Always early...

Ever since daylight savings time, I have been a day early on everything. In fact, I started baking my sister's cupcakes at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday frantic that her birthday was Wednesday. When I realized I was almost positive I was mixed up, I texted my other sister, Ranee, and she replied Kim's birthday is actually on the 26th. I finished the batch and stored them in sealed containers for freshness. (All the while wishing this would stop happening in my crazy mind.) Last night while frosting, I realized the 26t is Friday.... I decided that the element of, one day early, might be a surprise...so here's what I came up with. I hope she likes it!

What did you see at work today?

I had opportunity to see this magnificent structure when visiting Baytown to sign on a new client. The home there was beautiful and the chair time for the second part of my day was not too shabby! I really do love Texas!

baby talk

I was talking to my mom on the phone. If you weren't aware, she has a tendency to misplace the correct words when she speaks English. So she asked, "When are you going to have a baby?" I paused before answering and she cut me off with, "I want to have a neice." .......

Featuring

My favorite new tool. I've always specially liked stripping wire. It's a weird feeling but very fun to do! My experience only heightened when I found this semi-auto wire stripper in the gaage. I think my dad gave it to carl for Christmas last year. Watch out after your copper wiring in YOUR house, I might run out of mine. Ha ha. Jk!

Hair Muse

Ever since I was old enough to think about hair, I have loved Tiffani Amber Theissan's hair. I'm not big into gushing over famous people but I do get a little green in the eyes when their hair is perfect... Anyhow... When she changed from wearing her long feathered "Saved by the Bell" hair and turned it into this stylish layered coif, I tried to immitate it for he better part of 15 years!

As luck would have it....

I would finally be able to get the poof and hair parting PERFECTLY...right befre I went to bed. Ugh...did you ever stay up at night playing with your hair just to do it?

Today you saved $275.23

This doesn't even show the groceries! If I were Lightning McQueen I'd be saying "Ka-chow!"

4-30 tablets of Claritin, 3-28 ct. Aveeno Face Ceaning pads, Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate,2-Bags Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Bag of Hershey's Miniature Candy Bars, Rolo Caramel cps, 2-Giant Hershey Candy Bars, 4-Boxes Cherry Jello, 2-12pk A&W Root Beer, 12pk 7-Up, 12pk Sunkist Orange Soda, 2-Scunchi Hair Accessories, 6-Holiday gift bags, Herbal Essence Hair Gel, Polly Pocket Gift Set, 2-Bratz Fashion Heads (You braid their hair), 5-Travel Mugs, 11-Plastic Wine Glasses, 3-Facial Aromatherapy Masks, Right Guard Deoderant, Tissue Paper, Pirate Tattoos, 6-Animal Keychain Pez Dispensers, Travel Bag, 6-Toothbrushes, Gillette Razor and Auto-Count Digital Coin Bank (not pictured) 4lb Tyson Frozen Chkn Breasts, 2lb Jalapenos, 1lb Zuchinni, 1lb Nectorines, Gallon OJ, Bacon wrapped Pork Fillet, 6pks Hot Dogs, 1lb baby carrots...Grand Total: $68.78!!! (84 items)

Today...

Today is Alex' birthday. Happy Birthday Alex! I wish I was in New Mexio to bake you a cake :)

Bargain hunting

Once my rebates come back...my grand total for all this: $58.32!

10-reams HP paper
1-Curious George Alphabet Puzzle
3-3yds decorating trim ribbon
4-Vanilla Champage Glass candles
5-"Vased" Fake Foliage
3-36" Candle Holders
2-30" Serving Dishes
1-Bag of Decorating Marbles
5-Fake Foliage bunches

I love a good deal!!!

Embarrassing!

I thought the keyless entry & wireless entry keypad would be much more difficult than the actual pairng process for the garage door opener.... when it turned out to be a 20 second process total....I dd a "Grey's Anatomy" hapy dance while the door automatically closed and opened. Midway up I spun around to see two teenage boys walking home from the pool...pointing and....laughing!

Oh well. Who cares?! Not ME....I shall resume happy dancing for all of Spring Village to see after I hit send on this post! Good night!!

I'm so glad for the work week..the weekend got me!

It was non-stop and I was on the go-go-go... It was rather eventful (more like tragic) but I plan to focus on the positive highlights of the weekend!

It started off Friday when Monica and I went furniture shopping. We didn't find a bedroom set, but I did send a mobile post about the iron horse we found. I didn't bring it home but I did name her Bessie. I should like to visit her on occasion. I'm not sure who will take her home with them, with a $1,200 price tag. I think you might be able to buy a pony for that same price!

Saturday I attempted to stay married by overseeding, fertilizing, watering, watering and watering the grass, again. I forgot to take a picture of the backyard but I wasn't aware of the seed-sprayer spreader in the garage so I tossed seed out of the bag like fairy dust...there are bright green patches in the backyard. It looks like a calico cat pattern...

While I have been suckin' up the testosterone through a wide-mouthed straw...I decided to try my luck at being a handyman. I have worked along side my dad and a few friends in Albuquerque with a hard hat and a tool belt before...

