Coupon Adventure

I just got back from a coupon adventure. I have recently started couponing. I took a class with my amazing sister, Brenda, and learned how to coupon the right way. I have a goal to build my food storage. I am quickly doing that with coupons. Last night I bought Pampers baby wipes at Wal-Mart for 1.97, BUT, I had a $2 off coupon. I got 4 packs of wipes for nothing. In fact Wal-Mart paid me 3 cents to buy them!

Tonight I think I had the most fun. Smith's is doing a promotion right now that any coupon up to $1 is worth $1. 10 cent coupon = $1, 20 cent = $1, you get the picture. So I took my handy dandy coupon binder that I have put together and headed to Smith's. I also had my pinching your pennies list that said what the best deals were and I figured I would see if there was anything else worth my money to get.



I got 6 mens body wash's, 6 girly body washes, 6 hand soaps (for free I might add!) 5 pkgs of gallon ziplock bags, 6 worchestershire sauce, 1 Texas Toast, 6 cookie mixes, 6 containers of wipes, 6 big mustards, 6 honey mustards, and 6 Pam Olive Oil sprays. Before all my coupons I would have paid 166.60! That is outrageous!! I budget about $150 a week for food and household items for our family of 7. So they scanned my fresh values card and took of 55.03...new total 111.57. Then they scanned in my coupons, 27.60 in coupons. They then rounded up all my coupons to make them an even $1 off...30.40 taken off. I had a grand total of $113.03 in coupons and I paid 53.57 for everything. That is about $.89 an item. AND...AND....I have 15 cents off per gallon of gas on my next purchase at the gas station in front of Smith's. Yes ma'am...I have a coupon for GAS!!!

This story gets better. I went to Albertson's next. I didn't used to shop at Alby-land because I figured they were the most expensive store in town. I was a discount shopper and stuck to my favorite W stores: Winco and Wal-mart. Not anymore, I am singing a different tune. Albertsons had a sale on their fruit snacks which I haven't met a kid yet that doesn't absolutely L-O-V-E those. My kids devour them. They had a sale that made them 87 cents a box. That is pretty cheap and I can let my kids eat what they want and not freak out cuz it is so stinking expensive.



In this picture is 20 boxes of fruit snacks, 5 wacky macs, 2 big bags of dibs, 4 Haagendaz ice cream mini tubs, 8 jars of Smuckers ice cream topping, 37 items all together. This all totaled up to $109.41 before my discounts and coupons. $39.36 in preferred savings. $30.50 in coupons. Ending balance: $39.55 or $.94 an item.

This doesn't end there!!! Albertson's gave me catalinas (the coupons that print out with your order) a $2.50 coupon on my next order, $4.00 off my next order, $6 off an order of $60 or more, and $1.50 off 3 bags of Dibs ice cream bites.

If anyone doubts the power of coupons, just come and talk with me. I think this is a ton of fun and can hardly wait until the next great deal!!

Bailey

We got a dog. I finally broke down and did it. I swore to everyone that I didn't want a dog and that we would NOT be getting one. I knew though it was only a matter of time before Keneisha, Ken, Olivia, Brennady,Nataushia, and Asche won the fight. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I found the dog and have claimed her as mine. Yes, MINE. That way I have final say in what happens to the dog.

A girl from work needed to find a home for her dog, and so I figured this was going to be a good fit. Bailey is a cute beagle dog. She isn't too big, but isn't one of those stupid yappy fuzzy football half-a-dog closer to a rat things. Ken and Keneisha had their eyes on a big dog. I dont want a big dog. I didn't want to house train a puppy either or have it chew up my shoes (which are some of my most prized possession hahaha). Bailey doesn't chew on things she shouldn't, doesn't bark, is house trained, doesn't jump up on people, is house trained, does a few tricks, is house trained. Yes, the house trained part was that important. I am glad we have her. She is a welcome addition.

Running

So I have decided that 1. I weigh too much, 2. I am in desparate need of a goal, 3. my older girls have expressed a need to spend more time with their mom, and 4. I need a partner if I am going to work out and be successful. Thankfully, I think I have found a way to accomplish all of those objectives.

I am going to run a 5K by the end of summer. I would like to run it in about 30 minutes making it about a 10 minute mile. Goal number 2...check! You never see fat runners so I think this will help to accomplish goal number 1...check! I am going to work out with my older daughters and team up with my best friend Heather is going to run the 5K with me. Goal number 3 and 4....check...and...check.

I have downloaded on my Blackberry "Bones in Motion" application for free and it tracks my workout with GPS, counts the calories I have burned, and calculates my average speed. Then it stores it on a handy dandy website that lets me track it online and on my phone. Pretty sweet if you ask me. This handy website is able to tell me how fast I do each mile in relation to my average overall speed. It charts my pace, the elevation of my walk, and the miles I went.

Heather has been a heaven sent blessing. I loved walking with her when we both lived in Shelley. She was the one person I could call at 10:30 at night and say "Hey, do ya wanna go for a walk?" and she would not only answer the phone at that crazy hour, but put on her shoes and come walk with me. She moved to Blackfoot and I moved to I.F. and it was really impossible to make that work anymore. So, I asked her to be my partner again and help keep me motivated. I needed accountability and I knew that Heather was the friend for the job. She has been great at emailing or calling and telling me that she has got her workout in. I don't want to let her down and since you can't just run a 5K overnight, it keeps me honest and on track to hit my run every other night.

