I have never been one to cut coupons. For deals, I've pretty much always just relied on the in-store specials with your store card or for retail stuff, the sales racks (even then, I'm not the best bargain shopper). However, lately I've been thinking that maybe I SHOULD look into coupon cutting. I mean, with a crappy economy -- why not try and save a few bucks off a grocery bill? Plus, with coupon saving blogs and now, even a coupon saving show on TLC, its hard not to be curious!
In the past, I've always just tossed the coupons and store inserts we constantly get in the mail. I found them bothersome as they just sit on my dining room table and start piling up until they get thrown out in one foul swoop. But, the past few weeks I've been glancing through them, and putting some aside that I thought we might use. About 60% of the coupons we get are useless to us anyway, but some caught my interest!
So, I decided to join the coupon saving game! Okay, so I haven't actually done it yet, but today, I starting cutting some out for our next shopping trip! I'm actually kind of excited about it. I was surprised at how many different coupons were out there, and coupons for stuff we actually use.
I do not, however, plan to be a crazy coupon cutter that gets $1,000 worth of stuff for $70. Thats awesome, but really, a little insane. Who needs 30 bottles of Maloxx or 10 packs of lunch meat?
At any rate, as soon as I get my coupon saving game face on, I will surely report back about how it goes/how much money is saved!
Stay tuned.. :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
time to get crafty!
I used to pride myself on being a crafty person. When I was a kid, I was always the one getting the fun little "craft" sets like window clings or some other type of artsy thing. Over time though, I've kinda lost the drive to WANT to be crafty. Once in awhile though, I see something that strikes me interest, and I just have to do it.
Like the other night, for example. I was reading through some blogs and stumbled across this adorable wreath the blogger had made, out of her husband's old Air Force BDU'S. PERFECT! Not only have we been needing a neutral wreath to keep on our door in between holidays, but, my husband just so happens to have TONS (and I do mean tons!) of old ACU's in his foot lockers in our basement.
The wreath itself looked easy enough, so I got to work on googling exactly how to make one. It took a little research, as I stumbled upon several sites where women were offering up the instructions via a PDF file -- for a price. Really? Or, I could buy a pre-made wreath for $40+ if I wanted. Again, really? Luckily, I found another blog nice enough to list the steps for FREE (honestly, after all was said and done, I probably could have figured it out on my own) so I was grateful for that!
Last night after work, I headed to the craft store to pick up a few supplies I needed. Once I got home, I had Ryan dig around for a uniform that he wouldn't mind I chop up. After that, I got to work! Originally, I planned to just focus on the cutting of the pieces, and construct the actual wreath the next day. Once I finished dissecting the pants, I had quite a large pile of fabric squares, so I decided to maybe stick just a few pieces in the wreath, just to see what it looked like. Well, just a few turned into the whole wreath! lol. At one point, Ryan even joined me on the floor, helping me cut material and get even more fabric out of the tricky parts of the uniform (mainly the pocket and hem areas) -- teamwork! I am very pleased with how it turned out, and I think it looks great on our door :)
Like the other night, for example. I was reading through some blogs and stumbled across this adorable wreath the blogger had made, out of her husband's old Air Force BDU'S. PERFECT! Not only have we been needing a neutral wreath to keep on our door in between holidays, but, my husband just so happens to have TONS (and I do mean tons!) of old ACU's in his foot lockers in our basement.
The wreath itself looked easy enough, so I got to work on googling exactly how to make one. It took a little research, as I stumbled upon several sites where women were offering up the instructions via a PDF file -- for a price. Really? Or, I could buy a pre-made wreath for $40+ if I wanted. Again, really? Luckily, I found another blog nice enough to list the steps for FREE (honestly, after all was said and done, I probably could have figured it out on my own) so I was grateful for that!
Last night after work, I headed to the craft store to pick up a few supplies I needed. Once I got home, I had Ryan dig around for a uniform that he wouldn't mind I chop up. After that, I got to work! Originally, I planned to just focus on the cutting of the pieces, and construct the actual wreath the next day. Once I finished dissecting the pants, I had quite a large pile of fabric squares, so I decided to maybe stick just a few pieces in the wreath, just to see what it looked like. Well, just a few turned into the whole wreath! lol. At one point, Ryan even joined me on the floor, helping me cut material and get even more fabric out of the tricky parts of the uniform (mainly the pocket and hem areas) -- teamwork! I am very pleased with how it turned out, and I think it looks great on our door :)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
april showers bring may flowers...hopefully?
