A look ahead!

{i}NSD (inter National Scrapbook Day) is coming up next weekend and we have some big stuff going on at The-Lilypad!!! We are preparing even as I write this! Sales, a phenomenal BYOC (Build your Own Collab), and another blog hop - even bigger and better than the last! Hopefully you can find some time to check things out!

Here is a LO - way behind at doing my Project 365 LO's, but I am still taking the daily pics and putting them in a forum at TLP, so at least I can reference the weeks and slowly do the LO's! Looks like I am a month behind. :(

Some answers to some questions a few gals had from my "saving addiction" post. 1st question was "where do I get my coupons"? Well we get the weekend edition of our local paper, so some come from there (and sometimes i steal the coupons from my parents and in-laws b/c *gasp* they don't use them! The other place I get them from is online. There are SOOOOO many coupons for great product available online. And the great thing about the sites that I linked to in that post is that they link you right up to the coupons to print them. So I go thru the Meijer list on SavingAddiction.com and she pretty much tells you what to get and what coupons to take! Easy Peasy! I will add that I am fortunate enough to print some of these at work during down time, so that is somewhat helpful! So I hope that answers your first question! 2nd question was "how much time do you spend couponing"? That is fairly tough to answer b/c it varies per week. But doing the method I just described maybe takes 1/2 hr. The Sunday paper clippings take 2 min. The blog checking for deals - well I probably spend too much time, but it can go quick to check these blogs, so not too much I guess. Is it worth it to me? Heck yes. When I saw a grocery bill start at $135 and go down to $65 I was about jumping up and down! Now last week was not quite that good b/c I had $50 worth of general merchandise (rollerblades that were on sale for the girls!), so my savings wasn't as good, but if I took out that I think I saved $43 with coupons, pop can returns, and in ad deals. Hope some of that info helped. For me it is something that I actually enjoy doing! We made a trip to Birch Run for a some much needed clothes shopping and I used a coupon at almost every store! I really felt like we got a ton of stuff for the amount that we spent! The funny thing is - we even had a coupon for dinner (Red Lobster)!

Follow up on Swagbucks (I noticed a few of you joined!!!) The best things I have done so far is to install the toolbar and the plug-ins. I will randomly get swagbucks just for having these things. I also have the swidget on my blog sidebar that I will randomly check to see if there is a swagcode out for bonus points. And the special offers are an instant way to earn bucks too - just go here and click thru the offers - skipping/saying no, until the end - usually only 5 clicks or so - takes just seconds! I know these types of things aren't for everyone, but I usually earn swagbucks everyday with very little effort. And like I had mentioned previously you can earn more if you shop online by clicking thru their store list - you still buy thru the stores you might normally use, it's just that you get to that store by clicking on it thru Swagbucks. Anyway - I am on well on my way to another Amazon $5 gift card which is fun! Amazon always has such great deals and most the time free shipping!

And in latest news...Braelyn likes T-ball. She had her first practice last night, and I was a little nervous about it b/c she was not excited and didn't really want to do it, but she went out and did her best, which for a Kindergartner, was not bad! It will be fun to see the team progress! I know we will have to endure some very "slow" games, and yet they will be fun b/c it will be cute to see some of the things these kids do on the field!

Ok, signing off. I'm sure I will be back to bother you all later in the week/weekend!

MandaKay