New Year's Eve Deals

Can't let good coupons expire and so you must shop on NYE. That is what I did today and was happy that I did. Two of my children and I went to CVS, Publix and Target. Our first stop was CVS. I didn't write out deals just a list of what I knew I wanted to get, my coupons and ECBs that I would get back. I was happy that they had everything in stock I wanted and it all worked out beautifully.

This trip included:
2 pk of Always pads (2 for $6)
4 Vitamin Waters ($1/each)
3 Honest Tea ($1/each)
4 Dawn dishwashing liquid (94 cents each)
1 Colgate (2.99)
1 Tone Body wash (3.88)
1 Pampers (8.99)
1 bag of chocolate covered pretzels (1.49)

Total before coupons: 34.11
Coupons used: 12.00
ECBs used: 15.79

Subtotal: 6.32
With tax: 8.37

Got back 10.00 in ECBs so basically everything was free.

Next stop was Publix. No picture because, really, those get boring. LOL But I saved 106.90 there and paid 56.82 out of pocket (and have a new cashier to add to the *avoid* list). Among the things purchased: 12 cans of Progresso soup; 8 packages of pizza rolls and various other things. Not my best but still a savings of 65 percent.

Then we stopped at Target. I had popped in there yesterday to just look around and saw that Christmas stuff was clearanced to 75 percent off. There wasn't much left but I did notice a bunch of those Wonka Exceptional bars/boxes and remembered that I had coupons for them at the house. I just hoped that the candy would still be there when I was able to get back! It seems that stuff goes very quickly now during Target clearance events.

I got 7 boxes of the Wonka chocolate. They rang up 99 cents and I had various coupons for $1 or $2 or $3 off 2 boxes. So mostly they were FREE!! The Ghirardelli bags rang up 1.74 and my coupons were $1 off 2, I think. I got 4 packages of cookies which was marked to 1.75. And a cupcake decorator for 4.48. My daughter is thrilled about this because it has a thing that allows you to fill cupcakes with different stuff. We expect great things from her now that she has this device. :-) I ended up saving 67.73. My total paid was about $35 but I paid with gift cards so it was all FREE!! (oh and Dollar Spot is labeled as 50% off but rang up 75)




I hope that you and yours have a safe and wonderful new year. And continue savings!

Christmas Eve Deal Shopping

I had intended on going to Publix before Christmas Eve but we have had sick children, husband home, and other stuff going on so I delayed and delayed. I had some last minute things to get today and figured since I was going out anyway, I might as well stop at Publix. I shortened my list to only the things I really, really needed opting to not get more cookie mix or hot chocolate mix. I stuck with what I know we would use soon. I still have plenty of cookie mixes left from the last big stock up.

I think I did well today. And I LOVED that Publix had all registers open. Baggers were at all of them and they had someone who met you in line to help unload your things. The woman who was helping me actually sorted my coupons and made sure that I had the right ones. Then she handed them to the cashier, Tammie, and told her that they were all there. How wonderful! I thought we would be in line a while when we walked in but it was less than 5 minutes.

So here is the breakdown:
10 Colgate toothpastes (one sale for $1--had 75 cent coupons)=25 cents each
12 jars of pickles
14 boxes of Betty Crocker potatoes
5 boxes of Ritz
5 boxes of Triscuits
4 boxes of Froot Loops
1 box of corn pops
2 boxes of Rice Krispies
3 boxes of Frosted Flakes
2 boxes of Chex cereal

Total before sales/coupons was 150.29
Special store savings: 76.74
Coupons: 44.50

Total out of pocket: 29.05

Total saved: 121.24 or about 81% !!

I was thrilled to see less than $30 for all of that! 12 boxes of brand name cereal (14 oz boxes) would cost at least that much by themselves.

And this is what happens when Mom tries to take a picture with 2 little ones "helping"...

Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

RA Meme

 Kelly over at RA Warrior decided it would be nice if us RA'ers had a meme of our own. I hesitate to participate because so many of the RA'ers I know have it much worse than I. Some need days in bed because they cannot move. Some have to use canes. Some are so very ill from their medicine. And I really don't experience any of that.

Sure, when I was first diagnosed, I had days that I couldn't walk, couldn't change a diaper, couldn't even snap snaps. When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, my doctor told me that my RA factor was over 1400. No wonder I was in such pain. But then about 6-8 months later, I noticed that my pain "free" days were more and more. And now, I have more days that I feel "normal" and less days of "I can't do that..."

Why is that? Why does RA effect all of us so differently? I know I have it, my blood work proves it.

Maybe having birthed 8 children, I have a higher tolerance for pain ?? Maybe I am hurting but I just don't show it or am not honest with myself? During a conversation this week, a dear friend of mine said, "She always says she is fine, but we can tell she's not. She lies." And I thought, yes I do, but can they really tell when I am in pain?

Anyway, I thought I would go ahead and be honest here, in this meme. At least I think I will be honest. LOL

From RAWarrior.com:
This RA meme is about the things we might ask each other over coffee the first time. Together, the responses to the questions create a kind of snapshot of our lives with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hopefully, it will be fun and we can get to know more about each other.

1. How many other diagnoses (co-morbidities) do you have?
   I have not gotten a specific diagnosis and no one seems to think it is important to find out. But in addition to destroying my joints, my immune system is also destroying my white blood cells. I have a white blood count of less than 1.5 usually. It isn't felty's or lupus but we don't know what it is. I see a cancer/blood specialist every 6 months or so just so that they can keep an eye on it.
2. When were you diagnosed?
    I was diagnosed October 2008. Symptoms came on right after the birth of my 8th child. Although looking back on it, I can see where some of the pains I was feeling over the years were probably early indications of RA.
   
