What craziness in next?

Everything, and nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:25:00 +0000

I will forewarn you, this post will probably have no sense of organization or purpose as I'm not sure what to write! So I am sorry in advance!
Life as usual has been crazy, and for the most part I absolutely love it! Being in Nashville has done so much for my emotional stability, which affects everything that revolves around me! Brads job is going well, kids are doing great, Tyler has had a birthday, he is now two! I can not believe that my baby is two! Abby is registered for kindergarten and very excited about it! We joined our church which was a great thing for us! We have become pretty active and feel good about where we are with our community. My premier business is going okay, I am loving it and very excited about what is going to come my way with it. I am still having trouble getting started and knew this would be the case, as I don't know many people in this area. I know that it will be a slow process, but thats okay I'm willing to keep going strong and work hard to get to where I want to be!

Tyman had a procedure done on his stomach last week and we have received the results, everything is normal. This is great news, but now we are pretty much out of things to try to figure out why he is constipated! So a blessing and disappointment at the same time.

Have you all seen the news lately? (Here is where there is no organization to this!) I'm not sure how I feel about the world right now. On one hand I am extremely proud to be an American, but on the other side, I feel like oh crap what is going to come out of this. What I am talking about it is the killing of public enemy #1, Osama Bin Laden. Although I understand everything that is being said, I keep thinking about what is going to happen now. I think the US did several things correctly, I think he was given a proper burial with the respect to his culture and religion, taken care of. I think from what it sounds like that nothing was really rushed. The government and President took everything into consideration and asked a lot of questions. Although this is a good thing for us, I'm worried about security going up for several days, weeks, and nothing happening, and then after everyone gets back to normal something horrid happening. Lets just say my anxiety level right now is very high! I know that there will be things happening all over the world, possibly in my own back yard! I know that I can not control anything, and that I should always no matter what, live life as today could be my last! I'm just scared. I keep thinking of my kids and what they are going to have to go through! What is their life going to be like?

I guess this is my fault as well, but our society is so hooked on what I call instant gratification. We can get anywhere in a matter of time. We run out of milk, no biggie, jump in the car and drive to the store, or call the hubs and have him pick it up on the way home from work. We rely on our cell phones/computers/electricity/ for everything. I honestly don't know that I could have a garden and make it thrive enough to feed my family. I know I could start a fire, change the way we living moderately, but I don't know that I could make it without the convenience of electricity for long periods of time. I think that we as people are truly good people and would help each other get things done both physically and psychologically. But the thought of not knowing is very scary to me! The thought of retaliation scares me!

I think I am done, I feel like I have just run around in circles the last few minutes! I'm sorry. Thanks for listening!

Not sure what to call this one

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:42:00 +0000

Just like everyone else in the world these days, our lives become increasingly busier every day! Believe it or not I like it that way for the most part. I really enjoy being out and about,being with people that I love and just having fun. I love when my kids have play dates for several reasons. It gives my kids something to do, as well as learn from. I like the fact that we all do things differently and my kids get to learn other ways of doing the same things, possibly some way that is better for them, as I do things for my own ease. I enjoy having the adult time and meeting and getting to know new people. I LOVE LOVE LOVE relating to other families that are in the same place in life as we are. I personally feel better about myself when I get out, I am not as anxious, angry or depressed as I can get for long periods of being stuck in side, (the foot surgery killed me, and I am just now starting to recover from it.) My marriage is better when I get out too. I'm just a better person. I have always been very social, shy at times yes, but very social!

As we all know I was thinking about starting a personal business with Premier Designs Jewelry, and I have done it! I am so very excited about this venture and opportunity! I will be working alongside some of the best ladies I have ever met! Good christian women, that are completely family oriented. I don't think I have ever seen as much support in a business as I have this one, now granted there are a lot of great ones out there, but for me this is the perfect one! I am just beyond thrilled with learning, making MY own money to contribute to the family, and most importantly learning from all these lovely ladies and becoming a better person both spiritually and emotionally (the way I react and present myself to others). I just want to feel useful again and help others as well as myself!

Today is a good day! I have a lot in front of me to be happy about, I have healthy kids, a loving husband, and great friends!

And there are more tests ( there is TMI, you are forworned)

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:30:00 +0000

I took Tyler back to the pediatric GI specialist today at Vandy, and she pretty much didn't know what to say. She said "I'm pretty sure he's just constipated" well DUH I could have told you that, he has been since he was 4 months old and he is will be 2 in April. So I asked her about my concerns with the two different gastric tests they did, (the enema and upper GI) she said I'm not sure, they look like there is no physical deformity, I still don't think that its hirschsprung's disease, and I agree with this, because it can be fatal, and he is obviously not under weight. Although he has put NO weight on since at least July, he is obviously not malnourished,and his height continues to increase.

So she told me that he has something going on but he is so backed up that what is coming out is going around the clumps (I can't think of the word I want to use). So he is just so backed up that it is causing his stomach to not empty. Which I'm not sure that I buy, we have increased his meds since seeing her, and he is having more diarrhea that he had even as an infant. I'm frustrated because surely if it was just constipation since he has been taking a laxative since he was 4 months old it would have cleared out by now and he should be fine.

She is going to run some more tests for allergies to try to rule that out. She is at least doing something. She is kind and patient and answers as much of my questions as she can. Today she even went to the head of the GI clinic to make sure what her plan was, was the best way to proceed. I am very thankful that they are doing something even if it is a slow process.

So the plan is to give Tyler more enemas, probably at least two maybe more, and then quadruple his meds and MAKE him have diarrhea so that it is literally the color and consistancy of ice tea and having this for a few days. I know the next week or so is going to be a pain in the butt, but hopefully it will help him in the long run! I just feel so bad that he can't go with out pain and is starting to get uncomfortable at times.

I really need to take a computer class

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:23:00 +0000

I am so so dang computer illiterate! I am getting so frustrated with myself because I can not fix anything on my computer! I can get on the internet, edit pictures, fill out excel worksheets.

List of things I can't do
* make formulas for excel or anything other than make squares and fill it out
*apparently I can't add pictures to blogs correctly because I have added 5 more pictures to my last post and can not find them or the what I wrote under them. So I just gave up and left it the way it was.
*have no clue how to fix even minor things, I haven't completely gotten my computer set up and I was having problems with internet explorer and that stupid compatability crap, who knows what that crap is, but it was cousing my browser to have an "unexpected error" and not respond so had to completely restart!

I just feel so stupid and incompetent. Not to mention that I can't spell either.

I'm just frustrated, so what programs do you all suggest to help teach me all the things I need/want to know? any help would be greatly appreciated!

finger paint pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:22:00 +0000

Oh today

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:47:00 +0000

So not only did I have my hubby here today which makes any day about 1 BAZILLION times better, but I had a good day! Yes I did mean that I really enjoy my hubby when he is home, he helps me keep from being so darn stressed, and takes off some of the weight I am carrying on my shoulders.

Today first thing Cousin Amber and Cousin Lilly came to spend the day with us. I can't tell you how much this means to me! I have known Amber for about 8 years, but never really gotten to spend any time with her, thats what she gets to for moving to New Orleans! No I'm kidding, we all just have very busy lives in our own way. I see Amber maybe once or twice a year for holidays, but between going to every event that happens, and all the crazy people at the events, it is almost impossible to get anything out of the hey how are yous at functions. Amber is so precious! I just absolutely love her, she is so very sweet, family oriented, and just welcoming and warm hearted! Today I got to talk to her about her life and find ot some of her family history. I got to talk to her about all the things that I have wanted to know for years. Today she reconfirmed why I love her so much! (not to mention that it was just nice to talk to another ADULT female with no time constraints and only kids getting in the way!)

