Done with Thanksgiving Here Comes..... CHRISTMAS!!

Our family ended up having Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday because I had to work Thursday morning. If Granma isn't there in the morning, just how is she supposed to make her stuffing? Tyler the youngest grand kept asking for that "awesome stuff" meaning my stuffing, I took that as a compliment.

It's going to be a slim Christmas so I'm trying to come up with some big ideas for just a little money. Hours have finally picked up at work but I have some serious catching up to do. The good part is we are just now starting to run out of some of the groceries I stock piled when they were on sale last summer. Which is the point of course. Your stock pile can see you through the slim times.

 I did hats and scarves a couple years ago for everyone on my list and everyone still has theirs and I don't want to do it again. The grands still have the blankets I made them for one Christmas so that's out. I don't have time for anything big. Come on Deb, you have a room full of yarn and craft supplies you should be able to think of something.

Oh well, I will but when I do will I have time to finish them before Christmas??

Wow, what a Haul!!

Look at all this awesome lace I got at one of my favorite resale shops. I've known the owner for years and not only is she a great person but she gave me a great deal. I got such a good deal that I'm passing the savings on to my buyers at my Etsy shop. If your in the market for lace for your crafting or sewing I'm sure there's something there you'll like. I haven't listed it all yet, but I'm working on it! Visit my Etsy shop here.

In other news, unemployed, college graduate son is going to become college kid again. He's been accepted into a post grad teaching program and will be starting back in January. It feels good to have a college kid again, especially since I won't have to start paying his student loans, at least not yet.

The oldest grand has started acting like the teenager he is. Suddenly, his friends (and girls) are more important than spending time with family. It's all in the nature of growing up, so Granma has to learn not to be hurt when he doesn't want to do something with her.

Other than that I'm just getting by, life and the bargain hunting goes on.

I'm a Tattooed Lady and I Let the Grandkids Get Them Too

Ok, so they're only temporary but there was a Blessing of the Bikes on Main St in Troy today and there was a booth doing temporary tattoos. So we all got one (or two in the case of the kids).

Timmy looks so tough here, doesn't he? Awesome tattoo!!

Tyler wanted a big one so he got his on his back.

My turn, it can't show while I'm working so I had to get it on my upper arm.

Awesome, ain't I! So daring!!

And then Tyler decided he needed one where he could see it. So he went for a badger on his arm. It was a great morning with the grands and my son-in-law who opted not to get a tattoo. It's bad enough he has one on his arm with initials on it that are NOT my daughters.

Got Home Early Today -- NapTime!!

I missed half a day of work today because of a nasty headache and sore back. This isn't a very frugal thing to do, but sometimes you just have to take some time off. I napped most of the afternoon and feel much better now.

I took the college kid to Arby's for lunch yesterday, we had some coupons and ended up paying less than $8 for both of us to have a nice lunch. Not only that but there was a number on the receipt to call for a survey. I called it and now the next time we go to Arby's I get a free sandwich. Woohoo, college kid and I are going to eat good again next week!

Here's some great Campbell's coupons to check out. I have a pantry full of Campbell's soups that I got by combining a sale with double coupons. I paid 60¢ a can for both condensed and Chunky soups. So watch for those sales and stock up when you can.

Back Home and Cutting Out Coupons

Finally made it home today after a long 4 day stay in St Louis. Took Ryan out for lunch and out grocery shopping before I came home. We went to Fazoli's for luch and had an ok meal, they had a $3.99 special which of course is what I had. Ryan's only careful with his money and since I was buying his combo cost $8 something. (sigh) But it was nice to spend some time with him.

I am so glad to be back on my own computer, Sean's laptop drives me nuts. It was also fairly cold there. He got his first winter gas bill, freaked out and turned his furnace down to 64 degrees. After all those years of him coming home from school and turning up the thermostat he finally understands.

Picked up the Sunday papers on my way home and have been cutting out coupons. Lots of good coupons today. I've been thinking, if I had a contest for some good coupons (I wouldn't send out junk) would you all enter? I'm hoping to host giveaways on this and my other blogs but want to have a something to get things started. So, anyone want some coupons?

Have you read my Deb's Crafts blog? It was the first one I ever did and it's all about crafting for charity. I've written quite a few crochet patterns and have posted them on that blog. I am currently having a contest looking for pictures of projects done from my patterns. If you crochet you have plenty of time to do something since the contest will run for the rest of the month.

Todays internet coupons are for Campbells Chunky Soups and other Campbells products.

Snowed-in In St Louis and Spending Time With Sean

I promised myself I would post on this blog as often as possible and I have already broken that promise. Just because my son insisted I let him use his computer doesn't mean I actually had to let him. I've been staying here since Weds. because I've been working just a few miles from the city. I was planning on going home today but the weather is not cooperating. So I decided to stay at Sean's for one more night. Actually fixed him something green for dinner. Probably the first green food he's had in weeks. Oh, I'm mistaken, I think there were some green peppers on the pizza we had the other night.

I almost forgot, I have this great coupon you, check it out. To get a $.95 off coupon for Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls (sounds good doesn't it?) go here. It was offered to my readers from General Mills through MyBlogSpark.com.

I'm Now the Granma of a Teenager!

My grandson, Tim, turned 13 today. Happy, happy birthday to a wonderful young man. It can't have been that long ago since I held that tiny baby in my arms and welcomed my first grandchild into the world, can it?

I've posted some new contests on my two contest blogs, check them out and enter a few. The links are on the sidebar. I've won quite a few of these blog contests and I love sharing the ones I've found with others.

I went shopping yesterday and spent $11 for $65 worth of groceries. I did it by combining sale items with double coupons. Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do with 8 cans of white chicken chili. I mean, I couldn't pass it up at 29¢ a can could I?? I also got free I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, but my daughter Jenny decided she needed it more than I did, so I gave it to her.

Speaking of coupons, one of these days I'm going to set up my printer so I can print off the ones on the internet. Even if I can't you can so check out this $1 coupon for DelMonte Refrigerated Fruit. Here's another one to check out for Special K.

OK, Some People Would Just Call Me Cheap

Why am I starting a new blog? I have a few but there's really not any one place to pull them all together. I'm putting a blog roll over on the side so you can check the other ones out. I'll probably refer to them often as I post crochet patterns, recipes and contests!

I raised three kids on a budget and now that they have all moved out I can't seem to break the habit of saving money. I'm still helping my youngest through college but he's very good at budgeting his student loan money and hasn't had to ask for much. I save coupons for him and he uses them. My middle child just graduated from college last year and even though he got a good job he's paying off student loans and I try to help him out, too. The oldest, my only daughter, is the mom of the two most wonderful grandsons ever and wife to a pretty darn good son-in-law.

So thats me and my family, oh yeah, I almost forgot the furbabies, I have three, all of the feline variety. They keep me from going completely crazy living in this very empty nest.