Try it Tuesday strikes again

It's another Tuesday, so I'm back to share more. So many new things recently, I just got a new furbaby, I just started a new medicine, but, as promised from last week's installment, I have decided to share from my finds at Lush. First, a little back story...

I discovered Lush a few years ago. I was in Orlando on a business trip in July, and well, unless you're originally from Mercury or something, you won't find Orlando that pleasant in July... It's HOT! My trip had me staying at the Marriott located at the Orlando International Airport, and we didn't venture out much, since our conference was there as well. Lucky for me, they have a great little mall, so with my free time, I was able to persuse and check out some new stores. That was when I first discovered Lush... If you've never been to a Lush store, think of a Bath & Bodyworks, only more hands on. All through the store, there are giant slabs of pretty soaps, and bath bombs, and lotions, and potions... Being the product junkie that I am, I was in heaven. I snapped up a few different things to try, and loved everything. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to travel near one again... so imagine my excitement when our Macy's opened a counter just a couple weeks ago!

Now, I know I could shop online, but if you want to touch, feel, smell... you don't get the same effect... and depending on how many things you want to try, buying online can get pretty pricey, because they sell in specific sizes... in the stores, you can have them slice off as little or as much as you want! So... I headed to the little shop in my Macy's.... which isn't as grand as the real stores, but works quite nice. I picked up a few treats, and today I'm sharing one of my favorites.

The Aqua Marina Cleanser: Now I warn you, this doesn't look like your typical cleanser... in fact, you kinda think sushi when you see it. Heck, it's even wrapped in seaweed! Now some of you know, that I am an Avon rep, which means I have at my disposal a wide variety of products. This should say something that I'm out touting a product that isn't one I sell :) Why did I pick this? Well I actually got a choice of a free cleanser with my purchases, and this was the one I decided to try. I couldn't be happier. I have skin that is a bit sensitive. I also have rosacea and a couple other skin calamities. This was why I liked this one... It contains aloe vera, chamomille, patchouli... these are very soothing ingredients. And I have found that this stuff feels ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL on my skin. Now the first thing to consider, if you decide to go out and buy this... it's sold in bulk, you can get as little or as much as you want. I would recommend starting out on the small side, because of the ingredients and the fact that it has no preservatives... the shelf life is only 3 months. At first glance, you may look at this and wonder exactly how do you use it... it's not a soap that you lather up. It's not a liquid that you can keep in a pump. It's actually a semisolid blob (ok, I know... not the prettiest word, work with me). When you want to use it, you just pinch off some (say oh somewhere between pea & marble size) and put it in the palm of your hand. With your other hand, wet your fingertips and add some water. This melts it into a really loose paste, fairly liquid. Then just use this liquid on your face. Smooth over skin, adding more water as needed to cleanse. Then just rinse like normal. I immediately noticed how calm my skin felt. I've been using for about a week and my skin has stayed clear, smooth and calm. This is definitely a product I will buy again.

That's all for this week!

Stop Hiding

Click here to check out LeAnn Rimes new PSA

LeAnn Rimes has partnered with the American Academy of Dermatology & the National Psoriasis foundation in their Stop Hiding Campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to:

*Educate the general public on how this chronic immune disorder affects nearly 7 million Americans

*Motivate patients suffering from Psoriasis to Stop Hiding and Start Living

*Encourage patients to see a dermatologist and discuss appropriate ways to manage their disease

The spotlight has followed singer LeAnn Rimes for most of her life. Unfortunately, so has the embarrassment of her psoriasis. But not anymore. LeAnn is taking a stand to Stop Hiding from her psoriasis and wants you to Stop Hiding and Start Living too. Join the Stop Hiding campaign and receive updates from LeAnn and the campaign.

A coupon in my bread & a GIVEAWAY

This morning, in my usual frantic dash around the house to secure the items I would need for my day at work, I reached in my bread box and grabbed the loaf of bread. I proceeded to pluck 2 slices from the bag and just as I was dropping them down in a ziploc bag, something catches my eye. A coupon... for sandwich meat...between my slices of bread. Now, I'm quite familiar with promotional packaging, and as a coupon user, I always check the boxes of products, to see if a coupon was printed inside. This was however new to me. The coupon wasn't just tucked into the packaging, it was "smack dab" in the middle of my loaf of bread. So if any of you have recently picked up some of Sara Lee's Soft & Smooth Whole Grain White bread... don't be suprised if the next time you grab a slice you get a little something extra!

