My first Coupon Haul

I finally did it. I took the time to clip a few coupons, look at the flyers, then I made an organized list and headed off to Wal-Mart.

I price matched a few items which is where you use the sales add from another store's price that is cheaper. Say for instance, today, Betty Crocker cake mixes that are normally priced 1.28 at Wal-Mart, were in a sales flyer for .77!! So I got 4 of them!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another great deal was Gain detergent. It was normally 6.68 at Wal-Mart but was on sale at another store for 4.55. I also had a 2.00 off coupon which I used and SCORE.....I paid 2.55 for Gain detergent!

I also got some Dr. Scholl's massaging gels with a 3.00 of coupon that I paid around 5.00. And a buy one get one free Lady's Speed Stick deodorant.

Lastly, was a money making deal on KY Jelly. Don't laugh. There are alot of uses for this stuff!! Anyways, I had a 3.00 off coupon and it was 2.18 regular price at Wal-Mart! That's a money making deal of .82 which was applied to my bill. Every little bit helps!!!

With price matching AND coupons, I saved just over 20 bucks. Not too shabby for a first haul in my opinion!!! :)

I want to thank Collin at Hip2Save for taking the time to share these deals and inspire me to start trying to find ways to save money on items we need anyway for my family!

I think I could get addicted to this saving money thing!

Helpful Blogs I LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

I found a few new blogs I LOVE and ADORE!!!

Due to the economy and time crunches of being a momma, nurse, teacher, financial planner, dog trainer, professional gymnast, and lover of life, I have begun trying to find ways to make life easier. I have decided coupons and crock pots are the answer. :)

Hip2Save is a sweet little gal named Collin that keeps me up to date with all kinds of coupons and savings in my area. I have become a SERIOUS couponer now because of this site. Check it out!

Skinny Crock pot is another great blog. I actually get most of the recipes I make from them from Facebook. Just like their page and you will get to access all their recipes. If you have a "clean" recipe, you can even submit yours. They only accept "clean" and healthy recipes. They will explain that too. I have 2 of them in two crock pots as I type and my house smells A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

Then there are the Crockpot Girls on Facebook too. I have yet to try their recipes, but I know a couple of friends who have and have been very pleased.

Hope you check them out and let me know what you think!

Girl's WEEKEND!!!! NO KIDS< NO MEN!!!

Shannon flew down for a getaway weekend with Lisa and me. It was really fun and kind of neat being that it was Lisa's half way point on being finished with Chemo.

We didn't waste any time starting in on the fun! We began our trip at Tortuga's on the Island. Of course a trip to Galveston would never be complete without their warm salsa and homemade guacamole table-side....yummo!!

Next, we went shopping all over the island until our room at the San Luis Resort and Spa was ready. We wanted so bad to get to that pool!!!

We were fine sitting in the rocking chairs at Murdoch's enjoying the wonderful weather. It couldn't have been ANY better. Blessed by God above for our wonderful weekend, for sure and for certain!!!!

We had a blast! We played Phase 10, which I'm pretty sure I lost every time, layed out by the pool, shopped, napped, played more phase 10 and ate out....ALOT!! It was a fun time and I can't wait for us all to get together again.

We even taught a parrot how to say, "HAWAII"!!!!! and we sang "We are the Champions" to a lady who beat the snot out of her man in tennis!! :)

My Surfer Girl

Last Saturday, I took Kasey to surfing lessons. She LOVED it!! She and her friend Lacy got up on the little waves SEVERAL times in the 2 hour lesson. Brian, from C-Sick Surfing was amazing! He's been surfing over 50 years and could even speak "surfer speak". You know, like narly dude, and balooie bra... Anyways, so now my girl wants to be a surfer. I am searching high and low for a board I can afford! Those things are EXPENSIVE!! The one they learned on was a soft-top board and they are more economically affordable. All in all, it was a beautiful day. The waves were "beginner" waves, per Brian. I was just amazed they were able to surf them at all!!!!!

BOOT CAMP!!!!

Hey all!

I'm super pumped because it is almost that time of year again!!! My Boot Camp will start September 7th through November 18th. That is 11 weeks to get your bootay in shape for the holidays!! (....and mine too....)

I have a ton of information to share from what I learned this summer. I am down 18 pounds and 4 sizes and several inches. So, what I am doing WORKS!!! I am looking forward to sharing this information with my Boot Camp ladies. Should be a great time!!

So, if you are wanting to join, just show up on the 7th. It is only 1.00 per workout so 2.00 per week. Yep! We will be at First Baptist Galena Park Gym at 6.00 p.m. Be there or be square!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Passport to Purity...An Amazing Mother/Daughter's Weekend

I just returned from an amazing weekend with Kasey. We went on a mother/daughter trip to Beaumont, Texas.

