Saturday Savings - A Weekend Off

I took this weekend off from grocery shopping. It's the very end of the month and I have a good enough stock pile that I could afford to. Early next week I'll bring the boys to Aldi to pick up some milk, bread, eggs and bananas and that should hold us over until next weekend.

Last weekend I mentioned we were heading to the Farmer's Market in downtown Kansas City. I think we went a tad bit too early... 75% of the stuff out wasn't edible. We saw lots of flowers, hanging baskets and garden plants but not a whole lot in the way of fresh fruits or veggies. That doesn't mean our trip was a waste though!

For $7 I was able to buy the following: a pint (or so) of grape tomatoes, a large bag of mixed lettuces, a large bunch of asparagus and 4 lemons. Obviously the lemons were not grown here locally, but the price was right (i.e. cheaper than in the stores) so I bought some.

Those fresh veggies tasted great with our meals this past week! The boys even tried the asparagus and didn't seem to mind it too much. Next weekend is the Berry Festival at the Farmer's Market and I'm planning on hitting that up. Nothing sounds better than fresh berries right now, except maybe farm fresh berries that will taste better and cost less than berries found at the grocery store!

Speed Linking

With summer here I seem to be losing some readers. Alright, maybe losing readers isn't right... my numbers are still up there but people aren't commenting as much. It's to be expected I suppose as even I have not been frequenting and commenting on friends' blogs as often as I do in the winter. In light of this recent revelation I've decided to take the lazy way out today... Speed Linking!

Here are a few of my favorite sites/posts lately

1. Meanest Mom - One of Jana's sons is charging kids in the neighborhood to see his freakish teeth... What an entrepreneur!

2. The Great Umbrella Heist is a new favorite of mine. This mom has identical triplet girls! I love the pictures she takes of them and the conversations the girls have with each other.

3. Money Saving Mom is always a favorite with me! It's a site that I check several times a day. Why several times? Well sometimes the amazing deals and freebies she posts about are limited in number and if you want free stuff you have to be fast.

4. Cake Wrecks never fails to make me laugh! 'Nuff said.

5. Multiples and More has become a fun daily stop for me. Whether they're featuring another MoM (Mom of Multiples) or interviewing an expert on something multiples related I enjoy it! Oh and the giveaways aren't half bad either ;)

Favorite Book

The boys have a new book to be obsessed with. Actually, it's not a new book... we've had it since they were only a few months old. We've even read it to them a few times since receiving it. Just in the last couple of weeks though they've truly become obsessed with it. They ask for it continually, they trample each other trying to get onto the readers lap and when the book is over they ask for more. The book?

Nick and I got a major kick out of this book when it arrived in the mail (it was a gift!). Being from New England (and myself from Maine) we totally "got" the Maine humor throughout the book. The book is full of Maine speak and you can't help but put on your thickest Maine accent (or what you think is a Maine accent) when you read it.

The pictures are hilarious and it's like a Where's Waldo for Maine humor! Toddie (the toddler the book is about) comes home from the hospital on the back of a lumber truck... the name on the truck? Grant's Lumbah. Bath time happens in the ocean where Toddie wreaks havoc on the lobstermen. The Thanksgiving page has to be my favorite in the whole book. Not only is Toddie shouting in his best Maine voice "Hihowaahya?!" but the picture includes most everyone wearing an orange vest or hat (hunting season you know), snow plows on every vehicle in the yard (even the bike), an orange vest on the cow that says "Don't shoot, I'm a cow" and so much more.

If you know a Mainer or a Native New Englander who recently had a baby or has their own little Toddie, this whole family (the boys especially!) can whole heartedly recommend buying them The Wicked Big Toddlah!

Video Clip of the Week - Talking Time

Let the record show, the boys are 21 months old today! Wow! Where is the time going?! It's hard to believe my little "babies" will be 2 in just 3 short months. I don't think I'm ready for that!

Three months ago at the boys' 18 month appointment I was slightly concerned with the lack of talking the boys did. They each only knew a very small handful of words. The doctor assured me that it was totally fine and that if they weren't talking up a storm by age 2 to be worried. I don't think I'll have to worry.

