7 Quick Takes, Vol. 4

This week's "7 Quick Takes" all relate to a summer camp class that Jillian and I are taking at the local school district. The class is 1.5 hours long and for kids ages 12-22 months and their moms. I wish I had remembered my camera - I will next week!

1. Within the first few minutes of class, both the teacher and the teacher's assistant asked me if Jillian had any older siblings. Apparently they thought her socialness and curiosity would have come from watching an older sibling at home.
2. For the first 15 minutes of class the kids had free-play time. I left Jillian at a little table with buckets and shapes to sort and went over to the diaper bag to grab her sunscreen. I turned around (maybe 30 seconds after walking away from her) and she was sitting on top of the little table so that she could reach all the shapes and put all of them in her bucket.
3. Next up was outside time, she had no interest in the sand table or the sprinkler, but loved the water tray, bubbles and ball pit - all things she has at home.
4. Upon coming back inside, the next activity was crafts. There were 4 crafts to choose from, and I knew all were well beyond Jillian's experience with arts and crafts. We did 2 of the 4 crafts. The first was taking dot paint and dotting a paper plate cut into a fish shape. She didn't understand the dotting and wanted to suck on the dot bottle. I gave her a marker and let her finish her fish by coloring. I was trying to avoid the paint table but alas, Jillian saw it and wanted to play with the paint. The kids were to paint shells with paintbrushes. Jillian mostly just painted her mouth - she just really wanted to eat the paint.
5. Then it was time for circle time, but you know who was not at all interested in sitting on mommy's lap in the circle (I mean, why would she, the room is full of toys to play with). She ended up in the cozy coupe (which we also have a home) and I had to drag her out of it to bring her to the circle. After a couple of songs the teacher brought out a box of musical instruments and the kids each got to pick one. This got Jillian excited and she ran over to grab a shaker. However we only used them for one song and then the kids had to put them away. I pried it out of Jillian's hand and then she followed the teacher to the cabinet where she was putting away the box, pointing and saying "no no no no no no no no."
6. The last activity of the day was snack time. Jillian did pretty well with this one except that she dumped half her goldfish crackers onto the floor. 
7. We got home and she went right down for a nap (and so did I). The teacher says by the end of the 4 week class the kids get used to the routine, I guess we'll see what happens next Wednesday!
   

Walgreens, vol 1

The walgreens receipt doesn't have the regular price for the items on it like the CVS one does so I don't know what the regular prices were. 

Items Purchased:
- 3 boxes of Golden Grahams ($1.99 sale)
- 3 boxes of Cinnemon Toast Crunch ($1.99 sale)
- scunci hair elastics ($2, with $2 RR)
- 2 bottles of pantene ($3.50 each sale, $1 RR with purchase of 2)
- Bayer Asprin ($3.49 sale)
- Huggies Little Swimmers ($6.99 sale price)


As is typical of walgreens, the sale started yesterday and they are already out of the contact solution that was free with Register Rewards. I got the last package of the Huggies Little Swimmers and there were only 3 hair elastics packages left on the shelf.

minus
- save $2 on Little Swimmers (manufacturer coupon)
- save $2 on Little Swimmers (May walgreens coupon book)
- save $3 on 2 Pantene products (manufacturer coupon)
- save $2 on Bayer Asprin (walgreens ad coupon)
- save $1 on Bayer Asprin (manufacturer coupon)
- save $1 on 3 boxes of General Mills cereal (manufacturer coupon)
- save $1 on 3 boxes of General Mills cereal (manufacturer coupon)

Total value of purchases: $32.45

Total out of pocket: $20.45
Total RRs into pocket: $3.00

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at Walgreens:

Total value of purchases: $32.45
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $20.45
Total ECBs generated: $3.00

CVS , vol. 9

Items Purchased:
- 2 boxes of Advil Tablets, regular price $9.49, sale price $7.99, plus $5 ECB when you spend $10 or more on Advil products
- 1 box of tampax pearl tampons, $7.99
- 2 packages of stride chewing gum, regular price $1.49, sale price $.99, plus $0.99 ECB when you buy 1 (limit 1)
- CVS green bag tag, $0.99

minus
- (2) save $2 on advil coupons
- save $2 on tampax pearl
- save $1 on 2 stride chewing gum
- free  CVS green bag tag coupon from coupon machine
- $8.54 in ECB from previous shopping trips

Total value of purchases: $30.94
Total out of pocket: $11.19
Total ECBs into pocket: $8.99
Total ECBs left over from last week: $0

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $267.74
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $73.87
Total ECBs generated: $55.55

Mamarazzi Monday - Easter Egg Hunting

One egg for each hand

playing with the eggs

oops

Grandpa helped her find another one

She was not a fan of the orange egg...not sure why but she kept passing it up!

