Visiting the Public Library and Weekend Coupon Shopping

Jakob and I went to the Public Library Saturday morning to get him more Level 1 and Level 2 books to read.  I am trying really hard to make sure we read a minimum of one book a day which is about fifteen to twenty minutes for him to get through those levels.

After the library, we went to Kroger to pick up the weekly groceries to work with our menu planned and turn in our pennies into the Coinstar.  We had $12.17 worth of pennies collected and our change jar is much lighter now.  I recently learned you can turn in change to the Coinstar locations and receive e-gift certificates toward specific locations depending on the location of the Coinstar.  I thought the one I went to would let me put it toward Kroger, but it was not an option.  I decided it was not a big issue and selected for the Amazon.com e-gift card.

At Kroger, I spent $42.35 and saved $25.29 or 37%.  Here's the break down of everything I purchased today at Kroger. Items in red are the coupons and Kroger still triples coupons that are 35 cents (or less) to a $1.00 and doubles coupons that are 40-50 cents up to a maximum of $1.00.

Spent $42.35 and saved $25.29 or 37%

Mega Event:
2 - Nutri-Grain Bars $2.49

-$1/2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain cereal bars, 6 ct +, RP 8/07

2 - Cheetos $1.99
Fritos $1.99
Jimmy Dean Sandwiches $3.99

-.75/1 Jimmy Dean Jimmy D's product, RP 7/31

2 - Sunny D $0.99

-.25/1 SunnyD product, SS 8/07

-.25/1 SunnyD product, SS 8/07 
2 - Neslte Pure Life Water $2.99

-$1 off Nestle Pure Life water, 5 gal or (2) .5 L 24 pk printable

-$1 off Nestle Pure Life water, 5 gal or (2) .5 L 24 pk printable

Produce:
Bananas $0.49/lb - $1.43
Apples $1.69/lb - $4.23
Grapes 0.99/lb - $3.24
Potatoes $2.48

Fridge or Frozen:
3 - Oscar Mayer Lunchables $1.00
2 - Silk Milk $3.22

-$1 off Silk soymilk, half gal., SS 7/10

-$1 off Silk soymilk, half gal., SS 7/10

Groceries:
Tortillas $1.50
Campbell Cheddar Cheese Soup $1.50
Skinner Spiral Pasta $1.59
Kroger Pretzels $1.25

After church on Sunday, I went to Walgreen's for a few specific items and ended up doing good overall but it took some work this week.  I really should just bring my coupon book with me to Walgreen's, but luckily I live nearby and made it work where I was able to use all of my leftover Register Rewards.  There was a pretty good deal on P&G products and we were running low on the items.  If you spent $30.00 (pre-coupons), you would get $10 back in RR.  I then was able to turn around and purchase the other items below.  Overall, I spent $26.45 and saved $52.34 or 66% today at Walgreen's.  I spent more out of pocket today than I normally do, but I decided before buying everything it was still a really good price.

Spent $26.45 and Saved $52.34 or 66%

Transaction #1 - Buy $30 of P&G, Get $10 RR
4 - Cascade $4.00

-$1 off Cascade product, PG 7/31 (exp 08/31)

-$1 off Cascade product, PG 7/31 (exp 08/31)

-$1 off Cascade product, PG 8/28

-$1 off Cascade product, PG 8/28  
2 - Downy $4.00
-$1.50/2 Tide detergent or stain release or Downy product, PG 8/28
1 - Tide $6.00
-$1 off Tide detergent, PG 7/31 (exp 08/31)
Total Due: $25.44
Get Back: $10.00 RR

Transaction #2
2 - Vitamin C $6.99 (Buy 1 Get 1 Free)

-$1 off Nature Made products, SS 8/14

-$1 off Nature Made products, SS 8/14 

2 - Crest Complete Toothpaste $2.50 (Get $3.00 RR WYB 2)

-$1 off Crest toothpaste 4 oz + or liquid gel, excl Cavity, Baking Soda or Tartar, PG 8/28

-$1 off Crest toothpaste 4 oz + or liquid gel, excl Cavity, Baking Soda or Tartar, PG 8/28 

