Ebates
November 18, 2008 2:00 pm
I wanted to tell you about Ebates, a shopping site that gives you up to 26% Cash Back every time you shop online. You can shop at over 1000 stores including Barnes & Noble.com, Gap, Target, Buy.com and Expedia. Plus you get additional savings with exclusive coupons, free shipping offers, and limited-time sales!
Sign up with Ebates today and we’ll each get a $5 bonus when you make your first purchase!
Click here to sign up:
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=gLCBTXwTGdLXALAdxMnwtQ%3D%3D
Happy shopping!
* came across this as I was trying to find all ways to be frugal. It’s worth a try!*
Little things in life…
November 13, 2008 8:03 pmIt’s the little things that bring a smile….
1. Jack standing on his own…
2. a closet FULL of diaper, wipes, & pull-ups
3. this great wedding dress I bought for $20 on Ebay for Haiti
*I know everyone is JEALOUS of this one :)*
What’s new….
November 10, 2008 7:10 pmLevi has become quite the independent little man. (except when injured or at bedtime- then he needs his momma!) 
His “new” thing is wearing ties. He wants to wear one all the time, I have him convinced they are for Sunday Church not Wednesday church He also is now in a “booster” seat (thanks to Opa & Oma) I think Jack is more happy about Levi’s new seat, because that meant he got promoted to Levi’s old seat No more trying to lug a 20 pound-er around in a baby seat!
Jack is into EVERYTHING! Completely NOT following in the steps of his older brother. Jack likes to touch and find things that are not meant for a 9 month old! The little booger is FAST too! He can make it almost all the way up the stairs before I realize he is not by me (I know we need a gate- it’s high on the priority list!) He still only has 4 teeth. Which I took picture of his “fangs” the other day! Hilarious!
Jack stands up on everything and is even letting go. He decided just this week that he would rather have a bottle. I have tried to persuade him otherwise, but his mind is made up. I can’t complain - 9 months is long time.
Donald did indeed have “twin” gallstones, and after a home remedy hopefully his gallbladder is emptied.
There are some new pictures in the November album. Also, some have asked to see our house, so I put some pictures of it in the house album! ENJOY!
Frugal Monday & Family Updates
October 20, 2008 11:29 amPumpkin Patch
October 18, 2008 12:09 pmWe dared to venture out today & take the boys to the pumpkin patch….I say dare because both boys have been sick all week, and Jack was diagnosed with an ear infection & wheezing (bronchiolitis) on Thursday.
It went well & the boys & Daddy & Mommy had a great time. The place that we go to really added a lot of new things this year. Levi loved the new “spider” looking slide. I (Judith) went down it with him- they built it out of some type of plastic “pipe”-tube - whatever the stuff was- you FLEW down the slide. I made Donald take him down the “monster” slide! They have a few animals which is always a great hit with the kids. Levi enjoyed the giant sandbox & swings. Levi & Jack had fun playing in the corn box (we had to Jack out quickly though- he likes to put things in his mouth) Levi’s favorite thing was the corn maze. He successfully led us through the maze with his “map” -(a piece of paper that we had to match the shapes with the signs & punch out the shape) Jack LOVED sitting on the hay bales (I know great for the wheezing huh???) & loved picking out a pumpkin.
We took LOADS of pictures like usual (the curse to having a digital camera- 167 pictures in a 2 hour time frame) We put some of the favorites in the October album in the gallery!
Frugal Monday & Family Updates
October 13, 2008 12:31 pmFrugal Monday - I decided instead of frugal Friday - I would have frugal Monday…..I have more time Sunday afternoons to clip & organize coupons & scout out all the sales, because one or both of the boys go to Paw & Nanny’s house after church or they nap all afternoon until it is time to get up and get ready for church at night. so….I use Mondays as my “stock up and save” day!
Today was RiteAid. I thought it might be a disaster trying to go with both boys- little shopping carts + Levi having to walk next to me = potential disaster! BUT I had my list & coupons in hand, I gave Levi a “list” and pencil and we got what we needed & left in recorded time!
