Thankful Thursday: So many blessings

I am home with a sick baby today (the rash that was supposed to go away quickly has spread and M is very tired, cranky and has little appetite) and have had time to reflect which I don't normally do much of.

Today I am thankful for:

Being able to stay home with my little one when sick and not having to worry about daycare or the like.

Potatoes in the crockpot cooking away for dinner...hardly any last minute prep needed for the loaded baked potatoes we'll be eating.

Daniel's job that God provided in His perfect timing. Its not always a fun work environment for Daniel, but I have seen so much growth in him as a result of the hard times.

Being so close to finishing all paperwork for our application to Wycliffe. If girlie does nap later, I hope to turn in the last piece of the Bible knowlege assesment today.

A well stocked fridge and pantry and coming under budget this month will most definitely happen!

A healthy second pregnancy so far. We see a midwife next Tuesday and again and will be scheduling our ultrasound which will hopefully tell us baby's gender...yay!

For a great place to live where our landlord and maintenance guy are typically super helpful when something is wrong.

For a church family that is often so much of a family to us. This week we've been blessed by our involvement in the church so many times.

"We give thanks to you oh God, we give thanks!" Psalm 75:1a

Safeway NW Deals for the week of Dec. 10th, 2008

Good Deals (no coupon needed)

Pepsi fridge 12 packs buy 2 get 3 free

Lucerne Chunk or Shredded Cheese $5.99 for 32 oz.

Safeway Select Ice Cream BOGO (price on one is $5.99)

Rancher's Reserve Beef London Broil 50% off

Promo:
Buy 5 get $5 off (thanks to Hot Coupon World):Buy any 5 Save $5 Promo - mix and match, items must be purchase in one transaction:

Note: Price includes the $1 per item discount!
. Kellogg's Corn Flakes 18-oz. or Frosted Flakes 14-oz. Cereal. 1.29
Use $1/1 coupon from 11/09 RP
Final Price $0.29/box!!!

. Kellogg's Froot Loops 12.2-oz. Cereal. 1.49
Use $1/1 coupon from 11-09 RP
Final Price $0.49/box!!

. Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats 18-oz. Cereal. 1.49
Use $1/1 coupon from 11-09 RP
Final Price $0.49/box

. Kellogg's Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts 12-ct. 1.49
Use $0.55/1 coupon from 11-09 RP
Final Price $0.94/box!

. Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats 8-ct. Selected varieties. 1.79

. Kellogg's Smart Start 17.5-oz. Cereal. 1.88
Use $1/1 coupon from 11-09 RP
Final Price $0.88/box

. Kellogg's Special K Red Berries 12-oz. Cereal. 1.99
Use $1/1 coupon from 11-09 RP
Final Price $0.99/box

Good Coupon Deals
Fresh Express Salads, 9 - 12 oz bag $1.00
Use $0.55/1 coupon from 12-07 S
Final Price $0.45

Ghirardelli Baking Chips, 11 - 12 oz bag $2.50
Use $1.00/2 coupon from 09-21 S
Final Price $2.00

Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa, 8 - 10 ct $1.50
Use $1.00/2 coupon from 11-16 S
Final Price $1.00

Campbells Select Harvest Soup, 18.6 - 18.8 oz can - BOGO $1.50
Use $0.50/2 coupon from 10-05 CA
Final Price $1.25

Clorox Bleach, 82 - 96 oz $1.99
Use $2.00/2 (Copupon is for Disinfecting product AND Tylenol Childrens Medicine)coupon from 10-19 RP
Final Price FREE for the bleach, plus cost of tylenol

Visit the Grocery Gathering for more stores near you!

Still here...just busy

We've had a busy week already and its only Wednesday! My lack of posting is due to finishing the last required piece of Wycliffe Bible Translator application pieces (I need to complete and turn in a Bible knowledge assessment today), company, helping with Awana tonight and the great Albertson's AND Walgreen's deals this week. If you want to see a great summary of the good deals at Albies check here (including internet printable coupons).

Oh and M came down with a new rash of red dots all over her torso on Monday night so I took her to the Dr. yesterday. Apparently its just yet another minor virus, so she's fussier than normal.

Here's another pic from the our downtown park of a super-cute couple:)

Downtown park with our little adventure-cat #1

We headed down to our local downtown park and remembered to put M's shoes on. Boy were we glad we did because she had a ball running around checking everything out. She made sure all the Christmas lights were screwed in correctly;) and was somewhere new everytime we turned around. She keeps us on our toes!





In the picture above its hard to see but she is pointing at the fountain that just went off (they spout intermittently).

Menu Plan for the Week of December 8th, 2008

Breakfasts: French Toast, cold cereal, gingerbread pancakes

Lunches: leftovers as per usual, except today as I am eating my leftover Okonomiyaki...yummy!

Snacks: hummus, carrots, granola and yogurt (free activa markdown + coupon yesterday!)

Monday: Black Bean Salsa Chicken Soup (for realz this time:)with cornbread muffins

Tuesday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, mixed veggies, salad and homemade rolls. Company is coming-a missionary from our church as well as her mother will be joining us!