*Arg-hoo-hoo-hoo* Introducing the Chamberlain Whisper Drive Plus

First things, first. I had to lay out all the gizzards:

Put the engine together. Assemble the track and trolley system. Connect both together and run the belt.
I needed to 3/16 drill bit to mount the header bracket. Carl took most of his tools with him, so I decided every handygirl needs a 27- Piece Black Oxide Screwdriving Drill Bit Set..We'll call it a gift :)

Once I was back from my shopping break, I drilled and mounted the header bracket. The spring from the garage door was in the way so I had to prop up the motor on a fabric draped box (Scruffs and scratches do NO ONE any good!)

I always thought 2 handed bench presses were difficult but I'd take a 150 pound set over a one handed, over the head, hoist up an 8 ft ladder anyday! Whew! It's tiring thinking about it! Lol! In any event, upsy-daisies!

I actually got so tired at the end that I didn't take pictures of the actual ceiling mounting, I got drywall sprinkles in my hair and will most likely have whte boogies for days, so I'll just leave it at that! The proudest point was that the instructions said it should take about 13 hours and I was finished in 7! Woo-hoo! The entire event didn't go off entirely without any casualties, hence the thumb blog....I'll save the gory details for my own mind. :)

Last but not least, I was able to find some pretties for my dining room table. What do you think?

Hm.....

An explanation is to follow but I just realized how hard it is to blog on my cell without the help of my dominant hand's thumb. (My laptop died...lucky for me I have a pocket pc! lol...it rhymes!)

Trying to save my marriage...

If most of you didn't know...I am not the only "Jack of all Trades" in our house....no-sir-m'am-ree...Carl has also excelled in many occupations, such as: lawnscaper, cheese maker, and lumberjack. He did lawns with TruGreen Chemlawn in Albuquerque. He knows a thing or 2 or 6 about social-status-lawn-greening. Hence why my marriage may be on the rocks....I have effectively toasted our grass! You may be thinking..."I see green in there..." but please, hold your applause, that's the neghbor's grass...they have a sprinkler system.

I have watered twice daily for an hour and a half everyday for the past 3 weeks. I even fertilized! Since I lost my car keys this afternoon...I watered midday today while searching the grass for them.

To add insult to injury, one of Carl's very best of friends are coming to visit in 2 weeks Guess what Dru does for a living? He' a Manager for TruGreen Chemlawn.

So, next time you talk to Carl, remind him he loves his wife...

furniture shopping with monica

we weren't successful at buying a bedroom set at belfurniture but we were successful at finding an iron horse!

Sleepy day

Some babies suck their thumbs...mine sucks his back paw. Lol...

I cried...

This is a little embarrassing to admit but when I was younger I loved to watch Back to the Future. That's not he embarrassing part, he embarrassing part is when I saw a digital billboard in Albuquerque for the first time, pulled over into the parking lot of a Shell gas station & cried!

Technology has certainly evolved, hasn't it?

As I lay here in bed, researching the newest technology that caught my eye...I remembered how udderly frightened (& old) I felt when I saw my 1st digital billboard. Now I'm in passionately researching a home locking system that I can control & monitor from my cell phone! The Schlage Link System is a keyless lock system that allows you to assign temporary 24 hr codes, check lock/unlock status of doors, text alerts when codes are used, pull live video from security cameras, turn lights on/off & monitor AC/Heater! CRA-AZY! Paired w/ this: micasaverde.com... Ah...you had me @ keyless entry but conserving energy & money makes it perfect!

Poor little Boscoe.

"Ding dong the witch is dead. The evil witch the wicked witch ding dong the wicked witch is dead."

(Sorry for all the posts about Boscoe... Kim sent this to me, apparently he likes to crawl under thins when I'm not home. I swear I do other things...I just don't know how many of you want to know about my twice daily, 1.5 hour grass watering in attempt to revive our pretty Toasted Almond colored lawn due to my black widow thumb or the laundry, vacuuming, dusting, a.k.a. domestic diva rituals. lol. Juicy stuff to come, I promise!)

Rehr?

We're outside for our evening walk and there is this refreshing gentle breeze that kisses our, otherwise, humid walk. We've gone about 4 miles tonight and rounding the last stretch. Boscoe is usually at full gallop outside for the first mile and tonight I'd rather take it as easy as Sunday morning towards the
end of our routine.

Perfect evening! Even Boscoe seems content and relaxed as we finish our night. The next thing you know...I hear a high-pitched, almost evil, highly annoying, ridiculously yippie, barkin whines of a chihuhua coming from the gates of the apartment complex. There goes the peaceful night!

(P.s. I forgot to add that the young owner of the pint sized puppet dog said, "Awe, Princess..... does that big dog scare you?" The nerve! Boscoe was just staring at it.)

Wah?

Free Artby's Chicken CLub TODAY!