Shortly after she and Lilly arrived I had to leave for my orthopedic appt. I am so very excited! I GET TO START WEARING TENNIS SHOES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! No not anything cute, no flats, no heals, it has to be an athletic shoe with GOOD support, for the next 4 weeks! But I have not worn a shoe on my right foot since July 15th 2010 so I will take anything I can to get out of a cast/boot/ surgical shoe! (Not to mention, that I get to buy new shoes, because mine don't have good support and there is a hole in the toe on the top.) I will still take it, new shoes and a shoe on both foot. Life could not get any better.

So today was such a good day. I really enjoyed how relaxed and enjoyable it was. Tomorrow I'm going to post the pictures of the kids fingerpainting today! I hope you all have a good weekend.

Oh Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:49:00 +0000

Blogging has taken the last place seat in my life! I feel like I'm still stuck in a bit of a depressive mood, and everytime I think about starting to blog, it turns into one big bitch fest, so I end up deleting everything I have written. But lets see, what have we been upto lately?

Well, first off, we have been cooped up in the house quite a bit this winter, we have had so many different snow storms with varying amount but all keeping us stuck inside, thanks to my bum foot!

Speaking of bum foot, I am healing slowly but surely. I still can't get around as quickly or smoothly as I want, but I am getting things done, no matter how slowly. I can't tell you how much I am going to enjoy it when I can really start excercising! I know I need it physically and emotionally. I know it is going to be hard and when the time actually comes I'm not going to want to, but I really look forward to getting up early in the morning and going running/walking. If for no other reason that to just get out of the house without the kids.

I am so lucky to have such great friends here already! They are so helpful in every way! I have found a preschool for Abby, a hairdressor, and found something that I want to do to make money and get out of the house on my own time. I have found a support group that I feel comfortable with and can't wait to continue to get to know these ladies!

Tuesday we may have found out what is going on with Tyler's stomach! We will see the pediatric GI specialist on Tuesday to get the final thoughts, but the radiologist that preformed his upper gi test this past Tuesday, said that the things he is eating and drinking are not moving out of his lower stomach into the upper intestines the way they should. She said there is no physical abnomality but something is irritating his stomach enough to cause it not to move, I have a feeling that he is having an allergic reaction to some food, but we will find out what the next steps and more about what I saw on Tuesday.

We also went to his pulmonologists on tuesday and everything she was looking for in the upper GI was perfect! (Upper GI was done to make sure everything was formed correctly in the throat lungs area and rule that out as a cause of the croup, other findings are just a bonus to the test since we are going back on tuesday.) She is extremely happy with how he is responding to his asthma meds and says he sounds so much better than last time. She has kept his treatment the same and won't see us back for 4 months! This was a great appt, relief in one area of concern.

I am pretty sure that I have decided to become a Premier Designs Jeweler! I have gone to several meetings and will hopefully go to a show on Monday to make my final decision. I'm kind of nervous about getting started with it, as I don't really know a lot of people. I know my mom and cousin are going to do shows for me, but I need to have atleast 6 shows in 45 days, 9 is my goal! If I could get that done, then I know that I will be successful with this journey. I know that I will like it and enjoy it once I get it in a routine, but its the learning part of it that I am scared of!

I finally got a laptop. We have been talking about getting me a laptop for years, and realized last week, that I would be completely without a computer every time Brad has to go do something for work. And since we now have skype I think he has realized that he can see the kids on his trips and it is worth it. (That was just the icing on the cake that pushed him into saying that I needed one) So I got a good computer that I am still trying to get set the way I want it! I am very excited about it though! I will have to burn everything to a cd to get all my pictures and everything off his computer and onto mine, theres too dang many to email!

Tomorrow is going to be so much fun, Cousin Amber is coming to town and will be bringing cousin Lily over to play for the day! I love having people come and spend time with us. I truly enjoy when the kids all get together, they play so well together and have so much fun! Amber is also going to keep the kids for an hour so I don't have to haul them to my orthopedic appt! This is a HUGE relief!

Now if only I could get my head together and start making sense and move forward a little more everyday instead of one step forward and then back again!

I'm hoping that you will all have a great day! Spend lots of loving time with the ones you love and (like I'm learning) laugh like crazy!

Today has tested me

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:29:00 +0000

Although overall today has been pretty good, it sure did test me for a while! We started off with Tyler not sleeping last night, he was awake and crying and Brad didn't get up for him like usual, so as usual when I go try to get him back to sleep in the middle of the night Tyler ended up sleeping/rolling on top of me, making for an extremely tired mommy.

Once the kids got up I fed them and while they were eating their cereal, I went to take a shower. I got the kids dressed and we were on the road to visit Brad at work and get abby's car seat, he took the van to work today not knowing that I wanted it, no biggie.

We then went to petsmart to find some food and a house for Dorothy our beta fish that Tyman got for christmas. $85 later we came out with a new bigger aquarium, plants, a castle, seashell thing, and all the things that we needed for said new tank. So now Dorothy has a place to hide and play which is a very good thing. (My kids are crazy!!!!!)

After the excursion to the pet store, we made the treck to the bank, where I withdrew some cash for groceries and gas, and recieved a message that I had overdrawn my account (which was in no way possible, I knew to the penny how much money would be in the account after the withdrawl should have been) and the money that was despensed was taken from overdraft protection. So I called the bank and she was completely confused by the message I had received as well, and told me that everything would be taken care of. I love USAA, They are always so helpful and willing to bend over backwards to help me.

I then made the treck around the corner to the grocery store, both kids in tow, my broken foot, and a full cart of groceries. I still did really well with my shopping today, the problems started when we got out the the car. Abby decided that she was going to throw a fit and I was not having any of it. So she fussed the entire time we were loading the car, whole drive home and then when we got in the house.

I started unloading the house and realized the water was running, but knew that I had not left anything on, and figured that somehow a toilet had started running. So I went threw the house and could not find anything leaking and went back in the basement to get the kids upstairs, as it was past lunch time and they were both tired. I still could not find the water, so I checked out back, sure enough the faucet had broken and water was pouring out. I could not get the water turned off, nor the emergency water valve to shut off either. Luckily the landlords repair man was not very far away and was over here in about 10 minutes. I'm not sure how long the water was running at full speed, all I knew was that it was I had two starving kids, it was 1 and I had not eaten at all and I still had to put all the groceries away. We had to turn the water off at the street, but the faucet was fixed, kids were fed and put down for a nap, and I ate 3 crackers, yet thats it.

I paid all the bills for this half of the month, and got the fish tank together before the kids got up. Although it was a productive day, it was very trying, and I don't want to redo it anytime soon. I'm ready for bed and need some liquor, preferably a nice big margarita! Brad has drill this weekend, so its going to be the worlds longest weekend for me. Atleast he gets to come at dinnertime and doesnt have to be gone the whole weekend.

I am really torn though, I really want to go back ino the guard! I miss certain parts of it. I miss playing my instrument, I miss the army part of it, I miss the social part of it, I miss being out of the house and the little bit of extra money I recieved from it. That extra money would help us out alot. Brad does not want me to go back in, I think partially for selfish reasons, that he would be held accountable again and not able to go goof off whenever he wanted too, but also for the reason that I don't do well with certain things. I don't like the stupid part of army, I don't like that its okay for some people to do absolutely nothing, while others do everything! I don't like that some people get to do what they want, while others are held to standards, and some people get away with not showing up, but when others have legitimate reasons for not being able to make it get lectured about it. I get frustrated, because Brad and I are not like the rest of he band in the way that we are the only dual military couple in our unit, meaning we are both in the same unit, our spouse is not at home taking care of the kids or what needs to be done. But overall it is worth all the frustration, I miss being in the guard, so very very much! I really don't know what to do, I'm just so confused and lost!

