A Mom, Money, and More

Fab Abs Friday!

2012-01-27T06:37:00.000-06:00

Me likey!
Have a great weekend,
SonyaAnn

My Wood

2012-01-26T06:39:00.000-06:00

As you can tell from the terrible picture, I didn't get a camera for Christmas. Maybe I should ask for one if I want to get one. Just a random thought.
This is what your chairs look like when you have a teenage boy in the house. He has broken three of the four kitchen chairs. He seems to think that they are recliners. Den wanted to beat him with one of the legs. I stopped him but had to pause for a bit to really think it through.
The good news is Den is really good with wood and fix it. He is just getting tired of fixing the crap that he breaks. But we did come to the conclusions that we aren't replacing crap in this house until the kids are gone, there just isn't any reason anymore. We can't keep up with it. It is kind of freeing in a way. Only two and a half years until our little lumber jack leaves. How did I get this old? Oh and thank God there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Love him to death but he is lippy and wrecking our house. And when you bring it up to him, he isn't pleasant about it. TEENAGERS!
And if you look really closely at the terribly blurry picture, you will see a round circle on the top of the table. Ms. Anna put a red hot frying pan on the table years ago. That poor table. It was the first piece of furniture that Den and I bought together. I still love it but it has seen better days. It needs to be completely redone and it will be in 2.5 years or it will be kindling, we shall see.
Have a great day,
SonyaAnn

Wicked Wednesday!

2012-01-25T06:34:00.002-06:00

Bad, bad, bad!
Have a wonderful Wednesday,
SonyaAnn

Christmas Deal

2012-01-24T14:16:00.000-06:00

Hurry, hurry, hurry! I found a Christmas deal for you.

Savelogy has $10 Boston Market gift cards for $5. Go here!!!
That is all,
SonyaAnn

Boring!!!!

2012-01-24T06:09:00.006-06:00

Not much going on here with Christmas but it's still January. I got another $3 from Pinecone. I have a couple of checks coming in from Toluna and one from BP. I'm not getting as many surveys as I used to, ebb and flow, I guess. I'm also not trying as hard before. C'est la vie.
So this is my little Christmas fund already........
Pinecone $3
Toluna $20
BP $50

And this is what I have in the Christmas closet.......

3 felt hats at $1.93 each. $5.79 for all(50% off)
2 Christmas bells at $4 each. $8 for all(50% off)
1 tabletop ping pong for free(was $10 marked down to $5 used my CVS bucks to pay for it)
6 spatulas for1.92 each. $11.52 for all(70% off)
9 plates for 1.92 each. $17.28 for all(70% off)
11 cookies jars at 6.39 each. $70.29 for all(70% off)
My life is boring but I'm ok with that.
Have a great week,
SonyaAnn

