Kids are soooo funny!!

My dinner conversation with Samantha (2 years old) :)
*poot*
Me: *smile*
Samantha: *giggle* That was just my hiney. *giggle*
Me: What was that sound? (trying to get her to say something else funny)
Samantha: Pfffff *cute smile* HAHAHAHA

So, yeah, it's immature, but I laughed so hard. Like a belly laugh. I love kids :)

News about the Kraft offer...

If you spend $25 in Kraft products you will get $5 toward your next purchase and $20 rebate in the mail.

HERES THE CATCH:
You can only do it at SuperValu stores (Farm Fresh is among them)
I found out that there is a Farm Fresh in Wilson so I will probably go... we use lots of Kraft things. It's only 30 minutes away.
You have to spend the money between 8/7 and 8/30.

Good news: You can really milk it if you use coupons.. :)

Staples has several things for .25 (School supplies!) Check out their weekly ad: http://staples.shoplocal.com/staples/default.aspx?action=entryflash&sneakpeek=y&adref=email

Five dollars off of $30 purchase at Staples:

Another Good Blog w/ Deals

You can also get $3 for each empty ink cartridge you bring to Staples. You can do up to 10 each month. They will mail you a check for them and you don't have to purchase anything to take advantage of this!

Print off coupons:

$1.00 off Dial Soap

Register with All and get $1.00 off of Laundry Detergent

Booklet with $30 worth of coupons

$1.00 Wisk coupon

Sample of Always Infinity Pads

That's all for now... I'm tired of being on the computer!!

Being frugal...

We are forced to find ways to be more frugal. I have been doing coupons for a while now (as many of you know) and now I am trying to squeeze a little tighter and get a little more creative.

I have gone back to this website that I got from Lindsay awhile ago and requested coupons from these companies. I did it before and I got several coupons and samples in the mail. It is super easy if you use an automatic form filler-outter :)
Companies to contact for coupons
Here are some letters that I just copy and paste and change out the product names.
I was wondering if you offer any samples or coupons for the Scrubbing Bubbles cleaning products. I love to use them but I am operating on a small budget.

Thank you,
Becky Clark

I was wondering if you offer any samples or coupons for your yogurt. I love to keep it in stock at my house, but I am operating on a small budget. Anything you can do would be great!

Thank you,
Becky Clark

My husband is a huge fan of your Low Carb Monster drink. I was wondering if you offer any samples or coupons for them. We are operating on a small budget and anything you can do would be great!

Thank you,
Becky Clark

I also joined this RSS feed so that I know about the latest deals at several stores. Stretching a Buck

I also found this site: Penny Pincher Gazette and it has the circulars for about 5 local stores which you can use to make a shopping list (it specifies which stores, prices, and products). It also has coupons that you can print out.

Great Grocery Deals

So I just have to share these in case you don't research deals... here are some going on this week.

Kroger (through 6/6-TODAY!)
Cantaloupes 10 for $10 - usually you can buy just one or two and still get the $1 price
Watermelon $3.98 each
Corn .29 an ear

Harris Teeter (through Tuesday)
Cottonelle Toilet Paper - 24 rolls or 12 double rolls for 6.99 ($5 off!!) and they also have .75 coupons on the aisle (although, these do not double)
Hefty Zip Bags - they are on sale for 2.99 (I think) and they each have a .20 coupon on the box and there are 1.00 off coupons on the aisle

Is that lightning?

LOL Exie... Pictures from our Easter lunch :)



LIGHTNING!



Gotcha!
That's my hunk :)
The neighbor's yard :)

That's right, folks. We're in love :)

Here are a few pictures from Kirby's wedding. I was the matron of honor :)

Cleaning House

This is what I have been working on ALL today. Looks nice, huh?

I did almost everything (including moving the closet rod/shelf up higher and adding two shelves in the bottom) by myself. Jordan helped tighten 3 screws that I couldn't get any tighter. lol. I am so proud of myself.

Free things that I just don't need anymore!

An old gift basket - cotton smell - has a scrubbie thing, lotion, and soap



2 razr chargers (is that how you spell it?) - I could NOT get a good picture, but you can kind of see the plug.


