Christmas Photo Sillies

Here are outtakes from our Christmas Picture:


This one was pretty good, except for the hands


Naomi's major pouty lip


An angel


The future model

Eve's Heart

Ed had to discipline Eve last night at bedtime. I was in our room and heard Eve's tearful words: "Daddy, you broke my heart!" So sad and sweet, our Eve.

kp

Pantry Challenge Week 3

Week 3 is off to a good start. I spent $31.80 this week including a mid-week bumper shop. I am finding I grocery shop about every five days because we go through our bananas and milk in that time. I am trying to just shop once a week, but we eat bananas every day and I can't usually make them last a whole week. Any ideas on making bananas last longer?

Here's a picture of one trip, but the other didn't transfer correctly from my 4 year old, old digital camera. I'd love a new, better camera, but this one still does the job despite having to hold the battery cover in place and only 4 pixels. This is the 'make it do' section of my favorite quote: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." - Eleanor Roosevelt



Here's what I bought:
1 frozen pizza for family movie night
1 gallon organic milk
2 boxes of instant oatmeal (we eat at least one box per week)
2 cucumbers
2 bell peppers
1 package of whole wheat buns
1 loaf of whole wheat bread, sweetened with honey - no sugar or corn syrup
4.5 lbs bananas
1 bottle salad dressing/marinade
1 box organic lettuce
1 dozen eggs
1 dozen donuts - a hungry indulgence
1/2 gallon organic milk
3 pints flavored coffee creamer (50 cents/ea)
1 4-pack Danimal yogurt (29 cents!)
4.5 lbs bananas (again)
bag of lettuce
1 can of olives
1 lb broccoli

Here's the dinner menu for this week:
Tuna Casserole/salad
Pulled Pork Sandwiches/fruit (from leftovers)
Sausage Vegetable Soup/salad
Swedish Meatballs - New Year's Eve party
Asparagus Frittata
Macaronada/broccoli
Pizza/Salad

Lunches:
grilled cheese
pb & j
chicken nuggets
ravioli
New Year's Day party
cheese/turkey quesadilla
leftovers

I also heard that one of my favorite blogs is also hosting a Pantry Challenge for January. I'll likely try to do what she's doing, too which is no trips to the grocery store unless absolutely necessary. So it'll be less bananas for breakfast and more canned applesauce, peaches, & pears.

katie

Feliz Navidad!

Ed & I were cracking up in the car the other day when Eve started her usual "Do you know this song?" routine. It was funny because the song was Feliz Navidad and she caught on to the lyrics really fast. By the end of the tune she was singing loudly along "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas... I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas..." Then, when the song was over she proclaimed that she Really liked that song! Too bad.

kp

Pork Roast Dinner/Pulled Pork leftovers

Last night I had the pork roast & veggies on the menu plan. I have a great love and a great fear of pot roast because I never make it right. I am a fair cook, but I just can't get the hang of pot roast. Every time I make a roast in my crockpot it ends up dry - not the juicy pulling apart goodness my friends' moms made. My own mom never made pot roast because my dad didn't like it, and I never learned. So I called my aunt Renee, who is a great cook, to ask her about my dry roast problem. The answer was simple, add more liquid. So I added 2 cups of beef broth which tripled what my old recipe called for.

Success! The pork roast moist & delicious and the veggies were all soft and flavorful. Yay! The roast was over 3 pounds so there were lots of leftovers. Usually I would package them up for Ed's lunches, but we ate all the veggies so it would've only been a hunk of seasoned meat - about 3 days' worth.

Instead I took all the meat and cut into big hunks. I minced half onion with a tablespoon of garlic and cooked it in a tablespoon of butter. When the onion was soft I added a cup of water and all the meat hunks - About 1.5 pounds. Then I added about 2 cups of barbeque sauce, let it simmer and Voila! Pulled Pork! I've never made it before and was so excited to produce it because Ed loves it. Even better I can toss it in the freezer until next week when I'll hopefully be able to find rolls or buns to make pulled pork sandwiches.

I also was able to save the meat drippings I didn't use for gravy. I have about 3 cups in my fridge & I was able to skim the fat off the top so I am ending up with more broth than I put in the roast for extra liquid! I'll save it for my next roast - which I am no longer scared of!

kp

Eve's singing lessons

Eve has always been a happy, singing girl. She was nodding her head in time to "We Will Rock You" at six months and loves to have music in the car. Lately she is trying to sing all the songs she hears - probably because her mama is a big car singer, too. Lately we have one of two conversations about six times every time we're in the car.

Conversation #1
EVE: Mom, do you know this song?
MOM: Yep.
EVE: OK.

Conversation #2
Eve: Mom, do you know this song?
MOM: Not this one.
EVE: Do you want me to teach you?
MOM: Uh, Sure?
EVE: *indecipherable tuneful mumbling vaguely recognizable as song playing* then,
OK, Did you learn it?

