Coupon?

So.  Because my life is so boring and I have nothing better to do, I have started to use coupons (better).  I've always loved a deal, but purposeful coupon use has not been a passion of mine.  I DO use coupons on things like getting my kids pictures taken or clothes from KOHL'S or oil changes.


  I collected PediaSure coupons back when LMM was drinking his weight in it each day.  (And for the record, due to Rosebud's lack of weight gain she is also getting some each day, but not nearly the amount he consumed.

But for groceries?  Not so much.  Why not?  Well here is my pros/cons list for coupon use.

Pro:  People actually end up with FREE groceries
        It saves money
        It is fun to see how much money you can save!

Cons:  I don't have excessive amounts of extra time
           We don't subscribe to a newspaper-we don't read it and I can't justify the use of trees for paper on something I'm going to toss because I just wanted a few coupons.
            I see a coupon that is GREAT and then buy something with it I"d never usually spend money on.  Not a great way to save money! Part of our Financial Peace journey (click tag at the end of the post to learn more) was learning to NOT just buy something because it was on sale.  That can get you in money trouble-fast.  I try really hard to not get caught up in the "deal", and instead make sure it is useful.
            95% of coupons are for name brand items we never ever use OR that I'd still get cheaper buying generic brand or from ALDI.
            Most coupons are for pre-packaged, preservative laden, nutritionally void foods.

So for that very reason, it has been rare I use coupons.

BUT.

I was at my parent's house awhile back and saw a show on their cable called "Extreme Coupon-ing" or something of the like.  I was fascinated.  These people bought hundreds of dollars of goods for pennies.  It really was quite something.  However, it took them tons of time, they bought and threw away tons of newspapers, and they bought junk I'd never buy.  Hmmmm.

AND THEN.

We started getting coupons in our weekly free grocery circulars that are thrown haphazardly at the end of our driveway each Sunday morning while we're at church.  Of course I look through the grocery circular at our local grocers to see what deals they have.  Very often I can spend 10 minutes browsing them and get a store brand item at a good deal.  I always have a detailed grocery list going, and just make notes on it of where to buy what. (And no, I don't grocery shop hop as the norm, but we do go to ALDI and Kroger each week and I always compare their prices).  I also recycle the circulars when I am done and don't feel terribly about the tree usage as at least I didn't ask for it.

So I started perusing the coupons and comparing them to the ad prices.  I also started cutting coupons I might want at some point and keeping them.  Then if I notice something in the circular is on sale AND I have a coupon...well I might consider it.

AND NOW.

I have started using coupons each week.  Granted I'm talking one or two a week...but I have been getting big savings.  The picture above is for Corn Chex.  We get the off brand Rice Chex at Aldi for $2.18/box as they are gluten free and MUCH cheaper than gluten free cheerios or the like for $4-$6/box.

This week both Rice Chex and Corn Chex were on sale at Kroger for $2.18/box (same as ALDI) regular price is $3.52/box.  I also had a "buy 3, save $1.50" coupon.  ***STAY WITH ME HERE***
If I had used the coupon any other week, I'd get 3 boxes of cereal for $9.06...but at ALDI I'd have gotten the same thing for $6.54.  That use of coupon would have been really dumb.

However, with the store deal and coupon, I got 3 boxes of cereal for $5.04, a savings of $1.50.  When I bought the 3 boxes of cereal, another coupon printed with my receipt and it was a "buy 4 boxes, save $1.50".  Not as good of a deal...but I went ahead and did it.  I got 4 boxes of cereal for $7.22, saving 38 cents/box. (I walked my groceries to my car, went back in and used the freshly printed coupon).

And in actuality I saved more like $12.38 because we got CORN, not RICE chex...something we can't get at ALDI but will buy occasionally so that LMM doesn't have to eat the same cereal day in and day out.  I figured I can get the off brand rice version any-ol-time so I bought the "fancy" stuff.

So I spent $12.26 and I saved $12.38.  Now before you ask what on earth I am going to do with 7 boxes of cereal...we go through 1 1/2-2 boxes of this cereal a week. Rosebud eats it (as we are highly suspecting she is also wheat/gluten intolerant) and LMM eats two bowls a morning, 3-4 mornings a week.  And we also give it to our daycare kids and Snug if they want it (being as it isn't the pricey gluten-free cereal).  So it will be gone within a month, easily.

Any coupon tips?  I know I'm not a HUGE fan of them...but I know some people do really well with it.

Have You Had "The Talk" WIth Your Kids?

No, not that talk. My kids are only 4, 2, and 4 months! I mean the talk about money. This is also a BIG one. And one that needs to be repeated.

Let me tell you about how this all came about.

