First week of school down, and 1 kid is already sick!

I should know by now, that as soon as school starts, the kids are going to be getting sick! No matter how much I try to pump more fruits and veggies into them, give them their vitamins every day, within a week or so, at least 1 of my kids is sick!
Last year, my daughter had a horrible UTI the first week of school, but she didn't tell me until the end of the week, because she didn't want to miss school she LOVES it! Then 2 weeks later, my son got a cold that lasted for 3 weeks, but HE isn't like little sis, he wanted to stay home the WHOLE 3 weeks!
I am looking for a really good childrens vitamin, my daughter hates Gummi ones, which we have because last year, she loved them! And my son will make a huge stink about taking normal vitamins, claiming they leave a bad taste in his mouth. So, what are some suggestions for a vitamin BOTH kids will take, and like?!

Windows Phone Giveaway at The Dirty Shirt Blog!

Right now, The Dirty Shirt blog is having a giveaway to win a Windows phone! I'd love to win this, as having my phone on me is always necessary and this phone seems amazing! Head over to The Dirty Shirt blog to enter, and hurry because the giveaway ends Sept.1st!

EdenFantasys- Fun and Sexy goodies for Adults!

Anytime I want to look for something fun and sexy, I head over to EdenFantasys! When I'm looking for a sexy Bra and Panty set or a pretty Nightie, I know I'll find a great selection there! I just recieved this Lace Bra and Panty set, and couldn't be happier!  It's comfy enough to wear all day long, and sexy enough to make Hubby crazy! : )

 But it's not just for lingerie, if you want to add a little fun to the night, you can check out their Sensuoul Massage Kits, Warming oils, and Edible treats! The Oil of Love is amazing, it's probably one of the first oils I've used that doesn't have a bad taste, or leave you feeling like your dripping in oil hours after applying. The Cherry Almond scent was perfect, not too strong and left a lingering scent that was very pleasant! When Hubby isn't complaining, I know it's a winner!

If you aren't one to wear lingerie or use the Sensual goodies, EdenFantasys also has a big array of Adult DVDs! From Instructional DVDs to your XX Rated movies, if you aren't one to go into a store to purchase,I'd definetly recommend checking out their selection of DVDs!
EdenFantasys is a great One stop shop for adults! Whatever you're looking for, they are bound to have it!

School clothes shopping is a nightmare!

Oh how I long for the days where I would go out shopping for the day, bring home clothes for the kiddies for school, and they'd be happy with everything I brought home! Now, we go together, although I should take them one at a time!, and it's just pure hell! My son is 12 and all of a sudden wants only black shirts, I had to beg him to wear a blue shirt, and then I threw in some other colors and told him he'd wear them or I wasn't buying him anymore black, lol! My daughter is 8, and although she has NO love of clothes while at home, or going to family outings, when it comes to school, she only wants the best, most expensive outfits! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE shopping, but I came to realize today that I am going to need to start playing lotto in hopes that I will be able to continue to cloth my kids the way they want to be clothed!

We checked out at Kohls, and the cashier pointed out that I had saved $160, and the kids were like "Oh man Ma, you can shop!" However, they didn't see how much I HAD spent! Was wishing for some giftcards or real good coupons but I guess I still did get a decent amount for what we spent.
But I think I will always long for the days were $100 would get BOTH kids their shoes, clothes, and backpacks... now thats just a few shirts and shorts, for one!!!! How do parents with more than 2 kids do it??!!!

One of my best tips for Back to School supplies!

I'm always one to pick up good deals when I see them, but last year I knew I was going to be paying alot more for the kids school supplies than past years. My son was going into Jr High, and my daughters list now tripled after 1st grade! So, besides just going and picking up the deals, I picked up extras! Orignally, I had intended on donating them to some organizations, but lazy me never got around to dropping them off. That left me with about 10 boxes of crayons, colored pencils, markers each, around 15 packs of Notebook paper, tons of scissors and erasers. Then, I realized that my BIGGEST plan of picking of supplies while stores where clearancing everything out, was sitting in a basket on the side of my dresser.
Soooooo, I pulled out the kids lists, and after going thru what supplies I have here already, I actually was able to cross out more than 1/2 my daughters list, and almost 1/2 of sons! I was so happy I had to tell Hubby, because he never sees the point of my "extra" shopping! When I showed him how much I had already marked off, and what little I needed to buy, even he said I was pretty clever, lol!
Now, if I could only find some good deals on Backpacks! I really want to get my son a nice one this year, after going thru 4, yep 4, last year, I think it's finally time to invest in a well made one for him! And my daughter, well, she picks a character one, and after a month or so asks for a new one, so I think this year were going plain colors or just a design I know she'll like, lol!
Anyone else stock up like me? I also find it nice to have these supplies on hand for homework or projects that need to be done at home, and when the kids tell me at 8pm they need all kinds of stuff, I now don't have to run to the store, I can just run to the closet!

