It's the good life....

Wondering what I've been up to in the last week!!!  Well while I've been working, cooking (some really good stuff.....bet you can't wait to see), celebrating hubbies birthday, cleaning, reading & gardening......HOSS has been laid out in the yard snoozing!!!  Dang he has a good life!!!!!

Cupcakes

CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES

The other day I made some really good cupcakes!!  And they were super super easy................

Box of Yellow cake Mix

Sprinkled Choc Chips in each cupcake AFTER I put the batter in the pan....

Baked

Let them cool....

Then topped with Choc Icing.......a dollop of White Icing & then a Choc Chip!!!

See WAY EASY!!!!!!!!!

AND REALLY REALLY GOOD!!!!!

I found the key to being able to take my time while I decorated them........

Let Hoss stare out @ the neighbors.  They keep him occupied for HOURS!!!!

My Catherines Shopping Trip

Thanks to Deal Wise Mommy I got this awesome deal today......................




Catherine's has a great code out right now for $20.00 off your $25.00 purchase. And if you have it shipped to a store for Free!! (it can be Catherine's, Fashion Bug, or Lane Bryant) Use the code 777006560 at check out.




To sweeten this deal shop through Ebates where you get 3% cash back. If you are not a member it is free to join and get you get a $5.00 credit in your cash back account! Click HERE to join and do some shopping and get money back.

Here's what I got.......All for $7.54.  The accessories are BOGO 1/2 off....so the Belt was $22.00, the flipflops $5.00 then you add the coupon of $20 off a $25.00 order PLUS FREE SHIPPING!!!  HELLO I got all this for less than what the flip flops cost NOT ON SALE!!!!!!

My BiLo Shopping Trip

Well I was gonna have a grand picture of all the cool great deals I got from BiLo this afternoon.....but I put everything away & totally forgot to snap a picture!!!  You must remember that there is blonde in this strawberry colored hair LOL!!!

So imagine with me........

My total BEFORE savings......$68.67
My savings.........$28.62
I ONLY PAID$42.08!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the coupons I got for FREE stuff from Kraft the other day I got a Kraft Homestyle Deluxe Mac & Cheese AND a Kraft Deli Deluxe slices FREE!!!!!

Coffeemate Creamer is 3/$5....I had 2 50c off coupons....which means I got 2 of them for.......$1.32 (cuz the coupon got doubled!!!!!!)

Hillshire Farm Deli Select is $2.99...coupon 55c off (and of course it was doubled)....which means I paid $1.89

Friskies cat food is on sale....I paid after coupon $2.50

Healthy Choice frozen meals are on sale & I have coupns......$1 off of 2

Dominos Sugar is on sale after coupon I paid $2.18

And so on & and so on!!!

See the key is....is to get ALL COUPONS you can....and combine the coupons with the sales that are going on @ the local grocery stores!!!!!

I think I'm gonna start putting the savings $ in a little jar and start my Wireless Printer Fund......I'm so gonna have this printer one day SOON!!!!!!

Safety Tips

So we are getting ready to go for a ralk (run+walk).......it's late at night (like 9:30) totally dark outside & I think.....hey I need to post some safety tips for all us women!!!!  I'm sure some of you have a Horse like me that has to be walked LATE AT NIGHT so you are out in the dark by yourself or you work late & have to walk to your car.  Whatever the reason I'm sure we ALL have been out late at night & need to be remind of these tips......

The three reasons women are easy targets for random acts of violence are:

1) Lack of Awareness - You MUST know where you are & what's going on around you.


2) Body Language - Keep your head up, swing your arms, stand straight up.

3) Wrong Place, Wrong Time - DON'T walk alone in an alley, or drive in a bad neighborhood at night.


A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor,and in the back seat. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. This is a good reason to park away from big vans.




Look at the car parked on the drivers side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman towalk you backout. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (Better paranoid than dead.)


ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot.) Do not get on an elevator if there is a weirdo already on there. (Of course bad men don't always look bad.) Do not stand back in the corners of the elevator. Be near the front, by the doors, ready to get off or on. If you get on the elevator on the 25th floor, and the Boogie Man gets on the 22nd, get off when he gets on. Don't ride the elevator with him if you are not comfortable.

We walk with a flashlight on all the time & always we have our cell phone. Also dear ol' hubby knows my route & about how long it takes me. 

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY BE AWARE!!!!!!

Marriage is Like a Work of Art.mpg

Shopping Organizer

Picture with me if you will......I'm walking thru the grocery store.......the buggy has my purse in it, with one hand on it (cuz you know someone really wants to steal my purse with all my crud in it!!!!!), the other hand is pushing the buggy AND HOLDING COUPONS & THE GROCERY LIST!!!  Oh AND a pen cuz I gotta mark my list off!!! And you see me dropping all my coupons....can you picture it!!!!!!!!!  And don't forget the look of HOLY BAJIBBERS GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!

Now picture with me.....me pushing my buggy with my Organized Shopper in the seat!!!

This baby is my BEST FRIEND!!!!  It holds all my coupons in little compartments PLUS has a notepad that has my list on it!!!!!!  All attatched to the back of the little seat thingy in the buggy!!!!!!   I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!  You gotta try it!!!!!!

