Mailbox Goodies

So far this week, I have gotten a few goodies! First came a certificate for a free full size bag of Natura Advantage Dog Food- redeemable at a local pet store, a sample pack of Platex Sport which included 3 samples and a coupon for $1 off my next purchase, and today I got my lightbulb from CoolerPlanet which I only requested a few days ago- so this one was truly a surprise!!!

Trash to Treasure

On a recent thrift store excursion, we picked up a wooden "C" for Miss CW for the whopping price of .50! The only problem with it...it was blue with white clouds...not exactly matching C's room! What to do, what to do? Of course, get out the 'ole can of spray paint! I forgot to take a before picture but here is one of the back while it was getting painted!  

So we let it dry overnight. CW had picked out some scrapbook paper she liked and traced the outline onto the back of the paper.

 

 We were out of Modge Podge so we used Martha Stewart decoupage glue and craft sealer to cover the letter first, then applied the scrapbook paper "c" to the form, and covered it with another layer of decoupage glue and sealer.

  

We let it sit for a couple of hours to dry, then Miss C proudly hung it on the outside of her door! Good work from my "crafter/blogger" in training!!!

 

Coupon Binder

In the past, I have used envelopes to store my coupons, just stuck the loose coupons in my purse, and lately used small coupon wallets to store them. The coupon wallet became too small, so I used two, then eventually three of them.

 

I had them separated into groceries, health and beauty, and household items. But the three of them were too much to carry around in my purse. So after seeing many other bloggers using binders and the I-want-it-so-bad Coupon Clutch, I decided to make my own binder until I can order my own coupon clutch- did I say how much I love it?! So while shopping for school supplies for my little darlings, I picked myself up a $4.95 binder at Tarjay, along with a pack of trading card holders.

 

I emptied all my coupons from their aforementioned  coupon wallet, and set out to organize my new binder! I had a pack of binder divider thingies at home, so I used them to create my sections, After hours of sorting, returning to buy another pack of trading card holders, and more hours or organizing, I finally finished!

  

The binder I am using right now has room to put my sales papers, calculator, pen, etc. to help me stay organized! Oh, and I had some extra large coupons that wouldn't fit into the trading card pockets, so I used a pair of scissors and ripped the seam between two of the pockets to create a larger one! I have used my binder only once since putting it together- at Tarjay- and was honored when a fellow couponer commented on my binder and said she liked mine better than the clipboard she was using! We even exchanged coupon tips for a few minutes. So until I have my own Coupon Clutch (I am leaning toward the brown and blue paisley, by the way!), I am loving my new coupon binder!

Celebrating America's Birthday

We are a military family...my father is a Veteran of the Gulf War, and retired from the Army Reserves several years ago, my brother is currently in The Army Reserves and is a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom (having been there twice), and also Kosovo, and my Knight In Camo Body Armor (AKA Mr. Wright!) is also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. So needless to say, we love the good 'ole USA and are very patriotic. Every 4th of July, we have a celebration at the Skipper Place, with ribs, slaw, rice, and all the fixins! This year we had a fine fireworks display put on by the "grown" men, and plenty of sparklers to go around!! Happy Birthday, America!!!!

We were in charge of bringing a dessert- and planned on bringing a strawberry shortcake- but decided to make it look like a flag and add blueberries to the top too! Little C did most of the decorating herself!

Thought this one was cool- it was taken through the 3D glasses that the fireworks store gave the kids! Looks like a kaleidescope!

 

 

*Insert OOOOOHHHHHHs and AAAAAHHHHHs here!*

 

Here We Go................

So I have been checking out tons of blogs lately, and wanted to join the bandwagon...so here we go! My goal for this blog is to write about the little, sometimes, overlooked moments in our lives that, when looking back, were some of the most important! I have wished so many times, that as the children were growing up, that I had written down the funny, off the cuff comments that they said, and the innocent questions they asked. They are a teen and tween now, but I am sure there are many more comments and questions to come- these might be more serious, however! I also want to document somewhere other than Facebook, some of my thoughts and feelings as they grow up, move on, and we grow closer as a family. And finally, I want to add some pictures and notes to share with family and friends who don't have Facebook (really, are there still people without a Facebook?!). Another reason for wanting to blog is that I am always looking for ways to save money and find bargains! It is almost like I'm addicted to saving money! I have researched tons of blogs and websites looking for ideas. I've learned how to save money, when and where to shop, find coupons, and so much more that I would like to share with others. So..........Here we go!!!!!!!