"My Favorite Things About Christmas"

Molly and Ryan leaving food for the reindeer last year.  They left carrots and celery and of course,

water in case they were thirsty from the long flight. 

This is just a personal post about Christmas... my random thoughts. No particular point...just sharing.

I just love Christmas! It's the most wonderful time of the year!!! I love giving gifts, spending time with family, seeing the excitement on my kid's faces when Santa has been here and most importantly, celebrating the birth of our Savior!
This Sunday we're singing a song in our church choir called "Rose of Bethlehem". The chorus is "Born to glorify the Father, Born to wear the thorns for me!" How beautiful. We've sung this song before and I've always liked it but this year, for some reason or another, I've become particularly fond of it. I actually think it's becoming one of my favorite Christmas songs. Jesus was born to glorify God and to die for me...and you. He was born to die. Absolutely the most wonderful gift we could receive.

Besides the birth of Jesus, I must admit, I love Santa Clause....obviously, not the same was as I love Jesus, but I love the "magic" Santa brings. I just love his red suit, his rosy cheeks and the fun he brings. Before I go on, let me be clear: Jesus is real, Santa is not....yes, I know that and I am not comparing them. Some Christians despise the thought of Santa, thinking that he takes away from the true meaning of Christmas. I must tell you that I can understand your point. Absolutely. People get carried away with Santa, give their kids thousands of dollars in gifts that they don't need (they must not be frugal like us) and don't even bother to remember what Christmas is about!

With that said, please remember that my priorities are straight :)

I want to share with you the other things I love about Christmas!!! First of all, my favorite Christmas movie is "White Christmas"! Please tell me you've seen it. It's soooo good. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and...that other lady who's name I do not know! They dance and sing and perform all these wonderful songs and dances at an Inn in Vermont. I don't think there's anything better than that movie! I just love the time setting, the actors, the characters they play, the setting, the story...and the list goes on. My other favorite holiday movie is "Home Alone" because I always watched it with my dad and I don't ever remember my dad laughing so much as when we would watch that movie. Luckily for my dad, I think my son may be the next "KEVIN!!!" and he'll get to experience more of those laughs in person in the next few years!

I love, love, love Christmas caroling and music. Last year we got to carol with our community group on a wagon and ride around town singing to shut ins, elderly and just about anyone who would listen. Tonight, the group went caroling and I have a baby who isn't feeling so well so we stayed home. I was bummed but luckily for us, the group came to our house and sang to us! THAT was fun! Molly was running around the house in excitement and Ryan was blowing them kisses!As a child, we would go for our GA's group (Girls in Action missions group for girls) and our children's programs at church would go carol at the nursing homes. It just makes people smile when you show up at their door and sing them Christmas songs.

When I was little, we'd all go to my Aunt Irene and Uncle Wendall's house on Christmas Eve. This was the big tradition. We would eat and sing, eat and sing, visit, eat and sing...until we couldn't eat or sing anymore! I love to eat and sing and this is probably where I got this...although my dad says his side of the family can eat and sing too! I think I just got a double dose so I was bound to love both! My favorite part of those Christmas Eve get togethers was all of my family, gathered around Aunt Irene's piano, singing Silver Bells and White Christmas, Silent Night and so many others. My Aunt Colleen playing the piano (she's the best) and hearing all the harmony in my family's voices! Oh my goodness, there is nothing like it. I could literally cry just thinking of those memories! How blessed I was as a child to get to experience such a wonderful Christmas tradition!

Now that I'm a grown up with three kids of my own, I can see how excited they get. I wrapped presents this afternoon and put them under the tree. When they came downstairs to see the presents their eyes gleamed with excitement! Molly could hardly contain herself and she, of course, told me which packages were hers and which paper and ribbons she liked best! Tomorrow I get to go to her class party. This is her first year in school and she's having a class party and I get to go enjoy it with her. She's so excited and so am I!\

Ooohhh....and I love Christmas trees! We have 5...well 6 if you count the little grapevine one in our kitchen (thanks Ashley) and I guess you could say 7 if you count the lighted grapevine one on our front porch! I love Christmas lights and sitting with a cup of cocao and a blanket with the lights off and just relaxing by the light of the tree!

Another thing I'd like to say is "THANK YOU" to my dad who always let me open one present early! That was so nice! AND, a big thanks to my mom for not using much tape so I could always open my presents and re-wrap them just to see what I got a few days early!

Okay, enough rambling about Christmas past and all that I love about Christmas! I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas. I hope that you enjoy your families, make traditions of your own and most importantly, remember the birth of Jesus and teach it to your children! Remember that HE was "Born to glorify the Father, Born to wear the thorns for me".

Oh my, Oh my, Oh my!

Oh my goodness!  We started a money saving blog last week called The Frugal Family and it has been crazy ever since!  I have been figuring out deals, coupons, where to buy what, where to get freebies, etc. 

Our internet has been down for a few days so I've had more time to relax and this song by Lenny Leblanc kept going through my head.  I want to share this post with you from The Frugal Family.  If you have questions, please feel free to ask!

Misty


I know this is a money saving blog, teaching you how to be a Frugal Family. However, first and foremost, I am a Christian. It's been 6 days since we set up this blog and right at 2,000 people have viewed this blog. I want to make sure you know that there is a Savior and His name is Jesus. He is the Son of God and died on the cross to save you from your sins. Sin separates us from God and the blood of Jesus on the cross covers our sins. His blood allows us to approach God because it covers our sin. I have had this song stuck in my head all day. If you don't know me, I love to sing so music is such an important part of my life.


Here are the lyrics to a song by Lenny Leblanc. I wanted to post the previous paragraph before I posted this song. If you don't know Christ, I hope you find a relationship with Him. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord!
Princes and paupers
Sons and daughters
Kneel at the throne of grace
Losers and winners
Saints and sinners
One day will see His face

And we all bow down
Kings will surrender their crowns
And worship Jesus
For He is the love
Unfailing love
He is the love of God

Summer and winter
The mountains and rivers
Whisper our Savior's name
Awesome and holy
A friend to the lonely
Forever His love will reign

He's the light of the world
And Lord of the cross


And we all bow down
Kings will surrender their crowns
And worship Jesus
Worship Jesus
Worship Jesus
For He is love
Unfailing love
He is the Love of God

Call Me Crazy!

Word to the wise: This is not a typical Misty post.  Don't read this if you aren't serious about your faith.  It will probably just make you mad and make you think I'm a good two shoes... which I am not.  I am just serious about the things of God.  I have made just as many mistakes as most, if not more!  I am a sinner and thankfully, have been saved by grace!  Without the grace of God, I would be a hopeless individual headed through life blinded to the things of God and would have no hope apart from the hope of salvation! 

If you are a Christian, surely  you can relate to me.  Have you ever said something to someone, shared a testimony with someone, stood up for your faith and people look at you like you are crazy???  That's how I've felt this week.  If you stand up for something you know is wrong, SATAN is going to try to knock you back down.  To get you to refute what you just said, to change your mind, change your tune or change your status!  That's satan wanting you to not be used by God.  It's discouraging to have people look at you like you're a nutcase or a prude because you are opposed to sin.  Recently I made a comment about a Facebook game and someone replied, "I'm sure even the man upstairs enjoys a good game every now and then!"   HOLD UP!  Please!  God is a holy, righteous and just God!  He is perfect, the creator of the universe, ALL that ever was and is to come!  HE IS!  Or as He said, "I AM"!  Can you believe that we, as a society have reduced GOD to being "the man upstairs who enjoys a good game every now and then?"  I know that God loves us, I do believe that God wants us to ENJOY LIFE, to live, to laugh, to love, to find joy in everything we do!  I think most of you know that I LOVE to laugh!  It's probably one of the things I'm best at.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to laugh.  No one can deny that.  I love to laugh and joke.  However,  NOT at the cost of sinning! 

So, my response to anyone who doesn't like my comment on Facebook or the way I live my life or who thinks I'm crazy is this:  You can call me crazy.  Read these lyrics.  This is a song called Crazy  by MercyMe.  It has, for a very long time, been one of my favorite songs.  Today, I just felt like sharing this with you.  Maybe you feel you can be called "Crazy" too!  Here are the lyrics and there's a link in this post in case you're interested in downloading it.  It's on the Spoken For cd. 

Why I would I spend my life longing for the day that it would end..
Why would I spend my time pointing to another man..
Isn't that crazy


How can I find hope in dying, with promises unseen..
How can I learn your way is better
In everything I'm taught to be..
Isn't that crazy


I have not been called to the wisdom of this world..
But to a God who's calling out to me..
And even though the world may think
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy
To choose this world over eternity


And if I boast let me boast
Of filthy rags made clean
And if I glory let me glory
In my Savior's suffering
Isn't that crazy

And as I live this daily life
I trust you for everything
And I will only take a step
When I feel You leading me
Isn't that crazy


I have not been called to the wisdom of this world..
But to a God who is calling out to me..
And even though the world my think
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy
To choose this world over eternity
Call me crazy
You can call me crazy
Call me crazy

It would be crazy to choose this world over eternity!

Why Won't God Give Me A Rice Krispie Treat?

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called, according to HIS purpose. Romans 5:8

I know, I know, what a goofy name for a Blog post, but you know me...I like catchy titles.

Our lives have changed so much in the last few months with Molly going off to Pre-K! We have all missed her so much, but I especially have missed her! Today I decided I'd get her out of school before lunch and she could spend extra time with me today. Before school started, her teacher referred to this as "Mommy Time" which was okay because she's in Pre-K.