Last night after church we stopped by our old neighbor's house to chat for a couple of minutes on our way home from church. We miss them terribly and haven't connected in awhile. Our old yard looks...awful. Seriously, the place looks like it has been foreclosed on and that no one lives there. That bad. The lawn is not mowed, the flower garden has not been weeded (think several feet tall weeds), there are weeds growing up between all the cracks in the sidewalk/driveway. The gate to the privacy fence is never closed, and there are some vertical blinds missing in the big front window...that they have hung a princess themed sheet over the gap. My little ornamental weeping cherry tree that I always trimmed so carefully...a mess. A complete mess. (We had bought the house from someone I used to work with and the tree had been a gift when her grandfather passed...I always remembered that and tried to honor his memory.)

Some yard work has been done. The new owner had two HUGE beautiful maple trees removed. But didn't plant grass over where they were. It is just so sick.

Upon returning home, I remembered that some of the bushes in our new front yard needed to be trimmed. I was going to wait for fall and cooler weather...but I took vengeance for my old yard upon my new one today.

I (stupidly) got out my pruning sheers and pruned the daylights out of the first overgrown bush. Then when I noticed that the woody stems were really hard to cut through and that I had given myself no less than five large blisters, I went for the lopping sheers and finished the job. There was a TON of debris left in my wake.

Snug was running around outside and I made him a deal. If he'd load all of the debris into his wagon and dispose of it (some to the mulch pile, some to the yard waste bag) I'd pay him. He agreed. It is in the nineties today, and the work took him close to forty minutes (filled the wagon two times). I paid him four quarters.

Ever since we did Financial Peace University we have been trying to instill the same money values in our kids. One of the first things we do with them is to give them three banks. One is labeled "Give" one "Save" and one "Spend". Monkey Man will be getting his "give" and "save" banks here soon. We use empty Parmesan cheese jars for this, we keep it simple people.

When they earn money (pennies for little jobs, dimes for medium jobs, quarters for hour-long-hot-in-the-sun jobs) we have taught Snug to put the money in the three banks and say "Give to someone who needs it" "Save for something you need" "Spend on something I want". I'm not sure why we never divvy out nickles...I never have nickels hanging around. Why is that? They don't get paid for everything they help out with around the house, many jobs are done because we are a family and families work together.

Today we went a step further. Although Snug has spent some of his money in the past (saved up birthday money for a toy, given money to Operation Christmas Child and missions) he has never just went to his "spend" jar and spent it because he has it. I asked Snug if he'd like an ice cream cone, and he decided that he would. Before he put the two remaining quarters into his "spend" bank I told him that an ice cream at McDonald's cost fifty cents, and that is what two quarters is.

When Monkey Man and Rosebud went down for a nap, daddy stayed home and mommy and Snug went on a "date". He ordered, payed for, and ate his hard earned treat. As we sat at the table I decided to talk to him more about money. He has wanted to do some things this summer that we didn't have money to do, and we have simply told him "we don't have the money". Don't feel too bad for the little guy, he's had a fun-filled summer.


As we sat there enjoying each other's company we talked about where money comes from he showed me he already knows that God gave daddy his job and that is how we have a house to live in and food to eat. Today's topic was more specific about how he likes to turn on the light in his bedroom or that we get to have gas in the van. I told him that we have money we give, save, and spend also. But spending money isn't just for things you want like ice cream. First of all you have to pay bills and such like.

He noted that I had recently gotten a new rug for the living room, and I told him that indeed I had, but that I had saved for literally months to be able to buy it. Oh, I will SOOO have to post pictures of the rug too, I L O V E it. That is totally not part of the story, sorry.

Anyway, then he asked where our money was. Did I have a penny bank (that is what he calls his piggy banks, and in all fairness when some of the banks look like pigs and some like empty recycled food containers...penny bank is a better word) and where was it? I then explained that we use a bank building to put our money in. Next month when I go and fill envelopes (another Financial Peace thing) I'll have to make sure he is included in the process.

One thing that he said that cracked me up was he asked why we put our money in a bank. I told him because some people would sin against us and steal money if we just had it all sitting around. He said "like litterbugs! They'd steal our money and THEN put their trash on the ground!" I have to remember that he is only four.

Litterbugs aside, I really feel that our "date" and fifty cent ice cream made an impact on him. I think that the money talk needs to be made with all kids, and made whenever the opportunity arises. Our society is a "give it to me now and I'll spend even what I don't have" mess. Being smart with money, not buying what you can't afford, and finding ways to save money/be frugal are Biblical values to teach your children.

Go ahead, have the talk!

Yesterday's News

After starting Financial Peace University a couple of years ago, haircuts were one of the first things we "cut" out (yes, I crack myself up). I get mine cut once, maybe twice a year (and it shows, I have the WORST split ends...but no matter) and I cut Snug and #1's hair. If that shows, don't tell me because I think they look halfway decent all things considering!

