Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Fun With Autumn

Lately Autumn has been so much fun. I am really enjoying the stage she is at. She is like a little person with the things she says and her independence. I just wanted to share some pictures that I have taken of her recently.
~ Autumn takes her sippy cup pretty seriously. She has some weird attachment to it, that in a couple of weeks, when she turns 2, we are determined to break. ~I got the kids pictures taken on Sat. and I bought some really cute outfits for Weston and Autumn. I have to throw in one picture of Weston. Here he is in his cute shirt, it was big on him, but it worked.My favorite was this dress. I loved it so much I put her in it on Sun. for church too!
I asked her to pose, I don't think she understood me.~Here we are just playing outside today. This girl has been sleeping alot lately, so when she is awake I try to take her outside because soon it's going to be too hot to go outside and play.And these two are my favorites!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Coupons

I just posted on my other site where i get all my coupons from, since I had a big response on my post about how I save money. Check out my new blog.

whataprilsaves.blogpot.com

Friday, April 24, 2009

A New Blog...and Pictures of the kids.

I started a new blog... My mom and I talk almost everyday and now she has gotten to where when she answers the phone she says, "How much did you save?!" So I set this up so I can quit calling her all the time. You can visit it HERE too if you want. If you have questions, want tips, need advice, whatever; leave comments there and I can help. I want to keep this blog dedicated to my family, and use it more as a journal, than a record of my spendings. :)
I took some pictures of the kids last night. Autumn and Weston were being really sweet. I am getting the kids pictures done tomorrow to mark that Autumn is 2 years old, and Weston is 3 months old. I am so excited and can't wait. I bought them 2 new outfits each today. I hope my kids cooperate and we get some cute pictures, because they will be wearing some darn cute clothes!
Here they have the same expression on their face:
Autumn loves her brother.So cute! They are looking at each other

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

What I Save When I Shop

This may be boring to some of you. But this post is mainly for my mom. Unfortunately she moved and then a few months later we picked up the same habit- shopping for sales and using coupons. We call each other almost everyday to share our savings. So after today- I decided to finally finish this post I started forever ago.
Now my goal whenever I go shopping is to save 50%, so I aim to always cut my bill in 1/2. I am pretty successful now!Here I got 2 bags of Cheetos, 2 packs of fruit snacks, baby lotion, and some children silverware for Autumn (my sister in law has them, and Autumn likes them). The only thing not on sale, that I didn't use a coupon with was that silverware. I spent $2.94, and saved $3.75
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here I got 4 Warm Delights, 2 boxes of fruit snacks, 2 cake mixes, bag of goldfish, Pledge wipes, and Gerber Graduate snacks and side dish. I spent $2.24 and saved $12.73. (mind you I had a $5 gift card that i recieved earlier in the week from Target when I purchased some other stuff that I used with this transaction...so it would have been $7.24...still great savings!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here I bought 2 bags of cheetos, 2 bags of fruit snacks, baby wash, baby lotion, 2 deoderants. (I don't use this type of deoderant but it was free after using a coupon...so I can use it in a desperate situation...I told Drew when we resort to using our food storage and years supply to not expect me to smell very nice. :)) Well this time I spent $2.75 but I saved $13.18----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here I got 3 packs of fruit snacks, 3 bags of cheetos, 2 deoderants, 2 baby lotions, 2 baby wash. I forgot to get one of the deoderants, so I had to go back in on the same trip...you can see how I got it for free. I spent $1.73 and saved $14.84----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here I got a loaf of bread, MultiGrain Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios, Sunny D, Bananas, a Red Pepper, a Green Pepper, dozen eggs, 2 seasoning packets (which were free after coupons), hot dogs, 3 tubs of frosting, 3 boxes of granola bars, and Capri Sun. I spent $14.94 and saved $30.19----------------------------------------------------------------------------------This was todays shopping! I got 2 baby wash, 2 baby lotion, 2 packs of fruit snacks, 2 chips ahoy!, 2 pringles, 3 packs of Pampers diapers, 1 pack of Huggies diapers (which were free...I had a BIG complaint about a pack I bought for Autumn and e-mailed them. Not expecting anything, just wanting them to beware incase anyone else complained about the same thing and they sent me a coupon for a free pack), and 9 tubs of wipes. I spent $48.44 and saved $45.16. Not too shabby considering now I have a two year supply of wipes, and a one year supply of diapers.
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This picture is from a couple of weeks ago when I started this post. This is in Autumns bathroom. The orange boxes are kiddie soaps, which I got for free also. And at the time I had some baby food stuck in there (I buy it when it's on sale so that when Weston starts on baby food I don't feel like I am out spending alot and cutting into our grocery budget)This is the cabnet today. Check out all the lotion and body wash I have for the kids. This is their one year supply of hygiene products.
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Two weeks ago this was my one year supply of wipes and 3 month supply of diapers. Today I have a 2 year supply of wipes, and a year supply of diapers. (I have a dresser drawer full of diapers that I have already taken out of the packs...I was running out of room in the kids closet.)
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Today is Earth Day...the Disney Store was giving away free reusable bottles when you brought in 3 recycleable bottles. So if it's free, I want it! Then because I feel guilty going in and just getting something free I bought this adorable reusable bag for $2.50. I love it. I have always been a fan of Disney, but Drews family has a slight obsession, which is wearing off on me.
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Also- I got this beautiful bakeware for free. I just had to pay for shipping, which was $8. I know- I am a cheapskate, but I like to think I am smart as well. (if you want info on the bakeware let me know...every month I can get 2 items for free and just pay for shipping)I have time today because Drew took the day off...I witnessed something this morning that shook me up and I called my sister crying asking her advice. I was just in a weird funk and felt awful, it was making me sick- so Drew stayed home. What cured me? Going shopping and spending money. What every woman loves. But what makes me even happier is getting great deals and saving money while I spend money. (And don't judge me for all the snacks I have bought. I was getting them for a steal and we are going on 3 vacations this summer, all which are road trips, so I am stocking up and already buying foods for them.)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Drew is such a fun dad.

