La Da De Da

I have had such a busy week. It seems like I haven't slowed down lately. That means I am way behind in making my phone calls to everyone. I feel so badly that I haven't called Grandmother or spoken w/ her since Christmas. And even then I felt so bad that I know I wasn't good with conversation. I called her on Thursday and talked to her on the way to work. I enjoyed talking to her. She is moving into a retirement home in a few months and so I am going to go up and visit her before she moves and go through her things and see what she has that I would like. There are some sentimentel things that I would like to have. There are also some other items I am taking. I am the lucky receipient of her dishes. I am soooo excited as we haven't had any real dishes. Lee bought some after Christmas on clearance at WM for $6 a set so you know that they aren't the greatest quality. Her's also have the serving dishes, etc. I hope she enjoys where she is moving. The apartment is smaller than the other retirement place but all of her friends are at this one and it's on her side of town so people will come and visit her.

I called Avonelle on Friday on the way home for work. I haven't spoken with her in a while either. I know she reads my blogs and keeps up with me that way but it's nice to actually talk to her. I was going to call her on Saturday on the way to this customer appreciation breakfast my favorite realtor was having but I didn't quite make it to the phone.

Betty Cope, one of my favorite realtors, had her 10th annual customer appreciation breakfast at a hotel in Ft Walton. She really wanted me to attend and I wanted to be there, but it is such a long drive from my house and it started at 8. I got up and got ready and drove over there. I was actually going to be there at 8:10 a lot earlier than I told her. Well I go to the hotel and they tell me they don't have a breakfast for her. I'm thinking I'm at the right place but I go to the other hotel it could be at. Nope. So I go on Santa Rosa Blvd. and check out the other hotels. Nope. I call her office and they weren't sure. I go back to the 1st hotel and low and behold it was there. I couldn't believe they told me it wasn't the first time. I didn't get there until 8:50. I had to leave at 9:15 to pick up Mackenzie in Destin from her sleepover. I felt badly that I couldn't have stayed longer. I did get to visit w/ Katrina from Countrywide and sat w/ a couple that is refinancing their home and Betty referred to me. I also so the lady whose loan I closed on Friday and when I gave out our doorprize I drew her name. It was sorta funny.

I met Mackenzie and Olivia and her mom and sister for breakfast at the Donut Hole. Lee and Jackson also came. It was nice to sit and visit with them and Mackenzie had a great time. I was told how well behaved Mackenzie is and how sweet and good she was. This is what I always hear from everyone. Even Miss Kelly @ the after school program so I know she's telling the truth. I also got a phone call from her teacher at school to tell me how good she is doing and how great her handwriting and reading is. I was told whatever I am doing to ekep doing it. Honestly, it's all her. She reads anything she can get her hands on. I know when I was a kid I did the same thing but I don't know if I was this young when my love for reading began.

She brought home from school an American Heritage book she had finished using. She read that book to Jackson the entire way home and to school one day. I think it's great. Her handwriting has improved tremendously. I am just so proud of her. I am so glad that I bit the bullet and have sent her to private school for the past 2 years. If I hadn't of gotten her early entrance there she would be so bored in Kindergarten and would have been terribly bored and unchallenged last year if she was still in pre-k. I have a love for math and I am really good at it. I wonder if this will be one of her strong holds as well.

After we ate breakfast Lee took the kids home and I went to run errands before he had to go to work. I had bought a ton of deeply discounted items from Bath & Body Works online after Christmas. I ended up with 40 bottles of lotions, shower gels, bubble bath, body butter, etc. for about $120. In addition I also got 3 huge purses, 12 cute little purses/bags, 2 blue jean bags and a HUGe black bag that retails for $65, and 4 sets of travel size lotion, gel and spray. These were from their gift set sale from after Christmas. I didn't like all of the scents I had ordered but I ordered them b/c they were the ones on clearance. So I went to BBW to trade in the scents. I am crazy b/c last weekend I traded in 12 scents and yesterday I took in 22. I got a store credit and left with so much stuff. A lot of the items had been marked down even more in the store. I've posted a lot of the items on ebay. I'm keeping the bulk of the items, but what I can sell on ebay will pay for my purchases plus I have enough to last me for the next year and for gifts. I love my bargains.

Walgreens had their huggies diapers for $8 and I had $2 printable coupons. If you bought $20 in Kimberly Clarke products (which Huggies are) you can get a $10 rebate. So I spent $18 plus tax on the 3 packs and will get $10 GC for Walgreens. So essentially $8 for 3 packs of diapers. I did this deal 2 times and will use my address here and at work.

I'm bag in the swing (as of this week) for my couponing. It takes a lot of time but it saves me soooo much money. I'm back into the game. I'm really excited. I know it is stupid to some people but walking out of Publix with 10 boxes of Kellogg's Nutra Grain bars for $8.43 including tax is amazing. Also right now I can get 5 of the 32oz gatorades for $2 at Winn-Dixie. I can also get 10 boxes Quaker Oats granola bars for $9. Does anyone realize how great that is? How fun it is? How much money it saves? I also don't have to go to the store every week to buy the things we eat a lot of. I was getting boxes of Kellogg's cereal for .55 a few weeks back. I think I got 10 boxes. Juicy Juice this week for $1.25 a piece. Great. Just great!

I do need more storage space in my house. I don't have enough room for everything. I've converted the mud room to my dry storage for shampoos, etc. but I need more pantry space. One day I'll have to figure it all out.

If anyone who reads this wants me to make them a list of what the great sales are and coupon match up I will. Just send me items you use regularly and I can email you a customize match up for each week of the sales. I can also mail you coupons to use with the sales. I always have tons of extras. I doubt anyone will but it would be so much fun if they would. It would give me something to do.

It has been pouring down rain today. Yucky yucky yucky! Lee let me go back to sleep at 9:45 today and I slept until 1:15. I really needed that sleep. He went to work and then Jackson threw up all over himself and Mackenzie's beautiful rug. No one realized he did it until he wanted a diaper wipe. That's when I discovered throw up on him. Then he wanted wipes to take to her room and that's when I found it everywhere. It was so fun to clean up.

I'm going to finish my shopping list. I know it sounds boring to some but to me it's soooo much fun!