So, last summer I ventured into the wonderful world of couponing. I will definitely be posting some wonderful shopping trips here in the future and wanted to start with this amazing trip I had at CVS this week.


I got everything pictured for just $9.72 out of pocket.

Here's the breakdown:

1st Trasaction -
Bought 2 Crest Toothpastes
Used 2 $1 off coupons
Used $4 ECB from last week
Paid $1.04 out of pocket.
Got back $6.58 ECB as advertised (Still had $6 ECB from last week and got a suprise $5 ECB printed out as well)

2nd Transaction -
Bought everything else
Used coupons totaling $6.20 of savings
Used remaining $6 ECB from last week
Used $6.58 ECB I got from the 1st transaction as well as the $5 surprise ECB
Paid $8.68 out of pocket
Got back $10 ECB and i also have a $3 off $15 to use next time, as well.

I love couponing!!

For those of you who happen to stumble upon this blog or are still among the followers listed and actually see this post come up in your feed, I am in the process of changing some things. There will soon be regular posts and I am working out a schedule.

Tentatively what can be expected:

Monday Meditations - a devotional thought to start the week. God should be first in our life and I would like to start out the week here talking about Him and what He is showing me from His Word.

Book Worm Wednesday - I love to read! So, each Wednesday I will be posting a new book review or maybe a teaser section from a book I'm reading or just something general about reading/writing. These will most often be linked to my book blog - One Rainy Afternoon.

Friday is the day I can't fully decide what to do with. I like the idea of a Frugal Friday and posting either deals I have gotten that week or something I may have seen that I would like to pass on. However, I'm not sure that I want that restriction. So, I am also thinking about just making it a Fun Friday and posting something fun that happened that week, which could include a great shopping trip, a craft with my daughter, something we did around the house, a movie we watched, etc. If you have any thoughts/suggestions about this day please leave a comment below. Thanks!

As always I want everything posted here to be acceptable in the sight of God, our Father and it is my goal to glorify Him through this.

I hope to 'see' some of you here often, especially once all of the changes are officially in place. I expect that to happen in the next week, maybe two.

I had no idea when I wrote my last post what the Lord had in store for us that week.

That night we had a pipe burst under our driveway. We didn't know it was under the driveway at first, but after a week and a half of digging and insanely high estimates from plumbers we figured out that we needed to just replace our waterline in a new place. My wonderful husband and some family and friends were able to run the line into the house via a different route, so that none of the pipe is under concrete now.

So, after staying with friends for a week and a half we have running water again with no leaks. A few things in our lives were delayed due to this, but God was so good to us along the way. Friendships grew and some were reestablished.

Praise the Lord!!

"God says there is no darkness in Him, and while I don't know completely what that means, I'm reminded of what Scripture says in Isaiah 45:3, "I will give you the treasures of darkness." Could this be what God means when He says that the darkness is as light? Could it mean that sometimes the lessons we learn in the dark are the truest and the brightest lights of revelation of who Jesus truly is? I do know that the lessons I've learned in the dark this year have enlightened me and have allowed me to know Jesus in a new way."

I read this this morning on a blog and wanted to share it with my friends. It seems like there has been so much darkness in people's lives lately. So much sorrow, grief, disappointment, and the list goes on. I hope that when those things have happened in your life that you have seen The Light of the World shining through.

Pay close attention to the part that is highlighted in red. I think that is very true. I think when we are in our darkest moments Christ's light shines even brighter. Light seems brightest when there is total darkness as its backdrop. In those times we are not trying to fix the problem on our own because we've most likely given up. And it is at those moments we can rest assured that it is truly and purely Christ shining. Step back and stop trying to figure things out on your own. God knows the way.

Jer 29:11-14
'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'"

Are you allowing Christ to fully shine in your darkest moments and following that light to greater and better things? Or are you sitting back and cowering in the corners too afraid of what may lie ahead?

Take the hand of the Savior and follow His light. "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. " John 12:46

Ok, so I thought it would be fun to make a gingerbread house with Emma this year. Keep in mind that she is not quite 3 and not much help. I think in the future I will be waiting until she can be of more assistance. My hand hurt so bad by the end. I think I made my icing too hard, which was good for sticking things, but horrible for my hands. It was the first one I'd ever done, so I am hoping for better results in the future.

However, Emma loved it and keeps showing everyone that comes over 'her house'.

Getting started:


The goodies:





Finished product:








Finished product with Emma (you can tell by her face what she was helping with) =)


All in all it was an exhausting 2 1/2 hours, but well spent. It's a cute little house and I had a great time with my little muncher.