Expo markers at CVS!

I'm starting my school supply shopping early! I saw that CVS has their 4 pk. Expo Dry Erase markers on sale for $1.99. Then I remembered that I never used my Expo coupon for $2! Luckily, I found 2 more so I was able to get 3 packs of Expo markers for free! Also picked up a bunch of pocket folders 10/$1, and some erasers and rulers 3/$1!
I haven't even made a dent in either list, but knowing that I've gotten one of the most expensive items on the list for free, well, that makes me want to shop some more!

The Ups and Downs of "Camping"

We have a camper that we keep at an awesome little "campground", about 40 minutes from our house. It's great because when we feel like getting away, all we have to do is pack a small bag and go! Its just far enough to feel like we are actually getting away, but not too far that we have to spend a ton in gas and drive for hours. I know the kids enjoy it, the Hubby loves it, and even I look forward to going!

I guess I can't really call it camping, we stay in an RV that has great A/C, we have our own bedroom, a bathroom with a shower and running water, and we've got our satellite set up along with our wireless modem so I can get online, lol! Roughing it, definetly NOT! It's habit for us to say were going camping for the weekend when we come up, but when our friends/family actually come to check it out, the first thing out of their mouths is "This is definetly NOT real camping!" To which I say, "Hey, if Hubby wants me to do stuff like this, I have my demands", lol!

I love that our kids have friends up here and they play from sun up to sun down, everyday, and my son can walk 20 feet away and throw his fishing line in and catch a fish within 5 minutes. I love that we can go to the beach, swim a little, and then come back to Hubby cooking some good dinner for us. I love how relaxed we are up here, it's like as soon as we drive in, all stress just dissapears, melts away, gone! Most of all, I love the time the 4 of us get together, we're stuck in a little trailer, we can't each be in a separate room all doing different things. I see my 12 year old son helping my 8 year old daughter, teaching her how to fish, playing tag with her friends, because he's the oldest so he "teaches" them all kinds of games to play. Today, she fell off of her bike, totally wiped out, and he helped her back, then went back for her bike, and checked 3 different times to make sure she was ok. Thats what I love about this place, the kids can be kids, our family can be a family, and we just enjoy each others company!
What I DON'T love, is the BUGS! Mosquitoes, spiders, ants, you name it, they're flying around, crawling around, taunting me! It's like they know I"m here, and they ALL come out to play! But, I guess I'm learning to live with it, even if I probably will spend a ton on all types of bug spray and crap to keep them all away from me!

Wham-o Monster Slip and Slide Giveaway at Annette Funnyjello!

I'm always looking for ways to keep the kids entertained, and now that it's summer, we can break out the sprinklers, pool, AND slip and slides!!! There's so many awesome slides to choose from now, not like when I was younger and there was just 1!
Head over to annettefunnyjello to enter to win your own Wham-O Monster Slip and Slide, this thing is awesome!! I know my kids won't want to come inside if we've got this baby at our house!

Australian Gold Sunscreen Giveaway at Experimental Mommy!

Get everyone protected for Summer, head over the Experimental Mommy and enter the Australian Gold Sunscreen giveaway! (3 winners!)

I've used Australian Gold in the past, and love that it doesn't leave a greasy feeling on the skin! And that's definetly a plus with the kids, who complain that they have to wear it as it is! Australian Gold has more than just Sunscreen, there's After Sun products, Self Tanners, and many more! So head over and check out the giveaway, because Summer's here and the Sun's shining!

Camping season has begun for this family!!!