However, Little Monkey Man is a different story. He has really nice hair, and I like it longer. I don't trust myself to cut/style it so he went in yesterday for his second haircut. His first haircut went well, so I figured this one would be easy too. The back was getting REALLY long, and #1 kept calling him "mullet boy". Even where we live that isn't really a compliment.

So we popped his second sucker of a lifetime into his mouth (most hard suckers are gluten-free) and plopped him into the chair.

Not. Happening.

He cried and slobbered and tears were just streaming. So he had to sit on Grandmommy's lap...because mommy doesn't currently have a lap. Besides, who else was going to capture the moment on film camera?

After "our hairdresser" started working, he calmed right down and did fine. I love this girl. She's cut my hair since I was just out of college. She is so patient with kids.

Within just a few minutes we were done and all the crying and slobbering and runny nose were just a memory...or just traces of fluid on his face.

I realized as I was doing this post I didn't get an "after" picture of the side/back. It was trimmed in the front, cleaned up/styled on the side, and about 2 inches off the back. Perhaps I won't get "she" quite as much out in public. People always dress their girls in Thomas the Tank Engine, don't they?

In other news, I had an OB appointment (35 weeks!) yesterday. Everything is normal. She's sitting tight. I was a bit dismayed to discover that I weighed the same yesterday as the day I had both boys (who had parallel pregnancies). Something tells me in the next 5 weeks I will continue to get bigger. So something tells me she will also get bigger. If I go 5 more weeks, she will be well over 9 lbs.

I know, I know, lots of people have babies that big. I just never wanted to be one of them!

I told the nurse I am REALLY uncomfortable when I stand or walk very much and I feel like she is going to fall out. It gets downright painful in fact. She kinda laughed, said that was normal in the third (or fourth or more) pregnancy. She just said I am "all stretched out" and it gets more "crampy" with each kid. Isn't that nice? I am all stretched out.

A GOOD thing about my appointment (not that her being perfectly normal and sitting tight isn't good, it really really is and I am so thankful)was they had "Pregnancy" magazine sitting in stacks for moms to pick up. This is one of three magazines this month that have BumGenius diaper coupons in them. I knew the coupons were out there, but didn't want to spend the money to purchase the magazines...defeated the point of saving money! The coupons are pretty much buy one, get one free!

That is a HUGE deal with BumGenius diapers, let me tell you.

I may or may not have picked up two magazines so that my mom could also buy one get one free. I have my eye on two shades of pink and two white (go with everything) ones. Now I just have to budget them into April! I bought my first BG diaper about a month ago as Little Monkey had outgrown several of his pockets and was in need of at least one more diaper(the two white ones I am getting he can also wear...and I guess the pink if we get in a pinch). I got it in 'Ribbit' in case any of you CD moms care, and I LOVE it. They are everything everyone says they are-including, unfortunately, pricey. I can't believe I have cloth diapered for over 18 months and didn't own one. If you are looking to start with cloth diapers, I'd recommend you get at least one and try it for yourself.

Stuff and Nonsense

I haven't posted in a couple of days because I really have nothing to say. Nothing. Unless you call me on the phone and then I'd probably talk your ear off. But I have nothing interesting to blog about.

Snug and I did make this really neat sun catcher thing out of ice that I'd love to post about, but I don't have any space left on my camera cards...and I stole the idea from a magazine I was reading in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

We went to the doctor two times last week. I had my glucose blood test. That is always a good time. I had to wait an hour after drinking sickly sweet flat orange pop tasting stuff. And the TV I was planning on watching (always health news, but better than nothing) shut off about 15 minutes into my wait. Apparently they have no control over it. I was missing my book I almost brought with me.

The second doctor appt. was for Snug who couldn't hear a thing last week. He was seriously all but deaf. I was getting pretty sick of shouting at him and telling him things ten times. I finally broke down and took him to the doctor. He had fluid on his ears, but it wasn't infected and there was evidence there had been much more and it was draining. I almost didn't take him...probably shouldn't have.

I have been watching "Emma" on PBS on Sunday nights. Tonight is the third installment, and probably the last. I got the book from the library and was glad I was also watching it because the language was very wordy and I would have been lost. I think I might try "Sense and Sensibility" next. Who knows.

We were up from 3am-4:30 am with Snug because he had a vomiting spree. I love cleaning up bedding and such in the dark in the middle of the night. Poor #1 had to do much of the work because every time Snug threw up, so did I. Pregnancy and my kids sick doesn't usually mix really well. I took Monkey Man to church with me today so that #1 could rest. Instead, he got to hear Snug singing the "Wonder Pets" theme loudly the entire time. So much for being sick, he's been pretty wound up today.

