I'M AN OLD DOG... THAT'S A NEW TRICK

Ever have one of those days you wish you could just "fast forward" through? That was yesterday for us. We had grand plans of participating in the Ballantyne Farmer's Market. It was Tuesday afterall...

The van broke down though. Never made it to the market. Now I'm waiting to hear from the Auto Shop to hear how bad it's going to be...

On a totally different note, I got the kids to the pool last night, seeing we didn't have any bread to sell.

Boy, do Emma and Aidan love that pool. I remember as a kid getting all stoked and geared up for a trip to the pool. It's fun to see that excitement in my kids. They do love it.

Kelly stayed home to nurse a monster headache. Rightfully so. :) I took over and we had a great time at the pool. Some of the cul de sac friends of ours were there too, so that was a bonus.

Kids stayed up way too long and by the time Kelly and I got them both to bed, we were ready ourselves!

I'm getting the grasp of the CPAP mask for the apnea. I am back to falling asleep quickly with that thing on. Amen. The 1st week, it took forever for me to get to sleep. Very strange for me. I've been able to doze off quickly and easily now for YEARS. I'm back to that pace.

The mask is "almost" comfortable. I'm "almost" to the point where it's not a distraction to have on. I "almost" don't notice that I have it on.

Of course, Kelly and I did need to switch sides on the bed. I've been on Kelly's left side for 16 years now. To switch that up after all that time seems very strange. I'm an old dog... that's a new trick.

SLEEP INTERRUPTED... I TOLD YOU SO! :)

Yesterday I went to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Doctor so they could check to see if I have a deviated septum.

I haven't been able to easily breathe through my nose for some time now. I joke with Kelly that I lost my sense of smell when we got married. :) It's half true. It's been a long time since my sense of smell was what it used to be.

So, yesterday, the Dr. comes in and asks me why I'm there. I tell him what I just mentioned here. He takes out a "nose light" (flashlight) and looks in both nostrils.. All I hear him say is "Oh, yeah...."

He did a more comprehensive test that resembled a "sewer-snake" like probe going through my nose to my throat. Not pleasant.

He said, "Even in your good nostril, you are very restricted...." He didn't even try the probe in my right nostril.

Now I get to schedule surgery (1 hour procedure) to have this corrected.

The surgery's only an hour, but I get to listen to Kelly's "I told you so!" for MUCH MUCH LONGER..... :)

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I'm totally hooked on my CPAP mask that is now allowing me to sleep uninterrupted throughout the night. Kelly is being a good sport and is not making "too much" fun of me with the mask all strapped on.. :) I think I look like a "fighter pilot." I think Kelly's exact words were... "Dork."

I'm a RESTED DORK though. I placed the machine that cranks the air into the mask on the floor on the side of the bed I sleep on. Kelly says she can't even hear it. I have slept better the past 5 days than I have in the past 3 years.

I'm hooked.

Couldn't think of taking a nap or going to sleep w/o it.

:)

SLEEP

I got fitted for a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure) mask for some sleep issues (apnea) I've been having.

Was kind of apprehensive at first thinking I'd never be able to sleep with what looks like an Air Force Fighter Pilot's headgear on my face.

That apprehension went out the window last night when I got the best sleep of my LIFE. I haven't slept that soundly in a LONG time. I feel energized today. I'm not groggy, punchy, irritable or tired.

Wow. That's all I can say.

I'm a happy camper.

SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE AT THE POOL

What a great weekend. Had a record day at the Farmer's Market. Saturday night, Kelly and I took the kids up to the neighborhood pool, where the neighborhood Social Committee was having "Movie Night." They were showing "Hotel for Dogs" which neither Aidan or Emma have seen, so it was nice.

We had a great time. Good turnout too. Weather held out (it was rained out 2x prior to this showing...)

Everyone had a great time.

it was a LATE NIGHT... got home around 10:45pm. Kids were tired. Kelly and I were MORE TIRED...

