Sad To See It Go

I remember when I was 9 yrs old, Mom & Danny got married. They bought a house (actually where they still live) & it have a wet bar in it. It had one of the tiny little bar faucets & sink. I loved it! I had hoped that it could my own place to create a playhouse. But sadly, Danny didn't like the idea of having a wet bar & took it out. He then turned that corner into a mini library. It in not Mom's pantry/storage area.

Inspiring Furniture

The only piece of our furniture that we have bought new is our nice "oh so wonderfully comfy" king size bed. I love being able to take something that someone else no longer wants & making it my own. Painting it & turning it into a new creation. I was looking at a discount furniture website & saw this chest & fell in love with it! It is awesome! This chest would totally fit in my home. It inspires me to paint something right now!

Pimple Be Gone

Even in my teenage years, I never had any real issues with my skin. Which, as you know, with all the other junk that comes along with finding ones self, not having to worry with acne was a blessing. But when I turned 29/30, my skin started to change. I knew it would, at least that's what I heard...Your skin will change as you age. But I have dealt with alot more acne now than ever. Even my Mom said she went through the same thing.

Credit Regret

I was taught that credit cards are not the answer & when I started making my own financial decisions, I chose no credit cards. But then one days, a nice shiny one came in the mail with mt names on it. I was too weak to so no. A choice I still regret. My credit is now horrible, I will now blame it on youth & thinking I was invincible. But it is something that I wish I had done differently. I know there is no way I would ever be given a high limit credit card...Nor would I want one. I know that some people can handle credit cards, but I'm not one of them.

Bathroom In Need Of Love

I really like this faucet.

We have made alot of changes to this house over the last 5 years, that we have lived here. And most of it with little or no money. Our master bathroom has been painted 3 times, but there has been no remodeling in there. And it is in need of some TLC. Everything from the floors, toilet, to the vanity & faucet, needs to be replaced. Maybe after Christmas, we can focus some attention to that room. It sure needs it.

Life Insurance

Daniel & I have done some talking about the future. We are in our 30's & it is really time to look into "grown up" stuff. Life does seem to sneak up on you & before you know it, you are no longer a teenager. With Daniel's new job, he has been given more of a chance to actually plan for things. Including term life insurance. I was unsure of what exactly that is so I looked into it. I found out that is insurance that is the most inexpensive way to purchase coverage for death benefits per premium dollar basis. Sounds like it may be the best for us at this point.

Puppies R Us

When you get a pet, the overwhelming cutest of them, clouds the realization of the huge responsibility. I have 3 dogs & they each have their own issues. Molly the oldest, is beginning to really show her 11 years. She of course, still thinks she is a puppy...Well, actually she doesn't even think she is a dog! But I am starting to look into pet supplements for her joints. Then there is Rocco he has skin allergies & I need to get some good vitamins for him. I think he also has OCD. Hahaha! Razzy is my little bulldozer & he hardly has any thing go wrong.

Branson or Bust

The Summer is winding down. I think there are 2 weeks left, until the calendar will says is official Fall. The kids are all back in school. Pools are closing. Football season has kicked off. And everyone is already gearing up for the Holidays that will be here before we know it. With the changing of Summer fun, also comes, the ending of vacations. I think almost everyone I know made a trip to the beach this year. That's not really my idea of a vacation, going to a crowded beach in the heat. I would rather go during the off season. When the crowds are all at home!
I think most people forget that you don't have to vacation in the Summer. Sure, it's easier if you have kids & they are out of school. But I find that the experience is much more pleasurable after the weather has cooled off. Plus going somewhere other than the beach, is always a treat!
Maybe try Branson Missouri, for a change. They have so much to offer there. Plus it's a place that is central to the Midwest & some of the South.
Plus there are some really great vacation packages avaliable. Here are a few:

PLATINUM PACKAGE $457 PER COUPLE

3 Days/2 Nights Grand Oaks
2 adult tickets to:
Grand Jubilee
$30 Red Lobster/Olive Garden Gift Card
Coupon Book with $1,500 worth of savings
$50 Tanger Outlet Shopping Certificate


BRONZE PACKAGE $782 PER COUPLE

5 Days/4 Nights Branson Settle Inn
2 adult tickets to:
Magnificent Seven
Dixie Stampede
Shoji Tabuchi


GREAT AMERICAN PACKAGE $594 PER COUPLE

4 Days/3 Nights Welk Resort Hotel
2 adult tickets to:
Magnificent Seven with Dinner
Legends in Concert
Veteran's Museum

Branson is known as "The Live Entertainment Capital of the World." So, you know there are going to be tons of shows to choose from. Anything from the, Acrobats of China to #1 Hit of the 60's & even Broadway! Honestly the list could go on & on.

Not only is there the shows to take in but there is also the theme park Silver Dollar City, all kinds of places to shop, plus the area is full of places to take in the the gorgeous part of the country that Branson is located. Including Marvel Cave, which was known by the Osage Indians dating back to 1500.

There is so much to do in Branson Missouri, no one can say they are bored!

Christmas Party

Oh how I wish we had a home that was in the condition to host wondrous parties. I would love to entertain. One kind of party that I would enjoy hosting would be a grand Christmas party. I found some awesome Christmas invitations, that I would use, if that day ever arrived to host such a party. Here are my favorites...

Polka dots & pink...Of course! And I like the Holly & Jolly.
More dots.
I love the little retro snowflakes.

And this one if just fun! Make me want to celebrate something!

People's Kindness

I have a new friend that I met through blogging. I don't know a whole lot about her, but I do know she works for lawyers. I wonder if she works for Chicago personal injury lawyers? I guess I should ask here next time we e-mail each other. She is so kind & even sent me an amazing box of Asian goodies, from the big city. I'm always amazed at people's kindness. Especially those that I have never met face to face. Since blogging, I've had several "strangers" send me surprises. And I'm always excited & touch at them thinking of me enough to buy & then sending something to me.