Now onto the part you're here for... the GIVEAWAY... I am going to be giving away a 2 Week Free Pass to Curves for you & a friend. Pretty nifty huh? I'm not sure how it relates to coupons & bread, but it's my world, you're just visiting :)

To enter the giveaway:

#1 Leave me a comment w/the oddest place you've found a coupon

#2 Get a bonus entry if you post my contest on your blog or elsewhere (Just leave me a comment with the link)

#3 Get another bonus entry if you subscribe to my blog

I'll be running this contest until 24th (A week from today!)

Good Luck!

Try it Tuesday

Ok, so I've decided to introduce a new segment into my blog. "Try it Tuesday" Each Tuesday, I will be sharing my results of trying something new, it could be a new food, a new recipe, heck if I have a slow week, maybe a new way home from work!

And my first "Try" is Snyder's Multigrain Aged Cheddar Cheese Puffs. Or Cheezy Poofs as I shall now refer to them. So, how did I select this product? Well, after careful market research and hundreds of hours in the lab... OK... back to reality... Sunday, I was grocery shopping, looking for a "Chip Product" to go in my lunches... and these caught my eye. Why did they catch my eye?
#1 Cheezy Poofs are GOOD!
#2 They were on S-A-L-E
#3 MULTIGRAIN in big ol' letters across the top required closer inspection
#4 There was a blurb about FIBER on the front too

So, I paused, and after taking a glance at the bag, decided that these would be a better option for me than the Wavy Lays Ranch chips I had just placed in my cart.

Now, they have 2 grams of Fiber in a serving, which isn't the greatest number, but does rank higher than my potato chips, and I'm a FIBER junkie, so I thought that combined with Whole Grain sounded like a better option.

I broght these for lunch today. And I must report they are YUMMY. To be completely honest, no, they aren't exactly like eating my usual fav, Cheetos Cheese Puffs. However, they have a great Cheddar Flavor and the whole grain adds an interesting crunch. And I don't feel quite so guilty eating them. I checked out their website, Snyder's has an entire line of Whole Grain snacks, including White Cheddar Cheezy Poofs... which are sounding very yummy!!!!

That's it for this installment, check back with me next week, for my next venture... I'll be giving the scoop on one of the goods from my shopping trip to LUSH today.

Some great weekend savings

I set a goal for Sunday, and am quite happy to say it is was about 90% accomplished... I am pleased considering in recent weeks it would have been scored a big fat 0% - So, what was my goal? To get all my shopping for this week finished on Sunday. Why?

#1 I work a full time job during the week

#2 I have my part time sales gig during the week

#3 I end up missing good sales if I don't go early in the week, because all the items are gone

#4 By the time Saturday comes around, I've usually got so many things on my "to do" list, that I end up up chucking some of the deals that I want to do

Basically, recently, I haven't been getting to the store on Sunday, and then am stuck running after work in the evenings, which then just seems to be a huge time sucker, because I usually would go home, realize something was needed and then go back out, before I knew it, the entire evening was wasted.

So this weekend, with the exception of a couple of small items I will need to pick up on the way home from work (which won't be a huge time constraint) I'm finished. I do still need to go to CVS & Walgreens this week, but planned on doing that during lunch, there weren't any spectacular deals I saw that I really needed. Below is what I picked up:

At Rite Aid: I spent $23 HOWEVER, with the exception of the All-Bran Fiber waters ($3.49) everything in the picture is FAR (free after rebate)

I don't have my receipt with me, so I can't remember all the specific pricing. You can view your circular at RiteAid.com and check out the HUGE list of FAR items this week. I bought Theraflu, Lizard Lips Lip Balm, Lypsyl Lip Balm, Soft Lips Lip Balm, Excederin Tension Headache Express Gels, & Bee M.D. throat drops.

Next at Meijer (I have 2 pics, couldn't get it all on the freezer for one pic):

I won't bullet out every single item (if you see something that I don't mention & wanna know the price, just ask, I'll let you know if it was a deal or a "I just want") I spent around $50 at Meijer for everything you see, whic is not bad, considering I bought laundry supplies, etc

Best deals:

Orville Redenbacher Natural Popcorn (3 Ct full bag or 4 Ct Mini) on sale half price $1.59 minus a $1 MFN from recent inserts = $.59 a box (I bought 5!)

ChexMix $1.25 a bag minus $.50 MFN from recent inserts (doubled) = $.25 a bag (I bought 4!)