I also get to work out with my older daughters. Let me tell ya, these are two pretty special girls. They are so much fun to work with. We push each other to make it to the next stop sign, or street lamp, or mailbox. We are not a lot of pressure either tho...if you need to slow down, then say something and we will slow down together. Of course, they run circles around me, but it has been great to get out, be with them without my little ones demanding my attention. I love them and I hope they will know that I really do want to be with them. This is one way I am able to do that right now.

Keneisha's dancing

Keneisha's Jive performance at Civic Auditorium

Keneisha performed at the Civic Auditorium last night. She is the girl 2nd from the left and is the last girl to leave the stage (she pulls her partner from the stage--it is super cute). She is doing so well in dance. I just love to see her all dolled up and curly haired. she is so beautiful. I love how dedicated she is to whatever she decides to do.

So stinkin' frustrating!!

It is so frustrating to be told that you are going to have to wait. ---Did I mention, that patience isn't really a strong virtue for me?? Well, it isn't. SHOCKER!!! I KNOW!!! Asche is still going to have to go to Primary Children's hospital. I don't want to drive all the way to Salt Lake, and get to know my way around there and then have to figure out if we are going to have to go back or if we are going to have to have a procedure done so they can figure out what is wrong with my little boy. It is devastating for me to have to go through this. I hate waiting around for answers from doctors. Why does the medical profession believe they don't have to have customer service? Don't they remember they WANTED people to call them with their problems? They WANTED to be woke up in the middle of the night by a panicked mother who has just now decided that the problem can no longer be ignored? They were the ones who thought that becoming a medical practitioner meant they were serving a greater good--or was it all really because of the fatty paycheck they would get at the end of the night to deposit in their bank account?

I made an appointment for Asche today to take him in for a 2nd opinion from Ken's doctor. I told the receptionist that I needed to get him in and that I was looking for a 2nd opinion. I didn't think about the fact that about 6 months ago Ken had taken him in to see this doc. It came up that he would be a new patient. This woman's tone totally changed. "Let me go and talk with my office manager and SEE IF we can take another NEW patient--click. No can you hold so I can see if we are still accepting new patients, just one moment while I check into something...nothing just the rudeness then silence. Then when this woman came back on the phone she said well, I have a 2:15 available. Ken wasn't going to be off till later, and really I needed him to take in Asche so I don't have to miss work if at all possible. I asked her if she had anything just a little later...No, (she spit out at me) for a NEW patient I have a 2:15. This was in the snottiest tone possible I have ever heard. So, because this is what my husband wanted, I figured that I would just talk to my boss and take in Asche.
The dialogue went a little like this:

Snot: "what is your child's last name?"
Jensen, with and E.
and the first name?
Asche...A-s-c-h-e.
Birthday?
8-11-xxxx
oh, well, I think we might have already seen your son in here before..
That is right, I forgot, I think my husband may have brought him in before. Since he isn't a new patient do you have a later appointment available.

HUUGGGGHHHHHH, well, I suppose we could squeeze you in around 3:45, is that late enuf?

Actually, that would be perfect.
Fine, then I guess we will see you then.
I had a few more questions for this snotty receptionist so I didn't just let her hang up.
I was wondering since I am looking for a second opinion would Dr. need to have me send over what Asche's pediatrician has already done.
Does your son have M e d i c a i d ?? (cuz apparently, according to my sister who has worked at a medical office, you are less of a person if you have Medicaid as your insurance. In the medical world..scum ranks above you here).
No, he doesn't. Same insurance as my husbands, but flopped, my insurance is primary for Asche.
Then NO, he doesn't need anything else from your doctor.

Shouldn't this witch be flattered that I thought to seek the opinion of the doctor she works for as a second before seeing a specialist all the way to Salt Lake City? Doesn't she realize when she is billing both of my insurance companies and then sending me a bill that I am ensuring that in this crappy economy that she is secured a job for another day?

I called Ken fuming. I told him that he had better say something to the Cow at the desk about the way she treated me. Lest she forget, answering the stupid phone is in her job description and courtesy is something that people extend to one another even when you day is crappy. At work, you put on your happy face and fake it for the customers. I decided that I was for sure going with Ken to this appointment. We told the doctor. I don't know if anything will come of it, but I am fed up with being treated like crap. If I did that to my members at my job, I would be out of job.

Thanksgiving Dinner

My Thanksgiving party. Mom was hurrying to sit down.

We extended from the counter all the way out to the middle of the family room.

This is my centerpeice. I can keep it on my table all year since it is in the colors of my kitchen/dining room/living room.

The pre-party look. I was sooo happy with this table. It looked sooo good. I love it.

This year I am thankful for my family, my kids that teach me more and more each day about how to be a better person. I am thankful for my husband who puts up with me even tho I know I am difficult to live with some days (I know, hard to imagine haha). I am thankful that I have a beautiful home that gives us all the space we need without us being so spread out we forget that we need to come together on the important stuff. I am thankful for my job. It is crazy sometimes and sometimes I feel burnt out, but really, most days I don't mind going to work. I like the people I work with and hope that they know I do appreciate their efforts. I am thankful for the church and for Jesus. Without Him none of this matters and without Him none of us will return to live with our Heavenly Father.