Extreme Couponing CVS, vol. 8

 Items Purchased:

• Pantene Shampoo - $4.99 (sale price of 2/$6.97, get $1 ECB w/ purchase of 2)
• Pantene Conditioner - $4.99 (sale price of 2/$6.97, get $1 ECB w/ purchase of 2)
• minus $3 off purchase of 2 pantene products

• Herbal Essence Shampoo - $4.29 (sale price of 2/$5.97, get $2 ECB w/ purchase of 2)
• Herbal Essence Conditioner - $4.29 (sale price of 2/$5.97, get $2 ECB w/ purchase of 2) 
• minus (2) save $0.50 on any Herbal Essence product coupons

• 2 Old Spice Fiji Body Wash - $4.99 (sale price of $3.99)
• 2 Old Spice Swagger Body Wash - $4.99 (sale price of $3.99)
• minus (2) buy 1 get 1 free Old Spice Body Wash coupons

• 2 boxes of Cheerios - $4.46 (sale price of $2.47)
• 2 boxes of Golden Grahams - $4.99 (sale price of $2.47)
• 2 boxes of Lucky Charms - $4.39 (sale price of $2.47)
• minus (2) $0.55 off one box of Cheerios coupons  
• minus $1 off purchase of 2 General Mills cereals coupon
• minus $1 off purchase of 2 General Mills cereals coupon
• minus $2 off $10 CVS grocery purchase coupon from CVS coupon machine

• Colgate MaxClean SmartFoam Toothpaste - $2.99 (sale price of  $2.77, get $2.77 ECB w/ purchase)
• Colgate MaxWhite Toothpaste - $3.39 (sale price of $2.77, get $2.77 ECB w/ purchase)
• minus (2) save $0.75 on any colgate toothpaste coupon

• Minus $6.71 in ECBs

Total value of purchases: $72.58
Total out of pocket: $20.53
Total ECBs into pocket: $7.54
Total ECBs left over from last week: $0

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $236.80
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $62.68
Total ECBs generated: $46.56

Extreme Couponing CVS, vol. 7

Items Purchased:

• 2 cvs green bag tags (every 4th scan you get $1 ECB) at $0.99/each (get $0.99 ECB each with purchase)
• PAAS Easter Egg Coloring Kit - $1.99 (get $1.99 ECB with purchase)
• 24 pack of bottled water - $3.99 regular price, on sale for $2.22

Total value of purchases: $7.96
Total out of pocket: $6.62
Total ECBs into pocket: $3.97
Total ECBs left over from last week: $2.74

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $164.22
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $42.15
Total ECBs generated: $39.02

Easter Bunny

I am so proud of my little sweetie...she sat on the Easter bunny's lap at the mall and we even got a cute picture! She was terrified of Santa back in December (we visited him twice and both times she cried). Now to be honest, she wasn't sure what to think of the Easter bunny and a second before the photo was taken I tickled her and then jumped aside so the photographer could snap a photo. But still, she sat for a short time before reaching out to me and giving me her "get me outta here" look.

Extreme Couponing CVS, vol. 6

Items Purchased:

• Froot Loops - $1.69
• Coke - $1.59 (coupon for up to $2 drink or candy value from twitter)
• Bubbles - $3.99 (they were out of the $1.99, get $1.99 ECB w/purchase bubbles so they substituted these higher value bubbles)
• Jelly Beans - $0.99
• Hand Soap $3.99 (coupon for free full sized Essence of Beauty Antibacterial Collection Product when you like CVS Beauty on facebook)
• Russell Stover Chocolate @ $.74 (Get $.74 ECBs WYB 1 – Limit 1)
• $1 ECB from the coupon machine for winter spending

Total value of purchases: $12.99
Total out of pocket: $0
Total ECBs into pocket: $2.73
Total ECBs left over from last week: $0

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $156.26
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $35.53
Total ECBs generated: $35.09

Extreme Couponing CVS, vol. 5

ECB = Extra Care Bucks. They are printed with your receipt when you check out and are good toward your next purchase at CVS.

This week wasn't too terribly exciting in the way of deals and savings, but since I'm tracking my CVS purchases for the year, I have to post.

