Ahhhhhhh....and Yes Easter pictures!

I must admit I am happy to be past Easter!  I am so over Easter eggs and looking at those cute white shoes in the closet just dying to put them on.  Its finally over and white here we come!  I am also so thankful for Easter.  Not only is it a refreshing time in life but it is also a time I just thank God for sending his son to die on the cross so that I may have eternal life! 

I have been extremely busy with crafts and now that its finally over I feel like I can breath and maybe get my house back in order!  

A lot have been going on so let me fill you in (all 2 readers, ha.)  Thursday was my moms birthday!  We went to the Flying Fish and it was yummy!!! I am still craving it!!!

We didn't have a candle so I stuck a fork in it! haha

Lola was so not feeling well, so she is a bit on the cranky side!

The girls! (minus a few)

Friday was just a plain crazy day.  I sure do hope May brings some sunshine and smiles on mine and Lola's face.  We just can't seem to catch a break.  She has had ear infections, trying to potty train and so much more.  But this is her most favorite thing to do right now, buckle EVERYTHING!!! I got this car seat down so she could buckle it as much as she wants.

On Saturday I took Lola to the Easter egg hunt in Des Arc.  It was a flop just like I thought it would be.  The whole idea of the egg hunt was great but Lola just wasn't for the idea, maybe next year!

She is into TV here lately.  She wants you to turn it on and she will sit and watch it until she has had enough.  She finally gave it up and this is how I found her sleeping!

Saturday night we took Uncle J out for his birthday!  Lola was pretty good, she was just super tired.

Easter was fun!  The Easter Bunny brought Lola a few goodies!

Happy Easter 2011

I then tried a photo shoot with "on the go girl" and this is all I could get.

Hope you all had a great Easter! 

Deals

Yes I am crazy woman and I went shopping(again!)  I hit up Target and Walgreens and saved more than I spent!  Not going into a lot of detail, but at Target Allegra is free (when you stack a Target coupon with the Sunday paper coupon) and Degree deodorant is free doing the same (stack a Target and Sunday paper coupon.) I spent around $13.00 and save almost $20 ($19 and some change) I even got birthday cards and Dr. Pepper. 

At Walgreens I didn't do as well as I had planned.  If you go, your first time is a little more expensive because you don't have RR(register rewards) to use. I got razor blade refills both packs for $4.99 (that's 8 refills.) The Aquafresh kids toothpaste was .49 cents!  You get me!  I spent around $36 and saved around $34. 

 

These are my finds and I am working on getting better! I so need to go to the grocery store but I haven't made it there.... Hopefully soon because I am getting very creative with meals here lately and that is scary because I am not a creative chef!!

Weekend catch up!

Saturday I took Lola to the Clinton Library for the Easter egg extravaganza!  I will say after reading Kelcie's blog we must have missed everything by a bit.  We didn't stay very long as I was starving and Lola doesn't do "strange" characters who don't look like the everyday human.  If there is ANY facial hair you can bet your bottom dollar that she will cling on to you and grab any article of clothing she can get her hands on making sure you aren't going to let go...

My friend is taking this picture so its not that close but can you see Lola choking me and squealing frantically because the bunny put his "paw/hand" on her... Oh boy I'm not sure what Disney will be like when we take her...

This bunny is more like it!! PURE WOOD AND NOT MOVING!!! She is finally breathing again!

We went with my friend and her daughter, Kendal!  Thank you for hanging out with me ALL day!  After we left we had lunch at ZAZA's and then went shopping!  Lindsey got some AWESOME deals at Ann Taylor Loft and I will have to say she is going to be a very well dressed girl from here on out!!!

Then Sunday I hosted a housewarming for a sweet friend in Des Arc.  They just built their first home and it is PERFECT!!!  I don't think they missed a detail!  I am in awe of how everything turned out!  I am so happy for her and her husband as God has blessed them in so many ways! 

A few of their new items to fill their home!

The Lady of the house, Chrisana (she is due to have her second little boy Easter Sunday, yes that is a week away!!! She look awesome!)

Living a busy, blessed life

Hello there to all my friend(courtesy of Barney and Friends), yes this is what I feel like my life is all about...Barney, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, repeat, repeat! Early mornings, long nights and in between: mother, babysitter, wife, maid, laundry keeper, entrepreneur, friend, and an involved church member.  I should be the next spokes person for energizer commercial! Who needs the bunny when there are crazy moms like me out there!!!
Moving on to fun craziness!  Holidays always pick up for me in my craft business!  (check it out HERE) I find myself stressed but I just can't help to think I am also so blessed!  I am not the most "creative" or "talented" person out there but I love what I do!  I am so backed up with Easter buckets(check out the one below) and bows that I am running a little behind.  I am covered in paint and my gas bill this month is going to be outrageous (going to Hobby Lobby isn't just a 5 min drive, try 1 and 5 mins.)  This is also why I haven't posted anything in a long while! 

