The Clayton Circus

Three things that help me survive the day!

2009-10-19T21:17:00.004-04:00

I absolutely love homeschooling my Circus. I couldn't always say that. Before, I felt like it was the best for my kids, but I wasn't convinced that I was really supposed to be doing it. Over the summer, I spent lots of time really praying about what we were supposed to do (not about giving it up, but working through curriculum/methods, etc). I came to a great peace about it all and found a new curriculum. I won't talk about that now, but I gained a whole new perspective and attitude toward school with my kids. I love it, and now I can't imagine doing anything else. Some days are phenomenal, and some days are nightmarish. I have learned that there are 3 things that get me through the daily grind.

Sleep: I am the worst at this one. I am preaching to myself here. I've talked to many homeschool moms who face the same problem. Once the kids go to bed, that's when the house is quiet. We can get things done, watch a movie, read a book, get on the computer. I am also a "night owl." Or I have called myself one since I knew what it meant. I have now discovered that I really enjoy the early mornings. I am finding that if I go to bed, and get up early, I still have time to do those things (not a watch a movie), but I'm actually rested and awake when I do them. I have literally been shocked at how awake and productive I am between 4:30 and 6:30am. The people who really know me are now laughing out loud. And women who've been practicing this for years are now breathing a sigh of relief that I've joined the dark side!
F.O.B.: Did you know that you can order your burgers this way at Burger King? Fresh off the Broiler? Yes, you really can, but this is not what helps me homeschool. Every afternoon for an hour we have Feet on the Bed (F.O.B) time. The kids are required to be in their bed. They may read, play with a couple of quiet toys, or draw and color. My almost 5 year old still naps everyday. It's obvious that she needs it. My 7 year old naps 1-2 times a week, and my 9 year old naps about once a week as well. That is time for me to do whatever I need or want for an hour. I may even take a nap. This is survival for me, and the kids will one day appreciate knowing how to set aside some time each day to be still.
Trigger the nose: This sounds weird, but I recently learned this from a veteran homeschool mom, and it has made all the difference in my house. When the kids seem to be stressed or frustrated with school, she said to cook something aromatic. I tried it with great skepticism. My kids love fresh popcorn. We pop it in a big pan on the stove. One day they were frustrated with bad attitudes. They were arguing about everything. I popped some popcorn, and we worked successfully for 1.5 hours more. I've used that a few times since with success every time. The only problem is that my oldest daughter heard me tell another mom about it, and just the other day she said, "Mom, I'm feeling a little stressed. Can you cook something?"

Guess what? These tips may help homeschool moms, but even if your kids go to school, these three things can and will work for you as well! It was a public school teacher who taught me about F.O.B. She did it in the summer with her own children. So, homeschooling or not, go to bed and rise early, introduce your kids to F.O.B., and cook something aromatic FOR YOU!

I am without my computer...

2008-12-03T00:58:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let you know that my lack of bloggage is because I am without my computer. My dvd/cd-rom drive quit working, and the casing on the computer is cracked. I took it in and should be getting it soon. I am having to use Craig's computer when he's home, or the VERY slow computer that the kids use for school/games. I am very excited about lots of things that are going on, but I will wait for my computer to share it all. Thanks for your patience!

Angel Food Ministries

2008-11-24T11:41:00.002-05:00

Have you ever heard of this? I had heard of it, but finally took advantage of it for the very first time. It is a ministry that ANYONE can take advantage of. There are no salary requirements and no application process. Read about the ministry HERE, and find a distribution center near you. This past weekend, Craig took the kids and picked up our first box. The menus are different for each month. In November for $30 we got this:

1 One Dessert Item (it was a package of cookies)
1 One Dozen Eggs
1 1 lb. Diced Sweet Potatoes
1 1 lb. Green Beans
1 1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 1 lb. Smoked Sausage
1 1.5 lb. New York Strip Steak (4 x 6 oz.)
1 10 oz. Peanut Butter
1 15 oz. Cranberry Sauce
1 2 lb. Baby Back Pork Ribs
1 2 lb. Chicken Chunks (I thought they would be nuggets. They are popcorn style chicken bites made from dark meat. I fried some because I want to fix them in lots of different ways. Next time, I will bake them with some seasoning and add them on to a salad.)
1 20 oz. Shoestring Fries
1 28 oz. Jumbo Charbroiled Beef Patties with Gravy
1 3 lb. IQF Split Chicken Breast
1 32 oz. 2% Reduced Fat Shelf-Stable Milk
1 6 oz. Pancake Mix
1 7 oz. Beef-Flavored Rice & Vermicelli

They also have "special units" that you can buy if you buy one of the regular boxes like the one I listed above. There are meat only boxes, or produce only boxes. And for December they have a few more options than usual. They have a special meat and cheese gift box for $20, full Christmas meals, and a holiday mixed fruit box $26. I am impressed with it, and it would make a neat gift for someone this season! It includes all of this for $26:

4 Washington State Large, Extra Fancy Red Delicious Apples
4 Washington State Large, Extra Fancy Golden Delicious Apples
4 Washington State Extra Large, Extra Fancy Granny Smith Apples
5 Washington State Large, Extra Fancy Red Anjou Pears
4 Extra Large, Extra Fancy Red Rome Apples
4 Large Florida Tree-Ripened Navel Oranges
4 Large Florida Tree-Ripened Tangerines
4 Large Florida Tree-Ripened Tangelos
6 Large Florida Tree-Ripened Juice Oranges
5 Large Florida Tree-Ripened Ruby Red Grapefruits
1 Recipe Sheet

Now that I look at it again, it's AWESOME for $26! That's 45 pieces of fruit!!!!

In this time of stretching our budget for holidays, I hope this helps you, too!

Happy Savings and Happy Thanksgiving!

Black Friday is coming...

2008-11-23T20:11:00.002-05:00

This is one of the best shopping days of the year! And you can get almost ALL of the ads online before Thursday. Just go to BLACK FRIDAY INFO and check out the ads. Hope you have an incredible Thanksgiving. We all have so many things to be thankful for!

Good retreat!

2008-11-22T19:22:00.002-05:00

Well, I am back! I just returned from a Ladies Retreat with the women of Bayside Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, and some who attend other churches. We had a great time. God met us there. I thank each and everyone of you who attended for making me (and my friends from FBC) feel so welcome! We'll have to do it again sometime, and maybe the Ding-A-Ling Sisters will make another appearance!

I have one prayer request. The woman who puts the retreat together every year (this was year 19!) is sick. She ended up having to leave this morning before the retreat was over. I would ask that you pray for Frances Gamel. She has a heart for the women of her church and the Hampton Roads area to know Christ and know Him intimately. She has had some health problems in the past, so her recovery from this illness may be long. Please pray for her to rest and get well!

We love you Frances!

Thank you also for your prayers for me. God met me there, too. He worked and He was glorified. Thanks again for lifting me up.

Love to all!

Just a warning....

2008-11-17T08:34:00.003-05:00

This week there will most likely be a lack of bloggage. Bloggage...is that word? Well, it is now. When I was learning Spanish, there were times when I would be in the middle of a conversation and come to a place where I wouldn't know a word. So, I would just make one up. We laughed so hard at me, and many Costa Ricans (thanks Guema) and Mexicans laughed at me, but there are still words we jokingly use that I made up! So, bloggage is now in my and your vocabulary!

Back to the warning....not much bloggage this week. I am laying out my schedule for you so that you can pray for me this week. I don't remember the last time I've felt this much pressure (good pressure, just lots to do), so all of your prayer are welcome and coveted!

Monday: Loop de Lou Party, prep for the party, necessary trip to the store
Tuesday: Luncheon at church, Kindermusik, and Basketball tryouts for the Artist and the Jedi
Wednesday: Must have prepared and taken 6 desserts to the church by 9am, and church
Thursday: Dentist appoint. for the Jedi, errands to run, and North Suffolk church plant meeting
Friday: Leave at 9am for a Women's Retreat...oh, and for the biggest part...I am leading the retreat!

And homeschooling...and laundry...and meals...and sleep...and final prep for the retreat...and spend time with my husband just returned from Portugal....and the MOST IMPORTANT of them all, have focused time with my Savior (the only one that can help me do it all with a Godly attitude).

So please pray! Thanks in advance for lifting me up!

Today is Worth Two Posts

2008-11-15T12:11:00.002-05:00

Sign up for a Home Made Simple Coupon Booklet. It is a free booklet that has $27 in coupons for Proctor and Gamble products. I had to share this!

Happy Savings!

Don't forget my Couponing with Kids post below!

Couponing with Kids...

2008-11-15T10:01:00.005-05:00

First of all, MAKE SURE THEY GO TO THE BATHROOM!!!! The Circus and I went on Friday to take advantage of the Triples/Doubles weekend at Farm Fresh. And of course we had to make a trip to the bathroom, even though they all "supposedly went" before we left. Now, this is not an easy task as not only do you have to take the kids to bathroom, you must lug all of your paraphernalia with you: coupons, purse, umbrella (it was raining), daughter's purse (that won't happen again). So, first the ingredient necessary to couponing with kids is PATIENCE. Just know that there will be interruptions, a million questions, a bathroom break, etc. I did not handle it well at first, but then it hit me, "Lori, you're the problem, not them. They don't deserve the stinky attitude. They didn't complain that you brought them grocery shopping, so don't complain when they need to go to the bathroom." So, patience! Now once I get over my issues, the next key is what MAKES OR BREAKS A TRIP:

ORGANIZATION! This is NOT one of my strengths. You've all read my posts on being a messie! And sometimes, Coupon Central (aka the dining room table) is a disaster. But, my binder is usually very organized. Have you seen my binder? I must post pictures soon. You can see a an example of what I use HERE. Back to the original post. You see, although I got all flustered over the trip to the bathroom, I went right back to my list and picked right back up where I left off. Before I left on Friday, I spent 30-45 minutes making my detailed list and gathering my coupons. I only got the coupons ready that I needed on my SPECIFIC list. As I put an item in my basket, I check it off! (This may sound like the basics, but it's a DEFINITE when kids are along!) When I finish with the list, I go to an aisle where there is usually no traffic (the make up aisle in the grocery store, or in my Walmart, it's the men's clothing department; it's right there as I finish up). I go over the list and look at my coupons.

Now, what do I do with all those busy hands? Use handcuffs....JUST KIDDING!!! When I am being the mother I should be, I am patient and take my time and let them help me! I show them which item I need and tell them how many I need. My oldest carries a small notebook writing down items and prices. Talk about homeschooling. That is spelling, handwriting, and math all in one!!! Not to mention a lesson in frugality. And in the check out lane, they help me unload the cart. Then I tell them to watch the screen. I am trying to instill a sense of excitement as they see the total drop.

Does it always go this way? NO! Am I always the patient mother I should be? NO! There are a couple of more tips I will share with you. If you have a list as long as your arm, and you know you are going to be in the store for an extended period of time, do your best not to take them. There are many of you who don't have a choice. Take a small notebook and pencils for them. I do that, too. And the last trick up my sleeve that I have mastered is a good game of "Guess Who?" This is a made up customized version of the board game. I give a simple description of one of their favorite characters from a movie, book, tv show, or a real live person. From my description, they have to guess who I am talking about. They have even begun to do it for each other. This always stops a sudden break down!! It never fails. There can be weeping and gnashing of teeth and when I say, "Let's play Guess Who," you can hear a pin drop. Now, how I do that and still manage my list? Patience and Organization.

And with kids in tow, I bought $111 worth (retail value at this store) of stuff for $21! Eight cans of Manwich, 9 cans of Campbell's Chunky soup, 9 Pillsbury cake mixes, 4 boxes of Town House Crackers, 2 boxes of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa, 4 boxes of Special K, 2 jars of Peter Pan peanut butter, 1 can of French's French Fried Onions, 1 jar of Smucker's preserves, 1 jar of Marshmallow Creme (kids with me and it was on sale), 2 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers, and 1 can of Reddi-whip Whipped Cream! It was a GOOD RUN!

Oh...and just so you'll know, my kids have begun to beg me daily for their own coupon binder. So, it's really not too bad. And kids who learn about frugality while young usually have a better chance of practicing it as adults...not always, but usually.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions on how you deal with kids while couponing, please leave them for all to see!

Triples and Doubles at Farm Fresh 11/14-11/16

2008-11-14T08:21:00.002-05:00

You've got a lot to choose from this weekend when it comes to good shopping! I hope I can pull it together with the 3 kids and take advantage of some of the deals! I think I will wait until after my trip with them to write about couponing with kids! Here are the details from Farm Fresh! I got this directly from the ad. You can see this weeks ads from the paper HERE.

