Groceries - August 25th

Definitely back into work mode...but I'm proud of this week!  I had planned on getting a couple of rain checks this week, but they were still out (and I needed to use a $5/25 coupon), so I had to kind of call an audible in the middle of shopping.  It worked out though - I got an awesome deal on meat too!

Here's how it broke down:

4 boxes Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt - Normally $2.50 each, on sale for B1G1 free, had 4 $1/1 coupons - $1 total

2 bottles Kraft Light Mayo - Normally $4.69 each, on sale for B1G1 free, had a $1/2 coupon - $3.69 total

Publix Greenwise Toilet Paper - Normally $2.39, penny item this week

(About) 4 pound Boston Butt - Normally $10.04, on sale for $7.72 this week

2 cans Campbell's Select Soup - Normally $2.39, on sale for B1G1 free, had 2 $1/1 coupons - 39 cents total

Morningstar Farms Pizza Burger Patties - Normally $3.89 each, on sale for B1G1 free, had 2 $1/1 coupons - $1.89 total

3 pounds Bananas - Normally 69 cents/pound, on sale for 59 cents/pound - $1.71 total

Publix Cream Cheese - $1.49

So, for $12.90, I got $47.82 worth of groceries, for a 73% savings!

Random Thoughts

Warning - when I say random, I mean RANDOM...

-I am one sketchy blogger lately.  I know.  To be honest, there just isn't much to talk about.  I work, I come home, I usually work some more, I spend a little time with Noah, and I go to sleep.  Rinse, wash, repeat.  It's not the most glamorous life right now.

-I am finally getting into the swing of things with school (thank the LORD).  It always takes a few weeks to adjust to everything - the kids, the schedule, just generally working again.

-I'm loving that I have work right now.  I think if I was at home right now, I would lose my ever-loving mind.  Normally, I am a total homebody, but not lately.

-Hardy is a rockstar.  Seriously.  You would never know he had surgery.  We haven't noticed a single change with him, except for him being a little bit more cuddly.  I like cuddly, so I'm ok with that.  He is sleeping on the bed again...let me rephrase that.  Sleeping IN THE MIDDLE of the bed again.  Sleep hasn't been fantastic lately.

-Do you ever have wish you could go back in time and just talk some sense into your previous self?  Does that make sense?  I'm wishing I had a time traveling machine right now.  I could enlighten previous Leslie SO much.

-Grocery post coming soon - it was a good week!  I needed a happy yesterday, so that was it.

-I have become an old woman.  I cannot to save my life stay up past 9:30 anymore.  If you know me, you know this is weird.  I am a total night owl.  But I just can't do it!  We are usually in the bed no later than 9 these days.  My how things change...

-I went shopping last night.  I am not a big shopper, but last night it was fun.  I bought shoes, which are my current kick.  I am notorious for buyer's remorse after I spend money, but once again, my how things change...

Groceries - August 21st (etc...)

I didn't really get a chance to shop last week, so this is kind of a condensed version of two weeks' worth of shopping.  Last week, I did get to Publix once, for dog food ($15.99), 6 pouches of Idaho instant mashed potatoes ($3.30), and 2 jars of Prego ($1.07 for both)...so about $20 for last week.

This week (pictured above) was a little bit bigger.  For $22.06, I got $75.43 worth of groceries, for a 71% savings.  Here it is broken down!

Eggland's Best Eggs - Normally $2.49 a dozen, on sale for $2, had a 35 cents/1 coupon (which doubled) - $1.30 total

2 Red Baron Pizzas - Normally $5.79 each, on sale for $2.99 each - $5.98 total

Publix White Bread - $1.17

Publix Plastic Spoons - $1.50

2 boxes Pepperidge Farm Crackers - Normally $3.49, on sale for B1G1 free, had 2 $1/1 coupons - $1.50 total

4 Boxes Barilla Whole Grain Pasta - Normally $1.37, on sale for B1G1 free, had 2 $1/2 coupons - 74 cents total

Finish Powerball Dishwasher Detergent - Normally $6.99, on sale for B1G1 free, had a 50 cents/1 coupon (doubled) - $2.50 total

3 Taco Bell Dinner Kits - Normally $2.69 each, on sale for B1G1 free, had 2 75 cents/1 coupons - $2.61 total

1 Bottle Pompeian Olive Oil - Normally $10.99, on sale for B1G1 free, had a $1/1 coupon - $4.49 total

6 Bags Lender's Bagels - Normally $2, on sale for B1G1 free, had 3 $1/2 coupons - $3 total

6 cans Hunt's Diced Tomatoes - Normally $1.39 each, on sale for B1G1 free, had 2 75 cents/3 coupons - $2.67 total

Then, also used a $5/25 off Rite-Aid coupon as the competitor coupon!

I also went to Rite-Aid, and spent $20.44 (pretax) on $52.93 worth of products.  After I get $4 of that back with rebates and got $6 in +UP rewards, that's an 80% savings!

