Couponing Heaven!!!

So, just a quick update about this past week...Lately I've been getting into couponing (as in the past week or so) & I am SOOO excited about all the steals & deals & freebies I've gotten!! :) Here is just an example of my shopping trip this past week! :)
I went to Kroger with coupons & knowing the deals of the week & stocked up on some pretty incredible stuff!! Here is what I got first!
Last weeks biggest deal was their cereal. You buy what's on sale that week & stock up with plenty so you'll have enough until they go on sale again. So, we've never gotten brand name cereal cause they were too expensive, but with the deal & the coupons last week, here is what I got on my first trip to Kroger:

5 boxes of any Kellogg's Cereal that I wanted
4 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch
4 boxes of Original Cheerios

Total Paid: $11
They gave me $4 back on my next purchase, so it cost me $7 total for 11 boxes of cereal!!!
The real amount it would've cost me was $36 & some change! :)
Saved: $29!!

Now, my next shopping trip was more for what we needed cause we haven't been shopping in FOREVER!! Because until couponing, I've HATED grocery shopping! haha. Now, it's a game & it's fun to see how much I can lower my total!

2nd trip:
5 Kellogg's Cereals
4 Cinnamon Toast Crunch
4 Original Cheerios
2 bags of hot dog buns
1 Gallon of milk
1 Pert Plus 3 in 1 Wash for Men
1 Dial Men's Body Wash
1 head of lettuce
2 Bags of carrots
2 loaves of Sub sandwich bread
1 pack of cheese slices
1 pack of deli lunch meat
1 pack of Sausage
2 Ball Park Franks
2 packs of Playtex tampons
1 bag of Puppy chow (out of necessity - not sale unfortunately haha)

Total: $136
Total Paid: $52
Total Saved: $84!!!

Can you believe it?!?! I got all of that for $52!!! Now, I was really excited because that was WITH all the produce & milk & puppy chow & bread & meat & cheese that I didn't have coupons for & I can't WAIT to see what my next shopping trips will be without those!! :) I was SOOO excited!! I've been an avid reader of www.savingabundle.com & have been loving all the deals she's been posting. She's actually a member of the church in the Memphis 2nd ward & we're going to a class she's doing this Friday night. If you're interested, let me know & you can come, but seriously, this is saving us SOO much money & it's somethings I've gotten REALLY excited about! Let me know what you think!!! Check out everything I got!!

I couldn't even fit all the cereal on the dryer the first time!! :)

Feeling "Tabby"

I just wanted to take a minute & make history first of all for posting twice in the same 7 day period ever & also to just share a quick glimpse into my night.

I'm sure you're probably wondering (well, that is, assuming someone actually reads my blogs anymore...not that I'd blame you if you didn't...one can only bare so much neglect & disappointment from checking & never seeing any update)....I'll start again considering how much longer that run on sentence went.

I'm sure you're probably wondering what feeling "tabby" means...well, let me explain...
Long story short, when I first got my AWESOME Mac Desktop a few years ago, I was cleaning it & accidentally spilled some of my water on my keyboard (within the first week of course) & ever since, my tab key on my keyboard hasn't worked.
Now, many of you might think..."What's the big deal? Why even blog about something so trivial?" To you, I say in a "tabby" tone ('tab-by' meaning a spinster) You try to go even a day without using your tab key & see how hard that is! haha. :) In all honesty, it is really a pain, especially when you're trying to log on to your bank account or filling out applications for freebies online (true story)...instead of just tabbing to each new line, you have to

L-i-n-d-s-a-y (lift hands from keyboard - move them to mouse - click to next line)

B-l-a-i-n (lift hands from keyboard - move them to mouse - click to next line)

& so on & so forth. So, I sucked it up & took it like a man. haha. Now, to end my story with a happy ending. My Mac hasn't been working right since I was working on Cortney's Christmas present & it shut down randomly & I just haven't had time to get it looked at. Finally, I took it last week to the Apple store & while there I saw this beaut!!

It was scary at first to even think that I deserved to have all of my computer keys restored back to health & happiness, especially after they had been broken for SO long. I almost didn't even remember what it was like to have all of my keys back. But, the more I thought about it, the more I remembered that the reason I was in that situation in the first place was because I had broken an appendage, well, of my keyboard that is & I was kind of thrown into that effect from that cause in the first place. So, after I made the decision to finally change something from all the agony I was going through & reach for what I was almost sure I deserved (even before anything action had taken place), I felt like a load had been lifted & I could be free once again to type & tab all I wanted to! I even started feeling more like myself. haha. Hence the reason why you have 2 posts in the same week!!! :)

I know it's silly to blog about a silly seemingly small joy, but life is made up of little tiny things that make us happy & that make all the pain & struggle seem TOTALLY worth it. This tab key I'm referring to is literal & could have some symbolic meaning for something bigger going on with us right now, but.....hmmm....you might hear about that one later once the storm is over. :)

Thanks for listening....haha. :)

Welcome to Adulthood!