Headphones with microphone on it - bought it a couple of years ago and used it once... it looks like brand new
Computer camera with built in microphone - looks like new also


3 cds: "Musical Massage" - I used to fall asleep to these all the time - they are so relaxing - "Renewing Rainfall" "Rainy Day State of Mind" and "Tranquil Streams"

A couple baskets



A couple of plastic drawer things (if you want to give me a couple bucks for these, that would be awesome but there's no obligation)

Hello Friends!

Just thought that I would update since it HAS been a month :)

I am in summer school at ECU so that I can graduate next May. I am taking three classes each semester and so far, it seems like it is going to be chaos! I am expected to spend 25 hours each week for each course! Dude. I hope I can do it!

I am pet sitting for Ivy. This is the first time that I have ever done this but I'm enjoying it. It is nice to see Ivy also :)

Budget-This month Jordan and I are trying to stick to a strict budget. So far, I think we've flopped. We started using envelopes and then moved away from them and just got receipts to put in the envelopes and now I don't even know what we're doing. I just have a pile of receipts. The good news is that I will have an OK idea of what we have been spending and where after this month because I can look at all of the receipts!

Funeral-We had a Celebration of Life for my Great Uncle Bubba on Tuesday night. It was nice and there was lots of yummy food afterwards. I was really happy to get to spend time with my family that I don't get to see very often. I got to see my nephew and my sister, dad, mom, grandma, cousins, aunts, uncles.... It was really nice.

Beach-Yesterday, I went to the beach with Jean (Aunt), Leilah (Cousin), Adam (Cousin), Jessi (Sister), Wyatt (Nephew), April (Cousin), Donna and her two kids (Jessi's Friends). It was really fun. I miss my cousins :(

Oh! My sunburn is peeling! Yuck! It has been so long since I have gotten a sunburn that I forgot what it was like. I definitely hate this. I will be a religious sun screen user now. (P.S. Is it possible to get tan when using sunscreen? Anyone know?)

25 pounds down! 42 to go!

I got my 25 pound award today with WeightWatchers. It has taken me awhile to get it but I am proud of myself! I think it helped a lot that Exie and I exercised for a few hours yesterday and we ate really healthy all day! Yay!

Also, I made a website for my facepainting. Check it out and let me know if you think I should change anything: http://web.me.com/beckyclark/Site/Home.html

Who is interested in a coupon club? Theresa DeLeon at our church plans to start one up (and keep it up unlike the one I tried to start lol).

Does anyone want to facepaint on Saturday May 2nd? You will get a $25 gift card to a local restaurant and I will train you. It would be from 10-1PM. They will be: cooking BBQ, having a bike show, a bike wash-off (Hooters ~vs~ Tie Breakers), and a motorcycle stunt show (done by the professionals; StarBoyz). I will not be able to make it but I will help yall in any way I can. I need 2 painters. The lady said that "We hold this event to benefit the Ronald McDonald House every year." Let me know if you're interested. It would be best to email me at becky.lane.clark@gmail.com.

Time for homework!!

Quick Update

So Jordan and I may begin managing a coffee shop on the weekends to boost business. You've probably heard of Notes in Washington (its only like 30 minutes away)... Jordan plays there occasionally and we think that we could really help them out. We'd need the help of friends though. We need some art to put up in there... we could put prices on them and customers could buy them. Here are my other ideas. Tell me things that would really draw you into a coffee shop or things that you think would not work so well.

Create menu board - expensive drinks high lighted
Frequent customer cards
Menus (laminate and leave in store - no take out menus)
Bulletin board for ads & cards
Wireless (eventually)
Music in the Streets (every 3rd sunday)
Karaoke Nights
Open Mic Night (once a month)- $10 for entering artists, 3 judges, $3 cover charge - get tickets that give them $.50 off of a drink, winner gets a portion of the pot
Halo tournaments- also charge $10 to enter and winner gets a portion of the pot
More seating (inside & outside)
reverbnation.com account for a calendar - make a mailing list for customers
website w/ photo album & calendar
have games on book shelf
-card games
-board games
-magazines
-bibles
cards with trivia questions (laminated) on each table
advertise to local churches and have them book events

Phi Sigma Pi!!

I was invited to join Phi Sigma Pi because of my GPA. I went to an informational meeting about it tonight and I REALLY enjoyed myself. Everyone was so nice and down to earth. It is a co-ed honors fraternity.

Interesting facts: Even girls in a co-ed fraternity is called a brother. Phi Sigma Pi is the oldest fraternity on campus.

