Walmart Woes...

The Walmart in my area has changed their return policy to include an extra line and time. When you walk in the door with a return, the greeter SCANS then PRINTS a tag and PUTS it on EACH item. It doesn't matter if you have the receipt or not. After waiting in line there, you get the distinct privilege of standing in line again with your impatient children and impatient self at Customer Service to hopefully get your money back.

Since it is a royal pain in the rear to try clothes on the little buggers at the store, I guess at the size and try it on them at home. As a result, I have many returns. Not any more!

I don't have time for all that. The savings that exists is not worth my effort. I'm going to Target and Kroger.

Target may have limits but at least you can do a return with a receipt without too much fuss. BTW, if you give a gift from Target, please include the gift receipt. Target has severely limited your ability to exchange or return if it wasn't on your registry or doesn't have a receipt.

I think I have a similar look on my face when I walk into a WM!

I read a blog called The Junk Drawer that absolutely cracks me up. Yesterday her sister called to rant about her experience at Walmart. Since I have also sworn off Walmart as much as possible at least for non-grocery items, I could relate.

The Shampoo Snafu:

"Ann: I left a bag over there and now I have to battle traffic to go get it!!! I got home and was looking for all my shampoos and stuff and I realized I left it there!!!

For the rest of the story click HERE.

Movie Nights for a year Giveaway-- Enter quickly!!!

Many of you have heard of our regular "Popcorn Nights" on Sunday evenings. I discovered a great giveaway that would fit us wonderfully. Table for Five is hosting an awesome, totally cool giveaway that ends today. She is giving away a year's supply of Orville Redenbacher Natural Microwave popcorn and a 12 month subscription to Netflix.

So, run over quick, make your post and link and get yourself entered! Click Here

Sonic versus Starbucks-- The Great Debate

For me, there is no debate. Sonic wins, Starbucks loses-- every time. What is it with Starbucks? I don't get the pull that an overpriced, undersized cup of "fancy" caffeine has on people. Around here there is a Starbucks on every corner along with a bank and a dry cleaners. Actually there are 6 banks on a nearby corner, but that is a "discussion" for another day.

Now, Sonic drive-ins are easy to find around here but at least you get something for your money. I can get a 320z drink with all the fixin's for $2. Granted, I think their drinks are overpriced as well. Up until October 1st, I had a window cling coupon that gave me any size drink for 99cents, unlimited, at most Sonics which was an AWESOME, AWESOME deal. I cringed at the increase in cost. A friend once told me that she considers it "mental health" money. Great! I can take it out of the medical category of our budget. I like that!

In order to save money I've tried QT's vanilla and fountain Diet Coke, but it isn't the same. Yes, I know that vanilla syrup is sold at local grocery establishments but even if you can find a decent tasting one, a BIG IF, it still isn't the same.

I am telling you that fountain DC is infinitely better than canned or bottled and it varys from place to place on the ratio of syrup to carbonation. Don't even bother with McDonald's. Just order water and get dessert instead. At one of my local Sonics they used to not question me when I told them that the carbonation was low or that the Coke/Diet Coke hoses had been switched. They just went and fixed it. I am training my new carhops but they keep quitting before I get them broken in.

Well, if you need me to pick you up a drink in the morning, get me your order by 7:45a.m. By the way, what is your favorite Sonic drink?

Works-For-Me-Wednesday--Getting ready for school!

A tardy and almost second tardy prompted some rethinking of our morning routine. We can't do anything about the awful amount of time it takes to go .75 miles to the elementary but we can at least get into the queue in a timely manner. I can't take credit for a great idea for getting out the door on time for school. My friend Bestbug gave me this solution.

We have already gotten into the habit of picking out clothes, packing snacks and lunches, and bringing backpacks downstairs the night before. They are also required to be "dressed to the shoes" as Flylady is fond of saying before eating a bite of breakfast.

So... we now set TWO alarms on my cell phone to go off every weekday. The first one goes off at 7:33 and is a "Stop eating breakfast and go brush your teeth". And the second alarm at 7:35 is "Go grab your stuff and load up, I'll meet you in the van".

It works great because they don't argue with a cell phone. It keeps me on task as well.

Anyway, something to add to your parenting "toolbox".

Head over to Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer for other great tips and tricks to add to your arsenal.

Santa has come and gone...

Leaving a trail of mess behind him. Sounds like a song, doesn't it...

Santa is almost here...

It is almost midnight and I, again, have procrastinated which resulted in Daddybug and I wrapping presents until now. I am starting a list of what NOT to do next year. Waiting to wrap presents is #1.

But the house is cleaned up and I found all the presents I had hidden. I can rest in peace.

I bet Doodlebug is going to be up early. I kept telling the little buggers that the fast they go to sleep, the faster Christmas comes. It worked well on Ticklebug.

Merry Christmas! May Christmas be a day of good food, friends and family. Don't forget to thank God for the first Gift of his Son.

Mamabug

Really, I'm not pouting...

SB, you are pouting...(arms crossed, no eye contact, sad face)

No, I'm not.

I'm...

(Pick one)

1. just resting
2. just standing here
3. just looking around

No, that looks like a pout.

Oh, maaannnn! as she stalks off.

The day the City shuts down...

Just a friendly reminder that your neighborhood Kroger or Walmart will probably be closed early Christmas eve through Christmas day. Don't get caught needing milk or a missing ingredient or a prescription refill. 7 Eleven may not have it! : )

I learned this the hard way one year when we returned from out of town. We needed milk and a few other groceries only to discover the town had shut down. It was only 9pm. We scrounged up some dry donuts and an overpriced gallon of milk at the corner 7 eleven. Not the Cmas breakfast I had in mind.


