As most of you have heard by now I'm sure we got another 16+ inches of snow dumped on us from Sunday night through Monday. The bookstore wasn't even open yesterday and Mike's office closed early. I am so tired of winter! If we get another 1 1/2" of snow this will set the all-time snow record for our region of ND. We better get that 1 1/2" - if we don't I'll be pissed! It's supposed to get warmer again towards the end of the week which means the snow will start melting again which means flooding will likely be happening again too :( Last year by this time we were able to go outside without dressing in layers - the golf courses were even open by now.

So to help with my depression about the everlasting winter today me & the boys went to Staples to buy some paper. I heard about an awesome deal on someone's blog and wanted to cash-in on the deal. You can visit my other site to see how much I bought.

I'm doing a Charity Challenge on my other blog soon! I hope you'll participate!

Rain?!?

It is the beginning of February and it is raining here. In North Dakota! That is just plain weird :) It began raining last night and is still drizzling now. We've gotten over 1/3" so far. Mike has begun to call our town a lake since the rain has nowhere to go. All the gutters are covered over in snow so the rain is just sitting in big puddles everywhere. If it weren't so cold out (and Logan still has a runny nose) I would let Logan splash around out there. Our weather has just been plain crazy this year - I don't know what is going to happen next!

In other news I finished our taxes this past weekend and I.am.happy!! Unfortunately pretty much all of the money will be going towards some sort of bill. Since we got lucky and were hit with all sorts of medical bills (Noah's birth, tubes being put in, my wisdom teeth being pulled and general doctor visits) at the end of the year some of the money will be going towards that. Mike & I would like to take a little vacation. We are thinking of maybe driving down to SD for a long weekend - anyone up for babysitting??

Our Little Garbage Disposal

My goodness! If Logan continues to eat like he has been lately I'll begin to wish CVS would turn itself into a grocery store too! I bought a 5 lb. box of clementines at the grocery store on Saturday and they are half gone. Logan ate 4 of them at once!! His eating marathons usually last about an hour, sometimes longer. Last night he ate 1 1/2 cans of spaghetti with meatballs, a banana, an orange, a pop tart, sliced cheese and yogurt. Oh and Mike and I ordered in Chinese food so Logan also ate ALL of the egg drop soup that came with our dinner! I'm going to have to get a full-time paying job in a couple of years to pay our grocery bill!!In other news I got a massage on Saturday - it was pure BLISS! I don't remember the last time I got one. I had gotten a facial when I was pregnant with Noah but no massage. So it must be at least 18 months since my last one. And boy could I tell!! She found some knots in my shoulders and by Saturday night it felt like someone had used them as a punching bag. They were so tender but I can tell the difference so it was worth it. I got an hour long massage for only $33.75!! I have another one booked for the end of February - I'm hoping to make it more of a regular thing :)

Tell Me I'm Not The Only One

This morning I took Logan to daycare. Then Noah & I made a trip to the dentist - my fake tooth had chipped. I got that repaired, ran to CVS, and then came home for a bit. Noah had fallen asleep in his car seat so I left him in there until he woke up. I then fed him a bottle. Of course when I burped him he decided to spit up on both of us. So I took him up to change his outfit and my pants. On our way downstairs I heard a splat on the floor. Yup, he spit up again - this time on the floor and the back of my shirt. So back upstairs we went so I could change shirts. By this time it was time to go and pick Mike up for lunch.

Got Mike for lunch.

Got to Applebee's. Mike & I are sitting there visiting when he looks at me and asks, "Is your shirt on inside out?"

Oh yes it was. Because apparently when you have a child, you not only become forgetful, you also forget how to dress yourself!

Seriously!

This morning we hit yet another record. The air temp. reached -44* out this morning. FORTY-FOUR BELOW ZERO!!

And of course Noah has his 4 month check-up this afternoon.

It is currently -28* out - thank goodness it's not windy out!

Shana at Shana's Place gave me this award last week:

First, you have to give some blogger-love to the person who gave it to you. Then you nominate 10 of your favorite blogger buddies to receive this award.

Shana is a great person/blogging friend. I think I've been reading her blog for over 3 years now!! She gives me great advice and I know we'd get along great if we met in real life :) Thanks again Shana! And here are my nominations:

Austin @ Super Baby
Christina @ Beast Mom
Amber @ Crazy Bloggin' Canuck
Kristi @ Rantings of a Crazy Woman
Michelle @ Big Blueberry Eyes
Nancy @ Zimmer Zoo
Jeri @ Smug Puppies
Gwen @ Lobo and Hockey Girl
Overwhelmed with Joy
Jenni @ Who Needs Sleep?