I decided today would be the day. She came home and we ate lunch. After Andy finished his work, Molly and I headed to Champaign. In my mind I thought this was going to be great, but I also forgot what my friend Kristina told me. She warned me that Fridays were especially whiney. The kids are little and it's been a long week and Friday is usually the day they are just plain worn out. Molly was excited to go, but a little whiny and grumpy. She wasn't particularly pleased with anything I wanted to take her to do and she especially wasn't pleased that I wasn't taking her to Steak and Shake, her favorite restaurant. I know she was tired and she can't possibly understand that we just could not do it. I HAD to feed Katie at noon and therefore, we had to be at home at lunchtime. We went and she seemed to get better as the afternoon went on.

When we got home, Andy had more work to do before I made supper so I fed Katie and Molly and Ryan played. I am almost certain they got into 4,325,908 fights, yelled at each other double that many times and got in trouble at least 40 times. All that in about an hour and fifteen minutes.

At dinner, we had Molly's favorite! Breakfast! Cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs and bacon (for the rest of us who will actually eat meat). We all enjoyed it and quickly after finishing decided we should make Rice Krispie Treats. Molly and Ryan LOVE to help in the kitchen. They help me with almost any bread or dessert I make. While they were helping, they weren't really listening, getting too close to the stove, fighting, trying to eat all the stuff while I was trying to get it in the bowl, climbing on chairs, climbing on the countertops, etc. I told them that was enough and they could go find something to do while I cleaned up. They decided they'd watch a little of their favorite cartoon, Tom and Jerry! They kicked each other, wrested around and yelled at each other and Andy told them and told them and told them to stop. And then it happened! He walked over to them, told them to go to the bathroom and get ready for their baths. He told them they'd have a bath and go to bed. No RICE KRISPIE TREATS! Oh my goodness, they wailed and whined and thought the world was ending! How were they going to make it til tomorrow without a Rice Krispie Treat?

Shortly after that, while Andy was giving the kids a bath, Katie was really fussy so I wrapped her up in a blanket and took her outside to rock on the porch. It was such a beautiful night. Quiet, cool, a few stars in the sky and I was holding a sleeping baby! How peaceful. I started thinking about the Rice Krispie Treats. I started thinking about Andy being a father. I started thinking about how those two things strangely enough go together.

God doesn't always give us a Rice Krispie Treat when we want it. So many times in our lives, God doesn't give us what we want. We don't get everything when we want when we want it. Andy knew that giving the kids a Rice Krispie Treat was not in their best interest. If they were already having a hard time listening to him and already had been in trouble, then why would he give them a sugary treat to make them even more likely to fuss and whine? I realized instantly that that is how God is! GOD is a perfect Father! So many times we think we know what is best for us. We think we know what we want and how wonderful it's going to be when we get it. However, God knows the big picture. He knows what is going to benefit us and what is not. He knows that giving us everything we WANT could cause us to mess up later or cause us heartache so He doesn't give it to us. As children, we don't understand and get mad and whine to God or gripe to our friends or say God doesn't care what we want! The truth is that God knows what we NEED and that's more important than what we want! Aren't you thankful for a Heavenly Father that loves us that much? He doesn't give in to our every command. He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent (as we discussed in Sunday school last week). He is perfect and His plan is perfect...from the beginning of time to the end of the world.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 5:8

It should make us, as Believers, thrilled to know that every time we don't get the Rice Krispie Treat that we ask our Father for that He's not just being mean to us. He knows what's best for us and our lives! Remember that the next time you don't get your Rice Krispie Treat. I've been reminded of it a lot lately and am thankful for God and his PERFECT goodness!

Johnny Appleseed Never Said It Better!

Today, I went shopping! And when I say shopping, I mean SHOPPING!!! I went to Menard's, Toys R Us, CVS, Dollar Tree, Schnuck's, Wal-Mart and IGA. Yep, seriously, we went to 7 stores today and it was worth it. I used to always say to only shop at Wal-Mart because they price match everything. Now I'm learning more and more about the way other stores work and boy, I feel like I've won the lottery! Today I spent $120 and saved $165! Seriously, I saved way more than I spent! I bought enough diapers for 2 months, Christmas cards, a birthday gift, groceries, etc, etc, etc. TONS of things. Why in this world if you could, wouldn't you do this? I know that I have more time than some people do. So, if you're a working mom and you drive a long way to work and don't get that much time with your kids, then I understand. But for those of us who are sitting at home, why not?

I started thinking about stewardship. Stewardship, in the sense of being a good steward with what the Lord has given you. In my accurate (because the Bible says it's so), but humble opinion, EVERYTHING is God's. He made it, He gives it to us, He supplies our needs according to HIS riches in glory. So, there you have it. Everything is God's. Everything we have been given is because He chose to give it to us. He does tell us to be good stewards with what he has entrusted us with. I know that some people probably think I'm a hobo who lives in a car and I have to scrape pennies to live. That is not the case. I'm just trying to be a good steward with what the Lord has given me.

Yesterday in Sunday school, we were discussing the perfect Goodness of God. He is perfect and His love is perfect. That means his provision for His children is perfect! He gives me what I need, day by day in order to live and glorify Him. And He's so good that he even provides me things I enjoy, not just my needs. Plus, a wonderful husband and 3 great kids!

So, to sum it all up, here are the lyrics to a good old Johnny Appleseed song. He said it better than I could!

Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

I'm thankful the Lord's given me all I need. He is so good!

Molly the Model!

Do you remember getting your school pictures taken? I personally remember loving those days. In the first grade, I had Mrs. Dickens as a teacher. When it was time to get the class picture taken, we'd all been outside running around on a nice warm day. When the group gathered, most everyone looked like sweaty little kids. But not me.... there I was... lavendar polo shirt, plaid skirt, dress shoes and Farrah Fawcet hair. Yes, I said it...Farrah Fawcet hair. And I was proud of it.

I remember my cousin Brooke getting her first school picture taken. She forgot to wash the conditioner out of her hair. She was a little girl, so you can't blame her, but oh my! It was quite a picture. As a matter of fact, if I had a copy of it, I would post it right now. It's that good! Especially if you know how beautiful she is without conditioner in her hair!

Well, today is the day for Molly's first school picture! You know by now if you read my blog that Molly is SHY!!! She doesn't like being taken to school, she doesn't like the playground and she doesn't like anything that's new unless it's a toy. She says she is NOT getting the pictures taken. I payed for them, I picked out the blue background, got her a cute little outfit with puppy dogs on the skirt and socks, fixed her hair so cute with a big bow and she still says she isn't getting her picture taken! As a matter of fact, she has told me since Monday afternoon that she would not be getting it taken. I asked her last night why she didn't want to and she quickly told me that she didn't think she'd like the backdrop! Okay. She hasn't even seen the backdrop, but she thought that would be an easy way to get out of it. I talked to her teacher yesterday who told me not to worry about it. She said there are makeup pictures in November, maybe she'll want to take them then. As a last ditch effort, I offered to bring her lunch and have lunch with her at school if she'd get her picture taken. She said, "No, maybe some other time!" That's where I said, "Okay". Obviously she is scared to death about it if the "Mommy will come to school" card won't work. So, since my daughter will not be getting pictures taken, I took some at home this morning. The child that will not have her picture taken at school took these pictures this morning. I didn't tell her to pose, I didn't tell her to smile, this is just what she came up with! She is so funny - acting all "Tyra Banks" on us! Posing like she's in the next issue of Highlights Magazine (LOL)! I don't understand her shyness or her reasoning for not wanting her school pictures taken, so I'm just learning to go with it. At least I got some good ones at home!

I hope next year she'll see Ryan taking pictures and want to get some done herself. Now I'm sure that will be an interesting blog post...Ryan getting school pictures taken. It will probably include Ryan with nicely combed hair, a tongue sticking out, eyes crossed, and a camera man chasing him. I can't wait.

Wow, God makes kids so differently, but I am so thankful for them all. Molly "the shy one", Ryan "the wild one" and Katie "the screaming one". Hopefully Katie will grow out of hers. I love my kids and everything about them! And I know, soon they'll be taking Senior Pictures and this will be a distant memory.

I Feel Like I'm Falling for Fall....

In the voice of Nick Jr's Moose A. Moose, I have to say, "I feel like I'm falling for fall"! What a fun song! We've been continuing our fall decorating and activites around here and have been working on a new one that I wanted to share with you.

It's the Fall/Thanksgiving Tree! I'm calling it this because it's really a fall tree, but the tree will lose a leaf each day until Thanksgiving. After that, the branches will be bare and it will be time to start a Christmas tree. Last week I gave my kids brown, yellow and orange construction paper and gave them paint in red, orange, green, brown and yellow. I let the paint as much or as little as they wanted on each piece of paper. My kids love to paint and more importantly, love to make messes, so this was fun for them. We used all kinds of paint brushes. Some were round sponges, some small, some large. After a few days of drying, I cut pages into leaf shapes. We used brown construction paper to make a tree trunk and the branches. Used a crayon to make knots on the tree. And of course, tape to make the leaves stick. Now, on our tree, we added apples. The apples are a WHOLE different thing at our house. Apples are the way we handle discipline at our house, but that's a different post at a different time. We just thought the apples would look nice on our tree. Nonetheless, the kids enjoyed making it, it looks cute in the living room and for me, it's a countdown to getting out the Christmas decorations! Yep, Christmas is another post for another time too!

I hope you're having a fun fall (even though it's not even technically fall yet).

You're invited....Why not come?

Have you ever been somewhere or experienced something so incredibly awesome that you had to tell people about it? I mean, you just couldn't stop talking about it?

This week, I've really been thinking about God. About His goodness. About His provision. About His church. About His love. About Him giving Jesus because of my sin and your sin.

I've been thinking a lot about HIS CHURCH. A few weeks ago, we were out of town for Brooke's wedding and our pastor preached a sermon called "The 20/20 Vision". It's about the future of our church in the next 10 years! In recent days, the First Baptist Church of Atwood has experienced exciting growth, new families, lots of babies being born, more people attending Sunday school...and the list goes on. God is moving in HIS church. However, I am not satisfied unless you all know that you are invited too. I'm not inviting you because I want 500 people to come to our church. (We currently have about 150 on Sunday mornings). I'm inviting you because I experience something every week that most people don't ever get to experience! I get to experience church, God's way!