Total before discounts/coupons:
- Dole Fruit Cups (x4) - 3/$5
- Halls Cough Drops (30 ct bag) - $1.87
- Colgate Toothbrush - $2.99

Used the following coupons:
- $0.75 off 2 Dole fruit cups (traded at coupon exchange playdate - I think it was from a newspaper insert)
- $0.75 off 2 Dole fruit cups (newspaper insert)
- $0.75 off halls cough drops (newspaper insert)
- $0.75 off halls cough drops (newspaper insert)
- $1 off colgate manual toothbrush (newspaper insert)

Total value of purchases: $13.40
Total out of pocket: $9.93
Total ECBs into pocket: $4
Total ECBs left over from last week: $0

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $143.27
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $35.53
Total ECBs generated: $32.36

Who wore it better?

Who wore this dress better at their baby shower? Me or Callie on Grey's Anatomy this week? I have never seen an outfit that I own on TV in a popular show - until I this week's Grey's episode. It felt kind of strange actually to see the same dress I wore at my shower on Callie!

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 3

1. Last night I found myself explaining to Tom what zydeco music was (he brought it up). The funny part is that I had no idea what it was until the new episode of the "Fresh Beat Band" that aired on Monday!
   
2. Jillian got her first pair of real shoes on Monday. They are so cute and seem so tiny - but then I pulled out the shoes she wore at her baptism and those were about half the size of this new pair.
   
3. Jillian started walking just over two weeks ago - it's hard to believe it's only been 2 weeks, since she walks all over the place now, it's so cute!
   
4. I have really been enjoying watching Jillian start to interact with other kids. She likes to sit by other kids, but doesn't play with them yet. Twice this week (at a playdate and at the mall playground) she played the role of the "bad guy." The boys were pretending that Jillian was out to get them and they had to stay away from her, but she kept crawling and walking up to them to try to be next to them.
   
5. I love to see what item Jillian chooses to take to bed with her. Last night it was the Good Night Moon book. At naptime today it was a block.
   
6. It's funny how I look at Jillian and think she's so big, but put her next to older kids and she is so tiny still.
   
7. I am excited to get Jillian a big girl bed this weekend. I'm tired of sleeping with her, and this will allow us to have a more structured bedtime routine because I won't have to stay in bed with her like I do now, because we won't have to worry about her rolling out of bed with a mattress on the floor.

Extreme Couponing CVS, vol. 4

ECB = Extra Care Bucks. They are printed with your receipt when you check out and are good toward your next purchase at CVS.

Total before discounts/coupons:
- Cherieos - $1.99
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch - $1.99
- Lucky Charms - $1.99
- Huggies Wipes - $2.50
- Pampers Wipes - $2.50
- Huggies Little Movers Diapers - $20
- Frosted Flakes single serving - $1
- Umbrella Stroller - $17.99 (free with $25 purchase of baby items)

Used the following coupons:
- $0.50 off huggies wipes (huggies direct mail piece)
- $0.50 off pampers wipes (newspaper insert)
- $2.00 off huggies diapers (huggies direct mail piece)
- $0.75 off box of cherieos (pampers direct mail piece)
- $1.00 off purchase of 2 general mills cereal (newspaper insert)
- $1.00 off CVS purchase of kellogs cereal (CVS coupon machine)
- $10 Extra Care Bucks (ECBs)
- $6.58 ECBs
- $3 ECBs

Total value of purchases: $49.96
Total out of pocket: $7.24
Total into pocket: $0
Total ECBs left over from last week: $0

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $129.87
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $25.60
Total ECBs generated: $28.36

Extreme Couponing CVS, vol. 3

ECB = Extra Care Bucks. They are printed with your receipt when you check out and are good toward your next purchase at CVS.

Total before discounts/coupons:
- Oral B Power Toothbrush - $6.00 (get $3 ECB with purchase)
- Crest Prohealth Toothpaste - $3.29 (get $3.29 ECB with purchase)
- Crest Prohealth Toothpaste - $3.29 (get $3.29 ECB with purchase)
Total: $12.58

Used the following coupons:
- $0.75 off crest toothpaste from newspaper coupon insert
- $0.75 off crest toothpaste from newspaper coupon insert
- $3 off oral B power toothbrush
- $2 Extra Care Bucks (ECB)
- $0.99 ECB
- $1.61 CVS gift card

Out of pocket I paid $3.85

Total value of purchases: $12.58
Total out of pocket: $3.85
Total into pocket: $9.58 in ECBs
Total ECBs left over from last week: $10

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $79.91
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $18.36
Total ECBs generated: $28.36

Extreme Couponing CVS, vol. 2

No picture this week because I already ate the jellybeans!

ECB = Extra Care Bucks. They are printed with your receipt when you check out and are good toward your next purchase at CVS.