3. How many Rheumatoid Arthritis treatments have you tried?
   I took prednisone at the beginning (for about 6 months) and started plaquinel. Truth be told, I still have a prescription for the plaquinel but I do not take it at all. It was causing migraines but when I told my doctor, he said that he didn't know that to be a side effect. I stopped taking it, migraines went away. So I am taking nothing.
4. What kind of a reward do you give yourself after taking any medicine that you hate?
   Don't take my meds.
5. Who helps you open doors or jars when you need it?
   About 15 yrs ago, my husband worked at a retirement village. He would often come home with odds and ends from the residents there. One day he came home with this gadget that has a handle and gears. It adjusts to jar lids to help you get a better grip on them. I held on to it because I thought it was really neat. I am SO glad I have it now. It sometimes doesn't help but most of the time I can open jars with it.
6. What would your ultimate good rheum doc do?
   Dig a little deeper into my immune system and not tell me the same joke everytime I go to see him. LOL
7. What’s your favorite comfort for RA?
   PJs, a good movie, and just not moving.
8. What was the hardest think you have done since being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis?
   Realizing that I cannot do everything. I need to set limits for myself and stick to them. Doing too much leads to exhaustion and usually a flare.
9. What’s your biggest RA-related fear?
   That I will pass this on to one of my children or that I will develop some serious complications from it.
10. How many pills do you swallow every day?
    For my RA, none.
11. Something surprising that you wish insurance would cover for Rheumatoid Arthritis patients?
    I don't have insurance so I guess I don't care.
12. What do you wish people knew about Rheumatoid Arthritis?
    That my RA isn't like their aches and pains. That the weather doesn't bother me. That sometimes just touching my joints is painful.
13. What would you like to say to your RA? Thanks for dropping by, you can leave now. LOL

Let’s hear your responses to the RA Warrior meme!

Please write up your answers to the questions in the comments box below. Or if you have your own blog, you are welcome to take our Warrior meme to your own page. Please just link back here to give credit. Another thing you can do is write up the meme as a Facebook note with a privacy setting that says “EVERYONE can read” and then tell us about it with a link in a comment here. I can’t wait to read them.

Cheap Diapers

One of my favorite deals is cheap diapers. After almost 20 years though, I am hoping that I won't NEED diaper deals too much longer. Today I went to 2 drug stores and did 3 transactions.

I haven't shopped at Rite Aid much since they took over Eckerd but I wanted to get some cheap/free diapers this week (and it is right next to my favorite liquor store so it was a win-win).

I was disappointed to see that they were out of the Pure and Natural Huggies for which I had $3 coupons. But I still went ahead with my transaction.

1 box of Huggies 19.99
1 jumbo pack of Huggies 8.99

Used $5 off $25 coupon from watching Rite Aid Value video and a $1 off coupon from also watching video on website.

Total was 24.31 and I got back $2 +UP Reward (which are like ECBs at CVS). And I will send for the $10 gift card from Rite Aid for spending $25. So I guess I could take off $12 from my total making it about $12. The jumbo pack of diapers are usually 11.99 so I could say that I got the box of diapers free.

Then I headed to CVS. Normally, when I go there on Saturdays, I am disappointed because there is nothing left or the signs are changed already. Today, the signs were changed but they still had plenty of stuff left. Another nice surprise was when I checked the magic coupon machine, I got about 10 coupons--including one for $3 off $20 purchase good for one day only! I used that one for sure!

First I got the Revlon Super Luster lipstick. It was 6.99 with $5 ECBs back! And the limit was 6 according to the paper--I heard rumors that it was unlimited! I only had 3 coupons and we don't really wear lipstick so I only got three.

Lipstick 20.98
1 Beauty charm 2.49
1 pk of gum (not pictured) 1.29

Used coupons:
$3 off $20
$2.49 off (free charm for buying $15 in beauty products)
$5 (3 Revlon coupons)
$14.98 in ECBs

Total OOP: 52 cents (I had a negative total which is why we added the gum.)
And got back $15 in ECBs for basically, this was all free.

At the next CVS, I got:
2 pks of Huggies 17.98
2 Edge Shaving gel 2.79 each
2 Dry Idea deoderant 2.99 each

Used coupons:
2 $1 off deoderant
BOGO free for the Edge (coupon value only went up to 2.75 so it was totally free. LOL)
2 1.50  for the huggies.
$15 ECBs from previous transaction

Total OOP: 8.86
Got back 8.80 back in ECBs. Almost broke even.

I used to stress if I ended the week with less ECBs than what I started with but I am finding that it is OK. I am trying very hard to get my out of pocket down. I am getting better I think.

CVS~~September 16 and 17

I managed TWO trips to CVS this week. I am finding that if I am going to be more serious about my frugal shopping, I really need to set time aside each week to get my stuff together. I didn't do that this week for CVS. I threw my stuff together right before I was running out the door for a meeting. The meeting was across the street from a CVS so I knew I could stop there.

  

This was the first trip to CVS. I got the Tylenol Precise (5.99 get $2 ECB back); High Octane Energy Chews (1.99 get 1.99 ECB back) and Alive Vitamins (9.99 get 9.99 ECB back). I used a $2 CVS coupon for the Precise and a $1 off coupon for the vitamins. I ended up adding a pack of gum to the mix. I paid 1.18 out of pocket (which was ALL tax) and got back 13.98 in ECBs for next time.

 

 This morning I popped in to a different CVS. I bought 4 Air Wick fresheners and a Nivea men's body wash. I had 2 BOGO coupons for the Air Wick but the cashier told me that they were limiting those to just one per customer. I thought about having her ring up two separate transactions but just did the one. So I used the BOGO coupon (2.50 off) and 2 $1 coupons for the Air Wick. I also had a $1 off for the body wash. My sub-total came to 9.49 and I was trying to use my 9.99 ECB so we added another pack of gum. LOL I paid a total of 1.88 out of pcoket (1.09 of that was tax). I got back 10.99 in ECBs.

So in total I paid 3.06 out of pocket. And I have 14.98 ECBs for next time.

Take the Good, Take the Bad...

Some days you are on your game and some days you just are not. All week I had been saying that I wanted to get my CVS stuff done so that I could get that shopping done before Saturday. When I wait until Saturday, signs are changed, stuff is sold out, and I have to think on the fly to re-do my transactions--which I don't do well. I have a hard enough time trying to get the least out of pocket as it is. I wish there was some kind of program (and someone tell me if there is) where I could plug in the deals *I* want to get, what ECBs I have on hand and my coupons then I push a button and TA-DA, scenarios are worked out for me. I mean, I can follow other bloggers scenarios but I would really like to get better at doing at it on my own. I did find a blog today that has a $5 CVS challenge each week. Check it out if you are just beginning your CVS journey.

Anyway, this morning I worked out what deals I wanted to get, gathered my coupons and set out to my local CVS stores. No Blink eye drops in sight, one lone Smart Water at the first CVS (none at the 2nd), no razor...you see where this is going? My thought out scenarios were NOT going to work. I did one transaction at the first CVS then headed to the next one. As I saw more and more stuff unavailable, I just opted to do all the other things I wanted in one big transaction and be done with it.

