Girlie Wisdom

I was sent this via email today and thought it was too cute not to share.

 

1.      A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills… she has 14 kids but she doesn’t really care.

2.      One of life’s mysteries is how a 2 lb bag of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

3.       My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

4.      The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

5.      The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don’t know what you are doing someone else does.

6.      The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then your body and your fat are really good friends.

7.      Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.

8.      Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

9.      I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my panties.

10.  Amazing!  You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes.

11.  Skinny people irritate me!  Especially when they say things like “You know sometimes I forget to eat!”  Now, I’ve forgotten my kid’s names, my mother’s maiden name, and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat.  You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

12.  The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing… and then they marry him.

13.  I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying and driving too fast.  Are they kidding?  That’s my idea of a perfect day!

 

LIVE SIMPLY… LAUGH OFTEN… LOVE DEEPLY

Moments In Life

 There are moments in your life that you capture in picture.  Then, you sit there and wonder what your child was thinking when they did “that,” whatever that may be.  This picture would be one of those. 

My teensy baby in her cowboy boots.

Wearing her “bridges” (aka britches).

Running down the hill full force.

What is she thinking?!?!?!

She can’t even run around a corner without falling much less a hill!

I know what she’s thinking…

This hill looks fun.

My boots make me run fast.

Yay!!!! 

Run superfast!!!

HA HA HA!!!

How fast can we make mommy run???

That’s what she’s thinking as she makes me have a mini coronary.

But I smiled when I looked back at this picture.

I love my babies.

I'll Pray For You

Have you ever heard the song “I’ll Pray for You” by Jaron & The Long Road to Love?  You start listening and you think it’s another religious related country song.  You keep listening thinking it’s going to be something deep and meaningful…

“I haven’t been to church since I don’t remember when.  Things were going great until they fell apart again, so I listen to the preacher as he told me what to do.  He said you can’t go hating others who have done wrong to you.  Sometimes we get angry but we must not condemn.  Let the good Lord do his job and you just pray for them.”

THEN… the chorus…

“I pray your brakes go out running down a hill.  I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to.  I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls.  I pray your flying high when your engine stalls.  I pray all your dreams never come true.  Just know wherever you are, honey, I pray for you!”

At this point you’re like OMG and are a little stunned.  It continues back to a normal song…

 “I’m really glad I found my way to church.  Cause I’m already feeling better and I thank God for the worst.  Yeah, I’m gonna take the high road and do what the preacher told me to do.  You keep messing up and I’ll keep praying for you.”

“I pray a tire blows out at 110.  I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend and wake up with his and her tattoos.”

The music starts building up and up to the chorus yet again…

“I pray your brakes go out running down a hill.  I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to.  I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls.  I pray your flying high when your engine stalls.  I pray all your dreams never come true.  Just know wherever you are, near or far, in your house or in your car.  Wherever you are, honey, I pray for you!”

At this point I’m laughing uncontrollably and wishing for some Poise pads because there is a great threat that I may pee on myself I’m laughing so hard.

Then, at the end of the song you catch your breath and you think, “Yep, I know someone this song relates to!” 

Then, you feel guilty!

Malt O Meal

If you haven’t signed up for the Malt O Meal website, you need to.  I get emails quite frequently and they have some good coupons.  Right now there is a .75 coupon off BetterOats Oatmeal.   I’ve never tried this but I couldn’t imagine they’d be bad. 

:: Remember after you print to hit your “back” button three times to print another one

:: I have not found the Malt O Meal products at the FV HT, but they are a great price regularly so use these coupons at Wal-Mart instead

:: Walmart will take internet printable coupons if they are in color!  (This is per the one in FV and I’ve had no problems using the color ones there)

Vitamin Shoppe

The Vitamin Shoppe has some deals going on right now that can be paired up for a pretty good deal

:: Buy one get one 50% off Vitamin Shoppe brand items

:: $10 off $75 purchase using “5852” at check out

:: $20 off $125 purchase using “9060” at check out

:: Free shipping on orders of $99 or more

This expires on 09/24/10 at 11:59 pm EST

RDU Groupon for the day

Today’s Groupon is $22 for a twenty four count cookie gift box from Insomnia Cookies which is a $50 value.  Go here to check it out and get your groupon!

Expires November 30, 2011 so you have over a year to use this deal!

Side deal for today… $9 admission to the Beer Garden at the Hillsborough Street opening celebration on September 25^th. 