In the last month the boys' language skills have just exploded including some two word sentences! (New Day, Green Car, More Please, Eat Outside, etc) I caught a few of the boys cute new words and moments on film over the weekend for your general amusement.



What was that last one you ask? Why it was Jackson saying "dot com" along with the Baby Einstein voice! All three of them chime in with "dot com" at the end of each Signing Time DVD and now with Baby Einstein. What will we ever do with these digital age kids?

Things That Make Me Smile

I've been struggling for the past few weeks with some serious mom burnout. It hit me quite suddenly and I was relieved to hear this weekend that I'm not the only one struggling with this. In order to try to lighten the mood I looked for things that make me smile right now. In no particular order, here they are...

Cute moments I capture in a picture.


The Office. Nick and I started watching it this winter and some friends loaned us seasons 1-4 so we could "catch up". We watched 4 or 5 episodes last night (almost done with season 2!) and were laughing constantly!


Watching the boys learn new things. Look at how well they're balanced on these "big boy" swings!


Red Sox hats. Need I say more?


The Mom Song by the kids music group Go Fish. I came across this song yesterday on YouTube when looking for fun videos for the boys to watch.



Time out with Nick (which we hadn't had since early January). Yesterday a couple of girls from my high school small group volunteered to watch the boys for us so that Nick and I could attend the Royals/Tigers game with some friends! The seats were awesome (5 rows from the visitors dugout!) and the game was terrible if you're a Royals fan, but it was a good time.

Pool Time

This past weekend it was finally warm enough to bring out the baby pool! Last year the boys didn't quite know what to think of the pool. Not much happened... Remember this from last summer? (Actually this is almost a year ago exactly! May 30, 2008)


This year the boys were a bit hesitant at first, but Tyler finally took the "plunge" and stepped in first.


Before we knew it all kinds of fun was being had! Jackson's favorite thing to do is to jump up and down in place several times followed by falling backwards onto his rear end. I think it looks like it hurts but he finds it hilarious!




A little while into pool time I told Nick we should make the Little Tikes slide end in the pool. He didn't think that was a good idea so we went back to watching the boys play. About 5 minutes later Tyler got out of the pool, pointed at the slide and then pointed at the pool. I swear that's a true story! The kid is a dare devil :)




Yesterday while the boys were playing in the pool I worked in my garden at the front of the house. When I left the water was nice and clean and when I came back it looked like this...


Apparently the pool was too close to some dirt this time!

**Yes, those are the same bathing suits as last year! Gotta love that BabyGap stuff runs big! The suits were big on the boys last summer, but perfect this summer!

Saturday Savings

Yesterday morning I headed out for some fairly light grocery shopping with Tyler (it was our one-on-one time). Everything you see pictured below plus a 24 pack of Quilted Northern Toilet Paper (I can't believe I forgot to put it in the picture!) cost $37.52.


Aldi:
Whole Milk - 2 gallons
Skim Milk
Margarine - 2 packages
Flour - 5 pounds
Bread
Bananas - 3 pounds
Eggs - 1 dozen

Hy-Vee:
Jolly Time Popcorn
Hy-Vee Honey Wheat Pretzels
Ritz Crackers
Wheat Thins Artisan Crackers
Quilted Northern Toilet Paper - 24 pack
Boneless Lean Ham - 4 pounds
Hy-Vee Refrigerated Mini Bagels - 12 count

Price Chopper:
Kraft Salad Dressing
Velveeta Shells and Cheese
Pork Tenderloin - 2 packages, 1.4 pounds each

The Deals: The Ritz and Wheat Thins at Hy-Vee were a pretty good deal. The Ritz were on sale 2/$5 and there was a coupon in last Sunday's paper for a free box of Wheat Thins when you bought a box of Ritz. That saved me 66% overall when buying both! The toilet paper was only $4.99 for the 24 pack which is 42% off - that's a pretty impressive discount for TP as that's not something that usually is on a good sale AND has a high value coupon (mine was for $1 off, but often times TP coupons are only for .25 -.50 off). The Jolly Time Popcorn was only .50 for the box - which is 81% off! The 4 pound boneless ham was a good buy at $4.99 (41% off). I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago and I got many meals out of that one chunk of ham. The Kraft Dressing was free at Price Chopper when combining the sale and my $1.50 off coupon. The Velveeta Shells and Cheese was 56% off at $1 for the box. I'll mix some chicken and fresh veggies in with it and we'll have a quick family meal one night when I'm pressed for time or don't feel like putting forth much effort. The pork tenderloins were BOGO, so 50% off overall.

