It's May! Couponing, Blog Challenges, Girls Night, Birthday Parties, Easter, Pictures, erin condren & a brand new quote for May....

Hello Everyone! Here we are at May! Already!!!! I keep feeling that this year keeps going by faster and faster. Last month I did a 30 day blog challenge & this month I will also be participating in a blog challenge :)

That will actually start today after this entry! :)

I have had an okay April, but to be honest I am super excited about May!

I started off my April right with a little couponing! We're getting ready for our trip to Gatlinburg in a few weeks, so the Kool-aid, BBQ sauce & TP will come in handy. I don't have the breakdown of this transaction; however it was originally $76 and I paid $23 :) (The bleach and laundry detergent in this photo was FREE)

I also got to celebrate my friend Christina's move back to South Carolina! (She is the lovely lady who does our family photos), She took me to Delaney's (I have never been), an Irish restaurant and bar.
Lets just say we had a ton of FUN :) (And I was in trouble when i got home with the hubs for spending a tad too much on alcohol)

We also were invited to Pey's 3rd Birthday party! :) Little man had fun playing with all the kids, eating popcorn & eating a cupcake (which she had a cupcake buffet where you could put your own toppings on them. There was gummy worms, nerds, and a few other fun things.)

We watched Pey open her gifts (we got her a lipgloss set & a dress up set with a bag)

Can't wait to see them at little mans construction themed party in September!

And of course we celebrated Easter with a Bang!!!! :) We visited with Nicole and William who came for Easter dinner, and the Easter bunny treated both boys VERY well!  Little man scored candy, a chocolate bunny, chocolate, socks, clothes, new sandals, 2 new backpacks, a growthchart, a puzzle and the lorax dvd. (that was just our half of the house) The other half of the house the Easter bunny left him a puzzle, candy, chocolate, clothes & he even left Chris and I a little something :)









Christina also did headshots for my etsy business & I am so happy with those! She did my hair and makeup and she even let me borrow some clothes (I hardly have dress up clothes, and the only make up I really own is eyeliner and mascara,)

My very favorite shot

We did these photos in the front year

She made me look so professional, yet still fun. Pin-up came to mind when I first saw myself in the mirror ;)

You can check out all of her great photos on FACEBOOK and on her website CALCORNPHOTOGRAPHY.COM just click those links, and it will bring you straight there! :)

And because I love erin condren & all of her wonderful stationary products, here is my newest beauty. My notebook specifically for my blog (so I can track when I am doing entries, reviews, or challenges)

Here she is! I found the birdies in the sorority section, but asked that the sorority letters be removed from the back side of the notebook. I got Melissa on the top line & A Day In The Life Of A Mommy on the bottom. I added a calendar which added $5 to my cost.

This notebook is $35 and with the extra calendar it cost $40. I paid $9.95 shipping, so the total for this notebook is: $49.95 which can seem pricey for a notebook, however; I used referral credits to make it FREE! That's right... FREE! If you would like to check out her amazing products & save $10 off your first purchase, you can use my referral link. She has such a high quality product and the customer service has really stepped up & became fantastic.

And because we have said goodbye to April & hello to May here is a brand new quote to enjoy!

Back In The Game---- Couponing....

Hello Everyone!
It has been awhile since I have done a couponing entry & I haven't really "couponed" a lot for the past few months, but I'm finally getting back started again & one of my big trips was Food Lion. The Other Was Kroger.


FOOD LION

This is one of the greatest deals I have seen on powerade in a VERY long time.
I did not get these items free, but I did get them at an impressive discount!
Here are 45 powerades for $10
Here's the breakdown:
ON SALE for .89c
Food Lion had a deal going on Buy 15 participating products get $10 off. We did multiple transactions throughout the week.    

.89c X 15= $13.35-$10= $3.35
.89c X 45= 40.05- $30= $10.05 (.22c each)   

 

 Here is another deal I did at Food Lion a few days ago with the same promotion they had going on.

Here are 15 boxes of cakemix for  $4.85

Here's the breakdown:

ON SALE for .99c

Food Lion had a deal going on Buy 15 participating products get $10 off. This was of course 1 transaction.

.99c X 15= $14.85- $10= $4.85 (.32c each)

KROGER

I don't have a photo but I did save 54% this past week on groceries that included:

4 Alfredo sauces

6 bags of M & Ms

4 Hershey Bars

1 Bathroom Cleaner

1 Colgate Toothpaste

4 toothbrushes

1 Kroger Laundry Soap

3 yogurts

5 frozen meals

1 bag of frozen snacks

1 cinnamon rolls

7 loafs of bread

1 monster energy drink

2 bottles of tums

1 box of tampons

2 bags of frozen vegetables

1 box of cereal

1 bottle of syrup

2 bottles of toilet cleaner

I don't have my receipt to tell you what each thing cost original and on sale and what coupons I used, however; I did have a coupon for FREE toothpaste, FREE laundry soap, FREE cereal, and FREE bread :)

My total cost was: $127.00 w/tax

My total cost AFTER coupons and Sales was: $58.88

TOTAL SAVED: $69  or 54% :)

and if you look at it by how many items and the cost of each one= 48 items = $1.44 each item

A lady behind us decided to watch and even though the total didn't come down to $0.00 "like she saw on the tv" I was still happy to hear her say "Please do my grocery shopping!" :)

More couponing entries soon :)

-Mel

30 Days of Thankfulness- Day 3: Thankful for Couponing....

Day 3

I am Thankful for Couponing!