It was cute at first, but now it's getting old. I am starting to say "Yes, I know the song" even if I only know the chorus or a few lines. Typical of Eve to want to be the teacher though - she is definitely the oldest!

Naomi's baby "bottle"

Naomi gave us a good laugh this weekend. We were visiting some family in Portland and Naomi needed to go potty but the main bathroom was in use. Instead she headed to the master bath to take care of business. A few minutes later she wandered back into the main living area with a doll and she was busily feeding her doll with what looked to her like a bottle, but was really Papa Larry's electric nose hair clippers!

-

Groceries this week

So the pantry challenge is off to a good start but it is already presenting challenges for me. This week it was a meat markdown at QFC. Farmland 'All Natural' pork roasts were marked down to $1.04/lb and it was torture for me to walk away with just one. Seriously! $1.04! I did manage to resist though and am happy to report there were no additions to my freezer or pantry this week.

Here's what I bought this weekend for a total of $28.63. We received an anonymous gift of kroger gift card so I did my shopping at QFC and Fred Meyer this week.


1 gallon organic milk
10 pounds flour (for Christmas baking)
1 box of hot chocolate packs (for Christmas morning)
1 quart salsa
1 pack of lunchmeat
1 pork roast
5 pounds bananas
6 yogurt cups
2 bottles of salad dressing
5 oranges
5 pears
1 bell pepper
1 bag of lettuce
1 bunch of green onions

Here's the plan for dinners this week:
1 frozen pizza for movie night/salad
potato soup/salad
Grandma's Dip/Chips (from freezer & pantry)
1 pork roast w/veggies
lasagna/salad/bread (freezer)
leftovers
Family Potluck - taking veggie tray


Lunches (like every week, with some fruit):
Quesadillas
Mac'n'Cheese with hot dogs (pantry)
Grilled Cheese
PB&J
Chicken nuggets (freezer)
leftovers

12 Month Shirts

We are in need of long-sleeved shirts/onesies, size 12M for Joanna. I have lots of pants and jeans for her and a few short-sleeved shirts, but we could definitely use some long sleeves. I guess I wasn't planning on her wearing size 12M already.

kp

Joanna feeds herself

Joanna has become proficient at holding her own bottle. I am super excited about this development because now I have an extra 10 minutes in the morning - actually an extra 10 minutes 4 times a day come to think of it. Yay! Also, Eve & Naomi are always eager to help Joanna if the bottle falls down or she can't get that last little bit of milk. Yay for little big helpers!

Super Glue Jean Repair

So I got a new pair of jeans in the after-Thanksgiving sales. They are "razored" to look like they have some wear. The very first time I wore these jeans I noticed that one of the "razor" lines was actually a small hole at one end. So what's a girl to do? I don't want to wear them and make a big hole appear. But I want to wear them - new jeans and all that.

It occurred to me to try Super Glue. Clear nail polish works on nylons, right? Well I am happy to say Super Glue works on jeans. I put some on the inside of the jeans where this little hole was starting and voila! No more little hole, just a nice straight "razor" line. Yay! And so cheap since the Dollar Store sells 3 little Super Glue tubes for $1, natch.

kp

Ed's New Job

Ed started his new job today! Yesterday he was at New Employee Orientation which was sorta funny since he already knew all the information. Please pray that Ed will enjoy this job and his co-workers.

kp

Joanna's Pirate Look

Eve & Noami had fun putting this hat on Joanna. Joanna didn't know quite what to make of it and kept toppling it off as she bounced in her bouncy seat.

kp

Dancing Girls

Eve & Naomi have a habit of busting out the dance moves whenever there is music or people dancing on tv. We have been treated to some cute, cute maneuvers and sisterly affection as we have watched White Christmas, Rudolph, and other movies recently. I can't post a video, but I'm sure you can imagine the jumping, flailing, and laughing as they imitate the dancers on the screen.

kp

Groceries

Here's a picture of my shopping for this week. I stuck to the rules of the pantry challenge and paid $30.25. Not all items are in the picture. I've noted in parenthesis why the purchase of any dry or canned goods is allowed.

gallon of organic milk
2 pounds cheddar
15 pounds potatoes
2 boxes of stash tea
2 bottles of karo syrup (for Christmas baking)
1 jar pickles (completely out)
1 jar relish (completely out)
box of organic lettuce
cucumber
4 pounds bananas
5 bottles Russian salad dressing (for next freezer meal swap)
10 boxes Nabisco crackers (FREE after mail-in rebate)
1 container sour cream (44 cents!)
6 yogurt cups
1 Freschetta pizza (for family movie night this weekend)
1 Newman's own pizza (for family movie night next weekend)

Wish me luck this week!

kp

Pantry Challenge!

Most of you who know me well have seen my pantry. It's big and usually pretty well-stocked. This fall it started getting really full and I knew I'd have to plan lots of meals to start using stuff up. I also have a full size freezer in the garage that is full. This summer I froze lots of our garden tomatoes and am trying to save money buy cooking bulk beans and freezing them in appropriate portion sizes. I also started making/saving chicken broth and freezing it. All of this freezing is so I don't have to buy cans of beans, tomatoes, or broth.