This weekend was our first weekend up at the camp, and although it wasn't a full weekend for us, it was full of fun and surprises to say the least! We started going up to this "campground" last year, well, actually about 8 years ago, but it didn't last too long back then. Now, the kids are a bit older and they can enjoy everything there, and Mom and Dad can enjoy some alone time while they play with their friends nearby!
I'm really surprised at how much I enjoy going up there, I've always liked camping, but I am more of a "Get on a plane and go somewhere near the ocean" vacation type of girl! However, since there is NO way we could afford to take vacations like that, this was the next best thing. So, we have a sweet little travel trailer that we fixed up and it's got a great A/C unit, so I can't complain much. Our spot is in the back, right near one of the lakes and we just met 2 new families with kids that our the same ages as ours. I have a feeling we'll be buying lots of popsicles, juice boxes and goodies to be handing out this summer, but I love that!

Now, I knew that they were calling for storms Saturday afternoon, but at 1pm, it was sunny, hot and gorgeous. So, I told the kids as soon as I got back from the store we'd head up to the beach. Well, hit the 1st store and as I was walking around, I heard the thunder, then the downpour : (  I walked out 10 minutes later and proceeded to get stuck in a hailstorm, aaahhhh! It only lasted about 30 minutes but man was it hard to drive in! We finally got to go the beach for an hour and that made the kids happy! Today was super hot and we had to leave early to get to a Wedding shower, but I didn't want to leave! That is REALLY crazy for me to say, lol!
I don't know, mabye it's just seeing the kids soooo happy being outside and getting to just be kids, mabye it's seeing Hubby having fun fishing with the kids, mabye it's just getting out of the house and being just the 4 of us, but I am definetly looking forward to this Summer camping season!

There's no way I could be an "Extreme" couponer, but.....

I'd still like to try my best to save as much as I can! For years, I've picked up the Sunday paper and scoured the sale ads and coupon inserts, cutting only the coupons I would use. Thanks to my Mom, who got me into training at a young age, and who always told me, "Don't buy anything unless it's on sale! Because eventually, it WILL go on sale! And if you can live without it until it does, why buy it full price?" So, now, years later, I've learned to write up grocery lists, check my coupons, and wait for the sales!
Now, I love watching Extreme Couponers, but what I don't like is that for someone like me, it just isn't possible! I have NO stores around me that do double coupons, unless I count Kmart that does it mabye once every 6 months. I hate hearing these people say that anyone can do it, because NO, I can't! Sure, I can go to a grocery store and save a good $40-$50 a trip, but thats after spending around $175! So really, it's nothing "extreme", it's just normal savings with alot of coupons!
Years ago, I tried following some of the online coupon sites, and yes, I did save some money doing that, but having a 1 year old at my feet, a 5 year old whining for something, and a hubby that was working 12-15 hours a day wasn't really good for my "coupon time". And, I do have a few cashiers at Walgreens and CVS that will do pretty much anything for me, I swear I see them more than I see my Mom and Dad, lol! But, if I get the wrong cashier, I don't feel like putting up a fight to get that extra $.20 off my purchase. I guess I've got aways to go, but mabye one day I'll get there!
So for now, I'll continue cutting my coupons and writing up my lists, to save what I can! Mabye, just mabye, one day a store near me will offer double coupons and I can really say I am an Extreme Couponer! Until then, I'll just be a normal couponer!!!

Eden Fantasys- Give someone a treat!

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Where has the time gone?

I can't believe it's almost June, schools almost out, and the kids are definetly ready for the break! I'm hoping that this summer, we'll actually DO the things we plan, instead of just talking about them! I'd love to blog about our summer adventures, so hopefully we'll have a good list and I'll be able to share our fun with you!

Announcing winner soon!

I will have the winner up for the Milson Road giveaway shortly, just trying to get some ends tied up over here!

Win a $20 Giftcard to Dominos from The Not So Blog!

If you're like me, pizza and wings are a normal Friday night dinner! Usually our "treat" for the week, we order mostly diferent places every week. However, I love, love, love Dominos pizza and just recently found one that will deliver to our house! So, with that, this Giveaway at The Not So Blog has me wanting to win BAD!
Dominos has some awesome sauces for their wings, along with some yummy dipping sauces, so head over to Dominos and check out their delicous menu items!
And head over to The Not So Blog to enter for your chance to win the $20 Dominos Giftcard!

Win a Propel Zero Prize pack at Blessing Abound Mommy!

Head over to Blessing Abound Mommy for your chance to win 1 of 10 Propel Zero giftpacks! Included is a Tshirt, Propel water, coupons, and other goodies!
Hubby and I love Propel, because sometimes plain old water just gets boring! Propel has tons of flavors to choose from, and with little to no calories!
Blessing Abound Mommy has many ways to enter, so check it out! Giveaway ends April 29th!