Saving Money...Rebates & Class Action Suits

I always do rebates at Menard's...it is a part of the cycle of getting us home improvement items--and it saves us LOTS of money.  I recently discovered there is an array of rebates out there--in particular for groceries. 

In fact, I have to credit the last four bottles of lotions I purchased for FREE (actually I made $2.50) to rebates...and nice bottles--Olay!  In fact, many rebates you may be able to make money off of!  The rebates will ask you to purchase $xx in products and they will reimburse you--this means BEFORE coupons!  Just to break this down for you.  Olay has had NUMEROUS rebates for buying their lotion and to top that--they have had lots of coupons. 

The first rebate I did with them, I did not have any coupons (My precouponing days..).  The rebate simply said, buy 3 of their products and they will give you $15 rebate.  I purchased 3 lotions for $13.50 + tax and sure enough I received back $15.  Take tax and stamp into account--I got 3 bottles of lotion for free and made $1!    Their next rebate was to simply buy a bottle of lotion and receive a rebate for the bottle.  I bought another lotion for $4.50 and used a $1 coupon which I doubled (spent $2.50 + stamp for rebate) and I received a rebate for $4.50.  (I made $1.50 again!).  So do you see how this works???

So there are many items for free or close to free with rebates--How do companies do it?

Well, they rely on you, the consumer, to be inspired to buy the product via the rebate and then count on you to FAIL in sending in the rebate.  You can fail two different ways in sending a rebate in 1.)  You forget to send it in or 2.)  You don't fill out the rebate correctly.  Here is what I do to succeed. 

When unloading my purchases I either immediately fill out the rebate OR I put it on the counter where I won't miss it.  I then give the completed rebate to Rob to "proofread" & mail.  Remember failure 2 is not filling it out correctly.  If you forget to circle your item --you will not get your rebate.  If it is a larger rebate, I will scan the receipt and form.  I will then also put on my calendar when I expect to receive my rebate.  (For example, if it is 6 weeks from now I will mark "Olay Rebate" 6 weeks out.)  If I don't receive it, then I can look at my scan and give a call.  (So far I have NEVER had to do this.) 

Finally, you can also receive money from class action suits.  (These suits usually come from false advertising.)  These lawsuits basically state if you bought such and such, fill out this form and you will receive money.  (Many forms are online, YEAH!)  Don't expect to see your money for a long time...remember this is a lawsuit settlement.  However, if you fill them out periodically as you discover them, you will eventually see some returns.  Some you don't even have to have proof for--but be sure to be honest.  I don't file a claim for products I know I don't buy. 

So let's get you started on some good rebates that are currently out there....Here are the forms.  (Actually there is only one online currently that I am aware of.  Boo-hoo--I will start hooking you up with other rebates soon!)

Rebates

SC Johnson.  Buy 3 products get $5 back  (Potential money maker!!!)  And you can do this rebate up to 3 times!  Good until June 30, 2010.  Products include OFF!  Ziploc, Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles, Glade, Mr. Muscle, Duck, Windex, Shout, Nature's Souce, Fantastic, Drano, Oust, Raid, Baygon, Autan,AllOut, Saran, and Grand Prix.  (I am excited about this one...I am going to stock up on bug spray for the summer and freezer bags for my garden produce!)

http://www.scjohnson.com/Files/afc-rebate-form.pdf


Class Action Suits

Did you buy any Tyson Chicken between June 19, 2007 and April 30, 2009?  Even if you don't have proof--You can still file a claim and receive anywhere from $5 - $50.  See this link for more info and to fill out a claim.

http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2010/04/tyson-chicken-settlement-receive-cash-or-a-coupon/

Did you purchase DanActive yogurt or Activia before April 23, 2010?  Receive $30 to $100.  No proof needed.

http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2010/05/dannon-settlement-receive-a-cash-refund/

Did you purchase a lawnmower between 1994 - 2010?  You could get an extended warranty or up to $75 back.  See this link for details...

http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2010/05/lawn-mower-settlement-receive-cash-andor-an-extended-warranty/

So in the future, I will let you know about cool rebates/class action suits as I come across them.  As you can see PYD lady does a lot of the work for me, but I sometimes find other ones.  (Not to mention your grocery store will often have ones.) 

Next Saving Money Blog will be the BIG ONE--that introduces you to coupons.  This is where you save BIG money!  Yippee!  Expect that one hopefully sometime next week.

Goodbyes to Bear

As a few of you know, we rehomed Bear a few weeks ago. This was a very HARD decision for me—and I am still having problems with it today.

We got Bear at 6 months old. We adopted him from the Humane Society—something I will never do again. We were given 15 – 20 minutes to visit with him, and then 15 minutes to decide if we wanted him. If we didn’t adopt, there was a whole SLEW of people behind us waiting to meet him. Dogs 6 months and younger did not last long at the Humane Society at all—and we wanted a puppy to train.

When we first met Bear he was very sweet and mild. He just leaned against you for pettings. He was rated an “average” energy dog that was shy. We soon learned that he was quite the abused and confused dog. We spent months working with him just to take walks on the leash—he was petrified of parked cars and would turn around if he saw them. He had serious separation anxiety, so we crated him. All in all he was my perfect companion in Milwaukee especially when Rob stayed overnight in Madison several days a week. He also got me out of the house and venturing the neighborhood.

He LOVED the park we lived next to. There were ponds in it and I would take him to swim. There was no concern for him off-leash, he would always come when called.

Then Kylan came. Bear ignored him. Literally, the first few months he pretended Ky did not exist. He was still a good dog just a jealous one. We moved to Madison, Ky’s first winter, and things got much rougher. I didn’t walk Bear like I normally did. I couldn’t take Ky out in those frigid temps. Bear acted out a little as all dogs, but he was still a great dog. We trained him to go to the bathroom in one area of the yard—he did a great job overall—however occasionally he did stray from the area. (And our one neighbor was sure to inform us if he went inches into her yard.) But overall he was a great dog.

Then came Alaina, poor dog. Yeah, he got very little attention once Alaina came along. There was less time for petting, playing and walking. Granted I was VERY good about walking him when the weather was warmer, but this past winter I think I only walked him a handful of times. Turns out Bear was actually a high energy dog. He would run laps in the house. He was OVERLY excited when people would come over. In fact it came to the point where we just started putting him away when someone would come over because he just WOULD NOT calm down—and he would jump (and a 60lb lab is the last thing you want jumping on him.)

Anyway, the last year I could really tell that he love playing with Ky and Alaina (and he was very good with them) but at the same time he was getting annoyed with them. Ky would get some growls for pulling his tail. It was getting a little alarming. I know Bear would never bite out of viciousness, but at the same time I didn’t want Ky to continue to harass Bear and drive him to bite out of self defense or to just get Ky off his back.

This whole last year of having Bear I had been battling with the idea of rehoming Bear. Bear was my dog. Not Rob’s. Rob had little interest in him. Bear’s exercise and attention all relied on me—and with 2 kids and working part time, I just wasn’t finding anytime for him. I can’t find time for myself—how do I find time for him?!

So the final straw came a few weeks ago that cemented my plans to rehome Bear. I had just come back from a walk with the kids and Bear. Rob was home and I handed Bear’s leash off to him. Our neighbor girl (5 years old) comes running up to us from out of nowhere and Bear jumped up on her in excitement. We think he was going for a kiss or something, I am not sure, but he left marks on her. His teeth drug on her skin and she did bleed. It wasn’t a bite mark, but more like a scratch.

I am very blessed to have such wonderful neighbors who shrugged it off as no big deal, and “this should be a lesson to our daughter not to run up to people’s dogs!” But, I felt awful. What’s even worse was thinking about Ky’s friends and if their parents would have concerns with Bear being around (even if we kept him away). We had worked with him to try to calm him when people came over, but nothing we did seem to help. UGH!

So I put up my notice for Bear on the Humane Society’s Rehoming page as well as on Craigslist. This is what it said:

I am looking for a new companion(s) for my dog Bear. He is 5 years old. He is a black lab/water spaniel mix. He weighs 55 lb and is well trained. He has been trained to go to the bathroom in one area of the yard. He can sit, speak, lay down, stay, roll over, come, shake, hurry up (command to go potty), retrieve his toy (stick), and jump up. He does not get on furniture and has been trained to wait at the top or bottom of the stairs until you are up (we taught him that for the safety of our children on the stairs.) You could pretty easily teach him other commands as well—he will do anything for food. He walks well on a leash. He is neutered and up to date on all of his shots including Bordtella. Since he is mixed with water spaniel, he loves to swim and does well off leash. He also loves to play fetch. He is easy going and generally loves everyone.


He needs a home where he can get more attention and at LEAST a walk every day. I have had 2 kids in the last couple of years and he just doesn’t get enough attention anymore. Not to mention, I am not always able to walk him every day. He does well with kids, though I can tell he has been getting frustrated with mine lately—most likely jealousy. I would prefer he go to a home with no kids or older kids to ensure that he is more likely in a family where he will get exercise. He loves other dogs as well.