I used my first Groupon Friday evening.  I had bought two Groupons for $2 each for a $6 value at a local coffee shop.  I met my friend there Friday after work so we could do some studying and homework.  I got a huge mudslide mocha and a massive delicious looking blueberry muffin for $6.14, so I actually paid $2.14 for it.  I was VERY happy with that deal and really suggest that you cash in on some groupons if you find one that you would use. 

If you know you are going to be taking a trip somewhere sign up for that city’s groupons as well!  You never know what kind of deals you might score and save some serious cash for your trip.

Thank You

My best friend.  She completes my sentences.  She knows my thoughts.  She knows how I’m feeling just with one glance at me or by the sound of my voice.  Without her I would be lost.  She is my rock.  My sounding board.  Despite my flaws, my mistakes, ex-husbands (ha ha ha)… she loves me.  Time and miles cannot separate us or drive us apart.  She is in it for the long haul because she simply wants to be.

We have been through a lot together.  Between the two of us there have been three ex-husbands, two current husbands, three children have been born, three dogs have been lost, parents have divorced and gotten married, multiple moves to various houses and states, and wow… we’ve been through almost anything imaginable.  But nothing has driven us apart.  If anything they have brought us closer and I could not begin to imagine my life without her.  She knows just what I need and when.  She never says what I want to hear but what I need to hear, the truth.  She will tell me if something make me look fat.  She will rejoice with me when I look skinny!  She is the mirror that will tell me the truth.  She is no fun house mirror.

Together we can get through anything.  We can create sanity out of chaos.  We can create smiles from frowns and tears. 

I love you bestest friend in the whole wide world!

 

Custom Christmas Planner

“Life… Your Way” has a GREAT free eBook download on her website here. This is a Christmas… Your Way eBook that can help anyone become organized. I have perused it and think it is wonderful, especially for a moderately OCD freak like me! The book includes printable lists and such to have a great, budgeted, organized Christmas. I am going to print all of these out and try a Christmas “Life… You Way”’s way this year.

:: Address Book

:: Baking Planner

:: Budget Worksheet

:: Calendar

:: Cards Worksheet

:: Décor Inventory

:: Family Traditions

:: Gift Ideas

:: Gift List

:: Handmade Gifts

:: Master To Do List

:: Order Tracking

:: Shopping List

Note: If you check in all of her forms that she has online there is one for Black Friday Shopping List. This one will definitely be going in my Christmas Planner.

Keep an eye out for the Home Management Notebook… I have to check this out. I saw many references to this throughout this great eBook and think I might be headed there next to check it out. This looks like a GREAT way to keep track of the holidays and try not to let the commercialization of the holidays take over with overspending and making it all about presents instead of great memories and family.

RDU Groupon

The Groupon for the Raleigh area today is awesome!  $75 for a 50 minute Swedish massage and 50 minute facial at B Roman Spa in Cary.  I have been there before and they are absolutely fantastic.  Go here to get this awesome deal!!!  If you get the chance Kelly is an awesome massage person, don’t know what you call it!

HT Super Doubles

Go here for an awesome document (spreadsheet) that has all the deals matched up.  Remember work SMART NOT HARD when trying to save money with your coupon shopping.  Your time is worth a lot too!

Muellers Pasta Coupons

If you have not signed up for Mueller’s Pasta “club” (or whatever they call it) then you need to do that and print out the awesome coupon they have there.  Go here to sign up.  Then, you need to go to coupons or promotions and they have a coupon you can print for $2 off five Mueller’s products.  When you click on the icon to print your coupon your print box will pop up.  In here you can put how many of the coupon you want it to print. 

These often go on sale 2/$1 (two for $1 or .50 ea) so if you bought five for $2.50 and used the $2 MQ you would only be paying .50 for five boxes, or .10 each!  The expiration date on mine is 10/16/10.  I’m not sure if that’s because it’s one month from the date I printed or if it’s really on 10/16/10 which it might be since that’s a Saturday.  Either way, this should get you a great deal on pasta.  Does pasta ever expire??

Sums up our life

This picture pretty much sums up our life.
Three and a half pairs of shoes.

Good Byes

 I had to put my dog to sleep this morning.

He was not able to go on.  He was somewhere between 14-16 years old.  I rescued him nine years ago.  Saved his life.  They had thought about putting him to sleep then because his health was so poor, but luckily that didn’t happen.  He had a great life after that. 

He passed away this morning at 11:20 a.m.  This was the hardest decision I’ve ever been forced to make.  But to keep him around any longer would have been selfish as he was suffering.  The vet said he had a liver disorder probably for the past year.  He couldn’t eat. 

He was my first “child.”  It was a hard morning. 