3 DAYS ONLY!
Friday-Sunday
November 14-16

UNLIMITED DOUBLE COUPONS UP TO $1.00
That means that a manufacturer cents off coupon worth:
.55=1.10
.75=1.50
1.00=$2.00
1.25=1.25

PLUS
UNLIMITED TRIPLE COUPONS UP TO .50
That means that a manufacturer cents off coupon worth:
25=.75
.35=1.05
.50=1.50

*Limit 1 coupon per item, maximum of 2 like items double or tripled per shopping visit. If the value of the Triple or Double Coupon exceeds the retail price of the item, you will receive the item FREE. Coupons stating "Not Subject to Doubling" or "Do not Double" will not be eligible for Tripling or Doubling. Quantity Rights Reserved.

Good deals Hampton Roads!!!

2008-11-12T16:44:00.003-05:00

If you are in the Hampton Roads area, then this week is great for deals! You must check out the Farm Fresh sale paper, and all Super Kmarts in the area are having Super Double coupons AGAIN!!! Happy savings!

Continue to pray for Craig. He and Curt made it safely along with all the loot for the Bustrums! I think they had as much fun unpacking it as I did packing it! Most likely more!

And I promise the "couponing with kids" post is coming soon. I am trying to prioritize some things and get some cleaning/laundry done. Thanks for your patience!

Oh, and check out NYC Mission. Some of our friends, Freddy T. and Susan Wyatt, are church planting missionaries in the heart of New York City. They have just had twins about 6 weeks early. Read their story and please continue to pray for them as Elliott David and Lillie Beth are in the NICU. Thanks for lifting them up!

Couponing with Kids in Tow

2008-11-11T10:35:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine commented on my last post wanting to know about couponing with kids. I thought that it was such a good question that I would devote a whole post to it. I wrote a short answer for her, but I will do an in depth look at it soon....hopefully before I close my eyes to sleep tonight.

Pray for Craig. He flies to Portugal today to be our missionary friends, Mark and Hannah Bustrum. I have packed more than 100 pounds of stuff for them!!! SO EXCITING!!! When we were in Mexico, one of the things we loved most about teams coming were the "goodie suitcases." Teams asked all the time what we needed or wanted. They also also asked about gifts they could bring for the kids. It was like Christmas. Now, we get to be on the other end. I have sent so many things, and I wish I could be there to see them open the suitcases.

Craig will be traveling back on Sunday. Thanks for reading about the craziness in our lives and also your willingness to lift us up!

The Epitome of Using Coupons....

2008-11-06T19:28:00.003-05:00

Today was a GREAT day shopping. I went to Harris Teeter (3.35 for 50.90 worth), to Kroger (24.09 for 89.07 worth), Walmart (3.00 for 11.96 worth), and an unexpected trip to Farm Fresh (13.51 for 102.11 worth). I spent a total of $44 dollars for $254 worth of stuff. My trip to Farm Fresh is the one that amazes me most. I paid $13.51 for 33 items. Those 33 items include 8 bottles of All Small and Mighty Laundry detergent and 10 bottles of Suave Shampoo for kids. It's an average of 41 cents an item. I am just shocked. I have laundry detergent for awhile!!! And I love All!

Many of you ask me what it takes to do the kind of deals I do. If I think about the three most important things I would say are organization, time, and persistence. Of all the deals I found today, I have a picture of two lone boxes of goldfish crackers. I read on Hot Coupon World that one of the stores had put the Halloween boxes of Goldfish on clearance. When I scanned these two boxes, they rang up for 5.98 each. I took them to the front anyway to find out if they were supposed to be marked down. My cashier went and found the manager which took almost 10 minutes. You can imagine how the people behind me were oozing with love. I told them coupon savings stories to ease the tension. The cashier came back and said, "They are 75% off! They are only $1.50 a box." I looked at the people behind and said, "Thanks for your patience, I just saved 9 dollars!" They all smiled and laughed and I pranced out with $12 in Goldfish for $3.

Organization, time, and persistence are the keys. Six months ago, I never would have waited. My time was TOO valuable. Well, I've learned my lesson over the past few months. My time IS valuable. I saved a dollar a minute today, just at one store. STAY WITH IT! DON'T BE DISCOURAGED! You can do it!

Harris Teeter Triples 11/6-11/9 ONLY

2008-11-05T16:25:00.002-05:00

For those of you in the Hampton Roads area that happen to read the blog, and for those who have HT in your area, triples are back. Here are the regulations.

1. Twenty coupons total per VIC card or household per day.
2. Only 3 of the same coupon will be tripled.
3. Triple coupons with the face value of up to 99 cents.
4. No internet printed coupons will be doubled.

Here are some of the deals you can get:

First an explanation of the abbreviations

SS=Smart Source
RP=Red Plum
These are the names of the coupons inserts in your paper each week. The date by the abbreviation is when that coupon came out. Thanks to HOT COUPON WORLD for all of this!

Lysol Wipes - $2
.75/1 10/12 SS = free

Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste - $1.99
.75/1 11/02 SS = free

Reynolds wax paper, 75 ft - $1.50
.50/1 10/19 SS = free

Trident Gum - $1.19
.55/1 9/21 SS = free

Nesquik hot cocoa packets-1.50
.50/1 any nesquik 9/14 RP= FREE

Muir Glen Tomatos (paste, sauce, diced) $1.49-$2.19
.75/1 10/26 SS =free

Fleischmann's Yeast .99
.45/1 9/28 SS =free

Beechnut Juice=1.39
0.75 10/26 SS = Free

Betty Crocker Pouch Potatoes--1.19 reg. price (Durham, NC)
.40/1 in 9/14 SS=FREE (exp 11/08)

Wholly Guacamole 1.99 - 75/1 10-05-08 SS = free

Kikkoman 10 oz soy sauce or teriyaki = $1.67
.55/1 8/24 SS = .02

Muir Glen soups - $2.29 ( a few flavors $2.89)
.75/1 10/26 SS = .04

Quaker Oatmeal Express Bowls 1.59-
.50/1 coupon 9/07 RP =.09

Whiskas Temptations cat treats on sale 1.67
.50 9/21 RP = .17

Smithfield Smoked Sausage $2.50
$.75 9/29SS = $.25

Betty Crocker Frosting - $1.79
.50/1 10/19 SS = .29

Carnation Evaporated Milk – 12 oz - .99
.55/2 9/14 RP = .33 for 2

Argo Corn Starch $1.99
.55/1 10/05 SS= $0.34

Snyder's Of Hanover Pretzel Sticks - 12 Multi Grain 2.59 - 75/1 09-28-08 SS = .34

Viva Papertowel=2.59
.75/1 10/12 SS =0.34

Arnold 100% Natural bread - $1.99
.55/1 10/05 SS = .34

These are just a few of the good deals that will be available.

Happy Savings!

OK Ladies....

2008-10-30T21:35:00.006-04:00

Tonight was a GREAT night. I was able to attend "Let's Do Dinner." It's part of the Women's ministry at our church. They have "Let's Do Lunch" once a month at noon. For the women who work and are unable to attend, they have the nighttime dinner program. Well, I was able to share with the ladies for a a few minutes about my one of favorite topics....COUPONS!! Can you imagine me talking about coupons??? NEVER! Well, a good time was had by all. I promised the ladies tonight that I would post some of the websites that I have shared with you all before, but by posting them now, they are easily accessed from here.

Ladies of Let's Do Dinner, tonight was wonderful! I had a great time, even if you laughed at my binder. When you have one for yourself, we'll both laugh all the way to the bank! Also, one other thing. You all saw the products I bought. Just because I bought those doesn't mean that those were the only things on sale or with good prices at Kmart. I bought some weird colors of fingernail polish. Well, those are for gifts for the little girls in Portugal whose parents are the missionaries I mentioned last night. Little girls love that stuff! The "normal" colors are also on sale! Also, there was lots of free cat food at Kmart to be had, too, but I don't have a cat. That was just a sampling of what was there. Here are the websites I promised! Just click the links below and be whisked away to a saving wonderland! Please feel free to ask questions by clicking the comment link at the bottom of the page. You can ask questions there, and all of the women can see the question and the answer.

1. The Coupon Mom This is a free site, but you must sign up. Her services are free because of all of the advertising on her site. When you first sign up, you will see LOTS and LOTS of ads, but just click "No Thanks" or "Skip," and you will never have to deal with all of the ads again. This site has lots of information, but it's main feature is that is has weekly lists of the sales at Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, CVS (coming soon to Hampton Roads), Kroger, Harris Teeter, and Food Lion (listed under North Carolina, not sure why). On each list for each store, it lists the sales on everything in the sale ad, matches a coupon to it, and tells you how much you should save. Also, you can select the items you are interested in buying, click a link at the the bottom of the page (Display Selected Deals), and it will give you a printable shopping list! GREAT SITE!

2. Hot Coupon World This is a free site, but you must also sign up. It is a forum site. Women from all over the country post deals they've gotten, and specials they've found that might not be advertised anywhere else. There are also LOTS AND LOTS of tips on how to save money, stockpiling, and much much more. You can spend literally HOURS reading the information there. DO NOT GET OVERWHELMED. Start slow and small. One tip for navigating this site. They use a lot of abbreviations like YMMV, TMF, Man Q, WAGS. At the bottom of every page you're on there is a link to a page with abbreviations. It will help you tremendously.

3. Money Saving Mom. This is my favorite frugal blog. It does not require that you sign up. She has lots of great posts about saving money and she also lists many of the deals for the week.

OK ladies, enjoy this. Take your time. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will be your coupon binder or your personal stockpile. It takes time, and you've got lots to learn. It's so worth it!

Happy Savings!

Today was a good shopping day....

2008-10-29T22:11:00.003-04:00

Many Kmart stores around the country are having Super Double Coupons this week. That means coupons with a face value up to $2 are doubled. So a $2 coupon is worth $4. A $1 coupon is worth $2 and so on. That means you can get some incredible deals. Here is a picture of everything I bought today.

This is $141.97 worth of stuff. After all the sales and coupons, I was able to get all of it for $17.38. Don't worry, I couldn't believe it either. Neither could the cashier or the lady behind me in line. We all did the happy dance right there together. After my last post, I realized once again that this is what couponing is all about.

I bought 51 items today. As I looked at the picture, I realized that there were only
22 items that I actually paid something for. Everything else on the table was absolutely free. And some of the items that I got today are actually going to my friends, the Bustrums that I wrote about in my last post.

God is good. He does provide. He can use it all!

Happy Savings!

It's finally Fall....and other stuff

2008-10-27T19:23:00.003-04:00

I know, I know, Fall started in September. Well, for some reason, it finally feels like Fall today. I was driving today and looked up and the first few trees are beginning to turn. The weather is changing, and it's getting darker earlier. I just love Fall. Today the first real cold front has arrived. I needed food to make me warm, and I thought about Sopa de Elote. That is Sweet Corn Soup, and it's one of my favorite foods that I ate in Mexico. I found this recipe online. It was SO good. I made two small alterations. I added a little chicken bouillon powder because that's what they do in Mexico, and I didn't add the peppers. The other thing that I can say about this recipe is that I did it last minute, and it came together so quickly! There is nothing better than a quick, yummy supper. And I tell many people, "If it's not easy, I don't do it!"

Couponing is going well. It has it's ups and downs. Some days I am thrilled about doing it, other days I feel such a weight from the responsibility of keeping it all together. I am saving hundreds of dollars of every month. I am getting lots and lots of stuff for free each month. One of the highlights for me has been collecting stuff for my friends, Mark and Hannah Bustrum and their girls, who are missionaries in Portugal. Craig is going there in a couple of weeks for a vision trip. Our church wants to send a team there next year. I had Hannah send me a list of stuff they wanted and needed. I laughed and laughed when I got it. I have things that I've gotten for free (lots, actually) that were on her list. Not only is using coupons a benefit to my family, it is a benefit to some of our closest friends on the other side of the ocean. So, when I get discouraged with the time it takes to cut coupons, file them, and purge the expired ones, I will remember the Bustrums. God can use it all, remember that.

Great Days to Shop at Walgreens 10/24 & 10/25 DEAD DEAL

2008-10-24T09:15:00.005-04:00

Get your $5 of $20 coupon here. Remember that your total has to be $20 after all other coupons and discounts.