Back in the Groove of it!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:42:00 +0000

So my plan was to go to the grocery store tomorrow, but the forecast so graciously changed my plan! Which turned out to be a good thing, I didn't have to take either of the kids, and Brad got to do homework while they slept.

Publix had some good sales this week! Can I tell you home mch I love the BOGO sale? It is the best thing ever! I can get items that I normal use for almost nothing! I love it. Today I saved 52.01%, I spent (including tax) $123.28, I SAVED $120.64, all on products I would normally buy some point during the month. I would like to remind you, when we lived in milan, we were goingto the grocery store3-4 times a week and on average spending about $300-$400 every two weeks (this was not our budgeted amount that has not changed), part of this was convience as walmart was 1.3 miles straight line from the house, 5% about was other JUNK that we "needed" but we honestly just bought whatever. Now we did look at best price per unit, but as I am finding out, that is not always the cheepest way, and we were ALWAYS scrounging to get to the next pay period so that we could go back to the grocery and buy more crap.

Let me show you what todays shopping trip consisted of:

This does Not include the $12.00 pack of beers that I bought for my hubby, but it was included in the cost of products. (He is silly and didn't want to be picked on by his daughter and mom, they tell him it is nasty! but are just picking at him, and I saved so much money everywhere else I could afford to splurge for something special for him, after all he deserves it for taking such good care of us!!!)

So this is how I did it!

(My publix doubles anything under $.50, and you can stack a store coupon, competitor coupon, and manufacturer coupon)

(2) gallons of milk 5.58

(5) boxes of special k red berries BOGO FREE (1.64 each for bogo)

(2) boxes special k original**** FREE (1.64 each for bogo)

(3) boxes special k oats and honey**** FREE(1.64 each for bogo)

I used (5) Buy one get one coupons to get all of them for free

(3) boxes 100 calorie snack packs 9.57

(3)boxes 100 calorie snack packs BOGO free (6 for the price of 3)

Used (3) $1/2 coupons makes them $1.10 each

(2) Jala Frozen yogurt bars BOGO 3.99 (2 for price of 1)

Used (2) $1/1 coupons makes them $.99 each

(1) Publix 4.88lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 9.78

Used (1) $1.00publix coupon for fresh meat (baby club)

(2) pillbury ready to bake cookies 5.00

Used (1) $1.25 blinkie coupon makes them 1.88 each (SPECIAL ITEM)

(2) Hebrew national hot dog packs 5.00

(4) Yoplait smoothie packs BOGO 6.38

Used (4) $1.00 coupons makes them $.60 each

(2)Organic Batter Blaster BOGO 3.99

Used (2) $1.00 coupons makes them $.99 each

(2) seaside edamame (wish this had a coupon) 7.98

(8) Adam and Eve fruitable juices 2/$4 16.00

Used (4) $1/2 coupons makes them $1.50 each

(2) Crest toothpaste 2/$3 3.00

Used (1)$.50 which they double to make ($1.00)

Used (1)$.75 coupon make them $.62 each

(2)Covergirl mascara on sale $2.00 off 11.98

Used (1) 2.50/2 coupons makes them 4.74 each (still pricy but 3.25 cheaper than normal each so ill take it!)

(6)jars of Peter Pan Peanut butter BOGO 6.99

Used (6) $.50/1 coupon which is doubled to make them $.17 each

(1) Pepperidge farm deli flats BOGO 1.50

Cashier missed coupon for $.40/1 which would of doubled to $.80 off oh well. not worth it!

(1) bunch of NANAs 1.81

(1) bag of golden delicious apples 3.69

(3) 12 packs of Diet pepsi 3/10 10.00

(1) 12 pack yeungling 11.49

(4) packs of kraft american cheese 2/6 12.00

used (4) $.75 coupons makes them $2.25 (I dont see alot of sales on these/ or havent yet)

Cost off Shelf (with no sale/retail price) I would have spent $243.92

With BOGO specials I saved (and stocked up on these items) $78.45

With these BOGO Prices coupons STACKED WITH THEM $36.70

I also stacked STORE coupons with them to get an additional $5.49

makes my total $123.28

Now I know of atleast 2 coupons that I handed over that did not get counted, one for $.75 and 1 for $.40 (which would have doubled to $.80. Normally I would have said something, but with the amount of people in the store and the fact that the employee rang up my whole cart AND coupons for me in the u scan line, It was not worth the fight for it.

So all in all I paid full price for the edamame, pepsi, beer,produce, and milk. I got Cereal for 100% free 10 boxes, (I'm hoping that will hold my daughter over another month or so, she LOVES LOVES LOVES special K with red berries!) I also got a free reusable bag (this came with the pepsi that I am addicted to, I don't drink coffee, this stuff is what is in my veins!!!!!)

I know this doesn't look like a well rounded list, but I stock up on thing I normally use when they go on sale, when frozen veggies go on sale you better believe that I am stocking up on every bag that I can for an extremely cheap price.

Items that I stock up on

We have a huge deep freezer so I have all that space too!

-Meat can be frozen for up to 6 months.

-Cheese can be frozen aswell, only issue is that it will crumble so if you are trying to shredd a block it may start to crumble. (I love this texture but if its not for you, you it in your cooking!)

-veggies (these last maybe a month for us, luckily they go on sale pretty often)

-Butter

-some bisquits

-bread

In my pantry I stock up on

-pastas/sauces

-broths/soups

-cold and hot cereal

-crackers/muffins/brownies/cake mix

-rice/beans

-canned veggies (mostly tomatoes i try not to use canned beans/ veggies there are some eceptions of course)

-peanut butter

-kids juice

-soda

-breakfast/granola bars

I also keep atleast 1 unopened pack of the following

- laundry detergent

-dish detergent

- toilet paper

-paper towels

-shampoo/conditioner

-deoderant

-toothpaste

This sounds like a bunch of junk, but purchasing this way has already helped us tremendously. The whole month after my surgery (with the thanks of my church who brought us meals twice a week) we only had to buy milk and eggs! I am VERY VERY serious. This took one less stress off of Brad, and me not having to shop or worry about what we were having for meals, we had plenty of food for us to eat 3 meals a day and not have to eat out more than one meal in 2 weeks.

On average a spend $100 for 4 people and our pantry every week on groceries, this week (not changing our budgeted amount that we have had for about a year) I actually have$23 left over. I'm hoping to be able to get us to a point where I can get our weekly spending down to about $50 a week half what it is now! Over all I am pretty happy with my trip, and am well on the way to my goal of being able to donate to our local food pantry!

Please let me know if I can help any of you with saving. Remember you don't have to stock up on items to save like this! I just have the space, so I can purchase for the next couple months as the cycle for sales is usually about 3 months! Happy Couponing!

Programs I recommend

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:54:00 +0000

There are several programs that I am starting to use that save me money! Most of these I have just started using, but they dont cost me anything, so I'm not loosing anything, only saving. I recommend you do some research and see what else can help you.

The first progam I'm going to mention is loyalty cards. These can come in very handy for lots of reasons, even if you don't shop at the certain store alot you need to have one. These cards allow you get get sale pricing on products you buy there. Each store has their own policies and benefits to their card, but it is definately worth looking into. Loyalty cards are also able to do so much more these days, Kroger allows you to go to their website and upload coupons on to your card so there is no need to take paper coupons, they are automatically deducted. The kroger card also gives you a discount on gasoline ( I think it is $.03 per gallon if you dont reach a monthly minimum, and I think once you spend $100 you get $.10 off per gallon for a certain amount of gallons. I don't shop much at Kroger so I'm not really sure about all the fine print) I do use the $.03 off per gallon quite often though, and in my area Kroger seems to be one of the lower prices of gas even before the card discount. I personally have a kroger, cvs, sallys beauty, panera, publix (upromise), and one of the toy stores I shop at on my key ring.