Now, this isn't your typical "me telling you about Jesus" posting. I am really just wondering here... and you're free to respond to me via this blog, facebook or my email:aplby2@yahoo.com.

First of all, I go to the First Baptist Church of Atwood in Atwood, Illinois. Check out our website: www.firstbaptistatwood.org First Baptist Church has this motto "Committed to becoming and bringing others to be fully devoted followers of Christ". That pretty much sums it up. That's who we are and what we do. We are committed to Christ and committed to bringing others to know Him. Why in the world would we care? We care because we care about you and your soul in eternity. If you don't come to church because no one cares, then come to our church.

What do we offer? First of all, our pastor, Lanny Faulkner, preaches the Word of God. It is not watered down, sugar coated or a feel good bunch of mush. I can say that He preaches what God lays on his heart and what the BIBLE says. He heeds the Holy Spirit! He encourages us, leads us, teaches us and prepares us to make it through another week and make it through the rest of our lives. He teaches us God's Word, all of it, and does it all according to the Scriptures! We don't preach what the world wants to hear. We don't skip things we're uncomfortable with. If you want that, go to a different church :) We preach exactly what the Bible says! If you're not going because you're not really hearing the true Word of God, then come to our church!

Next, we love people. I mean that with all sincerity. When we moved to central Illinois in 2001, we looked for over a YEAR for a church home. We looked every Sunday morning and nearly every Sunday night. We visited churches that were big, small and in between. We never felt like any of them were where God wanted us. We went to many church services where no one spoke to us. They didn't even acknowledge we were there. Have you ever experienced this? Gone to a church and no one even spoke to you? That's hurtful and wrong. The day we walked into the First Baptist Church of Atwood, Ron Eagan and Kenny Collins were at the door greeting us. They were so glad we were there. They introduced us to lots of people right away. We walked into the sanctuary and I'm not kidding, I KNEW we were home. Everyone was excited that we were there and made us feel welcome. The music started and so did my tears! We found what we were looking for! It's been 8 years since we've joined FBC and they have always been our family. If you're not coming to church because you don't feel welcome, come to our church! We will welcome you.

Maybe you don't go to church because there's nothing there for your kids to do. When we started going to FBC, we didn't have kids and were not even thinking about having kids. Quickly after joining, we started teaching highschool Sunday school. We soon realized that this was a church that loved kids! My goodness, anything the youth needed, someone in the church was willing to help with. As we grew up (Andy and I) and had a family of our own, we realized that it wasn't just the youth, it was all children! We have a nursery for infants AND toddlers that are fully staffed! You don't have to sit in the nursery every week and listen to a box with the Pastor's voice coming through while you also listen to your child scream and play. We take turns in the nursery so we can all sit and enjoy worshipping together! We have Sunday school for all ages and Sunday school for moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, young adults, etc, etc, etc. We have children's church for 4 year olds through 3rd grade on Sunday mornings. We have youth group on Sunday evenings. We have AWANAs on Wednesday nights. We're getting ready to start Bible Drills on Sunday nights. We go to church camp, have VBS and do just about everything we can for kids! If you're not going to church because there's nothing for your kids to do, then come to our church!

Now, if you don't come to church because you've been burned or because you think Christians are hypocrites, then I don't know what to tell you other than that we are all sinners. We're all hypocrites and we've all dissappointed people. Every day, if you are a Christian, you have to get up and fight the devil and try to live like Christ. It doesn't always work. Sometimes we fail. I sin all the time, even though I try not to. I am human and so is everyone else in every other church in America. Hopefully you find a church where we are saved sinners, who want to truly live for Christ. If you're not going to church because you've been burned or because churches are full of hypocrites, come to our church. We're all sinners, but we love Jesus and are constantly trying to live more like Christ!

I don't know what your reasoning is for not visiting our church. Maybe you've always gone to a certain church, maybe your family goes there, maybe you just don't go at all. I'm not suggesting you leave your church to come to ours if you already attend a wonderful church. I am suggesting that if you're looking for a home church, visit us! We're excited about Jesus! We're excited that He's coming again. We're excited to do HIS WORK in HIS CHURCH!

So, why don't you come to our church? I'm inviting you. Will you come? I promise you, it's worth the drive, no matter where you live. We don't want you to come because we want to fill the church and count people. I want you to come to experience Christ. Maybe you don't know who HE is. We want to lead you to Him. I want you to experience fellowship the way God intended it to be. I want you to expereince the fellowship our church has to offer. I want your children to be a part of the next generation of Believers who carry on the Great Commission. Whatever your reason, I hope you'll consider visiting. I want you to experience what I expereince EVERY week. I'll be there. Usually in the 3rd row on the left. Andy will be there. Katie in the baby nursery, Ryan in the toddler nursery and Molly in children's church. Come and join us. Be our guest. You are invited and you're welcome to come!

As our pastor says, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming!" Be in prayer about it. Call us if you need a ride. Experience what we experience.

Fall Kickoff Day

Today at our house was Fall Kickoff Day.

Okay, I don't know about you, but I certainly have a favorite time of the year! I'm certain that my most favorite time of the year starts with September 1st! I know, you're thinking, "What's up with September 1st?" It's not my birthday, or my anniversary or any special occasion in the life of my family.

If you know me well, you know I despise summer. I hate to be hot, I hate to sweat and I detest the humidity. Summer and I have NEVER gotten along. EVER. Period. I was the girl who would sit under a shade tree and think I was dying if I was forced to be outside. You might say, "Why were you forced to be outside?" The answer is because I would never go outside unless someone made me! I didn't play ball, I didn't like the park and I just didn't like the heat. I also loved school! Of course, summer means No School, so I didn't enjoy it. After hearing these rants, I'm sure you can imagine that I LOVE the fall!!!

Crisp air, cool nights, sweaters, jackets, weenie roasts and s'mores, crunchy leaves, pumpkins and pumpkin patches, apple cider, Halloween and Thanksgiving! Oh, the bliss of it all!!!

A few years ago, before I had kids, I declared that September 1st was my favorite day of the year. You see, on September 1st (in my mind), you can start getting out your fall and harvest decorations. Soon thereafter come the Halloween decorations and right on into Thanksgiving. NOT TO MENTION Christmas!!! (Christmas is another post that would take you 5 years to read: One year for each of the trees in my house!) I LOVE the holidays! I love everything about them! So, each year, on September 1st, if I can, I start decorating and enjoy myself!

This year, September 1st was on a Wednesday that happened to be our first night back to AWANAs after summer break. As the AWANA Commander, I have tons of work to do before AWANAs can start. So this year, I waited until Friday, September 3rd to start the excitement.

Molly got out of school today for a school improvement afternoon so I picked her up and we all loaded up in the van to start the Kickoff!

First, we went to Tuscola to get supplies at IGA for the cookies we were going to make. Next, we went to the park. Tuscola has an awesome park. If you haven't been, you should go! This summer, every Friday, we took a picnic lunch and visited a different park in central IL. Today was our last stop on the Friday Park Tour. We enjoyed playing there for about an hour and a half. Next, we came home and made Corny Cookies from the Family Fun website. http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/corny-cookies-685173/ They were so cute to make, plus, they tasted great. I didn't use their cookie or frosting recipe because I have an awesome recipe, but they were still the same concept. Unfortunately, as you can see in the picture, mine didn't look near as cute, but they were fun! For dinner, we had chili. Our first pot of the year. Chili is easily one of Andy's favorite foods so he was happy! After that, we dug out our fall decorations and Molly and Ryan helped me unpack them and set them up. They were so cute, trying to give me major input on where each thing should go throughout the house! I loved it!

Next we have to get to our porch! That's my favorite thing to decorate! Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere! And a few mums thrown in too! Hopefully we'll get to that next weekend!

I hope you all have a fantastic fall and enjoy the crisp air, cool nights, sweaters, jackets, weenie roasts and s'mores, crunchy leaves, pumpkins and pumpkin patches, apple cider, Halloween and Thanksgiving as much as I do!

Applebyisms of Summer 2010

Okay, so most of you know that I am the mommy to 3 kids; Molly, who is 4, Ryan, who is 3 and Katie who is 3 months. As you can imagine, I hear lots of funny things. Great stories, mispronunciation of words, etc. After sharing some of my stories on Facebook, someone told me that I needed to write all these things down so I could remember them forever. So, without hesitation, I'm going to share some of my favorite "Applebyisms" of the summer of 2010 with you.

• Today, we went to the park and Ryan and Molly both wanted to bring stuffed animals with them. Molly's stuffed animal usually makes a lot of noise and gets in trouble when she rides in the car with us. They begged and begged to bring stuffed animals today so I said, "Only if they behave in the car" to which Ryan replied, "I will Be a Have!".
• Another story from today... I told Molly and Ryan that we would do something fun after Molly got out of school this afternoon. On the way to school, Molly asked me if we were going to go on a train ride, to which I said no. Then she enthusiastically asked me if we could dig through a dumpster! REALLY?!?! I am the queen of clean and I don't even know where she'd get such an idea, but she thought it was funny.
• August 31, 2010: Laugh for the day - I just told Ryan we had to go to the Crematory and he said, "Oh good!". "I was wanting some icecream!"
• August 25, 2010: Last night Molly wrote and performed a new song for us. It goes "Love your family, spin around, rock and roll Jesus, rock and roll". I'm pretty sure it's not going to make it into the next edition of the Baptist Hymnal!
• August 16, 2010: For Pre-K, Molly needed a backpack, paper towels, kleenex and napkins. On Molly's school supply list (which she made up) was a notebook that had a schedule in it (which she's sure Mrs. Harbaugh will want to use), 2 flash drives and a calculator! That's my girl...always prepared! And she's got her outfits picked out for the rest of the week!
• July 30, 2010: Yesterday we were in the car and Molly told Ryan that she was excited for Preschool, but she's never going to Kindergarten and I asked why and she said, "Because I heard when you get to Kindergarten, your teeth start falling out." She didn't realize that you were supposed to lose teeth!!!
• July 2010: Molly, thinking she is the smartest child to ever live, asked Ryan this: "Do you have Jesus' heart?" Ryan said, "NO!" She said, "You better get it! If you don't, you're going to go to a real place called Hell and there's a lake of fire!" Seriously, she asks me random questions every now and then about the Bible and I don't lie to her. She just put them together and came up with the best thing she could. I love it that she asked him if he had Jesus' heart!
• June 16, 2010: I was just in the van with Molly and Ryan on the way home from the library. Ryan said that someone hit him and Molly's response was: "It's okay, we're all sinners!" LOL!
• And, the best story of the summer is this: If you ask Ryan what Katie's favorite food is, he says "Boooosom!" So, earlier this summer we were at Wal-Mart and Katie was crying and the checker was trying to talk sweet to her and Ryan said, "It's okay, it's just Booosom Time!"