You'll notice there wasn't much in the way of produce this week. That's because I set aside some money to spend at the Farmer's Market today! I have found fantastic bargains at the big Farmer's Market in downtown KC and the bonus is that the produce is fresher and I'm supporting local growers! I'll likely blog about my finds in next week's Saturday Savings.

Total Before tax, sales and coupons: $67.91
Total after sales and coupons: $35.28 - 48% off

Take One Down, Pass It Around

I apologize for my unexcused absence yesterday. I had a terrible day and therefore was in a pretty terrible mood. I just couldn't bring myself to write a cheerful blog (and I didn't want to bring you all down with my whining). To make it up to you I'm offering a bonus video this week!

Yesterday I caught the boys showing off their awesome sharing skills (and yes, 90% of the time they are this good at it)! In addition to sharing, they were trying to master the skill of drinking out of a plastic bottle. Tyler and Chase do pretty well at it. Jackson likes to wrap his entire mouth around as much of the neck as he can, which often results in a big mess and lots of coughing up of water. Live and learn :)

Workout Buddies - Video Clip of the Week

I recently became the proud owner of the DVD workout The 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels (trainer on The Biggest Loser). I technically started this workout at the beginning of the month, but I was so sporadic early on that I didn't see any results. A week ago I started up again and did it almost every day last week and the results are in... I lost 2.5 inches overall in the last week! No weight loss, but that's ok with me if I'm losing inches!

Anyway, the boys love watching me "dance" as they call it. Every morning when I come out of the bedroom they start bopping back and forth and say "mama dance". Cracks me up! They've also recently started "dancing" with me... take a look!

My Lifeline

The internet is a wonderful thing. Not only does it allow me to keep friends and family halfway across the country up to date on the growing boys, but it gives me a way to make friends with moms going through the same stages I am (or ones who have been through it already). I'm in several groups online but there is one that is a definite lifeline to me.

Over 2 years ago now a group of us on the Weight Watchers Moms message board started posting together. We were all pregnant and due to give birth in either September or October of 2007. Now that our kiddos are all approaching the age of 2, the group is a little smaller but our bonds are that much tighter now.

We're spread out all over the country (although oddly enough one of the moms does live here in the Kansas City area too!) and a few times people have been lucky enough to meet each other. Each time there's a meet up, the rest of us wallow in jealousy. Now it is my turn to brag!

Yesterday Brenda flew in from California. No, she didn't come just to visit us KC girls, she came for business but that didn't stop us from getting together with her last night!


I can't wait until I can meet more of my online friends! Even though we are only chatting on message boards, yahoo groups and instant messenger I feel like I've really formed strong bonds and friendships with these women. They're my lifeline when my life gets crazy!

First Parade

As a child I attended many small town parades. Small town parades are always entertaining because you never know what will come around the corner next! This past weekend there was a parade nearby. Technically this could not be called a small town parade as the town is not small, but it sure had that small town parade feel!

So what was the occasion that warranted a parade in mid-May you ask? Why the birthday of Harry S. Truman of course! I think I read somewhere this was his 125th birthday weekend (he's not living still of course), but they have this parade every year. We weren't really sure what to expect when we headed out, but we knew no matter how small the parade was the boys would get a kick out of it. What did we see at this parade?

Well of course we would see Harry S. Truman in his own parade!

I don't even know... I'll tell you what though, it was hilarious to see them walking around after the parade with the horse heads deflated and just hanging there!


Nick tells me this is Iron Man. All I know is an Avon lady was walking with the car and handing out Avon catalogs.

I believe these are the looks that were given to that guy popping out of the car...
Or it could be they were looking at these girls...

