Deals of the Day

Went to Safeway and picked up six packages of Mission white corn tortillas (30 count) for $.24 each. They were on sale for $.99 and I had coupons for $.75 off each package. "They" say tortillas will freeze just fine. Let's hope "they" are correct.

I also got a 44-load bottle of Arm & Hammer laundry detergent for $.99. We have three bottles of ALL detergent already, but at $.99 I couldn't pass up this deal.

In the past few days I have also purchased peaches, bananas, romaine lettuce, celery, cucumber, mushrooms, 93% lean organic ground beef and string cheese. I really do buy healthy food too!

I created the frog last summer.

A Good Day

Doesn't this look like a great place to spend a day or week or month?

Today was a good day. I turned the corner on this cold ~ thank you Jesus. My son returned safely from his four day mini-camp. His pastor was speaking at this camp and took my son and another boy along as helpers. They went rafting, climbed a rock wall and did scary things with ropes. I'm sure they spent some time concentrating on the Lord too!

We sold some stuff. I washed my hair in the shower and it only hurt a fraction of how much it usually does ~ thank you Jesus once again. I received a lovely email from my ex-husband's wife. She is always so kind to me. My BFF had a good first day at school. Our neighbor gave us a gorgeous coffee table. Just gave it to us.

I caught most of Ralphie May's newest DVD Austin Tatious, on Comedy Central tonight. I can cross that DVD off my wish list though. Not his best work in my opinion, but still very funny. And my husband went to work in the morning, and came home afterward....that's always a good thing.

~~ 3 BLESSINGS ~~

I was blessed this weekend. I had a front row seat to two spectacular things God did. I never cease to be amazed at how personal His communication can be.

My friend Kay is attending college, training to work in a medical office. She has been unemployed for over a year. These classes are her key to a brand new life. She was all set to begin Summer quarter tomorrow. Friday she received a letter saying her financial aid had been revoked. Doesn't matter why, but it was not her fault. Kay let herself experience all the emotions of this terrible disappointment. Then she did what she always does. She took a deep breath, put on her big girl panties, and sucked it up. She trusted God and let Him have her sorrow.

Kay posted on her blog, asking for prayers and for support from her sisters in Christ. Several hours later a woman she had never met left a comment saying she felt God wanted her to pay Kay's tuition. Kay received the money today and will be able to start school in the morning, as scheduled. Thank you Lord for this blessing.

Last night another friend shared with me the most amazing vision she had, in response to questions and confusion about a certain aspect of prophecy. God had drawn her a picture, in 3D technicolor. I was blessed just hearing about it - imagine how my friend felt!

About 10 years ago I was driving my car, and telling God I knew He had forgotten about me. He never let me know He was there. My prayers fell on deaf ears. I didn't expect to always get what I wanted, but I did want some kind of acknowledgement He was listening. I was angry and disrespectful to my Heavenly Father.

I came to a stop behind another car, at a light, and there on the car's rear bumper was the admonition we've all seen hundreds of times: If you're living like there's no God, you better be right. I hung my head and apologized profusely. Any time since when I'm tempted to contemplate how real God is in my life, I immediately remember that day so many years ago. And I am humbled once again.

'Tis the Season *

No, not that season. The fireworks season. July 4th heralds the arrival of summer. I have one word to sum up my feelings about summer: ick.

I could leave it at "ick," but that's not my style. I must explain why it's "ick." If you aren't in the mood to read whining, this is the time to click the little red X.

Summer is hot. Africa hot. Sticky, sweaty and buggy.

The sun reflecting off any shiny surface gives me an instant headache.

I am forced to see a whole lot more of the body parts of people I don't even know. Jeff Foxworthy said it best: "If your skin in the color of Cool Whip and you have a mole that looks like an oatmeal pie, let that be your little secret!"

My snow dog looks so unhappy. I want to pack a bag and go in search of an igloo for us both.

I am energized, inspired and empowered by the cold. Heat has the total opposite effect.

And that's why summer is a big, fat "ick," to me. The days leading up to the 4th are particularly stressful for Miss Jessie. She is terrified of fireworks. This year we plan to try something called Rescue Remedy. The medicine the Vet prescribes does little good. For the next week I will have a German Shepherd glued to my side.

My father passed away on July 3, 1997. Cancer took him and they didn't call in time for me to say goodbye. The week prior to his death, and the weeks immediately after, I was separating from my husband - who did his best to make sure that process was as difficult for me as possible.

Home ownership was extremely important to my dad. It is because of him I was able to purchase my house and give my then three year old son stability and security. I reflect on this often, especially this time of year.

Great Deal on Software

We have two copies of Microsoft Office Standard 2007 (contains Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook 2007) on sale for $129.99 in our eBay store. Retail is more than twice that. And Microsoft allows you to install this three times on your home PC. Here is the link (and an ugly link it is) if you wanna check it out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MICROSOFT-OFFICE-Standard-2007-New-Authentic-Complete_W0QQitemZ350218656060QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Software?hash=item518aa8993c&_trksid=p4634.m352.l1262

Tale of the Tuna

I love tuna! Do you love tuna? It's a great protein food, versatile, and inexpensive even when you pay regular price. I got a lot of tuna today. I didn't pay regular price. I got 36 of these pouches. Never bought the pouches before. They are usually more expensive than the cans.

Both the pouches and the cans are part of an Albertsons promo this week. They call the sale "epic." That's pretty funny.....epic.

