So I have had intentions of blogging all day for the past two days, and all I can say is "sorry" because I've been busy with my regular life. But here I am armed with a give away, so maybe the potential of a free cute outfit will help you forgive. My sweet sister-in-law now has an awesome little embroidery business called Squiggle Stitch, and she makes some ca-yute stuff. And for this give away she has teamed up with a friend who sews to bring you either a jon-jon or a jumper with applique and monogram of your choice. So if you have any small people in your life (or if you just love me enough to win one for destruct-o-girl) then head on over to her blog and enter for your chance to win. I promised her I would give it a plug on here this past weekend and then the whole "life in the way" business happened. So HURRY because time to enter is OVA on Friday. It won't take but a second and she gives you four, that's right I said 4, different ways to enter. So seriously, why not? You know your kid (or my kid - whatevs) would look seriously ca-yute in that stuff. Hurry. Go. Click the link below. Get busy.
Next I just want to say that I am struggling a bit with the couponing thing. I mean I really do enjoy it. I do. But sometimes I get discouraged when I leave the store because I want to be like the crazies on tv. Ya know? I want to walk out with a buggy full for 6 bucks. I want to feel like I stole it. You feel me? No? Really? It's just me? Anyway, I try. I actually have started dedicating quite a bit of time each week to get my coupons and list ready, and I only really wheel and deal at CVS. Well, I do occasionally go to Kroger when I get itchin' to go to the big city.... but generally I CVS it or maybe do a little ad matching at the Walmart. (I mean I still spend a ridonculous amount of money at Walmart, I just coupon at CVS) Anyway, I went today (with all 3 kids. forgot about how I will miss school for that reason) and got the following:

4 cases of coke products, 3 cans pringles, 2 pack oral-B toothbrushes, 1 box Q-tips, 1 pack Stride gum, 3 hershey bars, 1 Revlon nail polish, 2 bottles coppertone continuous spray sunscreen, 1 green bag tag, a 4-pack energizer lithium AA batteries, 1 Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen, 36-count playtex tampons, and 1 edge shaving cream
Grand Total - $43.40 with $15 extra care bucks (so $28.40 if you look at it that way)
See, it just doesn't sound like some fabulous deal. I can't walk away feeling like a bad maama jaama spending $43 (even if in reality it actually was great for the regular cost of the stuff I bought. have you priced sunscreen lately?!). However, I was looking at my receipt this afternoon and did notice where it had my CVS spending for the year 2011. I have so far dropped $405.76 this year, and according to their calculations I have saved $595.82. So there. I feel better now. Yeah. Yeah. Stick it to the man. Ba-ba-ba-booya.
Ok, it's possible that typing that just made me feel like my awesomeness level was rising. Sorry for that embarrasing little episode. Anyways, I believe my main problem saving money is that I can't stop buying things. (insert the obvious - "well duh") You know how the point of couponing is to stock up on something on sale and then don't buy any more until it's on sale again? Well I have trouble saying no to a bargain, so currently I am hoarding 6 bottle of laundry detergent, a drawer of toothpaste, and enough sticks of deoderant for a small african village. Let's not even talk about the body wash. I know it's an issue. I know. But please tell me how I am supposed to turn down $.60 bottles of body wash. Really? Walk away from that? So maybe while I am honing my coupon skills I can work on my restraint. It will be like how I restrain from eating cheese dip out of the jar with my finger and icing out of the can with a spoon. Um...............yeah. We'll see how that works out.
Hope your pits smell as good as ours,
Cassie