A Happy Ending

2012-01-23T06:21:00.052-06:00

Is it wrong to laugh at someone else's pain? Moral dilemmas, I love them. I say laugh because in the end, someone will end up laughing at you.
For my 40th birthday, I went to the spa with my MIL, Donna and Anna. Den paid for all of us. He did this willingly. It was keep me happy or I might destroy everything in a 5 mile radius. I don't do well with aging. I'm fine with the hard won knowledge that comes with age just not the wrinkles and droop.
Anyways, my sister in law called to wish me a happy birthday. It is probably best that I don't name her since she was the victim of the assault. I know that news papers give people aliases so I'll do the same. We will call her Cindy. Her real name rhymes with Cindy-but alas, I have said too much.
"Cindy" called while we were at Red Lobster. My MIL took us there for lunch. Turning 40 did not suck! I could turn 40 every week if I got spoiled like that. Anywho, Cindy called to wish me a happy birthday and to say that she wished that she was with us. We promised her that we would do a girl's day when she came home next.
We were telling her all about the spa and massages that we just got. She seemed to have a lot of questions. I asked her if she had ever had a massage and she answered that she wasn't sure. Hmmmmm, that was an odd statement. I'm pretty sure that you know if you have had a massage before. Because I have such tact and class I asked her, "How the hell can you not know if you have had a massage before?" Tact and class, baby. That question seemed to upset her a bit and she laughed nervously. "Well I have had a massage-sort of?" I'm happily munching on my cheddar biscuit, thinking about how weird she is.(God I hope she never reads this!) "Well did you or didn't you have a massage?" I asked as I wiped cheddar biscuit crumbs from my boobs, this happens more than I like to admit to. She exhaled, "I had a massage in the Dominican Republic." So now I'm really confused, what does the country have to do with it? She had gone on a cruise a few years back with a bunch of friends. What does that have to do with a massage? So I decide that I really need to get this information out of her-purely to help her, mind you. "So did you or didn't you get a massage in the Dominican Republic?" Again with the pause, "Yes, I think. My friend and I went for a massage but I'm not sure about it. We got undressed and the woman.......ummmmmm...... massaged us." Long pause. I just waited cuz I was so interested and my salad arrived. "She massaged my boobs too." I start laughing and choke on a crouton. "WHAT?" I asked laughing really hard. "She really got in there too. I'm glad that I had a towel over my face because I was so shocked that I think my eyes popped out of my head!" she said over the top of my laughing. "Wait, wait did she do this to your friend too?" I asked. "Yes," Cindy answered. "So this woman molested you both?" I asked with extreme compassion-not really. "We decided that it was a European thing," She stated. I would like to point out that they weren't in Europe. I also asked my BFF Donna who is from England about this. She was horrified that anyone could think that booby rubbing was something that they did in their spas. So it is not a European thing.
I happily pointed out to Cindy that they were probably in a massage parlor and that they got a happy ending. With therapy and time I'm sure that she will recover. In time, I will still be laughing at them!
Any stories you would like to tell me,
SonyaAnn

Fab Abs Friday!

2012-01-20T05:40:00.000-06:00

I'm so happy that it is Friday!
Have a great weekend,
SonyaAnn

Hole

2012-01-19T06:10:00.025-06:00

This post is an utter waste of your time, feel free to leave. I'm a void. Since I have nothing great to write about I will give you a few fun facts about me.

I am writing my 3rd book. The second one will never see the light of day, it is too violent against women. I have issues but you know this.
I will never finish my 3rd book. It just won't end.
I have a love/hate relationship with writing. I'm not very good at it but believe that I will improve eventually. When I try to stop writing, a voice in my head won't stop nagging.
Yes, I hear voices.
It's easier for me to write books than blog.
I'm like Mark and don't know the difference between then and than.
In high school an English teacher told me in front of the class that I should stick with writing my name and not stories.
I never read a book until I was a sophomore in high school. It was the first book in the myth series by Robert Asprin.
Robert Asprin is my favorite writer and I also love Steven King.
Dear Robert sent me a signed hard copy of one of his books before it came out as a Christmas present. He died not too long after.
I didn't know how to read until 4th grade.
I was so far advanced in math in grade school that they had to bring a junior high teacher in.
Donna Freedman is my hero. I strive to be a better writer and person because of her.
I have never written a post with bullets. At least, I think that is what the dots are called.
When my inlaws fight, my MIL gives away my FIL's toilet paper.

I think that is all the boring information that you need to know about me.
Run away,
SonyaAnn

Wicked Wednesday!

2012-01-18T05:39:00.000-06:00

Funny!
Have a great Wednesday,
SonyaAnn

Shocking

2012-01-17T05:45:00.023-06:00

Well if one good thing came out of our little gambling snafu is the fact that I'm overly committed to saving money. I always get like this the beginning of the year. I want to get back on track in every aspect of my life.
I usually end up not being able to write for weeks when the kids are off. I always think that I'm going to stop permanently but I start getting cranky and miss it terribly.
The house always seems to have something out of place for weeks after Christmas/kids getting back to school.
I also stop couponing for weeks. I really don't know if this is a good or bad thing. Sometimes I feel as if I'm chasing deals that don't matter. I'm also having a hard time finding any deals that have been posted online. Everything is usually wiped clean so my effort has been wasted and my ink!
I just hate the feeling of everything being out of sorts. I'm a sorts sort of person.
I also came to the conclusion that I'm fat. I know, shocker right.
Just posting about all of my problems will make it all go away, right? So if you could all wish me thin/rich/intelligent/organized I would appreciate it.
Fine since you aren't going to make my dreams come true, I'll work on it myself and keep you posted.
Like the old Bartles and Jaymes comercials-thank you for your support,
SonyaAnn