1 - Carmex Lip Gloss $1.50 (Get $1.50 RR WYB 1)
1 - Chicken Noodle Soup $0.59 w/in-ad coupon
-$10.00 RR
Total Due: $0.08
Get Back: $4.50 RR

Transaction #3
1 - Cottonelle Toilet Paper $5.00
-.75/1 Cottonelle toilet paper, 12 pk + or (2) 4 pk, SS 8/14
2- Chicken Noodle Soup $0.59 w/in-ad coupon

-$3.00 RR

-$1.50 RR

Total Due: $0.93

Library Day on Tuesday

Jakob and I went to the Aubrey Public Library on Tuesday.  I am really liking the library since it is a little smaller.  The original story time planned was changed since the person scheduled was sick.  Jakob still enjoyed listening to the three stories and then he picked out the following books while he was at the library!

Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein

Don't Take Your Snake for a Stroll by Karin Ireland

Creepy Crawlers by Mark Moore

Stanley, Flat Again by Jeff Brown

One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian

Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris

Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner

The Aubrey Library is having the kids participate in creating a Flat Stanley.  We have read the first two chapters of Stanley, Flat Again by Jeff Brown and Jakob seems to be comprehending it!  Most of the pages have basic pictures and the words are large and not many on a page.  Therefore, chapters are short and interesting and the pictures still help Jakob begin to process it all!

The original Flat Stanley book was written in 1964.  Stanley was flattened by a bulletin board which fell on him while he was sleeping. Otherwise fine, Stanley was now very flat! He could slide under doors, be used as a kite, and be placed in envelopes to be mailed all over the world!  Many books have been written with Flat Stanley and he travels and does things all over the world.  Maybe Jakob will enjoy the books and can slowly introduce chapter books!

Jakob created his Flat Stanley and is mailing it to his Uncle Randy and Aunt Nikki in California!  It will sure be fun to see where he travels this summer!  Once Jakob receives the photos, he can take them back to the library and place it by the map!  Stay posted to see where Flat Stanley travels next!

View Larger Map

Swimming, Playgrounds, Zoos, and More!

I'm a little behind on my weekly updates!  Last Monday, I took the boys to the pool.  They both enjoyed the time at the pool.  Before leaving, they wanted to play in the splash zone area.  Both boys had a blast and using my phone I took pictures and some video!  Check out the video here!

I took Jakob to two libraries last Tuesday.  We went to Aubrey Library to sign Jakob up for their Summer Reading Program.  After the library, we had plans to go to the Lewisville Library to watch the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Brothers clowns.  Jakob laughed the entire time with the clowns!  I also went to CVS to pick up a few items after we had lunch on Tuesday.

Jakob and I went to the playground at his new school on Thursday afternoon.  We stayed for about 30 minutes since it was pretty hot outside.  I wanted to get out of the house and also let Jakob run and play for a little bit.  He would have kept playing if I had let him!  He is always full of energy!  We actually ran into a friend while we were there and visited with her for a little while.

Friday morning, Jakob and I went to Frank Buck Zoo and walked the zoo and fed the two giraffes!  He really enjoyed feeding the giraffes and I had no idea how he would react to it!  It was pretty cool to feed them!  We fed Moffey and Nelson.  We learned it was mating season and the two giraffes had been fighting, so they had to keep from separate from each other for a little while.  The giraffes would stick out their tongues and wait for the lettuce we bought to feed them!  Great moments!  After the zoo, we rode the small train and played at a playground next to the zoo.  Jakob really enjoyed the playground and especially the tire swing.

Jakob did super at his ice skating lessons this past Saturday!  I took pictures and video of him skating.  I will finish editing the video and uploading it to my blog soon.

