Grocery Game - Week of 2/3/2008

More cherry-picking this week...............and I got 12 candy bars!

Shelf Price: $121
Spent: $61
Saved: $60 (50%)

2008 Cumulative Shelf Price: $928
2008 Cumulative Spent: $400
2008 Cumulative Saved: $528(57%)

Grocery Game - Week of 1/27/2008

Well, this week, the list wasn't that great, and I did not spend much at the grocery store because I decided to spend a part of this week's grocery budget on a newer bigger crock pot! The COOL thing is..................I have an AWESOME stock pile! Grocery Gamers call this "cherry picking": only buying the really GREAT deals because you already have so much stuff in your stock pile.

So here are this weeks totals:

Shelf Price: $74
Spent: $39
Saved: $35 (47%)

2008 Cumulative Shelf Price: $807
2008 Cumulative Spent: $339
2008 Cumulative Saved: $468(58%)

Christmas 2007

Wiggles in training..................

I told "Santa" he wasn't ready for markers...............

Big boy underwear.............thanks Santa!

A "REAL" guitar from Santa!

Painting sugar cookies........YUM!

A letter from Santa in my stocking. I was a good boy!!!

Lest you think my whole focus is grocery shopping.......I did want to post some pics from Christmas. This was the toddler's first year to GET Christmas. He was so excited about Santa, snowmen, Jingle Bell Rock, candy canes, The Night Before Christmas, Christmas lights.............all except opening presents. He would rather play with the first one he gets and doesn't want to be bothered with opening the rest!

Grocery Game - Week of 1/20/2008

Okay, okay..........I got on the ball and shopped a day earlier this week because I wanted to beat all the other Pearland Grocery Gamers who keep hitting the stores before me and buying up all the free stuff!!! Today I only missed out on free Worcestire sauce.......2 of 'em!

I ROCKED today! I shopped Target, Randall's and Kroger and got LOTS of free stuff: 2 boxes Kleenex, 3 free candy bars, 2 mustards, 2 hot sauces, 4 Ramen noodles, 5 bags Chex Mix!!!!!!!!!

For dirt cheap: 10 boxes granola bars, rice mixes, 3 boxes Electrosol for $0.41 each!, 4 Wish Bone Spritzer Salad Dressings, 6 Ranch Dressings, 2 taco seasonings, Jalapenos, and salsa!

So, here are this weeks totals.......................are you sitting down???????/

Shelf Price: $233
Spent: $66
Saved: $167 (71%)

2008 Cumulative Shelf Price: $734
2008 Cumulative Spent: $300
2008 Cumulative Saved: $434 (59%)

Yes, I am a big DORK who keeps an Excel spreadsheet with all this cool info..........and yes, it is hard to act COOL while I am being checked out. I just want to yell, "CAN YOU BELIEVE I AM SAVING SOOO MUCH MONEY???!!!"

Grocery Game - Week of 1/13/2008

Wow! I was so surprised I did not go over budget this week(Bunco is at my house this Thursday and I am serving Taco Stack-O). I actually had $5 left! And, I received $4 off my next visit to Kroger. Free stuff: 3 packages Alieve (24 tablets each), 2 packages Revlon emery boards, 24 bottles Kroger water.Yeah!

Shelf Price: $189
Spent: $95
Saved: $94

2008 Cumulative Shelf Price: $501
2008 Cumulative Spent: $234
2008 Cumulative Saved: $267

Grocery Game - Week of 1/6/2008

Happy New Year!

Today marked my first grocery shopping trip of 2008!!! I am planning on tracking my savings this year on an Excel spreadsheet and posting my totals here on Manda's Blog.

This afternoon I shopped Kroger, and Ryan shopped Randall's this evening. We got lots of groceries including free stuff! I got 3 more FREE hand soaps to add to my collection and 2 free Johnson Buddies bar soaps for Jacob. I love the Grocery Game! If you would like to try it out for $1, please use me as a referral: manda_teacher_tx@msn.com

So, here are today's numbers:

Shelf Price: $312
Spent: $139
Saved: $173

Making 2008 GREAT with the Grocery Game!!!!!!!!!!

A sad day.......

