Dear Weather,

Please stop this. You are acting like a crazy person. Last week it got so warm we turned on the air conditioning for a day or so. Way before I wanted to (we don't open our windows due to some highly allergic people who live here). Sunday was a downpour. On Monday I woke up and it was 49 degrees. Same thing again this morning. Thank goodness my electric blanket is still on my bed, because I turned it on last night. Even now it's only 66 degrees inside. And I just can't turn on the heat so soon after having had turned on the AC. Because I am not a crazy person. Like you.

Signed,
Wearing a fleece indoors

Hillary wants to know what I like to read.

Hillary, thank you for asking. Frankly, it's been so long since I've read a book that I'm not entirely sure. Back before Margret arrived, I was in a book club with some friends. It was mostly great, although there were a few clunkers (both in members and books chosen). I read "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "The Red Tent" and "The Poisonwood Bible" -- all books that I wouldn't have chosen on my own, but totally loved.

When I was (much) younger, I loved the formula fiction of Robin Cook and Mary Higgins Clark. And I liked true crime stories by Ann Rule. Now I get a little bored if I can figure out the story early on. I need something a little different that captures me from the beginning. A friend gave us an extra copy of "Wicked", the story of the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. I've made it through the first few chapters and it's interesting and funny, although I'm not a big fan of fantasy worlds. I'm just difficult like that. But I'll keep going.

John has also expressed some interest in reading more. Perhaps we'll get into the habit of a weekly library trip and we can see what's out there. I'll let you know...

It was a very shopping kind of day.

I did the main shopping at Kroger this morning, spending $122 but saving $75 (39%). I stocked up on boneless chicken and more cereal, among other things. I forgot to check to see if we needed bread. We do. I didn't buy it. So I've decided that I'll make some tomorrow. I found a whole wheat recipe that has gotten good reviews. I hope it'll be good enough for Margret's lunches.

All four of us went to Target for the sale on sandals. Both girls got to pick out a pair, and while I was interested to see their $12-on-sale sandals, ultimately I decided I did not like them. Plus they didn't feel good. I ended up getting two other pairs, and I found a pair of khaki capris that Margret can wear to school. Also, this is no sales tax weekend in TN, so we didn't pay the normal 9.25% on all our stuff. Nice. Four pairs of shoes and a pair of pants were $76.

I ditched the family and headed to Walgreen's. It took me a while to find everything I was looking for, and I didn't find everything. I've noticed that not all stores stock all the sales stuff. Frustrating. But I was pleased to see a Walgreen's coupon for $2 off paperback books. I've been wanting to add more reading time to my life, so I went eagerly to the book section. Where I was met with LOTS of book with barechested men and women in flowing dresses on the cover. Uh, no thanks. I'm just not a romance novel kinda chick. No offense to anyone out there. Anyhoo. My final total was $20, and I saved $22 (52%).

I may try to swing by Walgreen's again one more time this week, just to pick up some "free after rebate" items. We'll see how the week goes.

But I really needed milk.

Yes, I needed to get a gallon of milk this morning after I dropped Audrey off at school. And I knew that Kroger was having a great cereal sale (buy four General Mills cereals and get $4 at the register). So I grabbed my coupon book and ran. In addition, many of these cereals are on sale for $2.50. I bought three of those, and one for $3.19, and I had manufacturer's coupons that doubled to $3.10. Plus the $4 off. That means I spent about $8 on a gallon of milk and four boxes of cereal. Yep.
One of the keys to big grocery savings is to stock up when there is a sale like this. I'm sure many more experienced shoppers now have dozens of cereal boxes stashed. And while you may think that you couldn't possibly eat all that cereal before it goes bad, you can donate some of it. The USPS letter carriers have a "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive coming up May 10. You may get a postcard about it -- all you have to do is leave a bag of non-perishables by your mailbox that day and the postal service will take it to your local food bank.

I almost always contribute to food drives, though this initiative and at the girls' schools. But normally I'll make a special shopping trip. I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to shop in my own pantry now.

Okay, enough about food. I have a bunch of photo sessions to edit and I promise to start posting some images here again. I have loads of sessions from the fall that never made it here. Let's see what I can get done today.