On Wednesday, June 10 get a free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase from Arby's. No coupon is necessary, but I do recommend that you call your local Arby's to confirm that they are participating in this promotion. Thanks goes to STL Mommy who has posted the full summer Arby's Wednesday Freebies Calendar.Sign-up for Arby's Extras club and they will email you a great printable coupon for something free with purchase. When I signed-up I got one FREE Market Fresh Sub when you purchase a medium fry and drink. I got my email one day after signing-up. You'll also get a special coupon for your birthday. I got a Free Swirl Shake with any Roastburger Sandwich purchase. Sign-up for more Birthday Freebies like this one!

Pondering

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taughtme. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.....
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Yourfriends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea whattheir journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it...
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don'tworry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the secondone is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't takeno for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancylingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion, today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In fiveyears, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anythingyou did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyoneelse's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Lazy

Here's the view from my bed because yesterday was so full of surprises, I don't know if I want to wake up! What are your Saturday plans?

Urban legends

There might not be alligators in NY's sewers...but there's a Boscoe in my bed!

Running...Jogging...Creating public entertainment...

I would assume that many of you who know me, know that I do not take the idea of running/jogging kindly. In fact, I loathe it. Walking has been my forte since mid-school. I ran when training for sports but quit sports because I hated it. I also think that my bad feet (maybe I should think twice before announcing my deformities...lol...bad feet: flat feet, hammertoes, tailor's bunions, & plantar fasciitis. A.K.A.=O.U.C.H.!!!) keep my speed walking wanna-be running/jogging comical to watch!

Since I have taken over the chore of walking Boscoe, I have felt like I can give a little more in the evenings since my comfort bar has been raised...I started lightly jogging! Now it's been a month and we jog a mile in the morning and run 2 miles at night!

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's a ridiculous sight since my "form" is ludicrous...but I love the fact that when it gets too hot & I don't think I can go any further...the dog will "drag" me te rest of the way home!

I do but I don't....

I do but I don't ....I want to but I won't....
Despise Wal-Mart that is. I took my list into the store with me. My coupon binder open in the toddler seat of the cart, list in right hand, coupon stack in my left hand. I push my cart with my folded arms and body...(My sister-in-laws and church sisters call me...*dunh-tah-dunh*...The Coupon Ninja.)

Coupons are the choice weapon against total budget recession. I make my own stimulus package. My main components come in Sunday's paper....

Ok, so who finds the above TOTALLY Hokey and Ridiculous? LOL... It was funny in my head. The *dunh-tah-dunh* part especially!

Sometimes Wally World can be intimidating and a long drawn process but it can be SUPER rewarding. The above/below was purchased for $1.99.

4-bags Rachel Ray's Isaboo Doggie Treats ($1 off any Isaboo treats-Paper Q)
2-Velveeta Shells & Cheese Dinners ($1.00 off any 1 - Printable Q)
2-Kraft Ez Mac & Cheese Single Serve Cups ($1.00 off 2 - Printable Q)
1-Kraft Ranch Dressing ($1.50 off 1 - Paper Q)
2-Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauces ($1.00 off 1 - Paper Q)
1-Snicker Bar (Free Q for signing up at Mars Chocolate site)
1-A1 Steak Sauce ($2.00 off 1 - Printable Q) 1-Wacky Mac Pasta Noodles ($0.75 off 1 - Paper Q)
Go to: www.BudgetOnADollar.weebly.com to find links to all the Printable coupons and the shopping lists I use for each store.

Free Quizno's

Join the Quiznos Q Club and get a free Flatbread Sammie and a free cookie on your birthday. Please note that you only really need to give them your name, email address, birth year, and zipcode in order to join. The other information is optional to enter! Joining the "clubs" of the restaurants that are in your area is a great way to get coupons and even freebies because they will email you directly. I'm a fan of Quiznos and wanted to share this great way to keep up-to-date on all their special promotions!

http://www.quiznos.com/offers/

mint.com (Thanks Amanda!)

Amanda recently blogged this website and I wanted to share. - It's FREE. Who doesn't like free?! And it imports all of your financial info into one place... Checking, savings, auto loan, mortgage, 401(k), etc. It's an excellent tool for having an overall picture of your net worth and allowing you to clearly focus on eliminating debt or increasing investments... (Yes, I totally plagerized this :) Please don't be angry with me!)

You don't have to share your SSN or other private information; they'll even alert you of suspicious transactions on your credit card, alert you when you're nearing your budgeted spending in a specific category. There are over one million users, and the site has received multiple awards... I could go on, but you'll have to see for yourself!



So.. why is it free? Because mint.com takes a snapshot of your finances and recommends {enter: advertisements} the 'best' products for you. For example, your current savings account may only earn .03% APY and mint.com might recommend an interest-bearing savings that can earn you 3% APY. Of course, to view these offers, you have to click on them - you can always ignore them if you're happy with whatever system you have going. :)

Hopefully you'll find mint.com to be as handy as we have!

Prim & Proper

Sometimes Boscoe likes to sit Prim & Proper... Sort of like royalty because I let him be King of the House every once in awhile....

And sometimes.....

And sometimes he likes to sit on his bum....(sorry it's blurry...)

Playing Possum

I am trying to work on some new tricks with the dog. I told Boscoe, "When I say Bang, you roll over." What do you think?