Saturday, November 29, 2008

Black Friday




Well, I will admit that I was one of those who was lined up at Walmart in Selinsgrove when the doors opened for the door busters!!! (the pics are not mine -- I had taken some but it was dark out and none of them really look the greatest!! Maybe I'll get some stuff posted next week) Anyway we arrived around ten minutes before the doors were to open (at 5:00 in the morning) the kids, my parents and even Steve went.....although he acts like this will be the first and last year he attends the activity!!
When we arrived it was packed but we were able to find a parking spot fairly quickly and went to line up....we stood in line and then we began to hear very grumpy voices yelling back and forth....well, had I stopped to "think" that early in the morning, I would have realized that we were standing very close to the front door....here they had ropped off a "walkway" for people to stand in (along the front of the store and out into the parking lot)but a new line started going the opposite way across the front of the store (which we happened to be in just because it was the first line we came upon!!!) Well, we weren't in the correct line -- BUT, we then noticed at about 2 min. before the store was to open around 10 people came up to the store and stood directly across from the doors (across the "road" ped. crossing in the dirt/flower/shrub area) well, thats when the ones who had been waiting a LOOOOONG time started getting mad and yelling at those new people....(and the new people yelled back!!!) I will admit that I was beginning to wonder if we should go stand at the car and wait a few minutes. Well when the door opened there was no turning back -- you had to move with the crowd!! And we become some of the first to enter the store!!!! Without any fights breaking out (thank the Lord!!)
We did manage to get out the door with some of the doorbusters!!!! But it was interesting. The lady behind Alyssa decided she wasn't moving fast enough so she rammed her in the back end....Alyssa pushed back and the lady sighed, left her cart and boogied around everyone (which was almost impossible to get around anyone as crowded as it was) I keep thinking "I wonder how the employees felt when they were standing at the registers watching this massive amount of people swarming into the store!!! WOW
We then went to Best Buy for some door busters and hit the mall. At around 9:00 a.m. we were ready for LUNCH!!! Needless to say, we shopped all day and got home around 5:00 in the evening! With bags around everyone and on laps and all spaces available our van was a bit packed!! But hey, we got some deals, a few laughs and frustrations. And we made memories.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?




You Are The Stuffing
You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together.People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

Turkey Day????
















Clayton found these fun pics!! (not sure where he got em from but he saved em to his computer!) Have a great Thanksgiving!
!

More for you!

Ever heard of "shop around the clock"


Sample of Lipstock

2 yr free subscription to Wondertime mag

Sippy cup from Juicy Juice -- I didn't do this one but for those with little ones it would be good.

Elf Yourself This is so fun!! Put a pic of a family member in this and watch em dance. I tried to blog my kids but it doesn't work...however, you can email this to friends!

Bertollis sauce sample

Savour mag sub -- food magazine
Free lapel pin You choose out of 5 styles! These are really cute
1 year sub. to Hunter and Sport Mag

No, I am not one of the blogs that are dedicated to being ALL about frugal stuff, however, I have enjoyed sharing some of the stuff with you as I have come across the stuff. (I only share just a little bit with you, there is tons of stuff out there!)

I will admit that within the last several months I have been trying to be a Frugal Mamma!!! Now that is easier said than done but I am getting there. I have set a BUDGET for myself.....UGH, but I am doing a budget for groceries and such and trying to get other things paid TOTALLY OFF!!! Now, starting a grocery budget during the holidays is NOT easy!! But, I haven't done bad and I will admit that I'm a little proud of myself for some of the savings that I have done. It does take a bit of time as well as understanding from the rest of your family members that you might just walk into the same store several times in order to do your "deal" but my family has been very supportive. Its become a game at times to see how much we can save at the store. In the last few months I have brought a bag of stuff home, sat it on the counter and asked the kids to guess how much I spent and they could win the pack of gum I brought home (which by the way was one of the deals!!!) I will admit that my Frugal links on the side have helped me A LOT and I have been amazed at the stuff and money you can save with a little bit of planning, time and organization!!! Just wish I would have started doing some of that stuff earlier in life. However, I think my kids are gonna learn a few good habits on how to save and be thrifty!!! Now, Jane4girls link who only spends 800.00 for groceries annually -- well, lets just say that I haven't gotten that good. So for those of you interested you may want to check out some of the links at the side.
Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and maybe I'll see you out shopping on Black Friday!!!
~Amy