I also feel way more secure somehow having tons of food on hand and we've had so much upheaval lately I think I let the stockpile grow and grow and grow to help me feel better.

So, I planned to start using stuff up in November, but we came home from a trip November 2 to find the water mess and then we had family visiting and two weeks of meals and snacks from wonderful friends at church. I was given lots of excellent, random leftovers from the church kitchen, too. Even though I didn't even visit a grocery store for nearly 3 weeks I probably only used 2 things out of our pantry & freezer. The food was flowing in abundance.

Here is a photo of the pantry & freezer from the weekend before Thanksgiving:



Wow, I actually feel a little vulnerable showing those pictures to whoever is out there reading this. It's like my secret stash, EXPOSED!

Anyway, we took a huge bag of food to church that weekend for the Thanksgiving baskets. You can imagine our surprise and delight when we found out that we were actually receiving one of the baskets. Even more hilarious is that we found some of our own donations included in the groceries we received.

This wasn't just a simple Thanksgiving basket. It was filled with all the Thanksgiving necessities (which I totally used) but came with two other bags full of groceries. Here is a picture of how generous the church community was with us:


So, what am I to do with all this food? First I gave a big box to someone who needed it. Next - I need to use up this good stuff! After some talking with friends I decided to have a Pantry Challenge - Here are the rules:

1) For the months of December and January I cannot add to my pantry or freezer.
2) New dry or canned goods must used for planned meals in the next week only.
3) Purchases should be primarily produce & dairy for the fridge.

EXCEPTIONS:

1) Freezer meals received from my monthy meal swap can be added to the freezer. I can also purchase dry goods to make my freezer meals for the next swap only.
2) I can add up to five pounds of hamburger or chicken if I am down to one pound or less of either.
3) If I get things for free, they can be added to the pantry or freezer.

I am posting this challenge on the blog for accountability and for fun. I will post a picture of any grocery shopping each week so you can what I am buying and how little I spent because I'll be drawing on the vast food resources we already have.

So that's all. Now you know about my weird food-hoarding habit and how I plan to pare things down this winter. Thanks for your encouragement & support! If anyone else wants to have a challenge of their own, I'd love to hear that you're doing it, too. Please ask questions or comment so I know there is some accountability.

Edit: Free, 49 cent, & 99 cent Nabisco Crackers at Safeway

OK - so it looks like Kraft pulled their $1.00/2 coupon from the site. Even without any coupons here's what the deal looks like:

Buy 10 boxes of Nabisco Crackers at $1.99, $2.49, or $2.99.
Buy 5/Save $5 Safeway Deal takes $10 off your total.
Use the mail-in rebate here to get $10 back - making the price anywhere from FREE to $.99/box.

Katie

Free Wheat Thins at Safeway!

So I just saw this deal on moneywisemoms. With printable coupons & rebate you can 10 boxes of Nabisco crackers for free. If you can't print enough coupons, it's still a very hot deal.

Brrrrr.

We're having a major cold spell here in Redmond. Thank goodness there's no snow! Anyway, Naomi got up this morning and put on this ensemble. I think it must be cold inside, too!

JCPenney.com $10 off $10 purchase

I just saw a deal on forthemommas for $10 off a $10 purchase on JC Penney's website. You won't get your purchase entirely for free due to tax & shipping but you can still get a pretty good deal. Shipping is cheaper if you pick it up from your local store instead of having it shipped to your home. The coupon code is NICE4U. I will warn you that I tried to put several things in my cart before I found one that was actually in stock, so be prepared for that.

Katie

Wish List

Because Christmas is coming and we know Grandmas read this blog, here is a list of some things we need for the house. We are happy to have new or used items, as appropriate.

AA Batteries
Postage Stamps
Electric Pencil Sharpener (ours was killed by a toddler)
Globe
Vitamin C
Laminating Machine
8x10 Photo Album (lost to the basement water)
Superglue
Breadmaker (with manual)

The girls:
Construction paper
Foam stickers
Ken doll clothes

Katie:
Frizz-Ease by John Frieda (I love this stuff, but am out and can't justify purchasing it for myself)
Earplugs
A haircut


Merry Christmas!

p.s. Joanna is up to size 12 Months now and size 3 shoes. Eve & Naomi are into size 9 & 10 shoes.