Last night #1 got to drag a man (dressed as a woman) out from under a kitchen table. He was seeing things coming to get him (little men, etc.) and freaking out. He kept telling #1 to keep a watch out. This happened at a apartment complex we can see from our rental house. I think #1 will be glad when we move to the new town. He prefers not to be taking calls within a stone's throw of where his family is staying.

I plan on watching the Superbowl (until Emma comes on that is!) for the commercials. I do like football, but could care less about either team this year. We don't normally do anything fun for the Superbowl because #1 is always working. I think I am going to order a pizza with our "blow fund" money* to make it more special for him though. He does get to come home for dinner (one perk of working in the town where you live). Neither of the boys will be able to eat it (Little Monkey is lactose intolerant and Snug was puking less than 24 hours ago...nope) so #1 will get as much of it as he wants...that is rare!

See, nothing too terribly interesting. Just lots of stuff. Everyday, boring stuff. And no pictures. So sorry.

*"blow fund" money is our monthly allowance for fun stuff. We adhere very strictly to the envelope system we learned in Financial Peace University. It works for us!

Not Me! Monday

Ok, well this past week has been a horrible, no good, very bad week. So, to de-stress, here are some things I have absolutely NOT been doing as of late...

*I did not have to come back and write that this is all due to MckMama and go to her blog to see other Not Me! Monday accounts. I did not completely forget to write that in this post. MckMama would be so disappointed in me.

I did not forget to do the June budget until the 4th...or the 5th. Dave Ramsey would be so disappointed in me.

We did not eat an entire cookie cake from #1's birthday (with a tiny bit of help from the Draycare kids) within 4 days. Jenny Craig would be so disappointed in me.

I did not drag #1 to a volunteer cookout ON his birthday. He did not have to work late, drive separately, and then sit with a bunch of old seasoned volunteers for the evening. Not Me. The social committee would be so disappointed in me.

I did not spank Snug the other day because he was acting terrible, only to find out a couple of hours later that he was quite sick. SuperNanny would be so disappointed in me.

I did not discover when looking through pictures I had taken over a 2 week period that the SAME laundry baskets with the SAME laundry were sitting in a corner of my living room. Martha Stewart would be so disappointed in me.

I did not have several youth group students get their sticky marshmallows for S'mores on me, and have the ash from the fire burn two tiny holes in my shirt. That was not the nicest shirt I own at the moment. I did not wear it to youth group. Liz Claiborne would be so disappointed in me.

I did not get five loads of laundry folded/put away, spend thirty minutes of one-on-one time with each of the boys, get the floor mopped, go to the library, and visit with one of my Draycare moms today...and I did not manage to get both boys down for a nap simultaneously (a miracle of late). Oh, I am so not disappointed in me!

It's a good thing I don't know MckMama, Dave, Jenny, the social committee, SuperNanny, Martha, or Liz, huh? :o)

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Mama Bear twittered the other night about doing a "Favorite Things" post and if anyone else wanted to do it too. I had several things I'd taken pictures of/wanted to share but didn't really fit into a post, so thanks Carrie! To start off, I am not including my Bible (which is still from 1995 and falling apart...they don't sell that particular one anymore and I am very fond of it) or any of the devotional books I have really enjoyed. I think that might end up as a post in itself.

These are in no particular order...just how Blogger uploaded them. I tried to pick some things that other people might not know about/benefit from.

First up is the Sepia setting on my camera. I find it by hitting "ok" on my Olympus camera, then Mode Menu, then Camera, then Function, then Sepia. That's for anyone else out there who might have an Olympus and wants to try it. I am really excited for next week's I ♥ Faces contest that is going to use it!

Next up is the boys' bedroom. Here is a picture of Baby J who is pulling up like a champ these days. He loves to stand, and seems how we weren't allowed to let him until he did it by himself...well he gets even a bigger kick out of it. Anyway, the boys' room is a conglomeration of things I had picked up since high school (think I wanted to be a mom?), things my mom and I bought on e-bay, and garage sale finds. It is a Beatrix Potter/Old Pooh theme. I couldn't paint over the Pooh and Eeyore that were already on the wall when we moved in, so my mom added some murals like the one you see behind Baby J. Isn't she a great artist? The colors all fit together nicely. There is a Frog and Toad mural behind their door too. So cute!

Another favorite thing is the diaper you see Baby J wearing in both pictures above. It is a Haute pocket diaper. I have three that I bought used from The Cloth Diaperin' Mama. They work SO well. Never had a leak since we started using them.
The other diapers we use are Thirsties covers over birds eye flats. We haven't had success with their fab fitteds or AIOs, but the covers are used daily. (If you want more information on how I cloth diaper or want to think I am completely nuts go to http://www.clothcrazy.blogspot.com/)

Next is my sling from Kangaroo Korner. Mine is a Bali Breeze made by Gypsy Mama. I use either that or my ring slings (I make those) almost daily. While we do use a stroller, sometimes it is easier not to have to take it. Especially like when we were at the mall carnival (above) or in the children's museum today.

