I saw while I was in the store doing my last free $20 run, and thought hmmm... I looked in last weeks flyer ad.. nothing.... and looked in the one I got today... nothing. Hmmmmm...
But! Look here at safeway.com and you will see the deals. I may ask my grandpa if I can go shopping for him... :-) Free movie tickets sound great to me! We love the movies, but a date night at the theatre adds up really really fast!
And... my birthday is coming up. (read-- BIG SMILEY FACE!) There had better be something decent on then!!!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Mommy Perspective
I learned something yesterday. Here's the story:
Last Friday, Gabe's mom took the girls for the afternoon so I could (hopefully) finish painting Kiera's room. The poor thing has had a slightly less-than-half painted room since (gulp!) January of last year. Yes, that is over a year since I have worked on it. So, it was time to get it done. Only, I didn't... Gabe and I decided to go on a date before he went to work (MUCH more important than painting, don't you think?) so my time was cut a little short. And that is why I didn't finish :-)
I only had a 2-3 foot wide section, floor to ceiling, to finish. Not that much, right? Well, the reason I hadn't worked on it in so long was because Kiera is how old? Right, 22 months. So, I can't work on it when she is awake, and I can't work on it when she is sleeping, so... I couldn't work on it. (In my mind.)
Yesterday I decided -OK, this is only maybe 10-15 minutes of painting. I have everything ready to go, so let's do this. I talked to the girls, told them what I was going to do, told them they needed to stay in Melia's room and play together, and that I would be done in just a bit. With only two interruptions - poopy diaper and phone call- I did finish. And it looks great! (It is kind of an Orchid purple color.)
My lesson? To not approach training my children with the foreshadowing of failure. I haven't worked on painting because I KNEW it would fail. But when I knew I could finish, knew I could hear them if something was wrong, knew Kiera couldn't open the door herself, we were successful. And even if we weren't, I should have looked at it as a training session, not as a success/failure venture. But a good training session for me it was :-)
The ending? Melia says "OH MOMMA! You haven't finished painting my room yet!"
Why? Her color is ocean blue on the Nemo theme. I didn't want to finish it. Two walls is dark enough :-) Now, how do I convince her of this?
Last Friday, Gabe's mom took the girls for the afternoon so I could (hopefully) finish painting Kiera's room. The poor thing has had a slightly less-than-half painted room since (gulp!) January of last year. Yes, that is over a year since I have worked on it. So, it was time to get it done. Only, I didn't... Gabe and I decided to go on a date before he went to work (MUCH more important than painting, don't you think?) so my time was cut a little short. And that is why I didn't finish :-)
I only had a 2-3 foot wide section, floor to ceiling, to finish. Not that much, right? Well, the reason I hadn't worked on it in so long was because Kiera is how old? Right, 22 months. So, I can't work on it when she is awake, and I can't work on it when she is sleeping, so... I couldn't work on it. (In my mind.)
Yesterday I decided -OK, this is only maybe 10-15 minutes of painting. I have everything ready to go, so let's do this. I talked to the girls, told them what I was going to do, told them they needed to stay in Melia's room and play together, and that I would be done in just a bit. With only two interruptions - poopy diaper and phone call- I did finish. And it looks great! (It is kind of an Orchid purple color.)
My lesson? To not approach training my children with the foreshadowing of failure. I haven't worked on painting because I KNEW it would fail. But when I knew I could finish, knew I could hear them if something was wrong, knew Kiera couldn't open the door herself, we were successful. And even if we weren't, I should have looked at it as a training session, not as a success/failure venture. But a good training session for me it was :-)
The ending? Melia says "OH MOMMA! You haven't finished painting my room yet!"
Why? Her color is ocean blue on the Nemo theme. I didn't want to finish it. Two walls is dark enough :-) Now, how do I convince her of this?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Sorry about the pause...