I met a "brother" who happens to be a girl tonight and we are going to work out tomorrow at the gym. I'm excited. Yay for new friends :)

Plans have changed:
Friday - staying here
Saturday - Wmsbg for Kirby's shower
Sunday - Stay for church at CrossWalk and then go to Nanny's house to visit
Monday - Come back

I SUBBED TODAY! Yay! I made 40 dollars and I had fun. I missed subbing at Christ's Covenant. Everyone there is so nice and I actually talked a lot with one of the other teachers. I feel so social! :)

Gabe Collage

Exie, I found this picture and decided to play with it on that website. Thought I'd share it... :)

Craft Pictures :)

Decorations for Exie's Church's Toddler Room

"We Love Jesus" - We used watered down acrylic paints on banner paper and then cut them out.


Then we made pictures with each of the student's names







A mosaic that I made (with a little bit of help from Exie :))



Wine Glasses - Monogrammed - they will spell out CLARK but I only have CLA so far :)


Soon, I will take pictures of the scrapbook pages that I did today. They came out really well. Thanks for all of your help Amy, Ivy, and Eugina (sp?) :)

Here is my next project: http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/3269-Making-Wall-Art-out-of-Styrofoam

Also, Exie told me about this great picture editing site called picnik.com. I can't believe I have gone all this time without using it!! I can't wait to play around on it and its FREE!!

What?! IT'S 2009?!

Haha. Isn't that weird? 2009.

In 2009, I plan to:
-Get good grades (again :))
-Get scholarships
-Try new crafts that I haven't done before
-Attend a few women's ministry things at the church
-Learn to cook a few more meals
-Really TRY HARD to do Weight Watchers - I keep doing it and then stopping. I have seen results and I just need to stay motivated.
-Lose 50 pounds to get to my goal weight
-Get out of credit card debt and stay that way
-Visit VA friends more often. I miss them so much. Brianna, Kirby and Obie especially :(
-Go to the French Film Festival with Liz
-See Mom (she lives in CO)
-Build up some savings
-Babysit whenever I can to bring in extra money
-Make new friends here

I was invited to rush a fraternity this semester because of my good grades. It is Phi Sigma Pi. I'm not sure if I will have time for it, but it sounds nice. I am going to an informational meeting next week about it.

SCHOOL STARTS TUESDAY!!! (for me)

Did you know?
Jordan is going to be in like five weddings this year. It's going to be very exciting!!!

So... I'll update you guys on a few things:

MARLEY & ME: Lauren loaned this book to me and I'm excited to read it! I have read the first few chapters and hope to finish it soon.

PAINTING: Desi and Jared have offered to let me paint their living room (and get paid!) :) So I'll be working on that the next few weeks in my spare time.

BABYSITTING: I only have 3 days lined up this ENTIRE month! I'm so nervous... I really need to work more than that. If you know anyone that needs a sitter, please give them my name.

FACE PAINTING: I am going to really start giving out business cards for face painting. Please contact me if you are interested in having a face painter at a birthday party or if you have a friend who needs a face painter.

CRAFTING: I have been doing so much lately. I've made: a mosaic with Exie, decorations for Exie's toddler room, monogrammed wine glasses (are almost finished - they will spell out CLARK), working on an afghan (crocheting it)
** I will be putting pictures up soon **
Sassy Scrappers is having a craft weekend this weekend. I will only be able to go to Saturday, but I'm excited :)

THIS WEEK WE WENT TO:
-BATH: Sunday night to visit family and had a good time.
-WILLIAMSBURG: We visited Williamsburg on Monday because it was our ANNIVERSARY!! :) YAY! We went to Colonial Williamsburg and ate at the Cheese Shop (where we had our first date). We took our one year old frozen cake and ate it for dessert after our delicious sandwiches. Then we went to see Kirby and got our haircuts. JORDAN HAS A FAUX HAWK! It's freakin' awesome. I just got a trim.
-MASSANUTTEN: Jordan and I went up Monday after stopping in Williamsburg. We had a good time with dad and got to visit with Jessi and Wyatt a little bit on Wednesday. The only terrible thing about it was that JORDAN AND I HAD TO SLEEP IN SEPARATE BEDS. It was TERRIBLE. The beds were so uncomfortable and my back hurts so bad!!! We felt like Lucy & Ricky from I Love Lucy. Hahaha.