The second and probably most important is UPromise. U promise is something that does not cost you a penny, but will save money for your kids college based on what you already purchase. You can choose the amount that you want put into this (hook your credit card, or just your loyalty cards) with the companies that participate in this program. Anyway the loyalty cards you hook to upromise gives a certain percent of qualified everyday purchases to the fund. Really it takes like 5 minutes to set it up, you can invite your family and friends to help you as well. You and they can dictate what percent goes to who, works well for those with more than one child/grandchild! Check it out. It is run through SallieMae which is a very reputable financial institute that gives out school loans. There are all sorts of options, spend some time and do your research!

The last one is Amazon.coms Mom Club! I have only used this once but It has already saved me so much I'm mad I didn't try it earlier! This program gives you 15% off of TONS of baby and other products. For items that you use alot you can sign up for subscribe and save and recieve another 15% off. This program gives you the option to have products delivered to you as you need them. For example, we usually go through 2 boxes of diapers a month. At target and walmart we pay $29.99 for a size 5 116 count box every two weeks give or take this equals out to be about $.26per diaper. With Both the discounts (it also has free two day delivery) and delivery, we ordered 2 boxes of size 5 156 count boxes for $56.21 which equals out to be $.18 per diaper, and I don't have to worry about going to the store to buy them. They will ship every month, I can make the changes I need if he changes sizes, frequency of delivery or cancel at any time with no fee. I will get an email reminder that they order is going to happen. This is a HUGE benefit to us! All you are required to do is have (setup) an amazon.com account.

I hope that these will help you all, I personally wish I had known about them when Abby was smaller, but better late than never right?

And as always, I am just relaying the information as I see it, make sure that you read everything first and understand what you are reading, as I could be misled. I want you all to have helpful and accurate information! Happy Savings!

I actually made it to the grocery store

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:38:00 +0000

I actually made it to the grovery store today, for the first time since November. It was so nice to get exactly what I wanted and not have Brad call me every two seconds. I still wish I could have had that time on my own, but not being able to drive does not lend to that! But all in all it was a successful shopping trip. We did not save as much as I wish we had, since most of my coupons had to be thrown away and I had to start over again, but that is okay, I still feel positive about it.

Now if the stores will come out with some good sales for meat products I would be one happy girl.

So the best thing I bought was not cheap, Brad got some fresh(er not frozen) salmon for dinner. Boy was it yummy!

We had baked salmon with a mayo/mustard sauce. So very yummy! one of my favorites!

Remember I am not afraid of butter, mayo, sour cream, fat free items, etc. I tend to believe that they are better than other products as they SEEM to have less artificial ingredients, butter compared to tub margerine, not to mention they have a better flavor and I have to use less for the same or close to the same flavor. All is good with moderation, right? Right!!!!

Sorry I know this is incredibly random, but thanks for sticking with me!

Excuse # 5,892

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:10:00 +0000

My blogging has been rather poor! I truly enjoy having a way that I can connect with all of you and air my opinions, concerns, gripes, and just life in general. I find it sort of theraputic, since Brad knows everything that is going on and I NEED to be able to talk to someone else (rather talk at) it works well with me. I try to be positive most of the time and be entertaining as well as realistic. I'm trying to help you all with your coupon ventures as well (but this is not and will not be the source of my blog).

The last month has been incredibily difficult for me, both emotionally and obvisouly physically. Although I have been through the whole not being able to do anything before (July- late September) this time has been so much harder on me. I am so thankful for the church we are attending, because those gracious souls took one more stress away from us! I can not say thank you enough for your help!

I have finally accepted the fact that I have been quite depressed through this and honestly just didn't want to be where I was. (I did have a lot of GREAT memories through the month, with the holidays and family visits, but they were difficult to be get to a place I was comfortable.)

I am starting to feel better about everything now knowing that on tuesday I can start the process of getting back to my normal life.

With this I didn't feel comfortable enough to really blog about anything, I didn't want to air every grievance, or just whine and pout and be negative. I want this to be a happy place and somewhere that you can come and get a quick laugh and then move on with the rest of your day. I plan on finishing my coupon posts here in the next 2 weeks or so (as long as everything continues to get better), but have not done any grocery shopping since thanksgiving, so I'm pretty much going to have to start from scratch again, so we can start again together, just remember to be patient! I'm also planning on on posting about the last month (possibly year) in the near future.

I have several goals for the new year;

1. Be more family oriented, plan fun things to do with the kids, go on more dates with my hubby, and enjoy each other.

2. start walking (and hopefully eventually running again) for nothing else but enjoyment and to feel better about myself.

3. become more frugal so that we can pay things off and provide a better life for our family. Be able to do the things we want to do,whenever we would like.

4. Blog atleast every other day.

5. become more active in our church and community!

These are all goals, not promises, things that I want to work on for me to be a better person. I know that they will take time to get in the habit of doing them, but I think they are all worth it. I am going to be realistic that I am going to fall off the band wagon, but I will just climb back on and try as hard as I can!

I hope that you all have a great year and get everything you hope for! Thanks for sticking with me through all my excuses and rants!

Life sometimes not so fun

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:53:00 +0000

We all know that life has its ups and downs, and most of the time everyones life is like a roller coaster. We all have times when it seems like we are on that great climb to greatness and then we kind of sit at the very top for a while before we start to take that plunge to the bottom, only to start climbing again.

I feel like Im starting that accelerated downfall after the 3 month climb to the top. The last 2.5 to 3 months have been very good to the Warren household. We started with Brad getting an AMAZING new job in mid september. We were lucky enough to find a house that was close to his work, in a great section of town and move in 3 weeks later about a month before we had planned, a huge blessing considering we were living 150 miles apart. We were lucky enough to not have to move our stuff alone and had a moving company move and pack all of our stuff, nerve racking but great all at the same time. Brad and my relationship has been so much easier since we have been here, so much less stressed! I feel like we are finally where we are supposed to be! Life has been good!

Then I had surgery on December 2nd and I was looking down that steep fall! I was so lucky to have my mother in law keep the kids for several days and then come help take care of me! I can't tell you how much that meant to me, I missed my kids, but KNEW I was not going to be able to take care of them yet by myself. Tammie helped in so many ways, making meals, bathing the kids, playing and keeping them occupied, getting me food,meds and ice, and other menial tasks (this is not to sound degrading, it just by definition fits so many things I talk about, housework, mothering etc). Sadly though she had to leave! And the actual turn downward began.

I am so lucky to have a great hubby, he loves the kids and works so hard to provide for us. He works hard and comes home and works even harder. The last week has been very trying on my patience, just because I am crabby and set in my ways. Although Brad has been great and done so much, I like things done in my time and my way. I get anxious when the floor is not vacuumed as often as I see fit, and if there are dishes in the sink. I can deal with a messy house as long as those two things are done, but if they are not done the way I do it, then I flip out! I try to keep my mouth shut so that I'm not complaining and make him feel like hes not doing a good enough job, because he is!

With this flip out comes bitterness, anger, guilt. and frustration. I have had a really hard time emotionally with the fact that I can't do anything, I get frustrated that I can't take care of the kids the way I need and want to during the day, and that I can't carry things from one room to another or at all. The guilt that I feel about being able to take care of my kids and do the work that is my responsibility has overwhelmed me. I'm apprehensive about telling Brad what needs to be done, because I know that he is tired and is doing more than his fair share, but I feel like so much is not getting done, and I can not crawl around on my knees and vacuum the whole house, or stand on my foot to put up the dishes. I know his priorities are different than mine, he gets antsy when there are toys all over the floor, or the trash is stuffed in the trashcan too full, or there are coke cans left on my night table.

