I'm a SAHM w/3 wonderful blessings (so far) whom I homeschool. I am also a part-time nurse and forever student.
I am also THAT mom. You know, the homeschooling, opinionated, imperfect, stubborn, non-Martha Stewart mom with children who are not always perfect. But then, am I? Still they are the most precious blessings in my life.
I couldn't have asked for a better life because my life has made me who I am today. It's in those imperfections that we have become who we are and will continue to grow into the people that God wants us to be.
I pray you realize what a true blessing "troubles" are in your life. I have been there. I have been burned. I am still standing by the grace and might of God.
I love it when I can see, first-hand, my tax money being put to good use. I mean nothing says "good use of money" like sending out a useless letter to inform someone that they'll be getting something in a week.
Seriously? You're sending me a letter to tell me that in one week I'll be getting something? Really? Imagine if companies operated that way. On the 1st of every month, they'd send out a letter to inform my husband that he'll get paid on the 15th. No company would do that! They'd see that as a complete & total waste of money.
I've got it! The US government was trying to single-handedly revive the United States Postal Service. Forget mailing something ONCE to every household in America! We'll mail TWO things!
I remember the same thing happening a couple of years ago when the government was sending us money that our great great grandchildren will be repaying. They sent a letter to inform us that our check would be coming in a month.
Again. Really? Is someone bored? Wanted to stuff envelopes? Just had too much taxpayer money laying around?
Forget The Communist Manifesto. I've discovered something far more dangerous; The Children's Manifesto.
We, the kids, resolve the following:
We will not clean up after ourselves after a meal. We will be consistent at every meal so that they know we're serious.
We will not clean our bathroom mirrors, counters, toliet, bathtub, or floor. We are not paying for this house. We don't buy the cleaners. Why should we clean up the mess; even if its ours? We're kids. We should be having fun not worrying about messes.
Should we spill something, we will first attempt to blame our 4th sibling "Not Me". If this fails, we will then attempt to blame the cat. Whether or not our attempts at blaming others are successful, we will NOT clean up said mess. If we do clean up said mess, then it could be construed that we are accepting blame for said mess which would send a mixed message.
To summarize, our general stance on cleaning is that we do not do any cleaning. Under any circumstances. Experience has shown that if we do it once, they will then know that we have the skill and will expect us to do it again. We do NOT want to set that type of precedent! That could be VERY dangerous!
We will not, under any circumstances do our math. We readily accept that we will need to add and subtract as adults. We already know this skill. We might even have to multiply or divide. We'll use a calculator anyway so does it really matter if we actually know how to do this ourselves? Geometry? We know our shapes. Anything else is unnecessary unless we plan to be math teachers...and why on EARTH would we want to teach math and subject other children to something so useless as THAT?
If we are mad at a sibling, we can hit them if they're sitting right next to us in the car because we can call it an accident since we're sitting so close. You and the parent(s) in the car will both know that it wasn't an accident. It doesn't matter. You're sitting so close together that they won't be able to prove your guilt.
We are always to behave like perfect, polite children when we are in public. NO EXCEPTIONS! This is the ONLY way that we will be able to convince people that our parents are crazy when they tell their friends that we have disobeyed!
This is the manifesto held in many houses throughout our great nation. It is IMPERATIVE that parents not be made aware of its existence. If they should become aware, households nationwide could be thrown upside down as parents figure out what we've been up to and work to destroy our plan.
Disclaimer (because I got caught when my daughter read the blog): This manifesto has absolutely nothing to do with my kids nor their behavior. This manifesto comes from having watched OTHER people's children. My children are perfect and would never act in such a manner nor would they plot in such a manner against their parents. Ever. I don't know why people would think that such a thing was written in jest after having observed my own children. I never write bad things about my children. No good mother would. (A blogger might, but being a good mother ALWAYS trumps being a good blogger who blogs about her imperfect children and their imperfections. Ahem. Right?)
When we first moved to Vegas, I was quickly informed that I would NOT be getting free things here like I had in other places we'd lived. I was told that what few coupons came weren't any good. I was told the stores here don't offer sales like I've experienced elsewhere.
