Thanks to Cynthia (an AWESOME Pre-K teacher!) for sending this to me last night! It made for a fun drive around town running errands.

There are so many things wrong I don’t even know where to start!

First, you have to know that this was a coupon on the BACK of an HEB receipt! From the grocery store!

So someone brilliant at Late Night Tattoos thought, “hmmm, lets advertise a FREE body piercing with a tattoo purchase on the back of a grocery store receipt, because soccer mom’s grocery shopping, might want to run over after getting ice cream, and bread to get a tattoo and piercing”.

If Late Night Tattoos has childcare available, and my ice cream doesn’t melt, I AM IN!

Second, do you see where it says, “one coupon per visit, some restrictions apply“.

**snort**

This is where I have to ask myself, “were they having problems with people trying to roll these coupons!?!!” Was someone coming in and getting a tattoo and then getting a free piercing so often they had to limit it?

“Those dang ladies with their coupon binders, I am sick of tattooing I break for coupons across their backs, and then they get a free piercing!” Kat Von D says, “Thats it, we are going to have to limit it to one PER visit!”

Oh Man, too much fun! I need to call and ask them if they are getting any business from it, maybe they are onto something? Seriously. If they are I need to get my blog logo on there next to theirs!

I don’t have a scheduled post time where I post random coupon pictures, I kinda want to do that because there are some funny ones out there.

This one however….

Kristin, another Houston blogger ( Coupon Kristin ) was on her way home today from a trip, west of Houston and saw this sign inside one of the newspaper stands.

I sooooo want to see someone stealing papers (inserts) only to get tackled as they were walking away by someone hiding in the bushes, inserts flying everywhere… going to jail with their coupon binder in tow. Not really, its kinda sad. 🙁 That poor guy who owns that paper stand is getting ripped off every week.

Finally, because it is Saturday night and I thought I had a hot date, only to be stood up because my date got home late from a softball tournament and then promptly got puked on by a kid. That pretty much puts an end to any date plans I might have had. I am going to share with you perhaps one of my favorite pictures ever!

I can not possibly explain to you how funny this scene was to me earlier today. I was running children to where they needed to be when I saw something that will keep a smile on my face for weeks!

I apologize for the photo, it was the best my 9 year old could do with an iPhone at 45 miles an hour!

As we were driving down the road a man had a baby carrier on his back with a Pomeranian stuffed inside the backpack. This dogs legs and arms were sticking straight out of the openings and the look on the dogs face was priceless! He was in complete euphoria!! The Man looked like he had an Ewok stuck on his back! I could not stop laughing, my 9 year old and I both had tears running down our cheeks. It was a great way to start a Saturday!

This past week Paul and I had the chance to take our oldest son on a pioneer trek. We left on Tuesday morning and got back Saturday morning at 7am.

As a blogger you never have a day off, EVER. I knew that I was not going to be able to have ANY access to internet including my phone for at least 4 days. In the past 2 1/2 years if I have ever had a vacation I am always blogging along the way, in the car, hotel, where ever I can get internet access. I love it, but this was the first time I had to step away and get some help. I scheduled a TON of posts for while I was gone but I hired an AWESOME blogger to help me, her name is Courtney and if you are a blogger and need a day off she is great!

Paul and I were “Ma and Pa’s” for the trek, we “adopted” 9 teenagers and were a family for the trip. We left Houston and drove 9 hours to Oklahoma to a cattle ranch. Fun fact: We were on the ranch next to The Pioneer Woman!!! It is beautiful country.

We had to dress in period costume, which for women meant, full skirt, bloomers, apron, button up shirt to the neck and full sleeve and bonnet. IT WAS HOT!

Our kids were AWESOME. They worked so hard, and at night we danced and they played guitar. We set up camp each night with tarps and slept under the stars. There was a river that we cooled off in, but we had NO showers or any kind of modern connivence. We truly lived as the pioneers did that crossed the plains.

Most of our meals were cooked in dutch ovens. I will post some of the recipes here as they were really good, I like to use dutch ovens even when we are not camping as it makes a great meal!

Our “company” had 7 families, there were 3 companies so 21 “families”. It was such a great experience, it was very hard work and very hot. You gained such an appreciation for what those before you had to go through and what their daily life was like. I was so glad that we were able to go, I enjoyed the time off and the time we were able to spend together, my husband and I.

At one point on the trek, the men and boys had to go off to do something else, it left the woman to push the cart by ourselves. We had a huge hill that we had to get up and were determined to do it. As we got to the top I pulled my gloves off because my hands were sweating so bad and when I did my wedding ring flew off. We were never able to find it. Many of the pioneers had to leave behind things that were very precious to them, I was sick to my stomach walking away knowing it was gone forever. But I felt like I really got a taste ( whether I wanted it or not!) what they had to go through.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I had such a neat experience I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Thanks for hanging in there while I was gone, I hope you didn’t even notice! Happy 4th of July!

O.K. I need a little advice….

We are purchasing a new (used, but new to us!) vehicle. I really wish I didn’t need to get one because the one that I have right now if perfectly fine. BUT, it does not fit our family. It seats 8 and we have 9. If  we go anywhere as a family we have to take 2 vehicle’s, which with the gas prices is not very cost effective and I really like us to be all together.

This is my dilemma. I can get the one I want, a suburban that seats 9. OR, I can get the more practical and less expensive big ‘ol van. The van seats 11, but does not have much storage in the back and we need it for sports equipment. However, we can actually have the kids friends come with us. The suburban has more cool features and more room in the back but I would have to get an older model with more miles for the same price.