Clearance Pull-ups at Safeway

The Redmond Safeway had piles of Huggies Pull-Ups and the generic Mom to Mom brand pull-ups on clearance this weekend. The generic was $4.50 for 21 and the "real" Pull-Ups were $8.00 for 37. The generics are slightly cheaper per diaper, but if you have a Pull-Up coupon the brand name would be a better deal. There were several CASES of Pull-Ups in the clearance area so I bet there are still some available. The clearance area is in the back of the store, near the big black doors to the back stockroom and public restroom.

katie

Good Deal on Organic Lighthouse Dressing

For my bargain hunting pals out there, I got a nice deal on Organic dressing this week at Fred Meyer. There are several varieties on sale for $2.50 and there have been many, many coupons in the Sunday mailers recently for $1.00/any lighthouse product(I had 6 saved). I got a Caesar Vinaigrette and Ranch for $1.50/each - 12 oz bottles of organic dressing at that price is pretty good. They are refrigerated items with February 'best by' dates so you'd have several months to use them. Other varieties included Raspberry Lime and Basalmic Vinaigrette.

You go to their website to print a $1.00/2 coupon if you don't clip from the paper to get the dressing for $2.00 per bottle.
kp

Naomi is 3!

Naomi turned 3 on Sunday. She was feeling pretty sick, but that didn't stop her from wanting cake for breakfast! Here are some pictures from her birthday breakfast at home in Redmond, and a family birthday at Grandma & Grandpa Gaudette's in Coos Bay.

House Update

We could really use your prayers. =^)

After dumping hundreds, if not thousands of gallons of water out of our basement, we think our entire hill's worth of ground water is funneling to our house. Thank the Lord for tools like a shop vac and sump pump. Now we're digging out our drainage pipes to find out why the water isn't draining out behind our house, and we're digging trenches for the ground water to flow away from our house.

Meanwhile we haven't been able to sell our Issaquah house. So we're pretty much depending on God to get us through each day. We're counting our blessings. =^)

Thank you for your prayers!

- Ed

Basement Water Info.

This is what I wrote to a friend in an email today:

We came home from our trip to wet carpet in our basement and many, many wet things. We had someone come out and look at it yesterday afternoon. It isn't a leak, so somehow ground water is getting in. The guys who came out couldn't see where it was coming in and recommended we pull up the carpet so we can watch the cement slab to see where moisture it getting in. Jamie & Gruia never had a problem with it & so didn't have any ideas where it might be coming in. Unfortunately, insurance doesn't cover a ground water problem. The carpet is probably ruined anyway since sitting for so long being wet. It also smells like mildew which isn't a good sign for the carpet. My wonderful mom, aunt, and uncle are coming up Friday to help us pull the carpet out.

The computers are all fine. Mostly we just lost a bunch of non-essential papers (but inconvenient to lose), some replaceable books, and a few photographs. We haven't tried out the PS2 or N64, but both were dripping water. Hmm. Praise God everything in the filing cabinets didn't get wet at all and the photo albums that were exposed to water only got wet on the bottom half and not all the way to pages where pictures were.

God is in control. He knows everything that it happening to us and the stress we feel. Praise Him that He works all things for the good of those who love Him. We love Him, and we know He is faithful. We will be OK, and hopefully more like Him from the experience.

katie

Our basement flooded. =^(

Some ground water seeped in and flooded our carpet. A few paper-like things were ruined, but Katie salvaged most of it (and thanks to Ruth for your help). Thanks also to Shawn for coming by and taking a look at it.

We're trying to dry the carpet. Next we'll pull it up.

- Ed

Joanna's a Messy Eater

This is our sweet Joanna after a messy meal. She loves her bottle and usually guzzles it pretty quickly leaving a milk "beard" most mornings. This morning, it was particularly messy and it amused me so I grabbed the camera.

kp

Eve's First Day of Preschool

Eve started a once a week preschool this fall. It's kind of a co-op with only 8 students, meeting in a home, and moms staying to help in a rotation. She just loves it and is always so excited when it's Friday because she gets to go to school.

This shot was a last-minute thought - Ack! I should take her picture - it's a big day! So Ed grabbed the camera and managed the job as we were herding the kids into the car (which is why you see the lawn mower in the background). Great Shot, Daddy!

kp

Fancy Dresses!

The girls were so excited to receive these beautiful dresses from Aunt Anne last month. They are the fanciest of their dress up clothes and get lots of use as ballerina outfits. These also are a big favorite when we watch "Zoe's Dance Moves," a Sesame Street movie.

Can you tell which of our daughters Loves to have her picture taken?

kp

Naomi - Cheese Burgler

Naomi loves cheese and is always sneaking some when I am cooking with it. I was making something in bulk the other day and had lots of grated cheese on the counter when I noticed her sneaking cheese in a new way - with her mouth right up to the bowl! Apparently some shredded cheese was dangling over the edge of the bowl and proved too tempting to resist.

kp

Joanna - 4 month portraits

Today Joanna is 5 months old! These are images from her 4 month old portrait session.

kp

Eve is Four!

Eve turned four on October 8th. She got to choose all our meals for the day and was soooo excited to pick any cereal she wanted for breakfast. After much deliberation and a heavy leaning toward Frosted Flakes, she ended up choosing Cookie Crisp.