Quickie shopping trips.

Okay, I lied. I went shopping again. In between shuffling the girls here and there and doing a newborn photo shoot and going to the dentist, I made three quick trips to Target, Walgreen's and Kroger. In addition to the Grocery Game lists, I also check a few mommy blogs that list deals. So I made a few lists and checked for coupons and went hunting.

The shelf price of my produce, jelly, cereal (2), snacks (2), cleanser (2), razors (2 multipacks), makeup (2), flushable wipes (4) and a Diet Coke was $58. I used $14 in cash, saving $44 and 76%. This does include about $5 credit on my Walgreen's giftcard. Still. Totally awesome. And an extra $14 spent this week does not break the budget. I seriously can't wait for the new lists on Sunday.

I've got sunshine.

Look at my girl. See that little bit of sunshine peeking through the cloud below? That's my girl.

Today was the First Grade Follies and I knew Margret had a role as the sun, and I had heard her sing many of the twelve (!) songs on the agenda. I had even been given the yellow t-shirt and tights to wash last week. But I had no idea what we were in for.

I snuck up to the front to snap this pic of her during one of the songs. Isn't she adorable?

I came back up and firmly planted myself next to the vice principal to get photos of Margret's big number. I'm not sitting in the back for this one.

And here she is, dancing among the flowers (along with the cloud) spreading her warmth and loveliness all around. But wait. It gets better.

Because at some point during the chorus, the singers mention "the sun" and Margret does this! And I'm about to explode with pride and delight. The girl is total sass and she hits her mark every single time. She is the most awesome thing in the whole show and I'm not saying that because we share DNA. Other parents came up afterward to tell me how great she was. Because that's my girl.

Free money!

I'm serious. I've recently opened an online account with INGdirect.com. It's a savings account and because I was referred by a friend, I got an extra $25 added with my initial deposit of $250. It earns 3% and is linked to my local checking account. And you know why I opened the account? Purely for fun money. John is getting one too, and these will be our personal accounts to use for the unexpected things we want to do (can anyone say Final Four tickets?).

We devote the majority of our time and money to our kids and we don't do a whole lot of things for ourselves. Usually because we don't want to spend the money. But now we'll fund these accounts with $5-10 a week and can treat ourselves to the occasional treat without feeling guilty about it. How awesome is that?

If you'd like a referral, please email me at marci@makearteveryday.com. All you need is a local checking account and $250 for a first deposit. You'll be ready to go in just a few days.

ETA 3/9/09: due to the current economic situation, INGDirect is no longer offering this deal.

Over a year in the making.

Last year Barnes & Noble contacted me about writing a guide to scrapbooking. Of course I said yes! I spent a few months working on it: writing, rewriting, finding images to support the text. It was hard work, but I liked doing it. The guide is finally up over at B&N's Quamut site.

Quamut guides are basically "how to" guides, on a wide variety of topics. Some are printed and available in stores; mine is a downloadable one ($2.95 -- see upper right hand box). But you can also read the whole thing online for free. And you can see a few of my layouts (and one of Paula's!). And if you sign up with a Quamut account (free), you get credit for one free Quamut that you can print (and they look better in pdf format than they do online). You don't even have to print mine -- there are tons of other subjects you may be interested in. Go take a look. And tell me what you think.

10 great accomplishments.

Lately I've been thinking about things I've done that make me proud of myself. Big things, little things. I randomly came up with enough things that I thought I could make a list. And maybe you could come up with your own list. It's so easy to put ourselves down and see all our flaws. But I think it's worthwhile to celebrate the good in ourselves. And then maybe make a scrapbook page about it later this week. Maybe.

My Ten Great Accomplishments
(note that I did not say "greatest")
• Giving birth without drugs once, and with barely any drugs the other time.
• Falling in love with John (and staying there, easily).
• Finally referring to myself as a "photographer" even though I felt I wasn't good enough.
• Designing a very functional kitchen where four people can comfortably cook dinner together.
• No longer staying up way too late all the time and finally getting a good amount of sleep every night.
• Writing eulogies for two beloved family members that really captured their unique personalities, and being able to deliver them.
• Teaching the girls how to do a fake slap across the face, with accompanying sound effect.
• Teaching myself how to drywall the medicine cabinet cut-out in my bathroom.
• Deciding to stay home with my kids and not go bankrupt in the process.
• Taking the girls outside to play every nice afternoon, and giving myself some much needed reading time.

