good day, bad day

Okay, so I think I got the login issue (on my computer) fixed, so I can do stuff again. But now my internet keeps going out. grr.
Yesterday, Krillin was awarded the Bronco of the Month for his classroom. They had a little program after school for all the Broncos. He was so cute! His teacher thinks he is so funny and serious, all at the same time. He asked her, "What are you going to say?" when he realized the teachers were saying something about their students. Then he sat and thought about what he would say. When it was their turn, he held the mic really close to his mouth, so he sounded really loud.

I fell today while going down the steps at the front of my house, and scraped the heck out of my right shin. It hurts a LOT!!! The only reason I didn't cry is because I didn't want to freak out my kid. AND, I was carrying my coupon boxes (yes, that's plural), a box to ship, and my purse. Of course everything went flying. At least the coupons stayed in their envelopes, or I really would screamed. It kinda irks me that 2 different neighbors saw me on the ground, and did nothing to help. so much for the neighborhood!
I was going to tough it out and still go shopping, but then realized my leg was swelling, so we went back inside and called my mommy. It's true! I called my mom to ask what type of pain reliever would be best. So I took some tylenol and put my leg up until the pain abated. But I HAD to get to the post office, I had 3 packages and 2 large envelopes to mail, and most of them should have been mailed on Tuesday. So I braved it.
Actually, I went to Walgreens first to buy a ginormous band-aid for my wound (nothing bloody, but it sure is sensitive and my jeans weren't helping). I ended up just doing my entire "deals" trip there, since I was feeling fine, aside from the limp. My total was $82-something before coupons, and $29.29 after. PLUS I got 3 coupons: $10 oyno, $5 oyno, and a free movie ticket. The manager rang me up, and he was amazed in a good way. He said, "It's too bad that doesn't work like that at the grocery store." I giggled and said, "It does for me!" And he just laughed and shook his head.
I was still limping pretty bad, so I did take more time than I had planned, so I had to scoot to the Post Office, and then got distracted by the fun postage stamps!! I got back home RIGHT after the bus dropped Krillin off, so he wasn't worried yet. I really need to get him a key.
In the mail, I got a rebate check for some lunch meat, and my Victoria's Secret order came in, and my sister sent me a huge envelope of expired coupons so I can send them to my friend Heather to use (she's in the Azores) at the commissary. Thanks Lisa!!
So: bad day cuz I scraped my shin, but good day cuz of the deals, and I also have some things to scrapbook.

still bogged with emails!

I still have almost 600 emails in my inbox, plus 800+ in my Digital Scrapbooking folder, and waaayyyyy too many in other folders. ugh! Maybe I should just delete them all and start fresh?? LOL




um, actually, I think I'm going to do that. I'm taking too much time with the sorting and labeling, and I'll never look at most of these ever again, anyway. I need to de-clutter my emails as well as my house. :)

Reba & Kelly!!

Tonight I went with Jecka to the Reba & Kelly concert.