Take Me Away

D gets some really nice discounts at 5 star hotels, from the place he now works. I'm used to staying at the Motel 6. So the idea of staying somewhere super nice, will be a new thing for me. This means I can actually think about planning some luxury vacations for us. We are wanting to go down the Mobile, maybe in the Fall, for a weekend. Oh, how marvelous that would be. A weekend alone, away from home with my husband! I hope we can accomplish this small dream.

Trading

I wasn't sure exactly sure what futures trading is so I did a little research.
Futures is a popular way of trading. It offers a wide variety of markets, that can be traded at a low price & they don't have the restrictions that stocks have.
I have never dealt with trading anything like that, but I guess if I decided to deal in the stock market, that this would be a better option for me, than stocks.

Travels

My Granny was the one who did all the traveling when I was a kid. She bowled & went all over the country bowling in tournaments. She would come home with tons of stories from where ever she had been. She didn't fly to all of these places either, it was always road trips. Reno, Mount St Helens, Niagara Falls, Las Vegas travels were always a part of her grand adventures. I sure miss hearing those stories.

Budget

Who knew being an adult would be so complicated? When you are a kid & especially a teen, you look at adults as if they have all the freedom in the world. They can come & go as they please. Spend money whenever they want too. And they don't have parents controlling their every move. If only we would embrace the true freedoms of being a kid & not wish that time away. When adulthood comes along, so does reality! The pressure of succeeding & making a living. Surviving this world & the rat race of life. One thing that has helped many people keep things on track is budget software. I had a friend who encouraged me to use it & I must say it makes it easier to keep up with where my money is going.

Boots To Go

One thing about Summer is the carefree mood of shoes. My flip flops are my friend & they are so easy. But during the cooler months I love a good boot. One that I can wear with jeans or dress pants. I had a pair of boots that were my absolute favorite. I could wear them with just about anything, even skirts. I wore those boots out! And I was distraught when they could no longer be worn. I still have them though, so because I just can't bring myself to let them go. For the last few winters I have been looking for another pair of great boots, with no luck. It has actually become down right aggravating. I was looking at some Dansko shoes & found a nice pair of boots. All of their shoes look like they would be really comfortable. And that is hugely important to me. Sure I want a good looking shoe, but if it ain't comfortable, it will not go on my foot.

Burn Some Fat

I have tried so many different diets & diet pills in my lifetime. Battling my weight has something I have always faced. Some of the diets & diet pills have worked well. Some kept the weight off. While others did not do a thing for me. My doctor put me on some new weight loose aid pills a couple of months ago & I have lost over 20 pounds.
I recently heard of a fat burn type pills that's called Fentraphen & I'm wondering what exactly it is all about. After looking at it awhile I saw that it has some of the same things ingredients as the prescription Phentermine. But it's most all natural. It may be worth trying.

Move To The South

D & I have been talking to his parent about moving out to Alabama from California. There is no way that they could move everything they own, plus 3 cars, by themselves, across the country. D would help them, but he doesn't have any off time at work to take off a week or so to help with the move. If they do decide to make the change & come out this way, we are going to have to look into some moving services. That is honestly the only solution to this issue. When D & I moved the several times across country it was fun & adventure, but if I had to do it again, a moving service would definitely be something I would look into.

Coupons

I am so into coupon clipping these days. I am loving the money I save each time I go to the store. But I hate when I get tons of coupons I will not use, like diapers, cat food, acne cream & fiber meds. Hahaha! I do know there is someone out there that needs them, it's just not me. I do give coupons to a friend & my Mom. But then are some that just get trashed. I hate throwing them away too. It's like money in the garbage.

Tan Lines?

I was looking at watches in the ads that came in the Sunday paper & the ones that they had on sale, were not sale prices in my mind. I did find some Nautica watches that I like. I was looking at some for myself & my Daniel. I asked him earlier why he stop wearing a watch & he said he didn't like the tan lines??? He's such a weirdo. He is not vain at all, so I found that a strange reason to stop wearing a watch.

Disposable vs Cloth

Mom used cloth diapers on me when I was a baby. But not long after that disposable diapers becoming the way to diaper your baby. Now there is a whole new movement of Moms who are into breast feeding, cloth diapers & baby wearing. I know when I become a Mom, I will breast feed & baby wear, but I'm not totally sure about the cloth diaper thing. I do know it's not something I will rule out.

KVM

What in the world is KVM?
For starters it is the abbreviation for Keyboard, Video or Visual Display Unit, Mouse.
It is a hardware device that allows a user to control multiple computers from a single keyboard, video monitor and mouse.
I'm not sure I would ever have a need for one of these, but I but Daniel uses them at work. He's always doing different things with computers & controlling different events

Security

One thing my parents instilled in me is the importance of car insurance. You may never need it, but that one time you don't have it, you will need it. I feel better knowing that while I'm behind the wheel I'm covered. I know it's the law in some states, that you can't drive without insurance. I think that's a great law & should be enforced everywhere. I've experienced first hand what it is like to be in an accident with someone who odes not have insurance.

Time Away

Most people around here go to Gulf Shores, Florida or Tennessee for vacation. If I were going to go somewhere the Outer Banks of North Carolina would be a place I may choose. I've been thinking alot about going on a trip with my hubby lately. We do need some time away from here & the norm of life. Just to be able to go somewhere & devote time to each other with no interruptions would be nice.

Good Skin

I used to work at a makeup counter & when I went for my interview for the job, they inspected my skin. I had never had that happened. But they told me I was hired because I had the clearest skin that they had seen. And they knew that my skin would sell lots of skincare. Sometimes it was hard for me to tell the customers, that they reason I had clear skin was because of the products I was selling. Occasionally I would be stopped in the mall & asked what I used. And I would just tell the truth, even at the loss of a possible client. I used baby oil to take off my eye makeup & a bar of Dove soap to cleanse. And at the time I didn't even moisturize. I do know that their are people out there, that honest just have bad skin. It's hereditary & I was fortunate to be born with clear skin genes. I haven't had the need for Proactiv or any other acne treatment, thank goodness.