The Bad

This is everything I purchased today.
3 John Frieda hair things
2 Glade scented oil refills
2 Glade jar candles
1 Crest toothpaste (which did not produce ECBs as I thought it would)
Bonus 2-pk of CVS wipes
1 Tylenol Precise cream (no ECBs--even though I have not reached limit)
1 Excedrin Menstrual
10 Powerade/Smart water/Fuse/Vitamin water
1 Covergirl lipstain (rang up 8.99 and did NOT give ECBs)

So out of all of that I paid 45.74 out of pocket.
I expected 26.50 in ECBs but got 15.00--I used the 5 from the first transaction on the 2nd. I was pretty disgusted at myself. I don't know if I purchased the wrong stuff or what. There was a sign with the lipstain and it should have given the ECBs IMO but who knows.

But to counter that I ran to Publix as well. I rarely shop on a Saturday at Publix but since I had coupons that were going to expire soon and with school starting, I didn't want to chance missing out on something good. I did well at Publix.

I was disappointed in the fact that the shelves were bare of some things. I mentioned this week that it was easier when everyone thought that couponing was "lame". I try not to clear shelves. If I have plans to purchase a large number of an item and I get there and there are only enough for my deals, I don't get all of mine. Today at Publix there was no yogurt and the ice cream was wiped out (I bought the last 4 so I guess *I* cleared the shelf in that case). I always try to look at the supply on the shelf and only get stuff if it looks like there is plenty. The ritz and vanilla wafers were well stocked so even though I bought 8 of each, there was a TON more.

The Good

What I got at Publix today:
5 pks of Solo cups
5 pks of Solo plates
5 bags of Chex Mix
8 boxes of Nilla Wafers
8 boxes of Ritz crackers
4 Starbucks Coffee Free ice cream
8 V8 Splash juice
6 boxes of Lipton tea bags (family size)


Total before sales/coupons: 178.99
Sales: 87.63
Coupons: 41.00

Total out of pocket: 50.36. Saved 128.63 or about 72 percent.

I hope to get my CVS stuff together early in the week. I drop my boys off at school at 8:30 and could swing by CVS right after that. I just need to be prepared. I also want to swing by Publix to see if they restock the ice cream. I really want more of that...I mean for about 49 cents/pint, I can see why the shelves were wiped out!

I need to be consistant. I want to get better at this. I need to get better at this. It just takes work and practice.

More Stocking Up at Publix

One of the things I have learned from my years of frugal shopping is the importance of stocking up. When something is at a good price, you should stock up on it. That's why I have 20 bottles of shampoo or 20 tubes of toothpaste most of the time. I think now I can safely say that we are stocked up on a few more things.

Today was my largest trip to Publix ever. There were so many things that for me were good deals. I spent more out of pocket than I normally do but was still under $100 (including the 3 drinks for the helpers). And if I come in under $100 for my large family, I am doing good in my book.

I saw a sneak peek of the ad early last week, so once again I ordered coupons. This time from My Coupon Hunter. They ship from Florida so the coupons got to me quickly. I love ordering coupons online. Often when an ad match up will say that such-and-such coupon was in the Red Plum on 8-15, I will look and we didn't get it. It is kind of irritating. Ordering coupons assures me that I will get the ones I need, at the time I need them. And in the long run, it is cheaper than buying multiple newspapers each week. And for my local friends, I accept coupon donations to feed my habit.

So here is the break down of what I got this week:
7 Lysol trigger cleaners (some of these will go to church for the nursery)
2 Lysol NeutraAir (for church)
3 3-pks of Dial Soap
7 20-ct bottles of Excedrin
6 packages of Wanchai Ferry frozen dinner
2 Athenos Feta cheese
14 jars of Mt. Olive Pickles
6 pks Mt. Olive Pickle packs
6 pks of Dole fruit/gel bowls
18 boxes of hamburger/tuna/chicken helper (seems like a lot but it takes 3 boxes to feed my family)
5 boxes of cereal (still have a lot from the last 2 weeks of sales)
10 boxes of Luzianne family size tea bags (We drink a lot of tea! It is the South afterall!)
6 boxes of Taco Bell dinner (these included a bonus koolaid inside)
4 boxes of whole grain pasta
4 bags of coffee
3 box cake mix
3 cans of frosting
6 jars of peanut butter

A few of my best deals: the Dial soap was BOGO and ended up being 92 cents each. I had 35c coupons which doubled to 70c making the soap 22 cents---I just wish I had ordered more.

The Excedrin was on sale for 1.49. I had $1 off coupons making each bottle 49 cents. Excedrin is my headache medicine of choice!

The pickles after coupons averaged out to about 80 cents each jar. And the Hamburger Helper was about 50 cents each after coupons. The coffee was less than $2 and I have a mail in for a free iced coffee cup when I send in 3 upcs from the coffee.

The BIG numbers from today:
Total before coupons/sales: 333.31 (told you it was BIG!)
Sales/BOGOs: 165.15
Coupons used: 72.95

Total out of pocket: 95.21 (again more than usual at Publix but still under $100)

Total savings: 238.10 !!!! I saved 71.44% today at Publix!!!

Today my cashier was Harold. I like him. He gets excited when he sees your savings. As he wrapped up my receipt (which was taller than me), he said, "You saved 238 today!" The man behind me said, "238?!?!?" The girl behind HIM said, "What???? 238???" LOL The man looked at me and said, "I wanna shop with you sometime!" I told him I am usually there at Publix every Tuesday. :-)

CVS--August 21st

I tend to wait until Saturday to do my CVS shopping and then I fuss about it because they are either sold out or have changed the signs around. I find that it takes me longer to shop than I would like because I have to "think on my feet" to re-do the transactions that I had already set up. Or I have to flip through the ad to see if the item I picked up is the correct one (or send my helper to the scanner to check prices). I really should shop earlier in the week, I know. Maybe this week.

I did three transactions. I spent more out of pocket than I wanted to because none of the CVS' that I went to had the Blink eye stuff so I missed out on those ECBs. But I did OK I guess. I have been playing the CVS game as often as I would like but I need to get back into it.