I hope you got a good laugh out of some of these stories! I know they make me laugh everyday. Having children is always stressful, but at least God lets us have fun with them! If I didn't laugh sometimes, I'd cry. I'm so thankful for the laughter!

10 Years of Memories

So, last week, Andy and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary! Seriously, 10 years. We got married on August 19, 2000 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton, IL. Andy had just turned 20 and I was 21. We were young pups, but knew we wanted to be married and start our lives together.

Here's an overview!

2000- The wedding was August 19th and we left for our honeymoon to Marco Island, FL that night! When we got back, school had started so we were right in the swing of things. We were both in college. I was at SIU (after transferring from Union University in Jackson, TN) and Andy was pursuing Social Work at John A Logan College. We lived in the tiniest apartment in Marion, IL and had a futon for a couch and a card table for our kitchen table. I remember that first Christmas buying Andy, who LOVES movies, a DVD player!!! It cost $250! Isn't that crazy? I think you can get one now for $30. He loved it. We both worked in the evenings and went to school in the daytime, but we loved all the moments we got to spend together!

2001 - I graduated from SIU with a degree in Speech Communications. After realizing there weren't a lot of job in Southern Illinois for my area of interest, we decided to move to Newman, IL where Andy's extended family lived. He transferred to EIU, still studying Social Work and worked for his Papaw at the Joines Funeral Home. We lived in the apartments right next to the funeral home. We searched, and searched, and searched some more for a church without finding one. Every week, visiting churches, Sunday morning and Sunday night...nothing!

2002 - Andy comes home from a night of working with his Grandpa and says, "I think I want to be a funeral director!" Seriously?!?! He was in his next to last semester for Social Work...we were almost done. But, if this is what he wanted to do, then I was all for it! That summer we found our home church, First Baptist Church of Atwood and quickly settled in and got to work serving in the church. In September, Andy packed up and moved to Chicago to attend Worsham College of Mortuary Science, while I stayed here and held down the homefront, working in Champaign at Colwell.

2003 - Andy graduated from mortuary school and he was HOME! Finally. I was never so happy to have him here.

2004 - Andy served as an apprentice for a year for his grandfather and we suffered a terrible miscarriage. Andy did ok with it and I was devastated. I didn't understand and didn't understand God's plan. I still don't understand, but after 6 years and 3 more children, I am at peace! 2004 was a tough year for us, but we made it through!

2005 - On my birthday, January 5, I quit my job. Immediately after, we started moving into the funeral home. We painted, sanded, painted some more, hung wall paper and decorated until we were exhausted. Just a few weeks later, we found out we were expecting. One of my dearest friends, Stacy had just moved to Georgia and Ashley and I decided to go see her. We drove the loooong trip from IL to GA! That night, we had terrible storms! I had no idea that at home, there were major storms too! That night, whether from lightning or electrical problems, our house/funeral home burned! Andy was sleeping inside and the room behind his head had huge flames shooting out of the roof! Somehow, God woke him up and got him out! Everyone said he should have died...they didn't even know how the bed hadn't fallen through the floor because there wasn't much of a floor left. I am so thankful he saved Andy and had me (and Molly in my belly) out of the house! We quickly, with the help of my dad, built a new funeral home and were in 2 weeks before Molly was born. On November 14, 2005, we welcomed our first baby! Molly Ruth Appleby. God was good to us. So FAITHFUL. Life would never be the same! I learned a lot about my husband when our daughter was born! I remember the day we found out she was a girl and his response while looking at the screen was, "I'm going to buy her a pony and build a barn for it". Seriously, if you know Andy, that's a hilarious statement. He doesn't build anything at all, but I knew, laying there looking at our baby via sonogram that Andy Appleby would never be the same. He loved her, changed her diapers, read to her, carried her and adored her! The man I married was the best dad I could have asked for, for my children!

2006 - We had a new funeral home and a new baby! Molly was such a good baby, that we decided we'd go ahead and have one more. I got pregnant right. At my very first doctor's appointment, the doctor found a rather large lump in my breast and told me on a scale of 1-5, she was sure it was breast cancer. I was so incredibly sad, my mom's sister had died of breast cancer much too young! I remember thinking about Molly and the baby I was carrying. Andy was so supportive! The doctor's told me what to expect with chemotherapy while you are pregnant. A few weeks later, I had a sonogram and the doctor's were going to do a biopsy. That day, the sonographer came in and looked and looked and looked at the screen. For what seemed like an eternity, he looked at the screen and finally said, "Nothing!" "There's nothing there." "I don't know where it went because I know I saw it a few weeks ago, but it's gone!" I of course, made sure to tell him that we were Christians and had been praying for this! A shout of praise and a sigh of relief! Once again, God was FAITHFUL!

2007 - Here's Ryan! April 22, 2007, Ryan Andrew Appleby was born! Molly was 17 months old when we brought Ryan home from the hospital! Twice the diapers, twice the mess and twice the fun! Ryan laughed out loud in the hospital the night he was born and I remember thinking that he was going to be a funny kid who enjoyed laughing! BOY, was I right!!! I still love to hear him laugh.

2008 - In 2008 was a busy year, chasing a baby and a toddler around the house. Ryan was learning to talk, Molly started writing her name and telling all kinds of stories. We really enjoyed our life and our kids. We felt complete as a family!

2009 - What were we thinking!!! One more baby!!! Just one more, that's all we need! So, in the fall of 2009 we found out we were expecting another bundle of joy! I was sick as a dog for the rest of the year! I went from chasing kids to laying on the couch and throwing up! Not fun! Andy took care of everything - the housework, the kids, the "everything you can think of". He was amazing and again, I was reminded of how thankful I was for a husband that was so understanding and caring!

2010 - Still sick... Molly is 4 now and Ryan was 2 (turning 3 in April). Even though I was sick, I worked with them, teaching them things. Molly learned to read words and then read her first book "Hot Dog"! I was so proud of her. Ryan learned to write his name, which really looked like a circle with two sticks on it and some scribbles after that, but he was PROUD! In February, we found out that our health insurance company was not going to cover our maternity care or delivery! I called the hospital and they told me at once that I would have to come up with the $30,000 to have the baby! $30,000??? Where was I going to come up with that? Andy kept reminding me that God was faithful and He would provide! Sure enough, God was FAITHFUL! He provided every single penny! Every penny for us! God is FAITHFUL! On May 15, 2010, Katherine Brooke Appleby was born! Our third child! Wow! I was 31 and had 3 kids! This was more than I could ever imagined for our family. She is a beautiful and sweet baby and loves her Mommy! Since Katie's been born, Molly started Pre-K and we're facing her being gone from us all day. She's not sure if she likes it yet, but we know she will eventually. Right now, Andy and I are enjoying our days with Ryan and Katie and realizing that we should love each moment since they're going to grow up as quickly as Molly did and be gone to school soon.

God has been so good to us in our 10 years of marriage. I am thankful to Him because I know that before I was conceived and before Andy was conceived that God knew that in the year 1999, Andy Appleby and Misty Smith were going to meet at Wal-Mart in Benton, Illinois in the card isle. He created us to be together. Andy, the relaxed one. Misty, the high strung one. Andy, the one who enjoyed the day to day and Misty, who had everything planned out for the rest of her life. God is good. He is good to us, He was faithful to us and is still proving His faithfulness in our lives! I love the 10 years I've had with Andy Appleby and all it has entailed. God is the giver of all good things and for that, I must say thank you to God for his awesome gift to me!

No Crying = Soda After School

Molly started Pre-K last week! We are devastated here without her. For her entire life, she's been at home with both parents and having adult conversations since she's been able to talk. She's gone to Pre-K now...Monday through Friday, 8-3! It's a long day, but for a girl who's as shy as Molly is, we knew this was best for her. This summer, Molly went to the library program and her teacher was the Pre-K teacher at the school. The Pre-K aide is a great family friend, Teresa Hawkins. She and Molly get along great! We knew that if there was ever going to be an easy transition for Molly that this would be it!!!

Let me say after a week of school, I am so glad we did this now because I cannot fathom how horrible it would be if we did this next year and she didn't know the teachers. She has cried almost everyday. She tells me how much she misses me. She stands on the playground crying with all the other kids running around her, having fun. I don't understand because I was never so shy. I feel sooo sorry for her standing there all alone and I cry because I can see she's upset. I know, it's only been one week and I'm hoping it only gets better! Andy swears to me that she won't be a senior in highschool, standing on the playground alone or playing in the rocks by herself under the tree.

I know she's bored with the conversation. I ask her how lunch was and she tells me who she sits by and says, "those kids don't talk much". I asked her if they talked to other people and she said they didn't, they just don't talk much at all. I'm sure she's pretty bored considering she's eaten 3 meals a day with Andy, Ryan and I and we talk about EVERYTHING!

