Author: Bo

It’s official, I’m a couponing queen. This is my 3rd tote (Thanks Deb!) that I’m trying. The first one was too big (a shoebox), 2nd one was too small (same size as this but didn’t extend) and now I have this one! It’s a 4×6 accordion file that extends out, I’m just hoping I don’t snap the little rubber band that holds it all together at the bottom because it’s stretched to the MAX!

This one is still small enough to fit in my purse though so I can be sure to have it handy with me whenever I’m in the store. Now if I just knew all the rules for the stores I shop at (Safeway, Fred Meyer & Walgreens) so I knew where I could double and triple and see what’s on sale, etc I’d be set. I guess that’s just more learning and reading blogs though. It’s becoming quite the hobby, with all the money I’m saving, I should be buying scrapbook stuff!!!!!

She’s just chillin….

upside down and inside out

I’m so excited for what I found today! Michaels was having a HUGE sale and I have been collecting coupons and went today and got some good stuff! The pictures don’t show it very well but I was too excited to get decorating and took the pictures of everything I got AFTER I used it to decorate. I got a 6′ long swag, a 2′ long swag, a wreath, 4 small swag like things that matched, 4 – 8×10 picture frames and 3 – 5×7 frames and a sheet of sticker present labels. We asked our family members for unframed 8×10 pictures of themselves for Christmas so we can start our “family wall” in our house and have framed pictures of our families to see so that’s why we bought the frames. Here are the pictures of what we got… see how much I saved below!

The 6′ swag above the kitchen cabinets with christmas lights in it (we used our own strand)

2 of the 4 small matching swag pieces added into what we already have on the coffee table.

The 2′ swag on the TV.

We took the clock off the wall and replaced it with the matching wreath.

We also got our christmas tree today! We cut off the bottom and had to take a few of the branches off the bottom as well that were too low and I didn’t want to just throw them out because they look nice and smell good. So I took the twigs that we normally have in this vass out and put a large plastic cup in the bottom with water and christmas tree juice and put some of the branches in there, I think it looks nice and it smells great! Then I added the last 2 swags that I had left to this to tie it all in together!

Here are the frames we got. We got 4 – 8×10’s and 3 – 5×7’s because they were on such great sale and we’re planning on hanging a ton of pictures in the near future. I LOVE them, we actually wanted more but they were sold out so we got a rain check for more after they get more in.

Here is a bit more of the detail of the wood work. Dark brownish/black sort of rustic looking, the picture of course doesn’t do it any justice but they are really pretty frames.

Total retail for all of this was $273.42. I paid $100 even! Savings of about 65%! WOO HOO!!!

We celebrated Thanksgiving #3 today. This was only the 2nd turkey I’ve ever made but it turned out VERY tasty even though it finished cooking 2 1/2 hours ahead of schedule! Here’s Tommy before…..

And Tommy after………

And our nice little dinner. Turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing & deviled eggs.
It was tasty! (mom, like our table cloth??) hahaha

My sister in law is the most amazing coupon’er ever! She’s got me hook line and sinker bought into this couponing idea and I’ve given it a try a couple times and have left shopping totally defeated and feeling like I’ve wasted a TON of time with clipping coupons, organizing them in my new fancy coupon organizer (only $0.99) and trying to match the coupons with the sales at the stores and double and triple where I can. So far I haven’t done well with it but I went out this morning and did awesome! I’ve been collecting glade coupons for weeks now and Kati told me of a great deal that I missed out on and was totally bummed about but like a good girl, I had my coupon tote with me when I went Black Friday shopping today and am so happy that I did! Walmart had the candles that I have coupons for on sale and I was able to double and triple some and ended up with this great loot!

Retail price on this is $58.27 (MSRP) and I got it all for $10.21!!!! That’s a savings of about 83%! WOO HOO!!! My first excellent couponing experience, I’m so excited!! Now if I could only do that every week at the grocery store!!! Thanks Kati!!!

