Across Missouri and back

I spent most of today traveling from one side of Missouri to the other.

My husband’s mother died back in November of cancer. It was a fast time from when we found out to when she died. I was her caretaker in her final days along with hospice. We had her cremated. It takes a few weeks to get the ashes back and today we spread her ashes next to her mother and father in her plot.

While we were in Kansas City we had to go say goodbye to my 82 year old Grandmother. She has Alzheimer’s and Wednesday she fell an took a turn for the worse. She is unresponsive and has a weak pulse and very labored breathing.

All of her kids have made it to her side. My two aunts live close by. My uncle lives in another state and made it Thursday. My father was out of the country and it took him over two days of travel to make to her bedside.

The hospice taking care of her is the same we had with my mother in law. In fact it is the same team! Small world.

Currently we are traveling back to our house. We have a few days before we are traveling back across Missouri for her funeral.

I have to say I am not sad that she is dying but happy that she lived a very full life. Four children, seven grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren. It is her time to go and I know we shall meet again in heaven.

Before the storm……

Coupons

So, I have been an on again off again couponer. We are a family of 5 and the 20-year-old and 9-year-old boys eat like there is no tomorrow. At the beginning of the year I decided to trying couponing again. But this time I was going to do it a bit different.

I bought myself a small couponing clutch to put my coupons in of Amazon for $4.99.

 

I had tried the binder and that was a massive failure about 6 months ago. I though tI would try this along with a database in my computer. Yep, I said a database. I don’t want to search through 12 different categories to find the coupon I am looking for. Or to go searching only to remember that I used it last week or that it expired.

I created a database in Excel that has the same categories as my clutch.

 

This tells me the name of the product, how much the coupon is worth, and an expiration date. Seems tedious but it works for me.

So, I bought my Sunday paper  and Monday morning before work I clipped coupons for about 30 minutes. There were 4 books of coupons Sunday so lots of coupons.

 

Then last night, I put them into the computer and clutch.

Now comes the part I LOVE!!!! I went through the weekly ads, only Walgreens so far, and I matched up my coupons to the deals they are having.

 

I can tell you by matching up coupons with deals I am saving a lot of money. Over the weekend we went to three stores and here is the break down of what I saved.

Schnucks-

• Original total: $24.73
• Coupons and Savings: $4.30

Walgreens-

• Original total: $18.09
• Coupons and Savings: $11.09

Shop ‘n Save-

• Original total: $31.71
• Coupons and Savings: $5.55

I saved a total of $20.94! Hey that is 4 days of lattes at Starbucks!

You can find local match up deals at Money Saving Mom. I also find local deals in Missouri at King Size Savings under Store Deals.

Darn you Tolstoy!!!

Once again I have MIA, I am truly sorry but I am going back to school. I am going to school online through Southern New Hampshire University. I am going to get my degree in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing. I am currently taking a Western Literature class. Well, I got signed up late by 4 days, then had to go cook at camp, and then the whole teeth thing. This put me massively behind and I didn’t get my book until Friday last week.

 

I talked with the school and the teacher and I was allowed to make-up all my work. I am proud to say I got it all caught up by 9pm Sunday night!

So far I have had discussions and papers due on:

Moliere, Sor Juana, Rousseau, Flaubert, Tolstoy, and Voltaire

We are currently still on Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, second week of it.

Happy New You part 3

 

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

 

Ok, So here is the  worksheet from Saturday nights service. I am going to have to think on this one and post my answers later this week. This time we are looking at Action Steps on how we will go towards our goals.

My personal purpose statement: My personal purpose statement is to be a wife, mother, and friend who is curious but not judgemental, passionate about life, who lives a life worth being proud of while helping and cheering on those around me, and who always remembers where she came from.

Faith – My one goal in faith this year is to grow my relationship with God.

• Action Step 1
• Action Step 2
• Action Step 3

Family –  My one goal for family this year is to make the most out of the time we spend together as a family.

• Action Step 1
• Action Step 2
• Action Step 3

Fitness – My one goal in fitness this year is to walk more in my free time.

• Action Step 1
• Action Step 2
• Action Step 3

Finances – My one goal in finances this year is to really look at the things I buy and decide if it is really worth spending the money on it.

• Action Step 1
• Action Step 2
• Action Step 3

Friends – My one goal for friends this year is to strengthen my current friendships and always be willing to accept new ones.

• Action Step 1
• Action Step 2
• Action Step 3

Future – My one goal for the future this year is to be a more positive person and not dwell on the negative.

• Action Step 1
• Action Step 2
• Action Step 3

Fun – My one goal for fun this year is to enjoy my time on this earth because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

• Action Step 1
• Action Step 2
• Action Step 3

You can go here to find the podcast and messages.

Happy New You part 2

Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living? 

I think this is an amazing question to ask yourself.

I missed Pastor Erik’s part 2 of the message on a Happy New You. (I was away cooking for a group of adult, only one with anything negative to say.) So, I am listening to it as we speak and I am typing to you my thoughts. You can go here to find the podcast and message for two weekends ago. I will post Saturdays message here on Tuesday.

So, two weeks ago we talked about My Happiness Map Worksheet. Here is what he wants us to work on now. The things in Italics are new items he is asking.

My personal purpose statement: My personal purpose statement is to be a wife, mother, and friend who is curious but not judgemental, passionate about life, who lives a life worth being proud of while helping and cheering on those around me, and who always remembers where she came from.

Faith – My one goal in faith this year is to grow my relationship with God.