We had a family party at breakfast on her actual birthday and a party with friends a few days later. I didn't pick up my camera once during the friend party, so when I get pictures from Grandma Nicklyn, who did have the wherewithal to use her camera, I'll post them here.

Katie

Bed Bugs

One day last week I told Eve & Naomi they could have their quiet time together. They both had slept in & weren't overly tired. I figured I could let them play together in their room and put them to bed early that night so Ed and I could have a kid-free evening.

So they are playing nicely in their room with the door shut, I decide to run a bath so I can shave my legs - after all the plan is to have a kid-free evening. I linger in the bath, enjoying the quiet.

When I come out of the bathroom, what do I see? Two little girls snuggled up in our bed! They both are hilariously reading some random papers they found on our nightstands and as soon as they see me, they start laughing together at their great joke. Then I can't resist laughing because they were just so darn cute! There's nothing like laughing with these beautiful girls. I am so blessed they are mine!

kp

Vacation!

We are off today for Oregon 4 nights with my folks and 3 nights without kids about an hour from my folks. Yippee!

I am so thankful for grandparents (on both sides) willing to keep the kiddos and also thankful Ed was able to sort out working remotely so he can get work done while we are away. Hooray!



Katie

Naomi's Lullaby

The other night we were out and I completely forgot Joanna's formula. We were planning to be home around her feeding time anyway, but that girl gets grouchy when she's hungry! Anyway, on our way home she started to fuss and Naomi yelled "Be quiet, Joanna!" which made Joanna cry louder. So, I encouraged her to speak softly or sing a nice song to help Joanna get happy.

We were treated to a beautiful Naomi original, very soft and melodious. Most of the lyrics were roughly "Joanna, Joanna, be happy Joanna" or "This is a happy sleep song for Joanna." Ed and I were delighted and giggling together when we heard a few other random lyrics, still in the sweet, soft voice including "Barbara Manatee" and "na-na-na-na Batman."

katie

Small Steps TP at Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer has a great deal this week on Small Steps Toilet Paper. It is made from 100% Recycled Materials and is only $4.99 this week for a package of 12 double rolls. That's a good price for any toilet paper, and great for such a green product. It gets better if you have the coupons that came in this week's coupon inserts for $2.00 and $1.00 off. I got two packages for only $2.99 and $3.99.

Fred Meyer also has Organic Valley half gallon milk for 50% off this week ($1.69 sale price). I stocked up on that - it seems like the organic half gallons always have a very far off expiration date. The ones I got today are all dated for November 23rd.

Both of these deals are only good through tomorrow, Saturday 10/24.

Katie

We're back!

A big thank you to Justin for fixing my internet access!

Lack of Photos

Sorry for the lack of photos lately. We are having computer trouble, as ever. In case it wasn't obvious or you haven't heard it before. We are a technologically handicapped family. =^)

kp

Eve is cutting tomatoes

That's it. I was a little surprised that our 3 year old can now actually cut food, such as tomatoes, with a sharp (but small) kitchen knife.

Her Sunday school teacher, Ruth, also mentioned that she is very diligent in helping wipe down the furniture and toys when class is over.

She's such a good helper! I'm a proud daddy!

- Ed

P.S. She also cracks eggs, grates cheese, helps load and unload the dishwasher and swiffers the kitchen & tile floors. I usually have to supervise pretty closely, but she's a pro with those tomatoes! kp ;^)

Plastic Lunchmeat Containers

I am making alphabet sound boxes for the girls' learning times. I am using those small plastic boxes the lunchmeat comes in, but I only have about 10. If anyone has one or more they can part with, we would welcome them! The boxes measure around 4.5" x 6" x 3"deep. Brand doesn't matter - they're all about the same size. Thanks!

Katie

Sizes

We moved Joanna up to the 6-9 month clothes. They fit her much better than 3-6 & I'm sad because there are two 3-6 outfits she never even wore! Also moving her to size 2 shoes.

katie

p.s. the last post had even worse picture quality than I thought. It's darker on the blog than I expected. Bummer because Naomi looks so cute all rumpled from sleep with her purple boots on.

Sleeping in Her Boots

Our Birdie loves her boots. I took this picture before the sun was up the other day. Naomi had slept all night in her footie pajamas and her boots. I bet her feet were nice and toasty all night.

Pardon the picture quality. It was dark and I used my cell phone camera.

kp

Coupon Reminder/Grands Biscuits

If you print internet coupons I wanted to remind you to head here and here to clip any September coupons you still want. Tomorrow many will disappear as the sites reset for October.

Pilsbury Grands Biscuits are a treat at our house & I'm excited to find them for $1.00 this week. Fred Meyer has them on sale for $1.50 and one of the links above has a $1/2 coupon making them only $1 each. Yay! I'll have to make some yummy stew to go with our biscuits.

Eve Has Email!