I know I've shared this picture before, but it is a classic. I wanted to direct your attention to the bib Snug is wearing. It is a bib that has SLEEVES* from IKEA. They were also really cheap...I think we got a package of two for $3. Because Snug is too big for them (it is all we had on hand this night) my mom took one apart, made him a larger size, and then fixed the original.

*If you have ever eaten a meal with Snug you will know that he may need a bib and or sleeves until he is a teenager

Probably is kinda dumb to blog about our favorite bubbles, but it actually was an issue this spring. The bubble tumbler is great, guess who it came from? Yep, my mom. But what is inside of it is the hot issue. We bought "Miracle Bubbles" from Wal-Mart and they were anything BUT a miracle. They didn't blow bubbles. I could eek out a few tiny ones, but the kids couldn't get anything. I was so disappointed because I got a HUGE container of them and thought it was what we had purchased last year. Right before we went to Virginia Beach I let Snug pick out a travel size bottle of bubbles to take with us. He chose some made by iNFINITE BUBBLES (also Wal-Mart) and they were amazing. I am pretty sure from looking at the logo it is the kind I bought last year in bulk. Too bad. I am working on the big thing of them I bought by adding dish soap to them...seems to be helping. So if you haven't bought yours yet, go for iNFINITE BUBBLES.

I blogged the other day about finding some all natural paraben free soap in Cedarville. My friend Christine wanted to know what I thought about it. I wasn't sure at first, but I think it is a keeper. You can order online if you want to try it and don't live near Cedarville (Beans N Cream sells it). Click on the picture and it will take you there. I do like it, but as I use it I feel really dried out. However, as soon as I dry off from the shower that feeling is gone. It smells nice too, and I have the Pure and Simple without anything added to make it smell. They have smelly ones too. So Christine, I give it one and a half thumbs up!

Ok Mitt, I know you are on vacation, but you'll recognize these. We have and love Bumpy Orbit Labels for both boys with their first and last name (for privacy reasons I don't use their names on the blog so I copied this from the website). It makes it easier when we take things to church or playgroup to get them back! I got them when Snug was a baby and will get more if we have another baby. SO much easier than tape labels or marker.

Speaking of Snug he just yelled "there's my sippy cup, right there!" when he saw this picture on the computer. (He is watching Bob the Builder as his 30 minutes of TV and Baby J is sleeping) This is his Nalgene BPA free sippy cup. He uses a real cup unless we leave home, but we are out and about quite a bit so this is used daily. He drinks lots and lots of water and I don't really want spillage in my van!

This picture was taken for my organizational post (also organized by Mama Bear..it was also a contest that I won!). This picture shows LOTS of my favorite things. We'll start on the left. Melaleuca products, IKEA containers, Longaberger baskets, and my Kitchen Aid mixer. Many, many of my favorite things. Not sure how I left this one off...but I remembered and just added it. We bought it for our diapers...but ended up using it for everything. Charlie's is environmentally friendly, cloth diaper preferred, and great for people with allergies. We were using Melaleuca products that we liked, but this replaced them fast. It is cheaper* than Melaleuca and we don't use any fabric softener anymore-don't need to.

*when we buy the 5 gallon bucket of it

We first saw Go Fish perform on JellyTelly (another "favorite") a few months ago. When I was in the Family Christan Bookstore picking up some things for our church, this caught my eye. TERRIBLE as it was, I got it out of budget (not a good idea, sorry Dave Ramsey...also a favorite thing) and Snug loves it...finally a break from Bob and Larry!

But my top 3 favorite things are:

My husband!

My Snug Bug (this was also from the mall carnival...how cute is he? He is also wearing one of my favorite shirts he owns. Mindy, recognize anyone?)

And our little miracle Baby J :o)

Are your retinas bleeding yet? Mine are! This post took SUPER long to put up. They usually take between 10 and 30 minutes to do...30 being if there are lots of pics to upload. Bob the Builder is WAY over, so I need to SCOOT.

Not Me! Monday

Not Me! Monday...does it really even need an introduction? I didn't think so. Hop, click, and jump on over to MckMama's blog to see what no one else dared to do this week.
I did not feed Baby J in the pool so that it wasn't such a mess to clean up later. Nope, not me!
I did not play a half hour of backyard baseball with Snug this week so that I could get him nice and tired and then take pictures for I ♥ Faces. No, Not Me! I did not have so much fun that I almost forgot to take the pictures, not me.

I did not take my children to a SWAT training where they watched men jump off a building and missed their naps. I most certainly did not take them the next day to a graduation open house where they missed their naps for the second day in a row, not me.

I am not staying up writing this post Sunday night way too late so I can watch the end of the Red Wings hockey game.