Sending Molly to school has been very beneficial in one area so far! She is praying like crazy! She's learning that she can pray wherever she's at, no matter what! She's praying to not be scared and praying for friends (to have them and for the ones she's made), and this is certainly keeping me on my toes, spiritually. I am in constant prayer for her!

I cannot imagine how I'm going to feel when my kids go through things and tough experiences at school and in life. It breaks my heart to see her cry everyday in Pre-K.

All I can say is that I am so thankful that God has entrusted 3 children to me. I am committed to teaching them to pray about every situation and to be faithful witnesses for Christ!

Pray for Molly today, that she stays strong, that she finds people to play with, that she has fun AND that she doesn't cry (because Daddy's going to give her SODA if she doesn't)!

Growing Up Sooo Fast

This summer has been a crazy one so far! First of all, Katherine Brooke arrived into the world on May 15th! She's certainly changed our lives, but of course, it's for the better! It's easy to forget how much work a baby is. She's up at night, fussy sometimes and needs to be held by her Mamma all the time! But oh, the joy a new baby brings. She's started smiling and is working on holding her head up. She's growing so fast, it's unbelievable. And to think, I thought I was done having babies. I'm so glad we decided to "go for it" one more time! I already can't imagine my life without her.

Of course, Molly and Ryan are getting bigger now (4 and 3 years old) and have social lives of their own. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Molly goes to ballet and tap class in Paris, IL. On Wednesdays, Molly and Ryan go to a class at the library, which they absolutely love. We've already had VBS this summer and both of them go to go to classes this year so that was a blast! Today, Molly had a play date with a few of her friends and they made play doh and cookies! I took Ryan and his friend Max (and Max's Mommy) to McDonald's after the library. It was so cute to see two 3 year old little boys in the backseat - having a conversation! Of course, you couldn't understand half of it, but at least they thought they were having a great conversation!

It's crazy and amazing to watch the lives of your children! It seems like 2 weeks ago when Molly was born and here she is, about to start pre-school in the fall! I remember bringing her home from the hospital. Of course, I didn't know what I was doing. I don't even think I took diapers to the hospital. I didn't take formula either...I knew I wanted to breastfeed. But it never crossed my mind that that might not work out and I could have needed a backup plan. Thank goodness the nursing worked out and thank goodness I learned a few things along the way...since 2 more babies came along rather quickly. It's been 4 1/2 years and I have 3 kids!!!

Life speeds by so quickly. I'm trying to remind myself to cherish everyday...and enjoy it. I am a busy person, so I don't often stop and enjoy, but I'm trying! I don't want to miss these fun, entertaining, stressful, crazy, wonderful moments! Wow! They really do grow up so fast!

Katherine Brooke Appleby

Katherine "Katie" Brooke Appleby was born on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at 8:16am at Carle Hospital in Urbana, IL. She was 8 lbs, 5 oz and 20.5" long! A bundle of joy with blonde hair and blue eyes...who would have guessed! The good news is that her second toe is longer than her big toe, just like her dad's! That's about all our kids got from him! She is sweet and cute and loves to be held and Molly and Ryan are awfully proud of her, telling other people that she's "their" baby. So cute! We're all doing well and adjusting well and life is good!

Deals of the Week!

So, last week I didn't post the deals of the week and I probably won't for some time in the weeks to come. We are about to have another baby in this house and honestly, I am tired and I have soooo much to do, so writing out deals isn't probably the best use of my time. I hope you have learned a lot about how to save on your groceries and you continue to do so. I'll still be saving too, just not posting about it every week. If you read this each week though and have questions, feel free to post one or email me at aplby2@yahoo.com. I'd be happy to help you out! Happy Shopping everyone!

Misty

Deals of the Week!

Wow! This week, there are some great deals! You should check them out!

Meijer's is having a 10 for $10 sale (mix and match) and some of those items include Betty Crocker Potatoes, Hamburger Helper, 2 Liters of Coke, Pepsi and 7-Up products, Hunt's Ketchup (24oz), Grands Biscuits, Dole lettuce bags and STRAWBERRIES (all for $1!!). Those are some really good deals. They also have Tyson Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts on sale for $5.99 (save $4).

Other great prices:
- GM and Kellog's cereals on sale for $1.99.
- Libby canned veggies on sale for $0.69.
- Doritos are Buy One Get One Free (Walmart will not match this).
- 24 Pks of Pepsi and Coke for $6.
- Keebler Cookies for $1.98.

Schnuck's is also having a 10 for $10 sale! They have BBQ Sauce, Barilla Pastas, Fresh Express Spinach, Pillsbury rolls and biscuits and Hamburger Helper (and lots of other things). They also have Lay's chips on sale for $2.50.

Other things on sale (not at Meijer's or Schnuck's) are listed below:
- Strawberries are $0.99 at County Market
- Kellog's Cereal (up to 14oz) on sale for $1.49 (limit 3)

I don't see milk on sale this week ANYWHERE! If you know of somewhere I can get milk for a good price, please let me know.

Have a great night and thanks for reading!

Misty

Pee in a Cup!...Too Much Info, I'm Sure!

This is probably too much information, but since I know our families read this, I thought you'd be cracking up at Ryan!

On Thursday, Andy had a funeral and I had a doctor's appointment to checkup on baby Katie. Molly and Ryan prepared to go to the doctor with me by packing toys, notebooks, markers, toy dragons, etc. I knew taking these 2 to the doctor's office with me (which is at Carle Hospital) was going to be fun...going through the parking garage, lifting them in and out of the van (the laoner we were driving) and waiting in the doctor's office (for 45 minutes) all while about to have a baby. I didn't realize how funny it was going to be!

When we got to the doctor's office, I went to the counter and got my "cup" for my urine specimen and my brown paper bag. Every time you go to the OB doctor, you have to give a urine sample. I didn't think about having to take Molly and Ryan into the bathroom to have to pee in a cup while they watched! OH BOY! First, I got the cup and Ryan kept asking me what it was for. We went into the bathroom and I explained to them that I had to put my pee in the cup. Ryan and Molly stared at me for what seemed like an eternity as I tried to pee in the cup. Then Ryan asked, "Mom, how you gonna get your pee in that cup?" "Do you have to put skidmarks in there too?" As he's saying this, all the other ladies in the restroom were cracking up. I could hear them laughing like they were trying not to and shaking from trying to hold in the laughter, but they couldn't contain it! Ryan and Molly kept asking questions for what seemed like an eternity, but was only about 30 seconds.

They just remodeled our OB office and as soon as you walk out of the women's restroom you are in the line to check in. We opened the door and Ryan exclaims in his loudest voice "My MOM PEED in a CUP!" The men who were in the office were literally tearing up with laughter and Ryan was then on a roll! He was telling everyone and as I was trying to get him to be quiet, I dropped the pee (which was sealed up and in a brown paper bag) and the pee was fine, but Ryan says, "Oh no Mom! Your pee is all dirty now!" Of course everyone in the office was cracking up at him. I haven't seen our doctor's office that busy - ever! Of course, the day I bring Motor Mouth Ryan the office is packed and he's thrilled at the experience of mom peeing in a cup! Needless to say, he was the office entertainment for the day. He was singing for people, coloring pictures and telling stories for everyone!

Next time Andy has a funeral service and I have a doctor's appointment, I will have to find a babysitter or refuse to pee in a cup!

I hope you grandparents enjoyed this one!

No Deals for the Week!

This week, I am not posting a Deals of the Week! I will not be looking at this week's ad because we'll be spending time with our parents for Easter! I hope you take the time to look through the ads and find some great deals! Have a wonderful Easter!

Misty

Sales, Sales, Sales!

My God will supply all my needs, according to His riches in glory!

Okay, this week, there are sales everywhere! A perfect week to use your mad grocery skills!!!!

First of all, meat is on sale EVERYWHERE! Buy it up, freeze it, whatever you need to do...but get it while it's cheap!

Second, I usually tell you to ad match everything and go to Wal-Mart. My suggestion this week if you live near Tuscola is to go to IGA first. Usually, they are ridiculously overpriced and I wouldn't go there unless I HAD to, but the prices this week are worth the trip. Caution though: Go there first in case they run out of the sale items (which has happened to me several times) so you can go to Wal-Mart after and get them there and ad match the IGA prices. Here are my favorite sale items at IGA!

1. Kraft cheese in bags (shredded or cubed) are $1.50 per bag!
2. Lay's chips are $2 per bag.
3. Boneless Skinless chicken breasts are $3.99/pkg.
4. Ballpark Hotdogs are Buy one get one FREE (Wal-Mart will not ad match B1G1 offers)
5. Kraft Salad dressings are $2.
6. Fresh Strawberries are $1.50!!!!
7. 10 lbs of Potatoes are $2.49. (There is no way I'll use 10 lbs so if anyone wants half, I will GIVE them to you!)

Here are the rest of my top deals for the week!
1. Keebler EL Fudge or Fudge Shop Cookies are $1.68 at Schnuck's.
2. Cheetos and Fritos are $1.78 at Schnuck's.
3. Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup is $.069 at County Market. Cream of chicken is $0.75 at Meijer's.
4. Green Giant canned vegetables are $0.50 at County Market.
5. 1 dozen eggs are $0.88 at Meijer's.
6. Birdseye Steamfresh Veggies are $0.99 at CM.
7. Imperial Margarine Quarters are $0.49 at CM.
8. Coke OR Pepsi 24 pks are $4.96 at Meijer's
9. Libby canned veggies are $0.40 at Dollar General
10. Coke 2 liters are $1 at DG
11. Philadelphia Cream cheese is 4 for $5 at Dollar General, Meijer's and IGA.
12. Oreos are on sale for $2 at Dollar General
13. Purex is on sale for $3.50 at Dollar General (72 oz)
14. Gorton's Fish Stikcs (up to 24.5 oz) are 2 for $7 at Meijer's.
15. Wheat Thins are $1.67 at Meijer's...that's awesome!
16. Del Monte Vegetables are $0.59 at Meijer's
17. Ruffles are $2 at Meijer's.
18. GM Cereals are $1.99 at Meijer's (select sizes)
19. Kellog's Cereals are $2.00 at CVS(up to 15 oz)
20. Baked Lays and Tostitos chips are $2.50 at CVS
21. Post Cereal (up to 24 oz) is $1.99 at Walgreen's (limit 4)
22. Milk is $2.39 at Walgreen's (Limit 2)

Shop, shop, shop and STOCK UP! You probably won't get deals this good for months!!!