Eve has her first email account. If you want to send her a note the address is eve.h.price@gmail.com.

katie

Camping Memories

There are lots of good memories just from looking at this picture. First is the obvious fun with Gabe & Cameron, the girls' cousins from Coos Bay. Behind the table you can see the pack'n'play where Joanna hung out and the marshmallow roasting stick across the top where we dangled toys to amuse her. In the background you can see Grandpa's fire with wood on top of the grate. All the wood was wet this trip so our campfires always had wet wood spread all around it trying to dry it out. You can see the puzzle table, a Gaudette family camping tradition and Eve's hair in great braids by our friend, Emily Moog. Hair braiding is also a tradition with this group of friends. Yay for a fun trip!

Tiny Carrots

I picked a few carrots today while I was weeding. What is up with these tiny things? How can the same patch of dirt grow both these tiny carrots and these big carrots?

katie

$3.64 Shopping Trip!

I did the buy 10 deal twice to utilize the MIR, but also to use a bunch of other great coupons I had that were expiring today.

Deal #1 (Using MIR):

2 boxes of Apple Jacks $2.50 ($1 Buy10) ($2/2 coupon)($1 MIR)= FREE + $.50 overage each box
2 boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats $2.50 ($1 Buy10) 2 (.75/1 coupon) ($1MIR)= FREE + $.25 overage each box
2 boxes of Whole Grain Rice Krispies $2.50 ($1 Buy10) ($1/2 coupon) ($1MIR) = FREE
2 boxes of Nutrigrain Bars $2.50($1 Buy10) ($1/2 coupon) ($1MIR) = FREE
2 packages of Keebler sandwich cookies $2.50 ($1 Buy10) ($1/2 coupon) ($1MIR) = FREE

Total for Deal #1: FREE + $1.50 overage - $.44 stamp = FREE + $1.06 Overage

Deal #2 (With Internet coupons, double coupons, & aisle coupon)

2 Boxes Special K Crackers $2.50 ($1 Buy10) 2 ($1/1 coupons) (double coupons) = FREE + $.50 overage each box
2 Boxes Cinnabon Breakfast Bars $2.50 ($1 Buy10) 2 ($1/1 coupons) = $.50 each box
3rd Box Cinnabon Breakfast Bar $2.50 ($1 Buy10) ($.75/1 coupon) = $.75
2 Packages of Keebler Cookies $2.50 ($1 Buy10)($1/2 coupon) (double coupon) = $.50 each box
1 Package Keebler Sandwich Crackers $2.50 ($1 Buy10) ($.55/1 coupon) = $.95
2 Boxes Cornflakes $2.50 ($1 Buy10)($1/2 coupon) = $1.00 each box

Total Deal #2 : $4.70

Kellogg's Cereal $1/2 Coupons

I did my deal at Albertson's today and found a little coupon machine right in the cereal aisle with $1/2 coupons in it. With the MIR mentioned in yesterday's post you could get 10 boxes of cereal for the price of a stamp.

Albertson's Sale Price: $2.50
If you buy 10, reduces to $1.50
Using 5 ($1/2) coupons, each box is only $1.00
Mail in Rebate for $10 makes 10 boxes at $1/each, FREE.

I was at the Eastgate Albertsons.

Katie

Joanna Has a Tooth!

About a week ago I thought Joanna might be teething, but I felt pretty silly when I felt arond in her mouth because she was only 3.5 months old. Last night when she didn't nap well and has been slobbery (see photo) the past couple of days I decided to feel around again. Yep, a sharp little tooth is coming up on the bottom and she's not even four months old.

Praise the Lord for a healthy, growing girl and for such an easy start to teething.

Katie

Albertson's Freebies!

I was just making my grocery list and realized Albertson's has a great deal on Keebler/Kellogg's products & I wanted to share.

If you buy 10 of the featured Keebler/Kellogg's items the price is $1.50 each.

There is also a Fuel For School Rebate running via Kellogg's that gives you a $10 rebate if you buy 10 Kellogg's/Keebler items. Getting this $10 back reduces the price of each item to 50 cents each. You can print the rebate form here or here (look for $80 in Savings in the lower right corner).

In addition to this, there are a several Kellogg's/Keebler coupons here. The only one I see that works with the mail-in rebate is $.55/1 Keebler snack crackers. There are a couple others like Cinnabon & Special K crackers that won't work with the rebate, but will still make a great deal. Remember you can print 2 of each coupon per computer.

Looking at the Albertsons ad, only some products overlap with the $10 mail-in rebate. They include the 7 Kellogg's cereals in the ad, the Keebler cookies & crackers in the ad, Nutri-grain bars, & the Rice Krispies Treats squares.

Wait, there's more! Albertson's has 3 double coupons on the front page of their weekly ad. That means any coupon you use up to $1 in value will double.

This sale price ends on Tuesday 9/29 and the mail-in rebate has to be postmarked by 9/30. You'll have to mail in UPCs so I recommend buying products with packaging where you can cut of the UPC without having to use the item immediately.

I'll post tomorrow to show you my deal.

