200th Post Here to Save you TONS of Money!

WOW! I cannot believe I've posted 200 times on this blog... OK, yes, some I cheated because they were 150 characters long updated from my cell phone, but still, 200 posts is a big deal! Thanks to those of you that have stayed around from the beginning, new readers, and those that stopped reading a long time ago when I decided to take months off at a time! I appreciate you all and LOVE all your comments and support!

I figured I would FINALLY answer some questions that I get asked a lot by readers, friends, and family about how I save money and get so much free stuff. Just so you know this post will be linked to MANY other blogs and websites. Check out the ones that interest you. I'm getting nothing out of this from any of them, but am LOVING the services they offer and want to share that with all of you.

Where do you get all your coupons?
I don't get the Sunday paper. All of my coupons I sign up for from the individual stores or manufacturer, or I download them off the Internet from the following websites:
coupons.com
redplum.com
smartsource.com (these three are all linked through grocery smarts)

These two sites load coupons right to your Kroger affiliate store shopper loyalty card (Smiths for me):
shortcuts.com
cellfire.com

Also be sure to check out:
Box Tops for Education (while your there you can support Beaver Dam Elementary if you don't have a school of your own to support)
Pillsbury
Betty Crocker
All You Magazine is full of coupons but also offer exclusives on their website allyou.com
CVS.com
Snackpicks.com

Where do you find out about deals?
These are all the deal blogs in my google reader feed... You DEFINITELY don't need to read all of these, I've kinda gotten attached to the people behind many of these blogs so I keep reading them all, but picking 1 or 2 is probably MORE than adequate for getting ALL the deals there are to be had out there!
A good place to start is probably The Frugal Map.

This is the COOLEST thing since sliced bread! It's a combination of all the best couponing/deal websites organized by state! BRILLIANT I tell you! So if none of the following are in your area then check out the map and see what's around. Seeing as I live in such an interesting (state wise) location its easier for me to just use nation wide people :).

Shauntell I've met in person, and actually she is who got me started with couponing and grocery smarts. Oh grocery smarts how I love you! Click on "The List" for your area on Sahuntell's site. Then choose your store. Then the list will tell you what items you should stock up on at your local stores this week. It combines store sales and coupons in an easy customizable list form to save you the most money!

Stephanie is from Texas and posts the weekly deals for national chains like Albert sons and Kroger she is also in to filling us in on the latest freebies out there.

Tiffani is from Georgia and is a real inspiration as to what couponing can do for your family.

Tara is an AMAZING blogger and couponer. She lives in Ohio. She and her hosted forums are probably the most comprehensive resource I use. And I haven't had a chance to use her coupon database yet, but I have a feeling it's going to be one of my new FAVORITE things :)

Mercedes does a great job of covering deals across the country. She is one of my favorites and always is so organized!

Sarah is from Idaho ( I think) I know a lot of her deals/posts mention stores in Boise and Caldwell so I made the assumtion. She's about ready to have baby #4 and her husband helps her out, which I love!

Kaley and Wes just moved to Pennsylvania for Wes's new job. These two save SO much money. One day... one day, I'll be that good!

Last, but definitely not least, my new favorite...
Couponing to Disney Kristin is earning money to take her family to Disney World. Every time she saves money she puts what she saved into the Disney fund. (When I get really good at this WE are SO doing that!) Her Welcome Post is worth reading and I should've probably just directed you there instead of typing all of this up.

How do you get so much free stuff?
Besides signing up for EVERY free sample I find out about from all the ladies and gentlemen listed above here are some other things I do.

YouData This is by far my favorite FREE money website. They deposit what you've earned into your paypal account every Friday, even if it's only 7 cents. You won't get rich quick off of YouData, but consistent change from here every week really adds up fast! I figure I can use this money to purchase songs off of iTunes or Amazon and then I don't have to feel guilty buying them :) I've earned $2.00 for checking it once a week and spending 10 minutes at the beginning filling out all the profile surveys. Not too bad for less than 20 minutes of my time!!




Swag Bucks This is a site that rewards you for searching the internet. I've been a member for about two months and have earned enough for $25 worth of Amazon gift cards. My goal is $100 or half a Wii. So at this rate, I'll earn it by September or so. If you decide to sign up and click through my link maybe I'll go for the whole $200 worth because I win swag bucks every time you do!
I search for everything and earn about 30 swagbucks a day by doing so. Just by having the toolbar I get at least 1 swag buck every day. Then I make sure I check out the no obligation offers for 2 or 3 more. They are always putting out free codes on twitter, facebook, and their blog too, so it's easy to get your swag bucks and earn prizes quickly.