Hope you have a GREAT day shopping. Check out Money Saving Mom HERE and HERE see some of the deals you can get right now at Walgreens (if you have the coupons from the last few weeks). Thanks Money Saving Mom. There are some good money makers as well as some free and cheap items. I am hoping to profit about $8 shopping there, if not more. With some careful planning, you can do it!

Catching up and priorities....

2008-10-22T22:29:00.003-04:00

Just so you know, I am catching up. I am 3 weeks behind on clipping coupons. I am behind on house work. And I have just got to get my mind around some things. My family is coming for a visit, and we are planning for the Princess's 4th birthday. I will be back regularly soon. Thanks for your patience, and thanks for continually checking the blog!

Happy Savings!

Walgreens wants your business 10/17 & 10/18 DEAD DEAL

2008-10-16T20:56:00.004-04:00

Get your $5 off $25 here and save again on Friday and Saturday. Walgreens is really wanting your business. Remember, the total must be $25 after all your coupons and other discounts.

Happy Savings!

Be a tester for companies....

2008-10-13T20:52:00.003-04:00

My desire to be frugal comes from my mama. I tell people that she raised me on a 4 letter word: S-A-L-E! One day I came home from 4 year old preschool and she had arranged on my bed a bunch of clothes that were "hand-me-downs." My eyes were immediately drawn to a pair of black patten shoes. I held them with such excitement and asked (as a 4 year old), "Were they on sale?" And she said, "Better, they were free!"

Today, I want to share with you how you can get products for free. There are two consumer groups, one with General Mills and the other is Kraft, that want your opinions. You sign up for the groups, and they will send you either coupons for free products or the products themselves for you to try out. In response, they want your feed back. They want you to share the products or coupons with your friends and family. And after you've tried the products, they want you to tell your friends and family about the products. Join for FREE!

Join Kraft First Taste

Join General Mills Pssst

Here is my first recommendation from General Mills!

Pillsbury Thin Pizza Crust. I like this product because of its convenience. One of the things that I did that we ALL loved was made a Breakfast Pizza. I was tired one night and looked in the fridge. I scrambled eggs and browned sausage. I crumbled the eggs on top of the unrolled crust, spread the sausage on top of the eggs, and sprinkled lots of shredded cheese on top. I put that in the oven and cooked it as long as the directions called for. And the kids ask for it at least once a week!

Enough for commercials. Sign up and get FREE STUFF!!!

Happy Savings!

See, you can do this! And deals for the week!

2008-10-12T19:32:00.006-04:00

Here's another reason why you can do this. Both of these trips were done at Walgreens and Walmart. Most of you have either Walgreens or Walmart or both. Neither one of them doubles coupons and both of them accept internet printed coupons. So, these are two runs I made yesterday.

Here is the Walmart trip. I actually bought some other stuff, but these were the most impressive deals.

This is 11 packs of the Green Giant Steamers. I bought 8 of the regular bags of veggies. They were $1.23 each. I bought three of the specialty steamers that were $1.82 each. I had $1.00 coupons for all of them that I got from the Sunday paper 10/5 and another week in the past. So I got all 11 packages of veggies for $4.30. Also, you will see the two Gillette Fusion Gift packs. On the box you can plainly see that it says a $15 value. Walmart had put these gift packs on clearance for $5.00 each. Well, I still had a couple of coupons left. The coupons were $4.00 off. So I got those gift sets for $1.00 EACH!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT???? I CAN'T EITHER!!! So, even if you don't have a coupon, look for those gift packs at Wally World! $5.00 is still a great price. So for 11 bags of veggies and 2 gift packs, I paid $6.30!

Now, for my Walgreens run. This last week, they had all of this on sale. And because of coupons and rebates all of this was free! The coupons were in the Sunday papers in the past, or they were internet printables. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Now, actually, because I had some Register Rewards (coupons for money of your next purchase that print when you buy qualifying products) that were left from two weeks ago, I will actually make $9. BUT even if you didn't have the Register Rewards, it would all be for free. If you request your rebate on a gift card, you would make an extra 10%!

I have lots of sites that I use for finding out great tips. You will see the main ones listed on the left of my blog. This week, there are also GREAT deals at Walgreens and Rite Aid. I think at Rite Aid this week you can get almost $150 in stuff for free after rebate! Money Saving Mom lists the deals each week that you can get from the stores. She also tells you the sources of the coupons. So, for the deals for this week, click on the names of the stores below! Thanks Money Saving Mom!

Walgreens
Rite Aid

I hope to post more good deals from Walmart and Target soon. Or, you can check out Coupon Mom. You must sign up for free, but then look for the deals of the week from Walmart as well as Target!

Happy Savings!

Pray for Craig's family....

2008-10-11T23:17:00.002-04:00

We received a call this morning that Craig's grandparents were killed in a car wreck last night. Pray for Craig as he spends time with his mom supporting her through this difficult time. Pray for members of family that do not know the Lord. Pray that they will seek and that Craig can be light. Thank you so much for lifting us up.

Like a dirty aquarium....

2008-10-09T22:19:00.004-04:00

We are on a new adventure: FISH! A few weeks ago, we were at a GREAT garage sale and found a fishbowl and a bunch of the accessories for $3. The Artist was so excited. She bought it with her own money, and she was thrilled to think about buying her VERY own fish. We bought a betta. The first one died. We're not sure why, but it's probably because I didn't have water conditioner (we were told we didn't need it). We bought another betta and the water conditioner and he, Flame, is still alive. And, he's happy, too.

Well, about two weeks ago, we inherited a 10 gallon aquarium with one fish. To make the transfer to the house, we put him in a carrier and emptied the water. I read online that I shouldn't have to clean the tank completely. I only needed to add new water, water conditioner, and change the filter. As we filled the tank with water, lots of gunk began emerging from below the rocks. It was awful. We decided to let the filter run and see if was any better. It got better so we put the fish in.

Last Friday, Craig and the kids went and bought 6 new fish. Well, one died. We got a new one. Another one died, and another fish had a "growth" on it's head. After talking to the fish expert at a pet store, we discovered that the fish had ICK. In the meantime, another one died. So, we got ICK pills and an aquarium vacuum. We were also told to bring in a water sample after vacuuming. Well, I was determined to take it in because the whole room where the aquarium is smelled like dead fish.

Today I took the water sample in. The fish expert used an abbreviated form of a VERY bad curse word to tell me how BAD our aquarium water was. So I asked what I needed to do. These were the instructions: START OVER. Start over? I am new to this whole aquarium thing. How do you start over? Put the fish in bags. Wash the aquarium and all that's in it with the basic blue Dawn dish soap. Buy 10 gallons of spring water and add two other things I bought from her. I sure hope it works.

I am tired of this aquarium. As I drove away from that big pet superstore with the kids talking in the back ground, I was mumbling quietly about having to put my hands in "icky" aquarium water once again. And I heard the Lord say, "It's just like sin." You see, when we come to the Lord, He completely cleanses us from our sins. We are completely clean. As you know, we continue to sin because we are human. Well, our unconfessed sin is like the mess in my aquarium. The water can look clean, until you begin to move it around a little, and the gunk begins to emerge from under the rocks. We might confess some of it, put in a new filter, do a water change and it will look a little better. But then the water begins to stink. It affects us and everyone around us. Until we confess it all and bring it all to light, sin festers. God is the only one who can cleanse it all and wipe it away.

So, tomorrow morning, I will be changing nasty, stinky, aquarium water. I hope there are no more dead fish. I hope I don't get sick. And I pray this reminds me of how often I need to just START OVER by completely confessing my sin. (1 John 1:9)

I like visitors....

2008-10-07T23:39:00.003-04:00

Well, maybe. You see, I am a messie! I have posted on this before. I wish I could say that I continued what I had going here. I have not kept it up like I wanted to. I would have struggled if someone had knocked on my door at 5pm. I wouldn't want to let anyone enter. My pride would not have allowed me to open the doors to ANYONE.

Well, at 6pm tonight, my temporary neighbor, who is here for 9 weeks taking classes for her job, asked if I was going to watch the debate. I said, "Well of course." Then it hit me, she was wanting to watch it over here because she has no cable at her house. And before I knew it, "Would you like to come over and watch it with me?" flew out of my mouth!!! I am so thankful that I live on the Eastern Coast. You see, in California, the debate started at 6pm. Fortunately, in VA, it started at 9pm and I had 3 hours to feed the kids and clean the downstairs area of our house. (DON'T YOU DARE GO UPSTAIRS!) So, the kids and I worked (mainly me with some good help from the oldest), and we got it done! The downstairs area looks GREAT! It even smelled good, thanks to an apple cinnamon candle that I lit immediately at 6 when I invited her over!

So, do I like having guests over? YES! I love it. Do I like having a clean house? YES! I love it. But, it takes planning just so someone can come over! So, what's the problem? That's the million dollar question. So, help me fellow messies and organized friends. Help me figure out why I can't stay disciplined enough on a daily basis to just take care of the basics. Do I want perfection? No, just want a little order. So, comment on this post and share your greatest tips for staying on top of the chaos! Tomorrow we will conquer the upstairs area! I told the kids we could play play play on Thursday and Friday if we conquered the upstairs! I look forward to your replies!

Walgreens: Generous with the coupons 10/3 & 10/4 Only

2008-10-03T08:22:00.010-04:00

Print your $5 off $20 coupon to use today and tomorrow! Let me tell you how to get the most BANG for your buck! Go and JUST buy the FREE AFTER REBATE items that you will find in the Easy Saver Rebate Book located in the rack with the regular sale ads. Those three items add up to $19.47. You will need to get another small item that costs 53 cents or more to get to the $20.00 requirement. Then they will take off $5, so you'll pay $15.xx plus tax. Submit your rebate, and you will receive 19.47 back. If you request it on a gift card, you will receive $19.47 PLUS 10% for a whopping total of $21.42. Depending on your tax situation, you will be making a profit (after tax) of $5-$6. I would say that is getting paid to shop!

Happy Savings!

Free Recipe Booklet with Coupons!

2008-10-01T22:06:00.005-04:00

So sorry that my original directions about clicking the picture would take you to the proper site! SO SORRY! So, click HERE and sign up to receive a recipe booklet that has $10 in coupons inside. Hurry because quantities are limited!

Happy Savings!

KMart has Super Double Coupon Event 10/1-10/5

2008-09-29T18:44:00.002-04:00

You must call your Kmart to confirm. The Kmart closest to me is having Super Double Coupons 10/1-10/5. Here are the conditions:

Coupons up to $2.00 in face value
Limit of 4 like coupons
Limit of 75 coupons per customer
Value may not exceed the price of the product (you will just get it for free instead of them paying you the overage)

PLEASE CONFIRM THIS WITH YOUR LOCAL KMART. There is also a term in the coupon world that is YMMV (you milage or your manager may vary). That means your manager has complete say. You must be patient. Lots of GREAT deals are out there to be had!

9/26-27 Walgreens Coupon $5 off $20 coupon!!!

2008-09-25T23:25:00.002-04:00

I seem to be learning! Now, at the end of the month, I wait until Friday to do my shopping. Why? Well, it seems that Walgreens always puts out a great coupon. Today was no different! Get this coupon and save $5 off of a $20 purchase. Your order must be $20 after all other coupons and discounts. You will spend about $15 out of pocket. BUT, if you buy some of the rebate items you haven't picked up yet, then you will get it all back, plus the 10% bonus if you get the gift card! So....have fun saving!

Oh, and pick up some free Altoids. How? There is a coupon in the Walgreens sale paper for 2/$2. And on some of the boxes in the store there is a peelie coupon on the box that says, "SAVE $1.00 NOW." Well, if they are 2/$2 with the Walgreens coupon and you use the peelie coupons, then you should only pay tax. I got 16 boxes of Altoids for 40 cents (of just tax!) Just don't get the Cinnamon mints covered in Dark Chocolate. They are not eligible for the coupon in the paper, even though they might have the peelie. I learned the hard way.

HAPPY SAVINGS!

FREE EVENTS!!! AND ANOTHER FREEBIE!!!

2008-09-23T13:02:00.003-04:00

Be sure to check your local stores in case something has changed! Thanks to Money Saving Mom for all these tips!

A few free events

Borders is a hosting a free Kid's Party for children 12 and under this Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 2-4 PM. This event will include story time, games, and a scavenger hunt. Plus, you can get a free cookie with any beverage purchase at the coffee shops inside Borders. More information is here. (Thanks, AJ!

Toys R Us is having a big birthday bash on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 3 PM. This event includes activities, crafts, and free gifts! More details here. (Thanks, Jaycie!)

