Double Coupon Savings

I was a little late jumping on the 'Double Coupon Promo' at Smith's, but I still ended up with some fairly decent deals. (Or at least I thought so!) You should have seen my trip though, I basically went up and down every aisle seeing what coupons matched up for a good deal.

My poor Hollie was bored to tears by the time it was all said and done, but in fairness, I forewarned her and she still chose to go. I kept teasing her that I was nervous to see how much it all cost, because I just might have to leave her in trading. LOL! She is such a funny girl, she put on her pretend worried look and started acting quite goofy.

When we got home Shaun started trying to help put away groceries and I had to get after him that I needed to take pictures first. So I got all the non-food items lined up and then he started throwing food items in, so I had to inform him that that wasn't how the pictures were going. :) Taylor kept making fun of me and asking if we were going to start photographing all of our groceries from here on out. Little stinkers...

Item - Listed Price - Double Coupon Value - Paid Price

2 Downy Laundry Softener - 4.88- .50 off= 4.38 each 8.76
2 Pampers Diapers- 8.77 - 2.00 off = 6.77 each 13.54
3 Dial Hand Soap -1.00 - .70 off = .30 each .90
5 Suave Deodorant - 1.39 - 1.50 off = FREE
6 Old Spice Deodorant - 2.33 - 1.00 off = 1.33 each 7.98
2 Spic & Span General Cleaner- 2.29 - 1.10 off = 1.19 each 2.38
2 Cover Girl Nail Polish- 2.77 - 2.00 off = .77 each 1.54 (Hollie purchase)
4 Crest Toothpaste- 1.00 -1.00 off = FREE
2 Comet Cleaner- 1.39 - .70 off = .69 each 1.38
4 Boxed Electrasol Tabs- 3.00 - 2.50 off = .50 each 2.80 (Dollar General)

Total Spent on Non-Food: $37.59
(If you go back and double check my math it doesn't add up. The total spent is accurate, so somewhere I messed up on the coupon amounts. I was trying to do it by memory.)

1 Capri Sun Sunrise- 2.11 - 2.00 off = .11
2 Nesquik Syrup- 2.00 each - 2.00 off = 1.00 each 2.00

8 Mars Candy Bars -.79 each - 1.00 off = FREE
2 Pringles - 1.65 each - 1.00 off = .65 each 1.30
(1) 2-lb cheese block - 5.99 - 2.00 off = 3.99
3 Boxed Texas Toast - 2.99 - 1.50 off = 1.49 each 4.47
4 Ronzoni Bistro Ind. Serving - 2.23 - 2.00 off = .23 each .92
1 Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs- 2.00 - 2.00 off = FREE
2 Oscar Meyer Beef Dogs- 2.50 - 2.00 off = .50 each 1.00
1 Pkg Land O' Frost 1 lb sliced lunch meat- 3.49 - 2.00 off = 1.49
2 Kraft Cheese Singles- 1.50 - 1.00 off = .50 each 1.00
2 Tyson Chicken Tenderloin 2.5 lb bags- 5.99 - 2.00 off = 3.99 each 7.98

Total Spent on Food: $24.26

I felt pretty good about my little shopping spree. Some of the things weren't considered a 5-star deal, but they're some of the things that we buy that specific brand anyways. Of course, nothing says I love you, quite like FREE!!

Sorry that this post is a little jumbled. I would go back and try laying it out a little nicer, but I've already spent WAY too much time on this specific post. For any of you who aren't familiar with Pinching Your Pennies (PYP) we must chat, and soon!!

Here's to hoping that Smith's offers us more double coupon days in the very near future...

Swimming Success

Swimming lessons are over for the summer, thank heavens!! The kids all did really well, but by the end of this second session I am most definitely DONE!

Taylor did great in Level 4 and passed this go around. His teacher said he just needs to become more confident in himself and quit telling himself that he sucks all the time. Unfortunately, that comment is not news to us. He really struggles with self-confidence and I don't know how to better help him with that, because I think he's a pretty amazing kid!

He learned lots of different strokes and diving techniques this time and he was able to swim farther this session than the last. Success!

Hollie did very well, although she didn't pass Level 3. But we jumped her ahead a level and kind of half-expected they wouldn't pass her but wanted her in that class none-the-less. She came leaps and bounds this summer with swimming. She now goes under water with ease and also learned some diving things as well. Success!!

We originally signed Kambri up for Level 1, but she was much too shy and nervous to get in there with people she didn't know. So after day 2 we moved her to the Mom & Tot's class and she did much better. Our good friend Stephanie and her daughter Harli were in our class too, so we enjoyed the time with them as well.

But we worked on various things with her and got her comfortable again with the water (the first 2 days set her back a bit) and had some good quality time with her. She particularly likes kicking in the water and floating around like a fish. Grandma Brenda got in with her on the days I had to work and then I got in on the others. She would grab that little boat each day she got in, it was her security boat! :)
Success!!

So, although it was an added commitment I am glad we put the kids in 2 sessions this summer (with the exception of Kambri). They all did great and it's very important to me that my kids can swim and be safe in the water.

Session 2- SUCCESS!!

Family Night at Willow Park

We decided to take a venture over the mountain to Willow Park with the kids a few weeks ago. The highlight of the outing was definitely feeding the ducks. They all thought that was pretty great!

The highlights of the zoo were the peacocks, ducks, flamingos, and monkeys.

Kambri was pretty confident in feeding the ducks until one got a little to close to her hand, but then her Daddy showed her how to do it just right.

Our Own Little Monkeys

Of course no trip to Willow Park would be complete without a trip to the playground.

After looking through these pictures, I realize I have my own set of cute little monkeys.

All in all we had a good time!

Toothless Hollie and the Tooth Fairy

After many weeks of this wiggly little tooth...Hollie finally lost her 1st baby tooth!
And then a week or two later, she lost her 2nd tooth next to it. It was quite the dramatized event at our house when both took place. (I think it may have something to do with the fact that she's seen how antsy both my mom and I get over these things.)

And, after all the hard work of getting her 1st tooth out, (because she wouldn't let anyone mess with it except to wiggle it) she carried it carefully around that evening in a baggie as she proudly kept showing it to all of us. When we went to put it in her Tooth Fairy pillow (that Taylor so kindly passed on to her, seeing as he's all done with baby teeth) we could not find the tooth anywhere! She was rightfully upset, but thank heavens the Tooth Fairy is a wise one and still left her $5 that night.

She was still rather apprehensive about getting the 2nd tooth out, but she managed to get it out herself one night while we were playing a game as a family. She was a real trooper, and this time we made sure her tooth got into her pillow. But come morning...there were no signs that the Tooth Fairy had come to visit. I told her it must have been a very busy night for teeth pick-up's.

I must have been right, because the next night the Tooth Fairy delivered.