Anyway, you buy promo items in groups of 10 and $5.00 ($.50 for each item) is automatically deducted at checkout. What made the pouches a better deal? There were coupons for $1.50/3 and for every 5 pouches purchased a $1.00 Catalina printed. I bought a few other things along with the tuna and I will get to that later. For those who are still learning the wonderful art of couponing, here is a tuna-only scenario which will maximize your savings:

30 pouches x $1.25 = $37.50

Minus $15 ($5 off for every 10 pouches) = $22.50

Minus $15.00 (10 $1.50/3 coupons) = $7.50

Your total out of pocket would be $7.50 or $.25 per pouch of tuna

It gets better though! After paying the $7.50, the Catalina machine will spit out 6 $1.00 off anything coupons to be used on your next shopping trip. If you take this $6.00 into consideration as I do (it's like a rebate), your cost for 30 tuna pouches just went down to $1.50 or $.05 each. You could turn around and do the exact same deal again, except this time you'd have the $6.00 in Catalinas to use - so you'd pay the $1.50 and get another $6.00 in Catalinas. If the store does not have the coupons on display by the tuna, ask at the checkstand.

Alrighty, on to the rest of my transaction, which I shall make as a brief as possible by listing what I bought and what I paid.

36 pouches of tuna

4 Air Wick I-Motion air fresheners

1 pkg. sourdough pretzels

12-pk Pepsi

2 pkgs. Seneca applesauce (6 single serves per pkg)

4 candy bars - I know, real healthy shopping trip.....

I used tuna coupons, Air Wick coupons, BOGO candy bar coupons, pretzel and applesauce coupons, two double coupons, and a $10 Catalina I got from last week's ConAgra promo.

Paid $12.86 plus received $7.00 in Catalinas back for a total OOP of $5.86. In reviewing my receipt, the total savings was $114.77. I rock!!

If I Ran the World......

Men (and boys) would urinate sitting down.

~ A Blessing.....

I am completing the application for my son's enrollment in a Christian high school this Fall. The student is asked to fill out an information form. The last of the eight questions was: Please tell us what you believe regarding Jesus Christ. His response:

I believe that God (the Father) sent Jesus (the Son) to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Through His sacrifice, we have eternal salvation, redemption, love and forgiveness. He has a plan for our lives and is the only God. Everything was created by God and is in His will.

Amen.

What's Our Hurry?

I was standing in line behind an elderly woman at Walgreens today. She paid in cash and received her change (bills and coins). She slowly and deliberately put each in the appropriate spot in her wallet before taking her purchase and walking away from the check-out counter.

My initial response to her almost slow-motion movements was to be annoyed. But I quickly changed gears and thought - what's my hurry? What's your hurry? What's our hurry? If we have our faith placed firmly in God, we know at any given moment, we are exactly where we are supposed to be. Each delay or perceived obstacle in our path is there for a reason. When I hit every single red light enroute from Place A to Place B, there's a reason for that. Life and death are so often separated by mere seconds or inches or feet. That fact has been proven to me several times in my life.

And....have you noticed that little kids and old people don't hurry to finish something quickly so they can get out of someone else's way? Watch a child paying for something in a store. See how deliberate they are with the entire process. They are oblivious to those around them. Same thing is true for old folks, like the woman today. She didn't notice there were three people in line behind her. The rest of us are running ourselves ragged, trying to get a zillion things done. Is it any wonder we lose our keys, drop money on the ground, leave things behind? We're in too much of a hurry to do things one step at a time.

Take a few deep breaths through your nose ~ relax ~ slow down.....what's your hurry?

~ Walgreens ~

I haven't been a good Walgreens bargain shopper for the past couple weeks, so I didn't have any RR's (register rewards) to spend when I entered the store this evening. I did earn a few during the check-out process though.

1st Transaction:

1 4 oz. Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder $1.99
1 Quattro Razor $9.49
1 Quattro Razor Refill Pack $10.99

Coupons Used:

$1/1 baby powder
2 $4/1 Quattro

Total Spent: $5.04 (razors/refills were BOGO)
Received $1 RR for baby powder

2nd Transaction:

4 Hefty 1 Zip Bags (qt. size) $3.29 each
1 4 oz. Johnson & Johnson baby powder $1.99
1 18-ct pkg Rolaids Soft Chews $2.99

Coupons Used:

$1/1 baby powder
$1/1 Rolaids
4 $1/1 Hefty 1 Zip
In-Store Coupon BOGO Hefty 1 Zip

Total Spent: $6.51
Received $1 RR for baby powder and $2 RR for Rolaids

3rd Transaction:

1 Banana Cake Square $.99
1 18-ct pkg Rolaids Soft Chews $2.99
2 medium size bags M&M's $5.00
2 boxes Oreo Cakesters $5.00

Coupons Used:

$1/2 M&M's
2-$1/1 Oreo Cakesters
$1/1 Rolaids

Total Spent: $10.23
Received $3 RR for Cakesters, $1 RR for M&M's, $2 RR for Rolaids

4th Transaction:

2 Sunday Oregonian newspapers $4.00

Coupons Used:

1 $3 RR

Total Spent: $1.00

So.....I spent a total of $22.78 OOP and left with $7 in RR's. That makes my bottom line $15.78 for everything. In comparison to how I usually do, that is pathetic. But that's what happens when you skip a week or two at Walgreens. Shame on me.