Oh my aching BACK!

Actually it doesn't hurt too badly. I had surgery Monday morning to remove 2 harmless but irritating tumors. They either itched or ached most every day so I was happy to get them removed. At this point I have 14 scary looking staples in my back which is causing everyone to grimace when they take a peek at them. EWWW! I feel much better as each day passes. It is much easier to pick up Liam etc.

Amanda waterproofed my bandages with plastic wrap and medical tape, so I was able to shower. ahhhh I just love hot water! We have it so easy with modern conveniences like hot water tanks! So I am feeling much better now that I am clean again.

I go on Friday to have the incisions looked at and am expecting they will probably take the staples out then. Amanda is helping me build confidence and courage about having them taken out. She says, "Yes it hurts!!! I told you they hurt when they were taking them out of my stomach after my appendectomy and you just told me I was fine and make sure I try to save a staple for my scrapbook". Could that possibly be true?!? I think she is having fun at my poor memories expense. (although I did probably tell her to save the staple for her scrapbook) :)

She also said the two spots look remarkably different. The one on my back looks symmetrical: the skin meeting perfectly together with staples evenly spaced. The one on my neck is bothering everyone as it looks more like one side was pulled over the other and more haphazardly stapled together. Must be because of where they are located. Anyways, I certainly don't sport my back around for others to see so I don't think it matters too much.

Again.. no pictures.. not that my staples would be appropriate anyways but I am realizing I just need to be content about the camera. If I can sell some items sitting around then maybe I will revisit the idea of purchasing a Nikon D40, or maybe I will find a screaming deal on ebay! It could happen!

Owlhaven is giving away a very nice backpack from Lands End..offer ends today!

I haven't been blogging for months. I think it has to do with a lack of a camera. I love looking at blogs with not only stories but pictures as well. We are seriously contemplating purchasing a nice camera again. I bought a small digital camera under $100 as a standby till we could afford something nicer down the road but it didn't stand the test of time. So we are without a camera again.

I found an Nikon D40 SLR camera that looks very nice and is the least expensive one I can find. I am thinking about using some income from scrapbooking as well as my last pay check from bus driving but we haven't decided for sure. We are really trying to pay down debt and so the most responsible thing to do would be to put that towards a bill. On the other hand, it makes me almost ill to think that I haven't taken any real pictures in about a year.

Decisions, decisions....

Bridal Shower gift ideas/ using CVS & Walgreens freebies

I have been waiting to post about this until I got a nice picture of some of the products I have gathered but I don't want to wait any more because I think it is such a great idea and am hoping others might benefit from it.

A few months ago I was invited to a bridal shower and was trying to think of a gift that was practical, unique, thoughtful, yet still within my budget. Here is what I came up with:

A Wedding Day Emergency kit! This would be a kit that holds all those last minute needed items that brides/bridesmaids are often scrambling to find. This was fairly inexpensive for me because I am able get them in a CVS or Walgreens deal that costs me no out of pocket money (for more info on how this works please check out moneysavingmom.com for a thorough look at how this is done). Others I buy on sale or at the dollar store.

Here is a basic list I use:

Hairpins (I just found some clearanced for 17 cents at CVS)
Safety pins
Rain bonnets (I found a pack of 5 at the dollar store)
Tylenol (I used Excedrin because it has some caffeine and I got if for free from CVS)
Tums (preferably those quick pack individual doses- again free from a CVS deal. I split a 24 pack and use them for more than one kit. I do this with quite a few of the items if appropriate)
Airborne (individual quick packs of this as well) great to help build up their immunity. SO many newlyweds spend their first few days of the honeymoon sick just from all the stress leading up to the big day
Lip Balm
Hand Sanitizer
Baby Wipes (great for polishing shoes last minute as well as lots of other things)
Lint Remover (dollar store or CVS deal)
Nail Polish Remover
Clear Nail Polish
Mints
Toothpaste and toothbrushes (I got a sample of teeth cleaning wipes and used these instead)
Hand mirror (found a nice set at the dollar store that had a hand mirror and a compact for a dollar)
Tissues (small travel pack)
Stain Stick pen (generic brand at the dollar store or work in a CVS deal)
Knee Highs 3 for $1 at Walmart
Straws (use the kind that are sealed in paper wrapper-like from fast food restaurant)- helps to keep lipstick from smearing
Sticky Notes (got mine free from CVS)
Pencil
Earing Backs (a package of these are around $3 from Walmart too bad I haven't seen any of these at CVS. )
Sewing Kit ($1 from most stores)
Eye Drops (I never bothered with these but might if I find a good deal)
Emery Board
Tampons
Deodorant
Scissors ($ store again)
Hair brush/ spray (although I can't imagine all bridesmaid and the bride forgetting these so I don't bother putting them in the kit)
Lotion (great to help with static clean too by just putting some on legs)
Double Sided Tape (kind of expensive but I throw it in if I have it)
Corsage Pins (I haven't put this in yet but someone told me to look for them at Michaels. So I might do that)
I am even including a back massager that I got for free from CVS this time.

I have also seen it suggested to add mock wedding bands JUST IN CASE! I haven't looked but suspect they might be at a craft store like Michaels.

I also like to add a snack- like a bag of gourmet pretzel mix and bottled water.

I didn't include every one of these items but I was able to get most of them. What's great about this is that I can continually add to my stock when I find good sales (or free items). If I were to walk into Walmart and buy all these at full price I am sure I would easily put $50-75 into one emergency kit. Instead I am able to pool most of these items from my CVS shopping trips which cost me almost nothing out of pocket.

I was able to purchase a very nice valet bag that unrolled to reveal 4-5 fairly large compartments. It also had some small travel shampoo/conditioner containers which I filled with lotion, nail polish remover, hand sanitizer etc. Its more cost effective than buying everything in little travel size.

Hope this idea blesses someone. The bride seemed VERY appreciative of having all these items put together for her.

Any other items you think should be added to the list?

Do you have any additional ways you use your CVS/Walgreens deals for gifts? please feel free to add your ideas in the comments section.

Trip to the ER

Quin swallowed a button battery today. You know one of those round ones about the size of a nickel. The internet said that if it was lodged in the esophagus it could start burning within two hours. So we headed to the ER. Sure enough there was a cute round white battery sitting in his tummy.



60% chance it will just pass through in 2 weeks they told me. If not then they will have to do something different. I didn't even bother asking for more details.

BUT Quin really had some interesting things to say on the way to the ER. He really thought he might die from this. I realized this as he started talking and I have to say that I just let him talk for a few minutes just to see if God was dealing with some issues in his heart.

He started by saying "mom, if I die would you please finish my scrapbook and put it in the thing with me" After I realized how serious he thought it was I also realized just how much their scrapbooks mean to them.

Then he started to almost cry and said..."mom I know that I asked Jesus to be my Savior ... BUT I have never done anything for HIM!" It was just so precious. So I took the opportunity to tell him that of course God doesn't base our salvation on what we do for Him so we can be at peace about that. But sometimes God has us go through emergencies or difficult circumstances because it helps us focus on the important things and helps us learn how to love God more.

Quin had been struggling with some things (kindness, humility, gentleness, compassion, submission, respect... hmm same things I deal with daily too) and I thought it might be good for him to think about what is really important in this life.

I didn't let his fear drag on too much and I explained that we were taking him to the hospital so that they would be able to help him. Even after I assured him they were going to help him he said "well I really would like to die in my sleep mom. I don't want to be in pain" Poor kid.

He got to the ER and was sharing interesting things there as well.

The dr asks me "is he homeschooled?"

Now I would like to think it was because my son sounded so intelligent as he answered questions but the reality was it was the middle of the day and he knowing he should have been in school when it happened he deducted that no real teacher would have a battery sitting around for a kid to swallow or certainly wouldn't let him play with it in his mouth! :P

They were all quite kind, polite, and friendly. And because of the nature of the accident we got to go through quickly. Here is a picture of little Liam in his carseat on the way home. He is all snuggled in a little "Cuddle me" that someone recently gave to me. AWWW.. too cute! And yes he has just discovered his thumb!

update to the battery story. It took 3weeks but the little round battery passed through Quin's system just fine. A little rusted but in tact. I suggested to Amanda she stick it back in the remote control that it came out of "EWWW GROSS mom... no way!"