:)

FEVER, NO MOVIE, CPAP MASK

I got home from work yesterday and Emma was relaying to me how "bad" her last day at school was. She's going to miss her favorite teacher. She's going to miss her friends.... She is too hesitant to finally change her new earrings for another pair she got 2 months ago. She wasn't able to wear her favorite dress to school yesterday because she had PE. The list goes on and on of how bad her day was. I felt really bad for her. I could see the tiredness in her eyes. I could hear it in her voice. Her body language spoke volumes.

When she broke down crying on the couch, Kelly grabbed the thermometer and confirmed what we both thought: FEVER.

Poor girl.

With a fever in full-swing, the "Movie at the Pool" night got cut short here at Camp Flanagan. Emma added that to the list of "things going wrong" today. :( Aidan was bummed too, but he understood.

So, Kelly headed out to the RED BOX DVD rental at Harris Teeter. Picked up some microwave popcorn and they settled in for a "NIGHT AT THE MOVIES" at home. I headed out for my Sleep Study with the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) mask.

I slept pretty well. The airflow through my nose was fantastic! I had read that sometimes if you have a congested nasal passage (which I always do), the CPAP machine can actually make it worse. Not here! It was fantastic.

It was hard to sleep though all hooked up to wires. The wires were worse than the mask itself. I think I'll do fine with the mask, once I'm in my own bed.

I was amazed at how quiet the machine is. The only thing I heard was myself breathing. The technician running the sleep study said my breathing was PERFECT all night. MUCH BETTER than w/o the mask. Yay! That's what I wanted to hear.

So, in about a week, I'll have a machine here at the house. I can't wait.

I need to call Kelly and see how my Little Princess is doing.

I hate being a parent and seeing your kids sick. No fun.

Last Day of School... Pool Movie Tonight

So, the school year for Emma and Aidan ends today. Tomorrow is SUMMERTIME for them! Emma is going to miss her teacher she says. Aidan is happy to be done with homework for a while. Both had a great school year. Straight A's for the most part.

Tonight, the social committee in our neighborhood is having an end of the school year "Movie Night" for the kids. "Hotel for Dogs" will be playing. Neither Emma or Aidan has seen this film before, so it should hold their attention.

I'm off for part II of the Sleep Study tonight. I get to where a CPAP machine strapped to my head that will force air into my nose/mouth to keep me from snoring and having the apnea episodes. I hope I can sleep with all that stuff on my head.

We'll see.

BREAD ANYONE?

It's Saturday. That means one thing. Farmer's Market.

Kelly and I baked yesterday afternoon for today's Market. Here's the breakdown:

60 mini loaves of bread
48 pretzels
33 Loaves of bread (big loaves)
26 Crostini
22 Croutons

189 items we're bringing to the market. I should sell out of minis and pretzels pretty quickly. The croutons will go nicely too.

I'm hoping to sell 30 of the 33 loaves.

We'll see.

SUMMERTIME IS OFFICIALLY HERE...oh, and I snore.

Kelly and I took the kids to the pool after dinner last night. You would've thought we were giving away free chocolate, the way they reacted! I've never seen them move faster to get their bathing suits on.

We had a great time. Aidan played with a classmate as Emma kept herself occupied playing with a neighbor.

The temp in the sun was in the 90's, but in the shade, it was much cooler, and there was even a breeze.

I went to the Doc's yesterday to learn the results of my "sleep study." There was some snoring, some obstructive apnea going on , and a lot of awakenings on my part.

Next step: The CPAP machine... I have to go back for another sleep study where they'll attach this concoction to my head (complete with over 20 wires hooked up to m) and then they'll instruct me to "get a normal night's sleep" while they watch over me.

SURE! I'll get right on that... :)

I'm glad something was found though and they just didn't come back saying, "Yeah, you snore... get over it." ;)

TGIF

Aidan has "Field Day" today at school. A chance for a 7 year-old to run around all morning! Does it get any better than that? Not if you ask Aidan.

Kelly is tagging along to watch. Aidan will enjoy having his Mommy there to cheer him on. It's hard to believe he's going to be in 2nd grade this Fall. He's still such a little boy to us.