My Favorite Toy

When I was a little girl, I had more toys than I knew what to do with. But I think would have given them all up, just for my favorite of all of them. And that's my Barbies. I had the Dream House, cars, horse, pool, every new doll & clothes out the wazoo. Being an only child she was my playmate. We spent hours upon hours together. She never let me down. She excepted me for who I was. She was always there.
I still hold a fascination with the doll, still to this day. I have all my Barbie stuff from when I was a child over at Mom's house. Any time I go to a store that has toys, I have to make a trip over to check out the newest Barbies of the season. I even collect I Love Lucy Barbies. She's a dear & true old friend.

Extra Storage

I sure do put my poor computer through the ringer with all the pictures & videos I am constantly uploading. I try to keep them cleaned off & stored on disked. But I take so many photos, it can become overwhelming at times. But I have to make myself sit down & work on it, because if I don't the computer runs way too slow. I think I just need to buy memory to add extra space, for all the junk that I "just have to have" on my computer.

Gotta Have Books!

I adore books now, but that was not always the case. In elementary school, I was a horrible reader & didn't want anything to do with them. I was terribly embarrassed whenever I had to stand up in the classroom to read aloud. It would make me stumble & mess up even the simplest of words. Words that I knew how to read. I hated it. But then I home schooled & was able to flourish in my reading. I realized what a gift it is to be able to read & I enjoyed the idea of escaping into a different time & place. I am a huge fan of Historical Fiction & it's just about the only kind of novels that I read. But there are two current books I am interested in delving into, Life with my Sister Madonna & Stori Telling. I found them on Amazon books, for a cheaper price than I would pay at the local bookstore.

Moving Moving Moving

I have moved 8 times in the last 8 years. Four of those times were across the country. The first time was alone in my overloaded little car. I came back to Alabama, with an overloaded truck, 2 kittens, a dog & more importantly a husband! Most of the travels were fun roads trips, something I absolutely enjoy. And I wouldn't take anything for the memories of seeing the country with my husband. I would have been nice to have done some sight seeing along the way, but we were always on a time schedule. The last move, was not fun at all. We had several tires blow out on the truck, with it pulling the car. The temperatures where in the 100's so we traveled alot at night & the truck caught on fire. If we ever move long distance again, we will be getting someone like New York Moving Company, to take over this challenge, so we can enjoy a leisure trip to our new home.

A Little Bit Of Color

I just finished painting our kitchen. The walls are butter yellow, with white trim. The accent color is a deep red. My curtains are red & white polka dot. I have a collection of white milk glass on shelves, so I'm in need of some extra color in the room. I've been looking into some kinda of silk flowers, that I place somewhere, for punches of color. I'm pretty picky on these, because I don't want anything that looks cheap. I want as realistic as possible. I found these arrangements & I'm quite impressed. I think they would be perfect!

With Child Clothing

I was watching "Rosanne" the other night & it was one of the episodes were she is pregnant & went shopping for maternity clothes. Everything she found was hideous, big bold flower prints, with big bows. Pretty funny, but I know it reality, that exactly what maternity clothes once looked like. It was as if once a woman was with child, she had to dress up like a big old present ready to be given at a party. Thankfully maternity clothes today have become very trendy & stylish. I have found myself a few times, picking up an item at the store I was interested in, to find out it is maternity. That makes me excited to know that when I do become pregnant, I will have fun things to wear.

I Need A Vacation

This is the vacation time of year & it seems anybody & everybody is packing their bags & getting the heck out of dodge. I am staying home. D & I have never been a vacation together. We had a 3 day honeymoon, to Disneyland. It was great & all, but it was 30 minutes from where we lived. We have travel across the country a few times, but it was because we were moving. I wouldn't consider, driving a U-Haul, pulling a car, a time of rest & relaxation. I would love to be going somewhere, just to take time to spend with my husband. If I had the opportunity to go somewhere I think I would rather wait until the Fall or Winter & maybe look into some Vegas vacations. How fun would that be? They offer some great package deals. And if I could find some cheap airfare, I think we could do it for less than $500.

Golf Anyone?

I don't play. I don't know anything about golf. But one of my favorite episodes of I Love Lucy is where Lucy & Ethel want to learn to play & ask Ricky & Fred, to teach them. Of course, the guys decide to teach them a ludicrous way to play, thinking that the girls, will become tired of it all & leave, so the guys can play in peace. One of the things they tell the girls, is that whoever the "winner" is, gets to carry the golf bags to the next hole. In the end the girls, play a round with a famous golfer Jimmy Demaret, who tells the girls, that their husbands have taught them wrong. He gets in on the act & the guys look stupid. It's a classic!

Baby Stuff

Even though, I don't currently have a baby, I still like to look at the new baby products. There always seems to be something even cuter than the one before. I also love different things, not always the pale pink or light blue. That's why I really like this Maclaren stroller. The black & red is awesome & very currently. And it can be used for a boy or a girl, which is something to think about. I have seen a stroller that was leopard print & new instantly that it was one I would want. But I haven't seen one since & don't know the brand. This one though, it tops on the list.

Stop The Spending

I know someone who is in dire straights financially. They have mortgaged their home more times than I count. And they are in the process of trying to find more mortgage lenders. This family could have made better choices & they would not be in the situation they find themselves in now. I know the economy is not the best right now & it is adding to their misery, but they have spent crazy amounts of money on needless & senseless stuff. The Home Shopping Club has been their best friend. And they make the most ridiculous excuses for the things they end up buying. Can you tell me why, if you have 5 TV's with DVD player, you need a portable DVD player, when you go now where!

~C

Pills Galore

I have taken Phentermine before, but I'm not sure I would take Phentermine without prescription from a Doctor. I will admit I used to take over the counter diet pills, but that was when I was younger & I thought invincible. Now I would only do it, under a doctors supervision. But that's just me. Some people feel perfectly fine doing that. But I'm also on other meds & I just don't feel safe taking something, that may not be a good mix with the other stuff I'm currently taking.