Saturdays are my favorite because other than it being a day off to spend time with my boys, it is the day that the Grocery Game LIST comes out! Normally, I stop off at the 99cent store just a block from my house to buy my early Sunday Edition of the Houston Chronicle...............which has all the coupons!!!!!!!!! Normally, this paper costs $1.75, and I buy 2 so that I can get 2 sets of coupons (and Laurie gives me her set, too.........thanks Ya Ya!). But, lucky for me, I live by the 99cent store that sells the papers for............you guessed it, 99 cents! Each! That is a savings of $1.50!

So, today, like any other Saturday, I take a trip to the 99cent store to find them packing up and CLOSING!!!!! And, they are not selling the paper today!! Or tomorrow! OR EVER AGAIN!! And there are supposed to be 6 coupon inserts in each paper this week. I am crushed. Farewell 99cent store. It was good while it lasted. Except for the time we bought Macaroni and Cheese that had bugs in it.

Hot Friday Night Date............sort of :)

So, it is Friday night. Jacob is in bed. Ryan and I decide to do something fun together. So, what do we do you ask?

We have been listening to the Dave Ramsey podcast for almost two hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And we are loving it!

When did we become such DORKS? Oh, well. We are happy dorks who are working our way to being debt free.

So, we heard an awesome quote from a listener who e-mailed Dave. You know that Capital One credit card slogan, "What's in your wallet?"

Well here is the Dave Ramsey version........................

"What's in your wallet?......................................................CASH!

Calling all moms...............

Okay all you expert, seasoned, experienced moms.........I need your help (or at least just some encouragement)!

What are your best tips for surviving the Terrible Two's Tantrums?????

Things like:

"I don't want my milk in THAT cup!"
"(Screaaaaaaaaaam, kick, holler) I don't want to go potty!!"
"No, Daddy, I want Mommy to help me!"
"No, I want to climb into my chair all by myself! (Jump out of chair with serious attitude and climb back into chair with even more serious attitude)"
"No, don't rinse my Aaaaaaapple!"
Jump off pew during sermon, rustle the color sheet from bible class, make animal noises while reading Noah pop up book (after several warnings from mom, dad, dirty look from older lady sitting near front), so mom puts him in lap because the rule is you have to sit in her lap if you can't stay in the pew.........and World War 4 breaks out(World War 3 was that morning while getting ready for church) .......sigh
"I want candy, PLEASE! (Nuclear meltdown because the answer is no to eating candy at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast even though toddler used the polite term "please" although not in a polite tone)
and the list goes on..........

Thanks to the advice and encouragement that has already come my way from Debbie, Laurie, Laura, and other toddlers who exhibit similar behavior in public and at church so that I know that I am not the only mom dreaming of jumping in the car from Back to the Future so that I can just get away..................

Let me hear what you have to say moms..................now it's time for me to get back into the ring.........Ding!

(stay tuned for a book review of a novel I am currently reading.......)

Satan's Meeting

Hola, all! I don't normally read forwarded e-mails.............but a friend from my home church sent this to me today, and I found it quite challenging. Although a work of fiction, I found that it addresses many issues facing the modern follower of Christ. Satan is working hard to steal our souls away from our Lord. Please read and be challenged.

Manda

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church."

"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."

"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their saviour."

"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish

dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."

"This is what I want you to do ," said the devil:

"Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,"

he answered.

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to

work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."

"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."

"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they

drive." To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their

home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."

"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."

"Invade their driving moments with billboards."

"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs,

sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their
husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives."

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."

"Give them headaches too!"

"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."

"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."

"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."

"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation.

Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."

"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

"It will work!"

"It will work!"

It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians

everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.

Having little time for their God or their families.

Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!!!!!

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

You might have a coupon addiction................

When your 2 1/2 year old asks:

Where's some coupons?
I need some coupons?
Mommy, can I have some coupons?

(Sigh) My chest swells with pride...................................

The Holidays on a Budget

You know, living on a budget has new significance at Christmas. First, our goal this year has been to pay off debt. Therefore, most of our "extra" money each month is spent to achieve that goal. So where does Christmas shopping fall into this great plan??? Well, for us it has meant decide on an amount we can spend and send the rest to VISA!

Our Christmas, as far as gifts are concerned, will be humble this year..........(well, I guess that is relative to what you are accustomed to at Christmas. I realize many families struggle to feed their families and Christmas gift giving is a luxury they can't afford.)

This year's "humble Christmas" has been a lot of fun. I have been busy making several "gifts" for my friends and co-workers. Today, my team of teachers provided a soup luncheon for our principals, office staff, and other school workers. It seemed to have accomplished its intended purpose and I was thrilled that I was able to spread some holiday cheer.