I got sick. Ugh. Just a "less-than-24-hour" bug, but still, what a pain. Fevers, chills, aches, nausea, weak.... so much fun to be stuck on the couch or in bed. I didn't even have a new book! Woe is meee!!!!
But, on the up side, Gabe and I are almost caught up on our Office episodes, just in time for the new (continuing?) season to start. Someone let me know please--- were there episodes in the fall?? We are almost done w/ season 3... and I'm just wondering if there were a few before the writer's strike did what it did....
We just started watching it. I thought Gabe was crazy when he said he wanted to. It looked soo...well.. slow. Yeah, that's it. Slow. So he watched it by himself, and I would overhear things going on... and wonder "What the?" And I would peek around the corner and ask. Pretty soon I was sorta caught up on the fact that Dwight is Dwight... and Jim is Jim... and Michael is painful. Michael was the main reason I did not want to watch it. Sometimes it hurts to listen to him. Like, really, really, painful "oh, no, he didn't.. He did! Turn it off! I can't stand it anymore!"
And then, the kiss. Let me tell you-- I don't normally get that involved in TV relationships, but whoa! I haven't been that shocked and happy and elated since Ross kissed Rachael (Friends.. remember that one?) Or shocked and freaked out and screaming at the TV when Sydney woke up after months and Vaughn had a wedding ring, and then the season ended (Alias...).
Ha. Anyway, this is just a quick (sorta) hello after being absent for 36+ hours. So.. Hello! I'm glad to be back! (And I am, by the way. Woke up this morning feeling 100%. Amazing, those naughty little viruses...)
But, on the up side, Gabe and I are almost caught up on our Office episodes, just in time for the new (continuing?) season to start. Someone let me know please--- were there episodes in the fall?? We are almost done w/ season 3... and I'm just wondering if there were a few before the writer's strike did what it did....
We just started watching it. I thought Gabe was crazy when he said he wanted to. It looked soo...well.. slow. Yeah, that's it. Slow. So he watched it by himself, and I would overhear things going on... and wonder "What the?" And I would peek around the corner and ask. Pretty soon I was sorta caught up on the fact that Dwight is Dwight... and Jim is Jim... and Michael is painful. Michael was the main reason I did not want to watch it. Sometimes it hurts to listen to him. Like, really, really, painful "oh, no, he didn't.. He did! Turn it off! I can't stand it anymore!"
And then, the kiss. Let me tell you-- I don't normally get that involved in TV relationships, but whoa! I haven't been that shocked and happy and elated since Ross kissed Rachael (Friends.. remember that one?) Or shocked and freaked out and screaming at the TV when Sydney woke up after months and Vaughn had a wedding ring, and then the season ended (Alias...).
Ha. Anyway, this is just a quick (sorta) hello after being absent for 36+ hours. So.. Hello! I'm glad to be back! (And I am, by the way. Woke up this morning feeling 100%. Amazing, those naughty little viruses...)
Friday, February 22, 2008
And that is not funny at all....
Gabe's response when I told him that Kiera threw my hairbrush in the toilet.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Some Hairy Pics
I did another hair treatment, and I have some pictures to share with you :-)
This is Curzon, aka Kerzon (spelling dispute w/ Gabe). He was gettin' all lovey, so I had to snap some shots of him. Note the plastic bag and clothespins underneath him. I was trying to show you how prepared I was this time.
I took this one to show you how gloppy it is...
And here is me... scary pic I know.... But see how nicely my hair is piled up this time? I think it was because I wasn't so afraid to get dirty, I knew I just needed to use both hands and get it done.
This is Melia's beautiful over-the-top french braid. I know your question-- how does she sit still for that? Answer: She wants it done, so she knows she has to. She calls it her "like-a-princess" braid. 
And the finished look, once I took the back out of the pony it was in. Yep, I do have more to share from when I took it out... She was a wild woman on camera ;-)
Check back tomorrow, and hopefully I will have gotten them loaded by then :-)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Pride... again
Close your eyes. Wait, never mind. If you do that, you can't read! Silly me...
