Post-Spring Break

Life has been quite busy in our small household. On top of everything my camera broke, and I am currently using an old one while I read reviews and check out the pricings for new ones. Miss Mia is walking everywhere and overnight went from being 16 months old to going on 16. She walks with her hands on her hips, talks with her finger, has learned the power of throwing herself on the floor in the most dramatic fashion, and loves the phrase "let me do it." (I say she gets this all from Hubby...but anyone who has ever met me, knows the truth!) = )

Of course the new attitude is only in part due to 7 straight days between 2 sets of grandparents. On top of the excessive spoiling, Miss had croup and had to be put on several antibiotics, steroids, and a breathing machine for a week. Luckily she recovered quickly and is back to having fun with her dog and world domination!




Oh the Love of a good Chocolate Snack Pack! (that mommy got for free with coupons)

Free Nike Shoes!

My sweet hubby is a Coke Drinker. ( I feel this is like some kind of confession!) Along with my sweet hubby are my parents and grandparents. A few years ago, my husband began saving the codes off Coke b/c he wanted a Wii. He finally got his own Wii and was left with many points. So, knowing that his wife needed a new pair of shoes, he cashed in some of his points for a Nike giftcard. We both got $65 shoes and got free shipping. The shoes were totally free! My sweet mother sends us codes once a month from her work, home, and my grandparents.

It's really not a bad deal. If you are going to drink Coke anyway, why not get some freebies? We've also cashed out points for restaurant gift cards to use for ourselves, or give as gifts. Not a bad way to get some Free shoes!

Frugal Fitness

My training is going really well. I'm working out muscles I forgot I had. A lady from church told me I should blog about frugal fitness because she didn't believe you could lose weight or eat right without spending more money. Here are some of my tips.

1) I don't pay for gym memberships or a personal trainer. (Now granted my girlfriend, who is training to be one, gave me a list of things I should do.)

2) I buy fitness DVDs at Used book stores or on Itunes for less than $2. I've bought several Biggest Loser DVDs that are usually $14 a piece, for less than $3 each. (You can also use fitness videos on Youtube!)

3) I use mytrainerbob.com to food journal and get fitness tips. The best part is, the site and complete access is totally free!

4) I don't like owning bulky fitness equipment. The only things I have are a few hand weights ranging from 5-10 pounds. Bought all of them at a 75% off sale at Tuesday Morning.

5) I buy most of our fruits and veggies frozen with coupons. Seasonal fruits we buy at our local farmer's markets. They sell in bulk and so much cheaper. We even have our favorites who we know make the hottest peppers, or sweetest peaches.

6) I do easy things on hard days. When I'm really stressed, the dog and I go out for runs. There is a kids park about a mile away. I put Mia in her little red wagon and haul her down to the park. She is really fond of my trips to the park.

7) Eating better, also means eating out way less--saving so much money!

Eating well and working out really doesn't have to cost a lot of money. The work is paying off. I'm over twenty pounds lighter, and down 2 pant sizes!

I Received the Lemonade Award

I received the Lemonade Award from Frugal Patti. It is an award that celebrates good attitude and gratitude. I am so excited about my first award!! Thanks Patti! You should really check out her blog. She has really great frugal tips.

Frugal Tips

Frugalness must go beyond coupons and grocery shopping. Whenever I give my coupon classes, I try to emphasize other frugal tips that can be employed to save money.

1) We only use cloth napkins. I love cloth napkins for several reasons. One, is that they add a cute flair to even the smallest meal. The other reason they are great, is that you save money not buying paper towels. Using the cloth is also quite eco-friendly. In the long run, it really doesn't add to the laundry load much more.

2) I always carry a big 32 oz. hiking water bottle with me. This makes sure that I don't get thirsty when I'm out shopping or at school. I can easily refill without having to buy soft drinks or bottled water. You can save a lot of money not buying a drink throughout the day!