Dole Salads B1G1 @ 2.79 ea minus $1 coupon ea (in store complimentary mag, look for the recipe stand, it's located there) = $.79 for 2 bags of salad

Betty Crocker Instant Potato Packets, Reg Price $.89 minus $.40 MFN coupon (doubled) = $.09 each (I bought 4!)

Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup on sale 10 for $6, I bought 4 and combined with a $.40 /4 MFN (doubled) making it $.40 a can

Spaghetti O's (I usually don't buy, but this was a great deal) 6 for $3, there was a $.40/2 MFN (doubled) making them just $.10 a can!

Campbells Soup at Hand & Microwavable Soups $1 each, used a $.50/2 MFN (doubled) making them $.50 each

Some other quick deals

V8 Soup is on sale for $2 minus a $1 MFN = $1 ea

Tide 20 Loads $4.99 minus a $1 MFN = $3.99 ea

Apples $2.69 for a quarter peck bag (I can fit a TON in that bag)

Prego Sauce on sale $1.67, minus $.50/2 MFN (doubled) = $1.33 ea

Green Giant Frozen Veggies (small box or Steamers) $1 each, combine w/ the $1 off Steamer or $.50/2 Boxes (doubled) = Free Or $.50 each

On to Kroger: Total $1.08 (Used $16 in Glade Rewards)

Noteworthy purchases:

Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Bread is B1G1 ($2.29)

Oreda Steamers $2 Sale (Use $1 MFN) = $1 each

Well that's all folks. With the exception of some soymilk & cat food, I am through shopping for the week (some of these items obviously carry over into other weeks too!)

Free Chocolate & Cheap Fiber

Ok, so I haven't posted a deal in a while, not that I haven't been getting them. In some cases, by the time I make it home, I haven't felt like taking a picture. In other cases, I have actually managed to take a picture, but just not managed to get the picture online... Busy, Busy, Busy...

However, I thought I would share my quick trip to Walgreens last night. Yesterday I was on a mission, I had $10.50 in RR that were set to expire, and this was my first chance to make it into Walgreens this week. After working all day, and the heading with my roomie to the Sprint store for what seemed like an eternity, I finally made it to Walgreens... I was on the opposite side of town, and had actually not been in this "new" Walgreen before. Sadly some of the deals I had planned weren't in stock... so I had to improvise & make due. There wasn't anything I actually neeeded anyways. But I did manage to get paid a quarter to get some chocolate!

Here's what I picked up:

2 Benefiber 16 pack Kiwi Strawberry @ 7.99 ea

2 Dial Yogurt Hand Soaps @ 2 for $3

2 Lindt Chocolate Bars @ 2.49 ea

2 Individual Packs Peanut Butter M&M's @ 2 for $1

4 Reese Pumpkins @ 2 for $1

1 Nivea's Men Body Wash @ 4.99

The total came to about $33

I used:

(2) $2 MFN Benefiber Sticks from recent insert AND the WAG ESC for $5 (multiplied x 2) - Making the Benefiber just .99 a box

(1) BOGO Catalina for Dial Yogurt Hand Soap = $1.50 for both

(1) BOGO MFN Lindt from last Sunday's insert, (1) $0.75 MFN Lindt from last Sunday's insert, AND the WAG ESC for $1 (multiplied x 2) - Making the Lindt completely free, plus netting me a quarter in OVERAGE!

Then I used my $3, $3, and $4.50 RR ( I threw all the candy in as filler to equal out to my coupons, who can go wrong with candy!)

Total after coupons: $2.63 AND on top of that, the Men's Nivea Body Wash is one of the secret rebate items this month, so I will get back $5.48 back for it ($4.99 + 10%) which means I actually made a profit! Not bad for a quick deal & a very tired shopper.

C'mon People, even a caveman can do it!

Ok, if you know me, you know that I have a coupon/discount/deal for practically everything I buy... I'm lucky that way I guess (though it has more to do with logic than luck) however, even if you don't feel you have any time to clip a coupon or the such... you can take advantage of the easy deals... what are these easy deals... the ones that drugstores offer for FREE... yes... that's right.... FREE... You follow their process, and the only $$$ you are out is tax (now of course, if you're a good deal hunter, you are probably going to combine a coupon in there, and make money, but that's a different post... this post is for the folks who are just starting out and trying to make sense of it all).