I did not forget about a load of diapers I had hanging on the clothesline and leave them there for two days. Not Me!

I have not eaten six hot dogs in the past week. Never ever would I consume that many nitrates in a small time span.

I have not gotten a little panicky that I have nothing for my husband's birthday on Friday. I am not considering giving him what he wants...but won't post what it is yet.

I did not totally blank when giving my testimony at Financial Peace University on Wednesday night and forget our pastor's daughter/Snug's Sunday school teacher's fiance's name in front of everyone. Not me! I am great with names.

I am not asking you to help me with my I ♥ Faces post by looking at the following pictures and telling me which one you think would be best for their Sepia Tone contest next week. Not Me!

Please help me! Which one would you use?
#1...not my favorite, but it is sepia and his face...

#2 I love this one, but it is only a partial face...

#3 I like this one, but his eyes are closed...

#4 Probably not this one...he looks like he might be crying, but he isn't....

#5 Not the best picture of Snug...but it is kinda artsy, and they like artsy...

#6 I love this one, but it would need some edits...and my editing software isn't ready yet...

#7 I don't think this picture is eligible because you really can't see his face...but I still wanted to share it with you.

#2 is my favorite...how about you?

Alphabitty Moments

This blog carnival is brought to you by Mama Bear who would absolutely love it if you would head on over and record those bitty moments that pass us by before we know it, using the alphabet.

F is for finally! No, but I am finally putting this up today. I just didn't know what to post...and I didn't really have time, and then when I had a few minutes during nap time...I couldn't decide.

I had F is for firetruck...one of Snug's favorite things...or F is for Financial Peace...or family...or FREE! Yes! At our house F is for free! Enjoy...

Top Left: FREE swingset from a dear neighbor who no longer had use for it
Top Right: FREE train table that Snug will get for his birthday from Craigslist
Bottom Left: FREE Little Tykes Coupe cars from friends
Bottom Right: FREE visit to the firestation to sit in the trucks

While we have never been terrible with money, in the past few months we have been applying Dave Ramsey's principles (Financial Peace University). #1 and I went last night and had an opportunity to share our testimony on how God has used this in our lives with a 'new' financial peace class that started at our church. The question was asked, "how do you find free/really cheap things?" I had to think for a minute, but my answers were mostly the library, craigslist, and our local parks and rec. We also have been blessed by people who have given us things they no longer have a use for, and try to also return the favor. Never underestimate what God can do for you when you are willing to trust Him. Money included.

Thanks Babies R Us

I read on a couple of blogs lately that Babies R Us was exchanging old Avent baby bottles that were not BPA free for the new ones that are. So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter had a post about it a few days ago and I remember thinking "man, if we were using bottles I'd have to check that out". But, I had vowed off bottles so I really didn't think much about it. Well, in the light of our new situation it was back to basics bottles. I had two glass bottles that we have used for Baby J because of the BPA stuff. We hadn't used them since before Christmas...and within 24 hours we knew two bottles wasn't going to cut it. After taking glass bottles with us yesterday I also realized that it was impractical because if they are dropped they will shatter.

I got on the phone and first called Toys R Us that is near here. This is not my favorite store and I don't go there unless I have to. I'm not sure how it has stayed open as long as it has. The gentleman I spoke with assured me that Toys R Us never did exchanges for things that didn't have a recall and not to bother calling the Babies R Us in Dayton either because they wouldn't consider doing an exchange either. Well, I am easily thrown off course, so I waited about 25 seconds and called Babies R Us.
Right away I was on the phone with a chipper young woman who informed me that not only could I do the exchange, I also wouldn't need any sort of receipt. I would not be getting a direct exchange as the new BPA free bottles are almost twice the price of the old ones, but that they would be happy to help me in any way they could. I was glad about the receipt because most of the bottles I received were from baby showers.
I had to sort through my conglomeration of bottles and pieces. I chose three 4oz and three 9oz bottles to take in. I took the remaining 10 bottles (what? I had 16 bottles??? Uh, yeah, and another one at my mom's house...Snug was in daycare so we had them divided between two houses) and put them in a bag to take to Once Upon A Child. They gave me $1.01/bottle. That gave me $10.10 towards the difference in my exchange. I was pretty excited!
The new bottles have a honey tinge to them, evidently the BPA is what was used to make the bottles super clear. I really am ok with the tinge because our dishwasher has a tendency to make things a little cloudy anyway. This has gotten MUCH better since we started using Melaleuca products, but there is still quite a bit of calcium in our water.

I don't have these super-cute sippy cups, I guess they have gotten an upgrade since Snug. Mine are very similar, just no little animals...and mine have handles too. I took them to Babies R Us with the bottles, but they told me they are made from polypropylene and contained no BPA. From what I can tell they are safe...if anyone knows any different, please let me know!

