3 weeks, $500 saved, pantry and freezer are full

I am still enjoying grocery smarts so much that after 3 weeks of shopping using the system I love to look in my pantry because it is fuller than ever and so is my freezer. (my laundry room is also stocked!) Our grocery budget was fairly low before I tried grocery smarts. (We spend between $350-$450 a month) I'd shop sales, could recognize good deals and refused to pay normal retail especially if the price was ridiculously high. This month I am going to have spent our normal budget but the difference in how full my pantry and freezer are is amazing. I know it is kind of silly but I wish I had a "before" picture. These are my after pictures and they really still don't do it justice. Justin is teasing me that my saving money is going to make us have to buy a freezer for the garage. (Eventually maybe if I can find a good deal on that too!) : ) Becky Bunting is going to be teaching a class about using Grocery Smarts February 4 in the evening. It is free and once you know what is going on it really is very simple and non-time consuming (unless you get obsessed like me and browse every add and look for every new coupon you can.)

Alexis and Star Wars

This year in preschool has been very different for Alexis because she actually has boys in her class. Last year, not because I was trying to make it this way it just happened, I had no boys and this year her class has a nice split of 3 girls and 3 boys. Immediately free time was different and Alexis was introduced into the world of Star Wars. Almost every preschool day Alexis joins in the adventures of Star Wars Pirates (their own creation because some of the kids liked pirates too) played outside and she LOVES the original movies. Some of her new friends, like Hunter, also love star wars and talk about the new movie Clone Wars all the time. Alexis has been begging to see it, she calls it "Star Wars, Ker Plum Wars" : ) so last night I used our free redbox code to rent it for her. She was so excited this morning and asked if she could invite Hunter over to watch it with her. They had a great time eating lunch, pop-corn and acting out the movie with their light sabers. (Ariana could seriously care less about all this and feel asleep during the movie!) Alexis, Hunter and Max were also thrilled when I found a bag of Justin's old star wars action figures for them to play with (they are the little things all over the floor) I'm sure Mom's out there with boys are used to this seen of little figures everywhere but it is a new one for me normally its dress up and dolls but not today. Happy "Ker Plum Wars" Alexis I'm glad you're having a great day!

Playing Catch Up

I have had a lot of things to catch up on so in a new record for me tonight instead of going to bed I have stayed up and created 8 new posts, not counting this one. I still have a couple more things to post like my brother's wedding and open house but I think I need a break. I'll let you know when I post those. Just keep scrolling down, the last new post is titled 'Dance Recital' and is archived in December 2008 right after 'Snow, Snow, Snow and more Snow'. I hope you enjoy seeing what we have been up to!

Grocery Smarts

Becky Bunting posted on her blog a while back how she had saved a ton of money using this free system called Grocery Smarts. I was impressed but it took me a few weeks before I decided to look into it better. I finally did a couple weeks before Christmas. Grocery Smarts is essentially being a smart shopper by looking for the weekly deals and using LOTS of coupons. It encourages you to subscribe for several Sunday papers and using the coupons found in them plus online and mail coupons getting the biggest bang for you buck. It seems that when done well any grocery store trip comes out to less than a dollar per item (that's not what the site says but that seems to be what most people walk away doing). I don't like saving coupons but I DO like saving money ; ) What was really funny was that while I was reading about this program a news paper sales man came to the door just selling Sunday papers. He really was at the right place at the right time. (yes I bought one Sunday newspaper subscription) I did my first Grocery Smart shopping trip tonight and I feel pretty good about how I did on my first try. Becky tipped my off that Albertson's is having a great deal right now where if you buy $30 of certain items you get 3 $5 cash coupons back at check out. Now the best way to use this deal is to split your purchase up so that you can use your cash coupons immidiately. I had my girls with me and the lines were really long so I chickened out and just bought all my stuff in one purchase but I still did really well. Everything I bought had a prefered card savings and a coupon. In the end I bought 75 items that without any savings would have cost me $217 (which is why I never shop at Albertson's if its not on sale!) After prefered card savings, my coupons and tax I payed $106 and walked away with free stake, 20 cents off every gallon of Albertson's gas and $40 of cash coupons that I can use just like cash next time I shop there. If I had split my purchases up I would have walked away tonight paying just over $60 which is about 80 cents per item as it stands I spent $1.40 on each item but have $40 dollars to spend how I need through the rest of the month. Not bad!

Princess ginger bread house

I bought a princess castle ginger bread house kit from Smith's on sale Christmas Eve. I meant to make it with the girls Christmas day and then when that didn't happen, with my nieces and girls while we where in Utah, but that didn't happen either. Finally Justin opened up the box tonight and we made our pretty pink princess house. The girls had a lot of fun. I'm left wondering though how do people actually make them look pretty!?! Seriously we ended up spreading the frosting with our fingers because it was too hard with a knife. Hum maybe because it was the first time for all 4 of us? Good times and lots of pink frosting. Thanks Justin for taking the initiative and getting this project started, it was fun : )

Utah

On Saturday December 27 we drove up to Utah and stayed until Sunday January 4. Thank you Phillippi's and Grandma Gayle for letting us stay with you guys. We had a great time in Utah it was just REALLY cold. We did take the girls sleeding a couple times but I was too busy trying to not crash a sled or snowboard and stay warm that I forgot to take pictures. Alexis and Ariana still think snow is the greatest treat to eat.

