CVS-ing...my new shopping experiences

So I have decided that I'm going to start couponing and looking for deals when I shop in order to help us be better stewards of our money. The last two weeks I've gotten the Sunday paper, and last night a friend from church gave me a whole lot of coupons! I was checking out a friend's blog several months ago, and noticed that she was getting tons of free stuff from CVS. So I loooked into it, and have tried it out. I got info about shopping at CVS from a website (moneysavingmom...i'll put link below). On the website there is a link on CVS 101, and how to make it work for you. So far, I've been doing pretty good with it, and I will make $10 for our family this week. I know it isn't much, but it is better then nothing, right...so, here's what I got today:

I got all this for $4.69

Here's what I did:

First transaction:

First I had $5.00 ECBs (just like $5.00 cash to use at CVS from previous order)

I bought the two boxes of throat coolers for toddlers. Each box is 4.99. I had a buy one get one free coupon for the throat coolers. So, I just used the $5.00 in ECBs that I had. Then, the throat coolers are on special this week. When you buy them, you get your money back in ECBs. (So they are actually free.) So I got ten dollars back even though I technically paid $5.00!! Out of pocket money was 49 cents for tax.

Second transaction:

I bought the diapers and pull ups in this transaction:

Both were on sale for $10. (that is cheaper then the walmart prices for the pull ups and about the same for the diapers...have to be careful about that at CVS)

Here's what I did:

$2.00 off coupon for pull ups

$1.50 off coupon for diapers

$10 of ECBs (from 1st transaction)

$3.00 of ECBs (from last week)

So I paid $4.20 for the diapers and $0.49 for the throat coolers....oh, yeah....I got $5.00 more when I cashed out to use for my next trip. I already know what that will be...there's a limit of 5 throat coolers you can buy, so I'll use my $5.00 to get 2 more boxes of the throat coolers, and then they'll give me $10 back when I check out!!! YAY!!!! So, I'll have ten dollars to work with next week:)

Here's the link to the website that has helped me:

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/

Pretty New Backgrounds

Yay to Daniel for showing me how to put up the pretty backgrounds!!! My blog (and its thousands of readers) thanks you...haha!

Put em to work!!

Ryan's family got me a great, little lightweight vaccum for Christmas. It is great to pick up all of the crumbs off the kitchen floor. Josiah seemed interested in it, so I let him try it out. He definitely likes using it...time for chores!

Snow Adventures

Well, snow came to Tennessee the last two days. We didn't get a whole lot, but definitely enough for the kids to play in and be excited about. I think overall, we had more last time, but this time it snowed off and on for a couple days. It was real pretty to watch. Ryan came home at lunch both days, and that's when we all went out to play. We tried sledding, but mostly we went over to the land accross the street to explore. It was a lot of fun; especially the first day when it was all new to Josiah. Here are some pictures from both days:

Josiah checking out the snow.

Aedan is checking out the snow on the leaves.

Josiah wanted a snowman, so here Ryan is trying to make one out of the snow on our car.

Josiah and Aedan

Josiah heading down the hill in the yard.

Ryan and Josiah tried going down the hill, but there wasn't quite enough snow, and maybe we need an actual sled disc....haha!

Aedan and his stick

A great picture of Ryan and the boys.

The biggest (and widest) tree we've ever owned! This is on the lot accross the street from our house.

the biggest tree...looking up:)

Josiah on the hill.

Aedan walking up the hill.

Ryan and the boys

Here's a great shot of Aedan. This picture was taken on day 2...he really didn't know what he wanted. I think he wants to be outside, but doesn't like to be cold and wet. Aedan would go from laughing one minute to crying the next.

Ryan, Josiah, and Aedan walking down the street.

Me and the boys

I'm a BIG giant!

Josiah and Aedan have been playing together much more recently. The two of them playing together mostly consists of one chasing the other around the living room and through the kitchen with their push toys. Below is a video of the boys playing together in Josiah's room. Notice how Aedan copies what Josiah does:) By the way, Josiah is saying, "I'm a BIG giant!"

Children's Museum Trip

It has been sooooo cold here this past week, and even the past couple of weeks. The other night I think it was 3 degrees outside!!! Ryan and I decided to try and find somewhere to take the boys today. We tried looking up Bounce Zone on the internet (south of town), but found out that they were only open in the evening (for today). I remembered Rachael telling Christie and I about the children's museum here in town, so we decided to look into it. It is in the "town" part of Cookeville, and was really easy to find. I have driven by the side of the building in the past, but didn't know what it was. They had lots of different things for Josiah and Aedan to play with. The museum had stuff for older children as well. Josiah and Aedan both liked playing in the grocery store/kitchen area, and the farm area. There was also a dress up area, train table, falling marble wall, arts and crafts area, painting area, and more. (Ours didn't paint or do any arts and crafts) There is also an outside area, with play equipment and sandbox. (We didn't go outside to play....too cold!) The museum has scientific stations for older kids, too. It cost our family $11 to go today. Four dollars for Ryan and myself, three for Josiah, and Aedan was FREE...at least he will be until he turns 2. We're thinking about getting a year's pass to the museum. It will cost us $49, for a year...to go whenever we want. The cost for a year's pass of 2 adults and their children is $60, but the lady said that we could apply the money we spent today toward it, though...which is great! (If any grandparents or anyone reading this would like to donate to our year's pass to the Children's Museum, we are happy to take donations:)

Here is a link to the museum if you'd like to check it out:
http://www.cookevillechildrensmuseum.org/Home.asp

The entrance

Josiah going grocery shopping

Aedan checking out the wolf

Josiah pretending to eat a snack.

Aedan joining him. Aedan LOVES utensils!!! He always wants them because Josiah uses them. He carried around the green fork almost the entire morning.

Ryan and Josiah peeking out the playhouse window.

Picture taken of Aedan from outside the playhouse.

Josiah grabbing a carrot from the garden.

This is the dress up area. They weren't into dressing up into the costumes too much, but they liked putting on the hats.

Aedan with his army hat on...holding his weapon (the green fork)!

Aedan on the spinner.

The guys playing with the falling marble wall. I actually made up that name for it because I wasn't sure what to call it.

Ring-Around-the-Rosie

Christmas again!

Ryan's mom came into town this past weekend for a visit and to bring some more Christmas things! The boys got to open more presents, and to visit with Grammy, of course. We mostly just hung around the house. It has been too cold here to go do any outside things with the boys. Here are some pics!

Aedan with his presents...ready to open!!

Josiah taking a look at his present!

Aedan reading with Grammy.

checking out presents!

Aedan with his toy car.

Josiah: The Puzzle Master

The Lowhorns gave us gift cards for Christmas to the local toy store in town. When the Russells were in town, we ventured out with the kids to let them pick out a toy. Josiah first had a saxophone, but then found a box of dinosaur puzzles that he wanted. He LOVES them. He plays with them all of the time, and has become much more independent with them.

Here are Josiah's dinosaur puzzles.

My Froglets