Along life's road, there are many milestones that map a person's life that seem to assure you that you are growing up, learning & gaining ''experience''. Among such milestones are first steps, first words, then bigger events like graduation, marriage, first real job, first child, etc, etc, etc. So apparently, there is another hidden list that I was unaware of...probably filled with other dark things that symbolized wisdom & growth...

Well, right before Christmas, I was informed of an unknown milestone that I crashed RIGHT into! Here is the conclusion....

Now, here is the story...
It was a completely out of the ordinary Friday morning. I had woken up on my own at 6:00, with a full night's sleep, took my time getting ready, even had time to put on my make up completely before I left the house...none of which EVER happens on any other normal day. I left the house a little early (another occurance that doesn't happen regularly) & as I was driving to work, I took my normal route. Rush hour traffic even seemed to be lighter that day as well. Moving on, so I'm on Sam Cooper getting off on Highland. I pulled up to the stop sign behind a SUV of some sort & patiently waited for her to stop & then turn right onto Highland. This is what I saw:
Brake lights....Stop...pull out       .....brake lights...stop...pull out....
Each time she did this, she was driving past the stop sign & by the 2nd time, she was already IN the lane with the oncoming traffic (which there wasn't any...the only car even visible was in the other lane heading the opposite direction....see...another abnormal occurance!)
After the 3rd "Brake lights....Stop...pull out", I mistankingly assumed (seeing how only her back right tire was the only thing in front of the stop sign & she was moving) that she was making that incredibly crutial decision of pulling onto the road. Well....obviously....I was incorrect. I made sure she was moving, stopped & then glanced left, well, frankly to make sure the world was still turning...& as I was turning back, I let off the brake & BAM!!!! My car crunched UNDER her car! Whiplash just about & all.
So, what's my first reaction...call Adam to inform....then call Dad & ask him what I should do. haha. My dad has always taken care of us girls & I knew I could call him & that he'd be understanding & help me figure out what I needed to do next. My dad is SO good at that.
Here's how our conversation went:
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah...I think so. What do I do now? I think the lady called the cops."
"Well, just wait for them to come & they'll just write you a ticket & you can call your insurance company when you get back to the office."
"Um...yeah, I think so. It kinda looks like....well, you know that part in Tommy Boy when the hood of their car....well, yeah, it looks a little like that."

"(Laughing...) Is your car still driveable?"
"I guess...as long as the hood stays down. That would really freak me out!"

"Just drive slow. (pause) Well, your mother just told me that this is your first wreck. I didn't know that. Welcome to Adulthood, honey!"

Hence, the title. Now, my car is fixed & fine & I got them to fix a few other things while they were in there & we had it back after we got home from Florida. $500 deductible later...everything is ALL good! haha.
Seriously though, it could've been a lot worse. It could've been a crazy person with no insurance & a gun that could've popped a cap in me or something, instead of a nice older lady wearing a green turtleneck & a Christmas vest. Didn't even know they made those past 1990...I stand corrected. Plus, I wasn't hurt at all besides my self esteem..haha.

Moral of the story is:
  1.) I will never, no never wear a Christmas vest with lights & reindeer dancing even if I think no one will see me. I just might get in a wreck. (I think that should be applied also to that clean underwear thing that I've always heard old people tell me.)
  2.) Try to find a shorter car if I'm gonna hit em so i can total it instead of just ending up with an embarrassing hood that clearly states that I got dominated!
  3.) I ain't been to work on time since! Are you brave enough to tempt fate?! I'm not....haha.

Christmas Adventures

So, it has been QUITE a while since I've updated this thing, so I figured I better do it now!

I promise though, once we start having cute babies that do cute things we'll have more to talk about & I'll update a lot more, but until then I guess you'll just have to hear about our day to day lives. haha.

So, we had an INCREDIBLE Christmas break. We truly get the best of both worlds. On Christmas day, we got to go over to the Kennedy's & watch Kate & Luke open presents (which was SO fun) & then did our Gift from the Heart present exchanges (which is always full of heartfelt, loving tears).