Emma had Field Day last week for her class. She had a good time with sack races, water balloon/sponge races, etc... She didn't get into as much as Aidan will. She still had a good time.

This weekend is going to be a HOT one down here. We may reach into the 90's. I'm not ready for that quite yet. Although, a trip to the neighborhood pool would be nice. I know the kids would love it.

2 Markets to do tomorrow for the bread. Kelly's doing a local Church fair, and I will be sweating it out at the Waxhaw market. I'd kill for the AC tomorrow. :)

Not much else going on.

Anyone doing anything fun this weekend?

WE got a Wii !

You'd think we're the last people on the PLANET to get this, if you asked Emma and/or Aidan.

On Saturday, we went out and got the kids the Wii "thingy." They are in hog heaven! Aidan "Boom-Boom" Flanagan is the BOXING champ! Emma "Don't call me Tiger" Flanagan is the golfing pro! I'm partial to the bowling game. :0 Kelly is the family cheerleader at this point. Just hanging out on the sidelines...

Aidan wakes up, and instead of "Good Morning Mommy and Daddy," it's "Can I play the Wii?????"

"NO. Get ready for school," is usually our reply.

One more thing to hang over their heads to do their chores.

FYI, I can't WAIT to get GUITAR HERO!!! (Father's day is coming up!) :)

Bagels, a sleepover, a Sleep Study, and Tuesday

How's that for a title?

How is everyone doing? (not that anyone reads this blog....)

Things here are good. Last night I made bagels for the first time in a while. They turned out delicious! I'm planning on making them for the market on Saturday. If they sell well, they'll become a staple on the menu for our Saturday outings.

Emma is gearing up for her 1st "Birthday party/Sleepover" for tomorrow night. She even got a NEW sleeping bag for the event... (I guess sending a 9 year-old to a sleepover with her old DORA THE EXPLORER sleeping bag would be equivalant to child abuse...)

She's quite the excited, happy camper! She has been doing EOG (end of grade) testing this week. She's doing wonderfully, but I can see that she's tired. Friday should be interesting for her. She's a night owl, so we'll see how long she stays up at her friends' house.

Aidan is growing like a weed. Constantly hungry during the day, tossing and turning with growing pains during the night. I remember growing pains vividly. Ouch!

I have a Doc Appt. today for the snoring I've been doing. They may send me for a sleep study so I can stop the buzz-saw noises that are keeping Kelly awake.

We have been accepted as vendors for a new Tuesday market nearby here. This market is CRANKING! 25+ vendors for a Tuesday afternoon market. The foot traffic is crazy busy at this place. I have friends from our Saturday market that are doing the Tuesday market and are making MORE $$ on Tues then Saturday. Hooray!

Kelly's going to be a busy person on Tuesday's now. :)

WHAT'S YOUR FULL NAME??

This past weekend, Kelly and I got some bags (21) of mulch to spread around the flower gardens we have here. We're out there working and Emma and Aidan come out. One of Emma's friends (Kellie) comes out and asks if she can help... "SURE" was the stereo response from both Kelly and myself.

So, as we're working to clear the OLD "bark-like" wood chip mulch, the converstion turns to "FULL NAMES." Emma says that her full name is "Emma Delaney Flanagan" Aidan chimes in with "Aidan Patrick Flanagan." "Little" Kellie adds that hers is "Kellie Nicole Fanning."

All the kids ask Kelly what HER full name is... Kelly says, "Kelly Ann Bridget Gleason Flanagan."

"Little" Kellie looks right at her and says (as honest and sincere as punch) "How did your Mommy EVER write all of that inside your under-pants????"

I fell off my chair I was laughing so hard!

Out of the mouth of babes....

HILARIOUS!!!

PENNIES.... NINE OF THEM

Most of you know that I'm a coupon fanatic (junkie,lunatic,mad-man).

Back in January, I turned the knob to "11" in regards to couponing. I am on what they call a "tear" with my savings! It's fun. It's a game to me now. I have certain "price points" that I won't go above for alot of items. (A LOT of the price points are ZERO....)