I understand he is under just as much stress as I am, I understand that he is trying to make sure that everything is getting done and he just like myself just physically can't do it all. He is worried about me and my healing correctly and quickly. He is worried about the kids being taken care of and loved and played with. He is worried about having to do the grocery shopping, driving me around for atleast the next 4 weeks as well as everything else! I know I need to give him a break because he is doing a fabulous job, but im so tired of having to rely on everyone else! I wish I could just do that jeanie thing and nod my head and it would all be over so that we could get back to normal. I just want to be able to take care of my family and go back to our normal routine! I just want my sanity back! I don't want to be so stressed that every word we say to each other is snippy and spiteful meaning it or not. I don't want to dread the return from work because I know the stress is overwhelming on both our parts. I want to rely on me and only me! I want to be able to get back to the normal. I want to smile and not bitch anymore, and with that I am calling this quits, enough for one day, actually for a lifetime, bt i'm done with this!

A break from coupons for what is really important

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:06:00 +0000

When Brad and I moved to Nashville in mid October we were expecting to have to go to several different churches before we found one that we would be able to settle with. We figured that it would take us several months to find somewhere we wanted to call our church home. Boy was I wrong! I mean I was TERRIBLY wrong! 1 visit and we were comfortable!

We started going to this church after we took the kids trunk or treating there, after all we had just moved and it was literally just down the street. We ended up missing the majority of the "treating" but that was okay, the members that remained immediately came to us and invited us to join them, much like any church would do, but this is not what has amazed me about them.

As most people know I grew up in the Episcopal Church, my dad is a priest so we were always very active in the church for obvious reasons. I enjoyed several things about this church, especially as a child, but then as I have gotten older, and been able to see the "behind the scenes" way the church is SOMETIMES run, and honestly how snooty it CAN be, I have decided that although the service itself is comfortable, this is not necessarily the way I want to raise my kids. I appreciate more than I can explain the people that I have met and continue to stay in contact with, everyone of them has had an undeniable influence on the person I was and still am. I have met so many amazing people, but most of that was because of the position my dad was in and not for who I was, I can not tell you how many times I was introduced to people as " this is Bryant Kiblers daughter", not really allowed to be my own person, or discover who I really was. Once I had been around people for a while I could sort of let go, but unfortunately when you are a priests family member your whole life is a public spectacle. Never once can I remember someone coming to the aid of my family, whether someone was sick, or when my mom had surgery when we were preteens, or when we (I) just needed someone to be there.

Now I am 29 years old, I have tried the Baptist church and felt like I was going to hell after each service I attended. Some of them not as bad as others, but I always felt guilty for having a glass of wine here, or not tithing 10% of gross income when I could not even pay all of our bills. I'm sorry but I know where a lot of this money goes to, I can't give if I can't even provide for my family, and I'm sure that God would not condemn me for that. So I stuck with what I was comfortable with, the key word was stuck. I knew the church, how the "seasons" worked, I knew what it stood for, and felt comfortable with that, this left me to only have to worry about the people part.

So when we got here my anxiety about finding somewhere that I felt comfortable with just so that the kids could grow up in a church and get the information Brad and I could not remember was important. But just somewhere as a filler was important, I was not expecting to find what I have always wanted, especially so fast and in such a big city. We started attending the Crievewood United Methodist Church down the street from our house, and just like the trunk or treating, people sought us out! I sort of expected a small amount of this, but I NEVER expected to have the amount of warmth, welcoming, and hospitality that was shown to us, it was like we were the only new family in a church of 10, where there is no way not to know you were new.

We immediately began attending Sunday school, and that is where my heart just melts. Within that very first meeting I had the contact information for all the moms in the class to contact with any questions I had, and an open invitation for play dates. I was so excited to know that there were kids in the neighborhood that were the same age as my munchkins, but that would also grow up with my kids in school and church! I was comforted to know that several of these families had grown up in this church and neighborhood and loved it so much that they either never left or returned after being away for a short time.

As we all know I had surgery at the beginning of the month, this was shared with my Sunday school class as I had asked for prayers for patience and a speedy recovery. We have been to this church MAYBE 2 months, we are not members, have not mentioned that we would like to become members, but I am eternally greatful! These families, that barely know us, have taken time out of their busy days, and schedules to help us! The class has setup a meal chart for us, so that we have a hot healthy meal every other day or so. Although 1 meal does not seem like a lot, let me tell you how much stress it takes off of myself and Brad, since I can't place ANY weight on my right foot for the next 3-5 weeks. Brad is having to do pretty much everything, kids, cleaning, cooking, shopping, etc so that meal we just have to heat and serve is a TREMENDOUS help to us. Every time I think about the generosity of these kind hearts, I literally get a lump in my throat and hold back the tears.

This is the way I want my kids to be raised, to know that we help ANYONE that we can, no matter how menial the task may seem. I want them to understand, that being a good Christian is not about just going to church and saying you believe, its in the way you conduct your life and the actions OUTSIDE the church your participate in. I want them to know what being a good steward is truly all about, and just after this short time in Crievewood UMC I have seen this, I know that I have found a home that I am not settling with, but completely comfortable with!

Thank you Crievewood UMC for giving me what I have always been looking for, yet never able to find! Thank you for opening your heart to my family and making us feel so very comfortable and welcome. Thank you for making us feel like we are part of the Crievewood family and that we matter! I can't thank you enough!

couponing: what I use to help me

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:51:00 +0000

Howdy readers,

I am sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I am finally off pain meds and able to concentrate without my head falling off from dizziness.

Over the years I have tried to use coupons, and like most people that I have talked to did not save any money and honestly spent more on items I normally would have and gotten products that I never used. I wasted a lot of money, I did not understand how to get the most out of the coupons. I had decided that it was just a waste of time, and I knew I spent more money than I saved, by a lot!

Now I knew that manufacturers and retailers still made a profit after the use of the coupon. I understood the cost of production and how that works, and how it relates to actual price of the product. See most people don't think about all the things that go into making a product. There is of course the things that everyone thinks of, the actual product, and packaging, but most people don't think about everything else that goes into making a product. We forget about, the cost of products to actually make the product being sold, the labor costs to make, package, load, and deliver said product. We forget that the company is having to pay for the utilities to make that product, the electic, water, trash, gas, rental of truck and mileage to and from store. There is a lot that goes into the price of a product. I know more info than you care to know.

But what I did not know was that you don't just use a coupon to use a coupon. Couponing is as some people say an art, the art of stacking coupons on an item that is already on sale, when you do this you can get items for very little or even free. I did not know how coupons actually work, meaning I did not know that the manufacturers, pay the price of the coupon back +$.08 to the retailer, as long as they are used correctly. So to me, it is actually better for the store to use those coupons, they make more money in the long run, however if you do not use them correctly, that is fraud and illegal, and the store does not get reimbursed.

The very first thing I suggest you do to become an avid couponer is to pick one store and one store only to start with. When you pick more than that, I feel that you become so overwhelmed with all the stores different policies and procedures, and finding the deals, that you are more than likely to get burnt out and just give it up. So start small with one store. Get online and research your stores coupon policy, this is very important to your success and feeling good about what you are doing. If you can't get the polocy online, go talk to your stores customer service manager, they are generally more happy to help you in the beginning than have to someone that doesnt understand trying to rip them off because they don't know what is going on. Remember just because the register allows a coupon, does not mean that you are using it correctly.