Total before discounts/coupons:
- Jelly Beans - $0.99 (get $0.99 ECB with purchase)
- Colgate Total Advanced 5.8 oz - $4.49 (get $2 ECB with purchase)
- Sunday Newspaper - $2
Total: $7.48

Used the following coupons:
- $0.50 colgate from newspaper coupon insert
- $2 Extra Care Bucks (ECB)
- $3.79 ECB

Out of pocket I paid $1.27, but then I realized that the toothpaste ECB did not print. After asking the cashier about this, he adjusted the price of the toothpaste and printed the ECBs for me manually.

Total value of purchases: $7.48
Total out of pocket: $1.27
Total into pocket: $2.99 ECBs, plus a CVS gift card worth $1.61 from the manual price adjustment on the toothpaste
Total ECBs left over from last week: $10

Take the Total ECBs and gift card minus the total out of pocket, and you get a profit of $3.33

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $67.33
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $14.51
Total ECBs generated: $18.78

Extreme Couponing CVS, vol. 1

Today I scored my best "extreme couponing" deal to date at CVS Pharmacy. My purchase total was $59.85, but I ended up MAKING 94 cents on the transaction, and here's how it worked out...

ECB = Extra Care Bucks. They are printed with your receipt when you check out and are good toward your next purchase at CVS.

Total before discounts/coupons:
- Speed Stick Stainguard deodorant - $2.99 (get $2 ECB with purchase)
- Colgate Total Advanced 5.8 oz - $3.79 (get $3.79 ECB with purchase)
- Two Prilosec OTC 42-ct $24.99 each, total $49.98 (get $5 ECB with purchase)
Total: $59.85

 Used the following coupons:
- $0.50 from 1/30/11 newspaper SmartSource coupon insert
- $0.75 from newspaper coupon insert (I forget which insert and week it was from)
- $8 off of purchase of 2 packages from 1/30/11 RedPlum newspaper coupon insert
- $25 rebate with purchase of 2 packages - download HERE
- $1 Extra Care Bucks (ECB) from the "coupon machine" that is just inside the store that you scan your card on and it prints coupons for you.
- $10 CVS gift card


I've seen on other blogs how shoppers keep track of what they spend out of pocket vs the actual retail cost of the items they take home. Below is the summary of this transaction:

Total out of pocket: $14.85 (really $39.85 but I took off the $25 prilosec rebate since I will be getting that back)
Total into pocket: $15.79 ECBs
Total ECBs left over from last week: $0

 Take the Total ECBs minus the total out of pocket, and you get a profit of $0.94.

*******************************************************

As it now stands, here are my savings year to date at CVS:

Total value of purchases: $59.85
Total out-of-pocket that I paid: $14.85
Total ECBs generated: $15.79

*******************************************************

I highly recommend following the blogs below to save yourself time when finding these awesome deals:

• STL Mommy
• Coupon Queen
• Mama Cheaps

My baby is walking

Merry Christmas

Because I couldn't pick a favorite, enjoy these holiday photos of Jillian, by CRWstudio.

Mamarazzi Monday: A Tree in the House

These pictures are from a couple weeks ago, but so cute I couldn't resist sharing!

Picking out our Christmas tree - Jillian is wondering why we took her out in such cold weather

Jillian wondering why there is a tree in the house.

Mamarazzi Monday: Snow

It was too cold to go out in the snow, so I brought it inside. She wasn't impressed.

However, I did make her a snow man.

Look who's on the move!

Who does she look like more?

Daddy, Jillian and Mommy, all around 6 months old

Jillian Dancing

Mamarazzi Monday: swings!

enjoying the last warm day of the year at the park

7 months old

Monthly pic with Mr. Bear

• Went on her first car trip to Chicago and Peoria Illinois to visit mommy's extended family (we switched her to the convertible car seat before we left so she'd be more comfortable in the car)
• Her 2 bottom teeth came in!
• Started prunes, chicken, blueberries, cherries, beef and puffs
• Likes to watch ceiling fans
• Loves the frog puppet that sings
• Went to the playgroup fall festival and to the pumpkin patch with the playgroup (and one with Mommy and Daddy)
• Makes kissing noises
• Met our Parents as Teachers educator
• Visited the local elementary school (already)
• goes from laying to sitting
• gets up on all fours but doesn't crawl yet
• pulled up to standing on her toybox
• Went to Boo at the Zoo and went trick-or-treating as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz
• Likes to pick out her clothes for the day from the closet

picking out her clothes

First Halloween

Just a quick blog post to share some halloween photos of my little sweetie! We had a fun weekend - carved pumpkins on Friday night, went to Boo at the Zoo on Saturday and Trick-or-Treating on Sunday.

