Snack Situation

So now that it's summer does anyone else have a snack situation at their house?

It is PRETTY bad at my house...Tuesday I went to the grocery store and loaded up on snacks...10 minutes later my kids have ripped into almost everything I bought!

Not Cool...especially when your on a tight budget as it is....and I had to make my groceries last a little longer with kids home all day, and friends in and out of the house.

So Wednesday I got out my Stampin Up Digital Studio and made up this fun little printable.  You can right click the black and white one and save it then print it if you want to implement the same system in your family.

So I set some rules with my kids that they can only have 2 snacks a day...fruits and veggies are unlimited...then I laminated the sheet and they mark off when they have their snack.  They actually think its really cool to mark their snacks off so you might be surprised!  No more raids in the pantry!  Hooray!

I also hung it up on the inside of my pantry door....

 This is the one I made for my kids!  If you don't want to do the work let me know and I'll make you one personalized with your kids names, laminate, and a dry erase marker for $5.00 :)

Happy Snacking!

Cheap Pedicure

Me and Emma found this little kit at the store so we decided to do our nails today. They are suppossed to stay on at least 10 days, so we'll see if that's really true!

Just a fun thing to do on a hot summer day!

MMMM Homeade Jam

Easy Easy Easy...pick your favorite fruit and follow the directions on the Pectin or Sure Jell. I've never made Raspberry before....soooo good!

Scentsy Party / Coupon Class

Hey there next TUESDAY Oct. 19Th at 7 p.m. I am having a coupon class at my house! It is FREE to come and learn how to save some money! I already ordered my papers I'm hoping they start this Sunday! I'm so excited Kira's got me pumped to cut my grocery bill in half at the very least! Come bring your questions and get some great tips on how to store that mound of coupons you already have!

Also I opened up a scentsy party I'll keep it open till next Christmas! What a great stocking stuffer or great gift for the mother in law, sister, friend! They have their Yummy scents for fall out! I've been burning Autumn Sunset, but I'm excited to invest in some cozy flavors: Vanilla Walnut, Toasted Carmel sugar, Baked Apple Pie, Pumpkin Roll! As always they have awesome deals where you can get a discount if you buy multiple items....I desperately need a plug in for our bathroom that doesn't have a fan!

So stop by this week sometime and get you some scentsy, or come by Tuesday for a fun night off from the kids!

School Clothes Shopping Tips....

So today I opened up my facebook and I had two messages about how to save money on school clothes shopping. Just what is on my mind!!!

So here is what I've been up too, who knows if it will work for you but it works for us!

1. First off prepare a budget for each child. It is something that you could do together so he/she may learn the value of money!

2. Second I've cleaned out my children's closets, and drawer's (whether they are going to school or not) it's a great way to declutter, and get the things out of the way that don't fit anymore.

3. Third make a list of what each child needs. Since I only have two kids in school these list will be very minimal. Hello Emma still fits in her clothes from last year!

4. Watch for bargains, and when you see them GET THEM...or next time you go they'll be gone or super picked over! I got Emma some darling shirts from Walmart today for $3 bucks, and Corbin some cute skater shoes for $9 that were marked down from $29!

5. Don't forget your list when you go shopping that is key to not buying too much, oh and I also like to take cash and put it in separate envelopes with each child's name on it so I don't over spend then have to pay for it for the next couple of weeks! This year I'm also planning on taking Emma by herself so we can have a mother/daughter day. It's a special time for her, and it's great for both of us. I know it's hard to do that but just swap some babysitting with someone so that person could do that as well!

Those are my tips may not work for you, but they have worked well for us for the past couple of years!

My list for Emma:
3 pairs of jeans (she still has 3 that are in awesome shape, and still look great, plus I don't want to waist all my money on this in case she has a growth spurt....oh and I always make sure 1 pair is for special occasions or that she takes them off when she gets home from school so those stay nice cause it's pretty hard to avoid holes in the knees at this age!)
6-8 T-shirts
4 Sweaters
2 pairs of shoes (1 pair of tennis shoes, 1 pair of flats)
Socks (10-14 pairs, sorry I don't do laundry more than once a week, and they always seem to disappear)
Under ware (same amount)
Possible skirt with a top that matches for special occasions
1 pair of boots (I'll hold off till I can get a AWE-some deal)
1 Jacket (Got a super cute one at Kid to Kid for $4 bucks)
Oh and if you have a little girl don't forget to buy a super cute headband from me to go with her outfit. LOL

Editing Photos.....

Want a nice FREE tip???? Try http://www.picnik.com/ I love editing my photo's with there program. You can do up to 5 at a time for FREE! Love it, also you can upload them right onto your facebook!

So in LOVE....with coupons!

So yes call me a freak but I So LOVE saving $$$....I got some freaking good deals last night at the grocery store. I spent about a hour before hand clipping coupons, and matching ads, and checking out http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/ for other quick tips. It's worth it to do that and save $70, it's like making that much per hour on stuff I would have bought anyways. My favorite deal....Snow White $5.00....yep you heard it! You can use your old UPC and at disney movie rewards and get a $10 off coupon. Then you can find various rebates, I opted for Hefty plates...Paper plates are always handy especially when you hate doing dishes! I got cleaner, baby stuff, soda, air freshners, food, and more food, and snow white, for $90.00. I love it!

So here are my grocery's from last night, yes call me a freak but I love saving Money$$$$....I freakin got some great deals last night. I spent

No you don't deserve it....Dave Ramsey

This is a post from a couple of weeks ago.....

So on our way to Lake Powell we decided to listen to our financial peace Cd's. I love listening to Dave Ramsey. He makes saving money fun, and helps you break your bad habits. I love his theory on how people think they deserve stuff so they just buy it. Then he flat out says NO you don't deserve it, not unless it's in your budget and your paying cash. I highly recommend taking his class if you want to get out of debt, get out of the rut your in, and learn how to save money. We took the class two years ago and went from being $40,000 debt (not including our home at the time) to around $5,000. He has taught me how to spend the money I have, I've managed to open all three of my kids a savings account, we have an emergency fund, and we don't use credit cards anymore! It has been such a blessing in our lives! But it was way good to listen to his Cd's again, to help me get motivated! So I spent a few minutes last night going through the ads and took my cash to the grocery store, I would of spent $250 if I would not have taken the time to do this. I feel like if I can save money on grocery's, and do my part at home, it's like having a job! Well here are my super deals I got today! Luvs $5.99, Miracle Whip $1.00, Capri Sun .60 cents, Simlac Formula .20 cents(I'm still in shock on that one!), Oatmeal .25 cents! So I spent $90 bucks on all this stuff. Laugh if you must on my post, but it gets my adrenaline pumpin! I love it!