On to bigger and better things........

Okay, I have heard quite a few people complaining that I have not blogged in a while. Well, if you want to know what is going on, just check over here.

This is a new website my beautiful friend Melanie has made, devoted to our obsession. It will give you all the info on our up coming classes in January of 2010. One will be held at the Clark College campus, and the other through the Vancouver parks and rec. So stay tuned.

In the mean time check out our new webpage: http://brilliantbargains.blogspot.com/

First day of School!

Regan started kindergarten today! My baby is growing up! Her grandma took her shopping yesterday to pick out this dress.

The famous school bus picture....it is tradition. She was so excited. I was glad to have my neighbor lady with me. She started sobbing after the bus left, not for her own children, but for me, already knowing how hard it is to let go. It was so nice to have someone to cry with.

Okay, since she is my first child, I of course followed the school bus. Regan didn't know. I hid in the trees and bushes with the other weeping kindergarten moms.

She made it home safely, only 179 more days to go.

Busy Summer

We have had a really busy summer. That is why I have not blogged in a while. Here is our summer in a nut shell. The kids went to 3 different vacation bible school camps and had a blast.

We have spent a lot of time on our ghetto boat, appropriately named "Lackamoolah." We love BBQing on an island or being pulled around in the tubes.

The kids and I had a wonderful opportunity to go yurt camping with friends, Thank you Cochrans! It was a short walk to the ocean, and the kids rode bikes for hours upon hours. We can't wait to go back again sometime.

We have spent lots of time with our beloved friends the Soongs. And have floated down the river with them more times than I can remember.

And we have been active this year riding bikes. Regan finally learned to ride without training wheels too!

I have been slacking on my couponing this summer, as there is too many fun things to do. But, I am happy to report I am back in the saddle as of this week.

Also, many people keep asking me how I do this couponing thing, and I am excited to tell you that my best friend Melanie and I will be teaching classes through Clark College and the Vancouver Parks and Rec. in January. So look for it in the up coming catalogs.

From this to that

Last week, Regan had a her first loose tooth. This was really exciting for her, and quite a of drama too. She wouldn't let me pull it. We took the above picture of her baby teeth because she exclaimed sobbing when she found out she had a loose tooth, "My perfect smile, is gone forever!" But, I am happy to report, that one day while she was brushing, her tooth fell out, and she could not have been more excited. She has shown everyone her missing tooth, sometimes several times.

It is funny, because the first tooth to fall out, was in fact, her first tooth to come in as a baby. I am sure there are more to follow soon and it makes me happy and sad that my baby girl is growing up so fast.

Stop motion music video - BestofYouTube.com

Stop motion music video - BestofYouTube.com

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My Best Coupon Shopping trip ever!

Okay, so I am sorry to all you who come to my site wanting to see pictures of my adorable children and you get pictures of food. But I am so proud of my couponing lately that they will have to take second stage. I mean I feel so proud, that I feel I should scrapbook this. And that is a big deal, because I don't scrapbook.
So without futher adu....
My total for these items was $3.14. And I stayed well under my $30 a week grocery budget. And I know you think I am crazy buying all this cereal this week. But really when Jake is out of town we eat alot of cereal. I don't feel the need to cook dinner and my children are happy to have cereal, it is a treat. As long as they eat something heathy with it, I am happy too.
I can't wait to show you the beautiful new coupon purse my good friend Jen made me. So I don't have to look like a goon with my little coupon binder in the store anymore. I will try to take pictures of it, hey free advertising for her online store in Etsy. And give my binder a proper funeral. I can just hear the "taps" now.......

Adventures with coupons

My first transaction Was 8 boxes of cereal and 4 boxes of pasta, With my coupons my total came to $6.84

My second transaction was 8 boxes of cereal, 3 boxes of frozen waffles, 2 packs of hot dogs, 1 block of cheese and 1 gallon of milk. My total came to $11.60.

For a grand total of $18.44! And the best part is, with Fredy's free childcare, I got to do kid free shopping. Except for the smiling happy baby in the cart.

Oh, and the cereal had a deal for free DVD's! Totally scored!

Look What My Boy Can Do!

Luke learned to ride his bike this weekend without training wheels. It took him a whole 5 minutes to catch on, and he was off and on his way. He was going so fast right from the start that I had trouble running after him to keep up.

