So, it was a huge milestone for our family to purchase our first car, only because I had very generous parents and my first car was purchased and lasted me a wonderful 11 years... I gotten into a pretty severe accident and totalled it.  My husband finally helped me find a great car to suit both our needs... a newer model of HIS car. haha of course, right?

Well, this car purchase is really two of us coming together because it was our first major purchase together.  As much as i love my cars, my husband is the true grease monkey.  I enjoy being a part of car culture, but he is really into mechanics, mods, etc.  His car is getting some attention and is in the talks with a couple sponsors so I am really excited for him!!

Cant wait for the Recaro baby seat in my car if its in the cards for us.. we shall see...

Nursing School HaHa's

This past week has been a rough week for our family.  My husband lost his grandfather and he has gone up to the gates of heaven.  Although Buddhist practices are far different, I tried to support my husband's family as best as possible.  I did have to inquire about how things are done and said... so I hope I was respectful and peaceful throughout the process.

Unfortunately, this was my first week of nursing school too and it was very very stressful for me to deal with school, mourning, and just trying to get a swing of my new hectic schedule.  People are demanding of your time and as much as I love to cater to people, I was very efficient in trying to minimize this... I mean that in a good way of course.  I just need to appreciate the little time I do have and cut out BS from my life.  I had a tiff with one of my friends, who claims I am awful because I had not replied to a text right away.  Okay, perhaps that MAY be true but this person has gone MONTHS w/o replying to any of my texts.... and then replying like weeks later... so what makes me any less guilty than she is?  I owned up to it and appologized, then she didn't.  For me, that is not okay.  OWN your mistakes and FIX them.  BETTER yourself and accept CHANGE.  KEEP friends that can CHERISH you, LOVE you and SUPPORT you.

Recent picture of my niece.  I may be bias but CUTEST BABY EVER :)

March Madness

I cant believe March is almost half way over and I havent really blogged.  I am awful at snapping pictures of my purchases unless its really on my mind to do it.  I swear, this will get better.  I have been much better at organizing my coupons and having trips ready to go..  I go to shopping centers that may not be super close, but I can stay in one parking lot to save me driving all around town, this has helped tremendously!!

Now that things have been settling down for me, I can finally divulge in some wonderful news.  I am going to start nursing school!!!  I am super stoked!!!  I am really ready to get this whole thing started.  I really had a goal to provide for my husband and I and try to be the bread winner... but ultimately things occured in my career and I needed to venture on this path and I am so so excited.  I currently volunteer at a children's hospital and I absolutely love it.  I adore my kids so much and cannot wait to become a nurse.  I know its my calling, I have to do it!!

On a lighter note, my family and I went to the aquarium for my birthday.  As most of you know, I am a PROUD auntie and my sister snapped a wonderful photo of my niece and I!!! isnt she a doll!?!

I been in a funk for the past couple weeks which leads me to become more introverted and I am not like that at all!  Im pretty shy initially but after I am comfortable, I love chit chatting and talking over a good cup of tea, coffee, or food :)  whatever fits your fancy.

Lately, Ive had a lot of internal commotion that I just simply must keep private until I even can clear my own head of the jargon... so after a refreshing week with my sister, niece, and her pup... it was time to face reality once again.  I tend to internalize my stress but not my emotions.  I wear my heart on my sleeve but when I am stressed I get emotional and then the "feeling" of stress tends to bottle up and anxiety strikes me.

I felt a bit of this in the morning so I decided I needed to just unwind.  I went to drop my hubby's check in the bank, went to Michaels, which further stressed me out because they are under construction so instead of going home, I went to Target.  I went earlier in the week to grab a few things for my sister and myself... but this time, I had a few perishable things I needed to get and just wanted to walk around.  Target is fun for me... When I go with hubby, I feel super rushed and I love going down all the isles checking out stuff.

Here is what I ended up with: (L to R)

2 Wish Bone Dressing $1.89 ea (1 Manufacturer's coupon(MC) at 65c/1 & 1 Target coupon $1.50/2)
1 travel mirror compact $1
1 ISO Aquafresh Active toothpaste $3.99 (1Manufacturer's coupon $1/1)
2 Basil seedling packets $1.29 ea
2 Welches Fizz Drinks $2.50 ea (2 MC @ $2.00/1 & 2 Target coupon $1/1) making this FREE
1 Sour Patch Kids bag $2.69 (1 Target coupon $1/1)
2 Activia 4pks $2.00 ea (2 MC @ $1/1 & 1 Target coupon $2/2) making this FREE
1 Potting Soil mix $4.49
Brillo Pads 1.87 (1 MC @ 55c/1)
Cat Litter Deodorizer 2.44
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Used $5 GC
Total: 15.86
Savings: 15.70 in coupons

such is life...