I would like to thank Babies R Us because this is not an Avent recall, they still say their bottles that contain BPA are safe and will not recall them (it is interesting though that 90% of their products are now BPA free and have LARGE stickers on the boxes stating as much). This is just Babies R Us/Toys R Us doing it for their customers. It is a store by store decision. Thanks guys!

*Here was a funny thing that happened while I was checking out at Babies R Us. The lady wanted to know if I wanted a Babies R Us credit card, and I told her I in fact did not. She kinda tried to ask me why and I told her that we do not use credit cards (Financial Peace University). Then she offered me some sort of store loyalty card. She explained that after I bought either 8 or 9 boxes of disposable diapers, I could get the next box free. I respectfully declined and told her I used cloth diapers. Blank stare...then "your total is....". I think she thought I was kidding.

Advertisement

Today I am advertising! Not Me Monday will be up later (nighttime)...but right now I want to do some advertising. This being my blog I will go ahead and do so. I hope you check some of these FREE* things out :o)
*Use your local library to get books before you decide to buy...ok so this is semi-free




First up today is serious.life MAGAZINE. I have Abby's button on the side of my blog as a reminder to pray for her and the Rigg's family. February's issue comes out today (if you are reading Monday...tomorrow if you are reading Sunday), and I hope you click over and read it. You can click on the "pray for Abby" button and then once on their site click on the magazine. It is free to read! It is worth your time!!!!
serious.life is a great read. I just finished up December's issue. I love that it is paperless (yeah environment!), chocked full of scriptures, and December had many articles that I was interested in. I loved the article on 100% down, not taking 'low monthly payment' routes, of course that goes right with Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace University! I also was interested in the article about parabens, one of the reasons we switched to Melaleuca. This magazine has a big emphasis on adoption (since their own family has adopted several children) and ministry. Check them out!
http://www.seriouslifemagazine.com/

My next advertisement is for Jellytelly. Jellytelly is a super kid-oriented, scripture based online show. We love it because it incorporates learning about the Bible (right now specific books in the old testament and how they came to be) along with humor and skits. Snug loves it because all the voices are the same as "Bob N Narry" (aka Veggie Tales), it has puppets, and music videos. You can watch it anytime of the day, and it only lasts 30 minutes. Weekends sport a family movie (more than 30 min.) that can be viewed anytime on Saturday or Sunday. Check them out! http://www.jellytelly.com/


My last advertisement of the day is "bringing up BOYS" by Dr. James Dobson.
I am so excited to have other people read it, and #1 is going to start it (hopefully) tonight at work...running traffic post will be boring seems how everyone else will be at Super Bowl parties. If you have a boy, a grandson, or are a teacher, PLEASE read this. Get it from your library if you want to see if it is for you (it is) and then go ahead and get yourself a copy if/when you love it. Get it on Amazon used for cheaper if you want!

Christmas!

Dear Friends and Family (and lurkers who read my blog and don't leave comments :o),

This is our official Christmas letter. If you are reading this entry you are either a frequent reader of my blog, got our Christmas postcard and checked this address out, or happened upon my blog from another blog. Welcome! Please note that I do not usually use our family's real names to protect their privacy, and if you are reading after January 15 their names have been removed. There are many places you can click to see more information...hang on, this is a L O N G post!
This was a big year for our family. Two of the biggest things for 2008 were having Baby J, and starting Financial Peace University.
Winter 2008 brought lots of beautiful snow! Snug posed for a few pictures but...

...he also fell quite a bit seems how he learned to walk just a couple of months earlier. Chester did his best to help him, being a snow dog and all!

March came in like a lion, but definitely went out like a lamb. Here is one of my favorite pictures from 2008...unfortunately that scrape on Snug's nose was also his first scar (many more to come, I'm sure!)

Snug got his new big boy bed...and see that paci in his mouth? He gave it up on his own a couple of days after this picture was taken.

All dressed up for Easter Sunday.

Watching a Cedarville University baseball game at Dayton Dragon's stadium. These boys guys love to play and watch ball!

If only our grass looked this nice all summer! Snug loves to play outside and pick dandelions. We had very little rain this summer, so by the end our grass looked a little more like the Sahara than this!

Memorial Day bubbles with Grandmommy.

Uncle Nathan got to come for Memorial Day too! He and my parents were on their way back from a wedding.

Softball is a big part of our spring...summer...and fall! Snug absolutely loves watching daddy play. #1 still loves his job as a police officer and is now a certified fitness trainer. He enjoys working out daily...and is trying to motivate me :o)

Here is a photo of #1's team at their Virginia Beach tournament.

A family photo at the Richmond Zoo. We had such a nice day at this zoo...and it was an unexpected part of our trip. Our flight was at 8:00pm not am. So we had 12 hours to kill and a beautiful zoo to explore.