So, with the crying headache in full swing, haha, we headed over to the Blain's. We had breakfast which was delicious & Fried Oysters which is a Blain family tradition. Anyone that knows me at all knows that I have this thing about food textures. I'm not a big fan of slimy...even if it is a "once-was-but-is-no-longer" slimy type delicacy, I am STILL not a big fan. haha. But, being the open-minded, mature woman that I am, I have decided to brave the storm & not toss tradition aside carelessly & be the one that breaks the family chain of fried oyster eaters. Soooo....I of course tried a part of one again this year (I can hear the crowds cheering for my great self sacrificing...or at least I choose to). But Mama Blain totally busted me. She said "Girl...you're not new anymore. You're part of the family now. You're past just trying a piece. You should be up to a whole one by this year." haha. I love her. So, I told her I'd work up to it next year. haha. We finished breakfast & got to talk to Taylor (one of Adam's twin brothers on a mission) & then got to open the incredible amount of presents awaiting us under the rainbow tree. :) It was an incredible Christmas. We really are so blessed to get the best of both worlds. Mamma & Daddy Blain gave us wonderful presents: clothes, books, a picture of Christ, 2 folding dining chairs (cause we only had 4 & that was not enough when we invited them to our house for dinner..haha), a big mirror, $ to take to Florida & tons more. It was an incredible Christmas.

The day after Christmas, we got to continue our holiday by heading down with my family & Meggan & Ben & the kids to Destin, Florida for a week. It was SUCH a great trip! We all shared a condo really close to the beach which in it's self was a fun adventure. We loved it. It was like a week-long sleep over! haha. We went shopping (A LOT), played cards all week, watched movies, read books, slept in, played Wii, played old school Nintendo, played with the kids, cooked out, took pictures, ate Seafood, & just had a total blast! It was the best trip to Florida we've ever been on. It's so cool now that our family is growing up & getting married & having babies that we all still go on trips together & surprisingly enough is even MORE fun than when we were younger. Now we play referee for sybling rivalries instead of cause our own. Haha. It was a blast. It would've been even better if Sam & Cortney could've come, but they got their own Florida trip the week before us which I know they loved for sure.

Here are a few of the INCREDIBLE pictures Meggan took of Adam & I. Meggan is really incredible. She has started her own business & is SO incredible!

She made us look good! haha. Even though I wasn't feeling good & Adam was missing a basketball game (We all appreciate your sacrifice Adam ;) ) we didn't look half bad. haha.

Check out her website: http://www.mebsphotography.com/

It was an incredible Christmas this year!

Spooktacular Threads!

This Halloween was pretty fun. I didn't think I'd get to go to our ward party because I had band practice with the guys, but we ended up rescheduling at the last minute. We had to scrounge around for some last minute costumes in my mom's dress up box. We went to the ward Trunk-or-Treat & it was a ton of fun. The best part was meeting new friends & new faces that we've never had the PLEASURE of knowing until now.

Let me introduce you to my friends...

"Bubba" the Cowboy & "Francesca" the Salon Girl

Puppy Longstocking

"Droplet" the Lonely Clown

Or was it "Creepy McCreepster" the Clown? I can't remember.

"Rain" the Ghettofabulous Hippie

"Gabe Root" Babe Ruth's Base Runner

"Muscles" The TV Commercial Fill-In for Sammy Sosa (without makeup)

There was so much joy & happiness from everyone & SUCH fun that night! We all had a blast!

Best Mom EVER!

If you have talked to me in the last few weeks, you are fully aware of the fact that I've been a little bit anxious about our check from Obama coming in to be able to make our last month of mortgage AND apartment rent before our lease in finally up on our apartment & not to mention all the other normal bills. If you've talked to Adam in the last few weeks, you'll know he is SO sick of sitting on the floor in our completely BARREN living room to watch TV because we've been waiting on that money.

Well, I totally did a bad thing...We knew it was coming in sometime this week because they sent it out on Friday (supposedly), so we had been checking the mail & rechecking it. So, Monday, I got home a little earlier than Adam & upon investigation found it in the mail. Well, I got the bright idea (as fond of surprises as I am) that I would surprise Adam. So, I TOTALLY lied. That was the bad thing. But, what can I say, it was SOOO much more fun this way.

Long story short, I called the furniture guy & he said he could have it there the next afternoon (yesterday). Awesome!! It worked out perfectly. Adam had a football game last night & wouldn't be home until 11:00pm. So, after the guys delivered the furniture, which I LOVE and LOVE the fact that I got SUCH a great deal on it.

I called up my mother & gave her the okay to come over.

We checked our the furniture, got some inspiration & headed to the store. We found some pillows that were perfect at Ross', but MY favorite part is everything else.