Tonight, I have been baking pumpkin bread for my friends at school. We all decided to do "homemade" gifts this year.............I can't wait to see what everyone made! For my math department, I am folding origami boxes and filling them with chocolate I got on sale through the Grocery Game............don't worry, it is Hershey's chocolate!

I hope they all know how much I love and appreciate them. And.............I am finding that sometimes more love goes into something made by hands!

Happy Holidays!

Are you an Anti-Racist Parent?

Did my title catch your attention?

I have been following a blog called Anti-Racist Parent, and I wanted to share it with the hopes that you will check it out. You don't have to have a child who is a minority to be concerned with teaching your children about racism. I love this quote from Anti-Racist Parent,

"There are no quick and easy shortcuts to becoming anti-racist – not for myself, and not for my kids. For our family, becoming anti-racist is a journey, not a destination."

Please join my family on our journey to becoming anti-racist.

I know our society wants to portray and believe that racism is largely a thing of our past.........but as the mother of a now minority family, racism is alive in many subtle and major ways. I encounter it every day in some form or fashion. Not directed at me or my family (most of the time), but in comments made about others who are different either physically or socially. Another quote that caught my attention,

"So much about race and racism intersects with other types of
diversity, including class, culture, religion, gender and sexuality.
Racism doesn’t exist in a bubble and it isn’t a problem to be
“solved.” Parents need to be able to address diversity in all its forms."

I know that I personally have a lot to learn about people who are different from me. Anti-Racist Parent has challenged my thinking and opened my eyes to so many difficult realities. I pray that God will bless our society and lead us to a more "anti-racist" existence. I pray that teaching and modeling to our children how anti-racism looks, talks, and lives will develop a society that embraces diversity and eliminates injustice.

Anti-racism is OUR fight. Not just the fight of minorities. But, OUR fight. When we ALL do our part to fight racism, we will ALL win.

I don't know what prompted the comment made to me by one of my students today. We were walking down the hall on our way to PE and he said to me, "My mom is Hispanic." Inwardly I was surprised because his appearance would never lead me to conclude that his parents are not both black. I asked him, "What about your father?" He replied a little sheepishly, "Black." I said with a smile, "Cool! I did not know that about you!", and I then shared with him about my diverse family.

Our world is changing. Families are changing. I hope we are ready to change.

"27God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them................." Genesis 1:27, 28

Let's Jam & Deck the Halls...................

Who needs a guitar when you have a perfectly good frying pan???

Cheese!

Let's see how many ornaments I can fit on this one branch..........

Christmas Meme!

(Copied from my BFF's blog, except with my answers instead of hers.)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? Soon after Thanksgiving. This year we had the tree up on Dec. 1, but didn't get it decorated until Dec. 8th!
5. Do you like egg nog? nope. I like diet coke!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? hmmm.......Glo-Worm, Fisher Price Record Player, Earphones with built in radio (and a long antenna)
7. Do you have a nativity scene? no
8. Hardest person to buy for? All men! Their stuff is too expensive!
9. Easiest person to buy for? Jacob!
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail (Yea!!! Me and Ryan are on the card this year!)
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A gift set of Mary Kay stuff that someone regifted and it had been wrapped in tin foil (but the person didn't bother rewrapping it! How thoughtful.)
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation ("Hit it Russ............Fa La La La Laaa La La La La"
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Middle of December............FOR REAL!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Of course! Would you like some Mary Kay?
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Granny's Pigs-in-the-blankets and her sausage balls, all the yummy cookies (PTA has cookies in the lounge every other day until Christmas), spinach artichoke dip.......sigh
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? both
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night and Jingle Bell Rock (Jacob's fav, too!)
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We love to be home, and we love to be in Michigan with the Julys
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Let's see.............Rudolph, Prancer, Donner, uh, hmmm, er.....................
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Red Bow
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? both; at my mom's on Christmas Eve and at home on Christmas Day
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Materialism
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Traditional bright reds and greens; I love my Wicked Witch of the East Ornament
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? This year it will be Fajitas and the Works!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? To see Jacob's joy and excitement..................and a Nikon D80 or equivalent!

Eating Tips for the Holidays........