My bestest friend in the whole wide world sent me the following poem…

 

If it should be, that I grow frail and weak

And pain should keep me from my sleep

Then you must do what must be done

For this, the last battle, can’t be won

You will be sad, I understand

Don’t let your grief then stay your hand

For this day, more than the rest

Your love and friendship stand the test

We’ve had so many happy years

What is to come can hold no fears

You’d not want me to suffer, so

When the time comes, please let me go

Take me where my needs they’ll tend only

Stay with me to the end

And hold me firm and speak to me

Until my eyes no longer see

I know in time you will see

It is a kindness you do to me

Although my tail its last has waved

From pain and suffering I’ve been saved

Don’t grieve it should be you

Who decides this thing to do

We’ve been so close, we two, these years

Don’t let your heart hold any tears

Smile, for we walked together

For a little while

 

I will thank my bestest more tomorrow… she’s awesome

 

Thank you!

 

Packing

I'm packing. Getting ready for our trip to Chicago. I am so excited to have a few days of just hubs and I, no kids. Last year we went to South Beach Miami for a long weekend without kids. It felt odd. Really odd. No diaper bags. No fighting over dinner. No nap times. Wait. I missed that part! I like a good nap. Every time we left the hotel I felt like something was missing. Then realized it was 100 lbs of two kids and a diaper bag. It was a good time that I'm looking forward to repeating in a new city this year. Watch out Chicago! Mama's loose!!!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

We are off and running on a long weekend without the kids starting tomorrow morning.  Tonight we will be shopping for some new clothes to accompany us on this journey (and to keep us covered to prevent us from getting arrested for walking around nude).  You know how you have that one pair of jeans that you love.  They are your favorites and your go to stand by for any occasion.  Well, hubs and I are the same way.  We both have one pair of jeans that are suitable to wear in public.  We probably will have a hard time finding some that fit right, but that’s important!  Keep in mind that we will be doing a LOT of walking and on our feet all day long so I have to keep in mind that I will be wearing sneakers or my Sperry’s so the jeans can’t be long.  I think the last good fitting pair of jeans I bought were Candie’s at Kohl’s.  They are great.  I bought two pairs that day because I liked them so much and didn’t realize that one pair of them are long and I am about as short as they come!  I would love to take my holey jeans that I could wear all day and night (for three consecutive days) but people probably don’t want to see my rear end and we might get refused entrance at some restaurants/bars I’m sure.  They’re that crude!  Not to mention they are so thread bare in other areas that they are liable to fall off at any given moment if a thread feels like giving way.  I haven’t been shopping at a mall in so long that I don’t know what to do.  I’m a Target and Kohl’s type of girl but most likely with it being a Wednesday night they shouldn’t be busy.  So, what to do, what to do?

Go shopping.

Hope the girls behave themselves.

If not, buy them Chick Fil A.

If they get unruly after that, bribe with cookies and ice cream.

Then the sugar hype commences and they will drive us nuts.

On the way home they will crash from their sugar high and fall asleep.

Hopefully this is not the way it will play out, but I know my girls all too well and know this will happen.

If all else fails, Grandma is coming to help!

 

RDU Groupon

$35 for an oil change, oil filter change, two wiper blades, and a state emissions inspection at Auto Pro to Call (Chapel Hill) or CarFix (Garner).  This is an $85 value.  Had I not just gotten all that done a few weeks ago I would be jumping all over this deal.  Head on over here to get in on this deal.

Jimmy Johns

I emailed Jimmy Johns yesterday as I have a bad habit of ordering from them when I cannot make it out to lunch.  This is what I submitted via their website… “I order from Jimmy Johns AT LEAST once a week, normally more. How come there are no coupons for JJ's? I have looked everywhere and cannot find any and as I'm having to cut how much I spend on eating out each week it would be great if I could keep ordering as much as I do. The food is delicious and fresh, and freakishly fast!”

THIS is the response I got… “Thank you for taking the time to write.  We do not believe in discounting our food.  Therefore, we do not currently offer coupons. Maybe in the future.”

That response just hit me WRONG.  Why be so short, curt and in my eyes, rude.  I wrote a nice email complimenting their food and service and get such a mean response.  So, this is what I wrote them back…

I will not order Jimmy John’s again.  What a crappy response to write.  Yes, I know very mature of me to write that but I really don’t know how else to put it.  Yes, I’m aware that the statements in the below email response are true but it doesn’t have to sound like JJ’s is above rewarding customers for their repeat business.  In the last year I have spent more than $300 at Jimmy Johns and that’s only looking at my online orders and my bank statements.  This does not include the many times I’ve ordered over the phone and paid cash.

