Long time no see... 1:20 PM

So I went back to work last year and with work full time, 5 kids and everything else going on in our lives I am just now getting back to blogging. While I was away from here I do have to admit I spent a lot of my spare time exploring other blogs. I have a few favorites that I will be grabbing buttons for later today. I was exploring blogs about frugal living, saving money and coupons. A few blogs about coupon shopping and that was it! Now I can't get enough of 'em.

Now that I'm back I will be posting as much as I can about my shopping trips, awesome store deals, and everything I can to help you save some cash. Some blogging moms blog about ways to save cash plus stress and frustration at the store but not me. All I can try to help you save is cash. As soon as I can walk into a Walmart and not immediately have the urge to run people over with my cart I will let you know.



So, i just got back from Smith's Food and Drug. When I walked out of the store my grocery bag was filled with @ $22 worth of products and guess what I spent...
LESS THAN $8.00!

Todays shopping trip was good but I have had better days within the past few months.
That's a whole other post that I will get to eventually.


In my opinion, Smith's always has the best sales. There weekly ads come out on Wednesday of every week and this week's ad included a deal on Huggies Little Movers on sale. This is how today's trip started:


Huggies Little Movers
On sale $8.99
PQ= $3.00 OFF
Total Spent= $5.99

2 Boxes Huggies Wipes 64ct
On sale $2.49 /ea
2-PQ= $2.00 OFF
Total spent on 2 boxes= .98 cents


Febreeze Air Effects
On clearance $1.49
MQ= .50 cents OFF
Total spent= .99 cents

Pantene Conitioner
On clearance $1.49
MQ= $2.00 OFF
Total spent= FREE


2 Johnson's Buddies Soap
Reg. Price .99 cents/ea
2 MQ= $1.00 OFF
Total spent on 2 boxes=FREE

Bleach, Coffee, Vitamin C and the FLU. 10:15 PM

All four of those thing were in my home this past week. When I walk through my front door I can still smell a hint of vicks, child vomit, Lysol and bleach. Sleep? I think blinking is as close as I have been to sleep in days.
I would like to offer advice to anybody who is planning on having more than 1 child or any parent who has more than 1 child but hasn't been through cold and flu season yet. If one child gets sick, they will probably ALL get sick. Be prepared! If you have kids and think I am wrong because your kids never get each other sick....CALL ME PLEASE and tell me how to work that magic.
First it was our oldest 3 kids who go to school. Then it was the 5 year old at home. This makes sense of course that it happened in this order because he wants to do everything they do, see everything they see, touch everything they touch and with his big heart and his trusty sidekick "cuddles" the teddy bear, he tries to nurse them back to health when they are sick. BAM! 4 out of 5 kids sick... until tonight. The last one to get sick is our newborn baby girl who is in my arms with a fever.
Some things you should always have stock piled if there is a cold or flu bug going around and you have children are:
Disinfecting Wipes-for door knobs, light switches, buttons, etc.
Disinfecting Solution-for when you run out of wipes
Vitamin C-and lots of it for you and them in any form (Emergen-C drink mixes work well)
A small trash can or bucket-because sometimes tossing your cookies in a small trash can is better than tossing your cookies in the room, down the hall, and in the bathroom while trying to make it to the toilet
Coffee
-trust me on this one!

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE 2:21 PM

Almost everyone you know has probably made a profile on a social networking site. You can keep in touch with friends and relatives, see what everyone is up to, post photos and create albums, etc. I found a great site called swapmamas.com. It's a social network site with tons of the same great features as all the other social networks.. This site has something that sets it apart from all others. It's what they are about. "Smarter, Greener, and Kicking the Economy to the Curb". That's the first thing you see on the top of the page in big bold letters. I joined a local swap group on my first visit to the website. I know I am not the only person with a box or bag of clothes that didn't make it out to the yard sale, or were set aside waiting to finally be donated to the salvation army or goodwill or a box of clothes still sitting in the garage or closet you just can't part with because your child only wore them twice and you spent good money on them. Well, why throw it out or donate it to be resold when you can swap it for nice things that you need. Like... if you need a jacket for your kid because walmart hasn't started selling them yet and it snowed last week (you'll understand if you live in Montana).
You recycle the clothes, toys, etc through this online community, helping reduce waste, helping out other people, making friends and saving yourself money! I am still new to it but I have already fallen in love with the idea and now visit the site a few times a day.

If you are interested you should check out their blog @ swapmamas.blogspot.com