So, this week, let's start at CVS. I'm not going to go through the whole CVS101 - because it's been explained on other blogs... if you need a crash course, might I suggest.... CVS101 courtesy of Money Saving Mom to get you going. Basically, CVS is pretty shopper friendly, you don't have to wait for a rebate, the rebate prints back out to you instantly in the store, in the form of "ECB's" or Extra Care Bucks, which are just dollars that can be spent on store purchases... just make sure you have your handy dandy little CVS Extra Care Card. So... back to this week, combining some deals that CVS has for the week, along with what they have as some Monthly deals, here is what even the laziest among you can pick up... (Now please check your circular if you don't live in the Lexington Metro area, there are a couple of random places that get different CVS ads, but most should find this works just fine).

Purchase Always Infinity Pads - They are priced 4.98 this week, when you buy them you get 4.98 back... the advertisement says limit 1, it's actually coming back as 2... so here's how you do that... Your initial investment is $5.28 - that's the price of 1 pack (w/tax) - You get $4.98 printed back, then you buy your second one (you can carry them both up to the register at the same time, and have the cashier split the purchase, provided the line isn't out the door, the cashier won't mind, they are used to this!). Second pack, you use your $4.98 ECB that printed from the first one, and you pay the difference in tax ($0.30) - So far, you've spent $5.58, and you have 2 packs of these (If you have no need for them, I'm sure you know someone who does, or heck, send them to me, lol!) . You also, have ANOTHER $4.98 ECB from CVS... Then you can go back and buy the Well Patch Athritis Patches (3 Count) @ 5.99 each, they are generating 5.99 in ECB's, so you'll buy one, and it will be $6.35, you'll use your $4.98 ECB, and pay the difference ($1.37) and they will give you back $5.99, now you can roll this one 4 more times, each time, you'll now have a $5.99 ECB, and will only be paying tax ($0.35) each time. So, then... you buy Glaceau Vitamin Water, it's 2.29 (plus tax I believe) AND you pick up CVS Brand Vitamin D (because you know you need more Vitamins anyway) It's onsale for $2.99 this month for 100 count (actually it's a 120 Count bottle at my store) and they generate $2.99 back... so the total for these items is $5.28 before tax, so throw in a couple packs of travel tissue (they are by the register, and are 2 for $1... it's cold season, you need something to blow your nose) - That should bring your total up to $6.28 plus tax, and you'll use your $5.99 ECB, and pay the difference, less than a buck... You will also now have $5.28 in ECB's to use) So after all of it, you've spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 -$8 bucks (depending on how many times you got the Well Patch), and you have 2 packs of Always Infinity, 1-5 Boxes of Well Patch (great for achy bones), a vitamin water, some vitamins, and a couple travel packs of Tissue... PLUS you have $5.28 to spend again... at this point, you can go crazy and buy yourself something pretty... or... save them for the next deal... See was that so hard????

Now, we can move on to Walgreens.... Walgreen's system is a bit different, their rebates are submitted online or via mail. You can get real $$$ back, or if you put it on a Walgreens Gift Card, they will give you an extra 10%, I recommend this, because, well, it's extra money, and after the first month when you send off for it, you'll get your rebates FASTER. Now Walgreens also has something called, Register Rewards (RR) but I'm not going to talk about them in this post because we're not using them for these... Now you will spend a little more to get yourself started at Walgreens, but after that, you'll be able to re-spend the same money OVER and OVER... So What are you buying... This month, you can pick up Nivea Men's Body Wash, it's FREE after Rebate (FAR), Extreme Energy 2 Pack (FAR), Your Choice of L'Oreal Cleansers (FAR) & Rimmel Lasting Finish Mineral Foundation (FAR) - You simply pay for them, go home, sign into their website, enter a couple things from your receipt, and submit... they will mail you your Gift Card... no UPC's to clip, nuttin... Then that money comes back to you, and you can use it next month for their Freebies.

Now let's move on to Rite Aid... I have to admit, I don't shop Rite Aid as often, so if you really want to know about alot of their deals, check out IHEARTRITEAID for all the scenarios and deals. However I do know that this week, you can buy Crest Whitening Rinse for $3.99 and then use their SCR (Single Check Rebate) to get your $ back...

So... was that so hard? I mean, very minimal effort, and you start the cycle... once you get started, you just keep rolling your "refunded" money back into the store, so you continue to bring home products at little to no cost to yourself... and then... you can use COUPONS to actually make money... but if that overwhelms you, BABY STEPS... start with Free...

And you know those dollars I was pointing out spending at CVS... Check and see if your bank offers a rewards program, I earn points for all the $ I spend through my bank (National City) that I cash in and get CVS gift cards, which takes care of my tax, so then I spend almost nothing out of pocket there too!