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. Please post a comment here, or make a post on your own blog. I'd love to know about some of your accomplishments. And I really will try to scrap a page about this.

And the savings continue.

But it was tough this week. Kroger has had such great sales the last few weeks, so I guess they haven't wanted to put much on sale this week. When I printed out my Grocery Game list of just the items that I planned to buy, it was less than a page. Fortunately my freezer is well stocked with meat, so I'm relying on that to carry us through the week. Today I spent $78 for $107 worth of food, for a savings of 29%.

Walgreen's pickins were a bit slim too, but I managed to find a few good deals. I spent $29 on $61 worth of stuff, giving me 52% in savings. I didn't buy any rebate or Register Rewards items. But I was able to stockpile a few things for upcoming birthday parties and road trips. And I hope I don't need to hit another store for another week.

It's like wild kingdom here.

Yesterday afternoon was gorgeous, so I made time to take the girls out in the backyard to swing and play tag-you're-it (always pronounced as one word), and also give myself a little reading break. But my reading was interrupted by "Mommy, the cat has a mouse!"

First, we don't have a cat. But a little gray cat, nicknamed Buddy the Cat, has been spending a lot of time in our yard. He followed us home a few weeks ago when we went to visit a neighbor. Frankly I was a little surprised to see him here so often since I don't feed him (my neighbor does, and I have no intention of leaving food out to attract raccoons). But Buddy is in our yard every day. And so is another cat, but this one is not as friendly as Buddy.

So back to our story. "Mommy, the cat has a mouse!"

Crud, I think. Last week we found two dead mice by the swingset. Lucky for me there was a mason here fixing some loose bricks on our sidewalk and he kindly picked them up with a shovel and disposed of them.

I thought it was kind of weird to have two dead mice in our yard. We're pretty urban, and I know mice are out there, but something seemed off about it. Until yesterday.

I ran over to see what the cat had. It wasn't a mouse. I think it was a baby vole.

I had noticed a few holes in the ground around the swingset. Vole holes. And I remember talk at our neighborhood garden club about voles. One person said the best defense was to get a cat.

This may work out after all. Technically I have a cat now. I thought Buddy kept coming back because we are such fabulous people. Now I know that it's because we have these fun, little furry playthings in our yard. The girls and I watched in horror and delight as Buddy pounced on his little victim, gave it a little nibble and let it go. Then he pounced again. And batted it with his paws. We did this until John came home and made us all go inside so Buddy could finish the job.

So I'm considering our options here. I know vole populations can grow quickly, but I'm not sure why they have picked our yard. We don't have a garden, or many delicious plants in our backyard. Will Buddy be able to get rid of our problem or do I need to look into more serious options? Feel free to leave an opinion.

Chatting right now!

Come on over!

Come chat with me.

And now for something completely different: I'll be doing a guest chat over at the Scrapbook Site on Wednesday from 7-8CST. One of the topics I hope to cover is working with Hambly overlays, and there may just be a Hambly giveaway involved. I'm just saying.

To participate, you'll need to register for the message board. The chat room is accessible from the main page of the site. Hope you can join us!

Shopping is like crack to me now.

After Audrey's ballet class, we ran over to Walgreen's. John needed AA batteries and we were out, so I found a deal and grabbed one thing I couldn't find on Sunday's trip. I also picked up some candy for the girls. Total out-of-pocket: $6.89 for $19.08 worth of stuff (I did use a $6 Register Rewards coupon that helped a lot). I'm so bad at percentages if they aren't printed on the receipt. I'm thinking this is a 63% savings. Feel free to check my math.

Then we went over to Kroger, which does figure everything out for me on the receipt, and I spent $18.67 for $42 worth of stuff. I can confidently say that I saved 58%. Since I'm doing the Grocery Game, I can't name any deals that I got from the list or show you photos. But I can tell you that I'm pretty happy with what I got and what I paid for it all.

