0 Kids, 60 minutes, 6 errands

Anyone who has ever done errands with kids in tow will appreciate how much faster it is to shop without them. The kids were napping this afternoon (or refusing to nap in Caleb’s case), and I headed out to run some errands. I was able to make six stops in just over an hour. No way I could have done that with 2 kids in tow.

#1 – Blockbuster
I ran in to return Bella (which was okay but not great) and pick up Hogfather for Dave (which I hope to not have to watch). This was free because we have Blockbuster Total Access and can return movies we got by mail and get a free rental from the store.

#2 – Walgreens
I picked up my ink cartridge refill that I dropped off a few weeks ago. It cost $5 instead of the $25 a new cartridge would cost. I paid with a Walgreens gift card and $1.02 in cash.

#3 – Bank
I cashed a check to use for lunch money when we go to the Georgia Aquarium tomorrow.

#4 – Aldi
I spent about $30 here. Aldi has the lowest prices on several different things, so I try to stop in there every week or two. Some examples are Beef Bologna for $1.09, 1 dozen eggs for $1.25, a gallon of milk for $2.49, strawberries for $1.99, hamburger and hotdog buns for $.79 and a whole pineapple for $.99. If you have an Aldi near you, you really should check it out.

#5- Taco Bell
I had a coupon for a free Fruitista Freeze, which I thought would be perfect for a hot day like today. Unfortunately, the machine was broken, but they gave me a free drink instead and let me keep my coupon to use another time.

#6 – Publix
There are a few things that I can’t get at Aldi or can get for cheaper on sale with coupons, so I stopped in to Publix as well. I spent around $30 there, too, and I saved $30. Some of the good deals I got at Publix this week were:
Hebrew National hotdogs – B1G1F, 2 $.75 coupons
Europe’s frozen berry mix (I use this for smoothies) – B1G1F
Glass Plus cleaner – B1G1F, 2 $.50 coupons that doubled
Popsicles – B1G1F
Freschetta frozen pizza – B1G1F, $.75 coupon
I also had a coupon for $5/$35 purchase, but the cashier gave me the discount without me actually having to give him my coupon. So, I get to keep my coupon to use another time.

All in all, it was a very successful trip, and it was good to get out of the house by myself for a little bit.

Pool Time

Val and his mommy invited us to go swimming at their neighborhood pool today, and Aunt Molly came, too. Caleb had lots of fun splashing in the baby pool, and Alexa played with Val.

Just Can't Stay Away From CVS

Here's what I got today for $0 out of pocket since I paid with a CVS money card.
1 Nivea shave gel
3 32 oz Powerade
1 CVS band aids
1 Huggies hair/body wash
1 Fusion razor (I had to go back specifically for this, as they are Dave's favorite razor and I forgot my coupon yesterday)

Can You Guess What He's Been Watching Lately?

Some of Caleb's favorite new words are Elmo, Oscar, Grover (which he uses for Grover and Cookie Monster), Bert, Ernie, and Big Bird. Really he just watches the whole Sesame Street show waiting for Elmo's World to come on at the end.

Just Chillin'

Playing in the pool on the deck

Alexa has learned how to get on the futon by herself, and she loves sitting up there reading books. Caleb is watching an Elmo movie, his favorite.

CVSing Again

Well, it was not an amazing day at CVS, but they did pay me to take home 6 cans of men's shaving cream, 2 bottles of mouthwash, and 2 men's deodorants. Hopefully the men's shaving cream does not smell too strong because I am almost out of my shaving gel and will be using it soon. :)

Deck Building Day 3 and a Finished Play Set

Dave and his dad worked hard today and got the deck finished before lunch. After lunch, they got to work on the new play set, which they were able to finish before dinner. The kids had fun swimming in their pool on the deck, and we all ate a yummy, hot, fly-infested dinner outside. Now everyone is relaxing, and Dave's parents are packing to leave in the morning.