The best parts of the parade were the gobs of candy thrown at the boys (which Nick and I dutifully ate for them)...

Or seeing a whole bunch of dogs walking down the road!

Saturday Savings

Ahh the joys of being paid to shop! How's that happen you ask? You'll just have to read on to see. For now I'll leave you with this thought... all that stuff there? That only cost $57.15 and believe me the retail cost was quite a bit more than that.


Aldi:
Whole Milk - 2 gallons
Skim Milk - 1 gallon
Grape Jelly
Bread
Dozen Eggs
Bananas - 2 pounds
Gala Apples - 6 pounds
Pure Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Chips
Brown Sugar - 1 pound

Hy-Vee:
Hunts Ketchup
Kraft BBQ Sauce - 2 bottles
Miracle Whip Lite - 2
Old Orchard Juice
Triscuit Crackers - 2 boxes
Wheat Thins Artisan Crackers - 2 boxes
Ice Cream
Ball Park Hot Dogs - 2
Ziploc Easy Zipper Bags - 2 boxes
Potatoes - 10 pounds
Dole Salad
Kiwi Fruit - 10

Price Chopper:
Robert's Sour Cream
Honeysuckle Whole Turkey Breast - 7 pound
Kellogg's Raisin Bran - 2 boxes
Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats - 1 box
Krunchers Potato Chips
Elbow Macaroni - 2 pounds
Thin Spaghetti - 2 pounds
Bar S Jumbo Franks - 2
Blackberries - 11 oz
Tomato on the vine - 1.5 lbs

The Deals: Ok, I know you're all wondering about this being paid to shop thing so I'll cut right to the chase on that one! I had printed 2 coupons each for a $1 off a bottle of Kraft BBQ sauce. This week Hy-Vee had said sauce on sale for .78 but after my coupon I actually was making .22 on each bottle! Sweet! Other Hy-Vee deals included Miracle Whip for .99 each (that's 77% off), Potatoes were only $1.58 for the 10 pound bag, the Ziploc Bags were marked down to $2 a box and there were tear off coupons on the display for $1 off a box, the Wheat Thins and Triscuits were each just .99 a box (that's $2 off each, or a savings of 67%) and the Ball Park Franks were $1 each (70% off).

Price Chopper also held some sweet deals if you printed off those Kellogg's cereal coupons that were available online last week! I paid just .78 a box for the Raisin Bran and Mini-Wheats - that's 78% off. The blackberries were .88 a container (78% off), the tomatoes were .88 a pound (65% off) and last but definitely not least I paid just .18 a package for the Bar S Jumbo Franks! They were on sale for .68 a piece and I had a save $1 on 2 coupon which brought my savings to 91%.

Notable at Aldi were the Gala Apples - 3 pound bags were $1.29 each so I snagged 2.

Total Before sales, coupons and tax: $130.81
Total after sales and coupons: $54.34 - savings of 59%

Me Time

Last fall I set out to get myself some "me time". I knew our church had a mom's group and I was excited to get involved. I didn't know a single person in the room of 40-50 moms, but that's what happens when you're at a church of 15,000. Know what else happens when you're at a church that big? You have to make an effort to get plugged in and meet people! If you don't do that you'll just feel lost.

Even though the mom's group only met an average of twice a month (and sometimes only once depending on where the holidays fell) it was my time of respite. The speakers may not have all been stellar, but the really bad ones just give us something to laugh about 3 months later!

I've made some great friends, will be setting up some playdates for the summer and really enjoyed the dynamic of "the blue table" (where I sat). I was lucky enough to be placed at the same table as the one other lady from my town and we've become friends. In fact, next year she and I will be co-leading one of the Early Childhood groups!

If you live in the Kansas City area and are looking to be plugged in with other moms, I invite you to sign up for Building Better Moms. The whole program has been revamped for next year (runs with the school year) and I'm excited about the changes. Whether you have a baby, toddlers, elementary aged kids, high school kids or are a single mom there's a group for you. You certainly do not have to be a member of our church or even have stepped foot inside before. We have moms from various stages in life and some from other churches in the area!