Sometimes it's ok to get lost

Are you looking for something fun to do this fall... I'm suprised each year, when I mention the words "Corn Maze" to people, just how many people look at me like I've sprouted a third arm... yet those that have joined in on the fun, have had a blast and look forward to doing it every year! So, to start with... I'll get real simple... a corn maze is exactly what it sounds like, it's a maze... in a corn field... there are a variety of themes, sizes, levels of difficulty, and entertainment value to each one. If you're not sure if there is one near you, I recommend starting clicking here to check out a HUGE directory for pumpkin patches, corn mazes and the works!

Now I do have some tips...

* call ahead or check online, to confirm hours & pricing... everything changes...

* wear comfortable shoes, preferably tennis shoes... your feet will thank you

* make sure the size of the maze is appropriate for the people attending, small kids might not be able to make it through a 9 acre maze and you may be carrying them!

*get a group together, it's much more fun with a group of people, and depending on the size, you might get a discount

*don't wear your Sunday best, it's a farm after all... chances are, you'll end up a bit dirty or dusty

*make sure you hit the bathroom before you hit the maze... Read on and you'll find out why!

So, here's my own little tale of this year's corn maze adventure. We decided to check out a relatively new one this year. Kelley Farms did their 2nd annual corn maze... It's pretty big, something like 8 acres, this year it's in the shape of Abraham Lincoln. It's actually 2 different mazes, we were brave enough to try both. We of course headed out once it got dark... because corn mazing is even more fun with a flash light! They gave us a diagram of the maze, so you could figure your way through, we of course took it, but decided we'd just figure this sucker out on our own... We did pretty good. We managed to only go in circles about 20 times (this is half the fun!) in the first maze... Remember me telling you that tip about bathroom visits... very important... one of my dear friends decided she couldn't hold it any longer, so we purposely found a dead end that curved around.... and stood guard while she crept into the dark to pee! Let me just say it's very quiet out there too... so we had to talk kinda loud to drown it out... Sadly, this isn't the first time I've known a friend to have to pee in the corn maze!

Now at one point, I'm sure I personally made parents grab their children a little tighter... See earlier in the evening, as we were getting ready to head out, one of my friends was on the phone, recanting a very funny comment to another friend, and for some reason I got tickled, just as I was trying to take a drink of soda... and unfortunately, while trying to keep from spewing the soda out my mouth (which I was succeeded at preventing!) I managed to spew soda through my nose! I know, not a very pretty picture! Definitely not one of my more graceful moments, that's for sure... So fast forward to about an hour later, in the maze, as I exclaim (and unfortunately, in my "outside voice" )for all the world to hear, "I can still smell COKE in my nose!" At which point I realized that the words tumbling forth from my mouth, might have different connotations to those said parents who were probably now trying to herd their children away from the crazy druggie in the corn maze!

After making it through the first maze, which was dubbed... "Harder" we decided to give the "easier" one a shot... now mind you, there are these little numbered check points as you go through the maze, so you can kind of figure out if you're headed on the right path... so we pass Check point 1 very easily, before you know it, we're onto #2, and in the blink of an eye, #3 is in our sights... at which point, I point out, "Wow, this one is easier"... which as you probably have guessed, was a little presumptive... because as we trudge on... we see another checkpoint...and as we get closer, realize we're back at #2... SUPER, so we backtrack.... and instead of seeing #3, the next one we spy is #1! Somehow, we manage to get our heads in the game, and start back over, of course, through the rest of the maze, the following comments can be overheard by our group "Hey, this is the same hole we stepped over 5 minutes ago!" and "Haven't we been by this row before???" But finally, Victory was ours! We successfully made it out of Maze #2... We had managed to hit all the checkpoints in both mazes (with the exception of C.P. #5 in the first one) and had a bunch of letters to unscramble.... I am pleased to say I solved the puzzle, and we headed back to claim our prize... mini pumpkins & gourds... although each of us heard a different description of the quantity we were supposed to claim... so we possibly stole an extra gourd... if so, I blame Misha!

Here's Misha & Kev as we entered the Maze:

And here is Kevin & Me!

So that was Corn Maze adventure '08 - Who knows where we'll end up next year!

$1 Butter Burgers!!

