Look Mom - I bought all this for $1.59

And guess what....I got a $2.00 on you next order coupon - so net this cost is -.41 cents. I shopped at Tom Thumb and utilized the mix and match sale and coupons I had on hand. Now that is some good shopping! So I wanted to tell you about my grocery challenge for the rest of the year. As of mid-March I decided that I was going (to try really hard) to spend $1,000 for the remainder of the year on groceries. Groceries for me includes food, beauty items, pet food, over the counter medicine and kid supplies like pull-ups. Would you cheer me along? I will keep you updated. Any rebates I get go back into the grocery money pool....so I can grow my money a bit there. How are you doing on grocery shopping? I love this blog run by Erin who is feeding her family of four for just $800 a year. She is a coupon guru...here is the linky: Jane4Girls. Hope you are having a great day.

Six Flags Fun!

This picture makes me laugh...the look on Bean's face is priceless....even the log ride can cause me to scream.

It has been probably 10 years since we last went to Six Flags. It seems the older I get the less ride adventurous I have become. The spinney rides are no friend to me - so I am real picky about what I choose to ride. Our friends were very generous and took us with their free guest tickets for being season pass holders. What a treat and what a day we had. First off the weather was gorgeous. I think the high temp was 70 degrees. The crowds were very light...during the opening there were no lines for about an hour on most of the non-thrill rides. Even the Titan and Tony Hawk ride were only about a 10-15 minute wait. Not that I rode those...my pick for adventurous ride was the parachute fall...I am so brave, I know. Bean and I did partake of the mine train....we did not even realize there was a mini-mine train so we went straight for the more daring version. It was mostly all good till the dark tunnel and then sudden drop at the end. Bean was not too pleased at that. She blamed me...but I honestly had no idea (which is good - cause with rides sometimes the less I know, the better).

We decided to try the roaring water ride...figuring that we would not get wet. Last time I rode this thing...seems like the water barely spit on me. Needless to say we were ringing our clothes out at the end of the ride. One of the scary parts of the afternoon ensued while we were waiting for the parachute ride and Bean decided to stick her pointer finger in the metal hole that holds the gate rope. The finger got stuck - real stuck. I imagined fire trucks in our very near future. Roon says he liked out how I "checked out", but really I was praying and trying not to look like I was freaking out. Thankfully Roon improvised and spit all over the finger and wiggled it out...just in time for their turn to ride the chute ride. We had such a fun time and no doubt will have to venture back again soon.

Good Deals at Walgreens!

Color Wonder kits for $2.39!

Antibacterial wet wipes for .25 cents a package - a pot of gold (of sorts)

The entire haul.

I am on a mission to save the rest of 2009! I will share more later about my yearly spending budget for groceries. I saved $43.49 with coupons and mark downs and paid out of pocket ZERO cause I paid with my Walgreen's gift card that I earned money on by sending in for Walgreen's Rebate. Total spent on gift card was $3.53. Rock On!

"Larry" the friendly Leprechaun

So After reading Family Fun magazine I got this brilliant idea or rather "Larry" the Leprechaun did anyway. Larry made his first visit to our house yesterday when we discovered the green rice below..sneaky leprechaun. He left Bean a nice note and picture to color. Today, he struck again coloring her macaroni for school green. At first - Bean thought this was kinda cool. But then she thought that Larry just spit all over her macaroni to make it green. Needless to say I had to explain that Larry is nice and just mischievous but is very friendly and likes to play fun jokes. Well - I think the plan has backfired as Bean is scared of Larry now - and does not want him to come back. I wrote him a note - so he will go visit other kids.....sometimes the best plans to not turn out...I bet by tomorrow she has changed her mind again. Oh well - it was fun while it lasted.

Clean Living

So - today marks day one of our home being on the market. I am seriously considering eating off of paper plates for the next several weeks - LOL! The day started with Bean screaming out - "Mom - come here right now." I arrive to a big ole pile of dog throw-up. Thank goodness it was on the laminate floors so it was easy clean up. I give you the picture Bean drew to forever document the moment. Awesome!