The lack of a customer retention program, unwillingness to reward customer loyalty and the horribly worded response below is the reason I am requesting the following and will not do business with Jimmy Johns again.

Delete my online Jimmy John’s account associated with (insert work email here).

Delete my credit card number.

Remove me from the Subculture that I signed up for yesterday.

Once this is complete please notify me via email so I have confirmation that my requests have been addressed.

Word of mouth from an unhappy consumer can reach further than the mouth of a happy consumer.  Please remember this in your future responses to customer inquiries.

Kind Regards

Me

Today's Groupon Deal

Don’t forget check out today’s Groupon deal for RDU area.   I’m really thinking about doing both of them.  The Nutty Guys because my hubs loves that kind of stuff and the Shutterfly deal for Christmas. 

P&G Everyday Coupon Book

Don’t forget to save your receipts with P&G products on them.  If you purchase $50 worth of P&G products between 08/20/10 and 12/31/10 (must be post marked by 01/14/10) and you can mail in for a GREAT coupon book.  Remember, this is PRE COUPON PRICES!!  Circle the P&G items on your receipt and go here to get the mail in form for the coupon booklet.  Also on their site they have a list of all of their brands to help you out.  Did you know that P&G is the manufacturer of Dolce & Gabbana??!

The book contains over $110 in coupons!  Below is a listing of the coupons that are in the book and on their website it says there are three of each.    

 

$1.00 – Always product

$1 – Zest bar/body wash or Safeguard bar/liquid handsoap

.50 – any Bounce

$1 – Bounty 6 roll or larger

$1 – Cascade

$1 – Charmin mega roll

$1 – Covergirl

.50 – Dawn

$1 – Downy

$1 – Duracell

$1 – Era

$1 – Gain or FE

$1 – Gain dishwashing

$1 – Head & Shoulders buy one shampoo get $1 off conditioner

$1 – Clairol

$1 – Herbal Essence or Aussie

$1 – Iams

$1 – Luvs Diapers

$1 – Metamucil

$1 – Olay PCC or body lotion

$1 – Olay facial moisturizer

$1 – Old Spice Deodorant

$1 – Old Spice Body Wash

$1 – Crest toothpaste or liquid gel

$1 – Crest mouthwash

$1 – Oral B manual toothbrush

$1 – Pampers

$1 – Pantene, buy one shampoo get $1 off conditioner

$1 – Pepto Bismol

$1 – two Pringles

$1 – Secret

.50 – any Swiffer Refill

$3 – Swiffer WetJet

$1 – Duster/Sweeper

$1 – Tampax (20 ct or higher)

$1 – Tide

$1 – Venus Embrace

 

FINE PRINT:  offer limited to US residents only.  Limit one submission per name, address, or envelope.  Use of multiple addresses or PO boxes to obtain additional refunds is fraud and may result in prosecution.  Multiple submissions will not be acknowledged or returned.  This form must accompany your request.  Reproduction, alteration, sale, trade, or purchase of this form or proof of purchase is prohibited.  Proof of purchase must be obtained from product purchased by you.  No request from groups, clubs, or organizations will be honored.  Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.  Form Cash Redemption Value 1/100 of 1 cent.

 

Target Trip

I had a GREAT Target trip today during lunch.  I spent $21.95 and saved $26.34 and walked out with a $5.00 gift card in hand.  All in all a GREAT trip.  Check it out on Cutting Corners from a Circle.

All Grown Up

Our youngest is looking all grown up these days. 

 

Pretty sure her baby looks are gone. 

 

In need of Twinkies to cope with the depression this is causing. 

 

Send quick before I perish!

Deals of the Day

Do you want a free 2011 planning calendar?  Go here to request yours.  They start shipping in December.

 

Check out the SWEET Fisher Price Trio car that you can order here for free!  Shipping is free too!  This could make a cute addition to a little one’s Christmas stash. (*Note the website is taking FOREVER to load.  Probably because of the amount of traffic they are getting!*  I was in the middle of doing mine and it kicked me off, so good luck!)

 

Free Kashi samples

 

$5 in Kraft Coupons

 

Coupons.com has reset their coupons for this month so make sure to print out the ones you want

 

Free sample of Shout Color Catcher

 

Register a gift card at My Starbucks Rewards and they will send you a coupon for a free Artisan breakfast sandwich (can we say YUM!)

 

$10 off a $30 purchase at Mimi’s Café (they have GREAT food and are even more prepared for small children than any other restaurant we have ever been to.  I highly recommend them for a family night!)

 

Pampers Gift to Grow 20 points… HangOn2Summer20.  You have to register an account first!

 

Free cinnamon oat waffle at Waffle House