Finally Well Again, my ramblin thoughts

We were able to attend church all together as a family for the first time in MONTHS! We now have a smörgåsbord of cold remedies, vitamins, natural remedies, and pain relievers in our medicine chest. The vitamins, herbs, and extracts have been there but the over the counter quick fix things were something we almost never used as I have always been an advocate of just helping the body to help heal itself.

Now in theory, shouldn't a family that eats fairly healthy be able to staid off sickness?

Is staid a real word and if so can it possibly be used in that sentence? Hmm I am afraid I am just too distracted by a TOOTHACHE to even care to look it up. Sooo I will have to live with the consequences of my illiteracy.

Speaking of illiteracy, my son and I were playing a word game (can't remember the name of it). But it gives the word and 3 "definitions" of which only one is correct. One of the words was literate. Choices were as follows: 1) well read 2) instructed 3) well I can't remember the third choice. Suffice it to say that I chose well read and I was wrong. It actually was "instructed". I didn't believe it so got a dictionary out and had to admit I was indeed wrong.

Which brings me back to my wrongness. Yes I know that isn't a word but I am going with it. This sickness brought a reoccurring headache and cough that had us searching the drug store for something to help. We have had more Tylenol and Motrin in our systems in the past two months than in the last two decades. "We" is only in the family sense as "I" was able to avoid all of it for the most part.

Thank goodness for CVS and it's Extra Care Bucks. :) We have been able to stock up on toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, toilet paper, makeup (which I didn't use too often before) and other items like cough syrup and pain reliever which I thought we would never use but was thankful for last month. I have to say I am starting to feel a little guilty leaving the store because I am able to get so much with almost no out of pocket cost to me. For those of you who want more info... check out moneysavingmom. I stop by her site a few times a week to find out which stores have the best deals.

So that is my rambling thoughts for the day. I have hesitated to post because I figure it is more interesting to have a picture and a sentence or two about it. But I hadn't been really taking too many pictures this year and now my camera SD card is missing! I am hoping it was set aside safely and I have only to remember where it has been safely placed.

Coupons- are they worth it?

The subject of coupons was brought up on an email group that I belong to. I never bothered with coupons as I almost never purchase name brand products, except for Helmann's mayonnaise. BUT a few weeks ago I decided to start a coupon notebook because I found that there were stores(CVS especially) that offered certain items on sale and when combined with my coupons I could get them next to nothing.

I picked up a nice notebook with a few extra zippered compartments for .29 at a thrift store. I then purchased a few baseball card vinyl sheets. I can fit 12 coupons on each page (along with their duplicates).



Each page has it's own theme such as Medicine, paper goods, Hygiene, Canned goods etc. I put Medicine, hygiene, paper goods first as I use these weekly at CVS.



On Sunday afternoon or Monday morning Ella helps me clip the newest coupons and Emma begins to sort and put them into the notebook. It does take a while to do this but the girls have a lot of fun and I find it much easier to see what coupons I have and easily find them. I bring the whole thing with me when I shop.

For daily posts on frugal living and finding great deals at CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, etc take a look at MoneysavingMom's site.

I now have 8 tubes of toothpaste, a few bottles of nice hair care products, deodorant, and razors that I only paid pennies for. This is so much better than constantly running out like we always used to.

Eggtastic Basket

I found this cute basket a few weeks ago at a Thrift store. For us it was better to have eggs easily accessible and I can fit more in less space. Always a good thing :)



Did you know that eggs that are gathered fresh from the farm can be left out on the counter in a basket like this for a few weeks and still be good? As long as they aren't cooled and then allowed to warm back up again. Ours are from the store (already been cooled down and who knows how long they have been sitting at the store) so our basket goes into the frig.