It was aweSOME!!! Did you ever watch the Reba show on TV? Remember Barbara Jean? She was there! Melissa Peterman (aka "Barbara Jean") was the opening comedy act. She was hilarious!! I love how she calls herself Barbara-Jean.
Then there was a 15-minute break, and Reba & Kelly came onstage!!! Kelly was wearing a black sleeveless shirt with white grapics all over it (couldn't read it), and a pair of flaired jeans. Reba wore a maroon tanktop with sparklies, and some way cute jeans (bet they're from her line of clothes!), and about 10 necklaces!
They came up through the stage on a little elevator, singing a "cover" of an oldies song, but I totally can't remember it right now. Then came Walk Away, Lights Went Out in Georgia, another song by Kelly, then Beautiful Disaster. Even though Beautiful Disaster is on 2 of her albums, I had never heard it before. I love it! Then came Sleeping with the Telephone (so sweet! and very near to my heart) and Miss Independent. Then they "brought it down a bit" (their words) with The Greatest Man (aaawww!), Kathy's Clown (another oldie cover), Up to the Mountain (by Kathy Griffin), How Blue, One Promise Too Late, and Be Still (another "new" Kelly song for me).
Then Love Revival really brought down the house, followed by Never Again (my new favorite Kelly song), And Still, Break Away, Does He Love You (I don't like this one), and Is There Life Out There.
Then Melissa Peterman came onstage to "surprise!!!" Reba. Reba and Kelly sang I'm a Survivor, and Melissa joined in at the end, being all goofy, it was great! I'm pretty sure her mic was turned off, unless she really is a good singer. Then they sang A Moment Like This, and exited the stage.
Of course, we knew that wasn't the end!!! After about 5 minutes of clapping, screaming, hooting, hollering, stomping, whistling, and chanting, they came back onstage. They had fresh clothes on. They performed Since You Been Gone, Because of You, and Fancy (Don't Let Me Down). Everyone sang along to them all, at the top of our lungs, and it was AWESOME. Then they brought the curtains down, and it really was the end. *sigh* I'm so glad Jecka took me!!!
The only bummer was that none of the merchandise had Reba&Kelly on it. It was just Reba's stuff. and Kelly's stuff. dang! But I bought 2 keychains. Can't walk away empty-handed!

AmyLiegh's CT!

I just got invited to be on AmyLeigh Fennell's CT! I am very excited to be working with her and all the talented team members.
As soon as I find the blinkie, I'll add it here.

I'm on Andrea Gold's creative team!!

I just got the email yesterday, right before I went to bed. Andrea Gold accepted my application to be on her Creative Team (CT)!! That means I'll be using her products a lot in my scrapbook pages. Check out her stuff! Congrats to the other scrappers who also got the call!

...mushroom

I bought some not-so-fresh mushrooms Saturday, and today I sliced them up and put them in the dehydrator. And boy do they STINK!!
I now have a bunch of remains for the compost, and soon will have dry mushrooms that I'll keep in my new-to-me freezer. I did tell P-chan that I wouldn't do the compost over the winter, but it really started to bug me that all those good food remains were ending in the trash. So I started again yesterday. And instead of putting them in the dirt around garden, I'm going to fill in the hole from when P-chan dug out the tree stump.
My sister Lisa is coming to stay with us for awhile. It's unclear whether it's just a visit, or if it's long-term, but I suspect just a visit. The boys are really excited, and I am too!

quizzies! :)

whuuuuut? especially when combined with the last quiz....

Your Slanguage Profile

Prison Slang: 75% Aussie Slang: 50% British Slang: 25% Canadian Slang: 25% Southern Slang: 25% Victorian Slang: 25%

What Slanguage Do You Speak?

heehee

Your Quirk Factor: 35%

You have a few little quirks, but you generally blend in well with society. Only those who know you well know how weird you can be.

How Quirky Are You?

uh...okay!

You Belong in 1957

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

you have mail!

I have been ignoring the majority of my emails, ever since I went on vacation back in October. I now have over 1100 emails...and that's after I sorted through most of my inbox. gah! So I will be deleting a bunch over the next...oh, I dunno...week. TTYL!

Nebbercracker

Have you seen Monster House? My boys love that movie. One sure way to make Kenshin laugh is to hold up your hand in a fist and say in a shaky voice, "Get off my lawn!" (Some other ways are to say "underwear" or "stinky.") He talks about Nebbercracker all the time. I end up having to explain to some people that he's not talking about a neighbor. Tonight, Kenshin is talking about uvula's. He tells me, "I have a uve-yu-ah, and you have a uve-yu-ah, and Nebbercracker's house has a uve-yu-ah, too. But our house doesn't have one! That means it won't throw us up."
Indeed.
That is something to be thankful for.
On the other hand, it is 11pm and my 3-year-old son is awake, talking about his uvula.
I think it's time for his allergy medicine.... ;)

funny Kenshin

Tonight, Kenshin and Krillin watched Quest for Camelot. very cute movie! The soundtrack is great, too. But I digress. Kenshin, sitting on his little yellow chair, announced, "My butt is trying to get in my heart." I couldn't stop laughing!
Then he repeated it, and I realized he was saying "My blood is trying to get in my heart." Not as funny, but still very good to hear. He is fascinated with the body's way of working.