I hope you ladies enjoy the award and don't forget to pass it on!

Enough Already!!!

We are getting more snow as I type this - MORE SNOW! I'm not sure if I can take anymore!! I think I might need to jump on a plane and visit Austin down south :) I took these pictures on Sunday. We got hit with another storm Sunday night and received another 4" and it's currently snowing some more. I guess if there is one good thing it's the fact that I'm getting some regular exercise by shoveling off the driveway. Our city is running out of places to put all the snow that they have plowed off the streets - can you imagine? People are getting fined/cited for dumping snow (from their property) onto city property.

Notice how the slide on Logan's little play yard is halfway buried and on his big one his swing is completely hidden by the snow? LOVELY.

THREE Times in One Weekend!!

Get your head out of the gutter - I'm not talking about that!!

I'm talking about the fact that Mike & I were able to watch three movies this weekend. Two of them were completely uninterrupted. It was great! We watched Juno (loved it), Marley & Me (cried like a baby) and Jumper (seen better).

Have you seen any good movies lately?

Give Me Some Love

Ok all you lurkers! I want to know you're there! I found out from Nancy's blog that this week is special:So show me that someone actually reads this blog - leave me a comment!

Rambling

I'm tired of winter. SO TIRED of it. I don't think the temperature has been above 10* for weeks now. I cannot wait to see what our electric/heat bill is for the month of December. Anyone want to guess? I'll be finding out in a couple of days. Thank goodness the sun is shining every day - although it's a catch-22 since every time Logan looks out the window he wants to play outside and every day I have to tell him it's too cold outside.

Noah was supposed to have a follow-up appointment today to see the ear, nose & throat doctor but it was cancelled. Apparently doctors take sick days too. I'll need to get that rescheduled soon - I also need to schedule his 4 month check-up. More shots for him.

Have I mentioned lately what a good baby he is? He is so good!! He's been sleeping through the night for about a month now. I absolutely love that - Logan didn't sleep through the night until, well, he still gets up in the middle of the night.

Noah got his first tooth this past week and the second one is on it's way. He takes after his brother when it comes to teething - he sleeps extra. Thank goodness for that!

I've been shopping the after Christmas sales lately and have scored some great deals! I'm almost done with half of my Christmas shopping for next year! Almost all the stores have their stuff marked at 75% off. I picked up stocking stuffers for the boys (books and some dishes) and some reed diffusers at Pier 1. I also found an Easter present for Noah. Sam's club had this on sale for under $15 and I figure both him & Logan will have a blast with it!

I've also been doing some major shopping at CVS. I think it is safe to say that I know where almost everything is in that store! Some of the cashiers also recognize me - last week I was called the coupon lady by one of them. I guess it's true though when I purchase over $50 worth of items and pay just $1.04!! You can check out my other blog for details on that: http://cvs-saver.blogspot.com/

Meme

The game is to leave in bold the things that you HAVE done.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Europe
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Driven a Race Car
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Been to a Rodeo
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (does the replica in Niles, IL count?)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Lived with your in-laws

Halloween Loot

I hit Target the day after Halloween to try to find Halloween costumes for the boys for next year. I found a couple of costumes along with some other treasures.

Pictured are:

-2 precarved pumpkins that light up

-2 Halloween colored cake mixes

-Pirate Pete yard decoration

-talking and flickering tombstone

-glow-in-the-dark skeleton pillowcase

-Frankenstein flashlight

-Superman costume

-Dinosaur/Dragon costume

(not pictured are 2 shirts that I bought Logan)

All of this stuff cost $55 - not too shabby if I say so myself!

I also went back the following week and the remaining Halloween stuff was marked down to 90% off! I got some shirts for the boys (2 shirts for under $1!!!), some more costumes for them (a ninja and a skull pirate) and a couple little toys. Not a bad deal - it all cost under $5!

All Gone

On October 29th Logan, Noah, my Mom and I witnessed some history for our area. The Memorial Bridge that stood for over 80 years was blown up and sent crashing into the Missouri River. It was an awesome event to witness. We had missed the first section that was blown up (I had forgotten it was happening) so I wanted to be sure to see this one. Here is the video that I took of it from my digital camera.

I've Been Busy

While my family was here some of us got all the apples out of our apple tree. I'm not sure how many we got total, but I was able to give quite a few away. I also managed to make some goodies for us to enjoy this winter. I'm so happy to have an apple tree - hopefully it produces apples again next year!!
Pictured is apple pie filling, applesauce and apple juice. All made from our apple tree!!

Latest Savings

I have to tell you about another shopping trip to CVS. This one happened this week so these sales are still going on.