Anyway. We are going on another field trip. This one is down a thought path I took today, and at the end -- well, of course I have to share it.
I am driving along, wondering when God will bless us (read ME) with a different van. You know... a cute one. I spot them as I drive along; "Hey God! I like that green one! Or that steel blue one.... OOOHHHH look at that pretty aqua Dodge Grand Caravan (sorry jane, I like yours the best)" and I start to wander down that road. (I think it is called self-pity... I am sure you can clarify this for me. Be objective :-)
And later, I venture a little further. I wonder what my friends or co-bible-studiers would say... would they pray for me to have a pretty van? Because it is my heart's desire... (my head says) And sometimes I really am embarassed to be driving this one. But of course, I appreciate this one as God's blessing. I just wish it was prettier. What would they say if I prayed for contentment?
And... it came. Like His answers always do. Hard. Real. And truthful. Lovingly molding my heart.
They would say that every time you feel embarassed about driving this ugly blessing, it is ME showing you how prideful you still are, and how far you have to go before you can handle a pretty blessing without being selfishly proud of it.
Ouch.
So, there you have it. Just how far I still have to go. Thank you, Father God, that You are not done with me yet. Because I truly do have so far to go before my testimony can be a door through which You are all others can see.
Anyway. We are going on another field trip. This one is down a thought path I took today, and at the end -- well, of course I have to share it.
I am driving along, wondering when God will bless us (read ME) with a different van. You know... a cute one. I spot them as I drive along; "Hey God! I like that green one! Or that steel blue one.... OOOHHHH look at that pretty aqua Dodge Grand Caravan (sorry jane, I like yours the best)" and I start to wander down that road. (I think it is called self-pity... I am sure you can clarify this for me. Be objective :-)
And later, I venture a little further. I wonder what my friends or co-bible-studiers would say... would they pray for me to have a pretty van? Because it is my heart's desire... (my head says) And sometimes I really am embarassed to be driving this one. But of course, I appreciate this one as God's blessing. I just wish it was prettier. What would they say if I prayed for contentment?
And... it came. Like His answers always do. Hard. Real. And truthful. Lovingly molding my heart.
They would say that every time you feel embarassed about driving this ugly blessing, it is ME showing you how prideful you still are, and how far you have to go before you can handle a pretty blessing without being selfishly proud of it.
Ouch.
So, there you have it. Just how far I still have to go. Thank you, Father God, that You are not done with me yet. Because I truly do have so far to go before my testimony can be a door through which You are all others can see.
So... Treasure Hunting
I tried to post some pictures this morning, but I think blogger is having issues. I tried it three times, and each time something different went wrong.
So, I will fall back on what I had promised before! My exciting treasure hunting post!
Life with toddlers is... adventurous. If I can slow down long enough to enjoy the ride. With Melia, we never really had trouble with her "eating" things she wasn't supposed to. Actually, that is not completely true. But never like we have had with Kiera.
Her diapers have been loaded with so much loot, I cannot even remember everything. We've been surprised with polly pocket shoes.... tiny Christmas lights (from a necklace).... actual gems (from one of Melia's treasure rock things-- it's a toy).... whole apricots (dried... or they were anyway)... stickers......whole almonds...
For your future reference... You might want to watch out when I say I have another Treasure Hunting post coming up. But for now, I will just apologize if you were eating while you were reading. I am sorry. Really. I will abstain from typing my giggles. For now.
So, I will fall back on what I had promised before! My exciting treasure hunting post!
Life with toddlers is... adventurous. If I can slow down long enough to enjoy the ride. With Melia, we never really had trouble with her "eating" things she wasn't supposed to. Actually, that is not completely true. But never like we have had with Kiera.
Her diapers have been loaded with so much loot, I cannot even remember everything. We've been surprised with polly pocket shoes.... tiny Christmas lights (from a necklace).... actual gems (from one of Melia's treasure rock things-- it's a toy).... whole apricots (dried... or they were anyway)... stickers......whole almonds...
