Yesterday I lost my beautiful Grandma Davis. We were headed out Memorial Day weekend to celebrate her 99th birthday but she was just too tired to wait for us.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity to have known her and to have the amazing experience of living with her while I went to barber school when I was a teenager. Paul and I named our oldest daughter after her, Emma Evelyn, because we thought it was the most beautiful name ever. She hated her name  She could not understand why we liked it, but she sure showed Emma off to everyone and was so proud to tell them her middle name was Evelyn, after her! She taught me how to cook good food and how to clean. My Grandma smelled like fresh Folgers coffee from the can and Dove bar soap, two of my most favorite smells in the world, right behind new baby smell. She loved chocolate and a good salad. She hated raspberries with a passion, called them “seedy little devils” and avoided mexican food because she just wasn’t sure about it. My favorite thing that she said all the time was “Oh, Goody!”

My Grandma was the classiest lady I know, she got dressed up to go to Walmart, changed her purses out with the season and never wore white after Labor Day. She got her ears pierced for the first time in her 70’s. She was born on a farm, rode in a horse and wagon, played basketball in high school, watched the men build the railroad and cooked them breakfast. She picked wild asparagus in the ditches, read by candlelight, lived through the Great Depression, eloped, sent my Grandpa off to war, waited for him as a POW, had 3 boys, worked full time at JCPenney’s, took care of her aging parents, and mowed her lawn and shoveled her driveway into her 90’s. My Grandma was the hardest working person I know. She loved to laugh, she had the most beautiful laugh, and she loved hearing jokes and telling them. She might not ever have known, but I think her greatest talent was playing with little kids. She KNEW how to PLAY with them. She would get on the floor, and right down on their level and actually PLAY with them. She would look them in the eye and you knew she loved them. She could play with babies and little kids for hours and not get bored, but she wasn’t a softie. You had to work to get a hug.

My Grandma watched Tucker for me when he was a baby so I could go to college. She was 82 years old, but didn’t mind. I had to schedule my classes around her line dancing and bridge playing though  Paul and Grandma played bridge together a few times a week, they shared a love of buffets, and would secretly eat lunch without me. I didn’t mind. They kept each other out of trouble. I am going to miss her so much, although I know happy she must be right now to be back with her husband, her beloved sister and brothers, her parents and Grandmother. She is truly one of the greatest from the greatest generation. I can’t imagine all that she has seen in her lifetime and how graceful and classy she she has always been. She is such an example to me of how to work hard and I can only hope to be like her in anyway and can’t wait to see her again.

Guys!!! I am just DYING here!!! This is the BEST story I have heard all day!

An OB, Dr. Bob, KNITS each baby he delivers a beanie hat to wear home! What a beautiful gift. Just the thought and time it takes to do this is awesome. Many OB’s seems more worried about their tee time (as has had happen to me) than delivering a a baby, let alone, knitting them a hat!

See Dr. Bob’s site HERE 

See the story on Dr. Bob HERE.

P.S. I just told my husband I am having another baby and Dr. Bob is delivering, so I can have a beanie baby hat! 🙂

Ok so there is a SUPER rare coupon that you can print today! It is a DeWafelbakkers coupon for the frozen pancakes that WE LOVE. I found this company a few years ago and they have sent me free product coupons for YEARS for you guys at coupon classes. If you have been to one of my classes, there is about a 100% chance that you got a FREE bag of pancakes from DeWafelbakkers!!

Currently you can print a coupon for $1 off DeWafelbakkers in zip code 90210.

You also might remember that in December, we threw a pancake party for 2 of our daughter’s that was captured by DeWafelbakkers which they have used for promotional purposes.

If you have a free second and are not going to get fired at work for watching funny videos… these are awesome!

Why we had a pancake party!

It’s a Pancake Party Rap!

Outtakes and Extras!

Today is the first day of spring break for my kids. We are not going anywhere exciting this week and plan on getting some housework done along with some badly needed yard work. Not exactly what my kids had in mind as we usually go camping.

This morning we offered them a $25 challenge at the mall. When everyones chores were done we would give them each $25 and see who find the best deal. The little kids were with me and the 3 older kids on their own. The winner gets $25 to spend later in the week at the mall.

I am going to need your help deciding who won!

#1 – 12 Year old girl – Total spent $23.06 

• Shirt from Forever Twenty-One $7.80
• 9 Pairs of Socks from PayLess $11
• Earrings From Claires $4.80
• Free Chocolate from Godiva $3

#2 – 14 Year old girl – Total Spent $10

• Used game from Game Stop $10

* She rationalized that she bought something for EVERYONE and that the rest of the money she is saving or using to buy popcorn for when they play the game…

#3 – 4 little kids and me – Total Spent – $25.80

• Free Bath & Body Works Lotion $3.50
• Free Godiva Chocolate $3
• 3 Shirts from Forever Twenty-One $3.80 each
• 2 Leggings from Forever Twenty-One $5.80 each
• 1 Tank Top $2.80

* Plus we did a $5 survey in the mall, so we actually had $30 to spend 🙂

#4 – 16 Year Old Boy – Total Spent $25

• Shirt from Pac Sun $19.99
• Socks from Pac Sun $7.99

* He is arguing quality over quantity!

OK, so who do you think won? Just leave a comment and some lucky kid wins $25. 🙂 Or 4 little kids get to share something!

This is a little bit of a person post, well actually completely personal… A long time ago I found Piper sandals at an art show. They were made by a family in San Antonio TX. They were super expensive, but I completely fell in love with them. I walked away but thought about them the rest of the day. I ended up going back the next day and buying a pair. They were MY FAVORITE sandals I had ever had. I wore them 10 months out of the year, every day, to church and even work.

“Our Hand made leather sandals feature a one piece fully adjustable strap witch gives every foot a perfect fit.WE REPLACE PIPER SANDAL STRAPS FREE EVEN IF A DOG EATS THEM.

The tools we use are from the industrial revolution era of America.  They are slow and correct and do not fit the modern demand for fast and almost right.  Using a few old machines, a couople of new ones and many old hand tools, our products are made the old world way…One at a time.  A little over 45,000 pairs of sandals have been made through these thirty-seven years.”

For years every picture of me, I have these sandals on. Then we moved. Somewhere in the move (I wore tennis shoes because of the boxes we were carrying) one of my sandals was lost 🙁 We looked everywhere. My husband even went through a dumpster for me. I have been heart broken for 6 months. So last fall I started saving up my money to buy another pair. Every time we went to Chik Fil A with the kids, I didn’t buy anything and when I came home I dropped $5 in a box in my closet. Last week I had enough to get my sandals so I ordered them and they came in the mail yesterday! I am breaking them in today! Now, they are not for everyone. Lots of people don’t like the style, but I love them. They are the most comfortable shoe I own!

I will be eating at Chick Fil A today in my new sandals!! 🙂 Ok and I really also just love the handwritten note you get with them as well.

* This is NOT a sponsored post. I didn’t get a pair free or even a discount. Piper sandals has no idea who or what MyLitter is, and I am pretty sure they don’t care 🙂 This is just a personal post from me telling you about one of my favorite things! 

Just humor me for a second…

I was about to hit “publish” on the coupon post below… and happened to notice… 18,000 posts published!!! Wow my fingers are tired just looking at that number from all that typing! That is YEARS and THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of hours writing up deals!

Ok, I am done patting myself on the back… 🙂