Happy shopping!

Top Deals of the Week

Hi! If you are interested in learning more about Price Matching, Coupon Cutting, Meal Planning and Budgeting, come to my class this Thursday night at the Newman Church of God at 7pm. The class is sponsored by GOAL and there is not a charge for the class.

Here are my top deals of the week!
1. Milk is 2/$4 at CM and Meijer's.
2. County Market has a big selection of items that are 10 for $10 (Mix or Match) and a Meat Sale so check those out. I'm not going to list them all :)
3. Doritos are $2 at CM or IGA
4. Yoplait Yogurt is 10 for $5 at CM or IGA
5. Pepsi 2 Liters are $1 at CM
6. Lay's potato chips are $2 at Schnuck's
7. Lettuce Head is $0.99 at IGA
8. Hunt's Ketchup is $0.99 at IGA (24 oz)
9. Dawn Dishsoap (up to 10.3 oz) is $0.96 at CVS (limit 6)
10. Most apples are $0.99/lb at Meijer's
11. Cantelopes are $1.50 at Meijer's and IGA
12. Strawberries are 2 for $4 at Meijer's
13. Sargento's shredded cheese is $2/bag at Meijer's
14. Meijer's canned veggies are $0.50 at Meijer's (Aldi's are cheaper if you don't mind Aldi's canned veggies)
15. Kellog's Poptarts are 3 for $5 at Meijer's (8ct pkgs)

Have fun shopping this week! I hope to see you at my class on Thursday!

Movie Correction

Andy just corrected me and said that Debbie Gibson was in "Giant Octopus vs MegaShark", not "Dinoshark"....oopps...how did I get those confused!?!? They were both terrible!

Movie Thoughts by Misty

I have to watch a lot of silly movies because Andy loves movies and I have 3 thoughts to share. The first is that there is no way a ninja assasin could kill 88 people by herself (Kill Bill) and the second is why did the men in "300" just wear underwear and a cape? That does not seem like good battle gear to me. No wonder one of them just got his head cut off...he had on no armor. Also, last weekend on the SciFi Channel they previewed a movie called DinoShark! Seriously? Who thought of that one???? It was terrible and Debbie Gibson (80's singer of Electric Youth) was the star. I think she should try singing again...DinoShark is probably not going to revive her career. Just my basic movie thoughts for the night!

My Top Deals of the Week:

Meijer's is having the 10 for $10 Sale, where you get 10 items for $10 and the 11th Item is free. So, go to Meijer's and get your 11th item, or go to Wal-Mart and get these items 10 for $10 (no 11th item free). All items are Mix and Match.

So....
1. Pepsi 2 liters are 10 for 10 at M (Coke 2 Liters are 5/$5 at IGA)
2. Hamburger Helper is 10 for 10 at M
3. Pizza Rolls are 10 for 10 at M
4. Grands Biscuits are 10 for 10 at M
5. Angel Soft (4 pk) is 10 for 10 at M
6. Goldfish (6-8 oz) are 10 for 10 at M
7. Dole lettuce bags are 10 for 10 at M
8. Hunt's Ketchup is 10 for 10 at M
9. Meijer brand fruit snacks are 10 for 10 at M
And the list goes on at Meijer's...check it out for more of the 10 for 10 sales!

Here are the rest of the top deals of the week!
1. Lay's potato chips are $1.99 at M
2. Pepsi 24 Pks are $5.98 at M
3. Libby's canned vegetables are $0.59 each at M
4. Kellog's and GM Cereals are $1.99 at M
5. There are also a lot of cleaning supplies on sale at M this week!
6. Wheat Thins, Triscuits and Ritz (9-12 oz) are $2.25 at Dollar General.
7. Kraft Salad Dressing (16 oz) are $2 at Dollar Genera
8. Purex is Buy one get one FREE with coupon at Walgreens (Wa-Mart will not ad match B1G1 sales)
9. Jergen's Natural Glow Skincare is $7.49 at Walgreens (which I desperately need for my pastey skin!)
10. Dole Fruit Cups (4 pk) are $1.69 at CVS.
11. Milk is $2.19 at CVS (limit 2)
12. Pringles are $1.19 at IGA
13. Green Giant Steemers are $0.99 at IGA
14. Strawberries are $2.50 at IGA
15. Canteloupe is $2 at IGA - Wal-Mart was cheaper a few weeks ago, but they were higher the week after so check the store price to see who's dea is the best!
16. There are lots of "Irish foods" on sale here and there too, but we don't eat them, so I'm not going to list them out.
17. Post Cereal is $1.77 at County Market (16-20 oz)

Happy Shopping and have a GREAT week!

Misty

Papa Jeff is....

Papa Jeff- tonight at dinner, we were trying to decide who all the super heroes were in the family. Of course, Molly was Black Cat, Ryan was Spiderman, I was Black Mom (they made that one up), Andy was Iron Man and since you have silver hair, they decided you would be the Silver Surfer!

Deals!

First, I'd just like to say that in the Champaign News-Gazette, the Sunday ads come wrapped up in a plastic insert. It's just like opening a Christmas gift every Sunday night!! I love it!

If you're interested, I am teaching a class on Ad Matching, Coupon Cutting, Meal Planning and Monthly Shopping at the Newman Gradeschool this Thursday morning at 9:30for the SHIP Playgroup parents. Childcare is provided. I will be teaching the same class on Thursday evening, March 25th at 6pm at the Newman Church of God for G.O.A.L.

And here they are....the top deals of the week!

1. Baked Lays are $3 at Target. ($2.50 at CVS with card)
2. Superstar Barbie is ON SALE for $3 at Toys R Us. (Limit 1 per customer)
3. Milk is $2 at Meijer's.
4. Barilla Pasta is $0.89 per box at Meijer's.
5. Oreos and Nutter Butters are $2.50 at Walgreens.
6. Fritos or Cheetos are $1.49 at Meijer's!!!
7. 24 Pks of Pepsi are $5.98 at Meijer's.
8. 4 Pk Dole Fruit or 6 Pack Mott's Applesauce are $1.67 at Walgreens.
9. Post Cereal (up to 24 oz) is $1.75 at Walgreens. (Limit 4)
10. Strawberries are $1.88 at County Market.
11. Pepsi 2 Liters are $0.99 at County Market.
12. Hunt's Ketchup (24 oz) is $1 at Schnuck's.
13. 15 Ct. Pizza Rolls are $1 at Schnuck's.
14. Birdseye Steamfresh Frozen Vegetables are $1 at Schnuck's.
15. Doritos are $2.50 at Schnuck's.
16. General Mills and Kellog's Cereal is $2 at Schnucks (check ad for sizes)

You should also know that I am NOT a big fan of Schnuck's...they are incredibly overpriced. However, this week they are having HUGE sales, so if you prefer Schnuck's, this might be a week you should check out a few of their things.

Have a great week and Happy Shopping!!!

From the mouths of babes...

This morning we had a doctor's appointment. At the dr's office, they measure your stomach to make sure you are growing correctly and they lifted my shirt and put the tape measurer up to my stomach and Molly said, "Is that how fat your tummy is getting, Mom????" So funny and so innocent!

So then, we went to Chili's to eat lunch. Molly told me she needed to go to the bathroom. I got up and took her and while we were gone, our waitress came to the table and Ryan looked at her and said, "I think my mommy's pooping!" I don't know where he got that, but when I got back Andy told me what he said and I was sooo embarassed.

Just imagine when we have three kids to tell stories on me! Oh my! They are so innocent and so funny!

Ad Match Deals of the Week - Don't be a cheapskate! Be smart!

Tomorrow is the first of the month, so I've got my monthly menu ready and I'm going to be at Savoy Wal-Mart, getting my groceries for a month...so WATCH OUT! I'll be the one holding up the line, price matching all the stuff.

For those of you that are first time readers, I do all my shopping at Savoy Wal-Mart. I don't go to any other stores because I don't have time and Wal-Mart will "ad match" their competitor's sale prices. So my list below is of the great prices at other stores. I'm not suggesting you go to those stores and get the deals. I'm suggesting you shop at Wal-Mart where almost everything is cheaper and make only one stop.

By the way, in February, I saved well over $150 by ad matching and about $10 by coupon cutting. It was nice to have all that extra money to buy baby stuff with. I'm not suggesting that you have to be a cheapskate, but it's nice to have money to spend in other places. Price matching and coupon cutting makes you a smart shopper. If you could go to Wal-Mart at the end of the month and get a free $150 check, would you? Of course...and by shopping there, that's what I got...okay, not a free $150 check, but saved that much money by being a smart shopper! Don't be cheap! Be smart!

Here are my top deals for the week!