WOWZA! That's a LOT to take in! And I have so many more things I could tell you, but I'm sure you'll find many more ways to make or save an extra dollar here or there with all of this information I've given you, and pretty soon you'll be schooling me!

New from Rob Gardner! (So excited!)

I love all things Rob Gardner has created. Joseph Smith the Prophet was my first exposure... It is BRILLIANT! He is Jesus Christ is equally amazing. Saints and Pioneers is beautiful. And this new one Lamb of God, I can tell will probably be my favorite so far!

Best so far?

This has for sure got me more excited than any of the other trailers for the other movies!

Lia Sophia Party!

Before I start my post I just have to tell Dana that the music is at the bottom now and doesn't start on it's own. I kept it there just for you :)

Over Christmas break while home in Indiana my mom received the spring/summer Lia Sophia catalog... Which she, my sister, and I proceeded to look through, drool over(pg 31 M), criticise for lack of photography skills(pg. 11 K or pg. 54 B), and of course laugh a the couple of pieces we found hideous(pg 60 letter D)! However, this being at least the 6th Lia Sophia catalog I've shopped through, it is by far my favorite!

So of course, I have to have a party, besides it's been a while since I've had one!

My mom's coming to town and conveniently the BRAND NEW Lia Sophia catalog will be available to order from on Monday :) Plus she has a ton of the new pieces to see and even better try on!


Therefore, on Thursday February 4, 2010 you are ALL invited to my house at 4:00 for yummy "after school snacks" and to try on FABULOUS brand new jewelry!


Don't live near me and want to join in the fun vicariously? Check out the Spring/Summer 2010 Lia Sophia catalog. And if you want to know about the monthly specials, check out the lia sophia facebook page.

***I promise not to hassle you about buying jewelry or throwing a party... However, don't blame me if you find yourself drooling over/dreaming about jewelry.***


Due to new rules and regulations I should inform you that I am not being paid by anoyone to write this nor am I recieving any products beyond what a usual party hostess would recieve.

Logan is home!

I don't know how we survived the last two years without Logan's comic relief... but we sure were glad he was home for Christmas. Most of you know (since maybe 10 of you actually read my blog) that Logan was serving in the California Riverside LDS mission for the last two years. He got home December 1st. He's adjusted well: back working at his old job, dating the lovely Liz, teaching primary, and just plain goofing around.

I have two separate stories to share that just MUST be documented so I can remember how hard I laughed.

Scene: Christmas day playing Cranium with the 2 sister and 2 elder missionaries with my mom, Tanner, Dana, and I.

The question is "Who did Time magazine name as the most influential person of the 20th Century?" The team begins discussing the answer for said question when we hear Logan yell "Toilet paper! I need some toilet paper." So my mom runs upstairs to get him some. When she comes back down she finds Logan isn't in the bathroom. He's actually in the family room and had been in the kitchen and heard the question. He actually had said "Toilet paper... The guy who invented the toilet paper!" We all laughed so hard. Hilarious! Great comic relief!

Story 2
Scene: A bunch of us in the kitchen eating lunch. Logan just walked in and grabbed a tissue.

Everyone else: carrying on various conversations
Logan to everyone after using a tissue: Aw Dang! What is that awful smell did you spray something?
Mom: What's the problem?
Logan covering his nose with the tissue: Seriously!!! It's following me, its awful! What is that smell!
Mom: It's the tissue.
Logan: Crap! That is AWFUL! What kind of whack tissue is that?

Needless to say, my mom bought herself Vicks tissues to help clear her out. After his experience and us making fun of him for it, he tried to get EVERY other person that walked into our house to try a tissue to see their reaction.

SO glad Logan is home!


PS Stephanie and Lindsay... I need you to change my e-mail for your blogs so I can read them!!!! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!

Christmas

This Christmas we're in Indy. It's been a lot of fun! We've been shopping, seen old friends, kept old traditions alive, and started new traditions. All while managing to not kill each other(yet). I'd call that SUCCESSFUL!

One of the highlights of coming home for Christmas is serving Christmas Eve Dinner at Wheeler Mission. It's a homeless shelter and it's been our way of giving a little back each Christmas for the last 9 or 10 years.