Today I purchased:
2 Starbuck's Coffee+ Energy drinks
4 cans of black olives
2 Miracle Whip
2 Crest Gum Protection toothpaste
6 Sobe Lifewater
4 Dry Idea deoderant
4 Right Guard deoderant
2 Head and Shoulders shampoo
1 Purex 3-n-1 laundry sheets
1 Gillette pro-fusion razor
1 Tylenol Precision heat pad
2 pks of gum
1 rolling laptop desk (not pictured)


Total before coupons/ECBs: 81.31
Coupons used: 41.84
ECBs used: 24.99

Total out of pocket: 19.41

I only have $2 ECB to use for next week. Not getting the Blink which I had worked into my first transaction really messed up my calculations. The rolling laptop desk was at the front of the store (my new favorite CVS LOL) at 50% off (regular 14.99). The cashier saw me looking at it and said, "Manager said I could sell that for 90% off so 1.49." I said, "I will take it!" She put it behind the counter while I was shopping. Jeff is using it right now.

My total percentage of savings today at CVS 82 percent!!!

Publix~~August 17, 2010

I was smart this week. I put my Publix deals together on Saturday afternoon so that when I had time to run out, they were waiting for me. It was nice to find out I was not having company this afternoon and could run out without spending an hour or so putting my list together.

This week's haul includes:
10 boxes of Breyer's Smooth and Dreamy bars
2 Dannon yogurt smoothies
2 pks of Dixie paper plates
4 bags of Tyson breaded chicken (guess what is for supper tonight!)
4 jars of Prego sauce
10 boxes of Frosted Mini-wheat in a variety of flavors
2 pks of Stayfree overnights
2 pks of regular Stayfree (bonus pack w/ 8 free)
4 boxes of pancakes
3 pks of Idaho mashed potatoes
1 bottle of Ocean Spray blueberry juice


Total before sales and coupons: 164.91

Total out of pocket: 58.37

Total savings: 106.54 or 64.5%

I also had coupons for the pasta bogo but the coupons I had were for ones not on sale. Oh well.

Today I bought things that weren't BOGO but that I had good coupons for such as the Stayfree. These are on sale for 1.99 and I used BOGO coupons that were in the paper. They ended up being about $1 each. I also bought the Dixie paper plates which were $2 each using 50cent coupon (doubled to $1) making them $1 each. And the yogurt smoothies were not BOGO this week but ended up being about $1 each after sale and coupon.

Last week, I was telling some friends about my Publix shopping. One friend looked at me and said, "Do you NEED all those pickles??" (I bought 12 jars of Vlasics last week.) I said, "Need? No but they will keep forever so..." I need to remember to tell her on Sunday that we only have 4 jars left! LOL People with small families don't realize that a family my size (9 of us) can eat a jar of pickles at one meal. The only jars that have lasted more than one day are the Zesty kind (which are Daddy's) and the bread and butter (which are mine).

So while you may look and say, "That's a lot of cereal!" It is if you have 4 in your family. But one box of cereal is gone at breakfast for us if all the kids have a bowl (and some growing pre-teens have 2). Don't even ASK how much milk we go through---or apples!! I need to buy a cow and an apple tree!!

Non-Coupon Deals

I often hear friends who say that there aren't coupons for things they use (because they apparently don't eat cereal, use toothpaste or shampoo *giggle*) or that they don't have time to cut coupons or it just takes too long to get all that stuff together. And I agree, it does take time. And yes, we might eat more "processed" or junk food that others but it IS possible to get stuff for cheap WITHOUT using coupons. And one great example is Staples.

If you look at a Staples ad you see stuff that is "Free after EasyRebate" or for 1 cent or a very low price. I used to hesitate when things said, "After Rebate" because I would usually forget to mail something in but then I realized that most stores that offer rebates also offer the option to submit them online, without the need to send in receipts and UPC codes. My prayers were answered!!!!

Since I have the need this year to get school supplies before they go on clearance this year, I have been paying close attention to the sales at various stores. One school supply that my high schooler needs is computer paper and thankfully, Staples has had them on sale after rebate for the last 3-4 weeks. Each week, you can purchase two and submit them for a rebate.

So to prove to my coupon-deal-doubting friends, here is what I did at Staples last night.

I purchased:
5 packs of notebook paper for 1 cent each
2 reams of computer paper 4.99 each w/rebate for 3.99 each *$1/each*
1 pop-up tape dispenser 3.00 w/rebate of 3.00 *FREE*
1 pk of highlighters 4.99 w/rebate of 4.99 *FREE*
1 pk of sticky notes 5.29 w/rebate of 5.29 *FREE*
2 stackable storage totes 4.99/each (there was a coupon making them $4 but forgot it LOL) 9.98

So total out of pocket last night was 35.62
But will get back 21.26 in rebates making my total 14.36.

It took us 15 minutes from the time we walked into the store until we were in the car coming home. And then another 5 minutes when I got home to submit my rebates which really amounts to putting in 2 different sets of numbers and your address (unless you have an account already). So less than 30 minutes to save $21 and all stuff we need either for school or here at the house!

Yes, another Publix post....

I promise that I will have more than just Publix posts at some point, but it seems that Publix is my saving place of choice right now. Today I focused on stock piling and back to school stuff. As I said in my previous post, our children will be going to public school so I will need stuff for either after school or packing in lunches. I again saw a "sneak peek" of the ad and ordered extra coupons from Coupons by Dede and My Coupon Hunter.

7 boxes of cereal
11 boxes of Lance crackers
6 boxes Nabisco munch packs
3 boxes of Crystal Light PureFit drink mix
8 boxes of fruit snack
12 bottles of salad dressing
2 jars of pasta sauce
12 cans of almonds
12 jars of pickles

Non-deal items:
gallon of milk; 2 cokes

Total before sales/coupons: 239.16
Discounts/coupons: 157.20
Total out of pocket: 81.96

Total savings of 65.73%

Ch-ch-change.....

Lots of changes going on in our home. So I thought it was time to update all 2 of you who read my blog on what is going on with us.

Back in March, our oldest son decided he would venture out on his own. He met someone online and moved to be with her. They plan to marry next year sometime. They live in Illinois. He has found a job and seems to be happy.

Our oldest daughter, Amanda, was honored to be chosen to attend the Crossroad program at Hellenic College in Boston. It was her first flight anywhere. And actually her first time being that far from home. She very much enjoyed it. She is also now thinking about what to do after she graduates in 2011.

We decided that after 14 years of home schooling, it was time to pack up the books and send the children to public school. This was by far one of the hardest decisions I have had to make. Our 14 year old expressed an interest in going to public school. I suggested to Jeff that it might be a good idea since we were seeing how many hoops we would need to jump through to get them to college. He said that if we were going to send her, we should just send them all. And there it was, my life/identity as a home school mom was gone. I cried a lot.