Here's what I got for NINE CENTS:

4 bottles French's Yellow Mustard (All FREE)
4 Bottles Kraft Ranch Dressing (All FREE)
8 Rice A Roni Boxes (2 cents a box)
4 Packs of Trident Gum (All FREE)
2 Bottles of Kraft BBQ Sauce. (All FREE)

The BOY IS ZOO-BOUND

Aidan is on his first "all day" field trip the to Zoo today. He's going to be one tired little boy when he gets home.

The weather couldn't be better though for his trip. Sunny and 72 is the forecast. Beats yesterday's weather of 60 and rain...

I can't wait to hear about all the animals he saw. I'm sure the highlight of his trip through will be "riding on a bus that has a MOVIE PLAYER!" :)

More Pics from the Saturday Fair

SCHOOL FAIR LAST WEEKEND

Last Saturday, Emma and Aidan's School had a "Spring Fling" type fair. Pony rides, moon bounces, games, raffles, etc...

After the Saturday Farmer's Market, I took them for a few hours. They ran into a lot of their classmates and had a wonderful time. It is always fun to see Emma and Aidan interact with their friends. It's a side of them we don't get to see that much, but it's fun when we do.

I got a few pics from the Fair:

BUM-BUM'S EAR

Aidan has a pretty severe ear infection he's fighting right now. Fortunately, Aidan is like Rocky Balboa when it comes to fighting colds and stuff. He's truly a champ when it comes time to get a shot, take some medicine, or give blood. In his numerous rounds of allergy testing, the poor boy was poked close to 200 times on his back in a grid laid out like a checkerboard on his back.

He's 3 doses into his antibiotics and has returned to "normal." It's very easy to tell when Aidan isn't feeling good. He doesn't eat. (this kid LOVES to eat!) I think his first words were "I'm hungry!" It's all we hear these days....

It's also easy to tell when Aidan is feeling better. He resumes his voracious eating habits.

I'm glad to see him eating again.

FRIDAY AT LAST

It's Friday. I think that's a good thing. That means "Baking" Day. I've got 18 loaves going for the market. I'm hoping to crank out 72 to 90 loaves. We'll see how the day goes. :)

It's been a busy week. Kelly's play (she's Stage Manager) starts tonight. 6 months to the day of when she blew out her Achilles tendon (DOING A PLAY!)

The kids have been busy too. Aidan was sick earlier this week. Fever. He stayed home on Wednesday. Emma has a field trip yesterday to a local farm. She brought home a Tomato plant that is busy germinating in the house here up on the kitchen counter.

Last night, the kids helped me plant the basil I got from the market last week. I got 4 plants this year. They will grow to be BUSHES in no time. GARLIC PESTO bread will be in ABUNDANCE soon enough.

Anyone have any big weekend plans?

NIGHT-NIGHT, MONKEY

There is nothing more soothing than watching a sleeping child sleep. As a parent, it's a ritual that whenever you are up in the middle of the night, you check on your kids.

Fortunately, Emma and Aidan are great sleepers. They always have been.

Aidan has spurts of growing pains now and then that keep him up at night. Last night was one of those nights. I know I got up at least 3 times, and I'm sure Kelly matched or beat my numbers there...

So, this morning, as I'm getting ready for work, Aidan starts to stir. This usually means he has kicked his covers off. He's infamous for that.

I go to check on him, and sure enough, there's not a cover to be found. I get him all covered up. He's in a daze, and I say to him, "night-night, bum bum..."

His reply? "Night-night, monkey!"

That boy cracks me up, I tell ya.

THEY GROW UP QUICKLY

I've been perusing the old digital photo album here of the kids. They're growing up so quickly! Emma has her first "overnight" party planned with a friend for next month. Aidan is getting TALL and remains HUNGRY all hours of the day...

We joke and tell him that his first words ever were "I'm hungry!" :)

Here are some "old" and "new" pics...



Emma when she was born




Emma These Days
br>


Aidan When He Was Born




Aidan These Days

THE DRUMMER AND THE FENCER...