Okay, one more thing and I'll let it drop for the day -- if any of you out there routinely toss your Sunday paper coupon inserts, would you please consider giving them to me? I'll take whatever you have and I will share some of the marvelous bounty I'm getting. I'm soon to have more soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste then I'll be able to use. Email me at marci@makearteveryday.com and we can work out the details.

Frugal websites.

Paula left a comment for a funky-fun frugal website to check out, and of course I did. And I thought I'd share other sites where I spend way too much time:

• JANE4girls
• Frugal Dad
• The Simple Dollar
• Finance Gets Personal
• Paid Twice
• Money Saving Mom
• The New Frugal Mom
• Being Frugal
• BeCentsAble
• More Than Enough
• Freebies 4 Mom
• Centsible Shopper
• Chief Family Officer

If you know of other interesting frugal sites, please leave them in the comments. I've got to run out for a while to take Audrey to ballet, and then I'm making one more stab at the big Kroger sale before it ends. Because I just can't stop.

Help needed.

About landscaping. Over at the other blog. Thanks.

M R Ducks.

You know, one of the reasons I started this blog was to update family members on the girls' activities. I may be falling behind on that.

But today I bring you a few shots from Margret's CLUE trip to the Peabody Hotel. The class has been studying ducks for the last six weeks and the Peabody is a great place for an up-close look. I signed up to be a driver and took two girls there and brought four girls back.

I loved that the class got to sit very close to the red carpet where the ducks make their entrance (Margret is sitting second from the left in the top photo). Although the whole march was rather anticlimatic after the DuckMaster had finished his speech. As John reminded me, they are ducks. You can't have high expectations.

After the march into the fountain, we went up to the roof to see where they live (when they aren't in the fountain). Most kids were totally into checking out where the ducks had pooped (these are first graders), so we did a group shot of everyone holding their noses (because it was a little stinky). We wandered around the inside of the hotel for a bit and then it was back to the school day grind.

Spending update.

This is so weird. Now that I get Grocery Game lists I am excited about shopping. So, so weird. Last night and this morning I spent some time putting together my lists for Kroger and Walgreen's. I think as I get better at this (and have more coupons) I won't spend as much time. Right now I'm trying to maximize coupons and sales. Since Kroger has had a monster sale the last few weeks, the specials this week haven't seemed as good.

Still. I went to Kroger this morning (alone, and let me tell you how wonderful that is), I spent about $84 (less than usual) and saved $47 (Kroger card, sales, coupons). It's only 38%, but still better than the 12-15% I used to get on my own.

We all went out to Walgreen's this afternoon and I gave a short list to John and the girls, along with a $3 Register Reward coupon (a coupon you get after a transaction to use on another transaction). He spent $6 and saved $9. I had a much bigger order, $40, but I saved $30 and got $6 in Register Rewards. I'm still waiting for my $20 gift card from March rebates and I'm up to about $35 in rebates for April. I want to get to the point where I can just use the gift card to buy most of my stuff which will then generate new rebates.

I should be done shopping for the week now. I think that's an even better way to save money, isn't it?

If you join the Grocery Game ($1 for a four week trial), please consider using me as your referral (marci@makearteveryday.com). Thanks!

Celebrate the bad in your life.

A few months ago, I read an article in Oprah that has stuck with me. It was an interview with husband-and-wife pair of authors, who had had some awful life experiences. I can't remember the details, but something along the lines of a house fire, losing a child they were about to adopt, infertility, losing jobs. Yet, the writer of the article was surprised to find a happy, optimistic couple after years of tragedy. She asked them their secret. The husband said they had learned to celebrate failure and disappointment. It's so easy to celebrate the good things in life, but you might as well go celebrate the bad things too.

I thought it was wonderful advice. And I told John about it back then.

And on the morning after our big Tiger loss, it was on my mind. So the girls and I made cupcakes with blue icing for our dessert that night. I thought we could at least celebrate their wonderful season. But what really warmed my heart was that John had remembered the story. And that's why he bought a few dozen doughnuts for his co-workers. He could have just stewed. Instead, he chose to try to bring some fun and humor into other people's lives. And I really think that has helped him deal with a very big disappointment.

So, two bits of advice for you today: celebrate the bad things as best you can, and whenever you feel like crap, try doing something nice for someone else. It will make a difference.