His bad behaviors are becoming very excited when people come over (jumping up, barking at the door). I am sure with the right owner who could spend time with him and teach him, this would be corrected. (Because I have young children and don’t want him jumping up when they are crawling on the floor, I have been removing him from the room.) Also, because he is a lab he can get mouthy when he gets excited (he may nibble or open his mouth). The best thing you can do for this is to always make sure he has a good chew toy so he is less likely to be that way. Also, when he gets proper exercise he is rarely mouthy.


He is currently on an eye medication that costs $10 every other month. He has an immune disorder and will need the medication for the rest of his life. It only affects one eye. It does not affect how he sees, or even appears to bother him –so this really isn’t a big deal—but I want to be up front about additional costs.


He is not an outside dog. He needs to live in a home with his owner. If you are an active person looking for a dog companion, please let me know. I am not happy about giving my dog away—but he needs a better living situation. I want to make sure he goes to the right home, so please don’t feel offended if I ask for references as well as some time to see how you and Bear get along. Thanks.

I have to say I was surprised by the number of responses we got and how quickly we got them. The first response I had was from a man named Rick. He and his fiancee were looking for a dog that they could take walking several times a day. They manage an apartment complex that is blocks away from the lake as well as a park with several ponds. The lady—Ellie—in particular was the one who was excited about Bear. She stays at home all day (to manage the complex) and really wanted a walking companion. I met Ellie several days later at the park that was just blocks from their place. I was very happy to discover this was an older couple (kids are grown). They had had several dogs before and had vast knowledge about them. (Rick was at one time married to a dog trainer.) Ellie had previously had a dog that looked similar to Bear and was really looking for a companion.

I met Ellie at a park several days later with Bear. Bear was very distracted by the pond there, but he did well and Ellie thought he was beautiful. She even got to watch him swim. We were unable to meet Rick because he was called out of town on business.

I really liked Ellie and asked her and Rick for some references. When I called, the references had nothing but good things to say about them both and their love of animals. I contacted Ellie once again and told her that I would like Rick to meet Bear and would like Bear to see her place. I was a bit concerned about Bear being in an apartment building and how he would take to all the smells & people. I was also a little concerned about how Ellie’s cats would do with Bear. (Bear loves cats, but it can be questionable if cats love him.) Several days later we were able to meet them. We walked to their apartment (from a nearby park.) It is a beautiful area with lots of parks and people (a very pet friendly area). Their apartment complex was 2 buildings with 4 -6 apartments in each. Next to the apartments was a giant greenspace (bigger than our backyard) that Bear would be able to run. In fact we let Bear off leash for a while and let him play fetch. He really enjoyed it. Their apartment was very nice and very accommodating for a dog his size. Ellie’s cats ran and hid, but that was expected. The visit was great and I could tell that Rick & Ellie were both taken by Bear. I also knew that he would be a great fit for the both of them. The visit was perfect UNTIL….

Ellie was walking Bear as we were heading back to the park when a neighbor of theirs came home. They were holding a little 10 lb dog named “Mitzy”. (Yeah, doesn’t the name say it all?) Well they put Mitzy down to meet Bear and Mitzy lunged at Bear. Bear yelped and stepped back and began barking at the dog. The neighbors quickly picked up Mitzy and made a comment like “She’s not good around other dogs.” And walked off. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that we noticed Bear’s ear was bleeding. Mitzy had bit his ear.

The bite was not bad we cleaned it up figuring for the best. Then Bear shook his head—blood splattered everywhere. All over me, Rob, Ky, Alaina—YUCK! In fact every time he shook his head he would make it bleed all over again. We ended up loading him into the van (and yes he shook in there too—blood all over the new van) and heading to the nearest Walgreen’s. We bought some liquid bandage—but even that was not strong enough for Bear’s shaking.

By then it was bedtime for the kids. We didn’t feel that going to the vet was warranted since it wasn’t bleeding a lot. Rob and I made one last attempt at cleaning his ear and putting corn starch on it. Then I put an old onesie (of Alaina’s) on his head and “Gated” him in his bed for the night. We were hoping that by keeping him laying down for 8 hours or so, the cut would clot enough to withstand his shakes.

The next morning we discovered that it was still bleeding. Rob stayed home from work while I took Bear (onesie and all) to the vet. The vet cleaned his ear up and discovered that it was slightly torn. She then used surgical glue to close it, then bandaged his ear, then bandaged his ears to his head (yes she put the bandage around his head), and then put a cone (or e-collar) around his neck. She said to keep the bandage on for a week and the e-collar on for 2 weeks.

At that point we had already decided on giving Bear to Ellie and Rick, however, with Bear being all bandaged and coned, the last thing I wanted to do was add to his trauma. I called Ellie and asked to do the exchange the following weekend. She happily agreed and asked to pay for his vet bill. This was very nice and reassuring. It was also reassuring to find out that Mitzy was given to someone else and would not be living in the complex with Bear.

Our last week with Bear was a sad yet humorous one. Bear ran into everything with that cone. Poor Alaina. She was the perfect cone height so she was often hit by his big cone head and fell down. He was only upset about the cone for the first day. Following that he seemed to pretty quickly adjust to having it on him. The bandage around his head did not last long at all. It kept falling over his eyes and then we had a blind cone-headed dog. I quickly took that off. The pic you see of him above was shortly before I took the cone off his head. You can see he wasn’t that ecstatic about it being there.

Saturday morning taking Bear to Ellie's was hard.  You can probably tell from the pic above that I had been crying.  We took Bear over late morning with all his stuff.  Ellie & Rick were both excited to see their new companion.  They made him a special name tag with their phone number and bought him some new toys.  Silly Bear had no idea what was going on and was just excited to be out and about. 

We left Bear and he noticed we were going without him as we pulled away.  I can still see him pulling at his leash and yelping after us.  *Heartbreaking*

I talked to Ellie later that afternoon and she said that her and Rick took Bear for multiple walks that day and he seemed to be doing fine.  A week later I called again and she said that he seemed to be settled in.  She said they would go for 2 -3 walks a day and he seemed to already know his way home.  He was great with people walking through the building and was not whining or anything--he seemed to be comfortable with them and not depressed at all.  This was quite a relief to me. 

I had called and talk to the Humane Society before rehoming Bear.  They told me that dogs live in the "now".  While Bear might be sad that we left him, he will quickly readjust to his new family and forget any sad feelings towards what happened.  (Makes me think I wish I could often live in the "NOW"--might be easier.)  This was also reassuring when homing Bear.

Ellie has said that we may contact her whenever we like to see Bear--which I am really grateful for.  I told her we would at least wait 1 month before we contact her because I want to make sure Bear gets settled in. 

So how are our lives without Bear?

Quiet.  It is really weird coming home to an empty house.  No one is excited to see you.  No one is running into the kids and wagging tails in their faces.  It is funny how you really don't know how much you will miss a person until they are gone--and how much their normal everyday behaviors have become a part of your life.  For example, every night I get into bed, Bear (within about 5 minutes of crawling into bed) will come and sniff at me just to make sure I am fine--and then will go lay down on his bed near me.  He also loved to lick my feet (yeah--I know--gross...), but it was his way of showing me affection.  He would also follow me where ever I went.  He was my shadow or almost like a visible guardian angel.  I would clean one room and then go to the next--and he would follow me.  I didn't realize how comforting it was just to have him in the same room as me--until he was gone.

Selfishly, I also really miss his cleaning up after the kids--while he left a lot of hair on the carpet--he would clean up all the food Alaina threw or Kylan dropped.  Now I find myself manually picking it up after each meal--missing him.  Another thing--what do I do with left overs, or the scraps of food on the kids plates?  I am throwing it away now--and that makes me feel guilty (Yeah--I am one of those people who hates throwing food away.)  Bear always got the scraps.  He was like the last piece in our family puzzle.

I have to say most surprisingly--Ky and Alaina have adjusted very quickly to not having Bear with us.  I had a lot of talks with Ky before we rehomed Bear.  He met Ellie and formed an instant bond with her (he drew her pictures and everything.)  And when the day came to give Bear to Ellie, he was just fine with it.  He hugged Bear and then marched to the van to leave.  I think this surprised me the most since I expected to be dealing with Ky's emotions and instead I ended up dealing with my own.

I was quite the mess the first week without Bear--often crying, and quite frankly withdrawn.  I am doing much better now.  I KNOW that I made the best decision for him, and it would have been selfish for me to keep him.  I do hope to visit him this summer and occasionally in years to come (Ellie & Rick welcome our visits.)  I know that my visits will only validate my decision.  Bear was a WONDERFUL dog, that I could not appreciate due to the busyness of little ones.  I know his new owners see his beautiful heart and love him more than I was able.  I am glad that I was strong enough to see this and let him go.  It is true what they say--If you really love something (someone) you have to be able to let them go. 

Bear--here's to your new life full of walks, pettings, love, attention, swims, and boat rides (did I mention they own a boat--Bear is going to LOVE that!).  May your second family be all that you ever dreamed of and more.  I love you!

Building my Cathedrals...

