This time of year

This is not my favorite time of year that's for sure. I've got allergies/cold going on. Hubby has a cold. All of the kids are sick with colds. Except one who is complaining her stomach hurts! Little man almost 3 months old has bronchitis/RSV! Having to do breathing treatments on him every 4 hours. I'm cleaning and Lysoling everything in sight. This has got to be my least favorite time of the year. February always seems to be the month that everyone gets sick.
I just thought I would post a short little blog on how everyone is doing! Sick!

Shopping trips

Went shopping yesterday and today! Harris Teeter is having their Super Double Coupons. Which means they will double coupons up to $1.98. Of course there is a limit of 20 coupons that they will double per day, per card. So here's how I did. Day 1 $379.03 worth of groceries for $137.21. Saved $241.82 or 64%. Oh I might add that Day one is the total from CVS and Harris Teeter because I went to both stores.
Day 2 $263.23 worth of groceries for $96.86. Saved $166.37 or 63%. Here are pictures and lists of what all I got.

Day 1


Day 2 complete with 2 of my cute models:)


Items (in no certain order)

2 bags of Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies
2 Boxes Minute Rice
12 Boxes of cereal
2 Boxes Dish Washer tabs
1 4 pack Charmin
1 Cadbury Egg (FREE)
1 Jar peanut butter
9 candy bars
1 pack Pampers diapers
2 bottles shampoo
2 bottles conditioner
9 cans Tomato sauce
1 Listerine Smart rinse mouthwash
4 boxes of Kleenex Hand towels
4 Reynolds Slow Cooker liners
5 Johnson's Baby bars
5 Gain Fabric Softener (80 loads)
3 All 64 loads Detergent
4 Bags Purina Cat Chow
4 Bags Snyder's pretzels
10 2L Mountain Dew
9 packs of Band Aids (FREE)
5 Neosporin Neo to go
1 First Aid kit
1 Vick's Dayquil
5 Oral-B Satin Dental Floss
3 Body Washes
4 4 packs Acitivia Yogurt (FREE)
2 packs string cheese
2 packs shredded cheese
10 rolls of cinnamon rolls
4 rolls of crescent rolls
10 boxes fruit snacks
6 Welch's juice
3 bottles syrup
1 6 count Mega roll paper towels
10 boxes of pasta
6 cans of chili
3 boxes Golden Grahams treats
12 boxes of Hamburger Helper

I think that covers it all!

Is God testing me or punishing me?

I'm sitting here trying to decide which one God is doing? Is he testing me or punishing me? Since December things have just been nuts!

First my son was born and this of course was a GREAT thing for us! We love him and so do his sisters. Since his birth though things have just gone nuts!

My father had a massive stroke and passed away 10 days after my son was born. I have to go to Georgia alone with all six kids because our van isn't big enough for us all.

Get back home and have Christmas and then our heater is dead one morning. Thankfully a friends husband comes over and fixes it!

Hubby goes back to night shift at work. Not his choice, something they do every 2 years. So he will be on night shift for the next 2 years:(

His first night back my 4 yr old slams my 15 month old finger in the door. Not to mention 4 out of 6 kids are just going nuts that night. Showing out because Dad's back at work? Maybe.

Then hubby hurts his back on Monday leaving me to be a single mom this whole week. I honestly think I'm going to lose my mind. I know they say God doesn't give you more than you can handle, but I'm thinking to myself "God, how much do you think I can handle"?

To top things off my husband made an appointment that I asked him not to make at the moment. It's an appointment for him to have the big "V" done next week. I've not forgiven him for scheduling this appointment, nor will I have anything to do with this appointment. I asked him to hold off until we were both 100% sure we don't want anymore children. Well I guess he is 100% sure since he has the appointment made. Yet, I'm still on the fence. Yes I know I'm at the point that I'm about to lose my mind this week. I go back and forth daily, so it's not a good time to make the choice at the moment. I'm just not ready!

So why do I feel like I'm being punished? Why is God throwing so much at me?

First shopping trip for week of 1/16/11

This shopping trip was to CVS and Harris Teeter! $343.84 worth of groceries for $140.06. I saved $203.78 or 59%

Items in the picture are

12 pack of paper towels
16 rolls of TP
1 battery charger
1 33.8 oz bottle of shampoo
1 33.8 oz bottle of conditioner
1 bottle Listerine
1 nail polish
1 eye liner
1 eye shadow
1 jar Peter Pan peanut butter
6 boxes hamburger helper
6 packs of yeast
10 bags of Goldfish (one actually isn't in the picture)
2 packs of Stayfree Pads (one was FREE)
2 bottles of All
2 boxes of dryer sheets (FREE)
4 packs of kids yogurt
2 boxes of granola bars
1 box of Planter Nutrition bars
4 boxes of fruit snacks
10 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios
5 boxes of Reese's Puff cereal
14 boxes of fruity/cocoa Pebbles
2 boxes of Capri Sun
1 pack of crackers (FREE)
9 packs of Grand's biscuits
2 packs of stew meat
1 8 can pack of Diet Coke
1 8 can pack of Coke

Shopping trip #3 this week!

Yes, I'm addicted to shopping! Break down of this trip $171.04 worth of groceries for $55.56. I saved $115.48 or 68%.

3 boxes of pasta FREE
1 box garlic bread FREE
1 2 liter FREE
1 Parm cheese FREE
4 packs of yeast FREE
2 packs (6 bags total) Ziploc Big Bags FREE
12 cans of Spaghetti O's .35ea
3 boxes of Special K
19 packs of snack puddings
4 Baker's Joy cooking spray
10 Ziploc containers .25ea pack (packs had 2-6 in each pack)
2 Large jars of pasta sauce
7 pounds of ground beef

Grocery trip #2 this week

Ok so here is my second grocery trip this week.



That's $197.95 worth of groceries for $62.65. I saved $135.30 or 68%.

In the picture..

5 boxes of dishwasher tablets
2 Finish Quantuma dishwash things (good for 12 dishwasher loads)
2 packs string cheese (most expensive thing I bought)
1 pack of birthday candles
1 bottle of baby shampoo
1 bottle of pancake syrup
4 V8 Fusions
10 V8 Splash
3 packs of yeast
1 pack of TP
5 packs of pudding snack cups
2 100 count ziplock sandwich baggies
6 bottles of Lysol wipes
1 bottle Lysol bathroom cleaner
1 bottle Lysol floor cleaner
9 bottles of coffee creamer (some I got for .39 cents a bottle)

Shopping trip today!

Ok so it's a new year and it's time for me to get back into my shopping. I didn't shop much the month of December!

Here is a picture from today's shopping trip.



That's $224.83 worth of groceries and I paid $110.09 a saves of $114.74 or 51%. Oh and I got $19 worth of Extra Care Bucks from CVS! Here is what is in the picture since it's not that great of a shot.

1~32 load bottle of Wisk
2~packs of Quilted Northern
2~8 roll packs of Sparkle
2~toothbrushes
1~toothpaste
1~36 count of Tampons
1~energy saving light bulb
1~36 count of Huggies Diapers
6~bottles of hand soap
5~boxes of oatmeal
2~boxes of Kashi cereal
8~boxes of Special K cereal
4~bottles of children's vitamins
1~parchment paper
4~boxes rice Krispies treats
2~boxes Special K breakfast bars
4~boxes of pancake mix
1~box whole wheat pasta
1~roast
1~pack tortilla shells

Not my greatest shop, but a good way to start off the year.