Check it out! Culver's will be celebrating their 24th Year on Tuesday Oct 7th by serving up their famous ButterBurgers for just $1 (Limit of 5 per order)

Such a lovely day

I love it, I woke up this morning and weather guy tells me today was going to be in the 60's... WOOHOO!!! I happen to be one of those people who loves the cooler weather.... I stepped out to head to work (in Capris & Sandals... because that is the perfect attire for this weather) and was a little sad that I had to spend the day at work. I did manage to sneak outside for lunch & read... this was my view:

It was great, not too sunny (my pale complection doesn't appreciate alot of that) with a light breeze, it was heavenly! I can't wait for the day to be over so I can get out and at least enjoy the evening. This is definitely good corn maze weather, which is hopefully going to take place this weekend!

That's all for now... go get out from behind your computer and get some fresh air!

Free Flu Shot in Lexington

I saw this article on WLEX's website. Fayette County Health Department is doing free flu shots this Saturday (Oct 4th) at Lexmark - it's drive thru service, just drive up and roll down your window :)

You can get all the details on their website, by clicking here

It's the little things

Yesterday was a good day. Nothing spectacular happened, and that's okk. If you wait for something spectacular to make your day, you could spend much more of your life waiting around, instead of enjoying the simplest of things. Even the smallest or most random things can brighten your day, if you let them. So, here's what made me happy yesterday:

Lunch w/ the best friend - Yes, I see him everyday, but it's great to steal a few minutes with a great friend, just to help you finish out the day

Fresh Breadsticks @ Lunch - Hey, I'm easy to please! There is something to be said for hot & fresh bread, lol!

Silly Text Messages - Another acquaintance & I got into a short text discussion on some pretty absurd topics, that made me laugh so hard I was crying

Smooth commute home - I drive the interstate home most days, a day with no backups, pile ups or speed traps... is wonderful

P&G Mail - I did a survey online for P&G awhile back, and was rewarded with coupons... this was really cool, because it is the full coupon insert for October, so I can use them early!

Free Ice Cream - Stopped at Coldstone Creamery & picked up a free ice cream during their Make-A-Wish Ice Cream Social. Nutter Butter... YUMMY

Rite Aid actually had something in stock - Advil was on sale, I had a coupon, it was on the shelf... so I picked up 3 bottles of Advil for FREE... YAY ME!

Yup, all in all, not a bad day!

Free Ice Cream & a Good Cause

Tonight is Coldstone Creamery's Make-a-Wish night. They will be giving away ice cream - in your choice of:

Jack's Creation - Marshmallow ice cream with OREO® Cookies, Chocolate Chips & Fudge

Emily's Creation - Nutter Butter® ice cream with White Chocolate Chips, Kit Kat & Yellow Cake

It's their 7th annual Ice Cream Social, from 5PM - 8PM - and donations made will benefit Make-a-Wish

So stop in and grab an ice cream & make a donation!

Click here for full story

Check 'em out

Here are some great giveaways out there by some bloggers:

Do you need to be organized? Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls can get you started with a "Truly Mom" planner, this one is a great planner, go check it out here.

How about a free 2 year mag subscription to the greatest magazine ever? Then you'll want to check out Thrify Mama's All You giveaway

It's not over... but it's different

So, in creating my blog, I made a pretty bold statement. "It's not over after 30" And I do believe that statement wholeheartedly. I guess I forgot to give my foot that memo. About 2 years ago, being the completely put together and graceful person that I am, while attempting to be a good samaritan, I fell... not once... but twice in a matter of 60 seconds (yes, I know... this takes talent). This resulted in a very scratched cell phone, a wounded ego and unfortunately... a sprained ankle, dislocated kneecap and a broke foot! I spent months in tennis shoes (which was fate's little fashion torture for me) and made a full recovery... well as full as one can expect. Once you break something, it's never quite right.

My most recent affliction began about a month ago...I noticed that I was having some heel pain... which I have had from time to time, but this time... it just didn't go away... and there were times when the pain was excruciating... I kept thinking it would go away... (because you know that simply wishing away something is very effective, lol) but alas, last week my foot called my bluff and I was forced to bite the bullet... and call the doctor. Not just any doctor... nope, my 30 yr old foot was making me drag it to the podiatrist...

Now I'm not knocking these doctors... it's just when you walk in, and you see the display of "orthopedic shoes" you have to wonder if someone will be lurking behind the door ready to put on your medic alert bracelet and give you a Geritol chaser.