I have had a really rough last couple of weeks. In fact, I have been an emotional wreck the last couple of weeks. Last night was my last MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting (until next year starts.) I honestly did not want to go. I just felt so burnt. However, I am a table leader, and so really I had no choice but to go. I am SO glad I went. Our meeting began with the video above. WOW! What a new, wonderful perspective I have been given.

After the video, we talked about focusing on the big picture as a mother and not getting hung up on the small things. We talked about creating a few big goals and always working towards those--In other words, we talked about not being perfect, but being focused on a few things we want our children to have. My load sure lightened at that meeting. It also gave me new perspective on all moms as a whole.

Rob and I plan to talk in the next week about making a few "BIG" goals for our children. One that we agreed on immediately was to create a home that our children would always want to come back to--and to bring their friends to. We want our home to be overflowing with love and support--a retreat away from the burdens of the world. We want our kids' friends to see us (Rob & I) as parent figures. I had several of these in my life (Thanks Papa & Mama Vander Heyden & Bill & Cheryl Kambs). I can tell you that these couple parents really took me under their wing and have always shown me a tenderness that only a parent could. Their love for me is forever sewn into my heart and for that I will always see them as ones who helped to guide me to become the person I am. And what did they do--what did they ultimately do?--always welcomed me into their home and treated me with the same love they showed their own children.

This video and blog is dedicated to all mothers who have built beautiful cathedrals! May I continue to grow from your architechtural knowledge and create magnificent cathedrals under yours & God's guidance.

Saving Money...Starting with Walgreen's

I was TOTALLY not a Walgreen's shopper.  In fact, I rarely step foot in Walgreen's.  However, Walgreen's is EVERYWHERE!  Which actually made my first step to saving money easy.  I go to the library every week.  Walgreen's is next to the library.  So now when I need to go to Walgreen's, I just park between the library and Walgreen's and do both runs at the same time.  AND I am in and out of the store usually within 5 minutes.  It fits perfectly in my schedule.

So why Walgreen's?  Walgreen's has a program called Walgreen's rewards.  You buy a product, they will then give you a coupon (good for 2 weeks) off your next purchase.  This coupon/reward is often worth the same amount as the purchase price of the product.  THIS is how I get a lot of my necessities for free--shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, feminine necessities, soap, shaving stuff, etc... All I actually pay for is the tax of the item.

What is so AWESOME about this is--you can take that reward and then use it at other stores (the store has to also carry that same product you purchased at Walgreen's to accept the coupon/reward).  I usually take the coupon to my grocery store and apply it towards my grocery bill.  If you reuse the coupon at Walgreen's--things can get complicated...Refer to this link to help you figure that out...(this is why it is just easier to apply the reward to my weekly grocery bill.)

http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2009/09/how-to-get-great-deals-at-walgreens/

There are also neat ways you can actually MAKE money at Walgreen's....Hello Coupon World!

For example, I purchased a razor this week at Walgreen's for $7.99 (See above pic).  The Rewards for this razor was $5.  However, I had a $5 coupon which I used.  Therefore with tax, I only paid $3.34 for the item and received $5 back in Rewards.  So I actually MADE $1.66!  --and it is a nice razor Rob will use.

There are often coupons out there for Walgreen's items that have Rewards--this is how you can "Make" money off the store.  Otherwise, there are plenty of items for free.  (For example, the shaving cream in the pic above is free this week--just pay tax.)

Other great deals (non-rewards) I see at Walgreen's include--dish soap.  You can always stack in-store coupons with Manufacturer coupons.  Often I will get my dish soap for around $0.50 with their in-store 0.99 coupon and a coupon I have.  HONEY!  We go through a LOT of honey.  The cheapest I have found honey is $3.69 for 20 oz at Aldi.  However, Walgreen's has a 32 oz honey that goes on sale about once a month for $3.99 with store coupon AND HERE is a coupon for $1 off that honey--so you can get it for $2.99! ( I will warn you that the coupon will probably not work at the register so the cashier will have to manually enter it in.  I have never had a problem with them accepting the coupon though.)  Computer Paper!  I see this on sale once a month for $2.99 for a ream of paper (with store coupon). Jello/Pudding --yeah--I am not a big fan either, but the kids like it.  Once a  month I see it for 4 or 5 boxes for $1 with store coupon. Sometimes I have also been able to get name brand diapers for around $4 a pack as well by using Rewards and coupons.

Those are the deals I enjoy at Walgreen's.  But like I said, I really just use the store for my freebies and then apply the Reward dollars towards my grocery bill.   This is how I have pretty much eliminated my monthly Walmart run saving us anywhere from $50 - $100 per month.  (And yes--I do stock up on things, because I don't always know when things will next go on sale.) 

Here is my favorite Walgreen's site.  I swear this lady makes a living off this store.  Anyway, she always has the current flier as well as future fliers (up to a month ahead).  She will point out the Rewards Freebies and often link coupons to the items to help you MAKE money.  I check this site once a week to see if I need to run to Walgreen's for the week and what to buy.  Oh yeah--one last thing...sometimes the reward does NOT print out after your purchase (this has only happened to me once in the last 3 months).  If it doesn't, be sure to let them know so they can get you your reward!  Enjoy!
http://www.iheartwags.com/

Writing his numbers....

Ky was writing his numbers today.  He wrote 10, then 20, and then wanted help with 30, 40, etc...so I told him 3 then 0, 4 then 0....  We finally got to 70 and I overestimated him thinking that he had figured the number out.  So when he asked me, I said "SEVEN- TY, What do you think Ky?"  He then proceeded to write "7T".  What a SMART KID!  I guess he hadn't quite figured out the pattern yet! :)

I am not exactly sure how the schools teach kids to count, but here is what I did with Kylan.  (He can count to 100 with minor help.)  After we established 1-20 (through repetition), I taught Ky how to count by 10's.  And like all things I taught him with a song.  Even if he didn't want to sing it with me, I would just keep singing it around him until he finally got it (and I heard him sing it for himself.)  I have also been known to reward with Jelly Beans when he correctly learns a song.  :)

After that I just taught him how the 10's fit in and how then you count from 1-9 with each stage.  For example 20 then goes 20 -1, 20-2, 20-3.  I emphasize the 20 and then just have him count from 1-9 with it.  Then he remembers the next "10" that comes after 20 is 30, so he starts out all over. 

He isn't perfect as sometimes he counts too fast and forgets where he is at or he forgets which 'ten" comes next, but it is pretty awesome for a 3-year-old to count to 100.  Way to go Ky!

The first steps to saving grocery money

I have learned so much in the last few months about saving money.  This is not one of my best purchases--however I will say that this is becoming an average purchase for me.  I have a lot of friends who have been asking me for tips and advice--so I thought I would use my blog to help update people on what I have learned so you can save money as well.  So what did I buy for $12.42... 

2 ice cream (1/2 gallon)
3.5 lb broccoli
3.5 lb apples
20 oz brats
2 boxes of organic cereal
1/2 gallon organic milk
1 gallon whole milk
1 dozen eggs
1 package shredded cheese
1 package sliced cheese
1 gallon apple juice
1 bag fresh salad mix
1 box of juice boxes

Not too shabby.....And the most outstanding thing is that I am buying organic food for cheaper than I buy regular food at Aldi's.  The cereal was 0.80/box.  Both milks were free (yes the organic one too!). The juice boxes were free. The eggs were free.  And the sliced cheese was free.  Now this is how I like to shop!

I have become a coupon shopper the last several months and it has paid off.  Previous to this we shopped at Aldi's every week (cheapest place to get food) and spent $60/week.  We would also make one Woodman's run (the big cheap store) for all the necessities that Aldi's does not carry.  That run would cost us $100.  Our monthly grocery bill was then $340/month.  I have now cut our grocery spending by more than half!  I am very excited by this!  This month I am looking at a grocery bill of $160--and the fabulous thing is--we are eating healthier than ever and enjoying new foods we get for FREE.  I also need to add that I have virtually eliminated our "Walmart" run.  Usually I spend $50 - $75 at Walmart/month for cleaners, toiletries, etc....Last month I spent $10.  This means we are saving over $200 a month!  Yeah Coupons!

Just to make myself clear, I do NOT buy things just because I have a coupon.  (I have a lot of people assume that because I am a coupon shopper I buy things anytime I have a coupon.)  The first step I laid down for myself was never to buy anything I wouldn't normally purchase unless it was FREE.  For example, the Melt Downs in the picture above are cheese slices.  I always buy cheese slices, however these are processed cheese slices (something I would not normally buy).  However, they were free (and in fact I got a 0.40 credit towards my other groceries with the coupon I had).  --the kids will enjoy it and it will be a fabulous treat. 

One may argue that I don't normally buy Organic cereal--however, when I was purchasing our cereal at Aldi's I was spending $1.79/box.  Here I am buying Organic cereal and I only spent $0.79/box.  Good tradeoff! :)  That was step 2, only make substitutes for your normal products if they are cheaper and you know you will eat them!  Which brings me to Step 3, figure out what you are normally spending on certain items and aim for lower!  Now this will include you occassionally looking at the per ounce price.  (Welcome Math people!)  If you normally shop at Aldi, they will break this down for you on their price sticker--when you compare prices at your local super store, you will need to do the math yourself. 