It has saved us a total of $1600 in 4 short months, and in these hard times it has ensured we have enough food & toiletries for our family. It has also given us enough where we can donate to those in need that cannot otherwise afford it.

 

See you guys tomorrow! :)

 

-Mel

Friendship Friday-Hobbies: August: PT: Pinterest: KISS: And a new Back to School inspired quote for the month....

Hello Everyone! Today I'm linking up with Create With Joy for Friendship Friday.

• What hobbies do you enjoy participating in during your spare time?

During my spare time I enjoy scrapbooking/ card making the most. I also enjoy couponing and gaming! 

• What hobbies have you always wanted to learn?

Some people have very expensive hobbies. I would love to be able to sail one day and learn how :)

• Have you ever tried a hobby that just wasn’t your cup of tea?

I've tried tons of hobbies that just weren't my thing. Jewelry making and crocheting are a couple of those things.

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  Hey Everyone! It has been a couple weeks since I have written! Sorry :/
I have been a little busy with things. So I have a lot to share I suppose! :) First off... HAPPY AUGUST!
It's hard to believe that it's already back to school season for most here in SC. In just a few days they will be starting. And in just a few years Christopher will be toting a backpack and meeting teachers and students just his age :)

I have been going to Physical Therapy 3 times a week, and Tuesday will be my last day! :( I go and see my doctor on Friday, but he has already told me that he will be discharging me because he no longer can help me past this point. My physical therapists have already written a letter to both saying I am not 100% and that therapy is no longer helping me, that I am at a stand still and my pain level has gone from a 10 to an 8. It's hard because we're not sure exactly what I will be doing yet. I also put in an application there because one of the techs will be leaving to go back to school.

Christopher finished up KIDS CLUB last Thursday :( He enjoyed it so much, learned a lot, and made some friends. His last day was a water day!!!!

I'm not sure if I mentioned this yet or not, but our car broke down. So we're looking into getting a new car. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll find out whether or not I got it :) Lets keep our fingers crossed shall we??? :)

Chris has been working 4 days a week, and I'm still trying to find myself a job. If I had a job I would not be in the position I am in right now. :(

And as you all know I have been couponing, but I have been on pinterest looking for ways to make my coupon binder nice and pretty :) (I'm crafty... it's what I do)

I also have been making my own envelopes!!!!!! Yes you heard that correctly... Making my own envelopes! I can't believe I never thought about it until now!!!! :)
How to make your own envelopes
The link above guides you to my Pinterest page, Click on the picture and it will take you to a blog entry that explains how to make your own! :)

Tuesday a dream came true for me!!! :)

My all time favorite band!

My all time favorite band was in SC Tuesday night and my best friend Debbie and her fiancee Chris took me! They won tickets, so I didn't buy those, but I did splurge and buy a T-Shirt because HELLO--- they're my favorite! :) Next time I will bring Chris with me! :)

Well this is all I have to say I guess! Below is a new quote for this month! :)

-Mel

Perfect for Back To School Season! :)

How to save money with coupons, My July 4th, and a Disney Inspired Quote for this month....

I have officially been couponing for a MONTH! Every weekend on Saturday I have gone to a few stores and couponed and shopped sales. Not all of my trips were successful but that did not get me down. I learned from mistakes. I had GREAT moments too! I saved 34% of my shopping bill which = $181 that DID NOT COME OUT OF MY POCKET FOR GROCERIES! YAY! Any savings is AMAZING and you don't have to be an Extreme Couponer from TLC that disregards coupon policies or PAYS for services to get 200 coupons for mustard....

I am so happy to be a Krazy Coupon Lady in training!!! It is a lot of fun, and because I'm still a stay at home mom, I am able to spend a few hours getting my coupons clipped and ready, and looking at the store ads to make sure I'm getting a good deal. I ALWAYS use my coupons on items that are already ON SALE!  Unfortunately I don't really live close enough to places that double coupons every week, but then again I haven't tried yet. I have tried my hand a couponing at Food Lion, The Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Target, and Walmart.

Yesterday I did a little shopping, and was able to score a 43% savings at both Dollar General and Food Lion! I spent $17.83 and saved $13.35! I haven't tried shopping at drug stores yet. Maybe in a year after getting experience. Just seems a little difficult for me to understand fully, and I'm not big on doing 5-10 different transactions, especially if it is busy. I hate holding people up in line, and I feel like when I do I have to apologize...

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My 4th of July was alright! we couldn't afford fireworks this year, so we just hung out with family, eating tons of food, and drinking a little when the "sun" went down... (Actually it rained a little that day) :(

Our weather is NUTS here in SC!!!! Right now it is GORGEOUS out, but I think by 5pm it is supposed to storm again.... :/

Nicole, Bryan, and William came down to visit so we got to visit with them...

and now little man is a little sick :( He had a fever yesterday, most of the night, and now this afternoon he is doing a little better.

Well this is all for today!!! :)
Hope you guys have a great week!!!!



-Mel
(BY THE WAY I FIGURED I WOULD PUT A DIFFERENT QUOTE FOR THIS MONTH!!!)