• Where am I in my faith on a scale of 1 to 10?  I would have to say I am on about a 6.
• How did I get here?  Well, last year I really had no relationship with God other than I knew he was around when I was ready. Now I am going to church, I am saying a daily prayer, and I am showing him to my children.
• Are there any lies I have believed in this area?  Maybe that the church I grew up in was the only church for me, even if it didn’t fit or feel right.

Family –  My one goal for family this year is to make the most out of the time we spend together as a family.

• Where am I in my family on a scale of 1 to 10?  I would say a 4, maybe a weak 5.
• How did I get here?  We are doing more family dinners.
• Are there any lies I have believed in this area? It would have to be that we need to be the perfect family, that my friend doesn’t exist!

Fitness – My one goal in fitness this year is to walk more in my free time.

• Where am I in my fitness on a scale of 1 to 10?  I would say a strong 6!
• How did I get here? I made my mind up to start walking to work two days a week and not play Xbox so much. I told people my plan and they are holding me accountable.
• Are there any lies I have believed in this area?  I thought it would be easy but it is really hard to walk 8 miles on those two days.

Finances – My one goal in finances this year is to really look at the things I buy and decide if it is really worth spending the money on it.

• Where am I in my finances on a scale of 1 to 10?  Maybe a 5!
• How did I get here? I do take a strong look at what I buy and ask myself is it really a need or a want. I have lapses.
• Are there any lies I have believed in this area? I thought I could do this cold turkey and it is not that easy, a slip and buying a latte one day and you go what was I thinking!

Friends – My one goal for friends this year is to strengthen my current friendships and always be willing to accept new ones.

• Where am I with my friends on a scale of 1 to 10? I would say a strong 5.
• How did I get here? I am trying to be a better listener and not so much a talker. Trying to take in what people say, not just thinking me, me, me.
• Are there any lies I have believed in this area? Relationships are hard and this is not easy

Future – My one goal for the future this year is to be a more positive person and not dwell on the negative.

• Where am I in relation to my future on a scale of 1 to 10?  A decent 6!
• How did I get here?  I think by pushing out the negative thoughts and thinking twice before saying most things.
• Are there any lies I have believed in this area? I always believed that you needed to treat people in a harsh way to get them to respond.

Fun – My one goal for fun this year is to enjoy my time on this earth because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

• Where am I in having fun on a scale of 1 to 10?  I am maybe a 3!
• How did I get here? I think I have had a negative outlook for so long that I forgot to enjoy the little things and just laugh.
• Are there any lies I have believed in this area? Not sure!

So, how are you coming on the new you? I would love to hear.

PS~ I am writing this post at 11pm at night and on Vicodin. Sorry if I don’t make a lot of sense. I am trying though!!

Going Paperless in 2013

Most organizational websites and blogs you visit today you see these ads and post about the Neat Scanner. I really debated over weather or not to get over seeing as I am on this no spending challenge. But I blew that by buying a latte and then having to get dentures. But technically the dentures were a loan and a line of credit. And technically the Neat only cost me $14.95 for shipping as I get to try it out for like 30 days to see if I like.

It came Thursday but I was too drugged up on pain killers for my teeth to open it when it came. I put it on the bed and waited until my husband got home to open it.

We opened it and took it out of the box and that is as far as we got. Friday I decided to try it out and see what I thought.

 

I got it up and hopefully working but was faced with error notices when I tried to go further.

 

I think I have fixed it as I have been scanning for hours and had no issues.  I am happily scanning taxes, receipts, and whatever else is in my file cabinet is going into the scanner and then being burned!

I am happy~

MIA……

Yes, I know I have been MIA for a few days but I have a very good reason.I woke up Monday with a tooth ache and really didn’t think anything of it. I have bad teeth and have had since I was little. Tuesday I woke up to half of my face swollen and hardly able to open my eye. Nasty bit really. I always knew that I would need to have my teeth pulled this year, just not so soon.

Tuesday I got in to see the dentist around 10am and by 11am I had molds done of my teeth. I went home to rest before I was to go back at 3pm. Well, things got changed and it was moved to 2pm on Wednesday. My dad came to pick me up and take me to his house to chill before they pulled my teeth.

 

Yes, I had two broken teeth in the front.

Yes, I had 12 teeth pulled Wednesday. Yes, I now have dentures on the top. And YES, I was awake through all of this! At the time it didn’t hurt so much as it was a lot if pressure. Wednesday night at 8pm I was in horrible pain. Last night at 8pm I was regretting the whole thing. Food is no longer fun to eat or think about. Today is better, food is still not fun.

 

Here I am last night. Different  to look into the mirror and see straight teeth on me for the first time since I was 16 yeas old and had braces.

Ahhh Monday!

Back from my weekend of cooking! It was a good weekend, nothing caught on fire. No one got sick from the food. I did get a speeding ticket on the way home, it was just zoned in on driving not watching my speed limit. I got to go to court in March for it.

I did try to catch up on my school work, without a book, for a week’s worth of work last night. I did get the discussion questions done but not the paper. I was a late add to the class.

Today, I headed over to Organizing Made Fun to see that I didn’t win again. I didn’t expect I would. I’m a loser baby! WOO HOO! I am ok with it.

I am tired today, I think I got 6 hours of sleep down at camp. I did take a nap yesterday but  I am still very tired.

Happy news…….. my two days of walking to work last week have allowed me to fit into my skinny jeans without jumping and the wiggle dance.

Out of Service

My blog will not have any new posts until Monday, January 14, 2013. I am not going on vacation by any means. I am going to volunteer my time as a head cook at a weekend church retreat. Don’t get any funny ideas about robbing my though….. everyone else will be here and the the mean 7 pound chihuahua that will bite your ankle off.

 

But the other two dogs will attack!