Week Full of Swimming

Earlier in the week, I did my coupon shopping!  I went to Walgreens and spent $3.00 for 3 bottles of Listerine and also received back a $3.00 RR.  My next stop was CVS where I picked up their school supplies on sale.  They had a bunch of items FREE after ECB, so I would purchase about $5.00, receive the ECB, then use the ECB to pay for the next transaction.  Overall, I spent $5.90 at CVS and received $4.98 back in ECB.  After CVS, I decided to do a quick run to Kroger.  I saved $15.57 or 35% at Kroger; not as many coupons for the items we needed.  On Tuesday, Roland, Jakob, and I went to Target.  Cereal was on sale for $1.88 and I had $1.00/1 coupons I needed to use while they were on sale.  Jeff and the boys have Mini-Wheats for a bit and I have lots of Special K to eat!

Swim lessons started last Monday.  Jakob are from 9:30AM-10:00AM and Roland has lessons from 10:10AM-11:00AM.  They are both doing well and have been happy with Jakob.  We had lots of swimming this past week...Sunday through Thursday!  Here are a few pictures from swim lessons.  They did pool rules, safety, and life jackets on Wednesday.

 

Tuesday afternoon, Jakob's friend Mason came over to our apartment and we went swimming.  They had fun playing in the kid section and the regular pool.  We went to Jack's 1st birthday party (Janet's baby) and Jakob actually started swimming by himself a few feet while we were there.  He would go between using his noodle to using nothing at all!  I was so proud of him since it was the first time on Sunday.  He continue to swim on Tuesday when we went to the regular pool.  He figured out he could stand in the 3 feet section of the pool and was comfortable going back and forth!  I made a video using my phone while we were out playing.

Friday morning, we went to the post office to drop off my latest eBay items that sold.  I posted a bunch of old games and so far they have done well!  Then it was time to get a quick bite to eat and Jakob wanted a cheeseburger!  The Lewisville Police Department was presenting "McGruff the Crime Dog" at the Lewisville Library and I figured I better get some food in Jakob first!  He listened fairly well and I am hoping the picture of him and McGruff will help him remember we actually went.

  

After the library, I decided I needed to exchange our passes for the FREE tickets for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.  The boys received passes from the library for reading and we received adult tickets for becoming fans of the circus through Facebook.  To exchange the passes for actual tickets, you had to drive out to the box office.  I decided the Fort Worth dates were more convenient and drove out to downtown Fort Worth.  I am really glad Jeff and I invested in the GPS because it sure helps with the metroplex and helped me locate where I needed to get to in Fort Worth.  I found a parking meter and I had luckily 4 quarters which gave me 1 hour and 7 minutes!  It was a pretty good walk from where I found the open meter and the Fort Worth Convention Center box office!  Jakob was wearing his sandles and had a blister bust at McDonalds earlier in the day and did not want to walk!!  So I ended up having to carry him to and from and while watching my watch to make sure we got back in time!  He had also woke up from a short nap in the car and was still tired!  I'm excited about taking Jakob to see the circus.  This is one of the really nice ones and free tickets are great!!

We do not have much planned this weekend to my knowledge.  I think I might try to get a little scrapbooking in and use my new kit I received from Coordinates Collections.  I also figure we will go to the pool either today or tomorrow.  I think a few of Jakob's friends want to come over and try out our pool.  Have a great week and enjoy the pictures!

Lions, Tigers, Bears..Oh My

Roland had his first orthodontics appointment on Monday. The planned treatment is about 20 months. They created his records by taking more x-rays and creating his mold of his teeth. They also put spacers, or separators, between the back teeth to create space so that orthodontic bands can be placed at his next appointment. He has instructions regarding the spacers. However, he CANNOT have any sticky foods, such as: gum, caramels, taffy, now and later candy, tootsie rolls, starburst, licorice, or skittles. There is a list of foods he also cannot have once he gets his braces. Looking at our schedules, Roland has band camp next week (6/15-6/19) and a vacation with us the week after (6/22-6/27). They did not want him to be sore for band camp or the vacation. I was able to schedule his top braces on Monday, June 29th at 8AM. They do top first and then bottom to give them time for the adjustment in their mouth.

We went swimming with Jakob's friend on Tuesday. They came over to our apartment at 10AM and we went to the pool for a good 2 hrs! By noon, they were getting hungry and cranky. They were much better after eating hot dogs. The boys played after eating with toys and then it was time for naps.