Update

Hey guys. :)

I'm still here, I promise...it's just been an interesting week or two.  Let's just say I'm learning an extraordinary lesson in patience right now.  This is something I NEVER thought would happen, but at the same time, I'm a little thankful.  My relationship with my husband has grown stronger, my relationship with the Lord has become stronger, and I've become SO much more appreciative of others' situations around me.  Doesn't mean I'm not kicking and screaming through this right now, just that I know it will end well.

I know, I know, I hate to be so secretive, I'm just not quite ready to talk about the situation just yet.  Put it this way - my marriage is wonderful, I have an incredible job that gets better every day, and my family is great.  I have those things to be SO thankful for.  God's just teaching me a thing or two for the time being.  I promise, as soon as I'm ready to spill my guts, I will...just bear with me.

I'll be here a little more often now - I hope to get back into the swing of things soon!  It's just taking some time to learn this new kind of normal.

Thanks you guys for your incredible support, and caring!  You are very sweet!

Blog Break

Hi Guys,

I'm taking a little bit of a break from the internet this week.  I just need one - between school starting, and just a few things going on (nothing major, I promise), I need to have this time to clear my head.

I'm still going to get on the computer once or twice a day for a few minutes to answer emails, and I'm still going to complete the blogs I have scheduled.  But I'm going to try to stay away from everything else.

Have a FANTASTIC week...hopefully I'll be back next weekend relaxed and refreshed!

Classroom Show-Off!

I got this AWESOME idea from one of my readers a few days ago...why not do a blog hop to show off your classroom?  I probably spend more time here than I do awake at my house during the school year.  I figured if I was going to be there all the time, why not make it fabulous??

Here's what it looks like this year.  You can see last year's pictures here.  It's changed a little, but really still the same.  You can see the before shots here - it's like a completely different room!

(Sorry, these aren't the best pictures in the world - all I had was my prime lens, so I couldn't zoom in/out!)

The oh-so famous tiki hut.  Noah helped me build it last summer.  I ordered the bamboo from eBay, and we tied it together with twine (reinforced with hot glue).  It's bracketed to the wall with these u-shaped brackets from a home improvement store.  And the roof is an umbrella cover, and we just glued the top corner to the corner of the wall!  Don't let the cuteness fool you - I probably fix that right wall at least twice a week (kids like to pull up on it when they're getting off of bean bags).  It's worth it though...this is my favorite part of the room!

My small group table, cabinet (which I don't use - it's just there to separate and for the letter magnets on the other side), and other reading rug (that you can't really see in this picture).

TV (which I have literally used once), calendar, Daily 5 center chart, and the word wall (newest addition - I finished it like 5 minutes before these were taken).

My Promethean Board - I seriously could not live without this thing.  I use it at least twice/three times a day!  (And not hating on you Smart Board people - I saw one this summer during IB training, and I'm a little jealous you get a real eraser and different "colored" pens!)

This is the same jobs board I had last year, and (with the exception of a few pointless jobs) I really like it!  Each kid has a "job" each week (like paper passer, health assistant, folder friend, etc.) and they are rotated every Friday.  Works WONDERFULLY!

My (very, very messy) cabinet/countertop area.  The signs on the doors are for CAFE - has anybody used this?  We're integrating it this year, and I'm still trying to figure it out.  Any suggestions would be awesome!

Other closets (same as last year).

My behavior management board.  Our school (for the most part) is going with a new behavior management system this year - the kids start on a "3" each day, and can move up to as high as 5 or down to as low as 1 based on behavior.  I just kind of integrated it with last year's board!

My AWESOME, AWESOME (I really can't say awesome enough) principal used a jungle theme when she taught, and had these incredible bookshelves that nobody was using.  I have to give them back to her daughter next year, but I get to use them now!  Aren't they incredible?  They're animal print on the top. :)

This is also my meeting area - the rugs are from Wal-Mart (big one) and Kirkland's (small one).

Ok, now let us see your awesome classroom!  Put a link to your post in the linky below.  Couple of suggestions...

1.  When you link up, put your room theme/color scheme/etc. in the title.  That way, others that need ideas can see what they need to!

2.  Put a link back to this in your post.  Teachers are famous for borrowing others ideas - I'm the most uncreative person on the planet, but my room is cute.  Most everything in there is an idea from another teacher!  And probably the biggest search term to get to my blog in the past few months has been "jungle theme classroom ideas."  It would be so helpful if other teachers could get ideas from this linky!

Alright, post away...I can't wait to see your ideas!

(And I know that a few people don't start school for a couple of weeks - so this linky will be open for two weeks!  Don't feel like you need to go take pictures just for this.)

Groceries - August 4th

(and before I start any rumors, NO I am not pregnant. I needed the diapers to make the deal work...and I figure it's never too early to start!)

I promise this is the last week of big shopping trips...I just won't have time after this week.  Coupons.com starting running another $5/25 Rite-Aid coupon, so OF COURSE I had to take advantage of it!  Here are my trips from today:

Rite-Aid

Crest Toothpaste - Normally $4.49, had a 75 cent off coupon- $3.75 total  (bought the wrong thing - DEFINITELY taking this back!)