And for my last step of this intro lesson to saving Step 4  Start making a "ROCK BOTTOM PRICE LIST".  Basically this list will consist of your basic grocery items and the lowest price you have been able to find for them.  This will help you to have a shopping "goal"  as well as tell you when to stock up on an item until its next sale.  As you look at fliers you will start to notice a trend.  For example, 3lb of frozen boneless chicken breasts go on sale once every six weeks for $4.88  (this is my rock bottom price!)  I will then make sure I purchase enough packages of chicken to last me the next 6 weeks until the rock bottom price comes around again.  WOO-HOO! 

Not to overwhelm you, I am going to end this blog here and leave you my current ROCK BOTTOM PRICE LIST (which I am still working on--remember I am new at this too.)  If you have any questions, feel free to email or comment.  Otherwise, I will blog again soon with the next steps to saving money!

Jessica's Rock Bottom Price List

Shampoo/Conditioner: Free ( just pay tax)


Soap/Body Wash: Free ( just pay tax)

Kid/Baby Shampoo: ?

Lotion: ?? (Last 4 bottles have been free…)

Pads: Free (just pay tax)

Tampons: Free (just pay tax)

Floss: Free ( just pay tax)

Toothpaste: Free (just pay tax)

Deodorant: <0.50 or free (just pay tax)

Diapers: $4.00 for jumbo size
Toilet Paper: Less than $4.00 for 12 rolls

Dish Soap: 0.50

Cereal: Less than 0.50 a box--though often will get free

Crackers: $1.00

Pasta: Free

Pasta Sauce: $1/jar

Canned Veggies 0.40 can

Frozen Veggies: ??

Stock (Chicken/Beef): $1 / carton

Frozen Pizza: $2 for a fancy pizza (Digiornos, Tombstone, Freschetta)

Bread: 0.75 for whole wheat

Bagels: $1.00

Cheese: $1.25 for 8 oz

Peanut Butter: $1.39

Vinegar: 1 gallon $1.99

Apples : 0.99/lb

Oranges : 0.50/lb

Cantaloupe: $1.50 each

Pineapple: $1.50 each

Bananas: 0.39 lb

Carrots (baby, peeled): $1.00/lb Aldi’s has them 0.49/lb every 1-2 months and I stock up then! Though it doesn’t last until the next sale

Flour: $1.39 5lb bag

Sugar : $2.35 5 lb bag

Fruit Snacks: $1.00
Chicken boneless breasts frozen: $5.00 3 lb bag

Chicken boneless breasts fresh (no hormones): $1.99 lb

Frozen ground beef: $5 for 3lb

Pork ribs/loin/roast: $1.79 / lb

Lunch meat:  (nice shaved real meat): $1.50/ 9 oz

Ice Cream $1.50 / 0.5 gallon

yogurt: $1.45 / 32 oz or $0.30 per multipack (4 cups)

Shopping with Kylan

I'm running some quick errands with Kylan today at Target.  Of course, he is lollygagging and is 15 feet behind me as I am hurrying.  I am stopped however by his sudden yelling.  "MOM!  LOOK!  HERE'S THE THING FOR NIPPLES!"  I horridly turn to look (as well as ALL the shoppers within a 30 feet radius) to see Kylan holding up a very LARGE bra.  A moment I will never forget. 

I LUV NANA

Kylan wrote this during church today.  No help from either Rob or I.  I am IMPRESSED!  If you look carefully you can see that he wrote "I LLUV ANNA"  He has written NANA before, however I don't recall him writing LOVE. Also on the scan the "v" looks like an "n", but if you look on the paper itself you can see he just dragged his pen.  I am assuming he sounded that one out himself--as well as "I".  Now we just need to work on punctuation. :)  THAT'S MY BOY!

Alaina's 18 month pics

I took Alaina to get her 18 month pictures today. I should probably start off by saying, today was not a good day. We woke up to Kylan yelling at Bear over nothing. He woke up the WHOLE house. UGH! I told him to be quiet and then he started yelling "WHY?" Yeah. We were all crabs then, because once Alaina is up, everyone is up.

Rainy Day, bleh, tired kids, bleh, Alaina wanted to be held and eat, bleh, I was trying to make breakfast. It was not the smoothest of mornings.

Anyway, I got Alaina all gussied up and she looked good and was quite the happy girl. We get there and check in, she is as happy as a clam. They take us into the room, and we could not get her to stay still. Then she threw a tantrum. She pulled her hair clip out, laid on the floor, and cried. And what did the photographer do, snap pics. She took a total of 6.

Surprisingly, she actually got one decent pic of Alaina. I ordered the package of it. However, I really wanted a picture of all of her (this is a close-up.) She was in this cute little dress. I might go back and try again. But here is a link (I hope it works for you) and you can look at these pathetic pictures. I really like the close up of her sobbing. Perfect!



Click on this link and type "Jessica Schnake" for customer name. Then click on view images.  Enjoy!

https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTPP0154116092JCP

Alaina...up close and personal.

Alaina's first painting experience (the end of it...)

Marching into Spring!

What a great month March was.  Normally, I dread March.  I always get hopeful with the beginning of spring and then March comes along and snows on my parade--well not this year!  This was by far the warmest March ever.  The day the kids are picnicking--I believe it got up to 83 degrees!  But I know that no good things last..and this probably means we are in for a VERY hot summer. 

March was also good because we were no longer getting sick--and we were back to our vibrant selves.  I also got ALOT of sub days in--which is good money-wise, bad because I miss the kids and would prefer to be with them.  But the Lord has definitely been good to us.

Curriculum-wise, Ky worked on the seasons, the calendar, and weather.  We had a GREAT time--especially since I love weather so much.  The first pic was him fingerpainting on our "Winter" day.  Then the boy clapped his hands and got it EVERYWHERE!  (I am glad we used white for snow, otherwise I am sure it would have stained.)  And now Ky knows not to clap his hands when fingerpainting.  We also made a snowglobe.  This was a very fun craft...though our was a bit cloudy.  I think next time we will use the bigger side of the grater to grate the crayon.

So if you want to make your own snowglobe...you will need, a jar (we used a plastic peanut butter jar) with lid, glue gun, white crayon, grater, and a figure or two for the inside.  Glue your figurine to the inside of the lid.  Then grate your crayon (take off the paper first.)  After you have a couple of tablespoons of snow place it in your jar.  Fill 3/4 full of water.  Apply glue to the rim of your jar and screw on lid.  Let glue dry and then shake!  You have now made your own winter wonderland in a jar!

For the seasons we were also pretty consistant with 2 projects.  The first was to paint what a tree would look like in that season.  The second project was to dress "Kylan" appropriately for the weather.  Ky really had fun dressing his little paper doll self.  I am very proud of him.  He knows the days of the week and all the calendar months.  He seems to understand how they go together. 

Did you see my pics of my savings?  Thank you Pocket your Dollars lady!  You have really changed the way I shop!  The 18 boxes of cereal was my first real test to see how this all worked.  I actually went back 2 more times because I was in such disbelief of my first and second trip.  I just have to type out all that I bought for $16.62.  So here it is....are you ready? :)

18 boxes of cereal
2 5lb bags of whole wheat flour
1 5lb bag or white flour
6 boxes of fruit chillers
1 bag of marshmallows--this is the only thing I paid full price for....Ky suckered me into buying them.
1 tub butter spread
12 double rolls  of toilet paper
1 bottle of Fillippo Berio Olive Oil (my Italian MIL would be very proud!)
3 coupons for 3 gallons of milk
3 coupons for 3 dozen eggs...side note these 6 coupons are awesome...the egg coupons were each worth $1.75 and the milk coupons $3.50...well milk only costs $2.00--so each coupon not only got me a gallon of milk, but also a $1.50 store credit on other things I was buying---same with the eggs.

Anyway...PYD lady has really taught me to play the system...the other day I spent $6.80 and bought

1 gallon apple juice
1 5lb flour
4 boxes whole wheat pasta
2 jars of Ragu sauce
2 jars of skippy all natural Peanut butter
3 lb of broccoli
1 lb baby cut carrots
1 box of margerine
1 large jar of honey roated peanuts
3 dozen eggs
1 gallon of whole milk
1 gallon of skim milk

Seriously!  Isn't this crazy...okay now you can probably tell I am obsessed--and I am.  It has become like a game to me.  How cheap can I buy my food!  And the crazy thing is--all this stuff is brand named items.  We are eating things we have never eaten before.  How fun!  Okay...one last comment and then I will get back to the kids...everyone is asking me--what do you do with all that cereal?  Well, the sweeter cereals become snacks for the kids.  They love Trix as a snack or chocolate cheerios--and hey they are still loaded with lots of healthy things.  We also make trail mixes--(they mix a bunch of different cereals together for a snack.)  You can also make yummy cereal bars or mixes like Puppy chow or Chex mix! Yummy....Hey if you enjoy all this info, I am currently working on a document that is my goal "purchase price" per item.  For example, I will never pay for my whole wheat pasta again!  My last 10 boxes I have gotten for free!  Anyway--more of that to come...but now back to the kiddos...

