Images from the Sunroom

foot stool

antique table

painting from steviewren

The sunroom is one of my favorite places in our home. I love the colors and the simplicity. I hope you enjoyed this small home tour.

Garden Update

squash, zucchini, and cumber

Our summer vegetable garden is around six weeks old and it is growing wonderfully!

squash blooms are beautiful, but you can only see them in the early morning before the sun's rays hit them

I have plucked this basil back a least four times

a lovely lavendar bloom from our bush beans

our okra are growing very tall and they now have several pods on them

very, very tall tomatoes

I can't wait to eat it!

yummy pole beans

I hope to have some picture of actual veggies on my next update.

My First CVS Trip!

For the last two months I have been interested in trying to play the "drugstore grocery game," especially after we found out we were pregnant and would be needing lots of diapers. Well today I played the first hand in my new pastime. And I went straight to the "jack-pot."

Transaction #1
1 Pampers Cruisers @ 7.99
1 Pampers wipes @ 2.99
1 Listerine Smart Rinse @ 3.49
1 Listerine Smart Rinse @ 3.49
-------------------------------
-3$/15 CVS coupon
-2$/2 Pampers
-1$/1 Listerine
-1$/1 Listerine
Total: $12.46/ECB (Extra Care Bucks) earned: $6.98 (Listerine 3.49x2)

Transaction #2
2 Pampers Cruisers @ 7.99
-------------------------------
-3$/15 CVS coupon
-2$/2 Pampers
-$6.98 ECB (from above transaction)
Total: $4.60/ECB earned: $5.00 (buy $20 Pampers)

Transaction #3
2 Pampers Cruisers @ 7.99
-------------------------------
-3$/15 CVS coupon
-2$/2 Pampers
-$5.00 ECB (from above transaction)
Total: $6.78

Total spent OOP (out of pocket): $ 23.84

I would have to say that I did pretty good for my first trip, especially since all of the diapers (175) alone would have cost over $50 dollars at Target or Wal-mart!

If you are considering the "drugstore grocery game," here are some helpful links:

- CVS 101
- CVS coupons
- CVS deals this week

Is There Such A Thing As To Much Baby Knowledge?

Books we have purchased so far, mainly for the excitement of it all!

I'm thinking the answer is yes. Or at least that is what everyone is telling me. Many people say not to read to much. Others say read as much as you can so you will be "adequately prepared." My decision: read as much as I want when I want. I mean it's all fun to read and think about. Who doesn't want to know what is going on in their womb.

A sweet gift from Taylor.

We arrived home from church today and I found this book/journal laying on my bed with a white bow on top. My sweet husband/father-to-be purchased it for me. Honestly I hadn't really thought about keeping a journal (mainly because I am to cheap to buy one), but I am thrilled and blessed to have a husband who is so thoughtful. Thank you, Taylor, you are a wonderful husband and you will be a wonderful father!

This is today's journal entry!

This book/journal is great because it tells you what is going on each day with your baby and you can journal your own thoughts in it.

If anyone has any suggestions for books or other insightful information about pregnancy and babies, please let me know.

Celebrating My Second Month of Coupons

All of these items were bought with coupons.

Each item cost $.00 cents (plus tax)!

Here is the breakdown: (+ means what I was credited; if I don't have a link to the coupon it means the coupon came from the Sunday paper or online and is now expired)

4 boxes of Live Active Cereal (48 oz) @ +.02 cents per box
25 bars Johnson and Johnson Buddies soap @+.06 cents per soap
6 packages of Huggies Baby Wipes (96) @ +.01 cent per package
5 boxes of Zantac (40 pills) @ +1.02 dollars per box
2 boxes of Scotch Brite toilet scrubbers @ .00 cents
12 boxes of Kotex pads (216) @ .00 cents per box
6 Clean and Clear Facial Scrubs @ +1.01 dollars per tube
2 Clinic Happy Perfumes @ .00 cents per bottles
1 Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (12 oz) @ .00 cents per box
2 boxes of Hello Kitty Band-Aids (20) @ +.01 cent per box
4 All Small & Mighty detergent (8 loads) @ +.01 cent per bottle
1 Herbal Essence Shampoo (trial size) @ +.01 cent per bottle
1 Herbal Essence Conditioner (trial size) @ +.01 cent per bottle
1 Frizz-ease Mousse (trial size) @ +.01 cent per bottle
1 Adidas Deodorant (2.8 oz) @ .00 cents per bottle
1 Joint Juice (16.9 oz) @ +.82 cents per bottle
25 boxes of Royal Jello @ .00 cents per box
3 tubes of KY @ +.40 cents per tube
30 Archer Farms Ground Coffee (52.5 oz) @ +.01 per bag
Total:$ +++15.57
Estimated cost for these items: $ 168.64

Because I actually made 15.57 dollars, I decided to include a picture of everything I was able to buy with the overage money.

All of these items were bought with coupons.

Each item cost .99 cents or less (plus tax)!

Here is the breakdown: ( - means what I spent; if I don't have a link to the coupon it means the coupon came from the Sunday paper or online and is now expired)

3 Ocelo sponges (26) @ -.14 cents per package
6 Flamless candles @ -.99 cents per candle
5 bags of Lays Cracker Crisps @ -.50 cents per bag
4 Degree Deodorant @ -.50 cents per bottle
4 Bushes Grillin Beans @ -.25 cents per can
2 Childrens tooth brushes @ -.38 cents a brush
2 Smucker's Magic Shell @ -.25 cents a bottle
1 box of Couscoss @ -.25 cents a box
Total: $---13.37
Estimated cost for these items: $ 88.57

So you do the math 15.57-13.37=
Total $+++2.2o
Estimated cost for all items in both pictures: $ 257.21

YES, coupons really work ! (Check out my first month of savings here)

If you are now considering using coupons, check out some of these wonderful "Money Savings Blogs" for links to great coupons and tons of free samples!

Money Savings Blogs

• The Thrifty Soaper
• A Garden of Blessings
• More Than Enough
• Budget Helpers
• The Grocery Cart Challenge
  

I'm Back!!!

Sorry I have been absent from the blogging world for 13 days. It has been a busy two weeks.

The first week I was trying to finish the school year at work and pack for a fun holiday beach trip.

This past week I have been overwhelmed and excited with some BIG NEWS...

I'm Pregnant!

We found out this past Sunday while on our beach trip. Needless to say, I forgot to take any pictures of the beach. I am 4 weeks! I think this will make my due date around the 6th of February, but we will see what the doctor says.

I hope now that I am off work for summer break, I will be able to keep up with my blogging more consistently. However, there my be a few more posts about babies and children now that they are in our near future!

If you have any tips or advice for a first time pregnant woman, please leave me a comment!

This Week's Shopping!!!

This is my shopping for the week of May 11-17 th! My goal is to only spend $50 dollars a week. I spent a grand total of $58.23 on all of these items, slightly over budget, but I am simply thrilled at what I was able to buy and stock up on.

Each of these items cost between $2 and 3 per item!

Each of these items cost between .50-.99 cents!!

Each of these items was absolutely totally FREE!!!

Total spent: $ 58.23
Total saved with the help of coupons: $103.15

(Maybe this does not look like a lot of complete meals but because I have been stocking up on food and toiletry items for about four months, I really didn't need any other food items)

I love coupons!