Everything, But The Kitchen Sink

I've been in the midst of a kitchen re-do. You know...Just paint and a few new added elements. But if I were doing a kitchen make-over, one thing I would look into are farmhouse sinks. I love, love love them! The sink I have now is much deeper than most sinks I've seen, but to have a farmhouse sink, would be awesome. I love the charm they bring to a kitchen, plus they are great from hiding dirty dishes!

~C

LV Jobs

When I moved to LA back in 1999, I already had a job lined up. I just transferred to another job. But that job ended up not being all I was promised & I needed to make a living. So I went on a search for Los Angeles jobs. I didn't have to search too long...Well really not at all, because I met this cool girl, that did my make-up at a department store. She told me they were hiring & I had a job within a week. It was probably my favorite job, I've ever had.

~C

Send It Along

I few weeks ago, I had to send a package in the mail. I normally have all I need to wrapping & sending things in the mail. I couldn't find my postage tape anywhere. I usually keep it in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet. I called Mom & she had some that I could have. I walked over, got it & taped up the package. I had it all ready for the post office, when I found my tape sitting under a pile of papers on my craft desk. At least I found it!

Burn It

I'm always on the look out for something that will help me loose weight. Miracleburn may just help me out. I know I need something good & strong. I have never been able to loose weight without the aide of some kind of diet pill. I may just give this stuff a try. There are so many out there, it's hard to find the right one.

PS3

If I have a penny for every time D played a video game! He got a new PS2 for Christmas this past year, but if we had, had the money he would have definitely gotten a PS3. He would absolutely freak out if I were to surprise him with one of those. And how I would love to do so. One of these days...One of these days. They are pretty cool though, they can do just about anything it seems. If they create one that can wash dishes also, we will for sure buy one! Haha!

Shutters

We repainted our house a couple of years back & the colors I chose did not come out at all like I had hoped. Including the exterior shutters. I wanted them a plum color, but instead they are an almost violet color. I thought that possibly the color would eventually grow on me. But it hasn't. I'm wanting to repaint them a green now. Something that doesn't scream "Look at me!" But a nice color that compliments the surroundings.

Light My Fire

My parents always had a huge fear of candles & the only ones we had in the house were for in case the power went out. But I loved candles. When I got older the seemed to trust me with candles & for Christmas I think that's all I got. I know I got several candle making kits. I still love candles & enjoy using them to make my house smell good. They also come in pretty handy when you want to get romantic.

Watched

There are 2 years to go before D & I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, but I was thinking today about it. When I first said "I do," the 10 year anniversary mark seemed so far away. At times it feels like a blink of the eye. I want our 10th anniversary to be special & I want our gifts to each other to really represent our love & affection. I was look at mens gold watches for D. He doesn't own a watch & hasn't since I've known him, but there are certain watches that are just so sexy on a man. I would love to get him one & have some personal engraved on the back.

Memory

I have so many pictures & documents on my pc, that I am in need of some more computer memory. I try to keep things cleaned off, but it still gets so cluttered. I do try to save things to disks every 3 months & it helps alot. But to have more memory would help more, I think. It would keep my pc running faster & smoother. Our pc is 6 years old & there have been tons of upgrades since we bought it.

Plasma

I noticed as I was coming home today that one of my neighbors just recently got a new plasma TV. I think because I saw the box sitting out by the trash can. You can tell alot about a family by their garbage. I'm sure along with their TV, that also purchased a plasma mount, to hang it up. Plasma TV's are so nice too. If I got one, I would totally want it hanging up.

~C

Clean Floors

I have been through my share of vacuums. I even got one for Christmas this year, but some reason me & vacuums don't have a good track record. I'm not completely sure why. There are several different brands of vacuums that I wouldn't mind owning, including Electrolux vacuums. They are one the best vacuums out on the market and have been for many years. You can't go wrong with that now can you?

~C

Life

Life can sneak up on you when you least expect it. It's not something anyone wants to think about, but it's a fact. I have been thinking about D & I getting a life insurance quote. I hate the idea of it, but we need to be prepared. Plus we aren't Spring chickens anymore, just starting out. We are older & we need to get things in order. And there is no better time than the present.

~C

Outdoor Furniture

I seem to always be in the hunt for outdoor furniture. We only have a swing right now, but I want to eventually get some nice outdoor furniture. I would like to have a canopy on the back porch first though. I love teak outdoor furniture. So, if money was of no concern, it would be the exact kind I would buy. I would love to have a complete set also. Being outside during the spring & fall is one of my favorite things to do & to have some great furniture to help enjoy it would be a dream.

~C

Short Shorts

I am not a fan of shorts. At least not on me. But D loves to wear shorts. Whenever the weather warms up, he'll pull those shorts out. When he was working at his old job, he was able to wear shorts & any time the weather report said the temp "may" go up to the 60's, he would wear his shorts. Even if it was still freezing that morning. Thankfully, boardshorts are his shorts of choice & not short-shorts! Ha! Ha!

~C

INTRODUCING MY NEW BLOG!!!

To ALL my faithful, not so faithful and new readers.........P L E A S E go to my NEW blog (same name/new blog) and save it to your favorites instead of this one. I will be using it for my personal post. Never know.........there just may be something about you on there someday and you would want to be the first to know. :)

LOVE YOU ALL!!!
VICKIE

NYC

There are some places that I have been to that I would love to go to again. New York City travel is one of them. I love that city. There is so much to see & do. Just walking down the street is fun enough & that's free. The times I went to NYC it was on ministry trips & even though we did some sight seeing, I want to go back now, as a married woman with my husband & really get to enjoy the city & all it has to offer.