If this is something that interests you, go here for more info and to register. If you have young kids and want to be in the group I'm co-leading just look for the Wednesday Morning Early Childhood group with my name as one of the leaders!

Today is our last meeting for the spring. I'm sad to not get to meet with these ladies anymore, as they've been one of my bright spots in this thing called "motherhood", but I'm so excited for August and the new friends I will make!

Super Sticky

Yesterday it was warm and humid here in Kansas City, so Nick eagerly agreed that we should all head to the nearby frozen custard place after dinner. The boys have been there once before, but it was early last fall and they only received a few spoonfuls of the cold treat.

Last night the boys got to each hold their own cone for the first time. They LOVED it!

Tyler taking his first bite!

Chase and Jackson trying it out.

Needless to say, the boys thought it was good stuff and there was some mild sadness when the custard was all gone! We told them not to worry, that we'd be back. At the very least we'll go when Grandma and Pop Pop are in town next month (Pop Pop loves it)!

Video Clip of the Week - 2 for 1 Special

Today I'm running a 2 for 1 special with our Video Clip of the Week! I found these two very short clips on the camera and decided to just give you both in one clip.

Clip 1 was taken by Nick. I guess he thought the boys looked super cute in their new PJs (first time wearing shorts/t-shirt PJs) and he was right! They're sitting in birth order there on the couch (Jackson, Tyler, Chase).

Clip 2 was taken by me the next day. Jackson is the one who falls on the floor and yes, towards the end he is the one about to take a bite out of Tyler's shoulder. Don't worry - he got a time out for that one!

A Childhood Oasis

Over the weekend our backyard went from "just a backyard" to more of a childhood oasis! On Friday Nick got the boys' sandbox put together and filled with sand and then on Sunday a neighbor we've never even met offered us their swing set. Apparently they noticed the large flock of children in our backyard over the past week and their kids had outgrown the swing set.

On Saturday afternoon Jackson, Tyler, Chase and their new friend Connor had a ball playing in the sandbox! See that green canopy? That cranks down to double as a cover for the sand! Perfect for keeping rain and stray cats out. We bought the sand box from Sam's Club, but now it appears Sam's no longer carries it, but Costco does (web only)... Here's the link.


Considering the swing set wasn't picked up (literally - it was carried down the street!) until after the monkeys all went to bed Sunday night, the boys didn't get to play with it until yesterday. Boy did they have a ball though! They've become little pros at going up and down the slide and are starting to figure out a couple of the swings.



Now that we have a coaster, a sand box and a swing set I'm thinking we'll pretty much be living outside this summer. Playdate anyone?! Generosity

Mother's Day Fun

I had an enjoyable Mother's Day with my boys yesterday! Nick of course had to work, so I only saw him for a couple of hours in the afternoon and then later at night. However, our friends were in town with their 17 month old son so we decided to go out for some fun!

The Kansas City Zoo was nice enough to offer free admission to all mom's yesterday. Considering small kids (2 and under I think?) are free this made for a super cheap outing! We packed a picnic lunch for the boys and loaded up the cars and headed to the zoo to join the thousands of other people who had the same idea.



The boys had a great time looking at the animals and announcing what each animal "says" which, for the record, is "roar!". Yes, even elephants "roar". I think a little too much fun was had though as about half-way through Africa I heard some exclaim as I walked by that "number 2 was falling asleep". I turned around to see Tyler bobbing his head around, trying to fall asleep sitting up in the Choo Choo.



He was successful in sleeping that way for about 30 minutes, which then meant when we got home about an hour later he wouldn't nap. Oh well. Chase also found a way to dose in the Choo Choo. His position resulted in a lot less bobbing than Tyler's did.


And finally, this is the gift I got my awesome mom! When all the cousins were together last week I snapped this beauty of all 6 kids, printed an 8x10 of it, stuck it in a frame and mailed it to my mom. How we managed to get all 6 kids looking straight ahead is beyond me!

Saturday Savings - A Great Week!