Our trip out west was wonderful. Exactly what we needed! It was a quick trip, but trust me, it was great for both of us. I got to get away from work for a few days and Ryan was on spring break, so he was already away from school -- but otherwise, he would have sat at home all week. Not to mention, the sunshine did wonders for us! We returned home with color while the rest of the city was still pale! It was sooo nice being able to take off some layers and soak in the vitamin D after months and months of cold weather and snow!
I got a chance to see & explore gorgeous San Diego, and also Arizona! I had never been to Arizona before, so that was a new experience for me. I actually enjoyed it, though my husband talks down about it all the time! One day, we even ventured into Mexico for a few hours. Even though we were literally just miles from the border, it was still neat to see! I left with a gucci wallet and a prada bag ;)Getting that bag took some SERIOUS bargaining skills. I refused to pay what the guy was asking (I mean hello, you NEVER pay full price for a knock off!) and kept trying to walk away. Eventually, the guy followed me out the store and finally offered me a price I couldn't refuse. WINNING! haha. 
It was also nice to spend some time with the in-law's and get a glimpse into my husband's life before me. Much to his disbelief, I still want to be married to him after seeing Yuma. LOL. In all seriousness though -- how could you not fall in love with a sunset like THAT?? I always thought Erie had a beautiful sunset (it still does, I promise) but I'm pretty sure Arizona has a one up in that department!
Ah, California. This was my third time there, and as usual, it did not disappoint. I absolutely love it there. LOVE IT. I've now been to three different parts of the state, and I've loved each one. I truly wish it were not so far away from my family because I would totally move there in a heartbeat. I don't even know what it is about it that draws me in, but I feel very content there. Probably the palm trees? We don't have those up north! lol.
Much thanks to Rainier hosting us and being our (well, my) tour guide while there! I definitely got my fill of In-N-Out Burger and Pinkberry (for the time being, anyway!) I hope that someday soon, we can make it back out there! It's definitely a bonus having a husband with friends and family in fun places :)
I got a chance to see & explore gorgeous San Diego, and also Arizona! I had never been to Arizona before, so that was a new experience for me. I actually enjoyed it, though my husband talks down about it all the time! One day, we even ventured into Mexico for a few hours. Even though we were literally just miles from the border, it was still neat to see! I left with a gucci wallet and a prada bag ;)Getting that bag took some SERIOUS bargaining skills. I refused to pay what the guy was asking (I mean hello, you NEVER pay full price for a knock off!) and kept trying to walk away. Eventually, the guy followed me out the store and finally offered me a price I couldn't refuse. WINNING! haha. 
It was also nice to spend some time with the in-law's and get a glimpse into my husband's life before me. Much to his disbelief, I still want to be married to him after seeing Yuma. LOL. In all seriousness though -- how could you not fall in love with a sunset like THAT?? I always thought Erie had a beautiful sunset (it still does, I promise) but I'm pretty sure Arizona has a one up in that department!Ah, California. This was my third time there, and as usual, it did not disappoint. I absolutely love it there. LOVE IT. I've now been to three different parts of the state, and I've loved each one. I truly wish it were not so far away from my family because I would totally move there in a heartbeat. I don't even know what it is about it that draws me in, but I feel very content there. Probably the palm trees? We don't have those up north! lol.
Much thanks to Rainier hosting us and being our (well, my) tour guide while there! I definitely got my fill of In-N-Out Burger and Pinkberry (for the time being, anyway!) I hope that someday soon, we can make it back out there! It's definitely a bonus having a husband with friends and family in fun places :)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
helllllo february!
It's been over a month since my last post -- and its nearly the end of February already! I need to get on the boat here with regular updates.
The weather is much, much nicer around these parts, which has been completely lovely. I know that it has the ability to change at any given moment, so I am just enjoying the sunshine and soaking up the rays as much as I can. It was a little chillier today than it has been the past few days, but the sun was still out!
Our first Valentine's Day as Mr. & Mrs. was nice. The husband did very well, and had two dozen assorted roses sent to me at work :) It was a great surprise, and he knew how much I always wanted to have flowers delivered to me at work. lol. Everyone was complimenting them whenever they walked past my desk! We also enjoyed a nice italian dinner that evening. For my part, I made him a cookie bouquet and got him an itune's giftcard. Nothing fancy, but the whole point of the holiday is to show the people you love, how much you care about them -- right? In all honesty though, Ryan does a great job at that every day. Even if its just the smallest gesture, he truly does do a great job at making me feel special and loved <3.