Open One Up

Given a franchise opportunity, why do people chose the ones they do. When I was a teen, I worked at McDonalds & I remember the owner of that franchise coming in there. He was a sorta eccentric older man, that drove a red unique sports car & wore bright yellow pants, Hawaiian shirt & suspenders. Did he decide to open that McDonalds because he loved the product? Or did he know it was a place that would really bring in money. Think about it....McDonalds is always busy, especially with people who have kids. I think if I were to open a franchise, Krispy Kreme would be my choice!

CALL BLOCK!!

REMINDER....all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies tomorrow and you will start to receive sale calls.....YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS! To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:888-382-1222. It is the National 'DO NOT CALL list'. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number. HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS. It takes about 20 seconds. You can also go online to donotcall.gov and register you phone.

CVS TRIPPIN!

This is a picture of my first trip at CVS trippin'! There have been several other very productive trips since then. My camera died is why I don't have pictures of the rest but THANKS to Crystal, this picture will just give you an idea of what I have been able to get with very little OOP (Out Of Pocket).

This order should have cost me $ 109.28 (before tax) but I paid $22.03. I walked out not only with all this in a bag but I also came out with $24.97 in ECB (Extra Care Bucks to be spent in CVS) and also I had a $40 dollar rebate coming on the Freestyle Meter. I only bought the meter because I am having to check my blood sugars now. I'm not into buying things just because they are cheap or free. If I or my family can't use it I will not purchase it. I will leave it for God to bless someone else with who needs it. Not only that but I went on-line and received $50 worth of strips (50 strips) to use with my meter and another $50 worth coming in May. The strips are what cost so much.
I tell you folks......GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME....ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!


I LOVE CVS.......and for those of you who aren't taking advantage of their Extra Credit Bucks program you are missing out on an amazing BLESSING!!!!

It was overwhelming in the beginning and hard to comprehend but once you catch on .....it is AWESOME!! Remember when computers first entered your life, how over whelming it was? Well this is much easier.

Just in a couple of weeks I have been able to bring home hundreds of dollars worth of food, cleaning products, health and beauty aids, etc., etc. etc.................for just dollars. It has only just begun. What a BLESSING it will be able to walk up to someone who has a need and be able to fill that need with a basket or bag of goodies from my own storehouse that God has allowed me to fill thru this amazing program. Not only that but my grocery money will now stretch towards things that my family could use and need because I was able to save it in these areas that CVS is providing.

THANK YOU JESUS FOR CVS, AND COUPONS!!

COUPON CLIPPING AND CVS

I started using coupons and CVS on April 20, 2008 (just 3 weeks) and between CVS, WALGREENS, PUBLIX and WINN DIXIE, I have brought home $951.25 worth of groceries for a whopping $243.41! That is a savings of $708.04 about 70%. I am also waiting on a $4o.00 rebate check to come in.

To think of the money I could have been saving in the 22 years Danny and I have been married if I had been doing this all along. MIND BLOWING. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. WOOOOOOOOO!!!

I will NEVER shop without coupons again. We won't even go out to eat without a coupon. People.......these little pieces of paper you clip and find laying around are MONEY!!! Use them. I don't care how rich you are or think you are, or how busy you are ........use them.

Yesterday I went to Winn Dixie to take advantage of their BOGO sale and what a sale it was. I also had 2 coupons for free items totaling about $10.00 and another $.75 cent mc on Duke's mayo plus Winn Dixie had a $10.00 off $75.oo coupon in their ad. The cashier check me out, not a happy lady, and she kept commenting on the fact that all I bought was BOGO. Not true. I had several other items but I had coupons for them. When she finished scanning my items I handed her my coupons and she had to have a manager come help her with them (?). After she totaled me up minus coupons she looked at my BIG book of coupons I had laying open on top of my bag , She said:"Is that your coupons?" (very sarcastically) I smiled real BIG and said "YES!"

Cashier: "How do you do that?"

Me: "I search the internet, visit web-sites, print and cut coupons, cut coupons out of the paper and watch the sales ads".
Cashier: "Well (with the Green-monster eyes) I don't have time for that! I have to work 5 days a week, go home clean house and then work some more."
Me: "I don't work. I keep house and I do this in order to stretch my food budget. This is my job. My house my not always be clean but my family has food on the table."
Cashier: "Well I just don't have time for that. I too busy! Your total is $104.53 and you have saved $118.09!" She circles my savings total. Then she says: "I've worked here 4 years and I have never seen anyone save that much money at one time. Your family must LOVE you!" The whole time she was talking to me she had a sarcastic tone to her voice and this irritated look in her eyes.
Me: "It wasn't me." I pointed up and I said with a great BIG smile: "It was God!" and I walked out.

When I left there I went right across the street to Publix and I saw a sign on their door that said they would take Winn Dixie's $10 off $75 coupon. I wasn't going to spend that much in there or I would have gone back across the street, picked up a sales paper and used it also.

I am sooooooo HAPPY!!!

Just walked in the door from my morning trip to ................CVS!!!!
I ran into Jamie in the parking lot and she told me they were out of toothbrushes and I told her I was after the Adidas deodorant. She informed me there were only about 3 left so I gave her a quick {{{HUG}}} and good-bye and took off to grab the deodorant before I even took a buggy. Does that sound awful? SORRY!!! With the money crunch and the price of groceries and gas, a GIRL GOTTA DO WHAT A GIRL GOTTA DO and I give God ALL the Praise and Glory for helping me stretch my grocery budget. Why I hadn't known and caught onto the CVS Extra Bucks Program before.......I DON'T KNOW!! I wish I had.

I had 2 coupons to get the Adidas deodorant free so I grabbed me two of them and two of the 12 pack of Charmin that was on for $5.99. I used my $4 off $20 CVS coupon, a $3 off $15 CVS coupon, 2 Adidas Free coupons ($4.99 ea.) a 25 cents Charmin manufacturer coupon and a $1 ECB. The total before any coupons was $31.08 and I paid $4.85 OOP (Out-Of-Pocket, not OPP Nicole) and received $9.98 in ECB's for future purchases. I made $5.13 today.
PRAISE YOU JESUS!!!