All You Magazine is hosting an event at Walmart stores across the country called Yes You Can! 2008 (on Oct. 25 or 26, depending on your area). Free samples and more should be included. Go here to find out if a store near you is hosting this event. (Thanks, Julie!)

Now for the FREEBIE. Get a free REUSABLE grocery bag from Walmart! Have you seen those reuseable grocery bags for $1 at different stores? Well, you can take one plastic grocery bag and fill it with others. Take that FULL sack to the customer service desk at Walmart and they will give you 1 reusable grocery bag for every full sack you bring in!

Happy Savings!

You can do this, too!

2008-09-21T21:30:00.003-04:00

So many of you who have heard me talk or read my blog have thought, "I can't do this because I don't have a store that doubles or triples." Well, today I made two shopping stops, one to Food Lion and the other to Kroger. I used coupons today, but none of them were doubled or tripled. So, I want to share with you how I did this:

I bought all of this today for only $36 dollars out of pocket and I still have $16 more in coupons to spend at Food Lion. Oh, and there is one gallon of milk missing; it was already in the fridge. It's worth $131. So, I saved $100 with out using double coupons, just knowing how to work the deals. You CAN do this!

First of all, I need to explain the Glade Gel Plug-In deal that is going on at Food Lion and Kroger. Both stores have it on sale (Kroger for 1.79 each and Food Lion for 1.50 each). There is also a special promotion that for every one Plug-In you buy, a $2 coupon prints toward your next purchase on ANYTHING in the store. So, even without a coupon, this deal is a money maker. Pay 1.50 and get a 2 dollar coupon back. You've made 50 cents. Now, I had coupons for them. They were Buy One Get one Free coupons. So, that means I got two for the price of one, and the $2 coupons for each one still printed! So, for every two I bought at Kroger, I profited $2.21. For every two that I bought at Food Lion, I profited $2.50.

Now, the next question is that some of you may wonder how I get multiple coupons of the same thing. Well, we have one subscription to the Sunday paper, but I must confess something. I have an inside source, and I will NOT reveal my sources that gets me extra papers each week for free. BUT, there are other ways to do it. You can actually buy coupons more subscriptions and you can buy them online. You can buy Qs on Ebay, which I've done. There are also sites like, Coupons & Things by Dede, and The Coupon Clippers. These are businesses that you pay for their time of clipping coupons, and they will send you multiple coupons for a nominal fee. This is wonderful when you know a great deal is coming, or you see it in the paper. If you order immediately, you should have your coupons before the sale is over! It's a great thing!

With that explanation out of the way, I can now share about my deals for today. First, I went to Food Lion and did two transactions.

Transaction #1
12 Glade Gel Plug-ins $1.50x12=18.00
6 Buy one Get one Free Coupons
But because they originally rang up at $1.79 instead of $1.50, they gave me 1.79 off for the free one, so I made more money!!!

18.00-(1.79x6)= 7.26
Plus tax $8.16 paid out of pocket
$24 in coupons printed for my next purchase (profit of $15.84)

Transaction #2
4 boxes of Kellogs Cereal Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) 6.92
Bread 1.99
Hot Dog Buns .94
Hot Dog buns .94
Hamburger buns .94
Hamburger buns .94

Total with tax $8.99
Used 4 of the $2 coupons that printed ($8)
Paid out of pocket 99 cents.

So I got all of the above for 9.15.

Then I headed to Kroger. They have a deal going right now for the Kroger brand cereal. When you coupon, you cannot be brand picky. When the generic is cheaper, (which rarely happens anymore for me) BUY generic. But, when the name brand (or a different brand than you use) is cheaper, of course go with that. Well, for Kroger brand cereal, you could get it for $1.00 a box. It was buy 6 boxes for $10 and get $4 off instantly. So that is $1.00 a box. You can only have one of those deals per transaction, so I did two transactions. YOU CAN DO THAT, it's legal! Here is what I did.

Transaction #1
6 boxes of cereal for $10.00
Instant $4 off
Paid $6.71 out of pocket (oop)

Transaction #2
6 boxes of cereal for $10.00 (instant $4 off)=6.00
8 Ball Park hotdogs .99 each (used coupon for $1 off of 2)=4.00
3 Kroger sandwich meat 2.79x3=8.37
3 Kroger skim milks 2.85x3=8.55
1 Turkey Hill Ice Cream 2.99-$1 coupon=1.99
Then I used $10 in coupons that printed for me earlier in the week for the Glade Plug-in deal

Total Out of Pocket: 20.01

So, for $36, I got all of this. Do we need 16 boxes of cereal today? No, but that is point of coupon/deal shopping. When you find food on a REALLY good deal, buy a lot of it. Then when you need it in a month or two, you don't have to pay full price, you just go to the pantry or the freezer!

None of my coupons doubled today. I just "worked the deals." I read about all of this on Coupon Mom! You CAN do this, even without double or triple coupons. I saved $100 today. YOU CAN, TOO!!!

Happy Savings!

10 days of super savings!

2008-09-20T23:07:00.005-04:00

OK...so I have been behind in posting all of the glorious deals that I've found. I am back and back with fervor, so I should be posting regularly now. We have had only 1 store in the area that triples coupons (about every 10 weeks) until last weekend. Another store in the area, Farm Fresh, decided to triple coupons FOR 6 DAYS!!! It did not have the stipulation of only 20 coupons per household per day. The stipulation was 20 coupons per customer per day. That meant that Craig and I could both be customers. In 3 days of shopping, we were able to get $183 in groceries for $46.

During this triples time, another store had a GREAT DEAL GOING! They were having a promotion of buy 10 of the participating items for Box Tops for Education and get $4 off your order instantly. Well, the items were on sale, I had coupons, and there was a catalina promotion. You know those separate coupons that print out with your receipts??? Well, sometimes, there will be a promotion that states that if you buy a certain number of items, then you will get a catalina (or coupon) for $ off your next purchase. There was a promo for Green Giant frozen boxed veggies. They were a part of the Box Tops promo, they were on sale, I had coupons, and a coupon was going to print if I bought a certain number. I also bought some Old El Paso items because they were a part of the Box Tops promo, they were on sale, and I had coupons. This is what I did in 4 transactions (each one just the same).

6 Green Giant Veggies
4 Old El Paso products

Here's a picture of two of the transactions. Imagine DOUBLE THIS AMOUNT!!!

I paid $3.33 out of pocket for double what's in this picture. It has a value of over $72 dollars! Then I received $9 in coupons of my next purchase at that store. SO, I profited almost $6. Because of an error by the cashier, I should have received $12 in coupons, to profit $9, but I was not going to argue since they were already paying me to take it all out of the store!

So, that brings my total to $255 in groceries that I paid $40 to bring home!

Now, this weekend is triples at Harris Teeter, the same store that paid me $6 to take groceries out of their store last weekend. Due to the busy-ness of life, I have only been able to go once. Hopefully I will head there one more time tomorrow. Here is how I did on my first trip.

Most of this stuff was on sale. I had coupons for all of it. And I used one of my $3 dollar coupons that they paid me last week. Are you ready to know how much I paid for all of that in picture (not including the Artist!)???? Drum Roll please...... 92 CENTS! Yes, 92 CENTS!!! I can't believe it either, but it's true!!! The original value of all of this (no sales, no coupons) is $71. 80. I will keep my receipt just in case any of you want to check it! So, in 4 days of shopping in a 10 day period, I have bought $326 in groceries for $41.

It's do-able! You may not have a store that triples coupons, but there are many ways to work the system. You just have to be patient and learn! Stay tuned, because I am going to being posts about how to do it!

Happy Savings!

Don't forget to see my post about our trip to Williamsburg!

Trip to Colonial Williamsburg

2008-09-20T22:25:00.002-04:00

We live only 45 minutes from Williamsburg. As many of you know, this area was pivotal in the Revolutionary War in the pursuit of our freedom from Britain. Last week we were able to step back in time and see what life was like back then. The kids loved it.

Twice a year there is a Homeschool emphasis time in Colonial Williamsburg. Not only does that mean discount admission prices, it also means special performances and activities only for those who homeschool. We were able to listen to Thomas Jefferson speak about his part in penning the Declaration of Independence. At the end, he opened it up for questions, and my little Jedi raised his hand, "What's your favorite food?" Mr. Jefferson responded, "That is such a wonderful question. My favorite food is the English Pea." He talked a little more about that and traditions they had concerning the pea, and then asked my Jedi about his favorite food. He responded, "Grilled chicken." It was such a neat time. Jedi still talks about it.

Check out our trip!

I am behind....

2008-09-20T16:58:00.003-04:00

Just so you know...I am working on some new posts for you all. Family pics and savings stories! Hopefully before midnight tonight, I will have it done. Thanks for your patience!

So how do I do it? AND READ FOR A GREAT DEAL!!!

2008-09-06T13:15:00.007-04:00

Many of you are wondering about how I do it. This is going to be a longer post explaining how it's done, or at least how I did it this time. First of all, I LOVE WALGREENS!! If you haven't become a Walgreens shopper, maybe this post will change your ways.

We are in the middle of tropical storm Hanna as I write. We are having 20-40mph sustained winds and gusts MUCH higher. We are snuggled safely in our home. Yesterday we had to buy some last minute things as we have never lived in a hurricane prone area. Craig headed out to Walmart, which was a zoo (think ice storm in Tennessee) and many of the supplies were gone. When he got home, I made my list and headed to trusty ol' Walgreens. Here is how it came down.

Sidenote: I have my rebate gift card from Walgreens that I like to use because it's like recycling my money. I spent the money last month, so I don't have to count when I spend it this month, because I already spent it. For my trip last night, my card had not been recharged, so I used our monthly money. It recharged sometime over night, so I had it for my trip this morning.

Transaction #1 (included hurricane supplies)
Bottled Water 4.99 (Sale) (not in the picture)
20lb bag of ice 2.39 (not in the picture)
3 cans of Gillette Shaving Cream 1.99x3= 5.97
Pack of 3 flashlights 9.99
Crank Lantern 8.99
2 packs of life savers 1.99
Crest Pro Health Mouth wash 500ml 4.49
Paprika .24
Pantene Shampoo 4.50
Pantene Conditioner 4.50
Pantene style produect 4.99
Excedrin PM 24ct 1.99

I used these coupons
Free Pantene Style product when you buy shampoo and conditioner -4.99
Pantene -2.00
Pantene -2.00
Excedrin -2.00
Lifesavers -1.99
Gillette .55x3= -1.65
Walgreens Register Reward (earned previously) -9.00

So I spent 33.64 (including tax)
Walgreens Advertised savings 11.12
Coupon Savings 24.36
Total Saved 35.75
AND IT PRINTED $11.50 in Register Rewards (which are coupons that print after you pay that are like cash toward your next purchase at Walgreens)

Transaction #2
Crest Pro Health mouthwash 4.49
3 Gillette shaving Creams 5.97

coupons used:
3 Gillette .55x3: 1.65

I paid 9.11 (including tax)
Walgreens adv. savings 1.80
Coupon savings 1.65
Total saved 3.45
AND IT PRINTED 7.50 IN Register Rewards toward my next purchase

So on Friday I spent $42.75, but I earned $19.00 in Register Rewards.

Friday night, I checked my FAVORITE site, Hot Coupon World
and found out that Walgreens had put the Magic Bullet Express on clearance for only $15.49. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???

This morning before the storm hit, I headed to Walgreens again, this time with my gift card recharged, which means NO OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE FOR ME!!!

Transaction #1
3 Gillette Shaving Cream 5.97
1 Crest Pro Health Mouth Wash 4.49
Pantene Shampoo 4.50
pantene conditioner 4.50
Pantene Style product 4.99

Coupons used:
3 Gillette .55x3= -1.65
2 Pantene $2x2= -4.00
One Pantene free when you buy Sham. & Con. -4.99

Total: 14.81 (paid with Gift Card)
Walgreens Adv. savings 4.78
Coupon savings: 10.64
Total saved: 15.42
AND IT PRINTED $10.50 in RR

Transaction #2

2 Magic Bullets $15.49x2=29.98
7 pencils on clearance 9 cents = .56

Coupons used
-$29.50 in RR

Total paid: $3.69 (with gift card)
Walgreens adv. savings: 90.12
Coupon Savings: 29.50
Total saved 119.62

So, on Friday, I paid $42.75 of our monthly money (incl. $23 in hurricane supplies) for 81.95 worth of stuff, and got $19 in Register Rewards. On Saturday, I spent NOTHING out of pocket (29.50 in Register Rewards and 18.50 on the Gift Card) for 153.54 of stuff! I love coupons and rebates!