In less than two weeks, we'll be flying out to San Diego & Arizona for a few days. I am SO looking forward to this trip! We're calling it our "mini-moon" since we haven't taken a real honeymoon yet. We are still planning on going, but probably a little later this year. However, our trip out west should be a good time and a nice little getaway. I'll get to see where my hubby hails from, and where he spent the majority of his childhood :) According to him, Yuma is a terrible place -- but I need to experience it myself! Not to mention, there are several In-N-Out Burger's ;)
I truly enjoy Sundays. I feel most like a "housewife" on this day (not that I aspire to be a housewife!) because I do domesticated things like catching up on the laundry, cleaning up around the house and cooking a nice, homecooked meal. I try to cook every night, but when I'm getting home from work after 6:30p five nights a week, its tough to be "fancy" So, I typically use weekend nights to make the good, time consuming stuff. Plus, I think Ryan appreciates it after coming off of 12 hour shifts every weekend. lol. Tonight, I have homemade spaghetti sauce with both sausage meatballs and beef meatballs simmering on the stove. It smells absolutely delicious. Plus, we have some fresh foccacia bread on the side. I can't wait for him to get home so we can dig in!
I spoke too soon about the gorgeous weather -- in the time it took me to start typing this post, it started SNOWING. Can I get a giant W.T.F and a thumbs down??
The weather is much, much nicer around these parts, which has been completely lovely. I know that it has the ability to change at any given moment, so I am just enjoying the sunshine and soaking up the rays as much as I can. It was a little chillier today than it has been the past few days, but the sun was still out!
Our first Valentine's Day as Mr. & Mrs. was nice. The husband did very well, and had two dozen assorted roses sent to me at work :) It was a great surprise, and he knew how much I always wanted to have flowers delivered to me at work. lol. Everyone was complimenting them whenever they walked past my desk! We also enjoyed a nice italian dinner that evening. For my part, I made him a cookie bouquet and got him an itune's giftcard. Nothing fancy, but the whole point of the holiday is to show the people you love, how much you care about them -- right? In all honesty though, Ryan does a great job at that every day. Even if its just the smallest gesture, he truly does do a great job at making me feel special and loved <3.
In less than two weeks, we'll be flying out to San Diego & Arizona for a few days. I am SO looking forward to this trip! We're calling it our "mini-moon" since we haven't taken a real honeymoon yet. We are still planning on going, but probably a little later this year. However, our trip out west should be a good time and a nice little getaway. I'll get to see where my hubby hails from, and where he spent the majority of his childhood :) According to him, Yuma is a terrible place -- but I need to experience it myself! Not to mention, there are several In-N-Out Burger's ;)
I truly enjoy Sundays. I feel most like a "housewife" on this day (not that I aspire to be a housewife!) because I do domesticated things like catching up on the laundry, cleaning up around the house and cooking a nice, homecooked meal. I try to cook every night, but when I'm getting home from work after 6:30p five nights a week, its tough to be "fancy" So, I typically use weekend nights to make the good, time consuming stuff. Plus, I think Ryan appreciates it after coming off of 12 hour shifts every weekend. lol. Tonight, I have homemade spaghetti sauce with both sausage meatballs and beef meatballs simmering on the stove. It smells absolutely delicious. Plus, we have some fresh foccacia bread on the side. I can't wait for him to get home so we can dig in!
I spoke too soon about the gorgeous weather -- in the time it took me to start typing this post, it started SNOWING. Can I get a giant W.T.F and a thumbs down??
Sunday, January 9, 2011
first 3 months of a blissful marriage -- check!
As of yesterday, we have officially been married for three months. I actually didn't even remember until about 9 o'clock last night. Shame on me! Oh well, I guess time just flies when you're having fun :)
This past week has been a weird week. Since last Sunday, I've been fighting this awesome sore throat/cold/cough combo. It started with a sore throat, which led me to take a sick day from work on Tuesday after I woke up feeling like complete poo. Then by friday afternoon, my sore throat was better but my voice was completely shot. Since my job entails talking on the phone all day, my boss ordered me home to rest my voice. By Saturday, it was still raspy, but at least you can somewhat hear me.