Walk for Life

For those of you who know me, and those that don't, I am very prolife. We attended the Walk for Life again this year. This is the shirt I made and wore to the walk. I love making fun t-shirts and wearing them, even if they don't look very nice, which this one was way too tight, but get's the message across.

Great Wolf Lodge here we come

As most of you know, Jake has been out of town at work for over a month now. We are taking a much needed mini vacation with the kids to Great Wolf Lodge. I am really excited about going here. And I have heard alot of nice thing about this resort. We are all so excited to go in the indoor water park. It is going to be a blast!


They have many anamatronics, This one below, tells a story about native Americans. How cool!

So I am told, you purchase a wand (Regan is going to love this) and it sets off magical anamatronics, and lights all over the resort. There is some sort of game attached with it. And you get to keep the wand and bring it back with you the next time.

This is the room we are staying in. Jake loved the idea of the kids having there own "wolf den" to sleep in. Plus they get there own TV in there. But, I bet the bunk beds will be the highlight of the whole room experience.

I will post pictures when we get back. AAAAWWWHOOOOOOO! (that is supposed to be a wolf howling). I know, I am a nerd.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Today I decided to make freezer Jam. I have never wanted to attempt something like this. But, after a comment from one of my good friends, about how sour our strawberries were, and how they would make wonderful jam, I decided I would give it a try.

And I am happy to say, it was so super easy, I can't wait to make more. I am especially excited about all the free fruit and berries we are going to have this summer to make jam with.

More Fun With Leslie Hall

This was truly one of the most fun nights of my life. I can't believe I actually went on stage and danced like a crazy person, and without being drunk or some excuse. I guess I don't really need an excuse, it was a once in a life time moment. Well, at least untill next year when she comes back into town. The picture above is of Leslie and my sister. Leslie loved her Gem sweater too and asked all about it, to which my sweet sister replied "Traci made it!" Leslie said she loved it and noticed it from on stage. How cool!

This is me on stage in the Red, upfront.....getting directions on how to be a back up dancer. And also we were warned not to touch Leslie. But, half way through the song, Leslie said to me and another girl "lift me up." We were like, ".......okay...." We tried our best and I am sure the effort was silly.

I have decided not to post the video, because I look like a goon dancing and I don't need the whole world seeing me look so crazy.

My night with Leslie Hall!

Last night me and my sister went to see Leslie Hall. We got there 2 hours early and I staked out my place in front of the stage near an exit. I was so excited to see her again! I made me and my sister "Gem" Sweaters especially for the concert. During the show, Leslie picks people out of the crowd who have great gem sweaters "junior Gems." I got to go on stage and dance with her in my Gem Sweater. As I was leaving the stage Leslie says to me "You look lovely tonight." After the concert we hung around and got to meet Leslie and she asked us all about the sweaters I made! This was one of the most fun nights of my life and I was so glad to get to share it with my awesome sister.

I laminated this picture and put it on my sisters sweater surrounded by gems of course, it was bedazzeled, it was Gemtastic!

Video and more pictures to follow!

What can $4.13 buy you?

Well let me tell you what $4.13 can buy you these days......Alot!

It has been my goal this new year to save as much money on groceries as I can. I have become competitive with.....well, no one but myself, but I take it seriously. I search the web looking for the best deals and free samples.

This week I found coupons for Johnson's products that have been reset. I got 6 Buddie bars for free, yes free. I have used these coupons before, and I don't think I will have to buy my kids soap until they are out of the house.

I refuse to pay more than a dollar for toothpaste now. And I won't pay more than a dollar for shampoo or deodorant.

Those 4 bottles of coffee mate creamer, free!

Mac and cheese, .49 each, can't beat that.

Huggies had great $5 off coupons for baby wipes, got 186 pack of wipes for .99 cents, gotta love it.

Using coupons has changed my life. I used to spend $120 a week on groceries, and now I average $30-$40 a week, what a savings! I now, never shop at Wal-mart to get the best deals, I shop Safeway and Walgreens to get the best deal, and I am saving money on gas because they are so close.

I am a member of BuzzAgent.com and they send me free products to try out and share with my friends. I got a new Scrubbing Bubbles shower cleaner in the mail, with refills. And their new toilet cleaner product and a bunch of coupons. Full bottles of Pledge cleaner, and all their items come with coupons to buy more if I like it.

