Take That, Wal-mart!!

I've been a total slacker when it comes to couponing...I used to be diligent about clipping and organizing them and then REMEMBERING to take them to the store with me. I've let it slide for awhile now. And, then I have a night like tonight. And, I wonder...why did I ever stop???

Kim and I ventured into Wal-mart tonight to see what was left after all the other couponers in UT county have been out shopping (and if you live here, you know what I mean). I typically try and stay away from this place of disorganized, dirty aisles, full of products made in China by 4 year old children (I shop at Target where the children are at least 8). I was suprised to see that there were many items that I was looking for and I was on cloud nine as I walked out of the store with a shopping cart of items and money still left over. Here's what I had in my cart:

4 pkgs. Schick Disposable Razors (12 count in each)

5 Degree deodorant

2 Boxes Diego Bandaids

10 pkgs. Kotex liners

5 jars Nalley Dill pickles

4 bags Halls cough drops

1 pkg. paper plates (I paid full price for these, argh!)

6 Condtadina tomato pastes

2 pkg hot dogs

2 pkg. Uncrustables (frozen PB&J's...I think they're nasty, but my kids like them)

1 pkg. Puffs tissues

Total Before coupons: $56.09

Total after coupons: $14.84!!!!

The most I paid for any one item was the paper plates and they were a whopping $2.38! Most everything else was under $.50 and several items were FREE!! Can't beat that price! My one mistake may have been to take my husband with me...now he may expect that kind of shopping ALL the time!!

I know that it's a sad day when coupons can make one so happy. But, we are in a recession here. We've got to be happy about something, right?? At least it makes me feel a little better about the $100 I blew at Target today on virtually nothing but junk....

Authentic

(Back)

(Front)

I've just completed my 2nd quilt and am very pleased to announce that it did not fall apart when I washed it this morning. I started this one about a month ago with the idea that I would give it to my Dad for his 60th birthday. The birthday has come & gone (January 31) and I am just now getting it ready to mail. I finished the binding last night and it turned out better than I thought it would. I was nervous - this one I did with hardly any help from master quilter and friend, Vickie. She did, however, do all the stippling...I haven't a clue about all that business, yet. It relaxes me to know that it's for my dad and he won't notice all the mistakes anyway!

The fabric line is called "Authentic" and it's by Moda Fabrics (love, love, love their fabric lines!). It is blacks, greens, tans and whites and just a few flowers here and there. I am really excited to finish off another quilt that is halfway done and most excited that I'm keeping it for myself.

Happy Birthday, Daddi-o! It'll be in the mail this week!!

How To Be a Good Houseguest...

Someday, Somehow, my kids will leave home. I know that I will be sad when it all comes to an end and I'm home alone. Yes, alone. You know as well as I do that Kim will be on the golf course from sun up to sun down. So, I've devised a plan of sorts. I will spend my years of retirement traveling the countryside (or Utah county) to visit my kids and their families. I can stay for a week or two, love my grand kids, and then go home. To a quiet, clean house. To ensure we all have a fabulous time when I come to visit, I will:

1. Leave a trail of mess throughout every room in the house. Backpacks, books, homework, garbage, food, shoes, dirty socks, etc. I will let them follow me around and beg to have me clean it up. I will make sure that they have to ask me no less than 14 times before I will listen. Then I will move as SLOWLY as possible to take care of my OWN crap.

2. I will not let one meal go by where I don't spill something. The stickier and gooey-er the better. I will then just leave it there and let it be a "surprise" for whoever is doing the cleaning up. Those are the best!

3. I will communicate all my needs through a subtle whining in my voice....there is no other way to ask for something!!

4. I will not brush my teeth unless I am told to!! What a joy this will bring. And then, when I finally do traipse to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I will lovingly leave the toothpaste over every square inch of the bathroom...rugs, floor, counter, sink cabinets. To make the brushing even more fun, I will leave the toothpaste lid off (or even lose it all together) so that the sticky concoction can dry up and be virtually unusable.

5. Speaking of the bathroom, I will also make sure to always leave the toilet paper roll empty and the toilet in need of a flush. No matter what's in there.

6. I will make to to tell the chef in the house at EVERY meal that "I don't like that"....it makes for great dinner conversation! To make it even more pleasant, I will make sure that the chef knows that I'd rather eat cold cereal at every meal.

7. I will eat them out of house and home. And, I'll make to comment EVERY DAY after school that "there is NO food in this house". I'll make sure to overlook completely all the HEALTHY things that are called fruits and vegetables that are secretly hidden in the fridge. No way will I eat THAT!!

8. I will make sure that I forget to thank them for being my personal taxi driver. I'm certain that I will need rides here and there and everywhere. It won't matter that they have a bazillion miles on their car and that they will go through an entire tank of gas a week just being my personal chauffeur. No thanks needed, I'm sure!!

9. I will make sure that I leave ALL the phones in the house in my bedroom. That way, when the phone rings, no one will be able to find a phone. Not to mention that there will come a point when all the batteries inside the phones will die and will eventually stop ringing all together. They'll have to just make do until they accidentally run across a phone and then wait 7-10 hours to USE the phone again because the batteries need to be re-charged. So, if I hide them all over the house, they won't have to answer any messages. Ever. I'm doing them a favor, really.

10. I will be certain to use every towel they own. Once. Then, to make the experience even better, I will leave them in a heap in the bathroom or on my bedroom floor so that by the time they get around to actually hunting down all the towels, they smell like mildew and fungus.

They're going to LOVE me to come and visit...don't you think???