1 Venus Embrace Razor - Normally $11.49, on sale for $7.99, had a $2 off coupon and for $4 +UP rewards back - $1.00 total

1 Herbal Essences Conditioner - Normally $4.49, on sale for $2.50, had a $1 Single Check Rebate - $1.50 total

1 Aussie Leave-In Conditioner - Normally $4.69, on sale for $2.50, had a get one free when you buy Herbal Essences  - FREE!

Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo - Normally $4.49, on sale for $3.99, had a $1/1 coupon and earned a $2 +UP Reward - 99 cents total

Pampers Jumbo Pack - Normally $11.99, on sale for $8.99, had a $1.50/1 coupon and earned $2 +UP reward and $2 rebate - $5.49 total

2 Packs Pampers Wipes - Normally $3.49, on sale for buy 1 get 1 50% off, had a coupon for free wipes when you buy Pampers diapers - $1.74 for both



Then I used $5 in wellness rewards - so, for $14.47, I got $44.39 worth of items, and got $11 worth of rebates and rewards purchases!



Publix Trip

1 Blue Diamond Almonds - Normally $3.39, on sale for $1.69, had a 50 cents/1 coupon (which doubled) - 69 cents total

4 Packs Healthy Harvest Pasta - Normally $1.79, on sale for 89 cents, had 2 50 cents/2 coupons (which doubled) - $1.68 total

4 Packs Fruit Roll-Ups and Gushers - Normally $2.73 each, on sale for $1.36 each, had 2 50 cents/2 coupons (which doubled)  - $3.73 total

2 Jars Peter Pan Peanut Butter - Normally $3.99 each, on sale for $3.00 each, had 2 60 cents/1 coupons - $4.80 total

4 Cans Campbell's Soup (not cooking) - Normally $1.50 each, on sale for $1 each, had a $1/4 coupon - $3 total

4 Cans Campbell's Cooking Soup - Normally $1.66 each, on sale for $1 each, had 2 50 cents/2 coupons (which doubled) - $2 total

Publix Pizza - Normally $4.69, penny item this week

1 Pack Yoplait Yogurt - Normally $2.79, on sale for $1.39 this week, had a 50 cents/1 coupon (which doubled)  -39 cents total

At Publix, for $10.45 (before tax) I got $49.19 worth of items - for a 79% savings!

That's a grand total of $24.92 spent this week, for a grand total of $93.58 worth of items - for a 74% savings!

New Blogs

Here are a few I've done recently!

On The Mend

We're on the mend around here.  Hardy's taking the surgery better than I EVER expected! 

He's sleeping a lot (which he always does anyway), and is being super careful.  It's almost like he knows he has to take it easy!  We've noticed he's been a lot more cuddly too.

He's been SO sweet to me the past couple of days.  I've been in bed most of the time, and this has been his perch - right next to me.  He's such a cuddlebug!

We have new neighbors, and I made them cookies one night last week.  As a thank you, their kids brought us cupcakes last night!  Isn't that sweet?  They made them all by themselves.  They are just too cute!

The only other news is that our air conditioner is not working very well...great timing, I know.  It is MISERABLY hot here.  We're in some kind of super heat wave - apparently it hasn't been this hot since like 2007. 

The picture above is Hardy last night.  Noah was in our attic (the ladder is in the garage), and Hardy feels the urge to see both of us at all times.  If I'm in the bedroom and Noah's in the living room, he'll lay down between the two rooms to see us.  This is what he's doing here - he's laying between the bedroom (where I was) and the garage.  He is such a mess!

I start back to school Thursday, so I'm trying to get everything I need to do into these few days (while still trying to take it easy).  I'm slowly getting there!  I've got a few more blogs to do, and I'd like my house to be spotless before I go back (wishful thinking)....and I'd like to rest for a little bit!  Not easy tasks, but I can do it. :)

Hope you're having a great week!

Sickies

We're just in sad shape around here this weekend.

On Friday, Hardy had the surgery.  They had been telling me for awhile he needed to have it (beagles have a high chance of cancer), and since I'm out of school right now, it was just time.  He is handling it like a CHAMP.  We were able to pick him up yesterday morning, and he's been his normal self ever since!  He's been sleeping a lot, but that's expected from the anesthesia.  And he does that anyway!  He hasn't even needed to wear the cone.  We're so proud of him!

Just when we thought we were all home and ok, I started to have a LOT of pain in my stomach.  I've been having some mild pains for the past couple of days, but really didn't think anything of it.  I'm really not one to go to the doctor for every little thing, but after my dad and Noah convincing me I had to go, we went.  Turns out I have what they think is a kidney infection (eww I know, sorry if that's TMI).  They were a little worried about kidney stones since my white blood cell concentrations were so high, but they say your back hurts with kidney stones, and I haven't had any of that. 

So I've taken it super easy for the past day or so.  I've had more cranberry juice than you want to think about, and we've been watching lots of Office reruns.  :)  It's actually been nice just laying around - minus the pain.  And I've had the best sickies buddy ever!

Hope your weekend was a little bit better than our's! :)