Now, a couple of things that I want to share.

1. Why do I keep buying Crest Pro Health Mouthwash? Well, we have bad breath. Seriously, because it's free all month long. How is it free? Well, it costs $4.49. You pay that and then it prints a $4.50 register reward (which is like cash toward your next purchase). So, you can spend $4.50 and in turn, get $9 worth of stuff (4.50 mouthwash and $4.50 worth of something else). So every time I am in Walgreens, I will buy a bottle. OH...and if you want more than one bottle, YOU MUST BUY THEM IN SEPARATE TRANSACTIONS! More than one register reward will not print at a time. So, just buy them in separate transactions.

2. Why did I buy 7 pencils in the transaction with the 2 Magic Bullets? Well, I used 9 Register Rewards totaling $29.50. It is a Walgreens policy that you cannot use more coupons than you have items in your order. So, I looked and found the cheapest thing that I thought we could use. They had pencils on clearance for 9 cents each. So, two Magic Bullets and 7 pencils were a total of 9 items, so I could use my 9 Register Rewards. This is just a tip to keep in mind for the future.

SO...call Walgreens and ask if they have Magic Bullets in stock and ask them to see if it's marked down to 15.49. But, do at least one transaction of Crest Pro Health Mouth Wash 500ml (must be this size) and double the value of your $4.50 spent. Then use your Register Reward earned toward the Magic Bullet!

If you have questions, please post them. It means that others probably do as well.

Happy Savings!

$25 in free groceries...

2008-09-02T22:04:00.002-04:00

For those of you who live in DC, MD, OH, NC, TN, VA, and KY there is a rebate out there for $25 in free groceries. It is from the Miller Draft Company, but there is no beer purchase necessary. It's as if they are giving away $25 dollars. Although I know where to get the rebate forms here in VA, at Farm Fresh, I am not sure where you can get the forms where you live. I would check at the customer service desks at the grocery stores that you go to. All you must do is buy $50 in groceries and have the receipt dated in between 8/10 and 9/6. It can be from any grocery store. The original receipt and rebate form must be postmarked by 9/16.

I hope you can find the form.

Happy Savings!

Free Chic-fil-a (LABOR DAY ONLY!)

2008-09-01T06:20:00.001-04:00

Check out Chic-fil-a for details to get your free food today!

Happy Savings!

A 7MP camera for 11.99 (TODAY ONLY)

2008-08-30T10:38:00.004-04:00

Too good to be true? NO! I just bought it! It's a Polaroid i737, and I got it from Walgreens. You may also want to check and see if they have the Polaroid i534. It is a 5MP camera that qualifies for the same deal as well. AND, if you are wanting two, it is eligible for 2 rebates. Keep reading below! OH, AND ALL OF THESE STEPS MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE MIDNIGHT OR YOU WILL FORFEIT THE $40 REBATE!

EDIT: I have not directly spoken with customer service but read a response on the forums on HOT COUPON WORLD, and she called and said that even though the i733 was not originally listed for the rebate, it IS pictured in the rebate book. They will give the rebate for the i733 as well.

First, let me say I found out about this at HOT COUPON WORLD.

Here are the steps on how you can have one too! Or two, as I mentioned before! KEEP READING!

1. Call Walgreens to see if they have the POLAROID i737, i733, or i534 in stock, AND ASK THEM TO SCAN IT FOR YOU. At the Walgreens closest to my house, it scanned at it's normal price of 129.99. I went to another Walgreens a little further away and it scanned at the clearance price of 65.99. If they have it, ask them to put it on hold.

2. Go to this link. WALGREENS COUPON
Print the coupon. It is for $10 off of a $40 purchase.

3. While you are online, go to this link WALGREENS REGISTRATION
Set up an account so that you can claim a Walgreens rebate. NOW WAIT A MINUTE LORI, a rebate system. I know I know! But Walgreens is the best. You don't have to send it in with a stamp. You can enter your receipt online and request the rebate in the form of a Walgreens gift card. If you do that, they will add 10% of your rebate onto your amount. So, with the purchase of the camera, you will request a $40 rebate, but you will receive a $44 gift card. I have always had my rebates in less than 2 weeks. SO JUST TRUST ME AND REGISTER!

4. GO BUY YOUR CAMERA! AND DON'T FORGET TO USE YOUR COUPON!

5. Come home and go straight to the computer to this link EASY SAVER CATALOG
Once you're there, click the button that says, "CLAIM REBATES". It will require you to enter your login information that you just happened to set up just before you left! So enter that and login.

6. Here you will see a place to choose your rebate month. Look for EASY SAVER AUGUST 2008. There will be the option of September, but DON'T DO THAT ONE!!! You will click the link next to the Easy Saver August 2008 that says, "Start/Add receipt"

7. Next, you will see a LONG list of items that you can request for rebates. You will want to scroll all the way to very bottom, rebate 51, for "$40 for Polaroid Dig Camera". Put a check in the box to the right, and then click continue. If you decided to buy two, the process is the same. You'll click the box for the rebate, and the computer knows send you the rebate of $80 instead of $40.

8. Here, you will see a place to enter your receipt number. It is the RFN# located at the top of your receipt. It is a 20 digit number. You will not have to enter the dashes and cursor will move from box to box for you. Double check your receipt number and click continue.

9. Here you will Choose Rebate Payment. You will essentially have 2 options. You can choose to get it in the form of an Easy Saver Rebate Gift Card. If you choose this option, they will automatically add the extra 10% ($4) to the rebate. If you want the option to cash a check and spend your $40 dollars anywhere, choose the check option. You will not get the extra $4, but will can spend it anywhere. And, $15.99 for a $130 camera is still not a bad deal! Make your choice and click continue. It will ask for a mailing address...and then finish the process.

10. Enjoy your new camera. OH! AND BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR RECEIPT! If there is a problem with your rebate, you'll have the RFN#, and the Customer Service reps at 888-324-3028 are incredibly helpful. I have never heard of a problem not being resolved quickly!

Happy savings! And be sure read the post below so you can pray for the BIG SERVE!

The Circus Mom

Spiritual Warfare in the US

2008-08-30T02:03:00.005-04:00

I used to think that I knew what spiritual warfare was. And then I moved to Mexico. When we lived in Mexico, we experienced spiritual warfare on a daily basis. You see, where we lived, and in many places around the world, there are very few Christians (like less than 1% of the population). Satan likes it that way. If he can keep them from knowing Christ, then that's one less Christian he has to deal with. What did it look like? Well, spiritual warfare came with many faces. We never faced death for our belief in Christ. No one ever threatened to put us in jail or kill us because of our faith, which happens in many places around the world. But, it appeared for us in tearing families apart when they began a bible study in their home. Or, a local religious leader would tell the people in our bible study that we were leading them to hell. Or, plans would fall through for a major event that had been set for months. And finally, one of the most frustrating for us was to be put on the sidelines.

What do you mean, "to be put on the sidelines?" Well, for us, one of those things was the attempted kidnapping of our children. They were fine, and as you know, we still have them, but it was a personal attack that made us want to give up serving. Believe it or not, there was one more thing that was more taxing than the attempted kidnapping...illness. "Illness," you say, Lori?????? How in the world is illness more taxing than an attempted kidnapping? I am glad you asked!

The attempted kidnapping was one moment, a split second in time when our lives were changed forever. Not like they could have been because it was only an attempt. We were able to put that moment on the altar and move on. But illness? Illness is a day after day after day event that can happen at any moment, and it can be exhausting. I would venture to say that you could flip through the calendar of the 3 years that we were in Mexico and put your finger on a date, and one of the 5 of us would have been sick. Part of that is having young children, but it was more than that.

I firmly believe that our illness was a form of spiritual attack on our family. If one of us was sick, it almost always took most or all of us out of the game and put us on the sidelines. If a kid was sick, Craig could go do ministry, but I was at home with the kids. If Craig was sick, majority of the time, I could not go because I had to care for Craig and the kids. Also, as many of you know, illness is exhausting. Night after night of little sleep can wear on you.

Well, did you know that spiritual warfare exists in the US, too? This weekend is a HUGE ministry opportunity in the life of our church. It is the BIG SERVE. Saturday night and Sunday morning services are canceled. Almost all of the Sunday school classes have taken on projects and will be out in the community ministering to those who don't typically attend church. The church will then gather on Sunday night at 6pm for a celebration time sharing about what God has done. There will be between 1500-2000 people doing local missions Saturday and Sunday in an effort to share the love of Jesus with the people of Hampton Roads!!! Isn't that awesome????

Well, guess what? The girls are sick. I, once again, find myself on the sidelines. The Artist, who has been dying to participate, finds herself on the sidelines. We will be UNABLE to physically participate in the BIG SERVE! But, I've determined that although we will be on the sidelines that we will not be rendered useless. You see, Satan will be out there this weekend trying to destroy EVERY project that our church is a part of. We will be fighting Him in prayer!

Join me in praying this week for the thousands of people that will be touched by the members of First Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA who have never seen a church BE the church outside the four walls! Pray for every obstacle that Satan will try to put in the way of each project.

Oh...and pray for the girls (and their very tired mama.) And pray that Craig and the Jedi will stay well.

Thanks so much!

A deal for you....

2008-08-20T10:23:00.003-04:00

So I really need to be chopping more elephants in this very moment, but I wanted to take just a second to share with you a deal you MUST take advantage of. Have you seen the All You magazines at Walmart? It is only sold at Wally's, it only costs $1.77, but it has GREAT coupons in it. I think this month alone it has over $35 worth. It is the August 29, 2008, Issue 8. It is purple on the front cover with pink accents and pink plaid boxes on the front.

Ok, so what's the great deal. On page 159, there are 5 coupons for free Kraft, Nabisco, or Oscar Mayer products. You must buy 3 products made by those companies, and you will get that item for free. Well, did you know that Kool-Aid is made by Kraft? You can buy three packets of Kool-aid at 20 cents each, and receive any variety of Wheat Thins for free. You can buy three more packets and receive any package of Oscar Mayer hotdogs, or a bottle of Kraft Salad dressing, or Crystal Light, or a pack of Kraft Singles.

If you don't want to have 15 packets of Kool-aid on hand, look for other cheap items like, Kraft Mac and Cheese, which is one sale for 50 cents a box right now at Walmart. For $1.50 you can have 3 boxes of mac-n-cheese and one of the 5 free products. Also, Jell-O is a Kraft brand. Also think about getting Taco Bell Brand taco seasoning. Post cereals, Velveeta, Capri Sun, Maxwell House, and Minute Rice are also eligible. Those were just some examples to get your brain going. Most of the time, I will have bought at least 3 products from the these company anyway.

So here's the break down:

1 Kraft Single 3.48
1 Kraft Salad Dressing 3.20
1 Oscar Mayer Hot dogs 1.50
1 canister of Crysta Light 2.98
1 box of Family Size Wheat Thins 3.48

That's 14.92 worth of products.

I bought 13 packs of Kool-aid (20 cents each) and 2 other Kraft products ($2 each) for $6.60. But because of the coupons I paid only $6.60 for $21.52 worth of products. I was really only supposed to pay 2.60 for it, but my Walmart is having a hard time accepting Internet printed coupons. So, I paid four dollars for two things that should have been free.

One of the other coupons in the magazine is $1 off of a can of Glade Air Freshener. Well, at my Walmart, they only cost 86 cents. That means they pay me 14 cents to walk out of the store with it! Do I need a bunch of cans of Air Freshener right now? No, but if you're making a profit, why not? We've always heard that a penny saved is a penny earned, but a penny earned is always a penny earned...and I got to go shopping to earn it!

It also has a $1 off coupon for Peter Pan peanut butter. I learned on one of my favorite websites, Hot Coupon World that Walgreens will be having a sale next week on Peter Pan peanut butter. It was be 3 for $5. That is 1.67 a jar, and with the coupon, you will get it for only 67 cents. Only paying 67 cents for peanut butter is a steal!

So, in total, I have bought 5 magazines. I will make 70 cents just on the Glade Air Freshener, and save so much on the Kraft deal that it was worth it for me to do it! And that doesn't even take into account all of the other coupons in the magazine!

Hope this helps provide some great ideas for saving!

Happy Elephant Chopping...I am off to do some more!

An elephant chopper

2008-08-18T15:21:00.005-04:00

Today, I feel pressure. My house is messy, I have coupons that need to be clipped and filed, I have a grocery trip that a list needs to be made for...a party to plan, closets that need organizing, oh...and let's not forget school to teach (which is going very well!), oh and laundry. Why can't laundry do itself? One day, I am sure it will be able to!

