day tres

Here are eight things I can't live without:

1. My breathing machine. I literally cannot live without this!
2. My inhaler. This is what keeps me alive when I am away from my breathing machine
3. My boyfriend. As cheesy as this sounds, I really can't. He brings so many awesome things to the table and he makes me laugh all the time. He loves me and accepts me for him I am. Can I ask for anything more?
4. Food. I love food more than the average person who loves food. I love to try new food and I also love my comfort foods.
5. Facebook. As sad as this sounds, I seriously can't live without it. It has given me the opportunity to rekindle some friendships and to keep in touch with friends that don't live near me. We have a joke at camp that we like to "creep for Jesus" just to make sure that everyone is doing okay.
6. Ice cream. Meijer brand peanut butter fudge. It is to die for.
7. Camp Bountiful. This place means so much to me in my life and I can't imagine ever living me life without it. I'm so thankful and lucky to have grown up in this environment.
8. Hoodies & sweatpants. As unattractive as it sounds, there is nothing better than being able to put on a hoodie and sweatpants to lounge around the house or when you are sick (which is the case for me right now).

I know ya'll can't wait until tomorrow to read...seven things that cross my mind a lot.

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

day dos

Here are nine things about me that most people don't know...

1. I'm scared of the dark. You won't find me outside alone in the dark. I was traumatized as a child.
2. Nothing annoys me more than cords, electrical cords, speaker cords, any kind of cords.
3. I am allergic to any and all animals (even if they are hypoallergenic)
4. My boyfriend and I like to talk like Carla and Daniel from The Other Sister (but never in the making fun of kind of way)
5. I don't have cable or own a dvr, smart phone, ipod or a new car
6. I love the crackling sound that the vacuum makes when it picks up dirt
7. I've been cutting down my own Christmas tree since I was in middle school and now Mark and I still follow that tradition
8. I would love to be a chef
9. Dawn dish soap reminds me of my daycare center when I was a baby

What you will find tomorrow? Eight things I can't live without

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

day uno

Today's challenge is to write ten things you want to say to ten people right now...

1. Mark - I miss you. I haven't seen you in 5 days and you are all I can think about. I love you and you mean the world to me. I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Elephant shoes.
2. Community Action Partnership - I love the youth program that you offer and I really hope that you offer me that amazing job that I interviewed for.
3. Kardashians/Satellite TV - Thank you for keeping me entertained well into the night while I sit on an uncomfortable couch in a house that I am not used to while I am house sitting.
4. AJ & Buddy (the dogs that I am babysitting) - Please don't be so high maintenance this week. And please don't kill me when we take our 2 walks a day. Also, don't lick me. That will make me love you more.
5. Mom - I'm not mad at you, I just didn't know your love language or mine. I appreciate all that you have done for me.
6. Jena - You are my longest, greatest, most wonderful and beautiful friend. I love that we can go weeks, even months without talking and when we do, we pick right back up where we left off. I love you so much and I am so grateful to have you in my life and for this long. Thanks for the long phone chat tonight!
7. Lee Lee - Thanks so much for all of the laughter, late night talks, being a wonderful roommate, and the many more things that you are. You have no idea how much you mean to me.
8. CB - Thanks for all of the memories, friends, and peace of mind that you have given me. You have helped me grow and have given me so many opportunities to serve.
9. Kayla & Austin - I miss you and I wish I got to see you more of you. To watch you grow and to be there for you when you need a break from your parents or when your parents need a break from you. Auntie loves you!
10. My unborn child - You will truly be the love and light of my life. I can't wait to meet you when the time is right. I can't wait to be your momma and I know that you will be in great hands. I will always support and love you no matter what.

Tomorrow you can expect to read...nine things about me that most people don’t know.

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

ten day challenge

I've been waiting to start this challenge with my friend Becky. She is doing "Ten Days..." and she sent me an invite to join her. I have seen and heard other bloggers doing this but I was not blogging at the time so I couldn't participate in this well known challenge in the blogging universe. So, in the next ten days, here is what you will be reading from me:

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself that most people don’t know.
Day Three: Eight things you couldn't live without.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you could change or you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot to you.
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two words that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.

Are you going to join Becky and I in this challenge?

