Couponing

I’m trying to make use of coupons I get online and in the mail to make my budget stretch farther.  I’m not trying to be an extreme couponer, but I’m definitely all for saving as much money as possible!

Today, I finally organized all of my coupons.  I put them all in a 5x8 index card accordion file that I happened to have from my high school research paper days.  So far, I have the following categories: groceries, home supplies, toiletries, Emma, takeout and shopping.  The first four categories are self-explanatory, but takeout includes all of my restaurant and fast-food coupons and shopping includes coupons I have received in the mail for stores such as Kirklands and Bed Bath and Beyond.  I also have a section in the front that currently holds CVS Extra Care Bucks and %-off coupons from Banana Republic.

The only issue I have with this system so far is that the coupons are not organized by date.  I have many coupons that expire on August 31st, so if I’m going to use them, this week is it.  I’m planning on spending some time this afternoon looking at the various circulars to see if I can pair some of my coupons with store sales before Wednesday.

Hopefully, this system will work and I will be able to get some great deals by remembering to use my coupons!

A Productive Day

It doesn’t seem like I can sleep really late like when I was younger.  I think I tossed and turned from around 7:30-8:00 when I finally decided to get up and get moving.  Emma, of course, was ready to play!

After going outside, I started planning my day.  I bought some new clothes from Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic recently, so I needed more hangers to allow me to put everything away.  I don’t like folding clothes, so it’s wonderful that I have a huge closet.  Mom says I have to start taking one thing out for everything I put in!

After I got the hangers, I made a quick trip to Ann Taylor Loft to return a pair of pants and a skirt that didn’t fit exactly as I’d hoped.  Getting some money from that purchase refunded made my shopping trip yesterday not so bad!

I also had to run to CVS to pick up a prescription and get some of my hair products while they were on sale.  I think I’m stocked up for a while with mousse, hairspray and facial cleanser.

After CVS, I went to the Brentwood Kroger in the same shopping center.  I have been shopping at Publix lately and I have to say that, although I didn’t have a bad experience at Kroger, Publix is much better.  I was a little disappointed with the selections of fruit and produce.  I hope the grapes I bought are ok and I had to look hard before finding baking potatoes that I was satisfied with.  Maybe today was just an “off” day?

It was finally time to come home after grocery shopping.  Unloading everything is so much easier since I just have to carry the bags from the garage straight in to the kitchen.  Much better than the situation in Auburn (three flights of stairs) or at my old apartment (controlled access doors).  I unloaded everything and actually managed to fit everything in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry.  I need to seriously look into getting a deep freezer since I always have trouble fitting everything in my regular one.

Since I got home, I have eaten lunch and am now doing laundry.  I’m on my second of three loads and then I have a few things that need Dryel.  It’s really annoying that many of my work pants and shirts need dry cleaning.  First of all, it’s quite expensive.  Second, I don’t have a dry cleaners here and I would have to take things to Florence or ask someone who to use.  Instead, I try to use Dryel as much as possible and just take things in when absolutely necessary.

My weekend sounds so interesting, huh?  It looks like I’m not going to be here next weekend, so I need to get as much done while I am home.  I like to have a clean house before I go anywhere.  I guess that stems from my childhood when we would clean before leaving for a big trip.  It is nice to come home to a clean, freshly-made bed!

It may sound like a boring weekend, but I’ll feel so much better starting a new week if I know the house is clean, my laundry is done and I have food at home to cook.

Weekend Update

This weekend has been uneventful, but very good at the same time.

Friday night, I came home and immediately busied myself cooking dinner.  I made some of my favorite things and used my grill for the first time (Mom used it a couple of times when she was here, but I hadn’t actually used it yet myself).  Surprisingly, I pulled everything together and was able to eat before 8 o’clock.  Actually, I think everything was ready just after 7—this is remarkable since part of my dinner was a baked potato and those always seem to take forever to cook.  Emma and I also went on our usual evening walk.  I don’t remember what I did after that, but it’s pretty safe to say I watched some TV and went to bed.

Saturday, I woke up earlier than I wanted to and decided to go back to bed after taking Emma outside.  This was a big mistake since I felt sluggish for the rest of the day.  I tried to get going and attempted a CVS run which failed miserably.  I planned my trip around the wrong insert and nothing I planned to buy was actually on sale in the store I went to.  I got frustrated, put everything back and came home empty-handed.  I cooked dinner again and it was so yummy.  The best part of this meal is that I made enough to take to lunch tomorrow.  It’s much easier to eat at my desk when I have something good to eat.  I also caught up on laundry since there’s never enough time to do that during the week.  Emma and I were eaten up by mosquitoes on our walk and the humidity was quite oppressive, so we cut our walk a little short and visited with one of our neighbors and his dog instead.  It’s so funny how Emma is completely comfortable around a huge Lab, but is completely afraid of other small dogs close to her size.