Apparently, a new tradition we've started, is that we don't get out of bed until 8:30 on Christmas morning... (we're usually 6:00 people). Dana informed me I wasn't 10 anymore so I shouldn't be all excited and wake up early. Needless to say, this year we ate breakfast BEFORE opening presents. That has NEVER happened in the 22 Christmas I'd been home before this one. We did carry on the tradition of cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate for breakfast. I figure since I was up HOURS before everyone else I would make them. For some reason the oven burnt the bottoms and didn't fully cook the tops so we had loads of fun fixing them so they were edible! Good times...

One thing that hasn't changed is my mom saying we're "not doing Christmas", or that it's going to be very minimal and, as usual, she goes overboard. There were loads of presents and I somehow had the most to open, which was very fun and very unexpected. I got sweaters, necklaces, shoes, and Dana brought me a scarf and Christmas ornaments from Jerusalem. Luckily, no one seemed too upset that we didn't get them anything.

My family has adopted the local missionaries since Logan's been gone, and is continuing as Skylar will be headed out soon. We had a pair of elders and a pair of sisters over for Christmas dinner. We ate, played Cranium, and gave them stockings full of fun little things including little guns that shoot airplanes and discs. They had a blast running around the house shooting each other. Their final gift was to go through the 100s of ties Logan brought home from his mission and pick one or two. He has all kinds of designer ties... louie vatton, calvin kline, Bordeaux, etc... John is bring home quite a few... And I stole the Louie Vatton one. The elders were so excited! They threw ties in the air and buried Elder Housekeeper underneath them all. Pictures to come of Elder Housekeeper at the bottom of all the ties.

Overall Christmas was great!

Pies, Pies, Pies

Well this Thanksgiving I volunteered to bake/make the pies. Usually this is left up to Kami (my MIL) and she cooks 12-17 pies... I'm not kidding! Plus, the most people there have ever been at Thanksgiving are 12-14 including children. She always has an elaborate display and everything. Oh, and she ALWAYS stressed and exhausted by the time we get to the eating and celebrating part. So this year I said I' would bake the pies, but there will only be 3. So I made apple, pumpkin (which the recipe made two... oops!), and chocolate because my family ALWAYS has chocolate pie at Thanksgiving. They turned out really well. And thanks to my Pillsbury dough boy, the crusts were easy! As you can see, my apple pie kind of exploded everywhere, but I was assured that it happens all the time and still tasted yummy. I've promised Joe (John's dad) I'd figure out how to make him a pineapple pie for next year. Any one have a good recipe? Also, Dana's informed me I'm doing a repeat performance for Christmas, since there weren't any pies served at her Thanksgiving/4th of July celebration in Jerusalem. Overall, a success!

Baby Carter... Whose almost 2 months old already...

Where does the time go? I mean honestly I was just snuggling this 3 day old little guy at his house the other day, and now he's almost two months old! Here are some pictures of my cutest new nephew! And yes, I look happier here than in almost any other recent picture... babies do that for me. Pure JOY! I'm so loving him! We're ecstatic to have him in the family!

My Mentoring a Student Teacher Experience

Well here's the short version:

BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!

And here are the details:

I've had a student teacher since September sometime. She is wonderful. She is a natural born teacher. She is great with the kids. She is excellent at teaching, and she has great classroom management. The kids love her, I love her. I loved having an adult in the room to laugh and chat with. I think that is the part I will miss the most. Teaching is just so much more fun when others experience it with you. The feeling of teamwork was great too. We were both working together for the same goal. It was also nice to have everything done on time most of the time. I'm a last minute person, only because I have so much in my head at once, I have a hard time organizing by importance so usually the stuff for next week is all ready but the stuff for right now isn't. Needless to say... I loved my first student teacher mentor experience!


Her last day was Friday... Today was a very sad day for me and my class. More than once did a student say "I miss her. I wish she was back. She's a good teacher." She's volunteering her time to tutor other kids at the school until break. She made the mistake of walking down the hall at the same time as my kids... She got mauled! But she didn't mind.

The best thing about it is now, I have a great friend, and my kids have one more person they know they can trust and that loves them.

Halloween Treats

For Halloween for my class I tried out a few new treat ideas. I made Candy Corn Bars and Halloween Chex. The kids loved the chex mix and not so much on the candy corn bars... I felt the same way. John really liked the bars, bt they were a lot of work, so I won't be making them again. The chex mix was super easy and has been added to the list of must have Halloween treats from now on.

***This just in****
Apparently the candy corn bars weren't a success because I can't find the recipie anywhere... ah darn, now I can never make them again! lol