So, after a brief prodding & series of X-Rays to rule anything else out... Dr Po (as in POdiatrist) concludes that it's Plantar Facaiitis and then gives a scornful look over in the direction of my comfy Curve sandals... I guess from his tone, that "Extremely High Arches" are not as cool as they sound and am slightly disappointed when he gently points out, that I do need to remember that as we age, we have to start taking better care of ourselves and realize that we can no longer be as carefree... In short - I gather from him that 30yr olds should not be waltzing around barefoot nearly as much as I enjoy!

So I leave the doctor armed with a prescription (thinking to myself... hmmm which pharmacy can I get a GC from?), an arch binder (big ol' piece of elastic, suprisingly comfy) and a pair of inserts... feeling like Sophia from Golden Girls... and as I leave the doctor's office, I faintly hear the "flip-flop" of my youth staying behind...

I am sticking to my guns... it's not over... but it's different... and that's not always a bad thing... and at least I have my memories (for now!)

I was born to be a mother, just not today

For as long as I can remember, I've had names for my future children picked out. When I was very young, I told my mother that I wanted to have 16 kids! Of course, when I was 7, my mother became pregnant with my brother, and I got a little more formal of an education of pregnancy... at which point, I advised my mother I would adopt. Now my brother Ray, who was born right before I turned 8 might not agree so much that I was born to be a mother, considering when he was about 6 weeks old, I was holding him, and he started to spit up, at which time, I promptly tossed him in the air to my mother who was passing by with a laundry basket as I exlaimed "Here Mom, Catch!" - Thankfully, she caught him and I learned that little brothers are not footballs.

So you may wonder, at 30, how many children do I have? Well, I have a few furbabies (the herd) but none of the human variety. And that has been the intentional plan. You see, I love children, and I do plan to have some one day, it's just that... today isn't that day... and tomorrow isn't either. It's not that I don't think I could take care of one. If I were to wake up tomorrow a mom, I think I would manage just fine. But I'm not in a rush to start that portion of my life. I know what the challenges of motherhood can be, and I know one day, I'll be ready for that... but... (you guessed it) Not today.

When I was a freshman in high school, my mother announced that she was pregnant, and the following fall, they brought my baby brother home. I was 15. This time, as a teenager, I had a much more active role in the care of this little wiggly being. Due to unforseen family health emergencies, I actually wrapped up the last week or so of my sophomore year taking care of a 6 month old baby & an 8 year old child while going to school. Having a baby brother was fun, because babies are fun... but I also learned that waking up at 3 in the morning because a baby is crying... not so pleasant. And as the rest of my time at home went on, my baby brother got brought along to shopping trips & college computer labs & all sorts of things, because in my family, my parents worked, and everyone had responsibilities. And, looking back it was great, for many reasons, first & foremost, it was a great lesson in the responsibility of parenting...(hence, no kids now because I knew what came with those cute little babies). It also was a great opportunity for me to get to know my little brother. In fact, at 19 when I moved out on my own, 2 and 1/2 hours away from home... it was leaving that little booger that saddened me the most (I'm sure Trav would be mortified to know he's being referred to so fondly).

For these reasons, and many more, I know that motherhood is something that I want to experience first hand. However I also know that it is something that I can wait for. I'm encouraged, because I've recently ran across blogs from women who had children later in life, and some who did it by themselves by choice. I enjoy reading these women's stories because it's great to find other like minded women, who don't think it's odd that at 30 I am childless and am ok with it. I know one day, I will join their ranks... just not today :)

Some great giveaways

Life's hectic this week, so no giveaway from me... don't worry, I'll make up for it next week! But in the meantime... check out some of these blogs for great giveaways!

Light up the nights this fall. FrugalMommyof2 has an awesome Keystone Candle giveaway you should check out

AND she's also giving away some really cool Honeybee Makeup so you can look oh, so pretty in that candlelight!

You can really clean up if you check out Super Coupon Girl's Cleaning giveaway - she's got the products & the coupons to help you restock!

"Deal"ectible Mommies is helping you wage a battle on bathroom funk with her Scrubbing Bubbles giveaway! Check it out here

Frugal RI Mama is helping fund your "CVS'ing" with a $10 GC to CVS... are you just imagining the transactions in your head... lol

No Red Bull needed, just buy a pillow

Never underestimate the power of a good night's rest. And I am a firm believer that the bed should be a haven, it should be comfortable & inviting. For me, that means a my favorite down comforter (I use it year round, it's like sleeping in a cloud...)

I must be one of the pickiest people in the world when it comes to pillows... I have been wanting new pillows for my bed for awhile now, and every store I go into, if I make it to that part of the store, I am often sadly disappointed in the selection... I mean, how in the heck do people sleep on these things I keep finding...