A few odds and ends! I have received several emails about my version of  "extreme couponing."  I am going to (one day) start a coupon blog of my good deals.  It is fun for me to get out of a store with products that were 50% to 75% off! I will also tell you that buying $1000 worth of groceries for $60 is RARE and stores are really cracking down and being extra careful with what coupons they take. Let me get through this Easter rush and I will answers some questions for you all!  My deal yesterday was getting Trident Gum (the layers kind.) for .14 cents  They are $1.29 a piece at Target but I walked out paying .29 cents for 2 packs!  How to do it, go to Target.com and search their coupons and print out the $1.00 off coupon (Trident Layers gum) and combine it with the BOGO coupon from the Sunday paper!  BAM you just saved some money and if your husband chews this gum like candy that is a STEAL!!!!

I got these finds at Target.  Not all were deals but I just wanted to post what all I got for $34.00!!!  This isn't my best at Target but I thought it was good and I compared prices with Kroger and I saved A LOT of money!!!
This may sound like a lot but when you think about it I paid $9.29 for the "table saver" and pull ups are $8.99...Now for the break down!
Pull-Ups Reg. $8.99 used coupon in paper get $1.50 off end up paying $7.99
Ziploc bags and Ziploc products are on sale! Buy two get $1.25 off(bags)  $2.42 (snack size bags) and $3.39 (storage gallon size bags) use coupon end up paying $4.56 for both! And buy two plastic products and get $1.50 off, sale price $2.10 (large storage container) and $2.10 (small bowls) use coupon end up paying $2.70 for both!
Reynolds aluminum foil and parchment paper was also on sale.  Combine the two and use a $1.50 off coupon in paper. $2.50 aluminum foil 75 sq ft and $2.50 parchment paper 30 sq ft after coupon end up paying $3.50 for both!!!
Reynolds slow cooker bags are regular $1.87 coupon in paper get $1.00: pay .87 cents
Color wonders on sale too!  Use the $1.00 off coupon in the paper and get a pad for $2.50
Trident Gum was regular price @ $1.29 combine coupons BOGO and Target coupon $1.00 off get both packs for .29 cents
Spent $34.15(includes tax) and saved $13.21
Another deal:
If you are around Jacksonville Wal-Mart they have color wonders on sale for $5.00 and combine it with the coupon in the paper you can walk away with Color Wonder Toy Story light up markers, sheets and marker holder for $4.00!!! That is an awesome savings!!!

(sorry that was a lot of information)

Hope you all have a great Friday!!!

Spring Changes

This whole idea of spring is inspiring me to change a few things in my life.  If you know me I am sort of a negative Nancy.  I try so hard to look on the bright side but my idea of perfectionism sometimes takes me away and I become negative.  I also have the tendencies of becoming over whelmed FAST which then leads me to getting down on myself and so on and so forth.  I have made it a "goal" of mine to focus more on the good things. 

In all efforts to get a better attitude, I am doing things for myself.  I bought some tanning visits and made my tanning appt for 6am in the morning. This gets me up and out of bed and putting some color on my pasty skin!  I am going to try it for 2 weeks and see how it makes me feel, so far so good.  I am enjoying my time early in the morning with Ryan and we can then do our Bible study(we used to do it in the evening right before bed but it would always lead to fights I think due to us just being "normal" exhausted parents ready for some shut-eye.) See I could lay in bed for hours and not even be asleep. I just love to lay in bed which then leads me to think about things to deeply.  That then leads me to over analyze the small stuff.

I also have been surrounding myself with friends that encourage me and understand when people have "down" days!  I am thanking God daily for such sweet women in my life!  I feel like my "down" days are visiting me less!  I still have "those days" and thankfully I have a support system to help!!! God bless you all who just give me words of encouragement or even just an ear to listen!!! Please trust me I appreciate you all so much! 

On top of everything Ryan and I have been making it a point to understand each others needs.  Just talking intensely has helped.  It has been rough getting a lot of held in frustration and baggage out but I can see us becoming closer and more in love with each other already! 

And I must admit (because I am being honest here and I can't leave this out) retail therapy has lifted spirits too!  Oh my Lola has some of the cutest spring clothes.  I can't wait till it gets warmer and I can dress her up! I have also been working on our Easter outfits!  I just love Easter Sunday.  It is so refreshing and I think God puts that in our hearts because when he rose from the grave, life as everyone knew it changed forever!  It was a refreshed life, a NEW LIFE!  Thank you Lord for bringing us new life!

 (Lola's outfit)

Sorry this is a long post but I have been meaning to write it, I just have been busy!

Hope you all have a great Friday!  Lola has a double ear infection, need I say more and I am having a garage sale in the morning OH BOY!!!