Real World

I've watching The Real World~Hollywood & one of the guys was given the opportunity to go to drug rehab, after having a huge blow up. His cast mates became scared of him & then the producers told him that they cared about him, which he didn't believe. He broken down & seemed so relieved that someone cared enough to get him help. He was going to a 30 day rehab & then will be able to return to the show. It's been an interesting season so far.

Prescribe It Please

Last Summer I was taking prescription Phentermine & last a good bit of weight, but I had a few medical issues, so the Doctor took me off of it. We do not have insurance now, but as soon as it goes into effect, I'm asking my doctor to prescribe it once again. I have tried just about everything to loose weight & it honestly one of the only things that actually works for me. I'm guessing alot of it has to do with the fact that I have an under-active thyroid. Lovely huh?


~C

CVS DEALS!!!

I went to two CVS stores this morning and did 2 transactions at one store and 1 at the other. I came home with $63.53 worth of merchandise, about $10.00 in ECB's and it cost me $2.02.

First transaction:
1 Aquafresh Extreme Toothpaste $ 2.99
1 Tums Quikpak 24 ct $ 4.69

minus coupons $ 2.25
minus ECB's $ 5.00
OOP $ .04

Received $ 7.68 ECB's



Second Transaction:
2 Colgate 360 toothbrushes $ 7.98 ($ 3.99 ea)
2 Aquafresh Advanced Paste $ 5.98 ($ 2.99 ea)
1 Drapik Travel $ 2.79
1 Excedrin PM 24 count $ 5.29

minus $ 6.00 coupons
minus $ 7.00 CVS coupons
minus $ 7.68 ECB's
OOP $ 1.95

Received $18.79 ECB's

Third Transaction:
1 Dr. Pepper $ .80
1 Sunkist $ 1.59

3 Dawn ( reg.$1.59 ea.) $ 2.40 ($.80 ea)
4 Adidas Deodorant $ 3.28
(reg. $ 3.99 ea on clearance $.82 ea)
1 Colgate 360 toothbrush $ 3.99
1 Barber's Milk $3.99
1 Hershey Skor Bar (filler) $ .79

minus $.25 coupon
minus $ 3.00 CVS coupon
minus $ 13.83 ECB's
OOP $ .02

Received $ 3.99 Ecb's

I haven't been able to find the Adidas that is generating $4.99 ECB's yet but....I WILL!!
I even have 2 coupons to get them free. I get to make $9.98 profit just for taking them home. Am I EXCITED or WHAT!!!
Can I hear a "HALLELUJAH" "PRAISE YOU JESUS"!!!

THANK YOU LORD FOR SHOWING ME FAVOR!!!

I decided to just put all my cherries in a bowl because......................................................

"Life is just a Bowl Full of CHERRIES!!!"

Blogger Changes

I didn't realize you couldn't see the posts, until I had several kind readers let me know. Thanks guys! So, for now the look of this blog is going to be a bit boring until I can figure out some stuff with the template.

Cherrio!
~C

Just walked in the door from my morning trip to ................CVS!!!!
I ran into Jamie in the parking lot and she told me they were out of toothbrushes and I told her I was after the Adidas deodorant. She informed me there were only about 3 left so I gave her a quick {{{HUG}}} and good-bye and took off to grab the deodorant before I even took a buggy. Does that sound awful? SORRY!!! With the money crunch and the price of groceries and gas, a GIRL GOTTA DO WHAT A GIRL GOTTA DO and I give God ALL the Praise and Glory for helping me stretch my grocery budget. Why I hadn't known and caught onto the CVS Extra Bucks Program before.......I DON'T KNOW!! I wish I had.

I had 2 coupons to get the Adidas deodorant free so I grabbed me two of them and two of the 12 pack of Charmin that was on for $5.99. I used my $4 off $20 CVS coupon, a $3 off $15 CVS coupon, 2 Adidas Free coupons ($4.99 ea.) a 25 cents Charmin manufacturer coupon and a $1 ECB. The total before any coupons was $31.08 and I paid $4.85 OOP (Out-Of-Pocket, not OPP Nicole) and received $9.98 in ECB's for future purchases. I made $5.13 today.
PRAISE YOU JESUS!!!

CVS Trippin'!!!

This is a picture of my first trip at CVS trippin'! There have been several other very productive trips since then. My camera died is why I don't have pictures of the rest but THANKS to Crystal, this picture will just give you an idea of what I have been able to get with very little OOP (Out Of Pocket).

This order should have cost me $ 109.28 (before tax) but I paid $22.03. I walked out not only with all this in a bag but I also came out with $24.97 in ECB (Extra Care Bucks to be spent in CVS) and also I had a $40 dollar rebate coming on the Freestyle Meter. I only bought the meter because I am having to check my blood sugars now. I'm not into buying things just because they are cheap or free. If I or my family can't use it I will not purchase it. I will leave it for God to bless someone else with who needs it. Not only that but I went on-line and received $50 worth of strips (50 strips) to use with my meter and another $50 worth coming in May. The strips are what cost so much.
I tell you folks......GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME....ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!


I LOVE CVS.......and for those of you who aren't taking advantage of their Extra Credit Bucks program you are missing out on an amazing BLESSING!!!!

It was overwhelming in the beginning and hard to comprehend but once you catch on .....it is AWESOME!! Remember when computers first entered your life, how over whelming it was? Well this is much easier.

Just in a couple of weeks I have been able to bring home hundreds of dollars worth of food, cleaning products, health and beauty aids, etc., etc. etc.................for just dollars. It has only just begun. What a BLESSING it will be able to walk up to someone who has a need and be able to fill that need with a basket or bag of goodies from my own storehouse that God has allowed me to fill thru this amazing program. Not only that but my grocery money will now stretch towards things that my family could use and need because I was able to save it in these areas that CVS is providing.

THANK YOU JESUS FOR CVS, AND COUPONS!!