My Confession

2012-01-16T05:56:00.064-06:00

My confession is that I would love to see that priest shirtless. Drool! Wishing he was the fab ab Friday man! I know that I'm going to Hell, DJ promises me all of the time that they are working on a glorious throne as we speak. Mark, I'm not even going to bring up some of the naughtiness you have committed. But I bet that it was HOT!
I'm going to tell you this and please show some self control in the comment section. One of us needs to have some control since I have none.
It started off so innocently. Well not really but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Den and I thought(Den and I thinking together should never happen again. When we combine forces and agree, bad shit happens. We are better off on opposite sides at all times.) that we deserved a little grown up time. Honestly, porn shops ans strip clubs would have been a better choice.*sigh* We managed to dump off DJ on his grandparents on Saturday. Most of you would be thinking that a nice romantic dinner and sex would be great but no on that one too. We decided as a couple that we would go to a casino just over a hour south of us. We had planned to go on Sunday morning but decided that we couldn't wait.
I think this is the point that I need to interrupt myself. A few weeks ago when Anna was home and DJ was off school , we took the kids to the WI Dells. We dumped them off at the water park/hotel and we went to the casino. I had been working on an algorithm for roulette. Yes, I work on math problems for fun. It is great trying to figure out a way to predict the unpredictable. DJ would even join in and help me. And yes, I thought that I had solved one of life's mysteries-roulette. I impressed myself by being able to come out ahead the majority of time on an online site. And no, I was not teaching my child to gamble-it was a math exercise.
We cleaned house in the Dells. And I'm not kidding! We walked out over $300 up. We had a blast. We were there over 12 hours. We tried to sneak into our room at 4 am but we were far from stealth and pissed the kids off to no end. We won all the way around.
So we figured that we were unstoppable. Do you have a smug look on your face yet? Gloat, its fine. We took out $200, yes $200 and went to the casino. For some reason, we walked out of there with no money. None.
The next day, we decided that it must be the casino's fault and took out another $150 and hit a casino a hour north of us. Would you like to guess how this one went? We lost again. Hmmmm, $350 down in two days. And now is the point where someone needs to pick sluggy up from the floor. I bet she won't even be able to type.
I am now cured of gambling. Den I'm not so sure about. He said that he wanted to go back and try and get his money back. I said a better bet would be to rob a bank. It ain't happening anytime soon-the bank robbin' or the casino.
You could say that we are only $50 down but what I left out was the fact that I gave the $300 to my MIL to pay for our car when we go to Vegas in the summer. I don't even want to think about what will happen when we go back.
Signed,
The fuctard

Fab Abs Friday!

2012-01-13T06:14:00.000-06:00

You can only see a little abs but use your imagination, I am.
Have a wonderful weekend,
SonyaAnn

Helping You Get Fat

2012-01-12T05:40:00.012-06:00

My new job is to help you gain weight for the new year. I made french bread rolls for dinner the other night. I didn't have a dessert planned(yes, this is important in this house. More important than dinner) so I mixed half a stick of butter with 3 tablespoons(ish) of cinnamon and sugar. We then spread that on the dinner rolls. WOW! Everyone was happy and I got rid of the extra rolls.
Just here to help you accomplish your weight goals,
SonyaAnn

Wicked Wednesday!

2012-01-11T05:46:00.000-06:00

I could see this happening to Mark.
Have a great Wednesday,
SonyaAnn

Stuffing My Stocking Already

2012-01-10T06:25:00.011-06:00

Your prayers worked and I found an awesome Christmas sale! I was starting to sweat it a bit! I also got $50 from our BP card. So I've made $70 so far this year. I'm going to track not only how much money I make this year but where I get it from. Sooooo.......
Toluna $20
BP $50

I bought-
6 spatulas for1.92 each. $11.52 for all(70% off)
9 plates for 1.92 each. $17.28 for all(70% off)
11 cookies jars at 6.39 each. $70.29 for all(70% off)
total for all is 99.09.