This is all just stuff. It all always needs to be done. For some reason, I was feeling horribly overwhelmed yesterday, and today. So, today I am chopping elephants. What in the world does that mean? This is a picture of an elephant chopper. You see, it was one of my mom's favorite kitchen tools (and one of mine, it has gone with me to live in two other countries!). My mom loved it because it could chop anything. One day she said to me that it would chop an elephant into a million little pieces if she could put it in there one piece at a time. So, from that day forward, it was called an elephant chopper.

So, today I am chopping elephants. My room is clean and straightened. Bella's room is cleaned and straightened. Today before I go to bed, I will have a menu made, a grocery list written with matching coupons, and more of the laundry will be done. Tomorrow, we will focus on Graham's room, Lydia's room, and the school room. On Wednesday, we will clean bathrooms, the living room and the kitchen. And we will vacuum everything. Closets will wait for now. And we will also do school as well. We are getting ready for a great field trip on Friday with grandparents here!

So, chop some elephants. Think about that one big task, or if you're like me, all of the big tasks, you have in front of you. And face them with an elephant chopper!

Hope you have a productive day, I am off to chop more elephants!

Savings, Weekly Free Movie Rental, and a funny from the Princess

2008-08-11T22:08:00.006-04:00

I am back in VA and had get back into the savings swing of things! I headed to Walgreens on Saturday to get last weeks deals.

The total worth of these products is a little over $67. Once the rebates come back, I will have paid only $1.92.

And the new deals came out on Sunday. I headed back today. This is over $80 worth of stuff and I paid $8 for it all. You might ask why I need 12 packs of pens. Well, in this very moment, I don't, but they were FREE! They were on sale 2/$1.00. I had 6 coupons for $1.00 off of 2. They were FREE! That is part of the beauty of using coupons. When something is on sale for a fraction of the normal cost (or FREE, or they PAY YOU TO BUY IT), get a bunch. Then, a month later, or 2 months later, or 6 months later when you need it and it's not on sale, then you already have it. It is essentially stockpiling. Oh, and you can give it away! There are lots of people who can't afford ANY of this!

FREE WEEKLY MOVIE RENTAL! Yes, you can get a free movie rental a week. Have you seen those big red boxes outside of McDonald's or in Walmart or Kmart? They actually rent movies. You can rent new releases and some old favorites from these boxes for $1 a night. I sure wish I had thought of it!!! Well, I got a tip that you can get a code for a Free Rental every Monday. You just need to visit Red Box and join the SMS Network. Every Monday, you will receive a text message to your cell phone that has a code for a free rental every Monday. This past week, I also got one on Wednesday as well. Now, when you go to the Red Box, don't be a dork like me and pay for your rental thinking that you will get to enter the coupon code at the end of the transaction! On the bottom left-hand corner of the touch screen, you will see a button that says something like "Rent with a promo coupon." Touch that button FIRST! Fortunately, I only paid a dollar for the rental, and after I saved so much a Walgreens on the way, it shouldn't really matter, but it still HURTS!!! Oh the pains of being a coupon NEWBIE!

Now for the funny from the Princess. Last week when we were at my dad's house, she called to me from upstairs in her bed. I went up and she said, "Mom, I can't handle this lamp. Would you please cut it off? The light is so bright it makes me blond." I giggled and giggled, or should I say laughed and laughed!

Happy Savings!

We are home....

2008-08-08T14:42:00.004-04:00

Well, we made it! After 1000 miles, many bathroom breaks, a night at Ridgecrest, and lots of crumbs all over the van, WE MADE IT!!! I must honestly say that I am proud of myself, but mostly proud of my kids! They did so well on the trip home! They were cordial to all, and civil with each other! They did not complain too much.

On Wednesday, we made such good time, we stopped in Pigeon Forge. We ate at Cracker Barrel (a really nice break from fast food) and then went to The Wonder Works. It is essentially a children's science museum. The kids and I were so impressed with it. We spent about 3 hours and still didn't do it all. We got to Ridgecrest at about 8pm and headed straight for the Nibble Nook. It's like an old fashioned ice cream parlor. It's a great place where thousands of camp and conference attendees have made lots of memories. I couldn't pass that up with the Circus!

Thursday did not have as many fun stops, but they did great, nonetheless. We got home at about 6pm, only to discover that the Jedi was sick. He's got some kind of virus, so please be praying for him.

Thanks for all your prayers in our journey! I am excited about being back and getting into the routine of school and bargain hunting!

Blessings and Happy Savings!

Pray for the trip....

2008-08-06T00:03:00.002-04:00

I will be traveling on Wednesday and Thursday back to Virginia. It is about 1000 miles and about 16 hours in the car with the kiddos, all by myself. We will stay at the Baptist Conference Center, Ridgecrest. That gives me a safe place to stay where we can play and eat. Hopefully, we will arrive home Thursday afternoon. Thanks for lifting us up. I am ready to get back to bargain hunting and couponing!!! AND, I will start homeschooling again on Monday, August 11. Lots of fun times ahead, and I can't wait to share them!

Blessings!
The Circus

Savings from Afar!!!

2008-08-01T17:36:00.007-04:00

Yesterday I had to take advantage of the great deal at Walgreens that I shared with everyone yesterday! So here are my finds!

They had a $5 off of a $20 purchase. The glucose monitor was free because of a coupon. I bought the trash bags, the shampoo and conditioner, and the travel vaccuum bag. This is valued at 22.96. Because of the coupons I paid out of pocket 17.96. I will get a rebate for all of this for 25.26. That is a $7.30 profit!

This morning, I headed to both Kroger and Walgreens. My first stop was Kroger. I will tell you that being back in Tennessee was a shock to my system because I paid almost 10% sales tax on the original total...not on the total after coupons. OUCH! If I had bought all of this in VA, I would have paid less! I still got a great deal!

All of this has a value of 111.55. I paid only 25.18. That's not bad for a store that only doubles coupons up to 50 cents. That is a 77% savings! OH...and don't miss the silly face of the princess.

My final stop was Walgreens. I love Walgreens! They pay me to shop there!

I paid out of pocket 5.47 including tax for this and they will send me a rebate of $5.50. That is a 3 cent profit, but it's all still free!

Happy Savings!
Lori

Walgreens deal today only!!!!

2008-07-31T09:11:00.002-04:00

OK folks....Walgreens put out a coupon today that is $5 off of a $20 purchase good only today. (Click the word coupon and you will be wisked away to this great printable coupon, but read the rest of the blog first so you can get the most bang for your buck.)

Now, for today only, take your coupon. Get an Easy Saver Rebate Catalog right there at the front with the sale paper for the week. Look in the book for only the free things. Spend ONLY $20 for things that you will get the rebate for. Then you will get immediately $5 off of your $20 purchase.

Now, when you get home, sign up for the Walgreens Easy Saver program online. Enter your receipt right there online. (You don't even have to do it the old fashioned way with an envelope and stamp!) Then, toward the end of the month (check the catalog) and buy the rest of the things that you can get for free. Enter your receipts online. And when you've spent all you know you will, request your rebate in the form of a Walgreens gift card. If you do that, then they will add 10% of your rebate amount in FREE money!!!

So, let's think about this. Today you'll spend $15 dollars, and get $22 dollars back($20 in product rebate, $2 for that extra 10% they add). UM, you are profiting $7 dollars! And if you'll buy the other stuff at the end of the month, you have the possibility of making almost $10 in pure profit! (And you all are learning what I can do with $10 dollars!)

Now many of you are thinking, "Yes, but I am on a budget, and I can't live without that money for the 6-8 weeks it takes for the rebate to get to me." Well, I am in the same boat. Well, the first time I did the Walgreens rebate, I had the card in about 10 days after I submitted it. At the end of July, because I already have a gift card, I entered in my gift card number, and in 4 days, the card was credited with my money! So, you really don't have to wait long.

Happy Savings!

Afar....

2008-07-28T00:34:00.002-04:00

OK...so I will couponing and blogging from afar. We are headed home to visit our wonderful family in Tennessee. So, we will see what I can do over the next few days. I hope to still find good deals there, and of course I will share my finds! And I know there will be pictures of the kids and their grandparents!

I ask you to pray for our travel. It's a long drive. Craig will actually be flying back on Saturday, and I will stay with the kids a few days longer. Then, I will make the drive back on my own with the kids. Thanks for lifting us up.

Blessings and Happy Savings!

More Unexpected Finds.....

2008-07-25T09:43:00.005-04:00

So I got up early and headed back to the store in hopes to find some of the things that had been completely scooped up yesterday when I got there. One example that I've missed so far is the Viva paper towels for 14 cents a roll. I love paper towels about as much as I love Windex, so I was a little sad not to get them. I was once again disappointed not to find some things, but I found others. And although the things I bought aren't as practical as what I bought yesterday, I still saved 88.25%. I don't need Waxed Paper right now, the store payed me 16 cents to buy it. I don't need hot sauce right now, they payed me 51 cents to take it out of the store. And although we don't each potato sticks very often, they payed me a penny to walk out of the store with two cans. And it will take us a while to eat up 6 boxes of Lemon Italian Ice, they are typically $3.19 a box. Well, today I payed 53 cents a box for them. I would NEVER buy them for $3.19 a box, but it's a doable treat for our kids who LOVE lemon things at 53 cents a box.

Here is the Jedi amazed at today's purchases. As I started to take the picture he said, "Wait! I'll be right back!" So he came back down with his magic wand from his magic set. He thought all this coupon stuff was magic, too! SO CUTE!!!

The other thing I encountered at the store today (which I was not expecting) was a coupon snob. Let me explain. I shared in an earlier post about how I carry my coupons around. Well, that's not changed in two weeks. I still have my kid sized shoe box with the dividers. Well, here's a picture.

This might drive some of you really organized people absolutely crazy. I was looking for a quick fix. It is made of a shoe box that was headed to the trash and dividers that are 25 years old that I pulled out of a recipe box I made my mom. So it was quick and free. Well, there are extremely sophisticated ways to organize your coupons. Just Google coupon organizer and be amazed. And if I stay serious about this and continue to do as well, I will probably need some other kind of system. Today, one of my unexpected finds was a coupon snob. I encountered a lady (and I am sure she is incredibly NICE) who had one of those REALLY cool things to organize your coupons. I so wanted to ask to see hers and get some coupon advice for this coupon rookie. Well, she walked passed me, looked at my humble shoe box, wrinkled up her nose, and kept walking. I really tried hard not to giggle out loud.

You see, I found myself surrounded by coupon rookies. They had handfuls of coupons, some which were spread out all over the bottom of their carts. They, too, were in search of cheap stuff. And just three weeks ago, that was ME! So, may all couponers unite! Vets and rookies, organized or messie! And if you work really hard, you too can have a humble shoe box just like me!

OK...so silly....

Happy Savings!

Today is worth TWO posts on the blog...

2008-07-24T15:23:00.002-04:00

Craig had the chance to lead a guy to Christ about a month ago on a Sunday morning right after service. It's a young guys who is in the area for 6 months of schooling for his job in up state New York. Well, this last week, his girlfriend, who was not a believer, came down to meet all of his new Christian friends and see him get baptized. On Friday night, we had them over for dessert. After two hours of talking with her and sharing about truly who God was, they got in their car to leave. There was no pressure from us to accept Christ, but I had honestly hoped she would accept the Lord. They cranked the car and she immediately said, "I am ready to get saved." So, they cut off the car and come back in and she prayed to receive Christ right here in our living room! It was amazing!

Monday thru Wednesday, during the day, she hung out with the kids and me. Her boyfriend was in class all day, so she was going to be alone all those days. We had some incredible time to read God's word together and for me to share with her some of the basics of the faith. She had never really read the Bible and so we started from the beginning. As I would share stories with her, I would realize that she didn't know any of them, and one story in the Bible always leads to another. I was almost giddy telling her some of the greats. I got to be the VERY FIRST person to share some of the most exciting things in the Bible.

After she left on Wednesday, I had a very sobering thought. Why isn't God's Word as exciting for me when I read it to myself, or to my kids? Have I really allowed God's Word to become "old hat" to me? God's Word is EXCITING!!! Read the story of Moses as if you never have before. Read the book of Ruth as if you never have before. Read the conversion of Saul, the anointing of David as king, the feeding of the 5000...I COULD GO ON AND ON!!! We see God awesome things in His Word. AND HE DOES IT TODAY, TOO!