Katie

Card-making

Eve is on a new kick of making cards for people, putting them in envelopes, and walking them to the post office herself. We just got her a cool new squeezable glue stick and she is all about finding "fancy" stuff to glue onto cards. She cuts up magazines finding earrings & flowers. She asks me for ribbons, lace, and craft feathers. She is so into the glue, it's like she has forgotten that she also likes to paint, use stickers, and draw pictures. All of this to say that you shouldn't be surprised if you receive an Eve creation sometime. She seems to be producing these en masse and doesn't appear to be slowing.

Suave Coupon

Since I just talked about Suave, you can print a $1/2 coupon here.

Great Idea for Hotel Shampoo

Do you have a pile of stuff that looks like this? Me, too! Let's use it up!

My mom shared a great Eleanor Roosevelt quote with me a few months back. It says "Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, Or do without." This quote basically sums up my philosophy on spending (and why my socks have holes in them ;) ).

I decided to put this into practice with all the small-size and free samples I have lying around. I will be saving by finally using these items and even better, getting rid of a bunch of clutter.

This post is prompted by a great idea I heard today on one of my favorite blogs. The idea is to use Suave shampoo in your hand soap dispensers because it's much cheaper than handsoap refills and does the job. I got into my shower after reading that and saw all these little shampoos I'm trying to use up and thought "Yes! Shampoo in the soap dispensers, then no more tiny bottles in the shower!" So I thought I'd pass it along.

Katie

Naomi's Camping Wheels

We had a fun camping trip in August with the girls, my folks, and lots of family & friends. Unfortunately Ed had just started his new job and couldn't join us, but we had lots of fun while we missed him.
This is a picture of Naomi in her favorite place all week: her cousin Cameron's push car. She had her own bike, but she was pratically glued to this little vehicle. Grandpa pushed her all over the campground in it and she was hollering "My Bike, My Bike" when any other little people got too close to it.

katie

Helper Eve

Eve is such a great helper. Every day I appreciate her willingness to try new things and her obvious delight in Joanna. She especially likes to feed Joanna.

Fun in the Rain!

These girls love, love their umbrellas. It is so fun to watch them get all excited to use them and head out into the yard. Thanks Grandma Nikki and Aunt Mary for the fun umbrellas!

Donut Cucumber - Part 2

Remember a few weeks back when I posted about this curled up cucumber? It kept right on growing up to full size; hanging off the dying sugar snap pea vines. I meant to snap a picture, but Eve picked it before I made it outside with my camera. Here's what it looked like when I cut into it.

Sizes

We've just finished cleaning out the girls' closet and dressers, shifting summer clothes out and putting fall clothes in. For the Grandmas & other interested parties:

Eve is wearing a size 5 in shirts, dresses, and some pants. She can still wear a 4 in most pants and longer dresses. She is in a size 10 shoe. We could use a dress or two with sleeves for fall/winter.

Naomi is wearing a size 4 in shirts, dresses, and pants. She can only wear a 3 in longer dresses. She is in size 9 shoes. We could use a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of black dress shoes.

Joanna is in 3-6 months and we're well-stocked.

Katie

PS: We created a new category called "Sizes," so that grandparents (or anybody) could just click the "Sizes" category to see their latest sizes. Thanks!

Joanna tries cereal

Yep, you read that correctly. We have started Joanna on cereal. She's only 3 1/2 months, but she is hungry! After several mornings of feeding her 11-12 ounces we decided to give cereal a try. I just wasn't comfortable putting that much volume into her little body. We've offered rice cereal four times over the last two weeks and she really has the hang of it. She isn't pushing the food out & she makes the same hungry, grunty noises with cereal that she makes with her bottle. We'll probably just keep practicing every few days until the four month mark when we'll start the cereal every day.

Issaquah House - Lowering Price

We have decided to lower the price on the Issaquah House to $399K. We're not sure what God's will is here, but we have felt like He was leading us to sell several time over the course of the last 9 months. If the house doesn't sell for close to $399 we will have to keep it & rent it again. I would probably look for a small part-time job if we can't sell the house. So please pray it sells, but if it doesn't that Ed & I will accept it as part of His bigger picture and be content in making it work for another year.

People of WalMart

I just found this hilarious site. If you know me, you know I don't really have a problem with Wal-Mart or the people there, but I love a good laugh. Check it out.

Issaquah House - Update

Please keep us in your prayers. The Issaquah house was finally listed for sale on Friday, 9/4/09, and we would love to sell it, sell it quickly, and sell it for a price that makes sense (because losing/borrowing money just to sell a house doesn't make sense).

So please keep us in your prayers. If it's the Lord's will, then we'll rent it out again instead.

Thanks!

- Ed

You're a GENIUS!!!!

Okay. So interestingly enough, Eve started calling Naomi a genius... but it wasn't intended to be a compliment. Somehow Eve watched something or heard someone say something like "You're such a genius" in a sarcastic way to imply that the person was doing something pretty lame.

So she thought the word meant something negative. Like calling someone a "dummy."