Austin and Ariana actually played really well together this trip. See they are even sharing barbies and cars!

I love my nephew Derek he is so good with Alexis and look what a great brother he is reading a book to his little bros too.

12am January 1 ,2009 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! (I caught them while they watched my soon to be brother-in-law light fire works)

Alexis is the little head poking out of the brown blanket. She is all snuggled up with Noelle watching the fireworks one of which exploded and shot right at them and hit a neighbors house. (SCARY!)

I love my tounge! (yes it is very late)

Ariana actually is smiling its just hard to tell. I'm not sure what she and Rachel were playing.

Ariana and Austin playing basket ball. One has skill the other not so much. Here's a clue: Austin's ball is the silver one going through the hoop and Ariana's is the orange ball directly over her head!

After not being able to make shots by her self and throwing a tantrum I put Ariana down for a nap. When I went to check on her a couple hours latter I found Bella, my niece Taylor's new cat all snuggled up with her. Every time we were at the house were Bella was Ariana was constantly looking for her. I went on several "help me find the kitty, Mommy" hunts. Ariana was very nice to her but tended to jump up and down screaming with joy everytime we found her. (Bella didn't like that so much)

Friday January 2 Justin's Dad, Alan, held an un-birthday for everyone. He lives in Texas and doesn't get to be around for the actual brithdays. So this year he hosted a very fun un-birthday party for all the grandkids. It started with a yummy buttermilk pancake breakfast, followed by a trip to the movies. Next it was onto Chuck-E-Cheese and after dinner there was cake, ice cream and presents. The girls love their new books. Thanks Alan for a fun un-birthday!

My nephew Derek was baptised on Saturday, January 3. Latter that night all of Justin's sister, Justin, Alan, Cathrine and I went out to dinner at Tucano's. There was quite a long waite for our party of eight so the restuarnt ofered to call one of our cell phones when the table was ready so we could go brose through some shops while we waited. We stoped in this very strange and very EXPENSIVE store. This strange little clown doll Justin is holding was in a little girls nurshery display. What every parent dreams of having in their cute little nurshery right?

Our last night in Utah we played games together. Some were normal like Wii tennis and some weren't so normal like who can run up the stairs the fastest. Ariana LOVES to run around in nothing but underwear and I was kind of surprised that I managed to keep clothes on her for the entire trip until this night. This is her taking her turn running up the stairs.

Christmas

Christmas was wonderful. The girls slept in so that means Justin and I did too. We enjoy spreading out things on Christmas so first we went downstairs and opened up stockings and Santa presents.

Alexis was thrilled with the fruit snacks and Justin was very happy that he go the hair brush he asked Santa for. I am not joking that he asked for that, it was needed though because our old one was pretty trashed. Still its kind of funny that he asked for a new brush

Alexis' Wish: A Barbie Diamond Castle Doll

So of course he got her one (and Ariana to try and prevent barbie wars)

Ariana's Wish: Ariana has lately been very into monsters. During November when we'd asked her what she was thankful for she told us that she was thankful for a big scary monster with sticks. At first he lived in her closet and then she decided that he lived outside. Later the monster wasn't scary anymore he was nice. So it wasn't too surprising when she 'wrote' her letter to Santa that all she asked for was a Big Monster. She came up with this monster thing all on her own. It wasn't until we realised that she liked monsters that we thought to show her the movie monsters inc. Of course she loves it and good thing to because Sulley is the perfect Big Monster with sticks (his horns) and how else would Santa find her a Big Monster with sticks? Christmas morning Ariana enjoyed opening her stocking but soon began asking where her big monster was. (next time Santa don't wrap it!)

Soon she found the package

She can't get him out fast enough...

Now isn't that the happiest little girl ever!?!

She LOVES her Big Monster

He even got to wear Ariana's special sun glasses

After Santa Presents we had what Alexis calls a "big breakfast". It was, but typically a big breakfast is when Mommy makes more than one thing (you know eggs AND bacon) We had eggs, bacon, hash browns, cinnamon rolls and orange juice.

We thought we were going to do Christmas upstairs where the floors are carpted but when I picked out my massive tree that couldn't fit upstairs we got creative and layed out a giant blanket for us to sit on instead of the tile.

The girls helping Daddy open his present from them.

I don't know why but Alexis insisted that for Christmas she had to get Daddy a speed racer car.

Alexis opening her present from Ariana

One of the things I love is that neither one of my girls just want to race through opening all the presents. (at least not yet) They take their time and actually play with each one before moving on.

The rest of the day was fairly quite. We went on a quick bike ride. We rode because Santa brought Mommy and Daddy new bikes and it was quick because it was really windy and cold. Tonight we had a yummy dinner and went out to look at Christmas lights one more time. Merry Christmas!!