For your future reference... You might want to watch out when I say I have another Treasure Hunting post coming up. But for now, I will just apologize if you were eating while you were reading. I am sorry. Really. I will abstain from typing my giggles. For now.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
My Free Sunday
I am thoroughly enjoying my free Sunday. By "free," I mean I don't have to work. I should have, but this was supposed to be our vacation weekend with the church to Schweitzer Ski Resort, but the chapel lodge had a cracked beam and canceled our trip. Thank you God, that this weekend has worked out so well -- I was concerned that I would be melancholy all weekend, wishing we were up in the snow.
Kiera is still sick. Not throwing up today, but she does have a low-grade fever (99's). She has been napping most of the day. Very very wimpy. She mumbles when she wants something, so we know she doesn't feel good.
Melia and I went to church this morning, leaving Gabe w/ Kiera. He had plenty to do, so I didn't feel too guilty. When we arrived home, we jumped in to helping Daddy with prepping the hearth (?-- we don't know what else to call it!). He made the base of it, and today he's putting it in and we tiled it! He shot me a good look when I said "Just think! If we'd gone out out and blown $400+ on this thing, we would have missed out on how much fun it was to make!" Apparently, the only part I got to be involved in was the "only" fun part about it...
I will post pictures soon-- when it is complete. Right now the mortar is drying, then we will grout, and then put the stove on. (I guess. I really have no idea what I am talking about...) This is my first time tiling. He agreed with me saying that we probably should NOT have done it ourselves, as I loved the tiling part and can't wait to find something to tile again... Scary? I know. But you should see how great it looks! Yes, I know. You will. Soon! I promise!
Kiera is still sick. Not throwing up today, but she does have a low-grade fever (99's). She has been napping most of the day. Very very wimpy. She mumbles when she wants something, so we know she doesn't feel good.
Melia and I went to church this morning, leaving Gabe w/ Kiera. He had plenty to do, so I didn't feel too guilty. When we arrived home, we jumped in to helping Daddy with prepping the hearth (?-- we don't know what else to call it!). He made the base of it, and today he's putting it in and we tiled it! He shot me a good look when I said "Just think! If we'd gone out out and blown $400+ on this thing, we would have missed out on how much fun it was to make!" Apparently, the only part I got to be involved in was the "only" fun part about it...
I will post pictures soon-- when it is complete. Right now the mortar is drying, then we will grout, and then put the stove on. (I guess. I really have no idea what I am talking about...) This is my first time tiling. He agreed with me saying that we probably should NOT have done it ourselves, as I loved the tiling part and can't wait to find something to tile again... Scary? I know. But you should see how great it looks! Yes, I know. You will. Soon! I promise!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
I hate illness
Illness is like children. Or at least children's illnesses. No handbook. Good luck figuring out what is going on, because once you do, it will change, and around you go again.
Kiera has thrown up three times this morning. Once before she woke up... then we gave her some leftover french toast and very diluted apple juice for breakfast to see what would happen. Up it came. Then, we cut it down to just apple juice to see about that. Okay, so I added one cracker, then another. Ok, so after a while a let her have one grape. Whoops. too much. Back to apple juice and cracker.
So, no fever, no prior symptoms... Just a sensitive stomach?
Fun stuff, like playing Operation, only when I mess up, I am steam cleaning the carpet! :-)
I am not complaining, really, just whining that kids can't wake up and tell me what I need to do to make them better..... You know, sit up in bed and say "don't feed me anything solid for 5 hours please. Then I will be better."
As always, any parenting thoughts and suggestions are alway appreciated, because on days like this, I feel completely incompetant.
Kiera has thrown up three times this morning. Once before she woke up... then we gave her some leftover french toast and very diluted apple juice for breakfast to see what would happen. Up it came. Then, we cut it down to just apple juice to see about that. Okay, so I added one cracker, then another. Ok, so after a while a let her have one grape. Whoops. too much. Back to apple juice and cracker.
