Tuesday, January 31, 2012

February Menu Plan

1- Italian Style Tater Tot Casserole, salad

2 - crockpot black bean and salsa chicken, rice

3 - Tortellini vegetable soup, sandwiches

4 - Italian sausage stew, noodles

5 - Toasted Monkey sandwiches, smoothies

6- Spaghetti & Meatballs

7- Fish, noodles, vegetables

8- Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Sandwiches

9- Pizza and salad

10- takeout

11- peanut butter and apple crescents, smoothies

13- Spaghetti & Meatballs

14- Oven baked chicken legs, rice a roni

15- leftovers

16- pierogies, vegetable

17- Pasta with chicken thighs (or legs)

18- sausage stroganoff, salad

19- kid's choice (mac n cheese, hot dogs, fish sticks, etc - whatever they decide)

20- Spaghetti & Meatballs

21- Fish, noodles, vegetables

22- Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Sandwiches

23- Pizza (mexican)

24- takeout

25- frittata, potatoes, sausage

26- chicken nugget tacos, rice

27- Spaghetti & Meatballs

28- chicken osso bucco

29- leftovers


Snacks -
Slammin Graham Cracker PB&J Nachos

Thursday, January 26, 2012

I know what I was feeling...

but what was I thinking? That's how the song goes, right? So true.

J did it again. Duped me. Took advantage of my kindness. You can not even give that man an inch or he will take a mile.
In the few shorts weeks I have allowed him into our home for a visit while he waits on a location for more treatment, I have been lied to, had my material possessions nearly sold, and basically bs'd the entire time.
No more. No more visits, no more kindness. I will NOT allow him to use his medical issues as a means to make me feel sympathy for him anymore.

These are the top three things I want from my husband (or any man I may be in a relationship with) - honesty, integrity,  and respect. Right now J can't give any of those things to me. And they are things I am entitled to in a relationship.
In six short months our separation agreement will be a year old. Time enough to have it changed to a divorce decree.
I don't think he realizes that the sand is quickly running through the hourglass.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Shopping for FREE or cheap

My plan for this week

Walmart -
BIC 10pk pens $1.00
- (1) $1.00/1 coupon (SS 1/8/12)
FREE


Tops -
Nabisco to-go packs $1.00
Buy 6
- (2) $3.00/3 coupon (SS 1/8/12)
FREE

International delight creamer $1.66
- (1) $0.55/1 coupon (SS 1/8/12)
Final - $0.56

Total OOP - $0.56
Savings of $8.10 or 94%

Friday, January 13, 2012

Shopping for Free or Cheap

My plan for this week is being altered a lot as I had planned on heading to both CVS and Walgreens for some great deals and stockup prices - but we're getting our first snowstorm of the season and neither of these stores is nearby so I've got to change the plan.

Rite Aid
Transaction #1 -
Clean and Clear B1G1 50%
Buy 2 - +/- $8.99
- (2) $2.00/1 (ss 1/8/12)
- (1) $1.00/1 video value
final - $3.99

Bengay $5.99
- $2.00/1 in-ad coupon
- (1) $3.00/1 printable coupon
final - $0.99

Stayfree pads 2 for $5.00
Buy 4 - $10.00
- $1.00 in-ad coupon
- (2) $1.00/2 stayfree coupon
final - $7.00

Neosporin $5.02 +/-
- $2.00/1 (ss 1/8/12)
final - $3.02

total order $15.00
use $4.00 UPR's from last week
Final OOP - $11.00
Get $10.00 UPR

2nd transaction -
One a day vitamins 2 for $18.00
- $1.00/1 video values
- (2) $2.00/1 (ss 1/1/12)
final - $13.00
use $10.00 UPR from transaction #1
final OOP $3.00
Get $5.00 UPR

3rd transaction -
Thermacare $3.00

2 boxes kleenex $2.58
- $1.00/2 video value
final - $1.58

palmolive dish soap $2.58
- $1.00/2 (ss 1/1/12)
final - $1.58

total order $6.16
use $5.00 UPR from transaction #2
final OOP - $1.16
Get$3.00 UPR

Finals at Rite Aid - $56.16 worth of product
Total OOP $15.16 with $3.00 UPR for next week
saved $41.00 or 73%

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Raindrops

Funny thing that this was my favorite song when I was about 3 years old. Maybe some cosmic message to my future self to remember to always keep a positive outlook on life and be grateful for what is good.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Shopping for Free or Cheap

This is my shopping plan for this week - 1/1/12-1/7/12:

CVS

Nivea Lip Care - $2.50
Deal Idea:
Buy 4 Nivea Lip Care $2.50 each
-(2)$3/2 Nivea Lip Product Coupon from the 1/1 RedPlum insert
Pay: $4
Get a $5 ECB
Free + $1 Money Maker after coupons & ECB