1. Strawberries are 2 for $5 at Meijer's.
2. Pepsei and Coke 24 Pks are $5.48 at Meijer's (limit 4)
3. 10 lb bag of potatoes is $1.99 at Meijer's (who needs that many potatoes, but it's a great deal!)
4. Kraft American Singles (up to 12 oz) are $2 at Meijer's
5. Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (40 oz frozen bag) $4.69 at Meijer's (that's a $5.30 savings!!!)
6. Kraft Shredded cheese is $2 per bag at Meijer's and Sargento's shredded cheese is $1.99 at County Market.
7. Philadelphia Cream Cheese is 4 for $5 at Meijer's
8. Crescent Rolls or Cinnamon Rolls are 4 for $5 at Meijer's
9. 2 liters of 7 up, Sunkist, RC or A&W are $0.96 at Meijer's
10. Keebler's Fudge Shop Cookies are $1.49 at Meijer's
11. Wheat Thins are $2 at Meijer's
12. Lay's Potato Chips are Buy1, Get1 at Meijer's (Wal-Mart does not Ad Match b1g1 deals, so you'd have to go to meijer's for that) They are also $2 at County Market.
13. Zyrtec is $18.99 (25 ct) at Target. I'm not sure on the Wal-Mart price, but I'm going to check it out! *** It's also $24.99 (for 40 or 45 ct) at Walgreens!
14. Campbell's Soup (up to 10.75 oz) or chicken broth (14 oz) (excludes cream of mushroom soup) is $0.49 at CVS
15. Milk is $1.99 at Aldi's. However, it's not a "published" price. So, try that first for your milk. If they tell you that you can't use it because it's not a published price, tell them it's $2.49 at CVS, which will still save you almost $0.80. It's also $2.39 at Walgreens, but the limit is 2.
16. Fritos and Cheetos are $2 at Dollar General
17. General Mills cereal (up to 15.7 oz) are $2.50 at Dollar General
18. Ritz crackers or Ritz Bits are $2 at Dollar General
19. Red or green seedless grapes are $0.99/lb at County Market!!!!
20. Head of lettuce is $0.99 at County Market
21. Post cereal (up to 24 oz) is $2.50 at County Market

There are also coupons for Campbell's soup, Zyrtec, and Post Cereal in the paper.

If you want more coupons, look online. They are everywhere. Just go to Yahoo and type in "free grocery coupons".

Happy Shopping!!!!

Ad Match Deals of the Week

I am sick today, so I'm doing this pretty quickly and to the point. If you have questions, just ask!

1. Milk is $2 at Meijer's.
2. Canteloupes are $2 at Meijer's
3. Grapes (green or red seedless) are $1.18/lb at Meijer's
4. Yoplait Trix Yogurt is $1.99 at Meijer's
5. V8 Splash (64 oz) is $1.99 at Meijer's
6. General Mills cereals (up to 16.2 oz) $1.99 at CVS
7. Asparagus is $1.49/lb at CM
8. Pillsbury Crescent or Cinnamon Rolls are 3/$5 at CM
9. Del Monte canned vegetables are $0.59 at Meijer's
10. Lay's Potato chips are $2 at Schnuck's
11. Coke/Diet Coke 12 pks are $3.66 at CM

Happy shopping this week! There are lots of good coupons in this week's paper. Also, with this being the last week of the month, don't forget to start your monthly menu (or bi-monthy if you want to start small) for March. You can come up with lots of ideas!

Monthly Menu Ideas

Many of you who've been reading the blog or reading on Facebook have asked how in the world I come up with meal ideas that will last a month, or do I just repeat the same meals? This post should answer those questions.

Monthly meal planning is different for everyone. You may hate to cook and only know how to cook 5 things. If that's the case, it's going to be hard for you...you better get out a cookbook :) If you know me personally, I am happy to loan you a few. I have TONS!

I love to cook and have lots of good cooks in my family and in my husband's famiy and some of my friends are amazing cooks. My first piece of advice to you is if you like how something tastes, ask for the recipe. There is nothing wrong with that. Andy's great-grandmother is 101 and she is probaby the best cook I know. She always told me to never be afraid to ask and that's how she got so many of her wonderful recipes. Now, I am by NO means a fancy cook. There are sooo many things I don't know how to do. For example, I just watched Julia Child and a baker on tv make some amazing breads and just sat there in awe. I don't think I coud ever do the things she does! I don't do a lot of things in the kitchen, but I do my best at what I can do. That's all we can do, right? I do believe, however, that if you can read, you can cook! Maybe I've just read the recipe wrong a few times??? :) But with all seriousness, I have made many a mistake. When Andy and I were first married, I made chili for the first time and it was so bad that I begged him not to tell anyone!! It was like brick mortar! Totally disgusting! I still have flops! Like I said, I'm not a great cook, I just do my best at what I do.

So, to answer the original question, I usualy rotate about 30 menu ideas. Because of the way I set up my monthly budget, I usually plan to eat out 2 times per month. Some people like to schedule those times out and some like to use those if they decide they don't want what's on the menu for dinner.

Here are a list of some of the menu ideas I use. For some of them, I'll list out sides I might use. I use a lot of vegetabes that are fresh in the summer, so winter is harder. And, in the summer we grill out a lot too, so those are other options to what I have listed. Here are my favorite 30 or so menu ideas. Remember, it's not about fancy, it's about feeding your family. Some of these take 5 minutes and some take an hour or so.

Italian Chicken, corn and potato casserole
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Taco Salad
Chicken Caesar Wraps
Italian Beef, corn casserole, green beans
Vegetabe Soup
Chicken Pot Pie
BBQ Chicken Nachos
Chili
Tacos (rotate beef or chicken tacos or hard or soft shell tacos)
Tortellini, Salad and Garlic Bread
Poppyseed Chicken and Salad
Sweet and Sour Chicken and White Rice
Spaghetti, Salad and Garlic Bread
Sesame Chicken and Fried Rice
Roast, Potatoes, Carrots (in the crockpot)
Fettuccini, Plum Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers and Red Sauce
Lasagna, Salad and Garlic Bread
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Black Bean Delight (kind of like a vegetarian soft shelled taco)
Chicken and Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn
Southwest Nacho Casserole
Sloppy Joes and fried potatoes
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Pasta Salad and Asparagus
Breakfast Foods (traditional - pancakes, bacon, eggs)
Breakfast Foods (coffee cake, fruit salad, breakfast casserole)
Homemade Pizza ir Chicago Style Homemade Pizza
Chili
Cheeseburgers and Fries
Baked Steak, Gravy, mashed potatoes and corn
Mexican Taco Skillet (one pan)
Mexican Bubble Pizza
Potato Soup
Itaian Beef Bake
Chicken Salad on croissants (the best)

If you'd like the recipe to any of these menu ideas, let me know and I'll be sure to get it to you! Also, don't be afraid to sit down with a notebook and write out your family's favorite foods. You'll be suprised at all the menu ideas you can come up with!

Spending Less and Saving More

I have exciting news! I have saved $125 this month (so far) by ad matching and cutting coupons. I will be teaching a class on Spending Less and Saving More on your Grocery Bill! The class will cover budgeting, monthly meal planning, coupon cutting and ad matching. The class is sponsored by GOAL and will be Thursday, March 25th at 7pm in Newman.

Top 10 Deals of the Week

Here they are... Please remember if you are reading this for the first time, that I shop only at Savoy Wal-Mart. I don't have time to go to all the stores and Wal-Mart will price match any competitor's ad, except for percentage discounts and B1G1 sales. So, if strawberries are $4.50 at Wal-Mart and $2.50 at Meijer's, they will give me the strawberries for $2.50 at Wal-Mart. I shop at Wal-Mart because their prices are ridiculously less expensive than most other stores on their overall selection and because I only have to go to one store. So, if you are a price matcher, here you go!

1) Strawberries are $2.50 at Meijer's
2) Yoplait Yogurt is $0.40 at Meijer's
3) Dole Iceberg Lettuce Bags are $1 at Meijer's
4) 10 lb Bag of Potatoes are $1.99 at Meijer's or County Market
5) Pillsbury Grands Biscuts are $0.99 at Meijer's (12-16.3 oz)
6) Barilla Pastas are $0.89 at Meijer's
7) Pepsi 24 Pks are $5.98 at Meijer's/ Coke 20 Pks are $5.48 at CM
8) Betty Crocker Scalloped Pototoes and other Specialty Potatoes are $0.60 EACH at Meijer's
9) Milk is $1.99 at Aldis
10) Kellog's Cereal (up to 15 oz) is $2 at CM and Walgreens
11) Hunt's Ketchup (24oz) is $0.99 at CM
12) Ruffles Potato Chips are $2.88 at IGA
13) Canteloupes are $2.50 at CM
14) Keebler Fudge Shop Cookies are $1.69 at CM
15) Sargento's Shredded Cheese is $2/bag at CM
16) Green or Purple Seedless Grapes are $1.48/lb at Kroger in Paris
17) Doritos are $2 at Schnuck's

CVS is also having some great sales if you're a CVS shopper, but it requires their card and lots of the sales are B1G1 sales so Wal-Mart doesn't price match those. If you're a CVS shopper or there's one close, you might want to check it out! Lots of grocery items on sale!

Also, don't forget to use your coupons! I posted an article this week on this blog that was from a Yahoo headline about cutting coupons. It said, if you save $25 a week, that's $100 a month, which is $1200 a year. After inflation, that's over $100,000 in your life just from taking a few minutes to cut coupons! It's FREE money to cut coupons and Price Match!!! WHY NOT???? I like to save it or spend it in other ways!

Happy shoppping!

Ryan's Bedtime Songs

Every night, Ryan asks me to snuggle him in his bed and he sings me songs. This is a video I made tonight of him singing his songs. His repetoire includes "Finkle, Finkle, Wittel Tar", "Baa, Baa, Baa, Baa Bwack Seep" and "Mickey Mouf". Hang in there for the Mickey Mouse song. He's trying to sing the words, but sometimes it comes out like he's beat boxing or rapping. It's a good one!

Doing the Math on Coupons, a Yahoo Story

This article is part of a series related to being Financially Fit

Coupons: They're back in fashion, with good reason: An hour spent cutting and clipping can yield about $100 in savings.

Clipping coupons hardly sounds like the subject of high finance -- or even medium finance.

Save a dollar on cat food, some detergent or a couple of boxes of cereal. Who can be bothered? Who has the time?