Snug is feeding a giraffe! What a treat!

After a few weeks of bed rest it was time for Baby J to be born! He weighed 7 lbs 1 oz, 21 inches long. Snug loves being a big brother, and helps take very good care of him.

Baby J had many visitors come see him at the hospital. Here he is with Uncle Daniel.

Welcome to the family Baby J!

Baby J posed in daddy's softball glove, just like Snug did 2 years ago.

We spent most of July hanging out in the backyard. #1 even got in on the pool action!

We also had lots of out of town visitors to see Baby J. My mom and dad came a few times, and of course "Pop Pop" helped us fix a few things around the house.

My Aunt Beth, cousin Katie, and her four children came to visit when Baby J was a few weeks old. I love how Daniel is making the same face as Jack (and that he is wearing a Michigan shirt!).

Aunt Carol from Michigan came too. Her grandkids (and their parents!) go to church with us, but this was the first time they met Baby J. We miss our out of town friends and family, but really love our local friends and many are like family.

Hi there! This is Snug. I am going to take over my mom's letter and share some of my thoughts for 2008. This year I learned to walk, talk, run, ride my tricycle (with help), jump, swim, use the potty, and charm everyone. Ok, I've been doing that last one since I was very small, but I haven't lost my touch. I enjoy having kids here everyday to play with, visiting the library, eating, and I LOVE going to church. I like to color, play with my cars and trains, and I LOVE everything that has anything to do with sports. If you want to keep up with me as I grow, visit this blog and maybe that will happen...I'm growing fast!

For those of you who don't know these two, they are Brent and Doneda. They are Snug and Baby J's godparents (I don't think that needs a capital...not sure) and good friends of ours. They are the ones who started us on our Financial Peace journey this year. They (of course) also came to see Baby J. Thank you to everyone who came out to meet Baby J, help while I was on bed rest, and brought meals. We appreciate it very much.

In August a softball tournament brought us to Michigan and we made the most of it! It coincided with Aunt Jane returning from Africa, and Uncle Nathan and Aunt Danielle were visiting also. Please know that we I forced Jenny and Grandmommy a few people to take this shot, but we had a great African dinner while we were there.

Snug turned 2 in August...and I still can't believe it. We had a party at our house in Ohio, and then another one in Michigan. Now if you ask him "Snug, how are you?" he will answer as if you had asked "Snug how old are you?" with a hearty "I two!". If you ask how old he is, he is likely to tell you he is 3 or 4...because he would really like to be just like the other kids I babysit for.

We got to see lots of family at Snug's second birthday/welcome home Aunt Jane/get to visit with Nathan and Danielle party. This is my cousin Crystal with Baby J...who slept (he spent the first two months sleeping).

Uncle Nathan and Aunt Danielle

Big brother and going to be bigger than him little brother

The fall brought some big surprises for us, and we were very glad for our "emergency fund". We had a hurricane (yes, you read that correctly) that left us without electricity for a week. During this time we got to know our neighbors and found out Snug can work like nobody's business! And we do have the best neighbors in the world!

Our "new kitchen"

Some of our storm damage. We were so blessed, many people had limbs on their homes and a few were killed.

And this was our other fall surprise. Halloween night I hit a deer (or did it hit me?). Everyone was fine, but we went through quite an ordeal and learned that we really cannot get away with one car. Thank you to all our friends and family that helped us through this situation also!

Here is a nicer Halloween picture. Snug needed a haircut, but insisted he keep his "pike". I gave him a makeshift mohawk that we actually liked, and we are not normally mohawk people. #1 says it "fits his personality". When we eventually cut it off, he cried. He still asks for it and it is weeks later...we'll see...

Baby J's baby dedication was also in October. We love our church and are so blessed to have many people there who love and care for our children.

Snug, Baby J, and I got to go to my cousin Kevin and his new wife Rachel's wedding reception in October. They were married in July, but had a lovely reception for those of us who didn't get to go. (You know, those of us who had just had a baby!) This picture is of my cousin Melissa's two boys with ours. Jayce is almost four months younger than Snug, and Grayson is about 2 months younger than Baby J.

(Snug here again...are you still reading this? My mom is soooo long winded! This is another of my mom's favorite pictures. See how nice I am sitting with my brother?)

The Ohio State vs. Michigan game is a 'holiday' in the Dray household. #1 has been partying alot more than I have been in the past few years, but we still enjoy the day. We enjoyed the game with our neighbors the Castles this year (thanks guys!)

In December we became debt free. It was a lot of work, but God has blessed us richly this year, and we hope we can in turn, be a blessing to others. If you want to know how on earth we did this with the current economy, please ask us, or visit http://www.daveramsey.com/

Merry Christmas!

Love,

The Drays