Dog Signs

Recently I asked if I would like to receive beware of dog signs & I jumped on the offer. I'm always afraid of people coming into my yard & leaving the gate open, without me knowing. The if I were to let the dogs out of the house, not knowing the gate is open then the dogs could get loose. These signs will hopefully keep people out of our gate & my dogs safe. It is a great company that makes these signs. I was able to choose from brown, blue or green. I chose the brown, because I think it's more discreet, but still says what it needs too. The company also provides the mounting hardware (brass screws or cable ties). Which makes it so easy to install. I put my up as soon as it came in the mail. They Ship First and expect pay Later......They don't accept credit cards and have a Good Karma Policy! They ship for free fast and ask that your check be sent fast. I couldn't believe has quickly I got mine & I love it!

~C

Diets

Goodness, I really need to drop some pounds. Weight has always been an issue that I have had to deal with. Why is this my vice? It can be torment at times. I am frustrated & am looking for something to help. Maybe, Anoretix would be a good idea. I should look into it. I am just about up for anything these days.



~C

Five Things Game

My Beloved Tahoe "Cherry Baby"!

1. Hand Sanitizer
2. Box of tissue
3. Quilt
4. Soft side cooler
5. Mercy's car-seat
My Bag!

1. Excedrin
2. Cosmetic Bag
3. Bible
4. Date Book
5. Bottle of Water
Kitchen Cabinet that my Dad built!

1. Dishes in the top section.
2. Cereal and Snack foods in the bottom.
3. Basket of vitamins and Meds on the counter
4. Collectibles on the very top
5. Cookbooks
Jewelry Boxes

1. Pieces of my Grandmothers jewelry
2. A candle wrapped in a note from my First Birthday Cake
3. All my earrings
4. Charm w/ Crystal's baby picture in it
5. Locket Danny bought me one year for Christmas
Shadow Box

1. Danny's baby picture and baby shoe
2. My baby picture and baby shoe
3. My Grandmother's ivory crochet hook
4. My Grandmother's rosery beads
5. The thermometer in it's case that my Mom used on with me, my sisters and my brother when we were kids.

GAITHER'S HOMECOMING CONCERT!!

Danny was BLESSED with two tickets to the Gaither's Homecoming Concert for Christmas by Crystal & D,and I was HONORED to be the recipient of the second ticket.
We left home at 4:30 in order to get there, find a parking place and find our seats before the concert started at 6:00pm. The place started filling up really fast and I have to say that I wasn't the only one there with SILVER hair!!! There were also quite a few of those silver haired folk there that use Clairol also. There was also alot of the younger crowd as well that like this Southern Gospel Music. I saw quite a few people we know and go to Church with and even some of those younger married folk that I've know known since they were in diapers . We even ran into one of Danny's first cousins and his wife that we only get to see once a year at reunions. So cool.
Before we got there I was a little concerned with where I seats were. I haven't been to a concert in a while and I'm not able to climb those stairs like I use too and I am a little leary of heights. I have to say that Crystal did AWESOME with the seats. We were on the front row of the balcony, right in front of the stage. They also had these wide screens up everywhere so you didn't miss anything. THANKS again C&D a 1000 times!!!
It was an AMAZINGLY AWESOME Concert. We didn't leave there till after 10:30pm. The only negative to the whole night was the walking you have to do to go from your car to the arena, find the potty, seats, snack bar, seats, potty, seats, sit with your knees folded for 4 + hours and then back to the car. I have osteoarthritis in both hips and knees so therefore there is no cushion in my joints and by the time we got back to the car my body was SCREAMING!!!!! We made it home a little after 11:00, got a quick snack so I could take some pain med and hit the sack. Danny woke me up around 7:00am to get ready for Church and I could not hardly walk to the bathroom. I told him there was NO way I would be able to make it so I took some meds and went back to bed. I slept till after 12:00pm. I HATE missing Church and Sunday School. I just started a new class last Sunday so I missed the second lesson. SHUCKS!! Some things you just can't help. I did make it to Church last night though.
Even after all that the good totally out-weighs the bad. I would do it again in a heart beat. AWESOME Concert!!

Branson Vacations

I was looking into Branson resorts & found that there is alot to do around the Thousand Hills Resort like...

Grand Palace Theater - 0.6 miles
Andy Williams Moon River Theater - 0.8 miles
Tanger Factory Outlet Center - 1.1 miles
White Water Amusement Park - 1.9 miles
IMAX Entertainment Complex and Mall - 2.7 miles
Celebration City Amusement Park - 2.8 miles
Branson Landing - 3.4 miles
Table Rock Lake State Park - 4.2 miles
College of the Ozarks / Taney County Airport (PLK) - 6.0 miles
Silver Dollar City Theme Park - 7.1 miles
Springfield-Branson Regional Airport (SGF) - 55.9 miles

Plenty to keep anyone entertained that's for sure!

~C

Table Re-do

I'm hopefully going to be getting a table for my porch soon. It's one that someone is giving me. The glass is broken, so I'm being given some plywood to use in it's place. I'm planning on using some tile & doing a mosaic design on top. That way it will preserve the wood & the table will be fine out in the weather. I'm looking for to this new project.

~C

Little Theif

We I was little we had two dogs Tatoo & Raggy. They had puppies & we kept two of those puppies, Big Boy & Candy. Candy was my favorite, because she was tiny & followed me everywhere. Big Boy on the other hand was just wild & big! He would get out of the fence & bring things back with him. He's the reason I had found out what women's lingerie was, because he would steal it off people's clothes lines & bring it home!

~C

Clean Air

I have realized just how much we need air cleaners in our house, until this Spring. At the first of the Season I had the windows open all over the house & everything inside had a layer of pollen in a matter of hours. I couldn't believe it! It was awful!
That with living on a dirt road & having 3 dogs in the house, you can only imagine the need for an air cleaner. It is definitely going on our list of things we should buy.