A growing number of people, it turns out. And they're shrewder than it may at first appear.

The Great American Coupon is making a big comeback -- thanks to the Great American Recession.

We redeemed some 3.3 billion coupons last year -- a remarkable 27 percent leap from 2008, and the first year-on-year increase in 17 years, according to a report issued at the end of January by Inmar, a coupon-processing agent. (Online coupon use skyrocketed -- companies issued twice as many as in 2008, but redemptions rose 360 percent.) The big upturn took off in October 2008, just after Lehman went belly up.

At first blush you can see why coupons fell out of fashion for so long -- and why so many consumers still ignore them.

You have to make time to visit a coupon Web site or collect the flyers from your mailbox, the supermarket or newspaper inserts. You need to sort through to find the ones you want, cut them out, stick them in your purse or wallet -- and remember to use them when you are at the cash register and you are trying to remember whether you bought everything on your shopping list and where you parked the car.

Average saving per coupon: Just $1.44, according to the Inmar report.

But let's treat this low finance topic for a moment the way we treat high finance. Let's subject it to the same math.

How long does it actually take to clip and use a coupon? Certainly the more you use, the less overall time you will spend per coupon, because so many of the costs -- getting flyers, sorting coupons and so on -- are generalized. Let's assume you spend a minute per coupon.

Saving $1.44 for a minute's effort is the equivalent of saving $14.40 for 10 minutes'.

Hourly rate: $86.40.

Maybe this would be as good a time as any to point out that the typical American working stiff -- those lucky enough to have jobs right now -- climbs out of bed each morning, goes through the miseries of commuting and endures the daily grind at the workplace for about $20 an hour.

Furthermore, money saved comes with an additional benefit. Unlike the money you earn at work, it is tax free. No payroll taxes. No federal or state income tax.

If your marginal tax rate were, say, 20 percent, you would have to earn $108 before tax to take home $86.40. If your marginal tax rate were 30 percent, you'd have to earn $123.

Very few of us ever do this kind of math, because we tend to treat low finance differently from high finance, and small sums differently from big ones. No wonder, even today, 99 percent of coupons are thrown away unused.

Yet finance isn't a separate topic from the rest of our personal lives. For all of us, our scarcest resource is time. Putting the right value on it, and putting it to the most productive use, is a financial challenge, as well as a personal one.

And the individual amounts of money may seem small, but they prove the old adage about tiny acorns and mighty oaks. Someone who saves $25 a week will save $100 a month, and $1,200 a year. Over a lifetime that can easily grow to $100,000 or more -- even after accounting for inflation.

If motivation is an issue, the next time you find yourself facing a stack of coupon booklets and flyers don't ask yourself if you can be bothered. Try asking yourself if you'd like to earn more than $100 an hour for a job you can do, at home, while sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Allergies

I know I just made a post, but this is funny! We were just eating supper and Molly told me she's allergic to snakes and tarantulas! It's a good thing I haven't let her play with any!!!

It's Testiny Time!?!?!

Molly and Ryan are absolutely going stir crazy right now. This afternoon after their naps, they started playing together, which was great. Molly decided that they were going to play "grocery store", which led into "restaurant" and Ryan was her waiter. Eventually this led into "Testiny Time". We had no idea what Testiny Time was. I tried not to act too interested because she'll stop bossing and playing if she knows I'm listening too closely. The next thing I know, she's giving him instructions on how to sing and that he's supposed to read these sheets and recite verses. We realized that she was trying to get him to have "Testimony Time" at church and he's supposed to sing some really long songs and she told us she "wanted to hear us sing loud today". She sounded just like Bill Fleming. She keeps asking us to recite Bible verses too. She's apparently been taking it all in on Sunday mornings during church. I just thought she was sitting there being quiet, but she's got the service format down, knows how to sound like Bill and she's ready for "Testiny Time" this Sunday!

Molly's New Recipe

Molly's New Recipe and the Deal that Goes With It

2 TollHouse Butter Crackers
1 Heaping Tablespoon of Sour Cream
1 Cheez It

Smear as much of the sour cream as you can on one of the crackers, smash the Cheez It on top of it and take the other cracker and make it into a sandwich.

Molly's Deal:
"Mom, if you eat this, I will share a chocolate bar with you."
I said, "No way!" "I'm eating my supper."
Molly said, "Fine then, you're not getting ANY snacks tonight!"

My goodness, how she learns fast! We told her tonight if she tried some new noodles that she would get a small piece of chocolate bar and after 1 tiny bite of 1 tiny noodle, she requested her chocolate bar.

Needless to say, I did NOT try her recipe. I don't understand how a girl can eat that, but she won't eat anything her mommy makes for the rest of the family. Maybe one day she'll learn, but til then, at least she's creating her own recipes!

Top 10 Deals of the Week

This is a long, rambling post, not just a Top 10 Deals list. I'm trying to better explain this to those of you who haven't done this before. Read and post questions if you have any! I saved about $50 last week because of Price Matching!!! You can REALLLLLY save money doing this!

Okay, as I've said before, these are PRICE Matching deals. If you haven't price matched before, here's how it works. First, you need a Sunday paper. That's where you're going to get your sale bills and coupons! I don't like to go to several different stores. I like to go to Wal-Mart. Most of their prices are MUCH cheaper than EVERYONE else, other than Aldi. I don't really like to shop at Aldi's, because I don't like to use a lot of generic cooking supplies. However, I don't think the Wal-Mart brand is bad at all. Wal-Mart's policy is that they will match any competitior's ad. They will not honor percentage discounts and will not honor buy one get one deals. So, if Meijer has 40% off of something or a Buy 3 boxes of cereal, get a FREE milk, they WILL NOT honor it. However, if milk is $2 at Meijer's and it's $3.50 at Wal-Mart, you have to tell the cashier that milk is $2 at Meijer's and they give it to you for $2. At a lot of Wal-Marts you have to bring your flyers. You DO NOT have to bring flyers to Savoy Wal-Mart, which is the ONLY Wal-Mart I shop at. In general, their checkers are nicer and I know the store like the back of my hand, which makes my trips much easier. They also keep the sale bills in their registers for your reference if you need them!

If you are interested in some great coupon deals, read the post before this one called "Price Matching". My friend Alicia posted some AWESOME Tips for using coupons. I am very excited to use my coupons tomorrow and see how much I can save!!!

The best price matching deals are at the first of the month. For example, the Dollar Store does a flyer at the first of the month, but not throughout the month. Also, County Market doesn't put a flyer in my paper, but you can go to www.countymarket.com and see their flyer.

So, here are my Top 10 Price Matching Deals of the Week!!! (There are more than 10, but it's my list so I can do it :)

1. Milk is $2 at Meijer's.
2. Red or Green seedless grapes are $1.18/lb at Meijer's.
3. Tony's Pizzas are 10 for $10 at County Market
4. Green Giant Steemers are 10 for $10 at County Market
5. Totino's Pizza Rolls are 10 for $10 at County Market
6. Hamburger Helper and Chicken Helper are 10 for $10 at County Market (I have enough stocked up from last time :) But, it's an great deal!
7. Iceburg Lettuce heads are $0.88 at County Market.
8. 5 Lb. Bag of red potatoes is $1.50 at County Market.
9. Nabisco Snack Sacks (up to 8oz) are 10 for $10 at County Market.
10. Betty Crocker Potatoes (Scalloped or AuGratin) are 10 for $10 at County Market.
11. Valentine's stuff is 40% off at Hobby Lobby. They have candy, treat sacks, cards, etc. Hobby Lobby's flyer is not in with the other flyers, it's at the bottom of one of the pages of the paper.
12. Chocolate Milk is $1.50 for a half gallon at Meijer's.
13. Lubriderm Lotion (16 oz) is $6.49 at Meijer's. This is about $8.50 at Wal-Mart, so if you use this, that's a pretty good savings.
14. Oreos, Double Stuff Oreos, Large Triscuits or Wheat Thins (12-16 oz) are $2.69 at Meijer's.
15. Pepsi 2 Liters are $1.25 at Meijer's.
16. Ruffles are $2.19 at Meijer's (up to 10 oz)
17. Post Cereal is $1.69 at Meijer's (see ad for sizes)
18. Kellog's 10 Ct. Fruit Snacks or Fruit Yogos are 3 for $5 at Meijer's.
19. Lay's chips are $2.50 at Target (11 oz)


The 10 for $10 items are MIX AND MATCH this week. That means you can tell them they are $1 each as long as you have 10 of them. Sometimes, they don't make you have 10, but if this is your first time doing it and you don't know the checker, I would play by the rules and get 10 of them, mix or match.

The County Market flyers is TOO GOOD this week for you to not go to their site and read it. There are LOTS of other things listed on the flyer, these were just a few of the things I would use! Valentine's Candy is listed at the bottom of pg 3 on the flyer with some pretty good prices! www.countymarket.com

Part of the trick of Price Matching is knowing your prices in your Wal-Mart. For example, County Market has Imperial butter sticks on sale 10 for $10, which sounds good, but they are regularly $0.67 at Wal-Mart, which would be 10 for $6.70. Don't take the County Market deal. However, if you prefer Country Crock sticks, the 10 for $10 deal is a good one!!! They also have Weight Watchers yogurt at 10 for $6 and that's more than Wal-Mart. It's usually $0.50 there!

Sale bills like CVS and Walgreen's are great for beauty product price matching. However, keep in mind that they don't honor percentage discounts. Also, a lot of the CVS or Walgreen's prices are "with coupon" and Wal-Mart doesn't accept competitor's coupons.

Last, but not least, don't be suprised if you go to Wal-Mart and some of their things are marked down! Lots of times, if Meijer's having a big sale, Wal-Mart will mark their items down $0.10 cheaper than Meijer and you won't have to price match. Keep your eyes open, that's the best thing.

GOOD LUCK and let me know about your successes!!!!!