Roland had a dentist appointment on Wednesday. He had one of his bottom incisor teeth either chipped or had a soft spot when it initially came in and was more and likely missing part of his tooth. He started going to Jakob's dentist in Coppell since he is covered under our insurance. I told him after his mouth was no longer numb, we would go and get ice cream. I looked up coupons for Sonic and they had a few Buy 1 Get 1 Free ice cream deals. After Jakob woke up around 3PM, I decided it wasn't TOO hot and we would walk. This way I knew I would burn some calories to be able to eat the ice cream! I ended up ordering 2 chocolate sundaes and 1 ice cream in a dish. The coupon made one of the ice cream sundaes free and figured Jakob would eat one. Sonic also has a special between 2PM-4PM where all drinks and slushies were half price. The boys originally wanted slushies, but the machine was not working. I ordered cherry limeades instead (Jakob wanted a red drink) and me a diet cherry limeade. Overall, I only spent $5.51 for everything and figured that was okay. Before we left for Sonic, I had looked up the point values of the different ice creams. The ice cream in a dish was only 6 points and knew that would not ruin my day of eating good (especially since we were walking too). The ice cream comes out and guess which one Jakob wanted...the one with NO chocolate or the cherry! I let Roland have the cherry because he asked but I thought it was just too funny based on how I had it all planned out!

Thursday sure was busy. We went and listened to the story time at Barnes and Noble. It was okay. The lady reading held the book so she could read it and then held it out for the kids to see the pictures. It really is not hard to hold the book where the kids can see the pictures and read it at the same time! Jakob's friend, Mason, and his mom were with us and we both agreed! The other thing was she was reading 2 princess books! There were 4 girls and 2 boys there listening. What Kristi and I did not understand was why didn't she read one about a princess and one about a knight and a dragon. Oh well! After we finished at Barnes and Noble, it was time to take Roland back to his mom's house.

The Lewisville Library had Kelly the clown from the Ringling Bros. Circus on Thursday afternoon. He was quite funny and entertaining. Jakob and Mason both laughed! The circus teams up with the library each year to give free tickets for children to the circus for reading 5 books. Jakob has read his 5 books, now I just need to take it to the box office and exchange it for the actual ticket. While we were there we learned how to get free tickets for adults too! We became FANS on their Facebook page and once they get to 1000, we will get 1 free ticket per household. I love free events! Sometime in July or August, we will go watch the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.Mom visited for Friday and Saturday. We had to run errand and we went to the post office, CVS, McDonalds, my doctor's appointment, haircut for Jakob, Wal-Mart, and last but not least Starbucks! We did all of this before 4:00PM! We really needed the recharge at Starbucks! We had dinner at Olive Garden and then did a walk around the complex while Jakob rode on his bicycle. On Saturday morning, we woke up and went to Staples and Kohl's. I wanted to use a coupon for Staples for a current special on paper. Mom laughs because she has tons of paper, but I told her I tend to use my rebates from recycling my print cartridges for paper. The special this week was a ream of copy paper for $1 after store coupons and Stapes easy rebates. It was too good of a deal! We headed for Chick-Fil-A to purchase lunch and take home to eat before going to our first musical of the year. We saw the Wizard of Oz and it was good. The inside jokes here and there were funny. For instance, the cowardly lion talks about how he didn't have any courage. He continues to go on about how his father took him up on a high rock looking over the village and told him how one day it would all be his! Then comments how he was afraid of heights. Nice Lion King reference within the musical to make you laugh! The musical was very similar to the actual movie, in reference to the dialogue and singing. However the special effects and the overall performance makes these musicals fun and exciting!

Today, I would like to do some cleaning around the apartment. We are halfway through June and I have not done any scrapbooking!! NONE, ZILCH, ZERO!! Part of the problem is my mess in my room! I have stuff all of the place right now on my card table (scrap table) making it really tough to do any artsy craft stuff. So hopefully, I will get in gear and clean today!

I hope everyone has a great week! I am proud of my walking last week. I had 14.7 miles!