So, this past Sunday, being completely oblivious to the Ike winds that were whipping through my town, I got the urge to head to the mall. Now I had decided to head to Macy's because they were doing a promotion... and my plan was to go buy some bakeware... as I have been needing to replace some of my existing pieces...

Getting there was quite an experience, the power had knocked out some traffic signals near the mall... OK... first... mall traffic here in Lex is a nightmare anyways... but it seems many drivers lose the ability to process the simplest of driving rules when the signals aren't working... but I digress...

Made it into Macy's, and luckily their power was on (it had been out earlier, I learned once I got there) and headed to the home section... I found some bakeware that I liked... but needed some "filler" because I had a coupon that was taking "x" dollars off my purchase, but I wanted my purchase to be "y" number of dollars, because Macy's was doing a promotion and for every "z" dollars you spent, you got back "q" dollars on your next purchase (I bet you didn't think you'd ever need algebra to read a blog, huh?!?!)

So as my roomie & I are wandering around the home section, we come across.... PILLOWS... and hey, it's a Sunday afternoon... there is housework to be done at home... the wind is knocking down trees & walls... so obviously this means... we must check out every pillow we can... and we proceed to do this... I don't wanna give away all the fun... but at one point... roomie actually laid down on the floor to check out how comfy one might be that we were contemplating...

However our efforts were rewarded... as we both found the "PERFECT" pillow... The pillow I got is "European Style" which is just a fancy way of saying it's square instead of rectangle. I made my purchases (bought bakeware too!) and headed home... and let me tell you, Sunday night when I finally crawled into bed, I realized I had found the perfect companion to my heavenly comforter... I slept divinely... cocooned in my bed, comforter up to my ears, head snugly resting on this lovely dream vessel.

And the following morning, while I didn't want to drag myself from this slumber, once up, I felt suprisingly well rested... all day... no energy drink required... makes me want to devote a whole day to it... there's just nothing like a good pillow & blankie...

Even Mollie would agree... as you can see from the pic, as she is snuggled under her own down blankie w/one of her many pillows throughout the house.

Saving Some is Lucky

Brandy over at Saving Some is the winner of the Lucky Mag giveaway! Check out her blog if you get a chance! Especially because she just announced a new giveaway... you're hearing about it here first... She's got Rachael Ray's 365 No Repeats Cookbook - you can go here to read about it!

Getting the most out of your dollars

Whether or not you "bargain shop" or clip coupons, most people still enjoy getting something for nothing. Everyone enjoys the perks that come unexpectedly. I highly recommend that if you want to make the most of your money, even if you don't want to put the effort into comparing sales prices or waiting for Black Friday, why not take advantage of the great offers that you may be passing up and not even realize it. What am I talking about? I'm talking about getting a bonus for the things you do on any given day anyways. Like paying your bills, grabbing a drink at work, putting gas in your car. I'm talking about rewards programs, loyalty cards, and the like. There are TONS of them out there, I'm just going to highlight a few that I'm familiar with.



First up... Banking Rewards. Many Banks now offer customers a "Points" program from Visa Extras, this used to be a program only available to credit card holders, but now, even a plain ol' banking customer can take advantage. For me, this is FREE MONEY... I mean, I have to spend money on rent, utilities, groceries, etc... so why not get something for doing it. At my bank, (National City) I earn points for just about everything I do with my account. And what has the payoff been? Let's see, I've paid for my hotel stays with Marriot Gift Cheques, I've used Circuit City Gift Cards to buy the latest gadget I want, I've used various restaurant gift cards to eat out without breaking my budget and lately, I've been redeeming for CVS Gift Cards (do you know how long I can make $10 last at CVS) - I've also taken the time to learn the in's & out's of their program, so I know how to maximize my earnings - And in fact, since April, I've earned $70 in various Gift Cards, so the payout isn't that bad or long to achieve



So what else can you get - Have you checked out programs like MyCokeRewards - you can go online (or text from your phone) the codes you get when you purchase products & redeem for all sorts of coupons or free merchandise.



Fuel Prices suck, but how about getting a loyalty card, such as Speedy Rewards, and you can earn some points - which you can redeem for gift cards, free food, or cents off the gallon at the pump.



Heck, even the cat litter I used to buy had a rewards program where you could earn points & get coupons! So what's my advice - you don't have to reinvent the wheel, but take a look at your daily habits and see who will reward you for being just good ol' you!