Big Lots deals

I just had to share the deal I got at Big Lots: 6 cans of Hunt's tomato puree (I use this in my tortilla soup recipe), 4 cans of College Inn organic chicken broth, 2 cans of Del Monte green and wax beans (the boys love these), 2 packs of Dole mandarin oranges, 1 box (4 cans) of Del Monte Sesame Street cut green beans, 1 box (4 cans) Del Monte Sesame Street peas, 1 roll of aluminum foil, 1 package of Whisker Lickins cat treats, 1 toothbrush holder, and 1 box of kid Valentines Day cards. All this for $19.91! I used a 20% off coupon for being a Buzz Club member (I think moneysavingmom.com or commonsensewithmoney.com has a link to this coupon). I love Big Lots!

25 Random Facts About Me

A friend of mine posted this on her blog, and I thought it was a great idea. It's the "25 random facts" request from facebook. Here is mine:
1. I have lived in 8 different cities but only 4 states.
2. I used to figure skate when I was little.
3. I went to modeling school when I was a teenager (but I didn't "graduate").
4. I have a BA in Math and French, but I can't speak french anymore.
5. My oldest son is named after my favorite book.
6. I have watched "Days of Our Lives" since I was a child (and still do).
7. I never knew any of my great-grandparents.
8. I have traveled to Canada, England, France, Spain, and Italy.
9. I would really like to go to Egypt and see the pyramids some day.
10. I have no athletic ability whatsoever.
11. I am a total germaphobe (in fact, though I joke about it, I really do have OCD).
12. I love the snow!
13. I had 2 pet snakes in college.
14. I have 2 tattoos.
15. I used to have my belly button pierced (before I had children).
16. I LOVE John Travolta!
17. I know how to swim, but I hate the water.
18. I am very, very, very picky about what movies I'll see, but I'll read almost anything.
19. I am still friends with my best friend from elementary school (we were in each other's weddings!).
20. My mom passed away on Christmas Eve 2005, when my oldest son was only 6 months old.
21. I was born at the Naval Academy Hospital (which doesn't exist anymore) b/c my dad was a teacher there.
22. I love my family and thank God for them!!!
23. My husband is converting to catholicism, but I am methodist.
24. I was half the diving team for one year in high school until I figured out I was afraid of heights...
25. I am an only child (hopefully you can't tell...).

My invention

I am going to make a million dollars when I invent the nasal vacuum. You know, to suck out all the nasty mucous from our childrens' noses this time of year? I swear I should buy stock in Kleenex since we go through so many boxes. I wish I could skimp, but I am picky about buying 3-ply, ultra soft (no lotion) Kleenex brand because it seems to keep the boys' noses from getting so raw after the billion wipings... It seems like they have runny noses from December through May!

A sad day

A good friend of mine (my husband's best friend) lost his mom today after a battle with cancer. My mom passed away 3 years ago, so I know the pain he is going through. It is often such a confusing time because you are sad for yourself and others that were left behind, but you are happy to know that your loved one is no longer suffering. I remember truly feeling peace when I accepted the fact that it was selfish of me to want her back; I realized I should be rejoicing that she was whole again, pain-free again, and where she deserved to be. Don't get me wrong: I miss her terribly. Every day. Three years later I still almost pick up the phone to call her to share good news or cry on her shoulder. Then I just look up and smile. I pray that my friend and his family get to this point soon.

TV Junkie

Ok, I admit it: I am a tv junkie! I'm not as bad as I used to be (I've had to "give up" quite a few shows because I just couldn't keep up with all of them--even with 2 DVRs!), but I still love my tv shows. In fact, I decided my dream job is that I get paid to watch tv. Anyone know someone who would pay me for that? Probably not...

This post is my complaint about The Biggest Loser. If you haven't seen this week's episode yet, STOP READING NOW! SPOILER ALERT!!!! How could they choose to eliminate Damien over Joelle? I was totally shocked! Do you think it was a game-playing strategy? That's the only thing that makes sense to me, because Joelle is clearly not much competition. What do you think?

The newest member of our family

I just wanted to introduce you to the newest member of our family: meet Phoebe! We adopted her from a shelter yesterday, and she is so sweet! She is still quite shy around the boys (imagine that), so she hides in our bedroom while they're awake. But once they go to sleep, she is downstairs with us ready to be petted...A LOT! I don't know if you can tell, but she is missing about 70% of her tail--we don't know what happened to her. It doesn't seem to bother her, though. :)

A few of my friends told me about the HUGE toy sale going on at Target right now, so I went to both the Glenbrook and the Rivergate Targets. I added it up last night, and I got $188 worth of toys for $53! Not that my kids need more toys, or anything (only grandchildren on both sides of the family...), but you just can't pass up deals like that. So I hid them away for birthdays, etc. A lot of my friends (and the strangers I talked to in the checkout line) were stocking up on birthday gifts. Great idea!! A lady in line in front of me said she gets all her birthday party gifts for the year at this sale. At my son's ages, we don't really go to many birthday parties yet, but I will definitely be keeping that in mind for the future.

Ok, Friends: what deals did you get at Target?

My husband is getting to hear Joe Paterno, his coaching idol, speak today, but he was concerned about the amount of money it was going to cost to do so. I guess I should say JoePa is a professional and a personal idol of my husband's. It got me thinking: how much would you pay for an opportunity like that? I appreciate that he worries about our finances, but I would go into debt to let him have that experience if we had to. It really isn't costing that much: $70, and that is not just to hear JoePa speak, but to register for a professional clinic; we spend more than that on things that don't matter at all!

And that brought me to another thought: my best friend has a mental list of the "best money she has spent in her life." (In other words, the things she felt like were most important to her and what they cost.) Me? Not so much. I pretty much just waste money, it seems, or spend it on necessities like groceries and toilet paper. I hope today's experience will go on Scott's list. Do you have a list like that? I'd love to hear about it!

I never thought I'd start a blog, but it just hit me that sometimes I might like to share info with other people (especially when I find good deals). I am a terrible writer, so forgive me, but that's not what this is all about for me.

Here was this weekend's good deal: $1.70 Dole diced apples at Big Lots. I love Big Lots! You never know what you're going to find. My kids eat the diced apples, and they're usually $2-$3 at Kroger, so I was super excited! Use caution when buying food there, though; sometimes it is out of date (or close to it).

What good deals have you found lately?