think. If people think I am looking for attention, then don't pay me any attention. Just ignore it. Pass by, don't click on it, block me form your feed...whatever.  If you think its annoying then you really could care less about me, so why should I care less about you blocking me. Right?!

I understand that typically most Blogs have a subject matter, but mine will not. My blog is going to be random. I don't want to limit myself to a certain group of readers. My life is random, so this will be too. I am hoping that that fact of not knowing what I will post next next, might keep the interest going.

By following this you will see blogs about our day to day life, funny things the kids said or did, I might vent about craziness . I also will be doing posts about things I try from Pinterest, couponing hauls or money saving tips. If I buy a new product, I might blog about it, as a type of review.  You might find before and after pics from room make-overs or projects we are doing. I also follow a lot of vloggers on YouTube, and see tags they do...if I can translate a tag i like into a Blog, I'll be doing those too. I might even throw in a rant about current events once in a while.  I am hoping there will be something for everyone. But most of all, this is for me.

On that note, I think I have summed up what you will be seeing from me. If anyone has anything they would like to see, comment on this post and let me know.

Thanks for coming. See you later!


-Heather