Today, I had intentions of stepping out of my comfort zone and visiting a Sunday School class.  Unfortunately, a nightmare and a storm overnight interrupted my sleep and I didn’t move quickly enough this morning to get ready in time.  I only needed about 15 more minutes, but I didn’t want to go to a class where I would be a first-time visitor and show up late.  Instead, I just went to the 11 o’clock service.  This was only my second time to visit this church, but I have really enjoyed both services.  The minister is a very good storyteller and really captures my attention with his sermons.  I haven’t felt this way about a church I have visited before, so maybe this is a good sign for finding a church home in Nashville. 

I’ve also been working on a few projects for work that didn’t get finished last week.  I really hate working on the weekends, but I felt like I needed to since I spent much more time than was budgeted on one project this week.  I’m going to work for a little while longer on the remaining project I brought home, but I’m not going to lose the rest of my evening to tax returns.  I’ve got clean sheets that need to be put on my bed and a puppy that needs a bath, among other things that I’d rather be doing.

I don’t have many plans for this week.  Thursday starts a sale at Banana Republic and I have “Style Notes” to spend from my last shopping trip there.  There were some shoes I loved last time I was there, but I couldn’t justify spending $120.  Now, they are on sale online, so I’m hoping I that my size will be available in-store.  I’ve really been enjoying wearing pretty dresses and heels lately.  I think it has something to do with how much better you feel when you know you look nice.  I haven’t felt this way in quite some time, so it’s a welcome change from what had become the status quo.

I also ordered some new contacts and I need to go pick them up by 6PM one day this week…getting there by 6 is the challenging part. 

I just remembered…I have a doctor’s appointment Thursday afternoon that Mom is coming for…we can go shopping together afterwards!

Here’s to a great week!

I’m procrastinating…

I have a list of things I should be doing, but instead I decided to write something here…

I should be hanging up and putting away my laundry since I just heard the dryer buzz.

I should be starting dinner, but since I didn’t eat lunch until 2:30, I think I can wait a little longer to start marinating something.  Having a grill again is definitely nice!  I need more practice, though.

I should be working on the two returns I brought home with me since I didn’t manage my time well enough to get them done at work this week.

I should be sweeping my downstairs since I finally found my dustpan in—of all places—the floorboard of the backseat of my car.  I still don’t know how it ended up there or why I didn’t see it earlier since it was all alone back there.

I should be organizing my coupons, but I’m still frustrated from my failed CVS experience this morning.  Note to self: make sure the weekly circular you are looking at is for the actual location you are going to.  The store I went to uses a limited ad…not the full one I planned my trip around.

I shouldn’t be looking at baby things, but I am since I just talked to a sweet friend and found out the gender of her precious baby!  It’s crazy how our conversations have evolved from talking about classes and shopping to baby names and decorating houses!

I shouldn’t even be on here, so I guess I’ll wrap this up for now!

It’s ok…

I’m giving this a shot in an attempt to try to write more!

…to have really frizzy hair after a post-rain walk with Emma

…to have worked on the same project at work every day this week when I should have finished it in a day and a half—at least I’m learning! :)

…to go upstairs with Emma before 9PM—she needs lots of beauty sleep to be so cute!

…to be slightly very obsessive with my morning and evening routine—I do everything in the exact same order every day!

…to be really glad tomorrow’s Friday!

…to use my dog as an excuse to meet all my neighbors—she can’t help it if she’s cute and everyone wants to pet her!

…to try on three different pairs of pants before deciding to just wear a dress!

…to let a cute pair of shoes put a spring in my step and completely make my day!

…to be an old lady and end this now so I can lay down to bed by 10PM!

Second Wind

Why do I always seem to get a second wind late at night?  Especially on Saturday nights?  It’s not like I’m going to go do anything, but I seem to have trouble going to sleep on Saturday.  This makes things especially problematic since I prefer to go to early church services.  Right now, it’s 11PM and I’m not a bit sleepy…this could be from some medicine I’m taking, but I digress.  Anyway, I planned to go to 8:30 church on West End in the morning, but I might go to a different church at 11 if I can’t seem to get up in the morning.

I’ve already cleaned up the kitchen from dinner, unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned the counters and cleaned the sink.  My kitchen sink is porcelain and shows any and all dirt and grime.  I’ve never obsessed about the cleanliness of my sink before, but allowing this one to be dirty really annoys me…as does a dirty cooktop.  Also, I’m determined to keep the downstairs presentable (once I get it that way to start with) and this is one step towards making that happen.  If only I could find my pesky missing dustpan…

While I can’t sleep, I’m going to finish some laundry I have going and pick out some clothes for work next week.  Having a week’s worth of outfits picked out in advance should help with my morning routine.  I actually have enough closet space that I might actually move those five outfits to one of my “spare” closets!  I’ve never used the phrase “spare closet” before!  Eek! :)

If I get really ambitious, I might make Emma exceptionally mad and vacuum the upstairs as well.  My Saturday night is especially exciting, isn’t it?  It’s just so nice to have some energy for a change even if all I’m doing is housekeeping.

