a waste of perfectly good snack crackers

It has been two week since we returned from Naples and I am really missing the relaxing atmosphere of the resort, the two swimming pools, the fact that I didnt have to work at all, the potential for seeing manatees in the waterways below.....but most of all I miss the maid service!

OOoops! I dropped a handful of Cheez-Its on the floor and there are crumbs everywhere!

Oh fucking well.

Well, I wasnt totally mean, I did pick up the larger crumbs.

And when Jeff shook out his bathing suit to find a million and a half tiny shells and sea creatures had taken up residence in them...he cleaned some of it up too.

We are completely nice when we travel.

We even made friends with our waitress, Eileen, when we ate at The Mangrove Cafe in Naples. They had the absolute best deal ever....any two entrees from their dinner menu PLUS 1 bottle of wine - all for only $25. And it was the best fucking meal we had when we were down there.

Here, Eileen has taken a lovely picture of us after we had stuffed ourselves on pork tenderloin and veal.

And since we've been home it is right back to business as usual.

Brady lazily spent one afternoon on his Pooh couch reading book after book after book.

If you notice he is reading this one upside down so we arent too sure how much he absorbed. But hey, he's trying. And he's not even two. So we cut him slack. Lots of slack.

And we are back to spending hours upon hours on the swingset. The perfectly free swingset. My moms neighbor gave it to us. Seriously just gave it to us...and it is in wonderful condition too! Totally the best deal we have gotten for house equipment!

And our lot is large enough that the kids have tons of room to run around.

Here the monsters adorable children are - posing for a picture - its what they do best.

But other than the normalities of life...things are either bat shit busy or paint drying boring.

Happy Monday~

75% and radiation

I took advantage of the Giant Eagle Breyers ice cream sale - picked up 6 containers for only $6!

Then I picked up 13 boxes of Kellogg's cereal for only $.50 per box! It isn't as fabulous as my free cereal deal in May but $.50 is much better than $4.

I managed to save 75% on my final bill and only paid $25.84...so amazing. Cannot believe I haven't been shopping like this for years now.

There isn't anything noteworthy going on this weekend unless you are as excited as I am that I am going to reorganize the stockpile storage pantry.

You say this bores you greatly?

Fine by me.

I get off doing sick shit like reorganizing closets and pantries. I have some fundamental defect that allows me to stare at empty shelves and see fun putting jars of spaghetti sauce in rows. And I would even spin this into a business if I could...I would come to your house and organize the fuck outta your closets, your garage and your dressers. I used to go over to my moms house and clean out her freezer/fridge and her pantry because they were so nasty to look at that I just couldnt take it anymore. Wasnt my house and she didnt mind the clutter. But I had to do it, like some twisted OCD ritual.

And it totally helps that I rock at it too.

If people think I am weird or just plain bat shit crazy because I like to have a plethora of food in the house as a fail safe then I guess I wont be inviting them over to dinner when the nukes drop and the only person on the block with enough food to last through the radiation stage where we all grow tails in the middle of our backs and our toes fall off is me...then fine. Wont make me loose sleep at night. Mostly because I think the radiation would make us nocturnal. Which would be SO much better for most women...we wouldnt have to wear as much makeup because almost everyone looks sultry in the moonlight.

And who doesnt want to look sultry with no toes and a tail while eating spaghetti, ice cream and cereal at 4am?

my stockpile goal

I think I have an up and coming future in the voice over industry.

I am the voice to the new 800 number Jeff set up to further market his listings.

In my head I totally sound like Cindy Crawford. In reality I sound like someone is choking a cat while promoting beautiful decks and spacious living rooms.

But Jeff doesn't mind and he has had numerous (2) complaints compliments on whoever does his voice work.

I am not quitting my day job as of yet. Unless we win the lotto. I did win $5 last month...which is totally going into the vending machine at work today.

Speaking of money we are doing a fabulous job stockpiling food for next to nothing.

I have a different price point for each food and luckily I can remember them all as I hop from store to store for the deals.

I don't pay more than $.25 for a tube of toothpaste, $.25 for shampoo, $.50 for cereal...you get the idea. How can I get that price? The grocery stores I visit double most coupons giving me amazing savings - pair that with a killer sale and you have super mega cheap food.

As of now we have a supply of over 50 single serving instant mac and cheese cups, 8 bottles of shampoo for Jeff, 8 tubes of toothpaste, more Kraft salad dressing than I can count - same with BBQ sauce and A1...we are beyond stocked in so many areas that I cannot even list them all here.

Why would I want to keep so much food and toiletries around?

Well, for one...to save money. I got all of these items for free or next to free.

I have the space available in the mud room to store them until we need them...I have also been generous and given some away to Jeff's mom, my mom and even my brother.

Since I receive these items for free or next to nothing I am able to pick up a couple at a time - lessening the amount of time I have to get them in the future while picking it up at a fabulous price. I still pay full price for most dairy and the necessities like meat.

But I try and buy smart on those items as well.

Couponing isn't a fad, it isn't for the poor or unemployed...it is for anyone willing to maximize their shopping dollar and create a food stockpile that will sustain them through rough times.

Now Jeff and I are not hoping for unemployment or the housing market to turn even more. Nor are we stockpiling to prepare for a nuclear war or bird flu. We believe in couponing and stockpiling to provide for our family in the most cost effective way possible. This has lessened our grocery spending drastically over the past three months and I am thrilled.

We used to spend anywhere from $100 - $150 each WEEK on groceries and necessities for our family of 4. That is $600 a month on food! What a waste!

Now we probably spend about half of that or less during a busy month. Our must buy list each week has gone down..I don't have to write toothpaste, shampoo, pasta, pasta sauce...on our list anymore. And I am looking forward to hooking up the side by side fridge in the garage to be able to stockpile even further!

Funny enough - I say 'we' stockpile...in this post we means I and I alone. He fully supports me in my nutty couponing so I guess we is an us. He doesn't even make fun of my coupon binder anymore.

Either way, I do the work and he reaps the rewards - lucky duck!

Here is what I would envision for my stockpiling future...a basement or large laundry room where I can set up in the following manner:

Nope, I am not nuts...I just don't see the need in paying full price when I can 'shop' from the stockpile I purchased for free!

How do you stockpile now?

Any items you cannot get enough of?

headed to America's roller coast

Tonight is the first night we experience my Christmas gift...yes, it really has taken us this long to find an evening to go to Cedar Point.

So pathetic in so many ways.

The park has been open for almost 2 months. 2 freakin months.

I keep telling myself that it is alright because those first few months are full of vacationers and high school kids.

The best time to experience Cedar Point is in the evenings and in the fall during Halloweekends.

This is way more than just an 'amusement park'. They have EVERYTHING.

Including my favorite ride of all time...Raptor.

July 1 in effect

July 1.

Jeff's birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!

First day back at work after vacation.

I am sure that to most people this would mean returning phone calls and answering emails.

Nah, not to me.

It means that I have time to print coupons from my work printer so I dont have to buy new ink at home.

The vacation was highly memorable and the weather was 101 when we arrived...cooling off to the high 90's so as to not kill us.

We spent time at the beach and got nasty red seaweed in places that the sun dont shine. (there really is nothing quite as fun as showering with your significant other and picking red seaweed out of and off of their body)

We sunned ourselves next to the waterfall and on the lazy river at the resort and we took in some local sightseeing.

The actual trip part of the trip was too short. The drive was too long. But it was a good time and the food was killer for the most part.

Back to real life...