Although my heart was broken, I understood that this was best for all of us. We had fallen into some bad habits with our schooling and honestly my heart was not in it 100 percent any more. We were burnt out. I tried so hard to look like those home schoolers you see in magazines or on-line but I failed over and over again. I hated it. I hated that I couldn't live up to what everyone thought I should be. People told me that they admired me for home schooling my children, when inside I felt like a failure. Oh, we did school and my children were learning but it wasn't fun any more. Deep down, I knew that I was a flop. I knew that I probably should give it up but pride made me keep moving on. In the past, I had critics. I felt like I still needed to prove myself to them, even though most of them we hadn't seen in years. I felt like if I gave up home schooling, they would all cluck their tongues and say, "See we told you you couldn't do it!! We were right all along!!"

Then there are all those home schooling friends. The ones who to your face say, "You need to do what is best for your family..." but behind your back are saying, "Those poor Newport children, being throw to the wolves of the public school system....tsk tsk tsk..." Those people who preach to you the vileness of government schools, who say the would NEVER send their children there, instead of coming along side of you to say, "You know, I am sorry for the loss of your dream."

There are also those people who just don't understand. They don't get why your heart is breaking in two. They don't understand that deep down in your heart, you think you are a failure.

It is a tough spot to be in. Critics think they were right along and don't offer encouragement; home schoolers think you are a traitor and look at you with disgust or pity; and non-home schoolers just don't get it. So I am left with my own tears and thoughts of failure.

Don't get me wrong, I am excited to see how my children will do in the public school setting. I really think that they will thrive and blossom. But when you start home schooling, you often find yourself saying, "I will be home schooling until I am 60 years old!" not ever thinking that your plans can change quickly. One day I was a home schooler, the next I was looking at the school board website for registration forms. You feel like you are losing your identiy. Who will I be when I am not, "Rebecca, the lady with 8 kids who home schools them all?

The last few weeks we have been working on their CATs and getting those scores in. It has been a relief for me to see them all do "above average" on their tests. It helps me to see I am not a complete failure!

This past week, Moriah, our rising Freshman, has been attending a program called, Summer Bridge, at her high school. She has enjoyed it and has made a few friends.

I have been busy filling out paper work, looking for school supplies and uniforms. It is exciting and yet scary. I am sure that they will do fine and once we are into the school year, my Mother's heart will heal and I will be busy with activities and such.

On top of all of that, my husband, Jeff has decided, after MONTHS and MONTHS (maybe years!) of going back and forth, to apply to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He has met with both priests at our church who have given him the A-OK. He has been working on essays and getting references. We are trying to get his application in as soon as we can so we can know for sure what we will be doing. It is a big decision to make. He will be done with his BA in December and would (God willing) start seminary August 2011. Being ever the pessimist, he doesn't think he will get in or that he will get in but the money will not be there to do it. I just ignore him. We got the ball rolling and will see what happens next.

So lots of changes happening here. Lots of stuff to get done and take care of. But it is exciting. We look forward to seeing what God has next for our family!

Do you get applause when you shop?

Today when I checked out at Publix, the friendly cashier gave me a round of applause. He also encouraged my boys (I had the 11 year old and 9 year old with me) to keep learning from Mom because "she is very smart." The 11yo said, "Yea, I know!" LOL I really don't feel like what I did today was worthy of applause, it just wasn't that great but I did get stuff we use and it was cheap so I am OK with that.

Forgive the not so great arranging. I had about 15 minutes before I needed to pick up my youngest daughter from the high school and so just kind of threw the stuff up there.

Today's haul included:
2 Miracle Whip 2.18/each. 
14 bags of Pizza Rolls 1.89/each.
10 boxes of Go-Gurt 1.40/each
6 boxes of Pop Tarts .97/each
16 Old Orchard 100% juice .75/each
8 boxes of Deluxe Brownie mix 2.49/each
2 boxes Reese's Puff cereal 2.49/each
2 boxes of Cheerios 2.49/each
1 smaller box of Cheerios 1.99
2 pints of Starbuck's Ice cream 1.70/each
(and 2 cokes for the helpers 1.39/each)

Total before sales/coupons: 182.18
Special sales: 88.04
Coupons used: 28.85

Total out of pocket: 65.29 or a savings of 64%

Definitely not applause worthy in MY mind but enough to make my boys (and Harold, my cashier) proud.

Publix~~July 27th

It has been a while since I have posted. In all honesty, it has been a while since I have been to Publix. We have a lot of stuff going on here at home and I just haven't had time to shop the deals. But we were out of cereal and since that is my favorite deal at Publix, I decided to head out this week coupons in hand.



Here is what I found:
2 boxes of Cocoa Puffs
2 boxes of Corn Chex
2 boxes of Trix
6 boxes of Cheerios
2 Stouffers family size lazagna
6 boxes of Tuna/Chicken Helper
2 Glade scented oil refills
4 Glade jar candles
2 loaves Cole mini-loaves

Total before sales/coupons: 90.25
Coupons/sales: 60.69
Total out of pocket: 29.56

Total Savings: 67%

I am already getting my things together for next week at Publix. I really need to set time aside each week specifically for working on coupons and deals. With the changes happening in our home, I am going to need it more than ever!!

Last Minute Trip to Publix

Some days you just don't feel like making the deals all nice and neat on the table. So there they are still in the bags as they were brought in from the van. I thought about putting them out on the table but then I looked at the table and it was covered with random things. I just didn't have the energy to clean, then put the stuff on the table and THEN put it all away. Putting it away took some time anyway because I had been slacking in making sure things were neat to begin with so I needed to do some rearranging, condensing and stuffing. But it all fit!

Today at our local Publix, I had a new cashier. A young girl who actually stopped while she was scanning some of my things to write down something that she wanted to try. Never had that happen before. Interesting. She rang every thing up and then did my coupons. A woman came up behind us while she was ringing my coupons and said, "Wow, that is a LOT of coupons!" I couldn't really "read" her and couldn't tell if she was going to be one of people who are irritated by us couponers or if she was just interested. I smiled and said something polite and was pleased to find that she was interested in my savings and where I get my coupons and all that fun stuff. When she heard my grand total, she smiled and said, "I am really proud of you!" Awwww....

I feel like I didn't really do THAT well but things I bought are great stock pilers. For example, ketchup was BOGO this week. I ordered coupons from Coupons and Things by Dede for those. They were about 69 cents each and my 20 cent coupon doubled making them 29 cents each. I bought 10.