Crap.

Sorry. That's the only title I can think of this morning. Our beloved Tigers lost last night, in overtime. I still love them dearly, but I'm sad for them and sad for the city. Since John is the original Tiger fan in our family, I'll turn the blog over to him. Here's the email he sent out to his office this morning.

As a native of the South...

My natural instinct is to take food to those in mourning.

I think I'm only in Stage 1 of the Grieving Process (Denial) so please enjoy the donuts I brought to celebrate last night's glorious victory.

If you've moved on to Stage 2 (Anger), smash your donut into a thousand little pieces before you eat it.

Bargaining at Stage 3? Tell yourself that another opportunity like that one will come again soon. It won't be another 35 &#$%^^ years and enjoy your donut thinking about that happy day to come.

Stage 4 - Depression? Eat three.

If you are Stage 5 (Acceptance), please eat your donut by yourself. The rest of us probably don't want to talk to you.

Happy Practice Your Free Thows Day!

Go, Tigers, GO!

The Lamberts are ready for tonight. One Lambert in particular has been waiting for this moment since 1985. We briefly talked about heading to the Field House to watch the game, but now we think that sitting on our own couches in the den has the best mojo, so we're going with that. Plus, if the girls get tired (yes, they can stay up tonight as late as they want), they can just plop in bed. I really can't wait for it to start.

In other very exciting news, I used my first Grocery Game lists to shop at Kroger and Walgreen's. I spent about $33 at Walgreens and saved about $20, and I got a coupon for $3 off my next purchase. Plus for the month of April I'm due about $25 in rebates already. I'm also getting $20 in rebates for March -- that gift card is on it's way now. I'll start using the gift card to purchase stuff that will generate another round rebates and hopefully I won't need to spend much out-of-pocket in the coming months.

Kroger was fun this week! Yesterday we had to pick up bread and milk, and ended up with a few more items. But since I had my coupons with me we only spent about $20. I can't remember what the total savings was (John paid and I can't find the receipt) but I'm thinking it was in the 30% range. Before I started this new obsession, I would never get more than about 15% savings with just my Kroger card.

Today's trip was better. Between their big sale, Kroger card savings and additional coupons I spent $52 and saved $35 (42%). I have been spending over $100 a week to feed us. This week it was just $72 and I have everything we need. I can't tell you how awesome this is. Or, um, maybe I just have.

We have spirit, yes we do! We have spirit, how 'bout YOU?

Yesterday we made a trip to the Tiger Gift Shop so we could gear up. The girls used to have Tiger shirts but they've outgrown them. And since Margret was allowed to ditch her uniform and wear blue to school today, it was time to get some new stuff. Audrey doesn't have uniforms, but she still wanted to show some spirit, so I slapped on a few paw tattoos to complete her look. I love that Margret's school said they could do face painting and bring pompoms (already had one!). John saw a kid today who had a blue and silver wig on. And he said most kids were wearing Tiger colors.

It's sort of strange to see the city so unified on this historic day. Forty years ago the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed in Memphis. Major news outlets are broadcasting stories from the Lorraine Motel/National Civil Rights Museum today. There's still a lot of racial tension here, but everywhere I've been in the last week I've seen "Go Tigers Go!" signs on marquees and signs hanging on businesses. Cars have Tiger flags and pawprints and bumper stickers affixed to them. People are wearing Tiger gear when they are out getting groceries. Schools have encouraged the students to wear blue clothes in support. For at least a few more days, we are a unified city.

It may not be what MLK had in mind, but it's a start.

Grocery Game.

A few readers have commented on The Grocery Game. I checked out this site a few months back and have heard rave reviews. The problem then was that they only had lists from Schnucks available. I'm a die-hard Kroger shopper. I use the pharmacy there (and am on a first-name basis with a few of the employees). We also know many store employees, by name. In fact, I don't think I can get in or out without seeing Miss Delois or Mr. Michael or Miss Audrey (who has been known to give free stuff to little Miss Audrey) and Miss Sandra. I even considered switching to Schnucks but I thought it would be too disruptive. My grocery list is even printed in order of the store layout. I'm way tied in to them.