Of course, that means that Naomi thinks the word means something similar. And if Eve is calling Naomi a genius, we're not going to stop her. In fact, we might even laugh, which would only encourage Eve further.

The resulting conversation sounded something like this (along with dozens of similar conversations that Eve has had with Naomi and us since then)...


Eve: "You're a genius!"

Naomi: "No, you're a genius!"

Eve: "No, you're a genius!"

Naomi: "No, you're a genius!"

Eve: "No, you're a genius!"

Naomi: "No, you're a genius!"

Eve: "No, you're a genius!"

Naomi: "No, you're a genius!"

Eve: "No, you're a genius!"

Naomi: "No, you're a genius!"

Eve: "No, you're a genius!"

Naomi: "No, you're a genius!"

Eve: "No, you're a genius!"

Naomi: "No, you're a genius!"

Eve: "No, you're a genius!"


And I can't help but laugh and agree with both of them, which only fuels the fire. =^)

Of course, we've told Eve what "genius" means, but the damage has been done. She knows it's funny, so she shall continue...


Eve: "Daddy, you're a genius!"

Me: "Yes. Yes I am."


- Ed

Prayer Request - Issaquah House

Hello everybody!

We could use a little prayer (if you've got any in you and could spare some). =^)


We had the tenants move out of our Issaquah house, and we're working on it like mad right now. Except that we got a little burnt out already. So for starters, we would love prayer for perseverence and energy. (It's quite challenging to do it with the family.)

And then we're hoping to sell it, but we're leaving it open to God to show us if He'd rather have us continue to rent it. So we could also use prayer for direction, guidance, and for doors to open.

Thanks for your prayers, and please let us know how we can pray for you too!

- Ed

Eve and Naomi have secrets about fins

Okay, so Eve started doing this cute thing where she came up to me and said, "I have a secret. I want to whisper it in your ear." So I would always say okay and then she would whisper, "Sometimes I pretend I have fins." So then I talk to her about mermaid stuff and thought nothing of it (the girls often pretend to be mermaids).

And then yesterday Naomi comes up to me and asks to tell me a secret in my ear. I said okay. And then she half yelled and half whispered, "SOMETIMES I HAVE FINS!"

That made me laugh, because yelling a whisper is totally something Naomi would do. She also skipped the pretending part and just has fins. =^)


Then I told Katie the story, and then she remembered that Eve was quoting a line from Little Mermaid 2 that Ariel's daughter, Melody, tells Sebastian, and then Sebastian has a funny response (his eyes bulge and he falls over). So I can see how that bit is memorable to a 2-year-old and 3-year-old.

And it also explains all the whispering about fins that's been going on in my ears. =^)


God bless!

- Ed

Naomi gave me a heart attack

Okay, so we were working on our rental, and I was about to climb up on the roof and spray it down with moss killer. Then I look up at the ladder and Naomi, our 2-year-old, was climbing up the ladder onto the roof. She was already half way up the ladder and so I called her name and asked her to stop and I immediately jumped to the ladder.

After two second of me getting to the ladder, she was already almost at the top. So she was booking it up the ladder!

By the time I got half way up the ladder, she was on the roof, and starting to wonder. So I asked her to stop and come to me. Then we climbed down together.

I think I wouldn't be surprised if it was a 6 year old, but a 2 year climbing up about 20 feet that fast? I wasn't expecting that.

Does anybody else have stories like that or is my daughter going into the highrise construction business?

- Ed

FREE Parents Magazine - 12 Months

I just renewed my subscription to Parents Magazine. It was only 80 cents/issue & came with a free year of Family Circle and an additional free "friend" subscription to Parents.

So, if you are my friend, have small children, and are the first to respond to this post, I'll hook you up with the free 12 months of Parents.

kp

Joanna is off the charts

Joanna had her 2 month check up this week. Here are her stats:

Height - 25 inches
Weight - 14 lb 7 oz
Head - Don't remember; who cares about this one anyway?

Joanna is "off the charts" according to the doc on both height and weight. Does this classification bother anyone else? You can't really be off the chart. The chart hypothetically includes every other child who has been measured. You can only go a high as the 100th percentile. So I asked. "Off the chart" means above the 97% line.

So there you have it: Joanna, in true Price Family form, is a big kid. We are happy to have such healthy kiddos - Praise the Lord!

Who Does Joanna Look Like?

Here are photos of Joanna (dark), Naomi (bald), & Eve (light) for everyone who wonders which sister she is more like. They are all around 2 months old. Let me know what you think!

Cucumber Donut & More!

I was out in the garden today and was pleased to see all sorts of new things after being out of town for a week. Thanks to Ed for watering a few times and to Ruth, the gardening queen who toils with me (and way more than me).

Our pumpkins are turning orange, the tomatoes are out of control, and both an eggplant and canteloupe have made an appearance. Yay! Best of all was this cool cucumber (ha!) that was turned in at either end to make a ring.