Calm Days and Couponing

“Life's a game, all you have to do, is know how to play it.” - unknown

Yay for quiet days!

We had a pretty uneventful day, yesterday. I am eternally grateful. When we're back into a routine, everyone is happier. Calmer. More peaceful.

I made someone laugh the other day at the dog park when I said I raised my daughter like I raised my dog (she said, "With a choke chain and a crate?"... lol... Okay, so maybe it wasn't EXACTLY the same!). For those of you who watch "The Dog Whisperer" you know that Ceasar is always saying that dogs need "rules, boundaries and limitations". Same with kids.

DD (and Dakota) were given rules, boundaries and limitations. Punishment for disobedience, praise and reward for observing those rules. As a parent, I did my best to be consistent and fair. Inconsistency confuses kids (and dogs). If one day they are allowed to do something and the next they're punished for it, they never know what's right.

I think having a routine is the same. It gives us parameters to how the day should be. And having those parameters makes people (me, at least) calmer.

Speaking of the dog park, I found that one of the ladies there works for Cigna (of the "Monarch Massacre"). She was talking about how "green" they are and was sharing all the green things they do ... so I brought up the field of milkweed, explained about the monarchs and asked if she knew who to contact about their mowing schedule. She did and was going to do it for me. I should find out this coming weekend at the dog park (assuming it doesn't rain) whether she was able to ask them to NOT mow until after the first hard frost. Hopefully there will be no Monarch Massacre this year.

On a fun note, I did my first foray into serious couponing yesterday. I'm not totally crazy -- I have no plans to go the the store and rack up a $1000 bill, then pay $9 for it at the end like the crazy coupon ladies on Extreme Couponing. I'm not going to buy what I don't need. And I don't have 70 hours a week to dedicate to it.

But ... for a few bucks, DD can clip coupons for me. It takes me 30 mins or so to sort through and keep the ones I'll use. Once or twice a week, I'll match them up to flyers, and hit the stores. I'm lucky that I have EVERYTHING in a fairly close radius: CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid are about two miles away. WalMart and Target are about five miles away. I have two grocery stores very close (soon to be three).

Here's what I brought home:



Here's what I paid at two stores:




That doesn't look THAT impressive, until you realize I got back $12 in certificates to spend on my next order. So, I paid in total $27 for $92 worth of stuff (a 70% savings). For a couple hours work. If I hadn't bought the paper towels (which were a good deal -- but still costly: $4.99 after sale and coupon) it would have been even more impressive. *G*

Today, I can get toothbrushes free after coupon at WalMart, and I have several coupons. So... go me. If I can cut our grocery / sundries bill in half, I'll be thrilled. I don't need to get everything for free, but cheap would be nice.

And don't worry, I won't bore you will all my shopping hauls... this was my maiden voyage, though, so I had to share!

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You Are Balanced

You are a peaceful and content person. You don't ask too much of yourself or those around you. You are confident and self-assured. You never try to be someone you're not - you believe that you are enough. You have a healthy skepticism about the world. You don't buy into a lot of mainstream values. You've found a better way to live - through deep reflection and understanding yourself.

Are You Bouncy, Bold, Behaved, or Balanced?

About 50% right.

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