I also got DelMonte Fruit Chillers. My kids LOVE these. They are fruit sorbet in tubes like popsicles. Publix had them on sale for 1.79 (not BOGO). I was saving up my $1 coupons for a sale and here it was. So after coupons, I paid 79 cents each. I only got 5 because I know these are on clearance at Target as well so I will grab some there too.

Nabisco crackers were BOGO. They were 1.50 after the sale. I used $1/2 coupons so about $1 each after my coupons...for Ritz, yes! I bought 10 boxes.

Another non-BOGO thing I got was Stouffer's Family size lasagna. There was on sale for 3.99, which is really a GREAT price. I had coupons from becoming a fan of Stouffer's on Facebook for 2.50 which made the final price 1.49 each. Along with some Pillsbury refrigerated bread sticks (also on sale a Publix) we had dinner last night for less than $5!

Along with those things, I also purchased:
15 boxes of Kellogg's Cereal
6 boxes of SuperPretzel Soft Pretzels
4 Greek yogurt containers
3 YoPlus Yoguirt
4 boxes of Poptart
12 Pillsbury dough (various things)
10 Taco Bell dinner kits
2 Valley Steamer vegetables

Total: 199.76
Sales: 85.05
Coupons: 50.80

Total Savings: 135.85 or 68% (that seems to be my average most of the time).

Menu Plan Monday

I usually make a menu plan each week. I find I function better when I know exactly what is coming. It is also good for making my store list(s). Sometimes I shop to the sales, sometimes I don't. This is a week when I am not. We are Eastern Orthodox and in the midst of a fasting period. But since we are recovering from a stomach virus which really wiped out the older people in the house, we are not totally fasting yet, but by next week, we should be back to our regular fasting meals.

Monday~~tuna and shells (kind of like tuna casserole)

Tuesday~~makaronapeta or as well call it at our house, "Phyllo-roni". A kind of Greek mac/cheese with phyllo-dough. I am not Greek but I like to pretend I am. LOL

Wednesday~~baked potatoes w/ topping and salad

Thursday~~taco tot casserole

Friday~~Puffy Pizza Casserole

Saturday~~Leftovers

Sunday~~potatoes, carrots, onions in crockpot

To see more Menu Plans check out Organized Junkie!! 

CVS 05/15/10

I waited until Saturday to get my CVS stuff again this week and once again, all the tags were set for the sales starting on Sunday. Thankfully, I brought my ad with me this time. It irritates me when the stores do that but I guess they need to get a jump on the weekly sales.

I didn't do as good as some people do. I need to work on getting my stuff together sooner in the week so that I can try to spend less money out of pocket but for now I am happy to get back ECBs and get some free stuff.

2 Pantene shampoos 2/6.97
2 Bayer aspirin 1.00/each
2 Right Guard deoderant 2.49/each
2 Crest Prohealth toothpaste 3.50/each
1 Kotex U pads 4.99
1 Huggies diapers 8.49
1 Nivea lip balm 2.99
3 Nivea body wash 5.99/each

Used 17.75 in coupons and 17.00 in ECBs and about 20.00 out of pocket.
I got back 25.99 in ECBs.

The Bayer were free because I had $1 coupons.
The Kotex were 4.99 with 4.99ECBs plus I had a coupon so basically I got paid to buy them.
Same with the toothpaste--3.50/each get 3.50 back in ECBs and I had coupons.
And also the deoderant: 2.49 each; I used a $3 off when you buy 2 coupon and got 2.00ECBs back on each one. Again, better than free.

I do miss when CVS would have deals that you could do 5 times because then I could really stock up. Now most of the deals are limit 1 or 2.

Publix--5/10/10

I have found the joy of ordering coupons online. There are several places that have this service available but I have been getting mine from Coupons and Things by Dede. My coupons are send out quickly and as long as I order them early enough, I get them by the weekend. This has been helpful with Publix deals that I really want to get.

Today I made my Publix run. I don't usually have my stuff ready in order to go before the weekend so I try to go on Monday or Tuesday. Lucky for me, in Georgia, the Publix sales go from Thursday until Wednesday. The times I have gone on Wednesdays though, I have found that they are out of several things.

Today I got several really good deals that are brag-worthy! Dove deoderant was buy one, get one free (BOGO) for 2.29 which made them about 1.14/each. I had $1 coupons so final cost for those were 14 cents EACH!!

9 Lives cat food was also BOGO, each bag was about 1.99; after my coupon they were 99 cents!!

My favorite was the Hidden Valley Dressing. They were BOGO making each bottle 1.69/each. I had $2 off coupons (ordering extra for the deal) meaning that Publix PAID ME to take home the dressing!! Gotta love better than free!

Other things I got today:
4 boxes of Cheerios
4 boxes of Trix
2 boxes of Cocoa Puffs
2 boxes of Special K w/berries
15 boxes of Pop Tarts
6 bags of 8 o'clock coffee
6 bags of Tyson breaded chicken
4 boxes of Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches
4 jars of Peter Pan peanut butter
6 packs of Pillsbury ready to bake cookies

Total before coupons/sales: 253.41

Total out of pocket: 80.80 (a little more than usual but that is OK...)

Total Savings: 172.61 or 68 percent!

"You saved how much????"

That was what the lady behind me in line today asked when I checked out at Publix. "You saved how much??" When I pointed to the screen, she said, "People say you can save with coupons. I just don't see how..." I smiled and said while taking my receipt from the cashier, "Like THAT!" She just shook her head. There will always be doubters. Those people who say, "There are never coupons for what I buy..." Or, "Generic is cheaper than that..." Oh really? You can buy generic cookie mix for 30 cents? Yea, I didn't think so.

I go through lazy spurts. I see the deals but just don't make it to the store. I do have seven children at home now plus 2 different auto-immune diseases so I think it is understandable that I don't get EVERY deal out there. When I go through these spurts, it seems to get compounded by my lack of enthusiasm to sort, cut, file my coupons. I have coupons here and there and every where. So earlier this week, I removed the dead desktop computer from the desk it was on and set me up a little coupon nook. Now I can sit at the desk and work on coupons. I bought a new hanging file folder to put everything in--including some household, school and church stuff.

Here is where the magic happens. And yes, that is my twitter feed off to the side of my laptop screen. LOL

I think it will work out nicely. The desk is right by the dining room table where we do school so I can sit here and work while the children do school. So, since I had a nice new set up, it would seem foolish to not do some deal shopping, right?