Deals of the Day-
3 packs of Huggies diapers - size 3 (for now), size 4 (Jack is getting BIG), & pull-ups - I had a $1, $1.50, & $2.00 coupon + $10 RiteAid rebate if 3 packs were bought! YAY!
2 Jumbo packs M&Ms - sale 2 for 3 plus $1.00 coupon
The rest of my buys were FREE- yes FREE after rebate (besides tax!)
2 chapsticks - stocking up for winter
Triaminic Flu - stocking up for the months ahead
Soft Lips chapstick - never have too many!
Little Cold - for the months ahead
Children’s Advil - bought for Haiti
Excederin - bought for Haiti
I purchased all of this for a total of $25.46 after sales, coupons & rebates!! That is less than what I normally would spend on just 3 packs of diapers!!!! so great day for me today!
plus when I went to pick our mail (from Saturday) at the post office- there were LOTS of coupons sitting right on top of the trash - I didn’t dig in the trash, just moved some around to make sure I got all the good stuff and my mom had all the Sunday paper coupons, so I got those too! Can’t wait to make my next grocery list!
Ebay- plan on selling some more on Ebay this week….I have really thinned out the boys clothes. Most summer stuff went with my mom to help out a village in Haiti. I plan on using this weeks profits to buy a wedding dress so that my mom can take it with her to Haiti in November during their church missions trip. I have previously purchased a few wedding dresses off of Ebay for Haiti! It’s a lot of fun, and the Haitians LOVE lots of lace & beads. I got one New with Tags for $18.00!!! I also plan on trying to look for lots of baby blankets for the children. If any of you moms out there have thin cotton baby blankets that you no longer need or want and would like to donate them to Haiti- contact me.
Family Updates - Jack is crawling all over the place. He pulls up on everything, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he walks early. He is still a very easy baby, but has quite the temper when aggravated! I think he is getting more teeth, so his sleep is interrupted occasionally. Levi is currently sick, just a low temp and the sniffles. He is really becoming so big and so smart! We are amazed at the knowledge that he soaks in daily. He loves learning new things & loves playing “pretend” - he has a HUGE imagination!
*there are new pictures in the October album
The End of Frugal Week but not the end of being frugal.
October 1, 2008 11:48 amOur “frugal week” challenge ended on Sunday…
It was actually refreshing & fun to learn how to spend less, use what was already in the house, & still be full, clean, & happy at the end of the day.
As a wife & mother, it was rewarding to have food prepared for each meal & to stay at home and eat - not like what is sometimes the norm of “uhh….hmmm….nothing in refrigerator or freezer, yeah, let’s just go out to eat or how does a sandwich sound?”
Also, although I do not help in “bringing home the money” - I can be a HUGE help in saving money by learning to cook more affordable meals, being coupon savy, consolidating errands, cutting back on unnecessary spending, bargain shop, etc….
I have MUCH more to learn on being frugal, and not just in the “money spending” aspect. One of the main things, I have been challenged by this past week is on being a homemaker….not just a stay-at-home mom….that is a whole other topic in and of itself, maybe I’ll blog on it in the future……..
Matthew 25- tells the parable of the talents. Our desire is not to be as the man who was lazy and who did nothing with what he was given, but to be as the first & second servant - “good & faithful” We want to use wisely what the Lord has blessed us with.
This week, we have been reminded of how fragile life is, and how life is “but a vapor. ” (James 4:14) & how only what was done for Christ will last.
Janet Bauernschmitt entered into eternity with her Heavenly Father on Sunday morning after a car accident. She was only 24. Although we met once and only knew each other through mutual friends, we have been touched by her life. Her obvious love for the LORD is displayed in the hundreds of people that knew her and have shared what an incredible testimony she had. One post that jumped out to me stated : “Janet loved everyone, she did not see someone as just a person, but as a soul.” During her short time on this earth, she furthered His Kingdom & brought glory & honor to His name. She was a good & faithful servant.