Shalene's 13th B-Day party!!

her cake^^ which you have probably already seen pictures of :) ummm.... a pic us... what else to say??Becca Shoemaker and Shalene

Rachel and leen.... Katie and Shalene

Ryan and Chase came with slicked back hair too haha



lol I'm srry Katie.... I had to. It was just too much temptation.

We even got Doug to try the hula hoop haha

Jonathan^^ he has to have his thumbs up when he hula hoops or... he just cant do it lol
Rachel, Katie, and Becca spent the night. On Saturday they did a... craft thingy and games. sooo this is a pic of Shalene and Kate doing their umm i really cant remember what it is called....



all of em with their craft. it was an empty tin DVD case, they took the insides out of it, put a little pocket thingy-ma-jigger, a little notebook and a pen in it... its really cute but we didnt get any pics of the insides :(
next up.... games↓↓↓

bubble gum chewing.... chew 3 peices of gum at once, first person to blow the bubble wins.


haha i like this pic. have you ever blown that paper slip off of the straws you get in restaurants?? thats what they were doing. becca got it all the way across the kitchen haha

lol shes lookin at her straw cross eyed....
Twister ☺
hula hoop contest
and paddle ball

Monday, November 24, 2008

More Freebies & Givaway

Sample of Degree for men
Visit this site for a great giveaway!!

Happy Thanksgiving


Friday, November 21, 2008

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Winter Wonderland....

ok so its not quite the type of snow you get all your snow clothes on for but... I love the first snowfall. after that... ugh! haha but the first few snows, i like :) u cant see the snow coming down in the pic :( thats the prettiest part....

~another~ sneek peek

this is Shalenes cake for her birthday party on friday... I really dont know why my mother wants to show everybody what the cake looks like before the party but... hey! Im just doing what she says haha


We asked Gwen ~Tolley tales~to make the cake and its... awesome haha Shalene loves it. The colors are pink with a metallic looking purple and metallic aqua....it is so neat!!!
This little skirt that she put on the cake even has a little poodle! haha (in case mom hasnt told you... its a 50's themed party)

The pictures are a little dark because of the lighting (its dark and snowy out) so maybe we will get better pics tomorrow!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A Thought

This post may mean nothing to many of you but my hubby told me to read a chapter in the book "When God Whispers Your Name" by Max Lacado and this little bit stuck out to me......"Those with man-sized problems will laugh. And those with God-sized problems will pray." That quote was given after he spoke of Moses & Jehoshaphat and all they accomplished by believing in God. Things may be tight and questions in our minds about our future but I know that God can do anything!

Another Freebie



Here is a free sample of dog shampoo!
Free tennis ball

Also, the truffle offer that I have listed below is working again!!!


Please remember that you will receive a lot of spam mail so I recommend that you set up an email account to use just for free samples. Every now and then go through and deleate your emails and that will save your main email account.

Field Trip

This past Tues a group of local homeschool students went on a field trip to Catherman's candy shoppe (and bakery) and to the Lewisburg Post Office. We had around 40 students attend along with parents & grandparents. It was just a nice time to be able to get together with some of the other familes.


Are you getting hungry yet?






Here they are watching a wheel spin the chocolate to keep it smooth and warm for dipping. Talk about smelling wonderful!





Monica, Shalene, Alyssa and Rebecca at the post office.

Some of the younger ones sorted some of the mail...here is Jennifer and Clayton sorting mail. I hope the postal carriers didn't have a messed up day and have their mail all twisted around!