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You’re right. It has been a while since I have posted, but I have some really great excuses!! First, life has been busy with boys. Fun stuff!! The boys were enrolled in Vacation Bible School in the morning, then they came home for lunch and off to 5-Day-Club (essentially a neighborhood VBS) in the afternoon. Sweet! It gave me a much needed break from non-stop “mommy-responsibility”.

I’ve been using that time to work on some new products, coming up with a new preview (packaging for my digi stuff), a new logo, cutting files (!!!) and more! Actual WORK stuff. Focused time is so valuable!

Ladies, I SO remember the baby days, just like it was yesterday. I remember thinking that I was NEVER going to be able to go anywhere by myself again. I was NEVER going to have 10 minutes to myself. Little people would be climbing on me for the rest of my life!!

Of course, things are different now. The boys are much more independent, and they both go to school (while it is in session, of course). During the school year, I became accustomed to having 2.5 hrs two days a week to myself. Now that the summer is here, that’s not happening. Except this week, of course.

I was blessed to be able to go grocery shopping AND to garage sales BY MYSELF this morning!! It was wonderous!

First, let me show you my MAJOR purchase. The much needed major purchase. The I’ve-been-looking-for-this-for-years major purchase.

A chartreuse bed. Hate me, but I love that color. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go with Cole’s color scheme, so it’s going to be painted red. RED!! Free red, by the way, due to the Glidden paint promo they had a while back. I’ll keep you posted . . .

OH, and it was a whopping $8.00. Score!

I also found some size 8 boy jeans for $1 and a couple of videos for the boys. I know. I totally went over budget today. I’m not sorry, though!!

Next, the grocery score:

Grand total: $25.09

Basically, it was like this:

The meat, which is a bunch of pork loin - 2/3 cut into chops and 1/3 as a roast - is being marinated. 1/3 is getting honey chipotle, 1/3 is getting teriyaki, and the roast will be BBQ pulled pork. I had the guys at the counter repackage a family pack, add the free marinade and then I popped ‘em in the freezer for a no-brainer meal. Three dinners for $12.16.

The produce - you’re looking at avocados, bananas, apples, nectarines, celery, carrots, potatoes, onions and a lime - came to $12.85 (before coupons). I had a $1/2 coupon for avocados and a Catalina for $3 off a $10 produce purchase.

All of the rest was either part of the Buy 4, Save $4 + get a box of granola bars promo, or it was purchased with overage from my coupons.

Meat: $12.16
Produce: $12.85
The rest (including milk and eggs): $0.69
Total: $25.09

Gotta love couponing!!

Local ladies - the root beer and lemon lime sodas are on overstock clearance for 39¢ each right now!! It’s worth the “splurge”! Look on an end cap closer to the meat dept. for the root beer, and in the juice isle for the lemon-lime.