Wednesday: Bacon Macaroni Bake and green beans or salad

Thursday: Baked Potatoes with Broccoli, Bacon, Sour Cream, beans and cheese

Friday: Homemade Pizza and Carrot sticks and other snacky foods

Saturday: Thai curry sauce over rice (courtesy of my now-gluten free friend Tami who gave us GOBS of food this weekend...seriously a trunk full...thanks Tami!!) with Salad

Sunday: Macaroni Grill Chicken pasta with peas and salad or Beef Barley Skillet from More with Less

Happy 14 month birthday M!

Saturday Fun: Just the Girls and some bargains

Daniel and his friend Jeremy from church are going to see Dr. Don at Mars Hill Church today, so M and I are on our own today. Unfortunately, the car went with Daniel, but we are not to be deterred!

First, I have my full phone interview with Wycliffe Bible translators at 10am (a little nervous, just because I don't know what I will be asked at all!) and then we'll be hitting the public bus system...whoo! Because we are frugal party animals, we are going to bargain central and hitting Value Village to look for baskets to make into gift baskets, then to Grocery Outlet to get some cabbage so I can make the one meal Daniel hates and I LOVE: okonomiyaki, a Japanese dish made with cabbage, flour, and eggs, then fried in a pan like a pancake and topped with tonkatsu sauce and mayo and maybe some meat (at least that's the way I like it:).

Then, we are going to McDonald's for a rare trip (I really don't like Mickey D's:) since I got a coupon for a free small latte (no purchase required) and M can play on their playground for the first time:) Oh, its in the RedPlum insert btw.

Finally, back to Walgreen's for one more round of RR fun. I didn't think I would do the deal again, but I figured it will cost me around $2 out of pocket to get the following (and I have a little over $11 on gift card and $5 RR to use):

Bald Guyz moisturizer (great white elephant!)
3 packs of white Christmas tissue paper
2 Russell Stover chocoloate luminaries
2 Maybelline Lip glosses (on sale for $3.99 at WAGS thru today and a $4/1 coupon came out in the RedPlum today!)

I will get back a $5 RR and over $15 on my gift card for the Russell Stover and Bald Guyz...how could I not do this deal!!??

Then back on the bus to go home and eat Okonomiyaki! A fun and cheap date for us girls, don't you think?

And because you need to see some pics from our new camera...although these are testers so don't mind the bad lighting:), here is Daniel and M being oh so cute:)





and a rare pic of M actually wanting her pic taken:) goofy girl

Great Register Reward Deal at Walgreen's

If you missed the $5/$25 coupon at WAGS earlier this week, don't despair. There is a deal at Walgreen's right now that if you spend $25 before coupons you get $5 in register rewards to spend on your next transaction! The before coupon part is awesome because there are tons of ways to minimize your out of pocket with coupons. For an easy $$ making transaction, buy 4 Wal-itins (allergy medicine) and use the in ad (4-day) coupon. Your out of pocket will be a little over $4 and you will get $5 in RR back! This is because before coupons, the total for the Wal-itin is over $25, but with the in-ad coupon each one is only $0.99!

The picture above is most of my first transaction and my second, in which I bought:

$15 worth of coke products (to get the $5 reward for a separate deal) and because I love me some soda:),
4 Revlon lip products (on clearance for $2.59 and on BOGO) and I used two $2 off coupons
2 Reach toothbrushes (used a BOGO free coupon and produced $6 RR)
2 reach flosses (used 2 $1 off coupons and produced $6 RR)
Colgate toothpaste on sale for $2.99, used $1.00 off coupon and produced $2 RR
Huggies Baby Wipes (last minute grab when I realized my second transaction total was less than the $5 RR! they were on sale for $2.50 so not a wonderful deal)

My total on gift card was right at $22 (I had $7 in RR from a previous deal) and I got $19 in RR for my next two transactions which I did later that day after naps and meals for M:)

This is where it gets to be more fun (sorry no pictures!):
Transaction #3
1 Wal-itin
1 Loreal Pro Calcium (some sort of moisturizer that is tinted...am excited to try it!) FAR again this month!
5 pencils (cashier forgot to scan coupon so these were 4/$1 and one was $0.39

used $2 Loreal coupon and $0.99 Wal-itin coupon

I used my $19 in RR and paid $2.35 on gift card (again, would have been less if the pencils would have scanned on sale) and will get around $22 on gift card for the Loreal and got $5 RR back for "spending" more than $25! I turned around and bought

1 pencil $0.39
1 Rolo candy (needed quick filler since I didn't figure right on the RR total again!
4 Wal-itins (used in ad coupon for $0.99each again)

My total was twenty some odd cents on gift card and I received another RR for $5!

All in all, I spent only a few dollars more on my gift card than I will get back, and spent my original $7 in RR but ended up with $5 still! And I got some fun treats (pop, candy, make-up, Christmas pencils, candy) and lots of toothcare & allergy meds. Anyone local need allergy meds? :)