Lord, help me to be disciplined to read your Word with a fresh perspective EVERYDAY!

Check out these savings...

2008-07-24T15:20:00.003-04:00

Today is the beginning of triple coupon day at Harris Teeter grocery store. This is the first one since I started couponing. So, I got organized and you can see the evidence. Craig and the kids were with me, and we bought everything in this picture (valued at almost $99) for a little less than $12. Can you believe it? I hope to return tomorrow and Saturday!!! Happy Savings!

Confessions of a Messie in Rehab

2008-07-17T19:36:00.004-04:00

Freedom, that's all I've got to say, is freedom! I am a messie. I have said it before and I will say it again: I AM A MESSIE! I am also a procrastinator, which the worst combination in the world. Have you ever had someone call and say, "We're on the way, we'll be there in 15 minutes." Talk about freak out time! Well, sometimes for me it's freak out time when it's Monday and somebody says, "I am coming to your house on Friday!" How in the world can I get it all done. Every where I look is a mess!

Well, the last two weeks have been a little different for me. Are things perfect? NO WAY!!! But, I can do a quick run through of the house and in 30 minutes, things can be straightened and presentable. I have never been this way in my life, and honestly, I was a little nervous to write about it since I am only two weeks in.

So what's different about my life in the last two weeks that I've never had before? FREEDOM!!! When I want to sit down and read with my kids or for myself, I don't have the guilt (albeit small amount of it) hanging over me. When I want to paint with them, I can do it. When we want to hop in the car and go somewhere last minute, we can do it! How is it different? Did I do things with my kids, YES! But there was always that sinking feeling about what was still awaiting me when I got done. There was always a huge mess to have to deal with. Now, there are messes, just not so big. And is it perfect? NO WAY!!!

Even the kids notice the difference. My Jedi was always crying about having to clean up his room. He would fuss and fuss and say he could never do it. Now, because we do it in 5 minute increments, he will do it without complaint. My Artist is one who likes for things to be organized, although she's never had the chance to experience that because I never let her. This was not purposeful, but it happened because I was always so messy. And my Princess now races to have her room clean. She loves it.

This is freedom. And for me, it is a way of presenting my body as a living sacrifice that is for God's glory. As you all know, I dislike (I used a very mild word) housework tremendously. So, this is an area where I am working out the "kinks" in my life in order to give Him more praise and honor. I can do more ministry! And it's just so much better to come home to a semi-straight house. It's freedom, pure freedom.

A new game and lots of savings!

2008-07-11T18:48:00.006-04:00

As many of you know, my mom and dad raised me on a four letter word...."S-A-L-E." I love a good bargain. Who doesn't? Well, this week has been particularly good for savings, and it's been SO MUCH FUN!!!!

When I was little, my mom was a coupon queen. She had a shoe box with dividers where she filed and stored her coupons. She never went into a store with out it. She never knew what deal was around the corner. Well, like mother like daughter. This week, I decided that I was done spending so much money on stuff that I could buy for so much less (or even get for free.) I found one of the kid-sized shoe boxes, put in the dividers, and then I cut and sorted 3 months of coupons! Well, it paid off. On Monday, I headed to Rite Aid. After making a couple of Coupon-Rookie mistakes and returning two items, I bought $40 dollars worth of stuff for $5. Yes, you read that correctly. Today, I went to Walgreens and used $40 in coupons! So, I bought $60 worth of stuff for $20. For $20 I bought Crest Whitening Strips, two boxes of Loreal Preference Hair Color (yes, my hair color is from a box), two boxes of Fiber One Cereal, Pledge Furniture Polish, Pledge Multipurpose Wipes, and Bayer Heart Advantage Aspirin. Just so you know how much of a deal all that is...the Crest Whitening Strips regular price is $20!!!

This is a new game for me. I must share the two websites that have helped me begin this savings journey. Check out Coupon Mom and Hot Coupon World for yourselves. Be prepared to spend some time studying because there is an enormous amount of information. It's worth the time!

And one more big bargain for us today: Today is COW APPRECIATION DAY at Chic-fil-A. We all dressed up like cows and ate completely for FREE. Jan and Samuel Herring joined us for the fun as you can see in the pictures. We've decided that it will be an annual tradition!

If you add up all the savings, I've saved over $100 in 2 days of shopping! So, if you see a lady on a mission with that CRAZED COUPON look in her eyes and a shoe box in tow, RUN!

I am off to Walgreens for some more hair color in a box. I found some more coupons, and although it won't be as good of deal as this morning, by the time I'm done, I will have 4 boxes for $13!!! Maybe I'll see you there!

My good friends

2008-07-03T09:59:00.003-04:00

It never ceases to amaze me how God provides good friends for me wherever I am in the world. Not only are they good friends, but they are women who are seeking God and long to see me do the same. They are willing to hold me accountable and challenge me to walk in His ways and live my life according to His Word. Thank you Lord for this gift.

One of my friends here in VA has a blog. She writes daily to encourage the members of our homeschool support group we have at church. Her post from yesterday, Moving Motive, ministered to me in an incredible way. I am always dealing with the feelings of inadequacy and guilt for not being able to GET IT ALL DONE! Thanks Dee for being my friend. Thanks for encouraging me to walk in the Spirit. And thank you, Lord, for always graciously surrounding me with women who are like iron to sharpen me.

Once again wishing I was like a child....

2008-07-01T23:02:00.005-04:00

Our kids love to take walks. There is one street in our neighborhood that is their favorite. It is Duck Pond Road. Although we have water and wildlife around us, there is a place where MANY geese and ducks like to "hang out." The kids love to run into the gaggle of geese (I am not sure I have ever written that phrase "gaggle of geese" before!). The geese run or fly away or scatter into the water. The kids just love it.

On Sunday evening, we walked over to Duck Pond Road. On the way, we passed a group of teenagers hanging out. They were talking and laughing. The Artist got excited and said, "Look Mom, they're having bible study." You see, she is accustomed to seeing small groups gathered in homes having bible study. That is how she grew up. It wasn't abnormal for her to see a group of people gathered outside a home having a good time and studying the Word. That's how we did it in Mexico. That's how missionaries around the world are making a difference where there are NO churches.

Well, when the Artist said this I almost laughed out loud. I told her that they were probably not having bible study, and my thoughts were that they were definitely NOT having bible study and probably weren't interested in having bible study. And then I heard this, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9)

Lord, thank you for being patient with me. You desire for me to put aside all assumptions and fears so that more can come to know you. You want my neighbors to know you. You want the teenagers who live on the way to the duck pond to know you. You want NO ONE to perish. You want ALL to know you. Give me your compassion to see each person I encounter through your eyes. And thank you for giving my daughter a heart that recognizes a place where You might be at work.

The Acting Debut....

2008-06-29T21:41:00.004-04:00

One morning in Preschool worship during VBS, the Princess was chosen to help tell the bible story. Ms. Beth, our Minister of Childhood Development, was telling the story of the Good Samaritan. We had to share the pictures and a short video with you! SHE IS JUST SO CUTE! Thanks Ms. Beth! Way to go Princess!

And here is the video!

I had to write about this....

2008-06-27T18:17:00.005-04:00

But a friend beat me to it. You must read what our friend Ben wrote about it all. Click his name to read his blog. The man Ben writes about was my youth minister as well. Read almost exactly what the Lord had put on my heart. Way to go Ben!
I must say that I actually like Craig's hair this way. He's had lots of opportunities for ministry with it like this. People just want to talk to him about it. These men did this to raise money for bicycles for church planters in India! The kids involved in VBS brought in the money! The original goal was enough money for 15 bikes...but as more pastors raised the bar and said if they brought more money, more heads would be shaved. They raised enough for more than 50 bikes. Four pastors heads got shaved! GOOD JOB!!!

Pray for Mexico

2008-06-23T23:40:00.002-04:00

When we felt the Lord calling us from Mexico, our burden for the lost there did not change. I still pray for them almost daily. Unfortunately, some of the struggles they face there have spilled over into the US. This video is a story put together by FOX news. It is hard to believe that this is occurring in OUR country. I will warn you that they talk about some very hard issues. We must pray for the lost of Mexico. AND most importantly, we must do what we can to reach for Christ those who are in our country so they will go and change their homeland for Christ.

Click here to see the video.

A Day for Dads....

2008-06-14T23:28:00.007-04:00

I must confess that I have the two most wonderful men in my life...who are both dads. My husband Craig and my Daddy. I have to share with you some things that make them such wonderful Dads!

Craig:
1. He makes pirate mac-n-cheese. That is a cut up hot dog buried like treasure beneath the mac-n-cheese.
2. He braves the insanity and takes the 3 kids to IHOP all by himself. So far he's survived, and he keeps doing it!
(See the pic, he's actually smiling!)
3. He lets the kids help him wash the cars. The kids love this!
4. He is always looking for new places and things to do with them. I think that is 50% of the reason he reads the newspaper.
5. He loves my kids unconditionally!
6. He shows them everyday what it means to be a missionary follower of Christ!
AND THE MOST SACRIFICIAL FOR ME....
He handles super early morning duty with the kids.

You are a great husband and a great dad! I am so thankful that the Lord put us together with our kiddos. You are leaving an incredible legacy for them. You make a great ringleader for our circus, and I love you!

My Daddy:
1. He used to tell me I was his perfect 10. I knew my daddy thought I was beautiful!
2. He used to put silly notes in my lunch sacks.

3. He caught for me as I threw countless pitches....rain or shine.
4. He let me have lagniappe days to rest when I needed them most.
5. I could understand the concept of God being my Father because I had such a loving example in real life.
Dad, I love you and thank you for the legacy you are for me.

Happy Father's Day!

Why can't I be more like a child?

2008-06-08T21:59:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday night was the Artist's and the Jedi's choir program at church. They did so good. We are so thankful for the opportunity our children have at FBC Norfolk. The biggest surprise and most joyful moment came after the performance was over. I was trying to find Lydia among all the people and looked up to find her at the edge of the stage standing with our NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR!!!

The Artist had been begging me for weeks to take her an invitation to the program. Every time she thought about it, our neighbor wasn't home, or we were late heading somewhere, or we were really late getting home. There just never seemed to be just the right time. And honestly, I didn't want the Artist to be disappointed if she wasn't able come. And to be really honest, I wasn't quite sure she would come. Well, Friday afternoon (the day before the performance), the Artist took her an invitation. And you can tell from the picture that she DID come. After the Artist hugged her, she looked at me and said, "This is the best day ever!" Was it because she had finished singing in a great musical? NO! It was truly because our neighbor, who she invited, came to church to see her sing.

Why can't I be more like a child? Why can't I have just a tiny bit of the faith my daughter has? Will I overcome my "assumptions" and continue to pursue those around me? Lord, continue to open my eyes and allow me to see people just like you do.

Wish I was made of rubber....

2008-06-05T08:42:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was going so well. We had gotten some stuff done and I was headed down the stairs to change the laundry. I was talking to the older kids and almost to the bottom when my foot slipped. For some reason, it wasn't fun. When I was little, I used to sit at the top of the stairs of my house and slide down. We even used to get in our sleeping bags and "ride" all the way down. The faster and harder we went, the more fun we had. Well, I am not sure the kids would describe all of my wailing as fun. Poor kids had to watch me fall...and then watch me wail as I held my backside. They began to cry as I was wailing. I am actually giggling as I am writing this because it's funny now. The Artist asked if we needed to call the hospital. Jedi asked if I was going to need a wheel chair for the rest of my life. All I could say was "Everybody go to bed." I assured them I was fine, although at the moment I wasn't so sure. I sent everybody to their beds so I could regroup. I literally thought that if I stood up my backside was going to fall off (which might not be so bad, actually). Just so you know, I am fine, and my backside did not fall off. It is bruised though. A massive eggplant colored bruise that will remind me of the fall for MONTHS to come.

So, has this fall changed me in any way (other than being purple and sore?) Well, I can tell you that I walk extremely slow on the stairs and hold the rail all the way down or up. The last thing I need is to fall again! Well, there is a part of me that wishes I would hurt that badly every time I was about to fall into sin. Can you imagine? Here comes a bad thought and OUCH! Or, I am not being loving to my husband or my kids and OUCH! Well, we really do have an accountability as believers. God has given us HIS Holy Spirit to teach and guide us. He is also there to convict us when we sin. When I have sin in my life, it should grieve me. When I catch myself in sin, I should hurt. When I find myself breaking my relationship with Christ, I should mourn. I must admit that when I do find myself in sin, I wouldn't exactly say I grieve or mourn the relationship I've broken. I feel bad and ask for forgiveness, but does it grieve me? We must be ready and willing to hear the Holy Spirit. We must be attentive and listening as He speaks in that still and quiet voice. And if we are, we can hopefully avoid the pain of the fall.