Alaina is just becoming more of a big girl every day.  She is putting on her own clothes--pants, shoes, socks..and will try with shirts.  She still needs help getting things pulled up, but "WOW" I don't remember Ky doing this.  Her vocabulary is rapidly expanding.  She can now ask "more please" or say "excuse me" (me me) when she burps.  She asks for milk (though anything in a cup is milk to her.)  She will also ask for a snack.  She screams at Ky "STOP".  She will also say to Bear "Bear GO!"  Now that I think about it, she has become a very bossy little lady. :)  She will also say "Clean up" and pick up a mess.  And she LOVES to sing--ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle, Happy Birthday, Clean up song, etc...yeah, I know...I gotta get it on tape

Alaina had an eye appointment--and to our relief she has perfect vision!  YEAH LAINA!  She also had her 18 month check up and weighed in at a whopping 25 lb.  My big girl.  I don't remember her height--but that is because Alaina shrunk....seriously, the nurse was getting upset because she was 1.5" shorter than her last appointment.  I had no worries, her clothes are getting smaller--I told her that they must have screwed up the last time they measured her.  (They remeasured her 3 times to make sure they were right.) It was funny. 

Ky is just an amazing boy.  He keeps me laughing.  Today he asked me if my earrings were screwed into my ears.  :)  We took a pottery class together this month.  Ky had a great time.  He loved making differerent creatures (Bear and a turtle) as well as bowls.  He made this really cool vase.  I will put pics up of his finished projects after we get them back (they have to be fired.)  In April, Ky begins Swim classes and Spanish classes--yes spanish classes.  Ky is obsessed with spanish.  In fact it is starting to get embarassing.  He walks up to other kids speaking spanish and then he says "Ohla....blah blah blah." In other words, starts speaking gibberish.  Of course then the kids look at him weird.  Hopefully, this class will help him to understand about other languages a little better.

In the beginning of March we visited Grandpa Schnake and then had a surprise birthday dinner for Uncle Tom with Aunt Janice, Aunt Linda, and Aunt Sue.  Aunt Janice cooked and once again we enjoyed a gourmet dinner.  The kids had a great time.  At one point Ky fell from the table and broke a mug--you should have seen the look on his face--it was so sad.  He was very upset for not just falling--but I think he felt really bad about breaking the mug.  Aunt Janice had put chocolate milk in this cute little mug for him--and well we never give him chocolate milk or a mug to drink from, so you know he felt really special.  I am sure he was also pretty scared. Poor kid.

Of course, after dinner came dessert.  We were trying to keep it light for Alaina, so I was dipping her nuk in the whipped cream.  Then she started doing it.  It was very cute--and then she grabbed the whole piece of cake and shoved it in her mouth.  She is a very quick girl.  She always keeps us on our toes, and always keeps us laughing.

March 17th was Nana's birthday and so we spent the following Saturday with her.  We took her to Botanos (mexican restaurant) for lunch then we went to the Domes in Milwaukee.  They were beautiful.  I have never seen so many fruit trees.  It was a good time.  The last dome we went to had a train show.  Of course, Mr. Ky was in love.  He intently stared at the trains the whole time.  He even got to watch one of the men light and start a train that ran on butane.  Alaina was very tired (it was about nap time) so she stayed in the stroller the WHOLE time and played with her hair.  

After the domes we back to Nana & G'ma Jan's house and enjoyed these awesome brownies that Rob made.  They were like flourless chocolate cake--so gooey & yummy!  That recipe is definitely a keeper.    

We had an UNBELIEVABLY warm week in March.  Temps were in the 80's.  The kid got a lot of time to play outside.  The daffodils were blooming--Alaina loved the flowers and just being able to run.  (Ky too of course--but this is her first mobile warm weather!)  Of course we enjoyed a picnic.  I pulled out the picnic table and we attempted to eat outside.  It was very cute--and then Alaina wouldn't sit down. She is not the type of kid to sit and eat--she wants to move.  So I had to pull the big highchair out of the house so we could finish the picnic.  It was still wonderful. 

And now I am done....So my goal is to update my blog a little more often...I don't like these monthly updates--I feel I am forgetting too much..So i may just have a short blog entry here and there and probably without pics.  I will then update all the pics later...it is just a little easier for me.  Well, that's all for now!  BYE!

PBS is proud to present...Kylan

Kylan watches VERY little tv. Five hours max a week. And what he does watch is either a video or PBS. Currently his favorite show is SuperWhy on PBS. This is the beginning "commercial" of SuperWhy along with the SuperWhy song. I can't imagine what he would be repeating to us if he watched commericialized tv.

Following God is not always comfortable or convenient....

Today, I was trying to get my Bible reading in over breakfast.  (I pick breakfast because the kids are usually distracted with their food and I can focus.)  I am currently in the beginning of Luke.  To sum things up:  Mary is pregnant, the census is called, and now she 9 months pregnant and has to travel VERY uncomfortably on a donkey's back miles and miles to Bethelham.  They get there, there is no room at the inn.  They are forced to stay in a stable.  You know--a barn--full of cow poop and smelly animals.  And in that dirty place our savior is born.

Well, during this story Alaina is throwing food, Ky is screaming, and now Alaina is trying to stand up in her highchair.  ARGH!  I just want to finish my BIBLE READING KIDS!  So I take away Alaina's food with a swipe of the hand and then hold on to her leg as she continues to scream at the top of her lungs and stand up.  I continue my study and read my Bible footnotes.  (I just need another minute and I will be done!) 

The footnote points out that this was all apart of God's plan for Mary.  She may have been miserable in the time being, but it all had a purpose.  What if she had said "NO" I am not going to Bethelham--the prophecy could not have been fulfilled!  Her dedication to God's plan helped to bring forth my salvation!

That was when I looked up to see my daughter's screaming face (as I am still holding on to her leg).  It may not be comfortable or convenient for me to put my "God" time in, but it is also a part of his plan.  And who knows--maybe somebody else's salvation depends upon it....

Saving at Walgreen's

So I mentioned in my last blog that I was going to do this blog.  I typed up a note during the process to keep track of how profitable my ventures were at Walgreen's. 
Just a brief summary--if you didn't read my last blog--I discovered a new website called www.pocketyourdollars.com (listen up Wisconsin & Minnesota residents!)  This website has been AWESOME in helping me save money.  Anyway--this blog summarizes my 5 week venture to Walgreen's.  I will start with my final summary (if you want to be saved all the details) and then will have each week summed up.  Enjoy!

Total Walgreen's Money spent in 5 weeks: $31.85


What did I buy for that much?

2 Jumbo packages of Huggies diapers
Dove body wash
2 boxes of Kotex
2 HUGE things of honey
2 boxes of raisins
1 Magenetic white board
Hair rubberbands
5 packages of vegetable seeds
3 deodorants
1 box of dried apricots
2 Colgate Total toothpaste
1 dish soap
4 Frappacinos
1 package of paper plates
1 package of Peeps

If I had purchased the above on my own (I will take out the frappacinos, apricots and body wash--since theser are things I would not normally buy) I would have spent about $50 without tax. Hmmm....I think I did pretty good saving about 40% and getting some add'l goodies I would not normally buy. I think I will keep up the Walgreen visits.
 
My Game Plan
 
I do not shop at Walgreen's. However, Pocket Your Dollars is challenging me to try it out and see how much free stuff I can end up getting from Walgreen's. Like all things, you must invest first though.


It actually turns out that going to Walgreen's is pretty convenient for me since it is right next to the library. So after or before our library time we walk over to Walgreen's and make our purchases. I am excited to see how I do and plan to keep track of it in this note to make sure I am getting good return for my investment.

Week 1

Investment $22.60

Item & Price Coupons & Rewards (Ultimate Price)

Purchased Dove's body wash for 5.99 minus $1 coupon received $6 in rewards (+ $1) -I made $1!
Huggies Diapers for 8.99 minus $2 coupon received $3 in rewards (-3.99)
Kotex 2/$6 minus $2 coupon received $3 in rewards (-$1)
Honey $3.99 (Awesome deal!) minus $1 coupon (-2.99)

Went back next day and bought more diapers

Huggies for 8.99 minus $2 coupon minus $6 in rewards (-0.99)
received $3 in rewards
Raisins for $1 purchased b/c 1 coupon per item limit (-1)

So for $22.60 in week one I bought 2 packages of diapers, 2 packages of pads, honey (and this was a big THING OF HONEY!), body wash and raisins AND I have $9 in rewards to spend next week. Hmmm...This is looking pretty good!

Week 2, We were sick, blah blah blah--and there weren't very many good promos. However, I did go in and buy a white board i needed with surprisingly competitive pricing to Walmart/Target

White Board $4.39 minus $3 in rewards (-1.39)
Total spent at Walgreens 24.22 and still have $6 in rewards

Week 3

I discovered http://www.iheartwags.com/ which gives you fabulous ideas on rewards money AND previews the next month of fliers--so now I can plan ahead on what weeks to use rewards and even skip weeks! WOO-HOO!