I am addicted to websites that offer free samples, I get a new one in the mail every day. Free make up, lotions, garbage bags and food, gotta love it.

There are so many ways to save money these days. I know with this economy, everyone is tightening their belt, and retailers are desperate to have your money.

Let me know what opportunities you come across.

My Favorite Website

Just wanted to share this website with all my friends. I visit it evey day and plan my shopping around it. What a great resource!

Moneysavingmom.com

Check it out and tell me what you think.

Girls Day!

Since the boys went to the Monster Truck Show, we had a girls day. Regan picked going to ride the Sky Tram in Portland. This thing is really cool, that is if you are not scared of heights. What a view! There was only one scary part. When the tram went over one of the huge arms, the driver said "brace yourself for the swing." very calmly. Well, it went up, and them sharply down, like a little bit of a roller coaster for a few seconds. Regan loved it and screamed. And it did that while swinging from side to side, because of the windy day. Cheap thrills I guess. Will I do that again? Probably not....well, maybe I would.

This is at the top, OHSU. There was a nice coffee bar and great living room seating area with breath taking views of the city.

Next we went to lunch at the Old Spegetti factory, Regan's favorite! It was a great day.

Roller Skating and.....What day wouldn't be complete without ice cream?

Next Regan wanted to go roller skating. Fine by me, I love to roller skate. Especially with children. Then I don't look like a total crazy person going slow, and if I loose my balance, I can blame it on them holding my hand.

When we first got her skates I had the nice gentleman tighten the wheels, so she wouldn't slip. After a few times around the rink, which took a half an hour, I had the nice guy, loosen the wheels, thinking she was ready. Boy, was I wrong! Her feet just kept slipping out from under her, and she flopped and flung herself all over. So, we went back to the guy, apologizing and asked him to tighten them again. We were there for an hour and a half and made it around the rink about 6 times. Causing major traffic problems for everyone the whole time.

This is Regan saying "I hate skating." And she was done.

What perfect day wouldn't include a trip to Papa's Ice Cream? Regan got her beloved Mango sorbet.

Jake on the road

Thank you to our friends and family for all your love and support through this difficult time. If you have not heard yet, the container business is not going well. Jake has made the tough decision to go back on the road. This will leave his little family very sad, because we will miss him so much. But the provider in him will not let us fail. He will be gone for months at a time, and we appreciate his sacrifice.

Oliver and company

This is hands down my kids favorite game. We play it at least once a week!

Kangaroo kids

The crazy things my kids to to entertain themselves..... They have stuffed animals in their pants!

Cutest girl ever

Just had to share this picture with you.

Baby Brightens Our Day!

We feel so blessed to be able to spend our days with this beautiful baby!

My very own Cinderella!

Regan spent the morning scrubbing the cabinets. She thought of this idea all on her own, and really enjoyed herself. I was planning on doing this chore myself this week, but now I don't have to. Kids Rock!

Let's go fly a kite

Regan and I had a "girls day." She loves the extra attention and I try and make them special. It was so windy that I thought we should go fly kites. We had a really fun time and I wish I could bottle all the squeals of laughter that came out of her while she was running with her kite and keep them forever. All was going well, until the wet ground started to leak through her sparkle shoes.... She said "I am so mad! I didn't know kite flying was going to ruin my styles!" We went home to change and out to lunch and shopping. It really was one of those great days that you wish wouldn't end.

Pee for #2 and #2 for pee

Sorry about the title, but I couldn't resist, Luke is "The Man" today. Let's hold our breath and make a wish that it lasts!

Regans 5th birthday

We took Regan out to lunch at her favorite rest. Chuck E Cheese of course! She had a nice time with her good friend Anika. It was so nice to not have a huge birthday party this year.

If you haven't been to Chuck E Cheese lately, they have alot of new games. How cool is this? Perfect for my little princess!

Doesn't she look so grown up? She got to wear what ever she wanted today, which of course was her favorite princess dress.

Happy Birthday Regan! This is a double layer cake, one chocolate, one vanilla. And I was just about to frost if when she declared that she decided she wanted strawberry frosting instead of chocolate. Well, alright since it was her birthday, this is actually just white frosting with pink food coloring, but, she didn't know. And I put chocolate in the middle between the layers. She got to pick out all the foods we ate for dinner too. We had noodles with butter, steak, cheese zombies, tomato soup and apples. A meal fit for a princess!