Krillin didn't seem very happy when I surprised him at the door, when he got home from school. Finally learned that he almost forgot to get off the bus, because he wasn't paying attention. So he was embarrassed. He also forgot to tell his teacher he wanted a building. I don't know what that's about, but he was sad. But, all is better now, because he had some chocolate. What can I say, he's my son.
The other night, we were making stuffed mushrooms, and Kenshin pushed a wee bit hard on the mushroom, causing it to fall apart. He hung his head sadly, and Krillin said, "Well, that was unexpected." Then Kenshin ate the "stuffing" part, and Krillin said, "As was that." Bonus points if you figure out what movie that's from.

The day after I posted my need for a freezer, I found it!! Theresa, our Relief Society president, mentioned that she had one and hadn't been able to locate someone who needed it. Now I just need to locate a truck or van we could use to move it. I forgot to ask anyone on Sunday, though. As soon as I step in the Primary room, I forget stuff.

Resolutions

Since it's already the 2nd day of 2008, I decided I should write some resolutions. Then, I can reference them wherever I am (assuming "where" has internet access).

~Prepare my Primary lessons early in the week, so that if I need to procure something, I have time.
~Declutter the house and garage. (We have a 2-car attached garage...guess how many cars fit in it right now...)
~Blog more often than once a month.
~Take more pictures.
~Scrapbook more than twice a month.
~Volunteer my time as well as belongings, to shelters and such.
~Stop biting my nails.
~Grocery-shop during the week, so the weekend can be true family time.
~Use what we have, minimize spending.

Family Goals for 2008:
~Save equivalent of 6 months of expenses.
~Declutter the house and garage. (I put this on both, because most of the shtuff is mine, but I need their help. )
~Family Home Evening, complete with real lessons.

OAMC

I have decided that when we buy our "outside" freezer, I will start doing once-a-month-cooking (or OAMC as those "in the know" call it). Well, I'll start doubling my dinners anyway. The only thing that frightens me is that one day of all cooking. But I sure do like the sound of just grabbing the items and throwing them in a crockpot or casserole. Any tips or suggestions?

funnies

Just had to share some funny stuff the boys said today!
They both got postcards from my dad, who spent Christmas at Disney Land with his wife. Any-hoo, after I read the card to Kenshin (as I was driving, shame on me!), I passed it to him, and he didn't say anything...I looked in the rearview mirror and saw a puzzled look on his face, as he studied the picture on the postcard. Finally, he said, "That's not the Clubhouse!" Yes, he meant the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Can you tell I let him watch weekday morning cartoons? Mickey and Minnie were sitting on the bed in their "house" but Kenshin has only seen the animated Clubhouse. teehee

Later in the day, after a run to McDonald's to use some of the 30-something "free item" coupons I still have (and they expire in 3 days!!!), they were watching Go Diego and Krillin got a funny look on his face. Then he said, "I didn't know a penguin was an animal!" whaaaat? I couldn't stop laughing. I wonder what he thought they were... plant? mineral?

On another note, I have prepared my rebates for the month. I've been sitting on a few cuz I'm just lazy, but I filled them all out, cut the UPCs off, and got the envelopes ready, with postage and all. happy day! There's about $50 in total, plus a free bracelet and tote bag. I also requested November and December rebates from Rite Aid, so that's another $100 we'll soon have in hand. Rebates are dreamy!