I’ve got a list of things to accomplish this weekend and I better get to it while I am motivated.  Motivation doesn’t last often for me, I’m afraid.

My First Place

I hope I don’t get in trouble for this blog title infringing on the name of the television show on HGTV! :)

So, I closed on my house on July 1.  I moved in on July 10.  Most of the boxes are unpacked, but it’s not photo-ready yet.  Eventually, I will post some pictures, but there are several areas that are just not ready for me to share with the world.  The main things I need are a dining room suite and a bedroom suite for my Master bedroom.  The bedroom furniture currently in my room will go to the guest room and I will use the linens from my bedroom at my condo in Auburn in the guest room.  I haven’t found the “exact right” things yet, but like I tell people, “I’ll know it when I see it!”

I feel like there are papers and random “junk” everywhere.  I don’t think my coffee table has been completely cleaned off once since I got here.  I’m trying a new system with my bills I receive in paper and also with my credit card receipts.  My paper shredder is upstairs in the third bedroom and I’m trying to figure out a better place downstairs for it so I don’t have a “things to shred” pile on the table every day.  I need to see if my coat closet has a free plug…that might just work!  I’m also getting tired of dropping my purse on the floor and putting my phone and other things on the bar in the kitchen.  I’m going to have to come up with some kind of system, but I need to be patient and not expect everything to be perfect immediately.  Easier said than done for this type-A personality.

My house is actually a townhouse, so every unit looks almost identical from the front.  My unit does not have much personality since the previous owners didn’t do much, if any, landscaping beyond what is included in the Homeowner’s Association fees.  It’s too hot to plant anything right now, but I’m planning on putting a large pot of my Grandmother’s on the front porch and maybe some mums for the fall.  I also have a large pot of curly ivy of my Grandmother’s that I plan to put on the back deck.  I do have hanging baskets on the deck now, but only the sweet potato vine is seemingly happy.  There is lantana in each basket, but this is the third year I have planted it and it just doesn’t seem to like me.  My favorite plant on the deck, however, is my moon plant.  I’ve had it for three years since Grams gave it to me as a cutting from one of her plants.  Unfortunately, it has never bloomed despite growing like a weed.  I have “threatened” it for the last two years that each year was it’s last chance and if it didn’t bloom, I would throw it away.  Although I am frustrated that it hasn’t bloomed yet, I don’t think I will actually get rid of it.  For a simple green plant, it is pretty and looks very happy growing along my fence. 

I’m planning on putting in some perennials in the back in future.  I would like rose bushes, but I don’t think there is enough direct sunlight for them to be happy.  I would also like traditional hydrangeas, but they wouldn’t bloom as well with indirect light.  I think I’m going to go with oak-leaf hydrangea, but I’m not 100% sure yet.  I have plenty of time to come up with a good plan for both the front and the back since I’m not going to do anything major until the spring.

Sorry this is so disjointed.  I’m trying to do better about blogging, but there are some things going on right now that I’m just not comfortable sharing about.  I might try linking up to some other blogs and doing something fun like “What I’m Loving Wednesdays” to break up the monotony.  I need to get my camera out as well…pictures would definitely help with making this more interesting! :)

A Good Day

Today was a good day!

I attended three different church services today...an all-time record, I believe. I sat in the congregation for early church, sang in the choir for late church and sang again for the evening service. Besides worship, of course, the day was so good because I had the opportunity to visit with my church family-many of whom I consider to truly be family. I haven't laughed and smiled so much in so long! Those special people that I have spent so much time with over many, many years truly made my day, helped to bring me out of my recent "funk" and remind me that I am so blessed to have so many people that care about me!

Sometimes, everyone needs to be reminded they are loved...I can't doubt the truth in that after today! :)

It's been a while...

I think I (finally) figured out how to blog from Mom's iPad. We'll see how it works!

I cut too my cable and internet back in late May after a billing disagreement with Comcast. They wanted me to pay much more per month and I wanted to pay less. ;)

Anyway, I didn't have Internet access at my apartment for a while and then I had issues getting service set up at my new HOUSE (more on that later). I finally have that all straightened out and squared away...knock on wood!

Today is my birthday. I don't feel any different, but 24 seems old. I have done major things in the last year like finish my Master's, moving to Nashville, starting a new job and BUYING A HOUSE!!! I don't know what 24 will bring, but I hope this year is better than the last 6 months...and let's just leave it at that. I do know there are exciting things ahead like decorating my house and a dear friend's wedding to look forward to. I think I'm going to jump on Bill and Giuliana Rancic's boat and declare this the "Year of Fun"! Goodness knows I need to be less serious and have more fun from time to time!

Gotta go...cake time!