Today I spent $0.79 total and received $2 in rewards for....

Hair rubberbands 2.99 (I needed these!) minus $3 in rewards (+0.01)
PLUS received $2 in rewards
Vegetable seeds 5/$1 minus another $3 in rewards (+2.00)
Right Guard Deodorant 2/$3.39 minus $2 coupon (-1.39)
Dried Apricots Bought as filler to exceed rewards (-1.00)

Total spent at Walgreens $25.01 with $2 Rewards to use.

Week 4

2/28 Did a quick run to Walgreens because i had a coupon that expired today and I couldn't pass up getting Toothpaste 25 cents and I needed dish soap. Today I spent $1.39. I have to say I am very excited about my trip on Tuesday b/c I will pick up two things of floss for FREE! YEAH!

Colgate Total Toothpaste 2.99 Had 75 cent off coupon minus $2 in rewards (-0.24)
PLUS received $2 in rewards
Dish Soap 0.89 in store coupon (-0.89)

Total spent at Walgreens $26.40 with $2 in Rewards to use.

3/2 Looking back, I should not have bought the deodorant--it was not a wise purchase--though it was an investment for my future purchases--however, I usually do better. Despite this, I did well--and even splurged buying Rob 4 Starbucks Frappacinnos for $1. I also learned that I cannot use coupons that exceed the purchase price of an item (which seems odd to me, since most stores will let you do that...) Oh well--I guess I will have to get my 2 free flosses at Walmart. :)

Today I spent $4.05 and received $3 in rewards.

4 Frappacinnos $5 I also had 4 $1 off coupons (-1.00)
Paper plates 0.99 This was my filler item and as good as I normally pay! (-0.99)
Lady's speed sitck $1.99 had a 0.50 Q and used $2 in rewards PLUS earned $1 rewards (+1.50)
Colgate Total T-paste $2.99 had a 0.75 Q and earned $2 in Rewards (-0.25)

Total Walgreens Spent: $30.45 and I have $3 in Rewards

Week 5--Final week.

This week is my final week in this note because I did not get any rewards. There just wasn't anything good or what i needed, so I did not buy those items. This also gives me a good last tally to see if this is worth it. (Especially since next week I can get Colgate Sensitive toothpaste for better than free with Rewards! and start all over again.)

I spent a total of $1.40

GIANT Honey 3.99 -$1 Q -$3 rewards +.01
Peeps 0.39 Filler Item & Ky's Easter basket! -.39
Raisins 1.00 Filler Item and I needed them. -1.00

Ky's Education & First Valentine's Day

Where do I begin.  Well, good thing I have all these pics to help me remember what the kids have been up to.  The first pic is of Alaina with Bears dog collar aorund her neck.  Yeah--I am not too happy about this.  She figured out how to take off Bear's collar and put it around ehr own.  Hmmm..Can we say choking hazard? 

I have a lot of pics of Ky and his schoolwork in this blog.  He works so hard at his projects and learning things, I just don't want to forget these moements.  Also, it makes me feel a little better when I have to toss alot of the theing  he has worked on.  I can't keep them all! 

February was a rough month.  Ky got sick the first Sunday night, so we ended up taking care of him all day Monday.  A little side note to this.  He woke up in the middle of the night (on his own) and ran to the bathroom and puked in the toilet-BY himself!  and it is not often this little guy gets sick.  Rob and I actually woke up to the sound of him puking.  What a BIG KID!  (However this trend did not last...)

Then the following Sunday Rob got sick, then that night Ky got sick and then that morning I got sick.  We were quite the hosuehold.  None of us had gotten sleep except Alaina who was rearing to go.  AND on top of all that they were working on the house so it was constant banging.  It was a rough day for all of us.  BLEH!  Then shortly after that we found out Alaina had RSV...but I will get to all those fun details soon enough. 

Ky attended his first official Valentine's party.  We bought dinosaur V cards and everything.  He had lots of fun signing his name on them all (though we could only sign it "KY" because the cards were so small.)  I also had him write his friends' names on the cards.  It was great writing practice for him as well as figuring out what letters went in each name.  I was very proud at how well my boy did.   BTW--did you know that valentine cards no longer come with envelopes?  I thought they were missing when I brought home the box.  But nope--I guess that is the thing of the old days.  Perhaps we are trying to save paper, or maybe the companies are cheaper? 

The Valentine's party was at Chuck E Cheese.  What better place to have it!  Ky had a blast, and Alaina enjoyed herself too.  I had called the doctor that morning for Alaina though--the last couple of nights she had woken up trembling.  And it just seemed like she was having a hard time breathing.  I thought she might have illness induced asthma (my friend's kids has that) since she was dealing with a cold.  She was very tired at Chuck E (you can see from the pics), but I also just figured it was from being up at night.  The doctor couldn't get me in until after the V day party, so I figured we would just go and then go to the doctor after that.  Well turns out my poor girl had RSV--which is pretty serious and contagious.  It is a respiratory illness which can be very dangerous for children under 2 since their lungs aren't fully developed (tubes aren't as big.)  I guess older people will get it, but it will just be a cold.  Anyway, the doc sent us home with a nebulizer and we had to fight with her four times a day giving her breathing treatments.  Poor girl!  It was rough.

Back to Chuck E....My kids were so funny when Chuck E came out.  Alaina just stared at him.  She did not want to get too close, but she wanted to keep an eye on him.  Maybe she was making sure he didn't come too close to her.  Ky kind of just stood there.  He eventually did wave to Chuck E, but that was it.  Very cute.

You will notice that I have the kids "working" in some of my pics.  I have been really trying hard to come up with things that Kylan can do to help around the house.  Responsibilities just for him.  A couple of his responsibilities include helping to empty the dishwasher.  He does silverware (and Alaina likes to help hand him the silverware) and tupperware--two things I don't have to worry about him breaking.  He also is in charge of laying out Alaina's diapers for me so I can easily put in the liners and fold.  I have tried to get him to help fold the laundry--but right now he just makes even more of a mess for me to redo.  He will match socks and help put away his and Alaina's clothes.  He is doing a really nice job with these new chores--AND I have yet to hear him complain.  I have let him know that these are his special jobs, and they are ways for him to help out in the house, and he has PROUDLY owned them.  Let's just hope things stay this way! :)

The Wednesday after we ALL got sick, Ky was invited to a birthday party for the neighbor boy.  He was very excited, and had been acting fine for the 24 hours prior, so we let him go.  I gave him the presents and he happily walked to the neighbors house by himself (3 houses away.)  It was a party that no parents were needed.  This was a VERY big moment for me, watching my little man walk by himself to a party.  Yeah--you see the pics I took.  What's even worse is that during this sappy mom moment, I managed to shut poor Alaina's fingers in the door, but instead of quickly running her to the faucet, I kept snapping pics of Kylan and watching to make sure he made it to the neighbors house.  (Now--I'm not that terrible, I was holding Alaina and apologizing the whole time.  And I made sure they weren't bleeding or anything...She was fine....I ran water over her fingers after that and she forgot about the whole thing.)  Sorry Laina!  Love you!  You will understand someday when you have kids of your own.

So Ky went bowling at this party--and daddy actually ended up joining them late to help out.  It turns out, Ky started feeling sick at the party and didn't tell anyone.  I got this worried call from my neighbor because she thought he was going to puke.  By then Dad got there and Ky pulled it back together.  In fact he pulled it back together so well that he waited until 10PM that night to vomit all over his bed and the floor.  UGH!  I think he just ate the yummy birthday food too quick.  We had been having a pretty bland diet until that party.  Poor kid.  He was fine the next day though...However, I will say my laundry pile has never been higher OR stinkier!  I am so glad we have several extra sheets and stuff.  Not to mention a carpet cleaner!  YUK!

I have started to let Alaina play with play-doh.  She does pretty well--Even better when I give her a nuk--then she doesn't normally eat any.  She has been doing a lot of things lately showing how much she is growing.  She loves to play with her baby dolls.  One of her favorite things to do with them is snag some rags/towels from the kitchen and then cover the babies and tell them "night night". 

She has become a big fan of reading certain books.  "Don't cry big bird' (used to be one of Ky's favorites) is now her favorite book and she wants it read to her every night.  She also likes "Marvin K. Mooney will you please go now" (also used to be one of Ky's favorites.)  She is really funny because she will point out the book and then grab your hand and put it on the book if you are not fast enough. 

She loves singing "ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle, and Over, Under"  I gotta get her on tape soon and post it.  Too cute! 

In my last blog, I told the story about Alaina stealing an apple off the dining room table. Well that has become a regular occurrence. So of course I have some lovely pics of her with her apple. You can just see in her eyes how proud she is of herself. I also have pics of her trying to get on the computer. The little booger! She works hard to get what she wants.