The new list....................

3 felt hats at $1.93 each. $5.79 for all(50% off)
2 Christmas bells at $4 each. $8 for all(50% off)
1 tabletop ping pong for free(was $10 marked down to $5 used my CVS bucks to pay for it)
6 spatulas for1.92 each. $11.52 for all(70% off)
9 plates for 1.92 each. $17.28 for all(70% off)
11 cookies jars at 6.39 each. $70.29 for all(70% off)

I've spent $112.88(I owe me money, lol). If I had paid full price, it would have been $367.88. I'm at 69.32% savings. I've finished 32(ish) people.
I'm happy with how this year is working out. I've never said that before but the day/year is still young!
Have a great day,
SonyaAnn

Eye See You

2012-01-09T06:17:00.012-06:00

Anna went back to school this weekend. I'm off to clean her room. Somethings will never change.
Did you ever have a conversation with someone so odd that you didn't know what to do with it? These things seem to be the norm around here anymore.
I was complaining that I had something in my eye so Anna offered to help.
Anna-Get in the light so I can see better.
I move into the bathroom so she can get a better look. I stood there hunched over so she can get a better look.
Me-Do you see anything because I think whatever it is is the size of a small branch.
Anna-I see it, it's either a small hair or a vein. (She reaches for it)
And that is the point that I decided that I wanted to keep the small branch and/or the vein in my eye. And she is in college.
Hope to see you again,
SonyaAnn

Fab Abs Friday!

2012-01-06T06:04:00.001-06:00

Abs and arms, yummy! I really need a life. I was hoping that the new year would bring about a whole new SonyaAnn but no.
Happy Friday,
SonyaAnn

Back At It

2012-01-05T06:00:00.024-06:00

Have I mentioned lately that I really like bad boys? Never mind, I'll get back to the Christmas crap.
This is going to be so much easier to post than it was at the end of last year. It took me forever to post!
I had $20 come in from Toluna! And I spent it. Haha. I haven't had much luck with working my after Christmas magic. Everything has been terribly picked through. Boo. So here is the sad bit that I have gotten.
3 felt hats for $5.79 so $1.93 each(50% off)
2 Christmas bells for $8(50% off)
1 tabletop ping pong for free(was $10 marked down to $5 used my CVS bucks to pay for it)

And that is my very sad start to 2012. I've spent $13.79. If I had paid full price, it would have been $37.58. I'm at 63.3% savings. And I have made $20 so far.
Pray for better sales,
SonyaAnn

Wicked Wednesday!

2012-01-04T06:08:00.000-06:00

I have reached an all time low with this one.
I'm sorry,
SonyaAnn

The Last Stand for 2011

2012-01-03T05:39:00.015-06:00

If I did that to Den, he wouldn't be standing for a very long time!
The dreaded final Christmas tally. I'm a little worried but in for a dime and all that. Den got involved so that should say it all. Next year I'm going to have to figure in the "Den" aspect of Christmas. Den added $89.88 to the total. He bought gifts for all of the women on the floor. We made up little cups with hot chocolate and candy. It was cute and they all feed him a lot so he wanted to say thank you. He is well liked at work, not so much here.
He also bought stocking stuffer and a few more things for Anna's boyfriend.
So the list goes a little something like this......(His stuff I couldn't tally very well because he wouldn't let me see a lot of it and then handed it out before. But the good news is I have the receipts, oh wait that isn't good news) And nothing that he bought was discounted. Don't say a word, I already handled it. LOL but not really.

27 items from the dollar store(candy, cups, nuts candles, little games, play dough and etc) $28.57
More candy, coffee, lip gloss, hand sanitizer, candy canes from Target $27.41
Golf balls, goop you throw at the wall, more candy, 2 movies, dice game, and a stocking $33.90
I bought a $60 table soccer game for $5(I'm way better than Den at getting deals)

And here is what the complete list looks like...................