I been having a lot of thought provoking, earth shattering decisions that really need to be made here and I am really losing steam on my full force new years resolution to post more... Today, I just needed to get out of the house... so I headed to my Time Warner office to pay our cable bill (i go in to save myself a stamp and its by my local Target) and Target.

Target was a huge success savings wise, but I didnt get too much...

(L to R: Dawn Extra Clean, Palmolive, Dove Shampoo/Conditioner, Yes to Carrots Shea Butter, Franks Red Wings hot sauce, 2 Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli's, 2 Barilla Whole Grain Spaghetti, 2 Hershey Kisses bags, Acetone Nail polish Remover, and 3 Crystal light boxes)

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Coupons used:
(1) Dawn Coupon (I found this Dawn in the clearance for a smoking deal, 2.41 -  50c off)
(1) Palmolive Coupon (25c off)
(2) Dove Shampoo / Conditioner combo pack (4.49 + (1) Target Coupon -1.00 + 1.00 Manufacturers)
(1) Yes to Carrots (1.99) making it FREE
(1) Franks Hot Sauce (35c off)
(2) Hershey Coupons ( I used (1) Target Coupon - 1.50/2 + 1.00 Manufacturers)
(1) Barilla coupon 1.00/2
(2) Crystal Light Coupons ( I used (1) Target Coupon - 1.50/3 + 1.00 Manufacturers)
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Total Savings: 12.49

Total: 20.37 which makes a savings of 62% if I am doing my calculations correctly.  I hate math!

I pretty much had a coupon for everything except the Acetone but I desperately needed some and do not like normal nail polish remover... I know Chef Boyardee?!? Gross right?  It's my gross guilty pleasure that I really do not know why I love it.  My hubby thinks its gross.  Excuse the mess behind there.  The dish soap, pasta, and the acetone was the key shopping points, but everything else was just a pick me up I needed to get something AND saved!~

A very stressful week...

This week has been a week full of twists and turns in the road.. Paths that opened up and now I have decisions are to be made.  I still cant unravel them yet, as I still don't know what I am going to do, but this is why my blogging hiatus has been so long.  I am crafting to keep my mind off things and have a LOT on my plate than I am use to. 

So, until I can divulge further... stay tuned!

Extreme Couponing

So, I was catching up with all my On Demand shows and Extreme Couponing on TLC is my ultimate guilty pleasure... I definitely love to watch how people save money... but am equally convinced that all these people buy is garbage, sodium laddened food and are shelf clearers... I HATE that.  Please if you start couponing and you are going to buy more than ONE, please preorder! its so unfair to the people who are fair...

Moving along, hubby and I have been lazy and busy so we been ordering take out or going out.  I been trying to opt for more healthier going out options when I do because I am vowing to take better care of this old bag of bones... Even if I can shed weight, its more of fueling my body with better food :)

This shopping trip was at two locations: Smart and Final and Ralphs.

I bought ALL the produce except the tomatoes and bananas  at S&F and the rest at Ralphs.  A rundown of what I purchased:
L to R: 3 hunts tomato products, 2 sunny D's for hubby, 4 kleenex boxes (1 cool touch was free) 2 Oral B brushes, skinimate gel, edge shaving gel, hydrogen peroxided clausen pickles, 2 Johnsonville products: one hot italian sausages and breakfast sausage links, light cream cheese, gold fish, 6 navel oranges, 1 pork tenderloin, chicken wings (for super bowl), cuhicken breasts, carrots, 2 dressings, bagels, digiornio pizza, roma tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, organic milk, mushrooms, and 2 ice creams! :D

I spent 71.08 and got an 86% savings.  My friend brought up a point that maybe stores inflate their prices to make you feel like you got more savings, in this case I sort of agree but I sort of don't you cant get that much meat for less than 50 w/o sales and coupons.. and organic milk is normally 7 bucks a gallon so the half gallon was a steal at 3.49.

I think i did okay on this trip, what do you think?