Raining Petals

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Lately...



Man I have needed to update forever. My laptop is on the fritz and can only be used for a few minutes at a time...so I have stopped using it altogether. I keep up a little bit via our cell phones but haven't done much posting. Now, I have some down time because I am at my sister's watching my nephew while she and the hubs go on a date. So I will use her laptop. Have I mentioned yet that my sister moved to Mississippi? Right to my same town? It has been awesome! I especially love getting to spend time with Atrion...he is so, so sweet and I just adore him.

What have we been up to?

Carter started his second year of T-Ball. His team this year is the Hernando Yankees. He has grown by leaps and bounds from last year....going from being one of the smaller on his team to now being the biggest. He is really great on the field and stops the majority of the balls. I have to yell out to him from the sidelines to please give other kids a chance to get the ball. He will then let one go by for someone else. He needs more work at batting. He hits the tee a lot and then when he does connect it just kind of dribbles a few feet in front of him. If he could connect right he has the power to hit it out there. Josh is working with him. I will admit...I am one of those moms that wants Carter to be good...one of the best on the team. I don't really settle for mediocrity. I am not mean about it or anything but when I know there is potential there I expect to see it reached. With that said we have a lot of fun going to his games. The kids are riot to watch...after all...they are only 3 and 4 years old.


Casey and Atrion enjoying Carter's t-ball game as well. So fun to have them here!

I have also been trying my hand at couponing. I follow Freebies2Deals and am on high alert for items I can get for free. It has been fun...it is really satisfying to come out of the store with items you had to pay NOTHING for...legally.
This is my first picture of completely FREE! There are items even missing. I will have a second picture soon. This is all stuff I use. The travel size items are perfect for 72 hour kits...or for...erm...traveling. Getting laundry detergent and deoderant free are my favorite scores. By the way...I really love Ban Deorderant. It works superbly. I had never used it before getting it free....now I am always on the look out for a good deal for it because it is pricey when full price. If you want to try I have seen it at Wal-Mart with a $1.00 off coupon attached to it. My couponing ambition is now trying to get some free or cheap toilet paper.

I have no secrets or real advice other than saving your coupons. I only get Red Plums in the mail and then whatever I find online...I have yet to get hard core enough to subscribe to the Sunday paper...but some of the best coupons are in there I hear...so I am sure the Sunday paper is in my future. Then subscribe to some coupon sights...they do most of the work for you. They tell you where and what coupons to use to score deals. Then...you have to be a nerd and carry your coupons with you wherever you go in case you come upon an unexpected or unadvertised sale...that is how I got the Purex for free. Kroger had it on sale for 1.99 each...I had two 3.00 off coupons...so I made money on buying one...which I used to get another one for free. I did not hear about that deal online...so I just happened upon it and was really excited that I had my coupons with me. I am not smart enough to be one of the extreme couponers. You have to be good at math and have loads of time and devotion to spend on it. For now I am content with how things are going. More of a little hobby than an obsession, if you will.
P.S there are lots of companies that give away free stuff online....usually when you 'like" them on Facebook. It is fun to get free stuff in the mail too.

Lately I have also been in a crafting and repurposing craze with my sister. Goodwill has become a treasure trove that we like to haunt weekly. I love to get ugly, wooden or metal pieces and refinish them. Love it! I have a lot of really cute pieces in my home now that would cost me a fortune if I bought them new. I also get more satisfaction from the things in my home when it is something I created or beautified.
I LOVE this headband I made. I don't think the picture shows just how fun and cute it is to wear. I wear headbands all the time so I love that I can make my own.


Here are a few of my projects...I don't have the "after" pictures with me....so I will leave you in suspense.

4 comments:

Des said...

I'm totally in suspense! I love before and after projects haha. I hope your laptop gets fixed, of fizzles so you can get a new one. I miss all your posts. love your blog, love you!

julie said...

I'm jealous about every topic on this blog! Does that make me a bad friend?

Carter will be good at Baseball I just know it. How exciting.

Couponing intimidates me. I don't know. Lots of people do it.

But they also do crafts and that also intimidates me.

Why am I loser that gets intimidated easily?

I'm mostly jealous of Casey and Atrion. I wish you could love up on Finn, you're so good at lovin' up on my babies.

**nicke... said...

i can't wait to see what you have done with your "finds"

Shawn and Megan Atwood said...

Laura! good work on the free stuff! I am trying the couponing thing, and getting a little discouraged. whenever i go to get free stuff, it is always gone. i swear people must go at midnight or something! and BTW that headband rocks.