Ever woken up EIGHT????

What happens when you wake up and you're EIGHT YEARS OLD??????

Why your bedroom door is decorated with EIGHT balloons...of course!!

when you walk downstairs to eat b'fast you find EIGHT wishes for you from your family

(and you read them and don't notice that the stairs need vacuuming - you run the risk of this occurring if you wake up EIGHT on a Monday and Mommy took the weekend off from major cleaning cuz she had lots of activities, etc to do instead that meant she was barely at home )

You have a b'day crown...covered with EIGHTS, a big glitter covered EIGHT is on the table and there are lots of EIGHTS and EIGHT things your family likes about YOU on the curtain!!!

and OF Course everyone who wakes up EIGHT should have EIGHT shaped pancakes.

(and if you're John Mark you get frozen fruit too because you love it so much!!)

So far, EIGHT IS GREAT (and it's only just past EIGHT o'clock am!!!)

last min Mommy

do you ever have those Mommy moments where you're needed at the last min to pull something off to make a moment special for your child? Well that is me tonight. John Mark decided Wednesday night that he wanted to camp out for his b'day. He and his Daddy and a few friends are heading to my parents property for a camp out and weenie roast. okay...no problem, but WAIT...tonight he decided he wanted a cake on top of s'mores. John Mark has never really had a big b'day party. Never really wanted it. he's had one friend go with us somewhere once and gone on big outings with family, but never had friends over to do something or anything like that. I love making cakes and decorating them for my kids, but he hadn't wanted one. NOW he wants a camping one...and I have somewhere I have to be first thing in the morning. So before he went to bed I had him tell me what he wanted. We found one online that he liked....and I had to pull together what few supplies I had onhand and even less time and come up with SOMETHING!!! So here it is....OH how I wish I had more time to put into this 'scene' it would be SO much fun!! But I just don't have it!! In the pictures it looks like the tent and trees are the same color green...they aren't...but our tent is green so I went with green. Sort of wish I hadn't now...but again this is something done in a PINCH...SERIOUS PINCH!! All is edible by the way. The 'fire' is melted cinnamon disk and butterscotch candies, cookies and cream kisses, and oreo stick logs. Hopefully when he sees it when he gets up in the morning he will be pleased!! Just PLEASE excuse the unsmooth icing...arrghh...seriously I might have to redo this cake in a few days just to have time to make it look right...but then again...John Mark probably wouldn't notice the difference, but....UGH!! Anyway....it is what it is, right?

We had a fun weekend in Charlotte, NC last weekend. Enroute home somewhere in South Carolina we pulled off for gas and water.
When we pull off the interstate we realize alot of the old buildings at this little tiny exit have facades of different types. This one really caught our eye...
Obviously whoever built it didn't make the money they wanted or ran out of money. It was defunct video game store...boarded up. parking lot never fully completely...not paved at all, etc...But WOW the detail to that went into this facade. It was incredible. you could see into the foyer through these huge wooden doors and could see a huge chandelier, etc....it was so sad to see something someone had put so much into just boarded up and rotting. But my kids thought it was so cool to get their picture made in front of it. Hmm....if I could buy it what would I do with such a place???

okay so if you haven't figured it out there weren't coupons this week because of the Easter Holiday. BUT there are still ways to save at the Grocery store. Head over to SouthernSavers.com and you will find links to stores and printable coupons that match up with the specials in the stores, etc....
This takes longer than The Grocery Game and thus I don't do it all the time because...well it takes a lot of time, but every now and then on off weeks I head over to Southern Savers to see what other bargains I can find.
I just got home from Publix and saved $78 and spent $55...not too bad for an off week!!

My shopping list

okay people are always asking me what I actually buy that I save so much on...So I just got back from Publix. I spent $79.27 and SAVED $108.90

I'll do my best to type up what I got:

2 half gallons of organic milk

4 boxes of keebler crackers various types

2 boxes Dunkin Hines cake mix

2 boxes Dunkin Hines brownie mix

8 packages of Birds eye steam fresh veggies (various)

3 packages Kraft white american cheese

6 packages Kraft all natural shredded cheeses

2.28 lbs sweet potatoes

1.33 lbs sweet onions

4 cans Swanson all natural chicken broth

2 16 oz sour cream

2 pkgs ghiredelli dark chocolate chips

2 pks chex mix (treat for hubby)

2 large jars motts natural applesauce

2 pkgs Thomas English muffins

2 Ronzoni Smart taste spaghetti boxes

2 Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne boxes

2 boxes kelloggs frosted flakes (shhh...special treat for the kids...will be hidden in the stock pile)

1 pkg Quaker Quakes Ranch rice cakes

1 pkg Publix Ranch Rice cakes

2 bags of Craisins

2 Bags of craisins trail mix

Hillshire farm Honey ham (can't remember the amounts for this)

Hillshire farm roasted chicken

2 boxes fish sticks

2 jars Emerald natural sea salt and cracked pepper cashews

2 jars Emerald natural cocoa roasted almonds

1 bottle wesson oil

2 large jars Kraft light mayo

2 bottles Kraft salad dressing

I'm missing something but I can't make it out on my receipt and don't have my list right here...sorry!