I also recommend that you find a few (no more than 5) blogs to read and help you find those good deals that are out there. I say no more than 5 because once again you will get overwhelmed, and honestly a lot of the blogs repeat the same information. Some of my favorites are; hip2save.com, addictedtosaving.com, freebies4mom.com, Iheartpublix.com (she also has one thats called Iheartkroger.com, but I haven't used or looked at this one since I prefer publix), and totallytarget.com . I subscribe to these through an rss feed in my google reader (you have this if you have a gmail account, its just called reader on the top left of your screen when signed into your account.) With this being said, I would go ahead and set up an additional email account that you use only for signing up for freebies, and your couponing "stuff."

Obviously, you can get coupons from the sunday paper, but there are several websites that post coupons as well; coupons.com, redplum.com, smartsource.com, and of course you can go to manufacturer sites to see if they have any promotions going on. Facebook also has manufacturer pages, where they have samples and/or coupons. (I have also added my favorite blog sites to my friends on facebook, they post lots of deals there as well)

I'm starting to get unfocused, so I'm going to stop here. Next time, I will pick up where I left off and go into organization of the coupons you have.

Good luck with couponing, until then next time!

Coupon Abbreviations.

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Coupon abbreviations that you should know. You will see most of these on blogs that you are/will follow.

$1/1,$2/1, $1/2 etc.= This means the amount of discount compared to the number of products to obtain that discount. for example $1/1 is $1 off of 1 item, $2/1 is $2 off of 1 item, $1/2 is $1 off of two items. With this you have to purchase the number specified to recieve discount.
AC= After Coupon
AR= After Rebate (you pay out of pocket, send reciept in and get a check back to you)
BC= Before Coupon
Blinkie= a machine that dispenses coupons in the store, usually in front of the product. There is usually a red light on the side that blinks.
BOGO, B1G1, B1G1F= Buy one get one free
B2G1= Buy 2 get 1 free
BFTE= Box tops for education, These get sent in and the school you designate gets a so much money per "top"
B&M= Bricks and Mortar, refers to a store building as opposed to an online store
CAT or Catalina= coupons that print out of register after your purchase, usually based on what you purchased. (whatch expiration dates)
CPN or Q= coupon
CRT= cash register tape, your receipt
DCRT= dated cash register tape
DND= do not double
ECB= extra care bucks from CVS, this is money that can be used on your next purchase that prints after you purchase that day. They do have expiration dates.
ES= easy saver, Walgreens montly coupon/rebate book, located in store.
ETA= edited to Ad
ETS= Excludes travel sizes
EX or X= expires on
FAR= free after rebate, (pay out of pocket and then get reimbursed )
Filler= items you buy in order to meet required amount to use coupons or get a deal
FS = free shipping
FLIP= food lion internet printables
GC =Gift cards
GDA= good deal alert
GM= general mills
Hangtag= coupon that is hanging from a tag around a bottle or jar
HTH= hope that helps
IP or IPQ= internet printable
IVC= Instant value coupons, walgreens monthly or weekly coupons
JEDI= The cashier that you want, knows what is going on
MFG or MFR= Manufacterer
MIR = mail in rebate (pay out of pocket and get reimbursed)
MC or MQ= Manufacturer coupon
MM = money maker, making money after coupons
NED= no expiration date
NWPN= no wine purchase necessary ( Publix coupon)
ONYO= on your next order
OOP= out of pocket
OVERAGE= money you earn when coupon exceeds price of item ( store specific to whether they allow overages)
PEELIE= coupon that is stuck to a product like a sticker. intended to be used then
P&G= procter and gamble
PSA= price starts at
POP= proof of purchase (upc code)
Q or CPN= coupon
REGIONAL= deal in only specific area
RC= Rain check, out of sale item, store allows you to get item when restocked at sale price
RP= red plum insert in paper
RR= Register rewards, walgreens money coupon after a purchase to be used towards next purchase, has CLOSE expiration date.
SCR= single check rebate, rite aid
SP = stock pile
SS= smart source insert in paper
STACKING= using more than 1 coupon example, 1 manufacter coupon, 1 store coupon, 1 competitor coupon on 1 item.
TEARPAD= pad of coupons placed in the store usually in front of the item.
TMF= try me free, (usually pay first and then get rebate, can be stacked with coupons for even more savings)
TRIPLE= tripling a coupon in value
UPC= universal product code, bar code
UPR= up rewards, a catalina coupon to use at rite aid
WAGS= walgreens
WSL= while supplies last
WT= wine tag (publix wine club)
WYB= when you buy
V= valassis coupon insert found in sunday paper ( same as red plum, smart source, etc)
X= expiration date
YMMV= your mileage may vary, may not be worth the deal based on mileage you have to travel.

Coupons 101

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 19:42:00 +0000

We have all seen coupons in some form or fashion over the years, but coupons have started to come in many more forms in the last few years.

When I think of a coupon I typically think of the traditional coupon which I find in the newspaper, or is sent in the mail by a manufacturer.

Do not print this coupon it is for demonstration purposes only and is NOT valid!

(Thanks to BlueDogBakery.com for this image)

However, coupons come in many forms and can be tangible or just codes. Here are a few types of coupons you will likely see;

manufacturer coupon- typically by a brand for a specific product, coupon will say manufacturer coupon
retailer or store coupon- a coupon offered by a store for specific item or amount off a product(s)
peelie coupons- a coupon that is stuck to a product like a sticker to try to get you to buy item right then
printable coupons- coupons that are online that you can print out and redeem at a store for a specific item, typically a manufacturer coupon. (I will post websites I use for these at the end)
catalina coupons- coupons that print from the register after your purchase, usually based on your purchase.
electronic coupons- coupons that can be loaded onto your loyalty card (i.e. Kroger card, cvs card etc.) from the Internet.
loyalty cards (Kroger plus card, cvs card)- discounts that are typically automatically deducted from the price of an item if you buy the allotted amount.
mailers- coupons sent you via snail mail for a specific product.
online coupons/promotional code- usually a code (series of letters and/or numbers) that you would enter upon checkout of an online purchase.

The definition of a coupon according to wikipedia is a "ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product."

Coupons are typically used by a company and/or retailer to try to entice you to purchase a specific product. The coupon by itself is not always a good deal, as the coupon alone usually specifies a specific brand/size/amount that you have to purchase to get the discount allotted. The savings come when you learn to look for sales and stack those coupons to get even better deals.

How a coupon works.

We are going to use the coupon I posted at the top again to understand how to look at coupons.

The most important thing about a coupon is understanding what that coupon is saying. There are 5 main things that I look for when looking at a coupon;

Whether the coupon is a manufacturers coupon or a store coupon, you can see that this one is a manufacturers coupon. (You will want to know this based on your stores coupon policy, I know I can stack a store AND manufacturers coupon for even more savings.)
When the coupon expires, I look for this so that I know how much time I have to find a good deal. (From what I have seen so far, most coupons will be good for about a month)
What the coupon actually is for, and how many items I have to purchase to obtain the discount. This coupon is for $1.00 off of 1 (or $1/1) bag of dog treats.
I also look for a minimum size on the purchase, I am learning, that I can get somethings for free, because of the no size exclusions. (I get trial sizes of deodorant/laundry detergent for free because most do not excluded trial/travel sizes)
In the middle there are usually guidelines on how to use the coupon, whether you can pair (stack) it with another coupon or not. It will also say how many coupons can be used per transaction (total purchase) or purchase (one item).

***I want to remind you all that I am still learning and am not trying to give you incorrect information. To the best of my knowledge, I am giving you correct and authentic information. Once again, make sure that you do your own research, and check with your stores on their policies!***

This next part we are going to go through how the coupons actually work. I want to to give credit for this to Hip2save and AccuGraphix both for content and graphics. We will be using this bar code for the next explanation (this has probably been the most important info I have used)

UCC prefix (NSC) - This number will always be a 5 or a 9. These numbers have to do with doubling if you store will allow.