Bo and I had an awesome thanksgiving this year, it was fantastic! We got to sleep in this morning and finish all the last minute preparations for the food we were taking with us, loaded up the car and headed out, coffee in hand. We read a few chapters of the bible on the road and prayed for our day. We arrived pretty early to Thanksgiving #1 with Bo’s family in Bonney Lake. We only got to spend about 2 hours with them as we had to head to Seattle to see my family in the afternoon.

Here are some pictures with Bo’s family.

Shirley & I (Bo’s mom)

Grandma & Grandpa Thompson

Aunt Lori

Kati (sister)

Jessica (cousin) & Ashton

Bobby (brother) cutting the Turkey

Dan (brother in law), Violet (niece) & Bo

Violet

Bobby, Sarah & Isabelle

Shirley & Isabelle

Bo & Violet

Greg (Lori’s husband)

Nyah & Randi (2nd cousins)

Brandon, Ashton & Malokai (cousin & 2nd cousins)

Brandon

Charitie (cousin) & Joe

The only picture I couldn’t find was of Aiden so I stole one from his website! This is our first nephew!

Us

Then on to Seattle for Thanksgiving #2 for the day…..

Trina, Joe & Chloe

Mom & Dad

Us again after we got home.

My camera ran out of batteries at our first thanksgiving and apparently the 2 spares I had charged didn’t actually charge so I could only snap 2 quick pictures in the afternoon with my side of the family.

We had such a great day! Bo stuffed himself stupid on his family’s traditional Thanksgiving feast (olives, deviled eggs, stuffed celery, mashed potatoes and chips & dip) and I ate well at my family’s feast with deviled eggs, stuffed celery, salad & a bite of Turkey.

We have a 19 lb Turkey to stuff and cook on Saturday when Bo and I have our own personal Thanksgiving feast at home this weekend. We don’t plan on eating the turkey fresh baked from the oven but we’re gonna have a LOT of sandwiches for the weeks to follow :)

I took a quick break mid-blog while writing this and came back to this…………………

We hope you had as enjoyable a day giving thanks celebrating with your friends and family as we did, we are blessed!

Bows found a box. The pictures pretty much speak for themselves…..

Bo and I laid down on the couch yesterday to watch a movie (The curious case of Benjamin Button) and Bows of course had to snuggle with us (well me, he won’t let her snuggle him) too.

She is such a snuggle bug but sometimes can get in the way of what we’re trying to do. But she’s so cute and soft and snuggly I won’t move her, I’ll just get uncomfortable and look around her.

We snuggled through most of the movie, she just passed out and slept cheek to cheek with me. Awwwww… so cute.

Our home group decided it was time for some fun and fellowship so we all got together last night to carve pumpkins together. We had so much fun! Here is everyone so focused on their carving!

We couldn’t even fit everyone at the table, we used the bar too.

Here is Jan with 1 of her 2 or 3 pumpkins she completed… Martha style completely covered in gold glitter, it’s so cute!

Truck with his flying ghost
(thanks for the cookies truck, I had them for breakfast this morning) :)

Robert and Eve with her beautiful Autumn gold pumpkin she decorated
(Eve I also ate that bread for breakfast, I have to buy some of that it was SO GOOD!)

Dave and Carol with their Jack-O-Lanterns

Donna and her ENORMOUS pumpkin face with hair cut on top!

Tom and Jan with their happy and mad Jack-O-Lanters

Bob & Evie and their cute ones with tongues!

Bo and I with his Mario (Bert) and my KiT-Ten!

The whole group minus a few who were sadly unable to make it last night. We prayed for you all who couldn’t be with us and missed having your company there. But we still had a great time, ate too much tasty food and got some cute pics!

Bows certainly missed us while we were gone. Bo wanted to catch the game on Sunday when we got home and she couldn’t get close enough.

It was 58 degrees in the house when we got back home so Bo snuggled up in a blanket and Bows snuggled right up with him! This is generally how she sleeps EVERY night on me, never on Bo but she sleeps on my back in bed every night. We missed her too!