I think flowers from florist places are overpriced. But that's nothing compared to the site I found today! Secret Spoons sells gorgeous treats, mostly chocolate-dipped somethings. I just had to click on this:
And if you do, too, then you'll see why I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I mean seriously! The next time you want to pay $30 for 2 caramel apples, please give me a ring. I won't even charge you shipping! I even have all the ingredients on hand, so you won't have to wait for me to find a good deal!

Christmas Tag

I was tagged by several people, so here's my list for the world to see! :)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? The kid in me loves wrapping paper, but the tree-hugger in me loves bags! LOL Just as long as it’s covered.
2. Real or artificial tree? Artificial, cuz it was free. I do love the smell of real trees, but they’re too much hassle for indoors.

3. When do you put up your Christmas tree? About a week before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down? When it starts to annoy me.

5. Do you like eggnog? YES! But I’m lactose-intolerant, so P-chan thinks “mine” tastes funny. LOL

6. Favorite gift received as a child? The quilt! I was 13, and got a very pretty quilt. I remember it quite fondly, because it was the first new blanket I ever got. And then my dog decided to have her puppies on it, a year later. Also the Ramona Quimby set of books, when I was 9. Although, that may have been a birthday present (that is at the end of Nov).

7. Do you have a nativity scene? We have a tiny glass one (with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) that hangs on our tree, and a small one from the Dollar Store (M, J, Jesus, and the three kings). But I don't have a "real" one with all the pieces that can move around.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My sisters’ husbands, and my father in law.

9. Easiest person to buy for? So far, my boys. They’ve loved every gift. :D of course, they’re young….

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? An ugly ornament. And there was that time that my husband put all my gifts in 2 laundry baskets and bound them with phone cord. Yeah…

11. Mail or email Christmas card? eh, what? Oh, yeah…I always intend to mail, but…

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Santa Clause.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Christmas, for next year. I shop all year long! I’m usually done by Thanksgiving. Now, whether I send them in time is another question....

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present ? Yep! I received some fancy liqueur chocolates, so I gave them to someone who would actually enjoy them.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Candy cane pie

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? whatever’s handy!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Messiah by Handel! I also really enjoy zany songs, like I want a Hippo.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen, Rudolph. The song taught me well! :)

20. Angel on the tree top or a star ? Angel that Krillin made at school.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? One on Christmas Eve, everyone picks their own, and the rest on Christmas day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Not being around family. Also crazy drivers and rude employees.

23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? I guess the theme is “be grateful for what you have” cuz it’s just whatever gets on it. LOL But I plan to transition to more sparkle.

24. What do/did you leave for Santa? 2 days before, we write letters and leave them on the tree; the elves come and pick up our letters! Then we leave cookies on the Santa plate (used only this night!) and milk. I really like the idea of him writing back. We also leave a bowl of juice (colored water) and sugar wafers for the reindeer, on the lawn, since we don't have a chimney. :)

Now that you've read this, you are TAGGED! Go post this on your blog/email. :D

Merry Christmas!