Bought:
*Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit ($7.99)
*Swiffer Duster Starter Kit ($6.99)
*2 All Detergents (Buy one, get one free)
*Excedrin Headache medicine ($5.49)
Coupons used:
*Buy swiffer sweeper starter kit, get swiffer duster starter kit free
*2 - $1 off coupons for All detergent
*$3 off Excedrin
*$5 off purchase of $25
*$9.48 in ECB's (Extra care bucks)

Total with tax came to: $1.06!! Can you believe it?!?! And I earned an additional $5 in ECB's to use for my next shopping trip!

Do You CVS?

I have a new addiction and trust me, it's not a bad one!! Are you a CVSer? I just recently started shopping there weekly and I am completely addicted to it! I think the addiction really started when I paid a whopping 9 cents for a 44 pack of size 1 Huggies diapers and a bag of Chex mix. I saved that much by using a CVS coupon for Huggies, a Huggies manufactured coupon, a coupon for Chex that made them absolutely free and $4 in ExtraCare bucks (ECB's). Last week I went there and my subtotal was $23.72 - after my coupons and ECB's I paid $9.72. I saved over $14!! On top of those savings I received all of this:

-$11.48 in ECB's
-a coupon for a $25 g.c. with a new or transferred prescription
-save $5 off a $25 purchase
-save $3 on Excedrin
-save $1 on Children's tylenol

I'll be able to use all of these coupons on some of my next shopping trips there which is awesome! They were out of one of the items I wanted to purchase so once I buy that I'll get another $4 in ECB's. If you're interested in learning how to be a CVSer here are some sites you should check out:

I heart CVS
Mommy Making Money
My Precious Pennies
The "Cent"sible Sawyer

These websites are great about giving scenarios that help you earn the most ECB's possible and save the most money. Some of them even have previews of the upcoming ad so you can plan ahead and combine coupons and ECB's to save even more.

It took a couple of weeks for me to get the hang of all of it, but now it is really starting to pay off. I highly recommend you check out these sites if you live close to a CVS!!

Snippets

-I went back to work on Monday. I was a little nervous - I was worried I wouldn't remember how to run the register. Everything worked out though and by the end of the night it felt like I had never been gone for 8 weeks.

-I managed to find about 10 books I would like to buy while I was at work.

-I don't think I ever mentioned it but Noah has a tooth! We noticed it before we even brought him home from the hospital. It's on the top right side. I had heard of newborns having teeth but never imagined it would happen!

-I almost cried when I saw Logan's haircut. Not because I didn't like it, I was so happy it actually got cut, but because he looked SO different!

-The haircut did not go smoothly and for that I am thankful that I didn't go with. Mike had to hold his arms down and then use his other arm to hold his head still while the stylist buzzed it off. Needless to say, the poor stylist received a VERY nice tip!

-I got this gorgeous necklace from Logan on Wednesday. I love it!!

-In celebration of Logan getting his haircut we will be going to the pumpkin patch this weekend. We've gone there every year since Logan was 2 months old.

-It is supposed to snow this weekend! YUCK!! I am so not ready for that!

-I made applesauce this past week. I got 8 pints made but will be making more this weekend. Why, you might ask? Well because I added WAY too much sugar and it is too sweet. After about 3 bites it begins to taste like you're eating straight sugar and cinnamon.

Because I'm nothing if not a Procrastinator.

Yes, I realize I have other things to do besides blog - like, say for instance, prepare for a B-A-B-Y. But I love to leave things until the last minute which is why I have decided to take this time to update my blog roll. If you'll notice on the left I have a new category over there under the "blogs I read". Check out the new blogs and if you have any others to recommend please do!

What Am I Missing?

When Breaking Dawn came out I finally decided to "check-out" Twilight from work to see what all the hype was about. I am now reading New Moon and I still must be missing something. I am enjoying the series so far but I don't devour them like I have with other popular books. I'm not sure if I expected more action or what to go on in them, but I'm just not satisfied with them. I think I will continue to read the final two books but I don't think I will be recommending them when I return to work. Any thoughts?

First (or Second) Pick

I picked this out of the garden on Friday night. It is the second cucumber out of my garden so far this year and it is over 14" long. I think I planted some sort of super-sized cucumbers! My garden has not been the best this year. I seemed to have planted some sort of vine thing (my Grandma thinks it might be creeping Jenny) that tried to choke everything before they were able to get established. Luckily, I was able to save most of my tomato and cucumber plants. Unfortunately, my peppers and onions weren't so lucky. I haven't decided if I'm going to plant a garden next year or try to rid it first of the unwanted growth that surfaced this year.