We went out last night and purchased a Vick's Warm Mist Humidifier for our room. We figured its a good investment because a.) the air in our house is really dry in the winter -- we constantly, unintentionally shock eachother, ourselves and the poor cats! b.) Ryan suffers from bloody noses a lot, so hopefully this well help combat some of that and c.) perhaps it will help fight off the rest of this nasty virus thing I have going on. Ugh.
We also had a mini date night last night after Ryan got home from work. We had plans to go to dinner at Red Lobster since the hubs was craving seafood and I was craving cheddar garlic biscuits (I loathe seafood) however, when we arrived at the restaurant (at 8pm, mind you) there was a 45 minute wait. We said forget it, and decided to go to Red Robin instead. It was a delicious and fattening dinner :) After we ate we decided to walk it off a little bit and check out Barnes and Noble.
While in B&N, we discovered this little gem Now, I know its not nice to make fun of other people..but really? This girl was found browing around the "World of Warcraft" section (where else?) and wearing a lovely purple, velvet cape. Why? I have no idea -- but the husband and I got a serious laugh (out of her earshot, of course) and I snuck a photo to remember the moment. Oooh, the little things that amuse us!
Until next time...
This past week has been a weird week. Since last Sunday, I've been fighting this awesome sore throat/cold/cough combo. It started with a sore throat, which led me to take a sick day from work on Tuesday after I woke up feeling like complete poo. Then by friday afternoon, my sore throat was better but my voice was completely shot. Since my job entails talking on the phone all day, my boss ordered me home to rest my voice. By Saturday, it was still raspy, but at least you can somewhat hear me.
We went out last night and purchased a Vick's Warm Mist Humidifier for our room. We figured its a good investment because a.) the air in our house is really dry in the winter -- we constantly, unintentionally shock eachother, ourselves and the poor cats! b.) Ryan suffers from bloody noses a lot, so hopefully this well help combat some of that and c.) perhaps it will help fight off the rest of this nasty virus thing I have going on. Ugh.
We also had a mini date night last night after Ryan got home from work. We had plans to go to dinner at Red Lobster since the hubs was craving seafood and I was craving cheddar garlic biscuits (I loathe seafood) however, when we arrived at the restaurant (at 8pm, mind you) there was a 45 minute wait. We said forget it, and decided to go to Red Robin instead. It was a delicious and fattening dinner :) After we ate we decided to walk it off a little bit and check out Barnes and Noble.
While in B&N, we discovered this little gem Now, I know its not nice to make fun of other people..but really? This girl was found browing around the "World of Warcraft" section (where else?) and wearing a lovely purple, velvet cape. Why? I have no idea -- but the husband and I got a serious laugh (out of her earshot, of course) and I snuck a photo to remember the moment. Oooh, the little things that amuse us!
Until next time...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
the end of another decade!
Happy New Year!!
It's so hard to believe another year has passed. Not even a year, but a new decade. I think back to where I was ten years ago, and I am amazed. I am amazed at how far things have come in life -- how far I've come in life. I mean, ten years ago I was still in high school. Just learning to drive, plastering my walls with hockey posters and pictures of 98 degrees (no judging!) and spending late evenings at Eat N Park with friends, since we really had nothing else to do at midnight on a friday.
I look at my life now -- a college graduate, a decent career, my own home, and a wonderful husband. It's just crazy how quickly things can change in just a few short years! 2010 in particular, was a great year in itself. Mostly, because, I gained the majority of those things listed above in one year! It certainly makes me excited for 2011, and the new and exciting things that might get thrown our way :) We don't have anything major planned, except for our honeymoon! We never got to take one after our wedding due to Ryan's school schedule and my work. However, in March when he is on spring break -- its happening! Now we just need to figure out WHERE we are going :-P
I have not made any New Year's resolutions for this year. I feel that in the past when I've made resolutions, I never follow through. So, my plan is to just try and stick to things I want to do for myself and if I don't reach it by 2012, then I won't beat myself up over it. I guess my two biggest "resolutions" would include just slowing down and enjoying life to the fullest, and getting back on the right track to healthy eating with some more physical activity. Isn't that everyone's plan for themselves?? It sounds so cliche, but, its important to me!