Ryan's mom sent me these great Holiday eating tips that I wanted share. I opened the e-mail tonight just before leaving for my Weight Watchers meeting and thought they couldn't be more appropriate! I hope they help you as much as I know they are going to help me.

Manda

Eating Tips for the Holidays

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can and quickly. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an 'eggnog-aholic' or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it! Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think.

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand-alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, pumpkin and mincemeat - have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert -- Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips: Start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember:

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO-HOO what a ride!"

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Today's Top 10 List

1. Singing with Jacob in the car......."Je-sus, Je-sus, Jesus in the morning, Jesus at the noon-time. Je-sus, Je-sus, Jesus when the sun goes down.
2. Going to Christmas on the Square to see Grammy, Chelsey, Aunt Amey, and Nana.
3. Shopping around the craft booths with Mom, Jacob, and Chelsey.
4. Watching Jacob ride the "train" (a small tractor with huge barrels turned on their sides as the cars) with a HUGE grin on his face.
5. Hearing Jacob say, "Mommy, Daddy, and Jesus take care of me."
6. Hearing about Ryan's trip to Impact Church of Christ in Houston. The Bay Area youth groups made 500 sack lunches to pass out to the men and women who are homeless near downtown and they also prayed with them.
7. Getting a knock on the door and finding two neighbor children there with a box of cookies they wanted to give us with a Christmas card.
8. Watching Jacob push his new rolling stick penguin around the house that I bought for him at the craft booth.
9. Going to the Christmas parade with Ryan and Jacob.
10. Getting the Christmas tree out of the attic. Jacob asking, "Where's my ornaments that go on the tree?"

My cup runneth over..................

Toddler Wisdom

On the way to school this morning..........

Toddler: Mom, where is Jesus?

Me: He is in heaven with God.

Toddler: Where is God?

Me: He is in heaven, too.

Toddler: I want to go to heaven!

Amen!

No title comes to mind???

Okay, I know I am the worlds worst blogger........but, hey, its MY blog and I'll blog if I want to!

No, really, I have just had so much on my mind. Work has been a challenge lately....I think I bit off a little more than I can chew there: dept. chair, textbook adoption committee rep, curriculum writer, CEIC committee member, and teach all of my classes. I only signed up for one of these posts...........the rest just happened to me! Anyway, stress continued to build, so I talked (and cried a little:() to my principal and assist. principal (2 great ladies), and they took one of the jobs off of my list and it was a great relief. Really, I just want to teach my students and spend time focusing on things directly related to them...........but that is not always possible in public ed. Not to mention, my first and most important job........Ryan's wife and Jacob's mommy........I really pray that one day I will be able to stay at home and be a professional homemaker!

Also, as you know, Ryan has applied and been accepted to Harding's school of preaching. We have a major move and life change in our near future. We will be leaving our church, my bestest friend (Uh huh, Kevin!) Laura, my wonderful work friends, and hardest of all, our families. Pray for us! I am most nervous about moving Jacob to a less (in my opinion) diverse part of the country.

The last week has been a great time off from school to be with Ryan and Jacob. We spent a lot of time at HOME! We spent Thanksgiving at my mom's house and went for a short visit to Ryan's mom's house. On Friday, we took Jacob to the Sesame Street exhibit at a museum in Houston. See Ryan's blog for the details.......... and today, we went to worship, had a great bible class and sermon, went to lunch with Laura's family........I love her girls! Jacob and I went grocery shopping while Ryan worked on tonight's sermon. As I write, I am stewing a chicken for chicken-n-dumplings and homemade granola bars are baking! YUM!

One thing I'd like to share........I have been compelled lately to seek comfort when I am struggling from the Bible (wow! what a great idea!). Yes, I study the Bible, but lately, it is when I am having a hard time that I just HAVE to end my day in the WORD. Last night, I was reading in Mark (I think) about people coming to Jesus and him healing them. I always struggle reading the events in the gospels and making application to my life.........but last night I was, like, OH! I get it! Jesus heals sick people when they come to him. I am "sick" and he heals me, too, when I come to him! Don't know why I am sharing with you (whoever "you" are reading this).....I don't normally share my private thoughts with just anyone......but, I just wanted to share. Jesus is the great healer and he comforts and heals us of our struggles when we come to him and obey his word. There.....thats it.

Manda

Bloggin for money

Ryan must have gone crazy. He is now blogging for money. You should go check out his new blog.

http://lifeslittlecommentary.blogspot.com/