1 $30 Walmart GC(paid $30)
3 $15 Walmart GC(paid $15 each)
2 $20 Walmart GC(paid $20 each)
2 $50 Walmart GC(paid $50 each)
3 $25 Walmart GC(paid $25 each)1 $25 Outback Steak house G.C.(paid $23)
1 $50 Macy's G.C.(paid $46.50)
1 $25 Game Stop G.C.(paid $22.50)
1 $25 Bass Pro G.C.(paid $25)
1 $10 Panera G.C.(free from My points)
6 $10 Papa John's G.C.(paid $5)
2-$20 G.C. Chili's(paid $10 each)
2 $25G.C Boston Market(paid $15 each)
4 $15 Rain Forest G.C. (paid $7.50 each)
5 $10 On the Border/Chili's/Macaroni Grill/Maggiano's G.C.(paid $5 each)
1 $25 GameStop G.C(free)
1 $25 Omaha Steak G.C( free from My Points)
1 $25 Omaha Steak gift card for $21.25
1 $100 Rome Hotel G.C(paid $100 but got a free night coupon with $80!)
7 $10 Ulta G.C.(paid $10 each)
1 $10 Steak and Shake G.C. ($5.99)
1 $50 Target GC(paid $50)
1 $25 Micheals GC(paid $25)
1 $25 Sports Authority GC(Paid $25)
1 $20 Payless GC(Paid $20)
1 $25 Macy GC(Paid $25)
1 $25 Game Stop GC(paid $25)
1 $25 Ihop GC(paid $25)
1 $25 Old Navy GC(paid $25)
8 $12 movie tickets($6.75 each)(total 54)
1 $25 Olive Garden G.C. (free)
4 $10 Subway G.C.($5 each)
1 $15 Auto Zone G.C.(free)
1 $10 Burger King G.C($6.99)
1 $10 Target G.C(free)
1 $4 LA Tan (worth $15. 73% off)
1 $12 LA Tan (worth $30. 60% off)
3 complexion towels(paid $3.75each was $5)
2 eye makeup kits(BOGO half off-So the 1st was $4.99 the 2nd was $2.50)
1 pedicure kit(paid$10)
Seasons 1 &2 of Heroes-used(paid $6.87 for both) new from Walmart$10 a season.
1 Disney Movie(worth $28.99, free from Disney Movie rewards)
2 kids tents for $32.23($40 worth of tents but had a $10 off coupon)
1 Sports Illustrated subscription for $2
1 Time magazine subscription for $2
2 lg wooden puzzles $5each. $10 for both
8 packs of Magic cards($29.03)1 foam activity $9.99.
8 wood catapults $.79 each. $6.32
4 race cars $1 each. $4
2 wood puzzles $1 each.$2
1 paint poster $1
1 plaster magnet $1.
1 tissue paper kit $1
1 Melissa and Doug decorate your own race car(not impressed) for $6.20 was $17.19, 69% savings
1 Melissa and Doug decorate your own train(still not impressed) for $6.20 was $17.19, 69% savings
1 Radio Flyer scooter for $33.20 was $65.99, 49% savings
1 doodle track car set for $11.83 was $14.95, 21% savings
1 baby football(paid $5.99)
1 bath set(paid $8.50)
$28.53 for candy for the owner of Den's company
27 items from the dollar store(candy, cups, nuts candles, little games, play dough and etc) $28.57
More candy, coffee, lip gloss, hand sanitizer, candy canes from Target $27.41
Golf balls, goop you throw at the wall, more candy, 2 movies, dice game, and a stocking $33.90
I bought a $60 table soccer game for $5
Plus all of the stuff in the gift closet from Cracker Barrel. That goes something like this...................
8 Light up ceramic car(4.50 each)
3 Xmas Stocking, dish towel, door hanger set thingy($3.90 each set)
2 Xmas Angel($4.50 each)
4 kids Xmas purses ($2.40 each)
2 silver Xmas tree($5.40 each)
1 lg Santa($9.00)
6 Xmas frame($3.00 each)
1 Xmas platter($5.40)

I've paid $1509.66 for all of the above, if I had paid full price it would have been $3286.73(54% savings). I've made $906.50 in free money not including free gift cards and free gifts. So I've paid $603.16 out of our pocket for Christmas.I think that cutting Christmas down so much was the best gift that I got. Shhh don't tell anyone. We don't carry credit card debt and we always had a huge Christmas fund for years past but it was still very hard and depressing to deal with Christmas and the bills. This year I actually enjoyed Christmas(it also helped that my family wanted nothing to do with me. This is a good thing. Some people aren't nice) and I'm starting off the year with a fresh and happy perspective. My goal for next year is to work my Christmas magic all year long and spend a lot less than $603.16. I'm also going to post whenever I find a good deal so you can get in on it. Feel free to say I'm awesome.
Have a wonderful and prosperous new year,
SonyaAnn

The Year of..................................

