Couponing Basics

I've had a lot of people ask me lately how to coupon successfully.  Well, I'm still a novice at it, but I can pass on what I have learned.

1.  Get the Sunday paper.  It's recommended to buy a paper per person in your house. 
2.  Know your grocery's and drugstore's policies.  Every store is different.
3.  Find a good website source that tells you the deals.  There are a lot out there.  I use southernsavers.com, and I have used grocerygame.com.  Research what would work best in your region.
4.  Keep coupons for a long time.  I have an expandable file folder that has 13 slots, so I keep my coupons for 13 weeks.  I just stick the newspaper inserts in the spot and wait until southernsavers tells me to use it.

That is about it.  It just takes a few facts, and then you can start couponing like a pro.  It does take time, but when you start saving 60-70%, sometimes 90%, everytime you shop, it's worth it.  I routinely get a pack of diapers for $3 or less.  Good luck and have fun with it! 

18 Months and Having Fun

Allison turned 18 months on Jan. 1, and we are having a blast.  (Hard to believe we'll have another one in 3 months!)  Allison still isn't much of a talker, definitely a babbler just no real words, but she is understanding and comprehending to where it amazes me everyday.
  Today, we were playing, and she wanted to play with my phone.  So, I asked her if she wanted to color, and she then ran into her room to her dresser, started pointing to the crayons and coloring books on the shelf, and clapping.  I took that as a yes.  I was impressed b/c we haven't colored in over a week, and I had no idea that she knew they were up there with a bunch of other random stuff.
  Recently, she's gotten very good about following commands, like a little dog.  I know this won't last, but it's like she wants to please me.  I'll say that it's time to eat, and she'll run to her highchair.  Or, I'll say that it's bathtime, and she'll go to the bathroom.  She even tries to turn on the water and test the temp.
  She's also starting to take care of her stuffed animals and dolls.  She tucked her doll in for naptime today.  Also when playing with her favorite toy Violet the dog, Violet said that she was hungry and needed a snack.  Allison then went and got her snack cup and offered some cereal to Violet.  She's going to be a great big sister.

Snow!

  We got snow the day after Christmas.  It was the 1st December snow in the area since 1887!  This part of South Carolina is a lot like Texas in the sense that it rarely snows, and if it does, it's not until February or so when it does.  The kids has fun in it.  Allison threw a big fit when she had to go inside.

Busy but Fun Christmas

Payton came for 1st week of his Christmas vacation, and we had a lot of fun.  We gave him some of his Christmas presents early b/c he went back on the 26th.  We wanted to make sure he got to enjoy them.  Some of our adventures of the week included Payton learning how to ride a bike, going to the Columbia zoo to see Christmas lights, and just a lot of playing.

  For some reason I could not rotate this last picture.  The zoo had a fire pit where you could roast marshmellows.  It was the kids' favorite part of the zoo.

Santa!

 We went and saw Santa tonight.  Allison liked him!  The pictures are awful.  I need a faster camera.  She was so excited that Santa really had to hold on to her.  She was screaming with excitement.

This picture is just plain cute.  She was so excited about her new hat and gloves.  FYI, the hat and gloves are sized 3T.  We have a big girl!

I'm Getting So Big

  Our baby is growing up so fast.  She is walking really well these days.  She's still faster at crawling, so if she's in a hurry, she gets down on all fours.  Allison has also become quite the climber.  Her favorite thing to do is climb on the kitchen chairs.  I'm trying to teach her that she has to sit at the table, but she finds it more a game than anything. 
  Allison has also become the advance eater.  She can now eat a whole apple with the skin.  I just have to give a few starter bites, which works out well since she usually steals my apple and eats it.  She can also eat raw carrots, steak, whole grapes, and just about anything else she can put in her mouth. 
  Here are a few pictures of her recent achievements:

Cleaning Day!

 Today, I told Allison that we were going to clean house.  I think she misunderstood me and decided that I said that we were cleaning out b/c this is how she was my little helper.  Doesn't she look proud of herself?