On Monday, I made a CVS run. I hadn't been in a while and had ECBs the were expiring that day. This is what I got (no picture, sorry): 1 Softsoap, 2 Oral B toothbrushes, 2 Nivea body wash, 2 Nivea lip care products, 2 sets of Nailene nails and 1 pk of mints (for my shopping helper). Total was 45.10 before coupons. After my coupons and ECBs, I ended up paying 9.14 out of pocket and got back 14.00 ECBs for next time. Not bad.

Tuesday, we went to Staples. There I purchased 2 20-count packs of batteries (9.99 each); 2 reams of paper (6.49 each) and 2 clearanced Bendaroos (2.50 each). Subtotal was 37.96. I used my Staples rewards from buying toner last month (11.00) so total out of pocket was 28.85. I will get back 19.98 for the batteries in Staples rewards and submitted for a rebate on the paper (10.98). So after I get those back I made 2.11 even WITH the bendaroos (which were NOT on my list).

Then there was today, Wednesday. I managed a quick trip to Publix. And got a bunch of good deals...and this time, there is a picture!

They were out of a few things that I wanted to get but I am not up to asking for rain checks yet, maybe someday but for now I am content to get what I can get. And I think I did pretty good.

10 bags of Steamfresh Veggies
2 50 oz bottles of All detergent
8 pints of Whole Fruit Sorbet
8 boxes of Fruit Chillers
3 4-pks of Yoplus yogurt
6 cans of Campbells Chunky Soup
4 packs of Pepperidge Farms Flats
10 bags of Betty Crocker cookie mix
3 boxes of Fruit Loops
3 boxes of Frosted Flakes
4 boxes of Rice Krispies

Total before coupons/sales: 167.79
Total Savings (coupons and sales): 132.11
Total out of pocket: 35.68

Total savings: 78.74%

Who says you can't save with coupons??

What To Do....What To Do....

I can't imagine living in the world of a soap opera. So many decisions and problems.

For instance, you might have a son that you didn't know about and then you "accidentally" shoot him because he is fixin' to arrest you for killing your wife. But you didn't really kill your wife, your OTHER son did and you are just covering for him. So you shoot the previously unknown son, and then feel guilty for doing so. Man, now what do you do?

You try to make amends with the shot son but the non-shot son is ticked. So you tell your enforcer and his woman to get their best white casual outfits and take the non-shot son to your private island RIGHT BEFORE your other son questions him for the murder they think you committed.

See the problems that come up??

This week on General Hospital, Sonny who is out on bail for the murder of Claudia sends his son, Michael to "The Island" so that the police (and his brother, Dante) won't question him about it. The problem is that Michael doesn't want his Dad to take the wrap for the murder. Everyone fears that Michael will crack under the pressure of police questioning.

But now, Sonny, has sprung a conscious. He feels bad/mad that Dante, the son he shot, thinks poorly of him and wants to tell him that he did not kill Claudia as Dante thinks. But doing so would only put Michael in the line of fire.

So Sonny is in a predicament. He wants to protect one son but he also wants to be honest with another son. Poor guy. What will he do? Guess you will have to tune in to General Hospital on ABC to see what happens.

I am a participant in a Mom Central Campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag and other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

Publix 2/27

*No picture this time...*

I knew that there was a bunch of stuff that I wanted to get at Publix but I also knew that most of my coupons for those deals were going to expire on the 28th. So that meant--- the dreaded Saturday shopping trip. LOL I just really don't like grocery shopping on Saturdays because that is when everyone else does. I don't like crowds or feeling like I am being pushed through the store. But since I wanted to get the goods, I bucked up and just did it!

8 Right Guard deoderants
5 Green Giant Valley Steamers
8 Starkist Albacore tuna pouches
4 boxes of Golden Grahams
4 boxes of Lucky Charms
4 Knorr side dishes
6 boxes of Lipton iced tea bags
10 boxes of brownie mix
4 jars of Ragu
3 cans of Pam cooking spray

Total: 161.55
Store sales: 79.41
Coupons: 30.95

Total out of pocket: 51.19

Savings of 110.36 or 68 percent!!

The best part of all this saving is that my normal grocery list is getting shorter and shorter due to have a decent stockpile building up. And that is my goal, to stockpile so that in the end, I can lower our total grocery bill by using what we have on hand. So far it has worked out well. But I might need to get my carpenter hubby to build me another pantry. *giggle*

Sonny's Day in Court

On soaps, there are often intertwined story lines and things that make you say, What??? Take for example one line on General Hospital right now.

Local mob boss, Sonny, was married to the other mob boss's daughter, Claudia. Before they married, Claudia put a hit out on Sonny, which missed and shot Sonny's son Michael. Michael was in a coma for over a year and when he came out his personality had changed dramatically. Sonny, of course, did not know that it was his own wife who had ordered the hit--even though most of Port Charles knew. Eventually, Sonny was told and it came out at Claudia's big birthday party in front of all their family and friends. Claudia in gangster fashion, took Sonny's pregnant ex-wife (and Michael's mother) hostage. In true soap style, Carly went into labor in an abandoned cabin and Claudia helped deliver the baby. Claudia who had just lost a baby herself, slipped a groove and decided that she would steal Carly's baby and make a run for it. Just as she was making her escape, Michael entered the cabin, whacking Claudia on the noggin, killing her instantly.

The grand plan of the mobster, his ex-wife and henchmen? Cover up! Of course, no one would believe that Michael, a young boy of what 17 or 18, acted in self defense since he is Sonny's son, so the big cover up begins.

Enter Dominic/Dante, an undercover NYC cop, who has infiltrated Sonny's mob family in an effort to take the mob down. Unbeknownst to the cop, he is the son of said mob boss. He finds out only AFTER he goes to arrest Sonny and Sonny shoots him. *shaking head*

Now Sonny wracked with guilt over shooting his own son, and still trying to stay one step ahead of the police in the Claudia cover up is facing his day in court. Luckily for him, Dante has told the police that he accidentally shot himself in Sonny's house. And the police believe him, yea right! LOL

Sonny  is facing charges for Claudia's murder. One son, Michael, knows Sonny is taking the wrap to cover up for him. Michael even goes to the PCPD to confess to Claudia's murder, except no one believes him. Another son, Morgan, tries to get Dante to leave the police force and join the mob so that everyone will be happy. And then there is Dante, who although wants Sonny to go down for Claudia's murder, is kind of torn up about knowing that the mob boss he has hated his whole life, is his father.