TOTAL OOP $4.00

WALGREENS
Triaminic 2/$10.00
Get $5.00 RR wyb 2

Buy 2 $10.00
-(2) $3/1 Triaminic Fever Reducer, exp 2/15/12 (SS 12/4/11)
Pay $4
Get a $5 RR
Free + $1 Money Maker after coupons and RR

2nd transaction-
Advil Congestion $5
Dimetapp $5
-(1) $2/1 advil congestion relief, exp 3/4/12 (RP 12/11/11)
-(1) $1/1 dimetapp product printable coupon
-$5 RR from previous transaction
Pay $2
Get a $5 RR
Free + $3.00 Money Maker after coupons and RR

TOTAL OOP $6.00

RITE AID
Carefree pantyliners $1.00
Buy 2
Pay $2
Get $1 UPR

Playtex tampons $3.99
-(1) $1/1 playtex gentle glide tampons (SavingsStar)
-(1) $1/1 playtex gentle glide tampons (SS 11/20/11)
Pay $1.99
Get $1.00 UPR

Centrum ProNutrients BOGO 50% off
Buy 2 at +/- $12.50each
Total $19.75 after BOGO
-(2) $5/1 centrum pronutrients (RP 1/1/12)
-(1) $4/1 centrum pronutrients RA printable
Pay $5.75
Get $2.00 UPR (* $19.75 counted toward resolution rewards)

Colgate Optic White toothbrush $3.49
-(1) $3/1 colgate optic white toothbrush RA printable
-(1) $0.75/1 Colgate toothbrush (SS 1/1/12)
FREE + $0.28 overage (* $3.49 counted toward resolution reward)

Gallon Milk $2.60

Nissin cup noodles$0.99

Use $12.49 SCR from November 2011 purchases

TOTAL OOP $0.85




Overall totals for trip are -
$10.85 OOP for $62.82 worth of merchandise
savings of $51.97 or 82%!!

Plus I have $14.00 in ECB's, RR's, and UPR's for next week

Thanks, Living Rich with Coupons, For the Mommas, and Freebies2Deals!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

God's got the Steering Wheel now.

I know I said I wouldn't do it. But I did.
J spent a week in the ICU on IV antibiotics. At one point even with the strongest, most potent antibiotics there are, his white blood cell count continued to rise. Which makes you think the infection will win out. Scary.
So, when he got out of the hospital, I said he could come for a visit. Just a VISIT. With the understanding that he would keep his appointment with the counselor who was working on again finding him a treatment facility. The counselor got him an appointment at the center here in my town and he did keep his appointment. They are looking at a facility for a time period of 9-12 months. Unfortunately I don't feel confident that this will be the time it works for him either. Considering he has vocalized that he views it as a punishment. I'm pretty sure in my heart of hearts that he is going to have to begin to view this as an opportunity, not a punishment. Without that shift, success will remain out of reach.
It's been OK with him in the house. He's not doing anything at this point. We are so distant though that sometimes I don't even know what to say. I feel like the time of our marriage when we were the best of friends is way behind us now. Gone. Dead. Kind of like roadkill on the side of the highway left to just be pecked away by the vultures flying around.

He was supposed to have his 2nd appointment this afternoon - to discuss the plan going forward and where they might potentially find for him to go. But he didn't make it to that appointment. He ended up back in the hospital - ICU again - due to his blood sugar being out of control and his white blood cell count rising again.

I hate having to explain to my children why their Dad was at the house for a visit and why he has to stay at the doctor's until the doctor says it's OK for him to leave. They don't understand illness.

I asked God to help me make the right decision about whether to let him come for a visit. I truly felt that it was the right thing to do. Now I'm beginning to question my decision. What if it wasn't the best thing? What if he stalls and drags his feet on treatment decisions and is in and out of the hospital. What if the kids begin to think Daddy is living with us again??
Ya know, I hear so much about big issues in life, that you should "Let go and let God." But how? How is that even possible? How am I to know what the right thing to do is? Not like there is a big sign with writing on it up in the sky or God speaking to me through a megaphone or any other way. I search for any kind of sign telling me what to do but I never feel like I'm getting a clear one. And what if God steers me wrong? What if he's not even really listening to me?

Our Projects

10 - making sugar cookie cutouts to give to our daycare provider and neighbors. Close enough - we made cookies, just pre-packaged ones. (and ate them all ourselves)

9 - snowman paper plate crafts
8 - Christmas tree desserts out of ice cream cones and cookies
7 - finishing our Christmas Moose crafts for family gifts
6 - make handprint wreath Got haircuts and out to dinner instead
5 - making chocolate bark
4 - edible snowflakes
3 - decorating our Christmas stockings
2 - walking through our neighborhood looking at decorations MUCH TOO COLD
1 - making chex mix for Santa's snack - he doesn't have a sweet tooth this year.

Not bad if I do say so myself.