Emma and Aidan just finished a 6-week course in an after-school type program called PEAK. Don't ask me what that stands for. Anyhoo, Emma chose to study "Fencing." I think she was hoping they used Light Sabers, instead of SWORDS. :) She had a blast doing it.

Aidan chose drums. While I'm quite handy on the guitar and keyboard, I can't keep a steady beat (drum-wise) to save myself. Maybe Aidan will fight heredity and actually come out on top? Time (steady time) will tell, I guess. :)

Next Friday, swimming starts!

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY...

Another rained out weekend. Both days. Total rain. Nonstop. Kids inside. Not happy. Parents not happy either. Tuesday might see sun.

How 'bout you guys?

IT'S MARCH IN NC... Time for Swimming Lessons

yes, it's that time of year to dust off the goggles. Check the sizes on the bathing suits. Find towels and flip flops and head off to swimming lessons.

This will most likely be the last year for it. Emma has truly grasped the art of keeping one's head ABOVE water.

Aidan still subscribes to the "If I Flap My Arms Fast Enough, I'll Stay Afloat" theory. He needs a tad bit of precision and discipline before he's allowed in the 4 ft part of the pool....

Fortunately, both kids have grown what seems like a foot! That will help as they try to become "water-proof."

PIX from the SNOW

Click HERE to see pics from yesterday's snow storm here in the South....

SNOW DAY...

For the 3rd time this season, the kids are off from school. Wow! Not much of the white stuff fell, but enough of it for the schools to tuck their tails between their legs and call off the school day.

I've got 2 "quite" happy kids here....

;)

Pics to be posted soon.

SNOW... in NC.... In MARCH???

The weekend is here. Ah.... a quiet has fallen over the house. The kids (and Kelly) are still asleep. A steady (at times, heavy) rain has been falling all night. I love listening to the rain while in bed. Very calming.

They're calling for the rain to turn to snow though here. Accumulative snow. In MaRCH! In NC. March? What?

Yup... accumulative snow is scheduled here for tomorrow. Oh goodie. At least if it falls on the weekend, all the idiots on the road won't be on the road. They'll be at home...

Of course, this IS the South and they're weather skills are a bit lacking (to say the least) when it comes to accuracy.

Time will tell.

The "kid" in me though is hoping for a BIG storm! Love this stuff!

COLD HERE IN SOUTHTOWN

Wow, we are having a pretty cold winter down here. By far the coldest we've had in our 3 years living down here. Maybe my blood is thinning, but alot of folks I talk to down here say the same thing: IT'S COLD!!

Kids don't seem to mind though. Aidan is ENTRANCED with his new games he got for his Nintendo DS. Emma is counting the days down til "there will be a 9 year-0ld in the house," as she puts it. She also likes to point out that in 4 "short" years, she'll be a teenager! (I pretend to faint/have a heart attack when she says that and it makes her giggle!) :)

Other than that, all things here are going well. Kelly's in a play at the moment that had its opening run last weekend. "Inherit the Wind" is the name of the play. She has a small (but enjoyable) role.

Work is keeping me busy, which is a good thing with the current economy. We're still hiring folks. so that's a good sign. :)

Hope everyone is well (and WARM!)

Take care.

ALMOST 7

So, Aidan is almost 7. Wow. Our baby is almost 7. Hard to believe.

He's quite excited that his Bday is coming up! He's anxious to go bowling, eat pizza, and have ice cream and cake...

Oh, and the presents too. I guess he's looking forward to that as well. :)

I LOVE LOWES FOOD

Here's what $3.52 can get you....(vs. $32.81)


2 boxes of Eggo Waffles (originally $5.30) I got for $.16 a box! ($.32 total)

5 bags of Quaker rice cake treats (originally $11.75) I got for $.25 a bag... ($1.25 total)

3 bags of Chex Mix (originally $7.80) I got for $.25 a bag... ($.75 total)

4 boxes of Tostino's Pizza Rolls (originally $7.96) I got for $.30 a box... ($1.20 total)

I love Lowes Foods...

:)

Here's What $6.88 can buy you...

