Extreme Couponing Denise & Diana style…..

For the new year, one of my “resolution’s” was to use coupons…..which brings me to this post!

I’ve been using coupons and price matching.  It’s going pretty good, I’d say that I save between $20-$40 a week…..BUT I WANT MORE!  Diana and I are both on the coupon band wagon and she talked to a local lady that’s an extreme couponer (as extreme as you can be here) and she gave us some tips on places to find coupons.  So last weekend we looked for coupons together and came home with a bucket full each.  Soooooo, now what to do with them? I’ve been using a little wallet that I made to stick them in, but keeps them in no order.  I wanted to have a book like I’ve seen on the Extreme Coupon show, but just not that big. (I really don’t want to LOOK like an extreme couponer)  So I came up with my own smaller version.

I found this zip up calendar on clearance at Wally World for $8.00

I took the guts out and made my own coupon pages with heavy weight scrapbook paper and some left over clear plastic sheets from the boys high school scrapbooks I made.  Then I stamped each sleeve with a category.

The plastic sheets make it easy to see what’s inside each pocket.

The planner came with a note pad in the back of the book that is perfect for making the grocery list.

And the front pocket is a great place to stick all the weekly ad’s that I take with me in the event I get a new checker a Wally World that wants to see the ad’s to price match.

 

So I’m ready for my debut on Extreme Couponing! 

Fathers Day 2011

Happy Fathers Day to all the great dads out there!

My dad had knee replacement surgery last week and is currently in rehab.  He will be getting out next week and I’m going to fly to Colorado to surprise him! …And to help my mom keep him in line.  The old man forgets that he’s old and does as he pleases.  I decided I better go out and be a reinforcement to my mom when he think’s he can go get on the roof to clean out the gutters or some other crazy shenanigans!  He doesn’t know that I’m coming, it will be a little surprise for him.  I just wish I could lose about 30 pounds before I go….but oh well. 

Happy Fathers Day Dad!  Thanks for always loving me.

It was a quite day for the Father in our house.  Brian enjoyed watching golf all day while I ran some errands.  Then I made a nice pot-roast dinner and a little something special for dessert.  I love how these hamburger cupcakes came out!  They were just adorable and my family was quite surprised with my cleverness.  (here is the secret, I got the idea and printable’s from Bakerellas website!)

Happy Fathers Day Brian! Thanks for being a great dad to our beautiful kids!

Oh, why can they never take a nice picture?  Dorks!

Graduation weekend

This weekend is graduation in Columbus.  It will be a busy weekend running from party to party.  I had a few “orders” for cake balls.  One for CNHS (blue and white) and on for CEHS (brown and orange)  It’s very hard to make ANYTHING cute in brown and orange…but I think I did a pretty good job. 

 

Conner’s friend Jacqueline came by for a few games of guitar hero…..she’s so cute…..

~~PROM 2011~~

Prom was this past weekend.  I  can’t begin to say what a wonderful day I had on Saturday!  When Brian picked up the tux, I thought…I don’t think I like it.  It was a pin striped tux with satin type trim on the edge.  WELL…..let me just tell you, the man makes the tux! 

After Conner got ready it was soooooo apparent that the tux was perfect!  He looked so damn handsome….and grown up.  He clean up nicely!

 

We met at one of the girls houses to take photos before they left for dinner.  It was spitting rain when we left, but by the time we got there (5 minutes away) it stopped and the sun came out….just for these kids. 

They all looked so beautiful and handsome.  BUT, I would be lying if I didn’t say that Conner and Jacqueline were the  best looking ones at the WHOLE prom.  Just sayin’

After the kids left for dinner, Brian and I headed to the CB (Columbus Bar) and met up with some other prom going parents.  The CB is just across the street from where they hold the prom so it worked out well.  We had a nice dinner and a few drinks before we headed out to our seats…that we put out at 8:00 in the morning….which were in the WRONG spot!  So we ended up standing in the crowd watching the kids come it.  It was still fun to see them all waltz in like they were royalty.  The best part of the night was that I was able to forget everything else and just had FUN!

Conner and Jacqueline had a blast and they won tickets to see the  Maroon5/Train concert in August.  BONUS!

Easter Pops

Just a quick post on my Easter cake pops.  I made some cute bunny and carrot cookies, but didn’t think to take a photo…duh.  I love the little chicks, not happy with the bunny ears (Jordan Almonds) and the lambs, while cute, were a pain the rear end to make. 

 

Mom’s Weekend 2011

This past weekend was Caitlin swim banquet along with mom’s weekend on campus.  Brian and I went up Friday  night for the banquet and, as always, Caitlin looked just beautiful!  


After the banquet Brian went back to the hotel and the girls and their mom’s hit the town!  Caitlin was MORE than excited to take me to the bars.  She actually said to the other mom’s “This is my moms first time out”!  Apparently I’m a loser that never went out when she was younger.  If she only knew how her Aunt Wendy and I knew every happy hour in Colorado Springs!   

So while we were out at Kamms….we went there because we got “free” glasses…..Caitlin and I were going to have a photo together when this young man decided he would be in our photo too!  Hind sight is 20/20, I should have snatched him up for Caitlin!  He was so cute and funny.  Oh well…it’s a fun memory.

We had a fantastic weekend just being together.  I will remember it always….it was just nice to be us.   Love you Cait.

Getting ready for PROM

This past weekend Conner “officially” asked his date, Jacqueline, to the prom.  He had “unofficially” asked her first to be sure she would say yes before he went to the trouble of thinking up a cute way to ask her.  Luckily she “unofficially” said yes.  I wonder if that is how you get asked to marry someone now too. 

Anyway, his idea was to write out a message on pieces of paper and stick each piece into a balloon….

Jacqueline ~ will ~ you ~ go ~ 2 ~ open box now ~

(these cookies were in the box)

~with me~

and then he held a bouquet of balloons with a cookie shaped like a ?. 

The original plan was to spread the balloons around her  yard (they were numbered the order she had to open them) but the wind was so bad, when we took the balloons out of the car they got all tangled.  Okay, plan B….put the tangled mess on her porch and ring the bell.

(I had to promise to sit in the car and not get out if I wanted to take photos)

 

Thankfully after all that work she “officially” said yes!