Frugal week days 5 & 6
September 27, 2008 11:06 amThis week, we truly lacked for nothing. We ate great meals, wore clean, nice clothes, & had lots of fun playing & working around the house.
yesterday…
breakfast -same ole’ - cereal & sausage biscuits
lunch- levi & mommy - sandwich & strawberries, daddy - meeting (bought lunch with money that was found this week
supper- DATE NIGHT!!! yay! Paw and Nanny took the boys, and we went to Opry Mills. We were suppose to buying a shower gift for a party tomorrow but somehow managed to forget to pick it up on the way out of the mall. We ate TGIFridays and the meal for both was $18, not too bad, we had water and ordered off the right size right price menu. We did get some awesome deals will shopping. Carters Outlet - camo pants for Levi - $3.99 ($24 savings) & the cutest sports blazer/jacket for $3.99 ($28.00 savings) & the best deal was GAP - we got sweatpants, sweater, tshirt, jeans, and hoodie for $30! (40% off clearance, 15% off -from doing a survey, and a $30 gift card) We did splurge and spent $10 getting Levi a pirate hat & sword for staying dry during naps and nighttime. (It was well worth it when you saw his face when we showed it to him!)
Today,
breakfast - cereal
lunch- grilled cheese, chips, raisons
supper- not for sure - I have chicken, we might grill
*all my ebay stuff has bidders - hopefully the prices will go up!*
Well tomorrow is day #7! I’ll update one more time and give some of my thoughts on what I have learned and what the Lord has been teaching & challenging me with throughout the week.
frugal week day #4 - Dirt Cheap
September 25, 2008 8:07 amThe saying “dirt cheap” is kind-of untrue. Dirt isn’t cheap…..ask my parents who buy LOTS of it to put in the pots for the plants in their greenhouse.
Yesterday, we were going to have to buy dirt. Not necessarily the kind of thing I like to spend money on, but we need to fill in our yard before Friday so that our yard can get re-hydroseeded. Luckily for us though, some of our friends are contracting a house and they just broke ground and and have too much dirt so we were able to go get some for free!!! Donald with some help (thanks Cody) went and got the dirt and with the tractor Tim dropped off (thanks Tim) we were able to fill in the yard for free! Levi loved driving on the tractor and being “a worker man” (as he likes to be referred as) Hopefully in the next few weeks we will have a beautiful yard with grass! (Levi will be sad to know that his little dirt patch he plays in will be gone!)
Our Frugal Week is going well….
Breakfast - toast & dutch cheese, cereal
Lunch - leftover taco meat & beans on chips, Levi - ham & cheese sandwich & raisons
Supper - the boys & I will have tomato soup from the freezer and grilled cheese, Donald has to teach so he picks up something during his break.
I did finally get to Kroger. Ughh….didn’t have as many coupons as normal. I saved $6.95 on regular coupons, $1.40 on doubled coupons, $21.50 on Kroger Plus card. Not too bad I guess. Milk was not on sale, and ouch! chocolate milk is expensive, but it is a must in our house. I did stock up on some chicken breasts (great sale), laundry detergent (half price, plus coupon), brownie mixes (half price), & lots of baby food (lots of coupons) all in all it was a good trip, I stayed at our budgeted amount, and I had a great cup of free coffee.
our free tractor rental & free dirt
frugal week day #3
September 24, 2008 8:21 amBreakfast - toast & dutch cheese for Levi, granola for me, business meeting for Donald (breakfast included)
Lunch - leftover hotdogs from last night, sandwiches
Supper- beef and bean burritos (extra ground beef from last night) & rice
I never did make it to Kroger yesterday. I will definitely have to go today.
I did get some things posted on Ebay, and already have several “watchers” so hopefully that will mean several bidders. I started organizing Jack’s closet yesterday - transitioning to fall clothes. Most of his summer clothes that I don’t save - I send with my parents to Haiti. I definitely bought the wrong size last year when purchasing ahead of time. Jack is much bigger than I thought he would be! Oh, well, now I have some boy gifts, & will sell the rest on Ebay.
One of my cousins sent me a link to this website - www.babycheapskate.blogspot.com
great for all you mommies!!!
Levi having his lunch outside!
Jack “helping” mommy with dishes!
