It's Not Free...But...

I have attempted the whole coupon game many times. I go through phases where I am little more diligent than others. And I just haven't found the quick an easy way for me, yet. But I love it when I realize how much I just saved. It really is a game and who doesn't like to win and save money.

Well, last week I went to a coupon class by my friend Melissa, who knows all the rules to the game and is dang good at it. For example she never pays a dime for diapers and she has so many her kids out grow them before she can use them all.

So here I go again, attempting to win the game. This week I tried the CVS deals and this is what I got, not for free, but it still feels like I won.

I paid $16.43 for all of this AND I got a total of $10.79 in extra bucks that I can use on my next visit. So you could look at it like I got all this for $5.64 or just wait till my next purchase. I am going to make it work so that I get everything free.

Yesterday, I picked a prescription up at CVS and got $3 in extra bucks and $10 off a purchase of $50 or more. I don't usually shop there because prices are usually higher than Wal-mart, but not when it works out for free.

Can you feel that I am getting the coupon fever again?

Another Just For Fun Friday - Amber & Melissa

Only because I know she will read this, did I think to post this. Amber is my cousin Janie's daughter, I am just going to call her my cousin. She is 20 weeks pregnant and has a cute little one year old, Van. And a pretty nice husband too. How is that Mike? And they now live 25 minutes away from us.

Well, for the longest time in our house she was known as one of the little girls in white. Her and her sisters with their long blonde hair and pretty white dresses added the extra flare we needed at our wedding reception. They were so cute, still are cute - actually beautiful.  And I just wanted to post these then and now pictures

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Just for Fun Friday, NOT! Love Bugs

I was running an errand for a friend today and was in old town Katy with Love Bugs swarming all around me. I realized this was going to be a bad season of them. Then tonight as I was sweeping and mopping my kitchen floor, yes, I know it is a Friday night, I found lots of Love Bugs in my house. They are harmless, just extremely annoying and just another Texas bug. Anyway, I know them as Love Bugs and was curious what they were really called. So, here is a little of what I found.


Soon after rainy periods in the spring and especially in the fall in the wooded Upper Coast counties of Texas, "lovebugs ' emerge as adults and mate in swarms around roads and buildings. These insects are actually flies (Diptera) of the family Bibionidae, having the scientific name, Plecia nearctica Hardy. The common name "lovebug" has been given to these black colored, orange-backed flies because they are most often seen flying around in mating pairs.

Just For Fun Friday - Ethan's 10th Birthday Pictures

Ethan had a birthday party with some of his friends this past week. Steve took half a day off to take Ethan and four other boys, Jacob, Josh, Nick and Josh, to the see Surf's Up at the movie theatre and then took them to Ethan's place of choice, Whataburger.


When they came home we opened presents, and had Ethan's choice of birthday cake, brownies. Then the boys played with a Nerf gun set one of the boys gave Ethan. They were having a great time and I made them pose for a picture. This is the picture I took, when one of the boys, Ethan, thought it would be funny to shoot at Mom. And it would have been had it not hit me right in the eye. Talk about good aim and with a Nerf Gun.

Here is a picture of my eye a couple of days later, I was nervous that the red would never go away. Of course I'm fine, just know now to wear protective eye gear when taking pictures of boys with guns.
Thank you Steve for making this the easiest birthday ever.

We were sitting around the table later that week and talking about when the kids were going to be Aunts and Uncles. And we explained how it all worked, but Ethan said he was an Uncle already. Well, my cousin's daughter and family, Amber, Mike and Van, just moved to Sugarland and we had them over for the 4th of July and just to make it easy we told Ethan he could be Van's Uncle. And then he got all excited to invite them over for his birthday dinner. I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner, but it was cute to see them all get excited to have them come.

So we were able to celebrate Ethan's birthday with Amber, Mike, Van and Amber's brother Bryce, who was visiting. We greatly appreciate them daring to come back, since anytime anyone visits all four kids start to get more excited then normal. But they all loved taking care of little Van, their nephew.

Amber & Mike
Me & Van
Rachel & Van

We had Steve's famous BBQ pizza, salad, Rootbeer (that Rachel shook up - nothing like flat rootbeer), and brownies for Ethan's birthday cake. And again it was the easiet birthday ever. Steve did the cooking and even though I would have happily made Ethan a real birthday cake, he wanted brownies. Steve also did the gift shopping.

Football tickets to a Texas A&M game.
I am not sure who gave him this.
Ethan, Bryce & Matthew (Bryce totally reminds me of my brother, Ryan)
As you will notice in the pictures, after many discussions on what to get our 10 year old for his birthday; yes, we decided on a BB Gun. I am sure I will have lots to tell later about this.

Just For Fun Friday-MaMa Mia!!

I just loved this movie. You have to see it with a bunch of girls, it wouldn't have been the same with my husband, who has actually seen the real musical in Chicago, I love you, sweetie. It makes you want to get up and dance, sing out loud, laugh out loud, go home and jump on your bed and just loosen up a little bit about life. Even if James Bond is singing and Meryl Streep is dancing like she is 21 again.

Another thing I love about this movie is that I only paid $6 instead of $9. I told the guy at the ticket window that I needed one senior ticket, while I was totally laughing, and assumed he charged me the full price. Well, I was just checking my bank statement and he charged me the senior ticket price. Thanks Dude!

And who doesn't love ABBA. It reminded me of a great night I had on the Royal Caribbean, Majesty of the Seas ship on our cruise to the Bahamas with the ladies in the family. There was a "cruise ship show" dedicated to ABBA and as much as I just wanted to laugh at them, mostly at what they were wearing, I really loved every minute of it. So, thumbs up for MaMa Mia.

Thanks Ladies or shall I say, "Darlin's" for a great GNO. And who is up for an ABBA karaoke night?
Check out my MaMa Mia Playlist below!