Our Family is Growing -or- Kitty!

Last week, we had a new addition to our family! With great pleasure, we are proud to present:

Annabelle:


Trogdor (our faithful cat of 1 year):


Here's Troggie, just hangin' around:


With sharing these pictures, I reveal to you something I've only recently discovered for myself... I *heart* my cats! Quite a revelation for a person who would have previously sworn she was an anti-cat person. Soft and cuddly with a purring motor... I love my kitties!

Places I Love -or- Oregon.

Today, as the weather continues to turn chilly, I am thinking fondly of Oregon where winter rarely brings snow, and the state offers an entire spectrum of climates from which to choose.

Here is a link to a website I found before I moved to Oregon, and I still peruse her photos regularly. Take a moment to behold the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. It will be worth your time, I promise.

www.staytondailyphoto.com

2nd Trip to Walgreen's -or- Fun!

So... just got back from WAGs. Some terms for those of you who are not familiar:
WAGs = Walgreen's
BOGO = buy one, get one free
OOP = Out of Pocket
RR = Register Rewards
MIR = mail-in rebate
Q = coupon

1st Trans:
Wisp Candle x 2: 5.99 - BOGO = 5.99 ($3 RR)
Crest Paste: 1.99 - 1 ES Q = 0.99

Total: $8.54 - 4.50 RR = $4.04 OOP with $3 RR

2nd Trans:
Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner starter x 2: 19.99 - 10 manu Q - 10 MIR = FREE!
Shout: 2.50 - 1.50 manu Q - 1 MIR = FREE!
Pledge: 3.49 - 2.00 manu Q - 1 MIR = 0.50
Windex: 2.49 x 2 - 2.00 manu Q - 2.00 manu Q - 1 MIR - 1 MIR = 1.00 PROFIT
Fantastik: 2.49 - 1.50 manu Q - 1 MIR = FREE!
Wisp Candle x 2: 5.99 - BOGO = 5.99 for TWO
Glade Gel Warmer x 2: 1.99 - BOGO - 1 MIR - 1 MIR = FREE!
Glade Gel Refill: 1.99 - 0.55 manu Q - 1 MIR = 0.44

Bottom Line: 35.18 OOP (used previous $3 RR) (includes tax) with $3 RR and $28.00 + 10% MIR yet to come

Total after MIR deducted: $4.98 and $3 RR in hand!!!


Just imagine the ZERO OOP I would have had if this wasn't my first month doing this! Next month, I'll have my hot little GC with all my October MIRs on it - I've got nearly $40 coming to me for this month!

More Frugal Shopping -or- Walgreen's.

Alrighty then. I did my first big shopping trip at Walgreen's with carefully-followed advice from the gals over at FrugalMomsRock.com. I ran in to a few wrinkles with items that were not in stock since Saturday is the last day of their weekly deals, but nonetheless, I rocked it! Keep in mind that I did not have one single manufacturer's coupon with me for this shopping; it is strictly built around Walgreen's special deals and Register Rewards.

The value of what I bought: $93.65. My out-of-pocket costs: $28.72 with $9.50 in Register Rewards remaining!

Register Rewards are cool because they are basically cash to use at your next Walgreen's stop! There are a few caveats such as: RRs earned by buying Proctor & Gamble items can't be used on more P&G stuff... and often you can only use one RR coupon per purchase (depends on the clerk checking your stuff, as well as the store management, I believe.) Anyhow, without further ado, I introduce to you the beginning of my Walgreen's bargain shopping:

Not pictured: 2 gallons skim milk and 1 package Walgreen's Cold and Sinus (20 tabs) which ARE included in the above numbers.

Late Night Visitors -or- Popularity.

So, last night, around 10 p.m., our doorbell sounded several times. Being fairly naive, I went to answer the door. My head didn't put together the connection it perhaps should have.

When I visited Dollar General earlier in the evening, the manager was commenting on how the high school kids had purchased nearly all of her toilet paper in stock.

This is Homecoming Week in our district.

I have a son in tenth grade. Sure, he doesn't play football. But he does have long curly hair and seems to be quite popular for his incessant comic deliveries of sarcasm both in and out of class.

So, as I answered the door and found no one there, I was momentarily confused. But then I saw it. The fluttering of long streams of white. And instead of feeling annoyed that we had been struck by the Toilet Paper Bandits, I felt grateful that my son is popular enough at school that his yard qualifies for TP-ing even though he isn't a football player. I may even find it a bit amusing that the school I attended most my life and never qualified as "popular" at has found my son irresistible to the point of including him in their high school shananigans.

Happy Homecoming, Ballard High School!

Totally Completely Enraptured -or- October.

Yay! It's finally here! Autumn has found its way back to us, and I couldn't be more in love with the weather. The past two days have been in the 60s with crisp breezes and full sunshine. I love LOVE LOVE it!!!

Hello, October. I just called... to say... I love you~!