Checking out the pumpkin guts

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

All dressed up in my Dorothy costume that Mommy made, and ready to trick-or-treat.

Double fisting the candy - she was content to chew on the candy in the wrappers - it's a good thing she doesn't know what is inside the wrappers!

Half a year old

6 months old

• Weighed 17lbs, 15oz and was 25.5 inches long at her doctor visit at the beginning of the month month doctor visit
• Says mamamama
• Started sweet potatoes, squash (didn't agree with her), apples, bananas, peaches, pears and mum-mums
• passes toys from one hand to the other
• Finally rolled over from her back to stomach
• Pet the goats at the zoo
  

  

  petting the goats at the zoo

  
  
• Bangs the high chair toys on the tray
• Scoots around on her butt
• Pulled herself up from sitting to her knees
  
  

  

  My little camera ham showing off
  (we have lowered the crib mattress now)

5th Month Memories

5 months with Mr. Bear

This blog entry is WAY late as she turns 6 months next Tuesday. At any rate, here's a recap of Jillian's 5th month:

• Sleeps in her crib at night
• Kicks her legs and waves her arms around (we call it restless baby leg)
• Loves to splash in the bath
• Sits in highchairs at restaurants and the shopping cart at stores
  
  
  
  
• Started checking out board books from the library with Mommy
• Looks for dropped toys
• Sits upright in the stroller
• Sits unassisted for several minutes at a time
• Started green beans, peas and carrots this month
• Reached out and felt the rain
• Loves the jumperoo

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 2

1. This morning I had to change Jillian's diaper when she woke up at 6:45 - I usually wait until we get out of bed around 8:30 to change her, as changing her diaper signals that it's morning and she won't go back to sleep after she nurses if I change her diaper first. Anyway, I didn't bother to put clothes back on her since we were going to be under the covers in my bed. The little stinker started opening the tabs on her diaper! Guess we won't be going around in just a diaper much anymore!
   
   
2. So what do you think about the Katy Perry/Sesame Street debate? We don't watch Sesame Street yet (she doesn't show any interest - but she loves the Wonder Pets and Yo Gabba Gabba on NickJr), but I watched the video and to be honest, I probably wouldn't have thought much of her outfit. Kind of sad as I'm so used to seeing this kind of stuff on regular TV that I don't think it would have jumped out at me.
   
   
3. Jillian loves touching things and has recently shown an interest in touching animals - this week we pet a dog during a walk one morning, and she has pet Chili the chinchilla a couple times now. Of course as luck would have it, the inlaws 70 lb golden retriever is scared of her! I am anxious to take her to the zoo and see if she shows interest in the animals there.
   
   
4. I just read yesterday that our trash collection company, Veolia has sold off all their equipment, trucks, etc, as of Oct. 1 to a different local company. Problem is that Veolia has contracted with the county, and the county won't switch the contract to the new company without bidding out the collection service which takes 60 days. I just want to know who is going to be collecting the trash for us next Friday (Oct. 1).
   
   
5. We tried the mesh feeder this week for the first time - Jillian loves feeding herself. We've done apples and bananas in the feeder so far. Check out the video below of Jillian eating an apple slice.
   
   
   
   
6. She's also really into Baby Mum Mum's (rice crackers that dissolve in her mouth) now, as evidence from the picture below. I have found these at Walgreens and Walmart.
   
   
   
   
7. Lastly, our kitchen has ants in it again. This usually happens in the spring but the huge rain we had a few days ago brought them in and it's driving me crazy!

PS - I know I haven't posted the 5 month update yet - it's coming, eventually!

Growing Up Fast

This past week Jillian has done several new things...

• She is sitting (unassisted) really well now, and can move from sitting to laying on her stomach. She has even gotten her knees under her trunk a few times but hasn't actually started to move yet. I'm pretty sure she'll be crawling in the next month though.
• During the day whenever I fill a glass with water from the fridge dispenser, I let Jillian feel the cold glass and recently I have been letting her taste the water. Well we were at a restaurant for lunch on Friday and the waitress sat Tom's glass of iced tea in front of him. He was holding Jillian and she immediately put both hands on the glass and started pulling it toward her mouth. Not only did she taste the tea but she started licking the lime stuck on the top of the glass!
• Today we were sitting on the couch eating our dinner (Chipolte) and I had sat Jillian on the floor in front of me while we were eating. She looked up at me and crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her bottom lip! I've never seen her cross her arms before.

Mamarazzi Monday: Jillian and Friends

Crinkle King
(can you tell this one is her favorite?)

Green Bug

Frog Legs

Crinkle Kitty

See Mamarazzi Monday entries from other bloggers - click the icon below!