Sorry for the late post, but we were just having too good a time for me to stop and blog about it! :D
The boys love hearing the story about Jesus' birth, so the book my sister sent was a very special gift. :) They opened that box early, since that's technically from last year. ;) They also got to open their birthday presents now, since I'm a DORK and hid the box that they got from my dad, waaaay back in August. So they stopped asking if they could open their Christmas presents! LOL
Christmas Eve we (P-chan and me, not the boys!!) slept in, and ate a late breakfast. Then I found an ad for the local grocery store that had a coupon for $5 off a $50 gift card, and we had 6 coupons (didn't you know I'm a coupon freak? I get 6 Sunday papers! ROFL), so we sat down to figure out our finances, and due to the fact our credit cards are paid off (weeeeee're deeeeebt freeeeeee!), we could swing all 6 cards. :D So we checked out the movie times for a surprise for the boys, and headed out. Kenshin (because he was up since 4 am!!!!) fell asleep on the way there, so we headed to Meijer, much to Krillin's chagrin ("NOOOOOOO! I hate stores!!"). We bought our 6 gift cards, feeling very proud of our thrifty selves. Then the checkout guy (at the self-checkout) said, "You got more? You can pay for the gift card with a gift card, ya know."
DING DING DING
We were ALL OVER that deal!! The cards take 10 minutes to activate, so we toured the store (as if we haven't walked around before) between times. Kenshin woke up when we got to the pet area. Just before 2:30, I suggested we leave for the movie theatre. At the ticket counter there, P-chan bought the tickets and the boys and I ran to the theatre while P-chan bought popcorn and sprite. We had just arrived at our seats when the movie started. The chipmunks were singing, and both boys had their eyes glued to the screen, trying to figure out where they've heard those voices before. Then the chipmunks themselves were on the screen, and Kenshin yelled, "It's the CHIPMUNKS!" and started giggling. Luckily, everyone in the theatre thought that ourburst was funny. :) Both boys were almost rolling off their chairs from laughter, the entire movie. I had come prepared with some cookies and fruit snacks, so P-chan offering the popcorn and sprite was a very nice bonus. It was fantastic! I also really liked it. I plan to buy it when it comes to DVD. :)
After the movie, we headed back to Meijer, to do more "rolling" of the gift cards. We left when they closed, about 7pm. So, all told, we ended up with $510 in gift cards for $270. NICE.

There's also a great deal on the Rite Aid gift cards ($5 off $25) and I buy the rebate stuff there every month, so we are going to do that one as well. It is SPECTACULAR to be able to afford this, it will help our grocery budget soooo much in the coming months! Being credit-card free is AWESOME! :D

Any-who, we went to McDonald's for dinner (using the GC from the birthday box) and the boys got to play in the PlayPlace. :) The boys fell asleep on the way home, but Krillin did remind me to put the cookies and chocolate milk out for Santa. I'm sure as far as they were concerned, it was the best Christmas Eve ever! LOL

Christmas Day was great! The boys actually slept until 9, but P-chan woke me up at 8 so I could unwrap my presents. :) When they got up, the boys kept getting distracted with the presents they unwrapped before they opened another. LOL At 1pm, we went over to Jessica's house for lunch. Jessica had bought the HoneyBaked Ham from the store, and it was delicious. She also prepared cornbread stuffing, crescent rolls, macaroni & cheese, and brownies. Hugh made a delicious cheesecake; yum-o! I brought stuffed mushrooms, green onion sticks (they're covered in cream cheese, then rolled in shredded cheese), and baked mashed potatoes. We ended up staying until almost 9pm, because we played a game of Phase 10. that was fun! :)

Happy Holidays! Talk to you soon!

Santa

Birthday

Today is my birthday! da-na-na-na-na-na-nah! I got some nice surprises from a few scrapping boards. I have one more year to enjoy before I hit the big "3-0". Funny thing, though, it doesn't seem like such a big deal. huh! Maybe it's just a sign of me getting old.

Turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving!! Only a few hours left before people go crazy over the DEALS of Black Friday. I had a shopping list all ready, but the forces of germs have conspired against me. I am stuffed up, and have a bad cough, and am trying to remember to breathe deeply so it won't turn into bronchitis. In fact, all of us are so sick that we had to forgo any T-day plans. The boys both have sore throats and were barfy earlier this week, and even P-chan was throwing up yesterday (that is NOT a pretty sound!).
Well, at least that's what I'm saying now, to cover the fact that nobody invited us over for T-day dinner. So if I am feeling better tomorrow or Saturday, I plan to get some shopping done, and have Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday night.

I took a fun quiz today! Turns out I am classy! LOL

whoosh!

Did you watch Heroes last night? whoa!!! I mean, Kensei isn't Kensei and he's someone else? Holy cow!! And I totally called it that Hiro would be Kensei. booyah! Anyway, lots to think about. Now I gotta find a forum that has some good convos about Heroes. :D