Now please keep in mind if you read this and say "that's the oddest list ever" what do they eat - the key to saving is stockpiling. I buy what's on sale and I have a coupon for..what's on a low sale. Just because it's on sale doesn't make it a good sale!

Then what I buy isn't something we eat right then necessarily. Like the cake and brownie mixes for instance those will go in my stock pile for emergencies when I need something quick. So don't think all we eat is junk food. When I buy things like crackers. Generally those go into the stock pile so I have them on hand when I need to make a cheeseball for something, etc....when you buy things one great sales with coupons and only pay pennies then you have it on hand when you need it in the future!!

And for those of you that don't know I LOVE www.thegrocerygame.com it saves me a ton of time and money! I could do it on my own without the grocery game...yes...but that would take hours and a lot of brain power. I admire people who are able to do that...follow the sales trends, keep up with all the sales papers, match them to coupons ensuring the sale is totally worth it, etc...but I just don't have time for that. I tried it. NOPE not me...

The Grocery Game does it all for me and makes it super clear. So that's what I use. There are other sites out there that are good...coupon mom, souther savers, etc...and I look at those some. But for ME Grocery game has saved me the most and cuts my time involved in the process to just minutes.

It takes me about 15 min to gather my lists and get my coupons out and with the list. Feel free any time to ask any questions. I'm still fairly new to it all but I'll do my best to answer your questions as best as I can...I LOVE talking money saving!! I like to choose where my money goes I've decided as much as possible. And I have found a lot of better things where I want to put my money instead of retailers and mega grocery stores!! so I'm all about saving as much as I can now!

HAPPY SAVINGS!!

The Adventures of Flat Adam

My cousin's little boy's class has been reading 'Flat Stanley' and they were each to send out a Flat version of themselves to someone and then that person is to document their adventures.
I wish I'd done better of documenting Flat Adam's experiences so Real Adam could really get a feel for where all the flattened version of himself has been. Like just this past weekend Flat Adam went to 4 states in one day...Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Our destination was Louisiana, but I so regret not stopping on the side of the interstate at the "welcome to..." signs along the way to get his picture at each sign...boohoo...20/20 hind sight.

Flat Adam heads to North Carolina this weekend!! But here are his adventures thus far....hopefully Full Adam will like them!!Flat Adam got to sit by the window on the airplane!!

He swang on the swings at Trujillo Christian School in Trujillo, Honduras

Climbed a coconut tree (yes coconuts are green in Honduras)

made some new friends

who even shared their yummy Popsicle (frozen banana!!) with him

hung out in an avacado tree and watched the kids play (fresh guacamole from the avacados on this tree...YUMMY!)

and made even more friends

went to a party where some new friends made lots of delicious Honduran foods (enchiladas on the left, tacos in the middle and chicken salad on the right - Flat Adam was shocked that enchiladas and tacos in Honduras look very different than what he is used to)

Got to be in charge of the remote at the hotel room in Mississippi

(Aunt Rachel made sure it was all kid appropriate programming though!)

got to see some really cool fish

and was nearly eaten by a 'gator in Louisiana!

(whew thank goodness for Uncle Thad...he saved me from those big teeth!)

oh and let's not forget the new possum friend!

Big Adam...Flat Adam is having a lot of fun...we will be sad to see him leave soon! Hopefully he'll have a lot of fun with MaryKyle and John Mark this weekend in North Carolina too!!
We all love you and miss you and seeing Flat Adam reminds us of all the fun we like to have with you!! We'll have to get together really soon!!

Monkeying around

Sorry for the lack of posts, I spent last week in Honduras and the time before that was consumed with preparations for the trip. My amazing husband schooled the kids, worked, did laundry, fed the family, transported to baseball...friends houses, etc etc...all so I could go! I am so insanely blessed for sure!
So I wasn't monkeying around the entire time really...just made a new little friend during my time there! Otherwise I spent my time taking 300+kids school pictures. If you don't know why we go to Honduras so much, we go for the Trujillo Christian School a work our congregation took over after Katrina devastated the congregation in Louisiana that started this work.
The school has over 300 children that would not all get the gift of an education otherwise as public school there isn't free.
We operate solely on sponsors and all of the funds go to the operating of the school. We actually have 40 kids we need to find sponsors for this year so if you're looking for a great work to get involved with....ask me! I'll get you plugged in for sure! I know shameless plug...sorry but $35 a month goes a LONG way for a child in Honduras!!!