I hope everyone had a safe & Happy New Year and heres to an even better 2011 :)
It's so hard to believe another year has passed. Not even a year, but a new decade. I think back to where I was ten years ago, and I am amazed. I am amazed at how far things have come in life -- how far I've come in life. I mean, ten years ago I was still in high school. Just learning to drive, plastering my walls with hockey posters and pictures of 98 degrees (no judging!) and spending late evenings at Eat N Park with friends, since we really had nothing else to do at midnight on a friday.
I look at my life now -- a college graduate, a decent career, my own home, and a wonderful husband. It's just crazy how quickly things can change in just a few short years! 2010 in particular, was a great year in itself. Mostly, because, I gained the majority of those things listed above in one year! It certainly makes me excited for 2011, and the new and exciting things that might get thrown our way :) We don't have anything major planned, except for our honeymoon! We never got to take one after our wedding due to Ryan's school schedule and my work. However, in March when he is on spring break -- its happening! Now we just need to figure out WHERE we are going :-P
I have not made any New Year's resolutions for this year. I feel that in the past when I've made resolutions, I never follow through. So, my plan is to just try and stick to things I want to do for myself and if I don't reach it by 2012, then I won't beat myself up over it. I guess my two biggest "resolutions" would include just slowing down and enjoying life to the fullest, and getting back on the right track to healthy eating with some more physical activity. Isn't that everyone's plan for themselves?? It sounds so cliche, but, its important to me!
I hope everyone had a safe & Happy New Year and heres to an even better 2011 :)
Monday, December 27, 2010
happy holidays!
Our first Christmas as Mr. & Mrs. was wonderful :) Unfortunately, Ryan had to work on Christmas day, so my family rearranged our schedule a little bit and did our morning tradition on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. It worked out though, and Ryan and I were still able to spend some of the holiday together.
We spent Christmas Eve going to church, and then to my Aunt Lori's house for our get together with my dad's side of the family. Always a good time! We were there until almost midnight sharing laughs and playing games. I was sad to see the night end!
Christmas day was very relaxed, and it was fabulous. My family and I spent the majority of the day just lazying around. We enjoyed a yummy ham dinner cooked by my mom before heading over to my Uncle Scott's house for my mom's side of the family. As always, there was plenty of (loud) cheer, laughter and wrapping paper throwing! Never a dull moment at a Law family gathering!
It was wonderful being able to just spend time with the people I love the most <3. My parents, who just two months ago helped us out tremendously with our wedding, still went above and beyond this year for us for Christmas. Some of Ryan's family did the same for us when we went to visit for Thanksgiving. We are beyond blessed and so very thankful for all of the wonderful people in our life!
I did not take ANY pictures this Christmas, which is very unlike me. I'm so sad! I wish I had at least one photo to share -- and I don't :( I will be very sure to snap as many as I can on New Year's Eve!
I started back at work today. Even though I was only off for four days, it was extremely tough getting up and out of bed this morning! It was even harder driving to work on the empty roads, knowing that more than half of the city was at home, snug in their beds enjoying a day off. Oh well, at least this week is a shorter week!
Until next time :)
We spent Christmas Eve going to church, and then to my Aunt Lori's house for our get together with my dad's side of the family. Always a good time! We were there until almost midnight sharing laughs and playing games. I was sad to see the night end!
Christmas day was very relaxed, and it was fabulous. My family and I spent the majority of the day just lazying around. We enjoyed a yummy ham dinner cooked by my mom before heading over to my Uncle Scott's house for my mom's side of the family. As always, there was plenty of (loud) cheer, laughter and wrapping paper throwing! Never a dull moment at a Law family gathering!
It was wonderful being able to just spend time with the people I love the most <3. My parents, who just two months ago helped us out tremendously with our wedding, still went above and beyond this year for us for Christmas. Some of Ryan's family did the same for us when we went to visit for Thanksgiving. We are beyond blessed and so very thankful for all of the wonderful people in our life!
I did not take ANY pictures this Christmas, which is very unlike me. I'm so sad! I wish I had at least one photo to share -- and I don't :( I will be very sure to snap as many as I can on New Year's Eve!
I started back at work today. Even though I was only off for four days, it was extremely tough getting up and out of bed this morning! It was even harder driving to work on the empty roads, knowing that more than half of the city was at home, snug in their beds enjoying a day off. Oh well, at least this week is a shorter week!
Until next time :)
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