~C

Need Glasses

I was looking in my cabinet the other day & noticing that I don't really own any nice glassware. There is just plastic color cups, Auburn cups & tons of coffee mugs. I need to get some nicer stuff & Riedel makes some pretty glassware. I found a few of their collections that I really like alot. Maybe I should these...


~C

Get Moving

I have never been someone that was into the latest exercise craze...Haha...You can look at me & tell that! But lately I have been really wanting to get a piece of exercise equipment. Something that I can have in my own home, that I can use any time I want too. No having to get in the car to go somewhere or having to deal with other people. D & I have been looking at some different things lately, like a treadmill & an elliptical. We aren't sure yet what we want to get.

~C

Insurance

Seeing as how I travel so much, I am in desperate need of travel insurance....Joking, just joking, we all know that I don't go anywhere. I would if I have the cash to do so, but anywho....Travel insurance is a must for those that do leave home from time to time. If you are a traveler, please be sure that you have travel insurance, because it's always better to be safe then sorry.

~C

Looking For A Vaca

I was looking at vacation rental on the Outer Banks in North Carolina & found some sweet places to rent!

This one is called Purple Passion & the reason I was drawn to this one is because who ever owns it loves color! Most of the other vacation homes are normally decorated in beige & sand tones. Or have a ocean theme, but not this one.
Of course, the pink chairs caught my eye! Makes me what to paint something pink in my house.
What a fun room! I love people that aren't afraid of color.

~C

Natural World

It amazes me how long the majority of people have all lived using things that were not "natural." Because now everything has natural or organic in the title. There is natural acne treatment, organic produce, organic butter, natural fabric & so on & so on...
I wouldn't mind going organic or natural, but I can not afford it. Why are things that are good for you, not cheap?

~C

Moving Show

I used to watch the show Intervention all the time, but they changed the day & time of it, so then I never knew when it aired. I recently found it again, on Monday nights. And the show has yet again, drawn me into the lives of these people & their families. The emotions I feel, just watching & then anxiety of hoping they choose, alcohol or drug treatment, can be almost overwhelming at times. I'm just grateful that I'm not actually having to experience this in real life. I feel so much for these families.

~C

"A REVELATION"

When studying my Bible, I love to do word studies. Last week God gave me the word, WAIT, to study while I was studying another word so I just wrote it down to do at a later day. This morning I started my Bible study and I started with another word, MIGHT, that God gave me last night during Church. To my surprise during my study God lead me back to the word, WAIT, that He gave me last week.
My favorite scripture is: Isaiah 40:31 which says:
But they who WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength.................
The word WAIT jumped out at me. I went to the footnote and it says:
The word WAIT in hebrew is 'qavah' and means "to bind together by twisting"!
How AWESOME is that!!!! While we WAIT on the Lord we are not just waiting on Him to do something, we are actually being strengthened by being intertwined, twisted with Him. We are being strengthened. Now when I read, "But they who WAIT on the Lord shall renew their strength", it makes me feel POWERFUL!

THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!

OH WELL!!!!

Your Brain is 60% Female, 40% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Shopping Extravaganza!!

In the last several weeks I have been reading this amazing blog on how to save tons of money on groceries with coupons and shopping at Walgreens and CVS. These girls are shopping DIVAS!!! They have got saving down to a fine art!
I started cutting coupons out of the paper, finding them on-line and watching the sales papers and I was well prepared for todays adventure.
It had been 3 weeks since I had bought groceries so my cabinets and frig were getting sorta bare.
I started out going to Wal-greens where I had dropped off one of my two ink cartridges to be re-filled free this week (one at one store and one at another) which was $25 worth of ink refills. While there I bought some grocery items, cleaning products, paper goods, health & beauty aids and I bought $126.80 worth of items for...................$69.59. YIPEE!!!! I saved $57.21!
Then Publix had some great things on Buy 1 Get 1 Free so I hit there as well. I go to another local store for my meats and a few other items and then onto Wal-Mart.
I found a steal there on some frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu. It was packaged two to a box and is regularly priced at $3.59, it was marked down to $1.00, I got 6 boxes and I had 2-$1.00 coupons so I got over $21.00 worth of chicken for $4.00! HELLO!!!!!!

By the time I got home I had been to five different stores, all within 5 miles and I came home with over $440.00 worth of groceries for only $297.00.
I am now a Honorary Member of the Shopping Divas!!!!! It can only get BETTER!!!

Confusion

I just wanted to let everyone know that if a post is not written by Vickie, then it will have my initial at the end of it. So there is no confusion.

~C

Not Aging

There must be some kinda of anti-aging gene that D & I both inherited. We recently have both had people be shocked at our age. They thought we were 26-27, not 31. There is no complaining from me, by any means. I think my staying out of the sun, has helped in not looking my age. Sure I would love a nice dark tan, but I don't want to look like leather one day. Haha!

~C

Laptops

Have you ever heard of a laptop rental? I haven't, this is a first for me. But I'm not really too surprised by it. I can remember when you could rent VCR's from the video store. Mom & I used to rent them on Friday nights, until the price came down on them & we bought our own. The you could rent game systems...I think you can still rent those actually. I don't know if I would want to rent a laptop, because I would want to put too much personal stuff on it. But I'm sure they are great for companies.

~C

Taking a Vaca

I don't care if I have luxury vacations...I just want a vacation! The last time I went on a "vacation" was my honeymoon....8 years ago! These people that complain that they haven't been anywhere in a year or think they HAVE to take a vacation every year, honestly make me a bit sick. I would love to pack my bag & go lounge somewhere for a week. If only! I'm not bitter or anything. *wink wink*

~C

Getting Away

D & I have been talking for awhile about actually getting out of town & spending time together. Now that he has a new job, he doesn't have any vacation time. But once that is made available to him, I hope we will have the opportunity, to get away. Maybe we will look into the Pigeon Forge cabin rentals. D has never been to the mountains around here. Just the California mountains. I know it would be a treat.

~C