She also has started dressing herself. (I am serious).  She can put on her socks and as of the other day, she put on a pair of pants--but just didn't get them pulled up all the way.  It was funny, she walked in the room with these pants up to her knees.  She was so proud of herself.  She also can partly put on her coat and can easily put on her hat.  I have some pics of her in Ky's coat and hat and boots--she did that herself and was telling us "bye bye".  I guess she had plans to be somewhere.

Ky has really been working hard on learning.  We have done opposites--which he did GREAT at, shapes, a brief overview on plants (notice the celery in red water), and weather (this of course has been my FAVORITE theme.)  We had a lot of fun doing various experiments with weather.  His word recognition is really coming along and he can spell some simple words--Mom, dad, cat, train, etc..  I think I mentioned in my last blog that we have stepped back from reading with the BOB books--though the boy is so close that I it is hard for me to contain myself.  He will sound out words--but if it is more than a couple--he is done.

Grandpa and Uncle Ry came at the end of February for a train show.  Ky had a blast--an afternoon with the boys and trains--what could be better?!  Dad forgot the camera so I have no pics :(  However I did get pics of Grandpa's tea party with Alaina!  Too cute! 

Alaina and I were blessed to have a girl's day so what did we do?  SHOPPING!!!!  Okay--so here is my quick spiel on my latest shopping adventures.  I have discovered a new website called pocketyourdollars.com (listen up Wisconsin and Minnesota residents.)  This lady has the ulitmate way to SHOP!  She has your local grocery store fliers ( and department stores) and then she lists the great deals and hyperlinks coupons so you can print them out and SAVE money...So I have been tinkering with this site since the end of January and I have been saving LOTS of money.  I have a pic listed of a Target run....one of my first ventures using her site...I got all the clothes on clearance racks (so they were a majority of my $8.85 purchase).  I had a coupon for the eggs to get them free and then the crackers were less than $1 each, and the tuna was free with a coupon.  OH YEAH!  This site is awesome.  Now whenever I know I have to run to Walmart or Target, I just simply look on her site and see what the good deals are and print out coupons.  After this post I will post my new experience with Walgreen's, my other money making/saving adventure.  I have also started buying my groceries at the local store instead of Aldi.  (Though I still purchase a majority of our produce at Aldi.)  I am getting so much for free that it is worth it (in my next blog with pictures I will show you the 18--yes 18 boxes of cereal I got for $1.50---yes you heard me right $1.50  and those 18 boxes of cereal got me 3 free gallons of milk and 3 free dozen eggs!)  Thank you Pocketyourdollars--you are really saving us money and changing our spending for the better!

And since I am telling you all my money savings...I should just reiterate SWAGBUCKS one more time.  Rob and I have now made $50 in gift cards to Amazon.com in about 3 1/2 months.  I have bought a book, a magazine subscription, and Rob will be purchasing a DVD player (ours broke) with this money.  I can't believe how nice it is just to simply do my google searches on their site and then be rewarded with "swagbucks" that accummulate.  I then can redeem those swagbucks for gift cards at many different stores.  (Rob and I like Amazon since it has EVERYTHING and many different sellers to choose from.)  Anyway here is my promo code--sign up under me and we will both get extra swagbucks.  I love this site!  http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Ravenjet  or you can click on the banner below.



Well, I am going to end this blog here...I gotta get working on March!  YEAH SPRING!  It has been TOOOOO long! 

January....oh yes...January

In the words of Daddy, "We just got our little tax credits to bed." --Yeah he just got done filing taxes.


Life at the Schnake household has pretty much halted in the last few months. I am getting almost NOTHING done--this includes housework. By the time I get the wee lass down for a nap, I am exhausted and am taking a mental break to prepare myself for the next round until Daddy gets home. She just doesn' t quit. From getting up in the morning, she is constantly climbing on stuff and prying things open. EVERYTHING has become a step stool for her. She pulls down gates and runs when she knows she is in trouble. Let me give you an example of this little girl's tenacity.

Day 1--The computer and printer are on the desk in the living room--where they have always been. Well, Alaina has learned how to crawl up chairs, so now she climbs up on the desk chair and BANGS on the computer. (I apologize if you have received any emails from me with random garble in it--you can assume it was from Alaina.) So--as a parent--simple solution--push the chair in.

Day 2--Alaina has figured out how to pull chairs out. Now the computer is her favorite toy again. I take her down, push the chair in, turn around and discover Miss Alaina seated at the dining room table (did I mention she is FAST!) meaning she pulled the chair out there, and munching on an apple. (I keep a bowl of fruit on the table.) The optomist in me is saying--well at least she is sitting at the table and isn't ON TOP OF IT--like I have often found her. And hey--an apple is healthy. I set her in her high chair to finish her apple.

Day 3--I moved the dining room chair with arms to the computer desk. My thought on this was--she would have to pull the chair WAY out in order to get into it. This is very hard for her. She ususally only pulls chairs out 4-5 inches and shimmies her way into them. Well--I was right, it was too much for her to move--HOWEVER--She uses one of her toys as a step stool to get up onto the couch, next to the computer. From there she climbs up the arm of the couch and somehow careens herself on top of the desk--COOL! Now she can bang on the computer with her whole body. *SIGH*

Day 4--I move the couch some to make things a little more difficult for her. Miss Monkey moves her little Tykes table toy over to the desk chair. She uses it as a ladder (yes a ladder) to climb up and over the arm of the desk chair.

Day 5 --Please pray for me and my sanity. As of now, I put her on a time out every time I find her banging on the computer. There have been MANY MANY MANY time outs. I honestly don't know what more to do other than cover all the walls with mattresses and remove all furniture and breakables--but even then I am SURE she would find something to get into.

I need some warm weather.  Can you tell?  Alaina is everywhere all the time.  I go to bed exhausted, the house is a mess.  I clean up one thing that she has gotten into/destroyed and I turn around and I find her in something new.   It is an ENDLESS cycle.  I go to bed exhausted feeling like I did nothing all day (because the house looks the same as when we woke up) and yet all I did was pick stuff up. 

It is funny too--because she seeks out my mistakes, like leaving a chair pulled out or if Ky leaves the bathroom door open--then she runs in there.  The best way to get her to the bathroom if you need to change her diaper is to simply leave the door open.  Within 60 seconds she will discover it and run in there.  On the other hand if I call her and tell her to come so I can change her diaper, she will run the other way. 

The weekend of MLK we went up to Shawano on a get away.  It was a nice time.  We forgot something--of course--which just happened to be Alaina's booster chair.  She actually did really well though without it.  We were really concerned that since she wasn't strapped in she was going to be all over and tossing food, but amazingly I think she enjoyed being a big kid so much that she acted the role.  (Though of course once we got home she went right back to the high chair.)  When she can eat with a plate in front of her (and not toss it on the floor) then she can sit at the table with us. 

Ky had a blast at Grandpa & Grandma's cottage because there were trains in the basement.  He spent hours down there watching them and starting and stopping them.  On Sunday we took the kids sledding at a big hill.  It was a really neat hill--actually it was two hills with a valley in between.  We all had a lot of fun.  Alaina was very non-chalant about the whole sledding adventure.  I am sure my little dare devil wanted us to take her on the more steep side of the hill, but I was not going to chance a wipeout with her.  It was so funny watching her face as she came down.  She was just taking it all in--no smile, no nothing.  Ky had a good time as well, though eventually all he wanted to do was eat the snow, so then we decided to call it quits.  We went back for Hot chocolate and lunch.  It was funny, I put the hot chocolate in front of Ky and said "Don't drink it yet, it's too hot" and of course what did he do--chug-a-lug--and then spit--EVERYWHERE--and then he cried.  Lesson learned.  I love those natural lessons where you can just sit back and watch.  Kylan--this is why it is important to listen to Mom & Dad.

So the theme of January was shapes and opposites.  I took a picture of Ky making his fruit pizza because he was SO excited.  We made it using a simple sugar dough and then cream cheese for the cream and on top of that we cut fruit into triangles.  And finally we cut it into triangles.  What a great way to celebrate the shape. 

Mid-January they began residing our house.  If you remember before I mentioned that we got hit with some golfball sized hail last July.  We had some pretty nice dings in our siding so the insurance company was kind enough to pay to replace it.  We had aluminum before, and through a friend we were introduced to a company that does seamless steel--which is a step above aluminum.  Well the owner was a nice guy and offered to do our house for the price of aluminum!  YEAH!  And to add to it he said he would also side our sunporch (which was not sided) for no extra cost.  We signed on the dotted line pretty quickly.  We decided on our colors in October--a cream with red shutters.  We did a lot of research and found that the lighter the color of siding, the bigger your house appears (thinking resale).  Also we found that lighter colored houses tend to sell quicker.  We chose red shutters because it went with our brick walkway and it also reflects the colors inside our house.  In October I even painted part of the sunporch to match the eventual new siding.  We were pretty excited. 