I hit the bargain jackpot yesterday in a few places, which excited me to no end! All the stuff you see below cost $67.80 and here's what it included:


Aldi:
Whole Milk - 3 gallons
Skim Milk - 1 gallon
Pancake Syrup
Baking Cocoa
Chips
Pinto Beans - 2, 2 pound bags
Rice - 2, 3 pound bags
Pasta Shells
Tortillas
Bananas - 3 pounds
Freeze Pops - 36 ct
Peanut Butter
Cinnamon Graham Crackers
Diced Tomatoes - 3 cans
Parmesan Cheese

Hy-Vee:
Dannon Yogurt - 10 containers
Wonder Bread - 1 loaf
Spaghetti Sauce - 1 can
Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats - 2 boxes
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes - 2 boxes
Kraft BBQ Sauce
Chinet Paper Plates
Lean Ham - 4 pounds
Carrots - 2 pounds
Green Peppers - 2
Ken's Salad Dressing

Price Chopper:
Eggs - 2 dozen
Swanson Pot Pies - 4
Frozen Veggies - 4 bags
Sara Lee Bread - 1 loaf
Kiwi - 10
Right Guard Extreme Deodorant - 6

The Deals: I had some thrilling buys yesterday! At Hy-Vee I bought the BBQ Sauce for .24 (87% off), the Ken's Salad Dressing for .88 (73% off), the Dannon Yogurt for just .20 a container (73% off) and all of the Kellogg's Cereals for .58 a box (83% off)! Needless to say, I was thrilled with my purchases there.

At Price Chopper I had some equally (if not more) thrilling deals though... The Sara Lee Bread was .18. Yep, .18! That's 94% off! The eggs were on sale for .68 a dozen (with a 2 dozen limit), the frozen veggies were .67 a bag (57% off) with a 4 bag limit. I likely will hit Price Chopper once or twice more this weekend to really stock up on those. While in Price Chopper I walked past their clearance section and was ecstatic to find the brand of deodorant Nick uses in there! Normally this deodorant will run anywhere for $3.75-$4.25 a piece depending on where you shop. They were marked down to $1.50 each in the clearance cart! Know what made it even better? I had a save $1 on 2 coupon with me. This clearance cart is the sole reason I bring all of my coupons into the store with me.

Total cost before sales, coupons and tax: $142.82
Total cost after sales and coupons: $64.26 - Savings of 55%

Early Personalities

Last night as I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep, my mind drifted back to the boys' relatively short stay in the NICU. I don't know why I was thinking about that... my mind works in really random ways!

Anyway, I was thinking about something one of the NICU nurses had said about Chase. Chase was only about a week and a half old when one of the nurses told me that Chase was going to be our cuddler. I thought that was a cute thing to say but I thought "how could she possibly know what he's going to be like a year from now even?"

Turns out she was right! Chase loves to be held. When he gets up from a nap he hates to be put down right away - he'd rather cuddle with you on the couch for 15 or 20 minutes. When I'm sitting at the table and I feel a pat on my leg and hear "mama", it's usually Chase asking to sit in my lap. Definitely our cuddly kid!

That got me thinking about the other two boys. Nothing was ever "said" about them like it was about Chase, but there were little quirks if you will. Tyler was a master wiggler in the NICU. He could break out of any swaddle the nurses put him in. We routinely would walk in to his little "room" and find him underneath his blankets and curled up at the far end of his isolett. It was pretty funny at the time! Tyler is still our wiggliest kid! He was the first to crawl, first to walk and is a ball of energy. Oh, and we still find him huddled in the corner of his crib with blankets piled over him.

Mr. Jackson is a little harder to describe when it comes to his NICU behavior. He didn't "do" a whole lot (although I distinctly remember him pooping on a Neonatologist during an exam once). However, Jackson liked to open his eyes a lot. When the other boys were sleeping, Jackson would have his eyes open and trying to explore his new world with them. As a result Nick and I spent a lot of time next to Jackson's isolett! There was something about those eyes that was just so joy filled. It was like he was smiling with them all the time! When I look at Jackson now and see him giggling, or looking with wonder at something, I see that say joy, those very same eyes.

Who'd of guessed that a tiny infant, even before their expected due date would have such personality that would still be present 20 months later!