Anyhoo. I re-checked The Grocery Game and am thrilled to find they now do a Kroger list. Hallelujah. They also do Walgreens. So I signed up for my 4-week $1 trial and I'm eager to get started. Once you're in, you get a weekly list of the stores you've signed up for. On that list are regular deals (things you should only buy if you really need them) and really great deals (stock up!). When you combine these sales with coupons (and they will tell you which week's Sunday coupons to use) you can get great savings. The list is easy to use, and they say it takes about 12 weeks to build up a supply of coupons to make it all work. I'm willing. The cost will be $10 every 8 weeks (a little more if I keep the Walgreens list). And thank you, readers, for giving me the push to take another look.

Please. Help.

Go check out my other blog. Please.

Guess how much it cost?

Okay, I'm totally obsessed with coupons and sales now. But everything you see above cost me $45 total. Kroger is having a big sale, and while I don't buy a lot of brand name stuff, this sale was worth it. Basically you buy 10 items from four categories in the weekly ad and you get $5 off at checkout (you don't have to buy 10 of one thing; you can mix it up). You can buy up to 30 items for $15 off. I also had additional coupons for some items. If I had been collecting coupons for a while I think I could have done much better.

Here are a few specifics:
• Pepperidge Farm Goldfish were marked down to $1; with the $5 off that makes them $.50 a bag.
• Bertolli frozen dinners weren't part of the sale, but the price was reduced to $4.99. And I had a coupon for $2.50 off. And now I have a quick meal in my freezer for when life gets hectic.
• Betty Crocker brownie mix, which I do buy at nearly $3 a box, was in the $2/box category. With the $5 discount, those are now $1.50 a box.
• I stocked up on cake mix ($1) and even though icing wasn't part of the big sale, they were 2/$3 and had two $.55 coupons, making them less than $1 a can.
• Kraft shredded cheese (I usually buy Kroger brand) was down to $2/8oz. bag, and then down to $1.50 a bag with the $5 off. It's normally $3.89. And did you know that shredded cheese freezes beautifully? I bought several bags to keep on hand for pizzas, tacos, etc.

I could go on and on, but frankly for you, dear reader, this must be as exciting as someone discussing their recent gall bladder surgery. Still, I'm happy. I like getting better control of my money because I'd like to reduce spending in some areas so I can increase it in others.

ETA: check out this chick's total. She's way better than I am.

And in other kitchen news, the other night we were talking at dinner about how when Margret was three she could mix up a batch of Martha White muffins and spoon them into a muffin tin all by herself. I looked at both kids and asked why they weren't doing more cooking.

Of course, the reason is me. I love to cook with them. Wait -- I love the idea of cooking with them, but the reality is that I end up fussing with them and it's just easier to do myself. So I'm going to try to change that. I think where I've gone wrong is that I have them both working on one project. Last night I split them up and taught Audrey how to make MW muffins, and I gave Margret a small Pampered Chef (thanks, Mom!) knife and let her cut vegetables for our salad.

And they both did great! Audrey was very thorough in mixing the batter (and also in licking the bowl clean), and Margret kept saying how happy she was that she didn't cut herself. I showed her how to put the knife point down on the cutting board and then pull the rest of it down to chop. And then I praised her about 150 times. Because she really did do a great job. And for the first time in a long time she asked for salad for dinner. Mission completed.

April Cupcake.

This time I checked first. And yes, the April Cupcake Scrapshop is already sold out. Is it because it is so cute? Probably. Before I get to a few of my layouts, we have a few announcements: Alison and Lucrecer are (sadly) leaving the team. But there should be a new DT call sometime this summer. I'll be sure to announce it here. Also, there's a Flickr group set up for anyone who wants to post work done from a Cupcake kit. Check it.

My layouts this month were all about swinging and snow. Above, I combined both topics in a layout showing the weather within one week. First we had summer. Then winter. Right now it is raining. Last night animals were pairing up two by two on our street. More rain in another day or two. Then it will be sunny and 75 for the weekend. It's making me insane.

While we were out in the (brief) snow I made the girls pose for a few shots. This is one way to make sure you get real smiles in your kids' photos. You can go here to see the rest of my stuff.