3) I cook large amounts on my big cooking days and freeze the rest. Home-made frozen meals are great when neither of us feel like cooking, and thus save us money by not going out or ordering in food.

4) Whatever clothes or blankets that I don't donate to Goodwill or give away at church giveaways, I reuse and make into fun craft projects for Mia. A lot of old cloth becomes fabric dolls, a small purse, new baby blankets, etc. She actually places with the fabric dolls more than her others..

5) We use free Redbox codes to rent new DVDs, then make our own popcorn at home, and don't have to pay for a babysitter!

6) I make a lot of my own cleaning products. It's not hard, it's always organic, and I don't have to worry about what my family is breathing.

7) We save all of our spare change in a really large cider jug. At the end of each month, we use it to either do something fun, go out to eat, or maybe save it for a big treat. (We saved for months to get David a new TV--all from the spare change jar!)

8) I buy almost all of Mia's clothes at Orchard's M.O.M or Once Upon a Child. I am very picky, and only buy the clothes that still have the original tags on. OUAC also has store appreciation cards, and you get 15% back when you fill up your card. Such cute clothes for almost nothing.

Our busy world

School has started up again, and with it my busy life resumes. I am back to teaching two classes during the week, taking two of my Ph.D seminars at night, running the food pantry, hosting a Bible studying once a week, and raising a walking/talking child. Her newest phrase is "That Mine!" Apparently everything belongs to Mia and we are to know about the new change in the rules.

I have also been feeling quite crafty lately. I've made Mia some really cute scarves that are "her size." Along with the scarves, I've made her some cloth dolls just like my grandmother used to make me. My grandmother always used her leftover fabric to make me dolls clothes or actual dolls. When my camera starts working again, I'll take a picture of my creations. Mia likes to chew on the dolls, apparently they are a good chewy texture.

On top of all of this, I have started training again. Once upon a time, in a far away land, I was something of an athlete. A good friend of mine is a personal trainer and she sweetly agreed to put me on a work out regiment to get me back and shape. So far, she's been killing me, and its been great.

Texas, Our Texas

Both my hubby and I are Texans. For those who have never lived there, we, like most Texans we know, take our heritage seriously. Everything is bigger in Texas, everything is better in Texas, etc. Since we relocated to Oklahoma for my Ph.D work we have determined just how much we missed certain aspects of Texas. The number one missed thing, however, is GOOD Mexican food!

My sweet, sweet hubby surprised me on Friday with a quick weekend trip to Fort Worth before I start up at school again. So fantastic.

We stayed in a great hotel, complete with two rooms, great sofa, amazingly comfortable beds, and a 42" plasma TV. (You see why he picked the location now?)


But the best part, the hotel was really cheap! (under $90!) The other hidden bonus about the TV was that it was within walking distance to a fabulous Italian restaurant, Italianni's.

Once he told me we were going, I quickly began looking for coupons for fun things to do. In Allen, there is a great outlet mall. And if you have small kids, or really like animals, Fort Worth has one of the top five zoos in the country. Luckily I found great coupons for all kinds of activities in the metroplex, including the zoo!

The Zoo was so great. Mia loved all the animals and people watching. Her favorite part, however, was getting to go inside the bird sanctuary and feed them. I did not want to do in, as I have a slight fear of them pecking my eyes out! She was fearless! Put her hand out for them to land on her!! I'm very proud of her being a little daredevil.
After the zoo, I had to hit my favorite grocery store ever...HEB Central Market! After we purchased some yummy food, we then hit the outlet stores in Allen. I had gotten a Coach purse for X-mas, but needed to return it as I am very picky about my purses. Luckily the nice Coach people were so sweet and let me take it back. So I found one that I LOVED, and by taking the other one back, I only had to spend $30! I love thirty dollars for a Coach purse!!

Then we hit a few more stores & then headed back home. In the meantime, however, we went grabbed some Mexican food, and got extra salsa & tortillas to bring back to Oklahoma. Mia slept the entire three hours home! Such a wonderful trip!