Like I said, in January they began the work.  It took a long time though.  They make each piece of siding on site (that is why it is seamless) and they make sure it is perfect.  Our neighbor had her house redone in vinyl and they did it in 2 days.  You could really tell how thoughtful our company was since it took them so long.  They would also ask us questions before they did things and warn us/fix othere things that were not right.  We definitely will go with them again in the future if we need anything.  The workers were so nice.  You will see the finished house revealed in the next blog.  It is FABULOUS!  and looks QUALITY!  I really feel bad for my neighbor next door who did vinyl, even she is wishing she hadn't.  It just doesn't look as nice and you can see all the seams in her vinyl--and even more so next to our house which has none.  It's funny--I was really upset with all the damage the hail caused to my garden in the summer--but God had some good blessings up his sleeve--that loss was worth the new siding 50 times over.

You will also notice some pics of Ky with some kids outside.  We went on a little exploration trip at a nature preserve.  The kids had a nature kit and we explored the nature area.  It was a chilly time.  And since we had trouble even finding the paths we were wandering into really deep snow drifts.  It was okay--but I think next time we will wait for things to thaw out a bit.  It looks like a cool nature reserve--just not as much fun in the winter.

At the end of the month Rob and I had a mini get away.  I am so thankful to have a husband that thinks about these things and plans them.  He heard of a marriage seminar in town called "Laugh your way to a better marriage."  So he bought us tix to that and then booked a room for us at a B & B down the street.  He also arranged to have Nana & G'ma Jan stay the night and watch the kids.  It was  a great time.  We stayed at "The Speckled Hen B& B" which is just a few miles down the road from us.  The owners have lots of property and actually built the B&B separate from their house.  If we do a B & B eventually we will also do the same (we don't want to live with constant visitors.)  The house was wonderful.  They even had their own wine cellar.  Very cool! 

The next morning we went to our seminar.  It was very funny and so true!  Definitely worth the money, if this seminar comes to your area.  We were laughing the WHOLE time.  We also learned some new things about ourselves and each other.  After the seminar we went to a tapas restaurant and had a nice relaxing dinner.  Thank you Rob so MUCH for investing in our relationship.  I had a wonderful time!

A couple of stories from the past month.  Since I have had kids I have been in the men's restroom more times than I ever thought I would.  First of all, Alaina is magnetically drawn to the men's restroom--and if the door is open--she will run.  Secondly, when Ky has got to go--he has to go--and I am not going to wait in line in the ladies restroom when the men's room is vacant.  I bring this up because we were at the library last week and Ky had to go.  There were three ladies/children in line for the restroom, yet the men's was empty.  I had KY walk in and verify it was empty and then accompanied him in.  When we walked out, we got some dirty looks.  OH WELL!  GET OVER IT!

And finally to wrap up this blog entry...kid updates...
Funny story with Kylan---

All the siding had just been ripped off the house and we were coming home.  I exclaimed "The house is naked" and Kylan said "WHAT?!"  He didn't understand my metaphor.  So I explained to him that the siding was like the house's clothes and since they took that off it's like the house is in it's underwear. We got out of the van and went inside.  A few minutes later I noticed Ky wasn't with me.  I went looking for him and finally found him outside.  I asked him what he was doing and he said "I'm looking for the house's underwear!"  HA HA!

Ky was sitting on time out crying and I told him I was not starting the timer for his timeout until he stopped crying.  He then screamed "I'm never going to stop crying!"  Yeah--it was a very long time out.

Ky words of wisdom "When a book doesn't open, you can not read it."  A wise kid indeed!

Kylan was eating lunch one day when he turned to me and said, "Mom, I want to munch your head off."  Hmmm...still debating if this is a good thing or a bad thing...

I have accomplished convincing Kylan that Rob wipes his butt better than I do.  It took some work, but it has all paid off.  I mean who enjoys wiping their kid's butt?  So each time I would do it, I would say "Man--I am just no good at doing this.  Daddy is so much better."  The payoff--Ky now only wants Daddy to do it when Daddy is home!  YEAH ME!  Mommies--take note!

We have stepped back from reading for now with Ky, but he is continuing to recognize words and sound them out. I stepped back because he was getting annoyed with trying to read some of the beginner books. I think it is just a bit too much for him right now. Sentences can be awfully intimidating at his age. I continue to write words on his hand almost every day though--and that has really helped with his word recognition.

Alaina says shoes, socks, duck, dog, peep peep (chick), woof woof (dog), all done, clean up, hi, by, mommy, daddy, kylan--but it does not sound like Kylan---it usually takes me a few minutes to figure out what she is saying, sorry (wawa), please, excuse me (meme).  Excuse me is too cute!  Whenever she burps she says "meme" in a little embarassed voice.  I am sure there is more, but I can't remember...oh well!  That is it for January...soon to come..,.FEBRUARY! 

Ky vs. Dinner

Getting Ky to even taste dinner has been a constant battle.  Watch these videos and then the last one.  The last one was recorded after the first two...Ahhhh...Children...they always leave you laughing...

Ky vs. Dinner Part 1


Ky vs. Dinner Part 2


Ky likes mommy's food?

Using the blog for good...

I received an email the today from a local radio station Z104 Madison/ 97.3 BREW CREW Milwaukee.  They invited me to enter their contest "DITCH MY DUD".  You simply write a 100 word essay on why you have the worst spouse. They will then "air" the top letters. The one with the highest vote gets their divorce paid for. Here is a link to their contest: http://radiobase1.clearchannel.com/front/OpenContest.asp?Action=Login&SurveyID=57432&zx=530



I am pretty appalled.  Thus, I am asking anyone in the Madison/Milwaukee area who wants to keep families together to write to the radio station.   I attached my letter to them below and here are some email addresses if you would also like to send a letter.

email addresses:

connieandfish@clearchannel.com, laurasteele@clearchannel.com, nathantonarelli@clearchannel.com, kerrywolfe@clearchannel.com, enidparkinson@clearchannel.com, christinaking2@clearchannel.com

Hi,

I would like to start this email by saying I have neversent an email like this before. This is my first. I am a teacher, a parent, and a wife and was shocked to find an email in my inbox offering to PAY for me to ditch my husband. Not only that, asking me to write a letter against him which can be shared with the rest of your listening audience. I understand your desire to promote your radio station, but this contest is going too far. 
I am a teacher. I have worked with hundreds of students from torn apart families every day. These
students listen to your radio station. How great do you think it would be for them to hear their mom's letter on the radio saying nothing but TERRIBLE things about their Dad? And even if they didn't hear it on the radio--you know these kids will HEAR it later from word of mouth, podcasts, etc...

Instead of having a contest to tear apart families and marriages, why don't you have a contest to put families back together. What kind of "INVESTMENT" do you think you are making to America's future by offering to pay for a family to be torn apart--not to mention have many other families get trashed on the air.

How about a contest to see what families are willing to do to STAY together--to MAKE things work? How about offering counseling or get away time to some of these stressed and overworked husbands and wives who have just lost each other in the busyness of life. This is the type of investment you should consider making for these couples and more importantly the children of these couples--HOPE that it can be worked out.
I would really love to see you guys take on the challenge and respond to this email. I know you most likely
won't, but please just take a few minutes to think about it. Let's rebuild families NOT tear them apart.

Jessica Schnake

LuLu Responds!

Amazingly, 2 days after I sent that email and posted to my blog as well as some things on Facebook, Lulu contacted me.

They apologized for sending me incorrect calendars and told me they were sending me corrected ones immediately.  Days later (after the email), I received the calendars for the correct year. 

First of all I would like to thank Lulu.com for responding and correcting the error quickly.  At the same time, I am still annoyed that I had to wait so long for them to respond.  Why does the "angry" customer finally get the company's attention?  And only after posting negative reviews about them on 3 different sites? 

I just wanted to update my blog and let people know that I was given a response from the company and they corrected their error.  If you choose to use Lulu.com in the future, I would do so with caution.

Do NOT order Products from LULU.com

We ordered a series of calendars online from a website called lulu.com.  We ordered them mid-December.  We received the calendars in record time, however we quickly discovered they were 2009 calendars.  *Interesting*.  So we ordered calendars in December of 2009 and they sent us 2009 calendars...hmmm..how does that happen. 
Anyway we emailed the company asking them to please correct the problem.  They never emailed us back or even addressed our complaint. At this point we are very angry--having spent a significant amount of money on these calendars.  Here is where you have to LOVE modern technology.  To all my blog readers---NEVER purchase anything from LULU.com.  You do not know what you will be sent and if you get sent something incorrect, they will NOT follow up with you.  Please pass this  info along to your friends.   Stay away from LULU self publishing MY LULU and of course LULU.com.  (I am trying to put their name in here lots of different ways in case anyone googles them --they can see what this company is all about.)  And finally--I would like to enclose my last email to the company.

Problem:  LULU website


Describe the problem:   We emailed over a month ago with a complaint on the calendars you sent us. You NEVER emailed back or even ACKNOWLEDGED our complaint. We are very angry with your company and its procedures for having NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. For the record, I would like you to know that I will NEVER be purchasing anything from your company again--and I will be sure to let my friends and fellow employees know about your indifference towards your customers and their purchases. I will also be sharing this info on my blog and Facebook. You have to LOVE modern technology.
Your Ignored Former Customer,
Jessica Schnake