So, no fever, no prior symptoms... Just a sensitive stomach?
Fun stuff, like playing Operation, only when I mess up, I am steam cleaning the carpet! :-)
I am not complaining, really, just whining that kids can't wake up and tell me what I need to do to make them better..... You know, sit up in bed and say "don't feed me anything solid for 5 hours please. Then I will be better."
As always, any parenting thoughts and suggestions are alway appreciated, because on days like this, I feel completely incompetant.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Another great Safeway savings... only a *little* more complicated
Just a little. I promise. You will only pull a small section of your hair out.
Here is the overview at imommies.com.
I went in today for my first big load. I felt like I did pretty good, with a total savings of $39, total oop of $44, and $20 back for my next trip, which I plan on rolling several times.
Here's how I did my plan:
After scanning the complete list at imommies (which is not store specific...) I seperated my coupons that *should* work into a completely seperate envelope. I paper clipped the different aisles... one for cereal, one for juice, one for pillsbury/Betty crocker... You get the picture. Then I went to Safeway with BOTH my girls, who did pretty good and got cookies at the end (though, yes, I did not connect the two in order to avoid bribing...I am trying a little!). We started at one end and worked our way through until we had 25 items. (Lots of things were not marked, so I played it safe and only bought things that had the rally sticker on the price tag)
Special Note: Something that I have hated in the past I loved today, and will for sure use again. The carts with the cup holders... The cup holders make perfect coupon holders, as long as I can keep Kiera from grabbing them.
Anyway, I went through the line and the cashier and elderly lady behind me were amazed at all my savings (like I said, $29 in sales, $10 in coupons) BUT the catalina did not print! Not even a $10 or a $5 one!!! So, I had to go to customer service and ask what I did wrong... they called a manager and he counted my items, took a ricearoni, and rang up something that printed me out a $20 coupon. I was very thankful, but asked if he had a list of participating items... of course not. I had called before, but hoped that a manager would help me more. But he did go print out the store-wide list for me... exactly what you can find linked at imommies, of course....
So, I felt pretty happy. It did take some work, but with the coupons it turned out to be worth it. And if you don't want to work? Well, just go in and buy 25 boxes of RiceARoni, and start rolling... :-) Happy Couponing!
Here is the overview at imommies.com.
I went in today for my first big load. I felt like I did pretty good, with a total savings of $39, total oop of $44, and $20 back for my next trip, which I plan on rolling several times.
Here's how I did my plan:
After scanning the complete list at imommies (which is not store specific...) I seperated my coupons that *should* work into a completely seperate envelope. I paper clipped the different aisles... one for cereal, one for juice, one for pillsbury/Betty crocker... You get the picture. Then I went to Safeway with BOTH my girls, who did pretty good and got cookies at the end (though, yes, I did not connect the two in order to avoid bribing...I am trying a little!). We started at one end and worked our way through until we had 25 items. (Lots of things were not marked, so I played it safe and only bought things that had the rally sticker on the price tag)
Special Note: Something that I have hated in the past I loved today, and will for sure use again. The carts with the cup holders... The cup holders make perfect coupon holders, as long as I can keep Kiera from grabbing them.
Anyway, I went through the line and the cashier and elderly lady behind me were amazed at all my savings (like I said, $29 in sales, $10 in coupons) BUT the catalina did not print! Not even a $10 or a $5 one!!! So, I had to go to customer service and ask what I did wrong... they called a manager and he counted my items, took a ricearoni, and rang up something that printed me out a $20 coupon. I was very thankful, but asked if he had a list of participating items... of course not. I had called before, but hoped that a manager would help me more. But he did go print out the store-wide list for me... exactly what you can find linked at imommies, of course....
So, I felt pretty happy. It did take some work, but with the coupons it turned out to be worth it. And if you don't want to work? Well, just go in and buy 25 boxes of RiceARoni, and start rolling... :-) Happy Couponing!
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