** This would be where I have to explain that my Mom has driven the same large van my ENTIRE life, I swore I would NEVER drive one! This is also where I have to be an adult and make a smart/frugal decision and get over childhood trauma! 🙂

What do you think?

As long as we were talking about buying vehicles, I don’t know much, but my husband worked as a wholesaler for a while so I have a few tips.

• Do your research – Obviously. Look online, and compare what you are seeing for the same vehicle on different sites. Try ebaymotors.com, cars.com and even craigslist.com.
• If you possibly can, hold out and wait until you can pay cash for a car and not have to pay the interest. If you are financing, check around for the lowest percentage rates, always try a credit union.
• Be patient, don’t get caught up in the moment and feel pressured into buying a car. If you are in front of a sales person and need to talk to your spouse privately, WALK AWAY and do it! Don’t think you are being impolite, it is your money!
• Be flexible, look past colors and option packages. You can add extras later, for less. For example, the suburban I want is a great price but it is cloth. I can save money by purchasing it without leather and adding it later, after market for about $1200. If I get one with the leather included it is $2500 more.
• You will typically get more money if you privately sell your car then trading it in. But sometimes the hassle is not worth it for some people, and they find it much easier to just trade it in. Also, you will only be paying tax on the difference after the trade in amount towards the new car.

This Memorial Day weekend my Mom left and headed up to Iowa. On her way she stopped through Joplin MO and took some AMAZING photos.

The spirit of this town is is so heartwarming and stirring, I can’t help but choke back tears when I saw her pictures.

How beautiful all the flags flying look over such complete devastation. How thoughtful of the owners who are obviously struggling tremendously with what has happened to everything that they own to take the time to put up flags for the Holiday. What a wonderful country we live in!

If you would like to help and are not sure how I have a few ideas.

If you are in the Houston area, and want to donate items to be taken to Joplin MO and surrounding communities you can bring them up to The Woodlands, Paul and my son are personally delivering them over Father’s Day weekend.

In Houston:

• The Woodlands Christian Church 1202 North Millbend Dr. The Woodlands 77380. Week days from 9 am to 4pm and on Saturdays.

If you want to mail items, you can pack things in the Flat Rate Box from the Postal Service. We  have a church in Springfield MO working with us as a mail point, where we can then sort the items and get them out. See more info HERE.

Where to mail packages:

• Address to: Coupon-Aid (care of the Vineyard Church) 634 W. Wall | Springfield, MO 65806

If you want to stop by my Moms blog and look at her pictures you can go HERE.

This is a repost of what we normally do each year for Decoration Day. This year we are moving and so we hope to be able to run by and pay tribute, but will not be able to spend the time that we have been able to every year.

When I was a teenager I had the opportunity to live with my Grandmother in Iowa. I still remember it as the best year of my life. I learned so many things from her and got to know her like I never would have had the chance to. She taught me how to cook, how to clean, how to be on time, what it really means to take care of a house and yard, and showed me many things that I consider traditions. My Grandma never misses the opportunity to visit the grave sites of our family near where she lives. My Grandfather served in World War II and was a prisoner of war.

My Grandma called Memorial Day, Decoration Day and now I do to. Decoration Day started in the South by some strong Southern women. At the end of the civil war, a group of them went out at the end of May and decorated the tombstones of the civil war solders, both North and South. Some didn’t have tombstones of family to decorate so they decorated the ones they could. Many women left what little they had, scraps of fabric and wild flowers. They did it in hopes that someone would be decorating the graves of their loved ones buried far away from home. The tradition grew and was renamed and a National Holiday was born.
But along the way we have lost much of the tradition. So many of us now are transplanted and have no family around to visit, and flowers to leave on grave sites. The spirit of the Day can still remain, don’t loose this tradition. Take your children out and explain what it is all about, visit a veterans cemetery and let them lay flowers on any grave site that they like. Adopt a Grandparent that served in the military, or look for family names similar to yours. Keep the spirit of Decoration Day alive.
This year we “adopted” the parents of a good friend of mine. The Groves were two of the kindest and nicest people you could have ever met. Brother Groves served in two wars and raised a beautiful family. Sister Groves was a gracious and supportive wife who was stunningly beautiful. They lived their lives in a way that I can only hope to live mine. I am so thankful we were able to go out Monday and visit. It was such a spiritual experience for my little family and created such neat conversations with each of the kids, we are more determined then ever to not let the spirit of Decoration Day slip away.

If you are in the Houston area, and want to donate items to be taken to Joplin MO and surrounding communities, you can bring them up to The Woodlands and we are personally delivering them over Father’s Day weekend.

In Houston:

• The Woodlands Christian Church 1202 North Millbend Dr. The Woodlands 77380

If you want to mail items, I suggest packing them into a medium Flat Rate Box from the Postal Service. We have a church in Springfield MO working with us as a mail point, where we can then sort the items and get them out. This is where we will need YOU if you are in the area!

Where to mail packages:

• Address to: Coupon-Aid (care of the Vineyard Church) 634 W. Wall | Springfield, MO 65806

The Vineyard Church in Springfield is accepting donations for us, we will then sort and hand deliver them Father’s Day Weekend. There is no weight restriction and you can mail it for $10.95.It is O.K. to pack it FULL! Try to get as much as possible into the box!

As part of the trip, Paul will be organizing a work day on Saturday June 18th and Sunday Father’s Day. If you are anywhere near there and would like to join us in helping out please keep checking the site. I will add details on needed items and supplies as I get more information.