I was driving home from work the other day and was going to stop by Lowes Food for something they had on sale. Combine that with a trip to Harris Teeter, and here's what I got for $6.88

6 boxes of Tostino Pizza Rolls...
Original price: $1.99/box ($11.94 total)
On sale for $1/box
I had six $.35Q's which double to $.70
Final Total: $1.88 (with tax)
Savings: $10.14 (85%)

2 boxes of Ritz Crackers...
Original price: $3.99/box ($7.98 total)
On Sale for $2/box
I had one $2Q off 2 boxes
Final total: $.99 per box
Savings: $5.98 (75%)

2 Bottles of Kens Marinade...
Original price: $3.49/each ($7.48 total)
On Sale for $1.75/each
I had two $1Q's
Final total: $1.49 for 2 bottles
Savings: $5.48 (79%)

2 Pillsbury Grand Biscuits...
Original Price: $2.19/each ($4.38 total)
On Sale for $1.09 each
I had $1Q off 2
Final total: $1.19 for 2
Savings: $3.19 (73%)

1 Tube of Colgate Total Toothpaste
Original Price: $2.69
On Sale for $1.50
I had a $1.50Q
Final total: FREE
Savings: $2.69 (100%)

Not too shabby....

NO SNOW HERE

So, Bowie is getting some good snow. Darn it.

I don't miss much about the MD/DC area, but snow is one of them. For me, it's the hype and the anticipation of it all! I simply can't get enough of it.

We don't get that here in NC. I wish we did. We did have snow last Tuesday, but it was gone by noon or so. No fun.

JUST A COUPLE THINGS

The kids had off from school today.

Kelly has play practice tonight.

It's a cold day here in NC. Unseasonably.

Mondays always tend to drag along. Today was no different.

Sloppy Joe's were on the menu tonight!~ Yum.

I'm going to start cycling again.... tomorrow.

Is 41 really staring Kelly and I down?

The SAUCES....

Frank's Hot Sauce has been on sale all week at Harris Teeter (HT). I picked up 8 bottles over the course of the week. ALL FREE.... (2/$1 with a .50Q which they double....)

I also picked up 4 French's Worcestershire Sauce that was on sale for $1 a bottle. I had a .$.50Q (4 of them) so all 4 bottles I got for FREE!!

Good grabs this week.

EVEN MORE FREE STUFF

It was a COLD day here yesterday. Kids wore their "HEAVY" coats, as they call them for most the day. We started the day with a birthday party for one of Emma's friends. "Ashley" is a good friend of Emma's, so off we went to the party. Ashley's little brother, Ben, is in Aidan's class, so Aidan got invited as well.

The kids had a blast at "Sports Connection." Emma reveled in playing "Laser Tag." Aidan was a bit spooked by the surroundings (and darkness) of Laser Tag, so he hung out with me in the arcade area most the time.

Obligatory pizza, cake and soda was served. Kids were stuffed, and tired. Hooray!

When I got them home, I headed out to Lowes Food. It was my first time there. I was armed with my Coupon Binder and ready to go...

I found some really good deals.

They had a close out on some Pilsbury (bake yourself) Choc. Chip cookies. Orig $3.35, on sale for $2.29 and I had a $1.50 coupon... Final price: $.79 (I got 2)

I also got a RIDICULOUS deal on Parchment paper, which I use when I cook the various breads... Orig $3.95. It was on sale for $2.09 . I had a $1.75Q so the final price was $.34 ( I had 2 Q's, so I got 2 rolls for $.68 total....)

Splenda sweeteners were on sale for $2.75 and I had a $3Q... FREE! (I had 3 Q's, so I got over $8 worth of sweeteners for free....) AWESOME!

A few other deals I got:

4 Butterball Turkey Deli Containers (8 oz of turkey) Orig $16 I got for $3.96 after Q's. That's $.99 each.

4 Pringles (orig $5.40 for $2 )

4 Go-Gurts for the kids... (orig $11.96, with Q's, I spent $5 for 4)

2 Kids Colgate Toothpastes (On sale for 2/$3... I had two $1.50Q's, so they were both free...)

Progresso Chix Noodle Soup: Orig $2.69, on sale for $1.25, and I had a $1.10Q, so the final price was $.15 Unfortunately, I only had 1Q. :(

Quite a trip of SAVINGS... I had a blast.