Drew has been working alot lately. With the economy the way it is and his company always opening up overtime he figures he better take advantage of it, although we are confident his job is not going anywhere, considering they are one of the few companies still hiring, it's always better safe than sorry. Plus he wanted to buy a new gun, and I didn't feel it appropriate to just go out and spend all this money on something he already has (but according to him, this new gun would mean he would never need another gun again, is 4 the magic number? it is for now...) so we decided it was something he would have to work for, so with the extra money on his paycheck from overtime he bought his gun. He does love it, but still- I don't get it. Guns. Anyways...he is not home a whole lot, but when he is Autumn just clings to him. He really misses his family but saw how easy it was to make extra money, and it has motivated him to work more so that we can have some of the things we want, but not necessarily need and not feel guilty about splurging and also getting his car paid off!
Here are some pictures of the fun he has with Autumn.
He is setting up the chairs to build a fort.

Creepy Rihanna eyes on the tv...Playing with Autumn in the fort.Here they are playing outside. You like Autumns Pebbles hairdo? It's finally long enough to do stuff with!The other night I asked Drew to put Weston to bed, and I am in the kitchen and I hear Weston just babbling and Drew laughing at him. I grabbed the camera and went into our bedroom and Weston was laying on our bed and Drew was kneeling in front of him talking and playing with him. Weston loves his daddy too! Here he is talking to Drew:Oops, I got caught!

Anways! I love Drew, and think he is a great dad. His kids adore him!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

My 2 Favorite Outfits

No- it wasn't their Easter outfits...even though they were dang cute!
But here are the two outfits that each of my kids have worn so far. I waited for 3 months to put them on Weston and they were a little snug, but he still looked great!
First: The above photo is funny because it's the only one I have of Autumn in the beanie...and she is not smiling. Very unusual for her as a baby. This is the shirt and beanie I got when I was born. Compliments of the hospital I was born at.
Second:My sister bought this Braves outfit from Build A Bear. Autumn was so skinny it fit her perfectly.
Weston is long and bigger than she was- so lets just say it fit him "differently."

Anyways- love my kids and the Braves...

Monday, April 13, 2009

Easter from Grandma

The Easter Bunny was fairly cheap this year, okay REALLY cheap this year. The Easter Bunny spoiled Autumn last year, and afterwards we realized that she didn't recognize that day from any other, and until she was in school or Primary where Easter is emphasized more and a topic of conversation we weren't going to do much. (I mean honestly, in Nursery Autumn is not going to be asked what she got for Easter from her peers) So! We let Grandma's package that she sent for the kids cover their Easter gifts...they got plenty from her. There was no need for us to bother getting them anything else.
Here are our Easter pictures for now. Thanks Grandma for the gifts, Autumn and Weston love their snacks, clothes, and toys.
Autumn pulling everything out...

Westons bunny...Autumn checking out her snacks...she ate Westons too.Autumn loves her Easter Little People...very thoughtful...thanks Mom!!And the reason she is looking away from me is because she was watching Lady and the Tramp when the package was delivered. She loves the "puppies."

I had planned to take pictures of the kids in their Easter garb after church, but Autumn was a punk and we left church early and Weston fell asleep on the way home...so I will put them back in their Easter clothes in a couple of Sundays and take pictures of them then. For now- this is the only picture I took before church, it's from my cell phone...he looked so handsome and got lots of compliments at church!