EAN UCC prefix- These numbers tell the register what type of coupon it is. (whether this is a peelie or an insert coupon, although I have not looked at this)

UCC Company prefix (EAN UCC company prefix)- positions 2-6 (3-8) this group of numbers identify the manufacturer (brand), these must match the product you are purchasing and is how the computer validates your coupon.

Family code- The next 3 numbers are the family code. For example, I'm going to give you two different groups of numbers, from two different coupons. Both for Pampers products, but one for wipes and one for diapers

ucc prefix UCC company code Family code value code (we haven't gone over yet)

wipes

5 37000 462 50

diapers box

5 37000 481 82

As you can see Prefix code is 5 both could be doubled, if your store allows

UCC Company Code is the same both are PAMPERS brand

family code is different, this shows what the exact product is that can be purchased.

Value Code- The last two numbers in the group are the value of the coupon, what you need to purchase to get said amount. These numbers do not necessarily tell you the exact amount off, as they are a code and there are more than 100 codes for a full list of the values go here or here.

Check Digit- This is the very last number, and is somehow calculated by the rest of the digits in the bar code system. It will change but I do not really understand the purpose of this number!

I highly recommend you visit Hip2Save Be A Confident Shopper post and her coupon newbies info. (She is one of my favorite bloggers and I use Collin's help A LOT!!!!! She is very funny and realistic) as well as AccuGraphiX "The Bar code people" which is where I got a lot of my information.

Please remember, that I am still learning and I am to the best of my knowledge giving you correct information, to aid in your ability to get the most out of your couponing. Please check with your store(s) to get their policy. Just because you can ring up a coupon, does not mean that you should! Make sure to do your research!

Thanks again to Hip2Save, Accugraphix, and bluedogbakery for your help!

Couponing first post in the series

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 04:01:00 +0000

I need to come up with a good name for this series, any ideas?

As I promised WEEKS ago, I am now starting my series of posts on couponing. I have been doing a TON of research and compiling of information to make sure that I relay all the correct information. This being said I am still learning myself! I am finding and learning new things every time I turn around! I have several websites/blogs that I refer to daily! (All of which I will be including in these posts. Just not exactly how each post will pan out exactly, I'm winging it). Please make sure that you check with all the stores around your area for their policies. You should be able to find these on their websites or by just going to the service desk and talking to a manager.

There are several things you should know about couponing to be successful.

You WILL feel overwhelmed at first, it is okay, I still do today and I have had great success in just over a month.
You will have to put sometime and effort into collecting coupons/finding the deals each week. I spend about an hour every day or so.
Do NOT try to get every deal.... ever (no matter how good you get at this), this will make it impossible for you to be successful! (and then I would be worried about hoarding and wasting money on things you won't use)
If you are doing this correctly you should be that crazy person at the register with ATLEAST 30 coupons.
Be proud of yourself, not embarrassed and ashamed. I have found the last two times, people are more curious about how I save so much than having to wait in line while the cashier is scanning all my coupons. Be polite, patient, and open with your experiences and savings and you will find that people are more entertained than bothered.
Do NOT try to start with both the grocery store and drugstores at the same time. Pick your most used grocery and start there, I would recommend using just that for about 6 weeks, so that you have it down pat, before throwing in 1 drugstore.
Most importantly be prepared to make mistakes! Understand that this is not an easy task and you have to figure out what works best for you.
Most importantly HAVE FUN!!!!!!!

I'm hoping that friday I will be able to make a coherent (I'm having foot surgery thursday) post about either why you should coupon and/or how coupons work. Please let me know if there is something specific you want to know, so that I can research and find the best place to put it in this series!

Happy couponing (and learning)!

Today I feel like

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:57:00 +0000

Today I feel like the worst person on the face of the planet. I feel like I have given up on someone entirely too early. I feel like I have been selfish with my feelings and my hurt. I feel like I have not given her a chance.

Today I just want to curl up in a corner and say that I am sorry, for not being there, not understanding, not being the friend needed.

Today, my heart is breaking even more than it has before. I am so sorry my dear friend.

I'm not sure where to even start with my apology as I am nost sure it will even do justice for the neglect and undesereved doubts! I am so sorry!

I found an awesome deal!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 02:42:00 +0000

I found an AMAZING deal today at my publix today!

But just so you know, whatever you do, DO NOT take pictures of the isle signs! I did this today so that I could get my coupon binder in order of the store to make more efficient and I got told that I was NOT ALLOWED to take pictures, this occured in isle 5 of 13. So as you can imagine my next 8 isles were written out and kind of combobulated.

But anywho, the point! My mom bought me an oral b power toothbrush for xmas from target, it was marked down from $70 some odd bucks to 34.99, and then I had a $10/1 coupon from the p&g insert to make it 24.99, which I though was a pretty good deal. Just the brush and no replacement "head" brush thing.

So Brad decided that he wanted one, so when I was going to the store today, I was looking at all the booklets that publix has and noticed that they had $10/1 oral b coupon for the toothbrush and then I had another from p&g coupon from todays paper for $10/1, so i dedcided that I would look. thinking that it would be way more expensive, boy was i wrong!

Publix (in my nashville store) had an oral-b vitality power toothbrush for 26.99. (now I am still learning, but my store will allow you to stack a store coupon (which has an LU # usually on the bottom) and a manufactures coupon (which says manufactures coupon on top), I checked with the cashier before she wrung them up and was told that I should be able to do them both and the computer would beep if it was not allowed, which it obviously did not)

toothbrush 26.99

store coupon -10.00

manufacture coupon -10.00

_____

total price 6.99 before tax

what an awesome deal!

Now this being said, should I find out from a reader that we (cashier and myself) made a mistake with this I will be returning to the store to fix my error!

As I am still very much learning, and still somewhat overwhelmed, please make sure that you check with your store to see what their rules and regulations are! I have not been able to find them other than what the staff has verbally told me and from what I can tell all stores are different!

I'm too tired to write!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 00:07:00 +0000

I know I promised several people my coupon hints and sites yesterday, but to be completely honest I am too dang tired to even think about putting together a coherent and useful post about couponing. I'm sorry, hopefully tomorrow will be the day!

But I do have to tell you about this horrible melt down we had yesterday and ask for you advice!

Yesterday my sweet, adorable, can't do anything wrong (he he he) 5 yr old threw this MASSIVE fit, in public.........in target! Now I'm not just talking about crying, I can deal with that, but SCREAMING the ENTIRE way through target. Now, this has become something that has started over the past year, but has never happened in public and never to this extent. We make sure to tell her that fits are not okay and that they are not exceptable. They also mostly occur when her way has not been gotten. Typically when a fit begins, she is sent to her room to calm down after given the option to either stop fussing and talk about the situation or go sit in her room. When sitting in her room she is to sit in the very middle without any distractions so that she can think about what is going on. (We are trying to get her to work on feelings when they are starting and through them so she understands what is going on in her brain and express them, but we are not anywhere close to this yet.)

What worries me most is that lately when these fits start it is also starting to begin with aggression, usually hitting something like the door when she is walking out of it, or snatching as hard as she can so that her arm is wound back and propels all the way around the front of her body. This is in NO WAY acceptable and will not be tolerated. When this sort of out break begins she is once again told why that action is not acceptable and told to either explain why she did that action and to calm down or go sit and think. If the fit is completely out of wack and is drawn out excessively or we are told no she wont sit in time out SEVERAL times, she will recieve a spanking and an explaination and be put in timeout until she is calm enough to sit and talk about why she responded the way she did, and the action(s) that landed her in the punishment she received. I am not one that likes to spank, so we try not to use this route unless absolutely necessary.