A brand new world has opened up to me! haha. For the very first time I walked into Kirkland's!!!! And HOLY COW!! It is officially my FAVORITE store! It was all so magical! haha. I find myself now glancing at it while I drive by it every day, longing for the scent of candles, the warmth of the colors & the beauty of more shiny things in one place than I ever thought possible.

Back to reality...We found everything we could ever want and SO much more! I have the BEST mom in the whole wide world! She helped me hang everything, helped me figure out what I loved & helped me make it more of our home than our new house. She even helped me figure out what exactly my style was. She called it "Traditional Contemporary". haha. I just love it. So, next time I see you...don't be surprised if I invite you over...One & All to see my beautiful house!

I couldn't be more happy & proud of it. My mother is incredible...

Check it out!

New Addition to the Family...

Now, I'm sure you're wondering about a new addition to our family, well, here she is...
I've never been a "dog" person...EVER. I think it all stems from the fact that I never had my own dog, but I always cleaned up puppy poop from Cortney & Josh's dog adventures. Well, Adam is the TOTAL opposite! He's had dogs his whole life. Well, a few months ago, his dog, Susie, that they've had for years & years was really old & was having a lot of problems, so they had to put her down. Now, me being TOTALLY against the idea of even having a dog anytime soon, still felt bad for my sweet husband. So, this past Saturday, we hung out with Kirie & Joe again & they had just gotten a new puppy. It was half Yorkie & half Shitzu. So, I just LOVED him. They named him "Dorsey" & he was just so adorable, so I had to do it.

The day before my birthday, I knew he would be at school late, so I drove about an hour away & picked her up. She was SOOO sweet. She fell asleep in my lap all the way back home. It was so sweet. She had nuzzled up against me on my bed & when Adam reached over to hug me (I'm sure he was kinda freaked out at first cause he felt something really hairy on my back...haha), he totally freaked out & was SOO excited. This is him the first night with her.
We are completely in love with her. He named her "Isabell" & she has been such a fun addition to our family. My mom calls Isabell her "grand-dog". She is so sweet. She spazzes out & starts jumping like a bunny when Adam comes home cause she wants to play with him & when I get home she just wants to be held. She'll just crawl on to my lap when I'm folding clothes or what not & just fall asleep. She's such a fun girl!

Having a birthday brings reflection....and GUILT!!

So, I turned 23 a few weeks ago & I got a card from everybody at work & my cousin/best friend (what can I say, we have fun at work) wrote on my birthday card "What a year 22 was for you! You got married, you bought a house, & you got a new "addition" to your family! I can't wait to see what 23 brings for you!" And it made me stop & think "WOW! No wonder I'm so tired all the time!" haha. So basically what I'm saying is...I've got GREAT reasons for slacking on my blog, but now it's time to catch my loved ones away from me up on everything we've been up to.

So, #1 order of business is our new house. We have been SOOO blessed lately & I am SO grateful for everything that the Lord has given us these past few months especially. We haven't even been married a year & just bought a house in August. Crazy huh? We couldn't be more blessed. Kirie & Joe Walz (our best friends) were looking at houses earlier this year because they had heard about the $8,000 tax credit that's available for first time home buyers & so we just thought it'd be fun just to look seeing how our lease would be up in October. Long story short, we found a house within a day or two of looking that was the ONLY thing decent in our REALLY low price range, so we made an offer & now it's ours! We are actually only paying about $100 more in rent with taxes & everything & it's SO much bigger!

It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, with a BIG back & front yard & an attic. It's incredible. Here's just a quick picture. We love it SOOO much! Still LOTS to do, but we love it. Adam gets his own video game room/"Man Cave" & I get an office/Band Practice room. It's a lot of fun! We haven't quite finished getting everything how we like it, but so far it been great to have all of this extra space compared to our little 1 bedroom loft apartment before. We also have an attic & a huge front & back yard. It's great!
We also have 2 full baths, both with separate vanities & I LOVE our kitchen! haha.
We are still waiting for our "Obama money" to come in before we can get living room furniture (haha) but we're just excited about it all. Well, that's all for Part 1! More to come....haha.

My First Page By Myself! Give me a High-Five!

Does this deserve a gold star??? I wanna hear a round of applause people! I'm out! Holla!! 

Word to ya Motha! hahaha

My Digital Scrapbooking Addiction Begins!

So, thanks to my lovely older sister Meggan, I've embarked on the beginning of a long & fun journey I'm afraid. :)  DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING!!! Here is my first page that Meggan helped me with during our trip to St. Louis. This is just the beginning! It is SOOO much fun!! :) Enjoy!