We have a Lowes Food opening up about 2 miles from us in the coming months. I'll be glad when that opens. The nearest one right now is about 10 miles away. They double Q's up to $.99 . I can get some killer deals with the stash of coupons I have.

:)

Hope everyone is well. Happy Birthday Dave! We have the family birthday ONSLAUGHT getting ready to KICK INTO GEAR here through March....

At least 16 birthday's coming up through March... I may have to recount that. I'm sure I left someone out....

:)

FREE STUFF THIS WEEK

How is everyone doing? Great here. It's a COLD week here in the Carolinas. We're not used to temps in the 30's let alone the 20's and 10's we're experiencing now... It's very frigid down here.

I've been having fun perusing all the different ads this week for the good deals. I found quite a few of them, that I've listed below....

I got 2 bottles of FRANK'S HOT SAUCE (5oz) for Free. Orig: $1.59 each, On sale for $.50/each. I had a $.50 Q that doubled, so I got 2 for FREE.

I have a Buffalo Chix Dip recipe that calls for this (along with cream cheese and ranch dressing that is to die for!)

I also picked up 2 boxes of KIX cereal (orig $3.79 each) for $.50 each after Q's. (83% savings...)

I also picked up four 8oz containers of Butterball turkey slices (orig $4/each for $1.25 each after Q's....)

Pasta was on sale this week as well. With Q's, I got 6 boxes of Mueller's Vermicelli for $.45/box (orig $1.69/box....) Even on sale, they were $1/box... Not a bad deal. (Not like we won't use them either.)

Special K was on sale this week as well. Orig $3.79/box, I got 4 boxes for $1/each with coupons...

There's more I could list here, but you get the idea.

Good stuff!

Hope everyone is staying warm! We awoke to a temperature of 8 degrees... What about you all?

FREEBIES THIS WEEK

Walgreens has Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil on sale for $0.99 and I have a $1 coupon...

They also have 3 cans of Hunts Spaghetti products on sale for $1. I have a $1 off 3 Q to make those free as well.


Almost free: Palmolive Hand Soap on sale for $0.79 and I have a $0.25 Q. 54 Cents. Not too bad.

I love getting free stuff. :0

COUPON CRAZY DOWN HERE.

Over the past month, I have really tried to cut down on the monthly food bill here. I have always been a fan of coupons, but I have never really seen the "light" of couponing until I read up more on it.

You can save a TON of $$ (and get a lot of stuff for FREE) if you use coupons correctly.

I'm totally hooked now, and I'm loving every minute of it. Just the other day at Walgreen's, I picked up a box of Sweet-n-Low packets (120 ct) for only .64 cents. They're originally $2.49, but they were on sale for .99 cents. I had an Internet printed coupon for .35 cents, so the final price was .64 cents. I got 2 of them.

The previous week, I got Colgate toothpaste for free. It was on sale for $1.34 and I had a .75 cent coupon. My store doubles those, so I got it for FREE. (I got 3, since I had 3 coupons....)

I got an Herbal Essences Shampoo (originally $4.39) for .99 cents after a $1 coupon that doubles this week at my Harris Teeter.

This morning I went to Food Lion and got 3 boxes of Frosted Flakes (14 oz), 2 boxes of Special K (12 oz) and 2 boxes of Angel Hair Pasta Roni for $7 total. ($18.45 before coupons....)

I'm on a roll, I tell ya! I got some baking powder the other day (orig. $1.99 each) for .34 cents each.

I also got a 20ct box of Ziploc Qt size freezer bags (orig $3.59) for .80 cents.

The list goes on and on! :)

Kelly thinks I'm insane, although she is impressed with the deals I get. My best deal was 2 bags of Armour Meatballs (orig. $7.98) for .80 cents Ha!

