Question of the Day: Staying in Budget and Stockpiling

I have a question I need to ask any and all of you out there:

With managing coupons and sales, how do you try to stay in budget while also stockpiling the good sale items, and getting what you need?

This last week, I wanted to take advantage of some great sales at grocery stores on items we use frequently, like: cereal (I think I bought ten boxes), bread, peanut butter, Eggos, salad dressing, etc. Mind you, these weren't items we need next week.

I also wanted to take advantage of some health and beauty items using coupons that expired 6/30/10, that we would be using in the future, as well as some extra sunblock we were getting low on (of course I didn't have a coupon).

Of course, I then added to the list the items I needed to complete meals for the week.

Well, it really adds up, to more than I would, of course, pay in a week for groceries.

How do all these extras fit in, that you don't use on a weekly or monthly basis, but are items you need (like the $33.00 bag of dog food every 4 months or so)?

I'm such a beginning at all of this, but I also think I'm doing a pretty good job so far. I can just see it can be easy to overspend while also trying to save money.

Big Summer Fun: Water Park

I have had some Big Summer Fun with my son lately, and if you would like to see more that others are having, click on Big Summer Fun!

Yesterday we went to a splash park in town, and boy did he get drenched!

Here he is pouting, after me telling him he needed to share the sprayer. I had to pry his hands off the sprayer!

So much fun on such a hot, hot day.

WILTW: Being an "Older" Mom

Okay, I didn't just learn all this this week, but having spent two days during the week at home with my son, having the days off, I re-learned some things:

1. I think they are lying when they say "40 is the new 30." I sure don't feel as energetic at 40 as I did 30. My hubby just said, "With kids, 40 is the new 50."

2. AMA. That's what they called me while pregnant. Advanced Maternal Age. You see, I was only 37 at the time. I hear at 40 they call it Geriatric. Is that why I'm exhausted at naptime too?

3. Carrying around your son on your back and acting like a horse can lead to back problems the next day. I'm not sure that happens to 20-year-old moms, or even 37-year-old moms.

4. "C'mon Mommy!" While your son can climb up on the slide and go down 10 million times over and over again, when he requests you do too (almost that many times), you end up as sweaty as your son.

5. Cold popsicles still taste good on a hot day after going up and down a slide 10 million times.

6. You might not guess I'm 40, but I sure feel it. I've never had less exercise in my adult life (true exercise) since he was born. Blogging doesn't count either, does it?

7. I might wiser at my age, to be a parent, but I wonder if my patience is actually less? 

8. This one I learned awhile back, you're an old parent if in reaching under the sofa to get a toy, you just hope and pray: A) you don't pop something in your shoulder trying to get it out, or B) your child doesn't jump on your back in your vulnerable state (which could case A also).

9. While it isn't more nobler, is it certainly much easier to be at work than it is to stay at home with your child and truly be engaged (even when you're not engaged too, I think).

10. My list could go on, but 10 is a good number. I am glad I waited so long to start a family, because I have two of the greatest people (my son and hubby) in my life and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

For more things others have learned this week, go see Julie at From Inmates to Playdates.

WFMW: Activities for Toddlers

Lately, I have found some great ideas for kid activities on Teach Mama. 

I saw these great Silly Bandz on her blog and had to order them for my son. He was thrilled when they came in! We had to get the dinosaur ones of course.

What he loved most of all was when I showed him they could go on your wrists. He put all the triceratops on his wrists and had me put on the brontosaurus ones. A little warning (#1), I think 2 1/2 might be a little young. He later wanted to put them around his ankles and up his thigh. Hm....maybe we should have stuck to matching exercises? Warning #2...they don't go well with new scissors. One should put them away before taking out scissors. We lost a brontosaurus to curious fingers. :(

All in all though, I love them. I tucked them away for a little while later when he's older. I could see they'd make great gifts!


Another great thing I found on her blog were lessons in literacy using bottle lids. I saved up some tea lids and have been out looking for good markers. I found some fabric paint, which I thought would work well, but after two days, I found it peels off, so I need to get some different colors of permanent markers I think. I started off with just a few letters, since that is all I had, with those to spell my son's name, CAR, TRAIN, DOG and CAT. He's so into the alphabet though, that he wanted to lay out all his ABC's.

I'm always on the lookout for great children's (specifically toddler) activities if you see any!
For other ideas too, on WFMW go here.

What are some of your favorite activities for toddlers when the weather is so warm?

Super Savings: Walgreens

Money Saving Mom has a great post on Saturdays, Super Savings Saturdays. I'm always anxious to learn something new there.

This week, actually yesterday, I went a little crazy, deciding to shop all the main local grocery stores to get the best deals and stock up, and also take a trip to Walgreens and Target.

My best deal was at Walgreens. I bought the Renu contact solution for $7.49 and got $7.50 in Register Rewards, as well as Herbal Essences shampoo for $2.99 and got $2.00 Register Rewards! I did make a little mistake in that I wanted conditioner too, so I got it, not realizing I wouldn't get a RR for it. Oh well, shampoo and conditioner for $3.98? Not bad...though maybe I should take that second one back and rebuy it? I guess I could have done a second trip. Now, the tricky part is making sure I can get good deals before 7/9/10 to use my Register Rewards.

I'm also on my way to trying just cash for groceries this month (July really-I'm doing my shopping this weekend for July, or so it counts in our budget since it starts next week.) I think it will be easier in the long run when I have to make a return as well because it always comes back as cash and ends up getting spent on something else.

What were great savings you had this week?

Like Sisters to Me

My friend Becca did a great post today, on someone who is so special to her, someone like a sister to her.

I actually have two of these gal pals, gals who I just adore.

One is Deanne, who I've known since...hmm...maybe 1998 or 1999? I was her mentor teacher when she began teaching, and we became fast friends. We almost even moved in together several years later when my relationship broke up and I was considering moving the to big city. (I still moved to a big city, just a little less large). She is so dear to me in every way. I think we can trust each other with deep, deep thoughts.
The first photo is from August 2008, with my son, and the one on the right, on my birthday 2009.

I just adore my friend Dee and wish we could see each other more often. Whenever I see her, my days seem brighter for awhile (not that they aren't typically bright, but they seem extra bright).

My other great gal pal, who I don't see enough of is Amy. I just spent the morning today at her house with the kids, playing in the pool. We used to work together, pre-kids, and I couldn't wait for every day to have lunch with her and catch up. She is someone you can talk to anything, I mean anything, in the world about, and she totally understands, and she's just as open in the opposite direction. It is hard now, with kids, to find the time to really talk, but when we do, it is wonderful!
Here she is last summer with one of her beautiful daughter, and the other, from a bbq at her house a few weekend ago.

I have many other wonderful, beautiful gal pals, and I appreciate them all so much too. Thank you for everything you've all been to be and continue to be!

Girlfriends are a big part of what makes life complete.

Summer Recipe: Grape-Almond Chicken Salad

I found this original recipe  years ago for chicken salad, and LOVE it!
I've modified it a little (see below) and REALLY enjoy it in the summer time.

It is great in pitas, on bread, or just by itself. More than often I don't have almonds, so I'll leave them out.

GRAPE-ALMOND CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:

1 12.5 oz. can of chicken

1/2 c. chopped celery

3/4 c. mayo

1/3 c. or more seedless grapes, cut in half

2 teas. sliced almonds

2 teas. lemon juice

1/4 teas. salt (I add a little more, per my husband's request)

1/8 teas. pepper