Couponing and Memory Lane!

Lest you think I am about to give you a run down on how to be the extreme couponer....

think again...

I am about to inform you of MY first "extreme" couponing experience!

Last night was NOT like any other night.  Steve has been on 5 nights this week....that's 5 twelve (13 really, but the hospital won't admit that) shifts.  Last night he was lucky enough to go in for 1/3 of the shift and come home.  Since I haven't seen him, well, since last Saturday....I decided to hit the sack at 8pm and have him wake me at 12:30 when he got home.

He came home with a midnight treat...Burger King...and we caught up on all our favorite shows.

We finally got to sleep at 3:30am...and the kids woke me at 6:45!  YAY!!!

I was groggy....and spent half of my day looking at the mess I needed to clean.

Well, the first part of that mess happened to be a good hundred coupons my husband has recently clipped from the Sunday papers which he bought not too long ago so we could become the EXTREME COUPONERS!  

Holy cow, I thought, as I stumbled across a coupon that said $3 off a man's razor and cartridges, and then another that was $2 off a females....the holy cow was caught with excitement when I saw that at Target (ending today), you could get those exact same razors combined and get a $5 Target gift card in return!

So, I organized more "to-be expired" coupons and peeked my head in on my sleeping husband to proclaim, "I'm going to Target!  The deals I need end TODAY!"

He rolled out of bed a decided to come along with me!

Our cart was packed to the brim with all our couponing purchases and 75% more items as well...mostly lean cuisine meals...because we're both desperate to lose weight!  I scratched each item off the list proudly, and started to panic when I saw that the cartridges that you had to buy with the razor combo were $18....EEEKK!!!  But hey, when I bought both, I got that Target gift card!  

I got to the register knowing that my couponing adventure was more like a large expenditure....

I bargained with the woman over ALL the $5 gift cards I was due, and then she asked, "Is that all?"

"No," I said, "I have a ton of coupons!"

She had long grey hair and glasses, and she sure did use those glasses as she read every....single....coupon...while asking with each one, "Now, did you actually buy 2 Sun Chips?  And did you buy 2 lysols?"

I was specific, "Yes, I bought 2 Lysol toilet bowl cleaners!"

And then I thought...with a sweet smile across my face, "The computer is way smarter than you think it is lady, just scan it...if it doesn't work...it doesn't work!"

I was the typical couponer, at the register, tapping my fingers, anxiously watching the total drop....

$303

$302

$299.50

It dropped ever so slowly!

The people behind us must've been thinking, "Oh my gosh, we're stuck behind one of 'them'!"

I wanted to say, "Look away for a moment, I am embarrassed to say, we aren't one of them...but we put a lot of time into trying to be one of them....you know, the one that gets $300 bills for FREE!"

We finished checking out, stoped 2 feet from the register, and both Steve and I examined out receipt to make sure we got all the deals we came for!  Sure enough...we did!  And we saved a grand total of $54.92....but we spent  $272.14...

When we got to the car, I rolled my eyes and said, "I think I woulda rather worked a few more hours over doing this!"  And then we both got a good laugh out of the "I HAVE to go to Target TODAY" experience!

Now, onto memory lane....

Do you remember school field trips?

Being so excited the morning of, and (if you are Connor), thrilled that your Mom is coming along?

 And then when she gets there, she's just alright...

And there to verify that you really do have the skylanders stuff at home?

But there was a moment in the middle of the movie when he reached over to hold my hand....and he did for about a half hour....even across the empty seat that should have been occupied by Maya! 

Do you remember eating at the parks afterwards?

And asking your friends, "What did your Mom pack for you?  What's your drink?"

I witnessed it the other day...memories flooded back! 

Lydia really did love the field trip...it's hard to see here! 

And Maya LOVES life...so she loved it too! 

Another memory....

I just organized the boys rooms for them...washed all their quilts I've made them over the years, and placed them on their beds.  I love seeing this quilt in the house.

This was Aiden's "Big Brother Quilt" when Shane was born....Shane had a matching baby quilt which we buried him in.  What a sweet reminder to me every time I see it.