Now, you may be saying, "Why Beaumont, and not somewhere like Padre?" Well, I will get to that in a second.

First of all, Beaumont has an excellent hotel called the Elegante!! We've stayed there with the basketball team and we knew it would be the place to stay. The first night there, I took Kasey to get her first facial. (Well, it is kind of a coming of age weekend...) You know what she told her dad on the phone? "I think I could get used to this!" I laughed out loud on that one!!

The premise of Passport to Purity, is to get away with your daughter to have "the talk." Yes, that's THE talk. I have been planning this trip for about a year I guess. I listened to all the cds, had all the little projects ready, etc., etc. AND, I was scared to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little did I know, what an amazing time together we would have. The cds do alot of the "tough" work for you. They give you much of the "talking points" that are so important to cover. She worked through a little journal and has it to look back upon now. We laughed....ALOT! Kasey asked alot of GREAT questions that I was glad to answer. And, we made great memories. And, you know what? It ended up not being scary at all!!

On one of the days, you have a whole afternoon do something very special with your kiddo to make it memorable. So, since Kasey wants to be a cake decorator when she grows up, I was blessed to be able to get in touch with Dena Bryngelson. She is a fabulous cake decorator that won the Ultimate Cake Off. (Which Kasey saw and decided then and there she needed to go to her bakery.)

Well, I emailed Dena just to see if I could swing by with Kasey to take a few pictures and maybe get an autograph. And you know what she did? She asked if it'd be okay for her to play "cake" with Kasey on the Saturday we would be there!!!

I was in SHOCK! It was amazing how it all worked out. Dena is a very busy lady and flies around doing cake demos all over. She just happened to be in town for 4th of July weekend because she was celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary!!!

So, I took her up on it and took Kasey to meet her. It was definitely a highlight of the weekend! She helped Kasey decorate a beautiful cake with all of Kasey's favorite colors and she gave her tons of insider tips! It was SO fun watching the two of them together.

She gave Kasey an autographed apron from her shop and even gave her some cake decorating tools to help her get started. The time with her was priceless!!!

To watch Kasey soaking up everything she was saying, and to see my little girl seemingly all grown up was really wonderful!

I thank the Lord that he orchestrated it all! Dena is Christian lady and I highly recommend her if you can order a cake from her!! The one she and Kasey made is incredible!!!

I also highly recommend Passport to Purity! It's for boys (dad's take them) or girls!

Thanks Dena for blessing us in such a mighty way!!!

Fitness Ridge Results

Well, I have been very busy since I've been home working hard to apply what I learned at the Biggest Loser Resort and Spa.

First of all, the experience was amazing. Shannon and I had an excellent time. It was HARD work. We hiked every day for 3 hours then we came back and worked out another 4 hours a day at the resort. The trainers were amazing as were all the wait staff and hiking guides.

The best information I learned was something I've heard all of my life. Calories in, calories out. That is the basics and the truth that works.

At the resort, you test out on Sunday after your week there. My results were that I lost 6 pounds and 8 inches. The trainers told us that the weight loss usually continued for most people the week they got home. It happened for me as well. I lost another 4 pounds the next week. Since then, I have lost 5 more pounds.

I have wrestled with gaining and losing the same 5 to 7 pounds FOREVER! But this time, I feel like I have the tools to get fit and stay fit and healthy!

How wonderful that I now have this information!! I love it!!! I'm so excited and grateful that I got this opportunity through my best friend Shannon to go to such a place. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

Fitness Ridge Count Down!! 18 days.....

I have 18 days before I head off on a jet plane to Vegas and then drive over to Utah. I am really beginning to feel the nerves! I haven't flown in soooooo long! I will just have to take some Drammamine and knock my butt out so I don't get sick from nervousness. I have such a finicky stomach!

I am looking forward to the trip though! It will be so much fun going with Shannon. We compliment each other so well. We are alike in many ways, but different enough that we don't get on each others nerves. Does that make sense??

I think we are going to spend our first night in Vegas cuz I've never been. She has though and knows just where to take me. I'm excited!! She said she won 1800.00 in penny slots last year! Is that really possible?? I guess so! Haha. I am not a gambler, but are slots really gambling?? I guess you can justify anything if you try hard enough. Haha.

I am more about the photo opportunities than the gambling aspect. They'd see me coming anyways, and I'd lose everything!

Ok....I plan on running intervals at the track tonight. I am trying to maintain my fitness to a point where I do not die in Utah!