November 2nd

Today i am thankful for my beautiful daughter Lilly.  She is incredibly sweet, loving, outgoing, and funny.  I am so blessed that she is my girl.  I love her more than anything.  Lilly has the best personality.  I am so, so lucky :)

This is Lilly's model pose :)

November 1

I have decided to post every day in November about something I am thankful for. 

Today I am especially thankful for my husband, Kyle.  Kyle & I have been through so much together--both good & bad.  Mostly good, but the bad has helped bring us closer together and have a stronger relationship.  He is the best daddy to Lilly and I love watching them together.  He is so hard working and strives every day to make our lives better!  I love you Kyle Wong.  Thank you for being an amazing husband!

Since I blogged last:

• Lilly started preschool!  She loves it!  She has lots of friends and is learning a lot!

I have no idea what is up with her closed mouth smiles....she is silly. :)

• Lilly turned 3!  She had a Minnie Mouse birthday party.

• Lilly was Snow White for Halloween.



Bummer of a CVS trip tonight

Okay fellow couponers...i can't stop thinking about my trip to CVS tonight.  I did not do so good, and i keep thinking of ways it could have been better.  I did 2 transactions and I should have done 3!  Here is what I got:

Transaction #1
Renu Contact Solution $7.89
Lipton Iced Tea $1.00
After coupons=
Spent .62 out of pocket, received 6.00 in extra bucks

Transaction #2
Twin pack Opti Free Contact Solution $14.99
2 Garnier Shampoo $3.99 each (7.98)
1 Garnier Conditioner $3.99
1 Garnier Hair Spray $3.79
Water Wings (for vacation) $2.99
U by Kotex $3.49
After coupons=
Spent $18 out of pocket, received 12.00 in extra bucks

I spent $18 out of pocket!!!!!!!  That totally sucks.  Before I started couponing, that would have been nothing.  But now that I do, that seeems like soooooo much.  These aren't even things I need.  I already have sooo many shampoos & conditioners.  I have so many boxes of pads & tampons, I would probably be good for a year!  The only thing we will use soon is the opti-free (which alone only cost $14.99!)  How in the world did I spend $18??!!  If I could go back, i would have made the opti free another transaction....what a bummer. 

It felt good to vent...i guess with so many AWESOME trips to CVS spending almost nothing, I was bound to have a bad trip sometime!  And on the bright side, I now have $12 in ecbs....  Thank goodness we are leaving for vacation soon, i think i may need a very small break in couponing...although I may have to hit up Target while I'm down there and you know I'll be taking my coupons :)

Goals for Today

Moneysavingmom.com is one of my favorite blogs.  Not only are there deal postings, she also posts: recipes, ideas, living frugally, etc...  On her facebook page, she has been posting her top 5 goals to get done that day.  I think this is something I need to start doing.  While it is nice to have no agenda and to go about the day as we please, I feel I need something to hold me accountable.  So on days that I can, I will post my goals for the day either on my blog or facebook, or maybe just make a list when I wake up every morning.  Today my goals are:

• Finish my menu plan for next week and half
• Vacuum entire downstairs
• Unload dishwasher and reload
• Take ironing board back upstairs (it has been sitting in our entryway for a week) oops
• Clean kitchen floor (sweep & mop)

I have started making & selling diaper cakes.  It is so much fun!  Please let me know if you are interested in purchasing one.  With all of the materials that go into it I have to charge $65.  If that is a little too expensive, let me know and we can scale it down and make it for less.  Please let me know if you are interested!  They are perfect for baby showers as a gift or a centerpiece.  If you are hosting a shower~this makes a perfect gift!  I can also make cakes for bridal showers using towels instead of diapers.  My email is kariekwong@gmail.com if you are interested.

 Boy diaper cake

 Lilly looking so cute!

 New deck!

 First night in her big girl bed!

Girl diaper cake-I can't rotate it...sorry!

Summer Update

So i went to buy my coupons (newspapers) yesterday at a gas station and they were completely out!  I asked if they had any left, and the man said that there is a lady in the area who is a big couponer and she buys every single paper they have on Sundays plus he orders her an extra 35 newpapers.  Every Sunday.  35+ newspapers.  Ridiculous.  All i wanted was 2 little papers :)

I am LOVING this summer.  Our new deck has made it so perfect.  I love sitting on the deck while Lilly plays in her pool & new swingset!  We are looking forward to vacation in SC again!

Lilly is 2 and 9 months old and is getting so big.  Can't believe I will have a 3 year old in a few months!  Lilly loves:

• Watching movies...favorites right now are Despicable Me and Gnomeo & Juliet (they are my favorite too!)  Despicable Me=hilarious
• Reading her books....favorites right now are ALL Berenstein Bear books.  She loves them!  Thank goodness my mom saved all of mine from when i was a kid.
• Playing, playing, and more playing.  Loves to play with her kitchen, making "food", going to the "store"....very into pretend playing.  Also loves building with blocks.
• Loves to play outside.  She is definitely an outside kind of girl. 
• her big girl bed! 

Love my Lilly girl!!  Still missing my Valerie.  Knowing she is waiting on us in Heaven makes everything a little easier :)  Can't wait to see her again!!  If you haven't read Heaven is For Real...please do.  GREAT book! 

My Addiction to Couponing

So I think I may have an addiction--to couponing.  Every week, I can't wait for Sunday.  I love getting the new coupon inserts in the newspaper!  I buy about 3 papers every Sunday just for the coupons.  I am constantly online checking my favorite deal sites: myfrugaladventures.com, moneysavingmom.com, and thekrazycouponlady.com.  I am also constantly planning another trip to either CVS, target, or walmart.  Did you know that walmart price matches any other ad you bring in?!  Our Marsh had triple coupons 2 weekends ago, and I went crazy!  It was so fun...I went to marsh 7 times in the 4 days this was taking place.  And my most favorite place is CVS!  This was what my trip looked like yesterday:
5 count Zyrtec 5.99  (had a $4 coupon)
1 colgate toothpaste 2.99  (had a $1 coupon)
2 crest toothpaste 2.49 each  (had 2 $1 coupons)
1 colgate toothbrush 2.79  (had a .75 coupon)
Schick Hydro 5 razor 8.00  (had a $4 coupon)
   
Total: about $25
I used extrabucks (i already had) to pay my $12 balance after using coupons. 

Paid $1.50 out of pocket
Received $16 ecb to use on my next trip!

I love CVS!  Is anyone else CVSing every week? 

Honestly for me couponing is so much fun--the thrill of getting things for almost free is SO exciting.  Even if I don't exactly need the things I'll be getting for free-someone will.   I am constantly getting colgate toothpaste for free--which i hand right over to my parents because they use colgate and we don't.  Same with deoderant, while Kyle is dead set on Pure Sport Old Spice deoderant, my dad doesn't care what he uses.   If I get too much of something, i can always donate it.  So anyways...couponing is my thing.  Everyone needs a "thing".  Kyle is into hockey, and I am so into couponing.  If i was working, I would probably not be so into this, but since i'm not--i have a lot of extra time on my hands!

If anyone is just throwing their coupon inserts away, feel free to send them my way :)

Pictures of Valerie

“Lord make me a rainbow, I’ll shine down on my mother

She’ll know I’m safe with you when she stands under my colors…”

Oh, and life ain’t always what you think it ought to be, no

Ain’t even gray, but she buries her baby…”

-The Band Perry

My beautiful baby Valerie