Here's another one: 2 boxes of Eggo Waffles (orig. $5.58) for $1.08 That's .54 cent s a box!

A few weeks back I got Betty Crocker Icing (3 of them) for FREE! They were on sale for .99 cents each, and I had three .50 cents coupons that doubled. FREE.... (the cake that day tasted EXTRA sweet...) :)

I'm enjoying the deals I'm finding. I have my coupon binder all laid out, so it's very easy for me to find the right coupon.

Here's another freebie: I got 3 cans of Progresso Beef Vegetable soup (orig &7.50) for free... Walgreens had them on sale for .99 cent each. I had an Internet printed coupon for $1.10 off (I had 3 coupons...) FREE.

I'll post some of my latest finds here in the coming days. This weekend I'm off to explore ALDI'S Food Stores. Rich and Georgia swear by them. Great prices for the staples in your pantry... (10lb bag of russet potatoes for $2.89...) Can't beat that!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Off to clip coupons.

A WEEK OFF

The kids have been off from school since Friday, December 19th. That was their last day of 2008. While it's wonderful to have them home and equally wonderful to have no homework, I think Perry Como had it right in the song "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas." Trust me, Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again!

:)

We've had a ton of fun during the break. We went to Maryland to see the family, and we've played umpteen games of Twister and Trouble. Today we're breaking out "UNO." I loved that game as a kid. I completely forget how to play it, but I'm sure it will come back to me.

I'm hoping today to get out on my bike to start getting some miles under my belt for 2009. I rode over 1,800 miles in 2008. I conked out around August. If I apply myself, I'm hoping to get over 2,500 miles in this year.

Time will tell...

2008 OVER

2009 is right around the corner. Wow. 2008 seemed to fly by. The older we get, the quicker it seems to pass us by.

Thankfully, Emma and Aidan keep us grounded and I try to view time as they do. It's not easy.

They are still reveling in their Christmas stash. Games, toys, candy, treats galore. What to play with next? The possibilities are endless. To be a kid again, eh?

The new year is upon us tonight. Anything special planned with you all? We're doing Chinese take out. One last treat for '08

Here's to 2009

"I GUESS MY HEAD JUST NEEDED SOME SLEEP"

You gotta love the things 6 year-olds say.

Aidan was a bit under the weather on Monday. He came home from gymnastics complaining of a headache. He bypassed dinner because he was in so much pain. Very un-like Aidan to do that.

So, I give him a dose of Children's Motrin and he proceeds to fall asleep on the couch. This is around 5:45pm.

At 7:30pm, he's still OUT on the couch. Poor little boy...

I bring him upstairs and get him settled into bed. Fortunately, he slept through the night. Whew! (and so did I!)

When I was getting up for work, I went to peek in on him and he was stirring. I asked him how his head felt... "It's all better... I guess my head just needed some sleep."

As I tucked him back in under his covers, I left his room with a smile on my face and a new understanding of how kids view headaches...

Priceless.

WINTRY MIX?

So, we've got 17 days til the Big Man comes. Kids are both stoked! We are knee deep in Christmas specials on TV, as well as listening to songs on the radio with the Christmas theme.

They're calling for a "wintry" mix here tomorrow, which means it will be sunny and in the 60's.... :)

Snow would be nice. We do miss the white stuff. Something about being a kid and having it snow. They go together like PB and J.

We will see.

The kids and I decorated the front of the house yesterday with lights for the bushes, and ornaments for the tree.

Kelly picked up a Santa from Walmart that lights up. Pretty cool looking. We have a long way to go before being mistaken for the Griswalds, but hey, even they had to start somewhere....

FREAKISH HEALING

So, I get home from work last night and Kelly says to me, "Do you want to see what I learned to do at Physical Therapy this morning?" I reply, "Sure," totally expecting to see some trick she has learned that will strengthen her leg further.

To my surprise, Kelly puts her "bad" foot on the ground (still in the boot) and proceeds to WALK ON IT, with the assistance of her crutches.

She PUT HER FOOT DOWN and walked on it!

HOLY !@#$!@#!~!!!

I was flabbergasted and