Dante, of course, is called to testify. And Michael is tormented because his dad (well, we all know that AJ is really Michael's father, but whatever...) is taking the fall for him. It should be interesting to see what happens in the weeks ahead. Especially knowing that Jax has used his influence to get a high powered prosecutor to try the case.

I love General Hospital. I have always loved Sonny's tormented soul. And I really love his dimples. It is  good to see that Dante inherited that trait from his father!!

Tune in to GH weekdays on ABC or SoapNet every night. Here in the east, GH is on at 3pm!!

 “I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.”

Seeing is Believing

I am very much a visual person so I like seeing pictures of other people's deal. I guess that is why I post mine. I like to see it all on the table. Just saying 11 boxes of cereal doesn't do anything for me but seeing those 11 boxes, I can really get a feel for what people save.

So here are my Publix deals for this week. Love the Viva Italia sale that they had! Progresso Soup!!! Pasta!! Great stuff for Lent!

Here is the run-down for today:
4 pizza crust
2 frozen garlic bread
9 boxes of frosted mini wheats
2 boxes of cheerios
4 boxes of muffin mix
12 boxes of pasta
12 boxes of Zataran's bean/rice varieties
12 cans of lenten soups
9 cans of tomatoes in various styles (whole, diced, crushed, sauce)
3 bottles of olive oil
4 bottles of salad dressing
4 jars of pasta sauce
8 boxes of broth
2 bags of cheese puffs



Total before sales/coupons: 216.06
Store specials: 103.90
Coupons: 40.60
Total out of pocket: 71.56

A total savings of 144.50 or 67% !!

This more than I usually spend at Publix but the Progresso soup is a must during lent. My husband takes his lunch to work and he really enjoys the soup! The Zataran's is good too for a quick lunch on Saturday or Sunday...and no meat in those either. And who doesn't eat a ton of pasta during Lent??? LOL I know we do!!

I had to a bit of rearranging in the pantry to get everything in but I think that is a good thing. Funny thing though---we still are out of ketchup! LOL

Happy Savings!!

Back to CVS

Poor picture quality, sorry. I was trying to get things cleaned up before hubby got home and did not succeed. LOL

I went to CVS today because I had some ECBs that was going to expire this week. My goal at CVS is to build my stockpile back up and just get out with SOME ECBs. I used to get so upset if I got back less bucks than I spent but realize that that doesn't really matter. As long as I have ECBs to roll, I am good.

So today I got:
1 tub of gum (needed a filler LOL)
1 Colgate toothpaste
1 Crest toothpaste
1 4-pk of disposable razors
4 Glade Sense and Spray starter kits
4 Sobe Life Water

Total before coupons: 41.96
Minus coupons used: 21.34
Total: 20.62+tax
Used 22.00 in ECBs and ended up paying 1.34 out of pocket

I got back 15.50 in ECBs to use next time and I still have 5 or 6 from last time.

The best deal was the Glade. They are $6 each. I had $4 off coupons for each one making them $2 each. If you buy $12 worth (2 Sense and Spray so $4 after coupons) you get back $4 in ECBs which makes them free!

And I added 2 tubes of toothpaste to my stash!

Another High Five at Publix...

I was thinking that I would not go to Publix this week but then I saw our cereal supply dwindling (and by dwindling I mean, we were down to 3 boxes) so I decided to get my stuff together and head out. It looks like a bunch of junk but most of  it will keep for a while. I also was telling my daughters that for 30 cents for 3 dozen cookies--fresh made...You can't beat that!

So here is what I got today:
5 Yoplait Fiber One yogurt
10 Pillsbury ready to bake cookies
3 Steamfresh Meal for 2 (Shrimp Alfredo yum)
4 boxes of Frosted Flakes
3 boxes of Fruit Loops
6 cans of almonds
12 boxes of fruit snacks
6 pouches of cookie mix (each pk makes 3 dozen cookies)


Total before sales/coupons: 152.04
Advertised specials: 76.73
Coupons: 33.40
Total out of pocket: 41.91

A savings of 110.13 or 72%

This coming week looks to be good at Publix as well. They will have Progresso soup BOGO!! That is my husband's favorite to take for lunch during Lent so hopefully I can score some of that. It seems that Publix has a much better variety of soup than my local (and by local, I mean across the street LOL) Food Lion.

I searched for the the older male cashier that I was told gets very excited if you save a lot but he was working the express lane so I couldn't go to him. But I did find my fave, Tammie!! She got so excited ringing my coupons. I love it when a cashier gets excited too. As we were leaving I told my girls that I just don't understand people who say they can't save with coupons. Even if you only save 25 cents, it is still worth it.

Today I was sitting at the dining room table getting my "deals" together, my oldest came out of his room, saw me and started chuckling. He said, "Some people bring their work home with them. Papers, graphs, all that stuff. And then there's you and your coupons. Look at the table, it is covered!" LOL I said, "Well, you haven't complained about the 11 boxes of Toaster Strudel or all the goodies I get with my coupons." He replied that he wasn't complaining, he just thought it was funny that couponing is my *job*. LOL

Brand Ambassador!!!!

It is no secret among those who know me well that I am a big fan of ABC Daytime! I started watching ABC Soaps with my Grandmother when I was a little girl. I can remember watching Ryan's Hope while she did crochet or quilted in her living room. My love for them continued through my teen years as my brother and I skipped after school activities to watch Luke and Laura get married. We talked about characters like they were part of our family. When playing "house" in the basement, our neighbors or spouses were named Scotty, Robert, Anna, Frisco or Felicia.

As I grew older, I would go through spurts as I am sure all soap fans do. You watch every day then you come to a point when you still watch but not as much as you once did. Then a story line shows up that makes you WANT to watch! You can't wait for 3pm to come so you can see what trouble Sonny and Jason will get into next!! Or why James Franco decided to do a guest stint! LOL

Right now on GH, I am loving Lulu and Dante/Dominic. They are such a cute couple! And who doesn't love that Helena is back to strike fear in the hearts of all she comes in contact with!! Makes you wish that Stavros and Stefan would pop back in!!

So why am I talking about General Hospital when previously I just bragged about my shopping? I have been chosen to be part of the General Hospital Brand Ambassador Program through MomCentral. What a neat opportunity!! I admit I get jealous of those "BigDealMoms" on twitter. And while I might not be a Big Deal, my love of ABC Daytime has paid off!

Do you love GH? You might want to head over to MomCentral to enter the contest they currently have running. You could win a trip to LA, a tour of the General Hospital set and a walk-on role!! The contest is open until February 28th so jump over there and enter!!

Disclaimer:

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.”