"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." John 14:26

The Breath of Life....

2008-06-03T22:26:00.001-04:00

THEY'RE ALIVE!!!!!
Jedi's bones are alive! After x-rays today, we now know that Jedi's bones are in the regenerative stage of the disease! He has
had significant bone growth since December. Isn't God good? The pain that he is experiencing is normal at this stage. He will
grow out of this eventually. When he has pain, he can be treated with simple pain medication. We will return to Duke in December for more x-
rays. Thank you for praying for us.

Now, I will share one more request. We have friends, Greg and Missy
Wood, who are sharing Jesus with people in Mexico. A week ago this
past Saturday their 4 year old daughter, Annie, fell into a boiling
pot of liquid. She was burned on over 20% of her body. She was flown
to Shriner's Hospital in Galveston, TX, and God has done incredible
things in this situation. For example, in the beginning, they were
told the burns were over more than 40% of her body. God has also
provided for their family in Galveston in incredible ways. They have
a blog, www.pray4annie.com . Please visit the website to read the
whole story and see daily updates about this precious little girl and
her family. Please pray for healing for Annie. Pray for patience and
wisdom for Greg and Missy as they help clean her wounds and help her
heal psychologically as well. We love this family, and we know that
you, our prayer warriors, would do an incredible job lifting them up.

Thanks again for holding the ropes for us through another tough time!
The Clayton Circus

Pray for life...

2008-05-22T22:59:00.001-04:00

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "
Ezekiel 37:4-6

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Greetings from Norfolk, VA! The Clayton Circus is doing well here. Ministry is booming. We are continually amazed at all God is doing here, and humbled that He is allowing us to be a part. Just tonight, Craig began to formalize plans with the Sunday School leadership for an event called the Big Serve. On Sunday morning, August 31, our church will cancel morning classes and services to participate in numerous local missions projects. We will gather that Sunday night for a time of celebration and praise for all the things God will accomplish. It’s thinking outside of the box, and it’s radical. We are seeing that God is calling us to radical living in everyday life to bring people to an intersection with Him!

Also, let me tell you about Teresa. She works at a Goodwill Store not too far from our house. She was working the cash register when we bought some great finds! After talking to her, we discovered that she is from Zambia, Africa. Without sharing who we were, she asked if we were missionaries. We, of course, responded, “Yes,” but were in awe of the Holy Spirit’s working. Then she asked, “Would you like to get together with me to talk about religion?” Well of course I said, “YES!” We’ve gotten together twice and will continue to meet. Please pray for her. She has said that although we’ve not known each other long that she feels like we’re “kindred.”

Now, you may be wondering why in the world I would be sharing verses about dry bones from Ezekiel. Some of you may know, but most may not, that the Jedi was diagnosed in December with Legg Calve Perthes disease. It is a degenerative disease of the heads of the femurs. The heads of the femurs are actually dying. Over time, they will actually re-grow, but there are many factors that play into it. When it was discovered in December, Jedi had shown none of the symptoms of limping or pain, which was a blessing. Unfortunately, he is having more and more pain. On Tuesday at 1pm we will see a specialist at Duke University. He is known as one of the top orthopedists in the country for this disease. We are asking you to pray for healing. We are asking you to pray that God will breathe new life into Jedi’s dry bones. We are also asking that what ever the outcome that He will receive all of the honor and glory He is due, and that more people will come to that HE is LORD.

Thank you for the continually holding the ropes for us!
Craig, Lori, and the Kids
www.theclaytoncircus.blogspot.com

Also, would you please change our email address to claytoncircus@gmail.com. Our pobox address will continue to work for a while, but we’ve made the permanent change to gmail. Thank you.

It's been too long...

2008-05-07T09:40:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile. I am learning that if I don't just stop and blog, it never gets done!!! We are in our new house. It's wonderful, yet we still have no furniture. We have beds and a table and chairs and Craig's recliner, and a few rocking chairs. So, we are definitely fine, it's just weird. We found out last week that our furniture would be delayed another week, so we took the hint and painted! With the help of some very gracious and sacrificial friends we've painted almost the entire house. We have very little left to complete and we are so thankful. I will post pictures soon when I can remember where I packed the download cord for my camera!

God is also doing some incredible things. Ministry is going so well for Craig. We have a pastor that is so supportive when it comes to helping our church to be a New Testament church; he longs for it as much as we do! Also, God has given me some unbelievable opportunities to connect with people that I meet while just living life. I will ask this question, Do you know that God is working around us every single second of the day...and we just have to be prepared to notice it and join in? Here are two stories:

Teresa works at Goodwill. Within 5 miles of our house there are numerous thrift stores which is great for us frugal types! Well, Teresa helped us check out at Goodwill and as soon as she opened her mouth, I knew she was not from the US. She is from Zambia, Africa! So I found out about how she came to live in the US and OUT OF NOWHERE SHE ASKED US, "Are you missionaries?" Can you believe that??? We had not shared at all about who we were. We talked about where she and her husband attend church and where we attended. Then she asked, "Would you like to get together and talk about religion?" CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT???? I told her that I would love to! We are meeting for lunch on Thursday and she is attending a women's luncheon at church with me on Tuesday! Pray for her as she is obviously seeking....

Lynn lives next door to us. We've learned she is kind of the "queen bee" of our street. We've had a rough start with some of our neighbors because they are not used to kids living on the street. I kind of feel sorry for them because the Clayton Circus has come to town...and it's not a temporary visit :)! Yesterday she was out on her front porch and I was determined to "win her over!" After an hour long conversation she had told me that today was her birthday (which is personal in my opinion), and she told me she was looking for a change in a church. She wanted to know if she could visit FBC Norfolk!!! So...she will also be attending the women's luncheon with me on Tuesday!!!! Pray for Lynn....

So, God is doing miraculous things. Thank you for your continued prayers although we are not in another country. God is moving here in the Hampton Roads area, and we are excited to be a part of it.

"God doesn't wear underwear...."

2008-03-06T22:34:00.001-05:00

Or at least the princess doesn't think so. She recently said this. We're not sure why...but we will tell you this; THE PRINCESS WEARS UNDERWEAR!!!! SHE IS POTTY TRAINED!!!! WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!! GO PRINCESS! We are thankful for this new stage in our lives considering that we have been changing diapers everyday for the last 7.5 years. Yes, you read that correctly. The Jedi was born before the Artist was trained, and the Princess was born before the Jedi was trained! WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!

Also, we had some good times over the weekend and wanted to share them with you!

Also, we think we've found a house. We are under contract, but most of you know that means we still must get through the process to close. We are so excited. It's in a great neighborhood, it's very close to the church, it's on the water, and it's so close to Walmart!!! Here are some pictures of the HOPEFUL new house. Please pray for us through the process. We love you all!!!

At the Beach....

2008-03-04T08:25:00.000-05:00

So, have I told you where we are living? When we got here the church was going to put us in a Residence Inn not too far from the church. Well, it was a small, two bedroom suite, and they wanted to charge almost $4,000 a month in rent. Yes, I said four thousand dollars a month. THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS!!! They began to investigate other options, and as you know, we are living in an area on the coast. They discovered that many of the vacation homes at the beach sit empty all winter long, and have really really good rates on rent. Well, they found us an INCREDIBLE house for lots less money ONE BLOCK FROM THE BEACH (I will post pictures of the house soon!) We are still currently looking for housing. There's no hurry since we're staying at the beach. No seriously, we've decided to rent for a year so that we can wisely decide exactly where we want to live in this huge place. So pray for us as we make that decision.

Here is a beautiful example of God's creation. We could get so wrapped up in where we are living, the kind of house we're in (at least for now), or our new job. It's really not about any of that. It's truly about who God is and glorifying Him in the glorious and the mundane. Enjoy this little piece of something that I consider to be glorious!

Here's a video so you can hear it as well!

MeMe

2008-02-27T23:06:00.001-05:00

I've been tagged. My friend Hannah has tagged me and told me to do a MeMe. So in my 3rd post, I get to do a MeMe. How fun! Here are 6 quirky things about me.

1. I am a wanna-be organizer. I read books upon more books about organization. I have tons of ideas about how to organize my things, but mostly other people's things. In the past I actually helped lots of other people organize their things. Have you ever watched that show on HGTV called Mission: Organization? Well, I think it's great. I watch it and dream of all the neat things I could do in different rooms in my house, or better yet, in other people's homes! But guess what? I am a messie!

2. I am addicted to soft drinks. I would have Coke Zero piped in through an I.V. but then I wouldn't feel the burn. The burn from the carbonation is what I long for! And even better....one that is so cold it's almost frozen. You know when you pop the top and there are little ice pieces in the can? MMMMMM, I get excited just thinking about it.

3. Speaking of things I am addicted to, try Nachos. I have a weakness for them. And it doesn't have to be "gourmet" nachos that come with beans, lettuce, etc. It can just be cheese and chips. I even like the kind from the 7-11 (yes we have those in Virginia!). I went to Sam's and they actually have that HUGE can of fake cheese for Nachos. BOUGHT IT! And you can actually freeze the stuff. So I divide it in to ziplock bags and put it in the freezer. When I want to use it, I let it thaw, I cut a hole in the corner of the bag and squeeze it out. And I found the perfect tortilla chips here. They are Utz brand and they are light and thin and crispy and salty. All the stuff I love about a good chip for good nachos. Then I add jalepenos and some sour cream and I am good to go. Yes, I have a weakness for Nachos. So if you ever want me to tell you deep dark secrets then tempt me with Nachos....and an almost frozen Coke in a can!

4. I can't go to sleep with my feet cold, but I hate to sleep in socks. So how in the world do I remedy that one? Well, I put socks on until my feet are toasty. Then I take off the socks, but make sure that I can wrap a blanket or the sheet tightly around my feet. I just can't sleep in socks, because if I do, my feet would suffocate. I am just sure of it.

5. I don't like to have my face wet in the shower. Those little drops of water that trickle down your face when you're in the shower????? I HATE THEM! I must always have a towel nearby to dry my face. Unfortunately, I think my kids have the same phobia, you know, tricklingdropsaphobia????

6. I now get very emotional when I hear the Star-Spangled Banner played or sung...and sometimes even when I see a picturesque view of the American flag. After living outside of the U.S., I find myself a more and more patriotic, not egocentric, but patriotic. I get teary-eyed when I hear it. Please understand me that I am not saying the U.S. is perfect and makes no mistakes. I just think I appreciate more all the sacrifices people made/make so that I can live in a country where we are FREE. Yes, I cry!

So there...6 quirky things about me. And believe me, there are a ton more, I just don't want to bore you any more. So now I tag, Craig , and that's all for now, because I am just getting into this blogging thing and don't have too many froggers (friends combined with bloggers) in my life!

Sick Kid Bible Study

2008-02-26T14:06:00.001-05:00

A week ago Sunday we missed going to the Sunday gathering. We couldn't miss bible study altogether, so we decided to do our own. We studied Jonah, and we had so much fun. You should hear Bella say Ninevah and Tarshish! Here are some pictures from the morning!

What exactly is Potty Training? Could it be Spiritual?

2008-02-25T19:38:00.001-05:00

WARNING: Poopie talk ahead!

OK...so I am confused. Isn't potty training for the kids, not the adults? I feel like I am the one who is being trained. You see, every 45 minutes or so, I find myself rushing the Princess to the bathroom. Does she tell me she needs to go? No....does she really have any interest in going by herself? No, not really. And we're just talking pee-pee....we're not even talking about other things. Unfortunately, that hasn't gone in the potty. She sneaks off by herself and SURPRISE....she has a surprise. It's not much of a surprise for me, but somewhat of a reminder of why I love a washing machine.....Thank goodness I have one.

This literally reminded me of my spiritual life. I am constantly in training in my spiritual life. Paul says in 1 Cor. 9:24-27, "24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

And there are times when I do well. I get the spiritual gummy worms for doing it well. But then there are times when I sneak off and come back with a surprise of sin in my life. But it's not a surprise for me, I snuck off and did it. And it's definitely not a surprise to God, because He knows all things. Does it pain him when I am covered in sin? Of course because He longs for a life that is focused on Him. And graciously, He is willing to forgive me and help me clean up the mess I've made.

Lord, help me to have patience with the Princess. She is your gift to me. Remind me of your willingness to clean up my messes everyday.