This will be the first time that I can remember not being at Walmart for one reason or another on Cmas eve at 5pm. I got my shopping finished today. I am going to Kroger tomorrow to get milk and call it a day!

What a week! Ramblings...

I seem to be meeting myself coming and going. I signed up to be room mom for Doodlebug's Second grade class. Ignorance is bliss for only so long! I procrastinated too much and it caught up to me. I had to get a letter and party planned last night for next Thursday's Christmas party so I could send the letter home with the students today. Fortunately, Mrs. G gave me the name of an experienced room mom so I would know what to do. I am just going to copy her. Snugglebug was a good sport while I made copies and things to go in the folder. We also checked the ABC bags for Ticklebug's Kindergarten class like we do every Friday.

Snugglebug is hanging out with a new sitter while I type this. I am off to clean the bathrooms and a multitude of other things before my brother gets here tonight. It's weird how I am actually looking forward to being able to clean uninterrupted. It's kinda sick and pathetic.

Well, on that note, off I go to make my bathrooms sparkle. Gotta love that Method cleaner, Basic H and Barkeeper's Friend.

Works-For-Me-Wednesday-- Kids in the kitchen

I have implemented a new rule at our house. "No Work, No Eat". I finally had had enough of me doing all the work to get food on the table. So in order for that to happen I had to make things accessible for the little buggers in the kitchen and pantry.

A friend of mine who is a single mom of now grown kids told me how she rearranged the kitchen to make it possible for her kids to be more independent. I followed her advice and I moved all the kid sized plates, cups, bowls down to a low cupboard and put my crockpot and other stuff on the cupboard above the counter. I left the regular breakable plates and glasses up high. The silverware is already in a low drawer so that wasn't a problem. In the pantry I moved the cereal, breakfast food, and snack foods down on the lowest shelves.

As a result of the above changes, my kids can now serve themselves and others drinks and food. They can get a bowl of cereal for breakfast with minimum help and they help get everything out for dinner. Doodlebug is 7 and usually pours the drinks. Ticklebug is five and usually get the napkins and silverware. Snugglebug is 2 and she gets the plates out. They can get their own snacks and help pack their own lunches.

No only can they help with meal related things, but also they can now unload the dishwasher because anything that is plastic is within their reach. No more excuses!

I don't feel like a slave anymore and they are learning how to count the correct number of items, gauge how much liquid the cup will hold, and how to work together as a team to get the job done.

I realize the above is possibly a no-brainer but you know how easy it is as a mom to miss the obvious. It's not like we don't have anything on our minds!

For other great WFMW ideas head on over to Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Our Littlest Angel...

I'm still too busy laughing to write much... Got any good captions for me?

Praise Baby music and DVDs...

Check out these music DVDs especially if you are looking for a last minute gift for a little bugger in your life. You know how fascinated little ones are with looking at other babies. What a combination-- real life kiddos and praise music. For example, Joy to the World DVD.

Check it out!

Neighbor Bugs...

This is normal.

This is not normal.

Flickbug, Ticklebug, Soccerbug, Doodlebug

Boomama's Souptacular Carnival...

Following Boomama's rules of "it must be hearty" I am going with a chili recipe I got years ago. I like it because the sausage jazzes it up and I can cook it on the stove quickly or in the Crockpot all day.

We like to eat it with corn chips and lots of shredded cheese. I personally like sour cream as well but I am alone in that preference in our household.

Heartwarming Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1-1/2--2.0 cups of water

1 can (15oz) tomato sauce

1 can (15oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, UNdrained

1 envelope chili seasoning mix

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook beef, pork, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.

Add all other ingredients except for toppings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through. Garnish as desired.

8-10 servings if you don't use big servings. Adjust water as needed to reach desired thickness.

***** Head on over to Boomama's for other great hearty soups. No wimps allowed!*****

Works-For-Me Wednesday: The What-Do-I-Fix? Edition

It was 5 o'clock, and the little buggers said they were hungry --over and over and over and over and over. The cupboards were bare. BUT this day, the day you had planned to take Kroger by storm, you ended up running Junior's lunch to him at school instead of getting groceries. You also took Sue to see the doctor because she coughed all night. You then stopped by the pharmacy, just making it home in time to lay your cranky two-year-old down for the afternoon nap. There was no time to shop.

The best solution to this problem that I have encountered was from a wonderful friend and neighbor, BestBug. Our usual 5 p.m. conversation goes something like this:

BB: "Do you have dinner planned yet?"
MB: "Uh, no. Do you?"
BB: " No, haven't even thought about it."
MB: "Wanna order pizza together? I have a buy-one-get-one-free coupon."

Little did I know that this time the conversation would go something like this:

BB: "Do you have dinner planned yet?"
MB: "Uh, no."
BB: "Here's a gallon of homemade vegetable soup. "

Only a stupid person would say "no thanks, I'll order pizza again". I am not stupid! I took that soup and RAN.

Unfortunately, if you don't have a BestBug in your life, you may have to settle for a 'popcorn night'. We pop loads of popcorn and cut up fruit, veggies, cheese, or whatever we have on hand and watch a movie.

Have you ever been a BestBug to someone and shared your dinner with them? Try it sometime. Knock their socks off with an unexpected dinner offer. You'll make their night!

Head on over to Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for other awesome last minute ideas!