38%

I somehow saved 38% at Jewel today. I bought things on sale, had my free fruit coupon, and bought my clearance coffee with a coupon.

Sick Blueberries

I'm still sick. And laying in bed. And my wonderful husband 'let' me go lay down while he fed the kids and hung out with them until bedtime. And he filled up my bike tire! Love that guy.
(He also said that I 'got had' by the people I bought my bike from. Evidently the gears don't work. Whatever)

We scored free blueberries! We had a coupon for them, from Village Market. It was a mailer. And we got some Russian candy for my grandma.

Sickie

I'm under the weather! My face is stuffy, my throat hurts, and my body is achey.
It's times like these that I wish I had gotten more done so I don't feel so upset about laying here.

Fresh Farms and Free Samples

We went to a grocery store called Fresh Farms today. I had a mailer coupon. When we got there I scored some great deals on clearance produce. The Boy asked to get free samples. That's my boy! We also got a discount for bringing our own reusable shopping bag.
The cashier asked if my boys were twins. She obviously meant well, but I think that is a dumb question. The Baby was in my front pack carrier and The Boy was in the cart. There is a considerable size and development gap between them. So if they were twins...one of them would be stuck with serious issues. Anyway, when I got home, I found another one of those coupons! We're going back later this week.

Mom's Birthday

I almost had a nervous breakdown today. So much stuff to do, so little time.

Around 4:30, we finally started getting in the car to go to my Mom's house, for her birthday party. She had a poster board up from a previous birthday- it had well wishes and photos from all stages of her life. It was made ten years ago, and it's odd to think how far the technology has come; we could make a much different one today. I don't even really remember that party, but I'm sure I was a mess.
Today I was able to bring food, gifts made with care, my kids, and my camera. I know that family is the most important thing to me, and I am so grateful I'm able to show up. I can really be present with the fam.
Also, I remember to take photos so that I can preserve physical reminders of events and trigger memories. And so I can make great scrap and photo books.
I try to journal everyday too.
Happy Birthday Mom!! Love you!

Jewel

I'm not sure what is actually making that noise, but something sounds like my kids crying. They're not, I just checked. But people wonder why I can't relax.

Today I saved 53% at Jewel. I bought stuff on sale, and used my coupons. I also realized that although my total was $46, I was able to use a store coupon: $5 off $50 or more. This is good information for me, because it means I can reach my $50 before using my manufacturer coupons. Previously, I made sure my total was $50 even after my manufacturer coupons. On my receipt, I noticed a surprise discount: I saved $7 for buying a certain amount of P&G items. Yea!

Five Hours!

It took me three hours to get to Joliet! And two hours to get home! I was so stressed and annoyed. But my kids were great. There was very little freak-outs. I had to stop at the Econo-lodge to use the restroom. I let the boys run around on the grass for a few minutes.
We finally got to the pick-up spot to get my father-in-law.
My concern is my planning ahead and our schedule. The traffic was so bad because of an accident. If I knew how to look that up on my phone, I would have. Maybe. And if I had known we would have been late, I could have planned dinner.
As it was, the kids and I ate dinner about 1 1/2- almost 3 hours late. Both kids went to bed late. So my issue is, how disruptive is it to be delayed like that? How often can I do that until my schedule is no longer? How can I avoid mishaps like that? How can I plan ahead effectively? Can I justify spending money on stuff I normally wouldn't? Like dinner out?

Whenever I go out of my county, I make sure to get gas. It's cheaper.

Free Banana

Awhile ago, I was grocery shopping with the kids, and the cashier, whom I recognized from working at Walgreens, offered the eldest a free banana. I urged him to take it, which he did.
Since then, I have gotten several free bananas from Jewel, either because of compassionate cashiers or because of a freebie coupon.
Today when I went to Jewel to get cat food, formula, and my freebie, my coupon didn't scan! The cashier handed me back the coupon. When I looked at the receipt, I decided to head over to customer service. A freebie should be free...
I'm pretty stoked about the free fruit situation.