****A little side note I looked on line & she is sold out right now.....but keep checking back....they are so worth the wait!!!!!*******

Mothers Day 2010

I had my mom come up from South Carolina for Mothers Day this year...........and I took her to the Biltmore House!!!!  Brunch, Flowers and ME....what more could a mom ask for!!!!!!  LOL!!!!!

And to top it all off.....darling hubby brought this home from Hoss......

Weekend @ the Ballfield

So what did we do fun this last weekend.....darling hubby went to TN to watch our nephew play baseball

And I watched my friend Bailey play softball.

FREEBIES

Head over to HERE for a FREE sample of Nivea Body Lotion or Body Wash

And HERE for a FREE Diabetes Meter

And HERE to get a FREE Pet Safety Pack.......

\

We are very excited about that one!!!!

And HERE for a Free sample pack from Always & Tampax

And HERE for FREE Gas-X thin strips

And HERE for Dove Hair Care Treatment

And Toys R Us has a FREE Crayola Glow Explosion event on 5/8/10

And TCBY is giving Moms a Free Waffle Cone on 5/9

Free KLM luggage Tags

Hope you enjoy!!!!!!!

Good Morning Girls Group

I'm over on Good Morning Girls Blog and am reading about how she has a bunch of different groups of women that help each other be accountable for their personal quiet time with our Heavenly Father!!!  I think it would be GREAT to start a group up.......who's with me????

Here is a little about it & what goes along with being part of the group!!!!


A Good Morning Girls Group is a group of women who love Jesus and love their sisters in Christ. The main goal is to keep each other accountable in their daily quiet time with God.

Each morning Monday through Friday - after you have your quiet time you will email the group just to say - "I read xyz in my quiet time today." The first person to email for the day begins the "thread", then everyone else responds through out the day to say what they learned during their quiet time.

Joining this group is a 3 month commitment. At the end of three months you can reassess whether you'd like to continue the group or dissolve the group. There will be a chance to re-enroll in August.

Here's a sample Good Morning Girls email:

Monday 6:35am- Good Morning Girls! I just had my quiet time in Proverbs 31 - it really motivated me to get busy cleaning today - so I'm off to clean - have a great day!

7:15am - (the next girl in the group replies)-- Good Morning! I just read in I Corinthians 13 about love - I am so convicted about the way I have been treating my husband lately. I'm going to start memorizing this passage.

1:15pm(the next girl in the group replies) - the kids are down for their naps and after seeing that you read in I Corinthians 13 today - I decided to read there too - oh it is so convicting - for me it's with my mother-in-law - I'm really struggling to unconditionally love her. Say a prayer for me today if you think of it!

Final replier of the day 9:15pm - oh girls - I had a terrible day - I woke up late - the kids would not sleep during their naps and I'm just now getting to my quiet time with God. I'm so glad I have you guys or I'd be tempted to not meet with God at all. So I sat down and read in Psalm 62 and had a precious time with God - I really needed to hear those words. I'm praying for you all and your marriages and in-laws. Hang in there - talk to ya again tomorrow! Night Night!

And that's how it goes!


Let me know if you'd like to join me & I'll sign our group up!!!!

My CVS Deal for this week

Small as it is here is my CVS deal for this week......

Colgate Total Toothpaste $2.99 (PLUS I had a 75 cent off coupon)

Dawn Dish Liquid 97cents

Folgers Coffee $2.50 (PLUS a 75 cent off coupon)

BEFORE my Extra Buck coupon I got

total was $5.32....then I got a $2 Extra Buck Coupon......so it's almost like I PAID $3.32 FOR ALL THAT!!!!!!!

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recycle Candle

A couple weeks ago I started a recycle candle.  What's a recycle candle????  Oh I'm so glad you asked!!!!!

Here is what I do.  I'm a Scentsy Consultant....here's my link . When my wonderful customers use up their wax & it no longer has any smell left.....they bring me the leftovers (instead of pouring it out in the trash). To which I give them a discount on their next purchase.

 I reheat it & pour it in the jar........to which I added the wick to.  And I just keep adding & adding & adding.  Pretty cool uh???

So now.....if the power goes out.......if we go camping.....if their is a problem that I need candles for I have them.  And they cost me hardly NOTHING.  I've got the jars left over from canning, the pack of wick stuff cost me probably less than $2.  And the wax doesn't smell anymore....so I get different color candles and we are recycling the wax....instead of throwing it out!!! 

Freezer Jam

I made some drooling, yummy strawberry jam today!!!!!  Seriously it was like the easiest thing EVER!!!

2 cups of mashed strawberries

to which you add 4 cups of sugar.....I know I know...but you want sweet jam don't ya!!!!!

and you let that sit for 10 mins which is the LONGEST 10 mins of your life!!!!

See I told ya.....long 10 mins!!!!!

Then you mix together a box of pectin & 3/4 cup of water.....bring to boil stirring constantly...let boil (while stirring) for 1 min

Then combine the pectin mix to the strawberries...stir about 3 mins til all the sugar is dissolved.

Pour in containers leaving about 1/2 inch @ top.....put lids on & let sit room temp & then place in freezer!!!!!

Looks good doesn't it!!!!!!  And easy peasy!!!!

But I do have one suggestion.......when you are pouring the strawberry mixture into the container......put a towel under the containers!!!!  Helps with the clean up!!!

Decor

Just alittle peek into my house

Glad you stopped by!!!!  Hope to see you again!!!!!!