What these people didn't realize is that I've heard these things in every place we've lived. Literally...Every. Single. Place. And in each and every place...I proved them wrong. Perhaps it's because I just like a good challenge. Regardless, I set my sights on proving them wrong....again. Vegas was going to be no different. I mean really, two of the BEST stores to shop at for freebies and moneymakers are national chains...which are here in Vegas as well.
I mean no disrespect when I say this, but even many long-time couponers don't know where to look to find the "super" deals. That's where I come in! I DO know where to look! I have been a super-couponer for 14 years. I was couponing before it was hip! I was couponing before there were hundreds of deal blogs and at least a dozen forums. And I'll go there...I was couponing BEFORE the internet. Yes, folks. I'm THAT old. (Even though I'll deny being a day over 29 if you ask.)
So...where is this leading? More freebies, of course! And here in the land of no grocery or drug-store freebies, no less!
Without further ado: On with the deals!
While I'm not a coffee person, my husband is. (And I won't mention who, but SOMEONE got our son started on coffee as well. Our 7 year old son.) You can't imagine how excited he was to hear the words, "Free coffee". My husband was excited too.
Now that we've all had our morning coffee, let's talk chocolate. (Surely she's not about to tell us we'll get CHOCOLATE for free! WHO would give FREE chocolate?) Walgreen's, that's who. This week, you can get a Hershey's Extra Dark bar...for free!
(If you see any abbreviations or terms that you aren't sure about, check out my "Couponing Definitions".)
Walgreen's: Hershey's Dark Chocolate Bar (4-4.5oz) (You must buy 2.)
2/$3 - ($1/2) March IVC bklt - 2($1/1) SS 1/10 = free!
There are also some great freebies at CVS this week. Unfortunately, none of them involve chocolate, but I guess we'll forgive them this once.
To find other great deals this week, head over to Savings Angel. They are an incredible resource for those just starting out in couponing. They're also wonderful for those who want to coupon (and may have in the past), but just don't have the time to put the deals together themselves. Savings Angel does it for you! There is a monthly fee for Savings Angel, but it is well worth the money if you can't or won't otherwise find the deals on your own.
I just read on a friend's Facebook page that her dentist recommended she...ahem...the Tooth Fairy pay $5 PER TOOTH that her child loses?!?!
Shortly thereafter, someone mentioned that they pay $10 PER TOOTH!?!? Others agreed. $5 or $10 per tooth sounds reasonable to them.
Their Tooth Fairy is clearly NOT the same as mine! I don't think she's even in the same gene pool as my Tooth Fairy.
Seriously? I remember when we'd get a quarter a tooth! (That was back in the good 'ole days for you young uns.)
Now, we pay $5 for the first tooth & $1 for each tooth thereafter. And my children know that we're the Tooth Fairy. Because we're no fun cool parents that way.
Plus none of us wants to see my husband in wings. That just wouldn't be pretty.
I've mentioned before my heart for music. Once upon a time, I wrote music. My file cabinet now enjoys every song I've written immensely. Because they were that good.
Friday night, I heard one of the songs off of the almost-released (as in will be released in 2 days on the 9th) Sanctus Real album "Pieces of a Real Heart". (If they're still available you can order an autographed copy of the album directly from the Sanctus Real website.)
Anyway...
At the concert Friday night (which was GREAT, by the way), they played several songs off their new album. I really liked one song in particular, "Lead Me". I was close to tears.
Matt (the lead singer) gave some of the background of the song. The first verse, is about a wife's cry to her husband to lead her. The second, about a child's cry to his/her father for the same. The last, a husband & father's cry for God to guide him as he leads his family.
I've shared that there have been some challenges in our marriage & family over the years. This song could have come from my heart...and that of my children. There was a time when I didn't know if my husband even desired to lead us. Not only does he clearly now desire to lead, but he actually does so...by the grace of God.
I couldn't find an "official" video on the Sanctus Real Podcast. As far as I know, the song hasn't even gone for adds yet at radio stations. However, I did find a video of Sanctus Real doing an acoustic set at Spirit 105.3 in Seattle, WA. The song doesn't actually start until 3:40 in the video. It's worth a listen if you have the time!
Seriously? You're sending me a letter to tell me that in one week I'll be getting something? Really? Imagine if companies operated that way. On the 1st of every month, they'd send out a letter to inform my husband that he'll get paid on the 15th. No company would do that! They'd see that as a complete & total waste of money.