I know that I have a problem with yelling and I am very actively trying to work on this, I am trying to use an athoritative/calm voice. We explain to her that she is NOT a bad girl, but the choice she made was not the best choice to make. I don't quite know where to go though, I feel like the whole situation is getting worse, and I can tell you that I really don't think timeouts are working, by the time she calms down, she can't even remember what she is so upset about. I have tried taking away toys for negative attitudes and this is not effective, I don't think spankings are effective either. I am at a loss for what to do. I have also tried making her do things that she doesn't like, ie sweeping, cleaning, basically manual labor and this has no effect, she finds a way to like said chore.

I would really like to nip this attitude in the butt before it gets any worse. Please offer any advice you can give! Anything that may have worked for kids in your family, things your parents did with you. I love my daughter very much and want her to grow up and understand why we can't act certain ways, and have good morals. I am just lost.

has to be one of my favorite

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:39:00 +0000

This age that Tyler is currently at, has to be one of the most fun.

They have yet to learn to talk back, but are still learning what is okay and what is not. They are also learning new skills and things every day.

They still think that everything is funny, and will still let you cuddle.

Tyman is really funny right now. He is learning like crazy and just has the best personallity I could ask for.

Here is his latest new adventure/heart attack for mom, because it never takes place at an opportune time. Usually when standing right by some table with sharp edges, or even more fun, jumping off something, like say oh a brick fireplace, or a bed that is taller than him.

But enjoy

The craziness it has returned.

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:09:00 +0000

To be completely honest, after we moved to Nashville I was sure that our life was going to slow down and we would be able to relax, boy was I wrong! Was I ever wrong! And I can't tell you how thrilled about it I am! I think that we are all so very happy in our new surroundings. I think that we finally feel like we are where we need to be.

So we finally got here on Oct 8 and we have been on the move ever since. Of course the 9th was brads 30th birthday so we unpacked and set everything up for the next two weeks. On the weekend of the 23rd we went to visit my mom for her birthday, and then mid week the same week we went back to Kentucky, to visit my dad. The day we returned we took part in all the halloween festivities, which I might add lasted for 3 days.

The next week was normal and just getting used to everything. Then Brad was one during the week for army stuff. And then this past weekend was abby's birthday party, which was crazy, fun but crazy. This weekend Brad has army all weekend. We have a birthday party and we are going to be preparing for thanksgiving, which is in a week.

I am so very excited that my grandparents and mom/ stepdad are coming for thanksgiving. So next week we will be busy as little bees. Then my birthday is wednesday and I am taking the kiddos to tammie for the weekend, while I have surgery on my foot. Tammie will be here the following week while I recover to help with kids and myself while brad is working. I will be unable to do anythng for two weeks, so she will either take Abby back with her, or Brad will be staying home with me. All of this depends on how I am feeling. We will then have 1 week until christmas. Can you believe it one week till christmas?

I think that maybe after valentines day we may actually slow down enough to catch our breath!

I know this post is completely unorganized! I am sorry, I just needed to post something so that I could get my brain around the next several weeks.

Today is a day of thanks!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:24:00 +0000

Today is veterans day, a day that I am so very proud of, yet for so many reasons, makes me so very sad.

Today we and I do mean we, myself included, actually take the time to say thank you to all those that have given up so much for this country, for the world. We as a society acknowledge on this day that we could not live like this alone. We acknowledge all those that have served, are serving, and will serve in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans day and Memorial day are really the only two days that most people acknowledge what our servicemen and women have given up for us!

Our servicemen and women don't just sign a contract when they join the military, they for lack of better words sign over themselves and their lives to every citizen for their chosen time in service. When you sign that line, you are telling everyone in the world, that you want to be here to serve them, you want to put everyone else before you. No matter what job you hold, you want to be here to honor and protect those around you, before yourself.

It does not matter if that service member was/ is a quartermaster, or a musician, or an instructor. It does not and should never matter if that member has or has not been in hostile territory. We have all given you our word that we are going to do what we need to do to protect you the citizens of the Unites States, and our brothers and sisters in arms before ourselves.

Each member has a very important job in the military no matter where they are located, or how menial or demanding they have, we all support each other. Some service members are used in very dangerous positions in all parts of the world, but they could not do that job without their counterparts that are cooks, a much more laughed about job. Those Cooks cold not do their job without the truck drivers, whom bring the supplies needed to feed all the soldiers. The truck drivers can't do their job without the petroleum specialist, which take care of everything that has to do with fuel. Musicians are often laughed at and told that we just play our instruments and what are we going to do with the enemy? T he soldiers that have been able to sit and listen to the Rock Band perform while they are deployed and just being able to sit and relax, or their families while they are deployed being able to let their hair down and be entertained. Although I was never deployed, I can't tell you how many people were impacted by the music played from all musicians. I can not explain to you the emotions that I have seen coming from soldier and their families. The moral that so many provide is immeasurable.

What people forget is that we are all trained together, and then are sent off to specific jobs. We are all trained to shoot a rifle, we are all trained to throw a grenade, we are all taught hand to hand combat, we all have to pass basic first aid, we all have to pass the same tests, at anytime, we all have to be able to pass tests that we train for in addition to our specific jobs.

Today take the time to appreciate all service members, those who have given their life to protect us, those whom have never seen a day of combat, those whom have said I want to be a protector of this country no matter the price, I want to opportunity to serve you and protect you which is the greatest gift from God! I want to help keep you safe and comfortable! I want to honor and give my all, no matter how menial my job, I will give 110% all the time, I will give my heart to do the best job I can!

Today and every day, take the time to understand, that a service member is doing everything in their power to make this world a better place, one step at a time, one job at a time, with the support and understanding of all our comrades no matter what!

Thank you all who have served with me, served before me, and who have served after me, for helping to mold the person I have become, for helping me to understand what a true family is, and for giving me the OPPORTUNITY to serve you! Your hard work, effort, and heart will never be able to repaid.

I'm getting better

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Warren) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:52:00 +0000

Remember a couple days ago when I was talking about how people get all theis stuff with coupons and B1G1's and save just as much as the spend or more.

Today I accomplished this and I can not be more thrilled. (and I only bought things we normally eat) Today I spent $ 49.92 with tax and everything, and I saved..... drum roll please................ $45.78!!!!!!! I also have a semi packed pantry with stuff we (mostly kids) eat all the time.

On my list today was

2 boxes of Kix cereal (which my kids almost never get) $3.11

4 boxes of cheez-its $5.26

4 boxes of "premium" brownie mix $4.46

2 tubs of breyers ice cream (brads fav before bed snack) $4.99

8 640z bottles of juicy juice (we got through this like crazy $13.40

2 bottles of kens ranch dressing $3.29

2 loaves of arnold 12 grain bread $3.89

plus some other normal items for $15.07

= 53.47

-7.5 in coupons (some doubled)

=45.97 before tax!!!!!!!!

I got $38.28 in free stuff, that I would normally buy! I think I may actually be getting the hang of this. It is all about timing. If you can get the things that you use all the time, when they are on sale and stock up on them ( if they wont go bad of course) then you can save a TON of money! I can not tell you how dang excited I am about this!

29 items later, and I still have money in the bank! That newspaper subscription paid for itself in only a week.

In two weeks I have saved

$53.25 /$29.89 was coupons. this is first trip spent $200 not good:( Beginners frustration

$17.20/$9.10 was coupons. 2nd trip spent $41 getting better

$45.78/7.50 was coupons this is todays!

=116.23 thank you Publix and coupons! I will get better so that I can save more than I pay, just you watch and see!!!!!!