2012-01-02T05:35:00.015-06:00

I'm really hoping that this will be the year of SonyaAnn. I feel oddly different. I don't know if it had something to do with me turning 40 or that I had a decent Christmas. I'm just hoping that 2012 is my year. I'm not even going to bring up the fact that the intake manifold gasket went out on Anna's car. For those of you that aren't so hot with cars, intake manifold gasket is sort of the head gasket. Or for the really lost when it comes to cars, Anna's motor has to be taken apart. We got lucky and there is a "patch" of sorts. For $40, we should be able to make it until the summer. There was a flaw in the gaskets that Chevy made for that model. There is a metal replacement now. This is the third time it has had to be fixed. It's only a $100(ish) job if you can do it yourself. Well if Den can do it, I'll just bring him a beer and tell him he is sexy. That works, wish I had figured that out years ago.
I hope that this is your year too,
SonyaAnn

Fab Abs Friday!

2011-12-23T06:02:00.001-06:00

I would really like to find him under the tree. Please pool your money and buy this for me even if you can only afford an hour for me.

Here are a few things that I found to help with your Christmas cheer.

Mark should behave himself.

This one is terrible and that is why I loved it so much. That is an actual ornament that you can order. People are screwed up and I love it.
Happy Holidays,
SonyaAnn

Wicked Wednesday!

2011-12-21T05:45:00.000-06:00

Moses, Christ its all the same thing, right?
Happy Wednesday,
SonyaAnn

My Inappropriate Love for You

2011-12-20T06:24:00.000-06:00

It's not that I am leaving you, I'm just need a little time to finish all of the Christmas stuff around here. This is what I get for leaving it!
My posting will probably be sporadic until after the New Year but the love is still there.
Be back in a flash,
SonyaAnn

Snow Balls

2011-12-19T06:19:00.077-06:00

I'm so different from Mark. He is so worried about change and having a ton of people find his blog. Me on the other hand, would think that would be great. Unfortunately, with the pictures and the naughty words that I use no one would listen to me or take me serious. Sigh, I am my own worst enemy. My enemy is a sexual deviant with naughty pictures. When I put it like that, it seems somewhat better. Moving on.
Back to the Christmas crap! I haven't bought anything else. I just don't care anymore. I think that DJ & I crushed Den's Christmas spirit a bit. Den realized that DJ and I think that putting up a tree is not all that it is cracked up to be. Dragging a dead tree that birds have pooped on or animals have had sex in, into my clean house doesn't sit well with me and puts me in a pissy mood. I've tried to get a fake tree over and over again. I was informed that a fake tree would ruin the season for Den and Anna. They fight terrible but when they unite for a cause that they think is important, they are a force to be reckoned with. Don't tell them that I said that.
But the good news is I've had more money come in. Yay for coming. I got another $3 from Pinecone Research. I got $20 for testing a dishwasher product(I made $35 from that one alone) and I got a $20 mastercard debit card for spending $200 on Christmas presents online(how do they know what was presents and what was normal spending? that thought is kinda scary). I've made $906.50 for the year. Den still might buy something for the women at work and he needs to buy stocking stuffers for us. I'll probably give the $43 to him and see what he comes up with. I'm not going to sweat it anymore, I'm too much like the Grinch as it is. It's just so much work and all everyone does is complain. I think that is why I'm not a Christmas person. The favorite part of Christmas for me is the 25th when its just the four of us, we get Chinese take out and lay on the couch all day, watch movies or play with the stuff that we get. Simple and enjoyable.
I'll let you know the final tally in a few days.
Happy Holidays,
SonyaAnn