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

language of coupons

I just came back from a really awesome young adult retreat at camp where we learned about our love language and trying to make that work in any and all relationships that we have with people and understanding why we do the things we do because of our love language and in talking about our love language, I have found out that all of the young women that attended actually spoke another language - coupons and saving money. I am absolutely 100% the kind of person that loves, loves, loves saving money so a friend actually talked me into posting some of the deals that I come across when I do my ad to coupon match-ups or just couponing information in general. One store that I love is Meijer and Meijer doubles coupons up to $1 so that makes it that much more worth it to go too. I am known in my circle of friends and family for saving 50-97% of my grocery bill a week. Now, grocery shopping every week may not be ideal or even convenient for all people but works for me because it lets me match the coupons that I have to the sales in the ads. The two places that I shop at the most are Kroger and Meijer. They are close by and they both double coupons. I get more than 90% of my coupons in the Sunday newspaper but I do print the ones that I know I will use or need from websites like coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com. Being that I have an allergy to gluten I also use mambosprouts.com for some of my gluten free needs. I also load digital coupons onto my Kroger card at kroger.com and now you can do the same at Meijer with their mPerks program. One important thing to do though is too make sure you know your grocery stores coupon policy so you are more aware if a problem with a coupon does arrive. I actually printed out the coupon policies for the stores I shop at so that if there is a problem I don't have to wait for a manager and it makes me look prepared and a knowledgeable couponer. With all of that being said, I have done a few match-ups for Meijer. These are ONLY the match-ups that I feel are not bad deals with the coupons that I currently have in my binder but do not reflect the entire ad as there are other sales going going on this week that I do have coupons for but I did not add that into this match-up as I didn't feel that they would be good deals after the coupon. If you want other match-ups I would suggest goggling coupon blogs in your area or coupon match-ups for (insert your favorite store). Happy shopping at Meijer!

Kellogg’s Cereal /Breakfast food (Raisin Bran, Nutri-Grain bars, Frosted Mini Wheats, Frosted Corn Flakes) $1.99
Use $1.00 off 2 packages of Raisin Bran
Total $2.98 for 2 or $1.49 each
OR –
Use $.60 off 1 package of Raisin Bran (from Parade insert)
Total $.99 / 1
OR –
Use $1.00 off 2 packages of Frosted Mini Wheats
Total $2.98 for 2 or $1.49 each
OR –
Use $1.00 off 2 packages of Kellogg's Corn Flakes
Total $2.98 or $1.49 each

Aunt Millie’s Bread or buns $1.25
Use $.55 / 1 any kind Aunt Millie’s bread
Total $.25

All Liquid Laundry Detergent 100 oz. $5.99
Use $1.00 off All Liquid Laundry Detergent 28 oz or larger
Total $4.99

Oscar Meyer hot dogs $1.25
Use $1.00 off 2 packages of any Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs
Total $1.50 for 2 or $.75 each

Orville Redenbacher Popcorn B1G1 (buy one get one free)
Use 2 $.40 off 1 package of Orville Redenbacher popcorn
Total – prices vary

Welch’s Jam or Jelly 2 for $4
Use $.55 off any 1 Welch’s Jam or Jelly
Total $1.00

Yoplait Yogurt 10 for $5
Use $.40 off 6 cups
Total $2.20 for 6 cups or $.36 each
OR –
Use $.50 off 8 cups
Total $3.00 for 8 cups or $.38 each

Progresso Soups $1.25
Use $.50 off any 2 soups
Total $1.50 for 2 or $.75 each

Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie Mix $1.67
Use .75 off 2 BC Supreme Brownie Mix
Total $2.34 for 2 or $1.17 each

Bugles $1.50
Use $.50 off 1 Caramel or Choc. PB Bugles
Total $.50

Chex Mix $1.50
Use $.50 off 2 any flavor Chex Mix
Total $2.00 or $1.00 each
(Not really a great deal as I have always been able to get Chex Mix and Bugles for free)

Keebler Cookies $1.99
Use $1.00 off 2 packages of any Keebler cookies
Total $2.98 for 2 or $1.49 each

Activia Deserts 2 for $4.00
Use $1.00 off any 1 Activia Dessert 4 pack
Total $1.00

Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt $1.89
Use $1.00 off any 2 Light & Fit 4 packs
Total $2.78 for 2 or $1.39 each

**Use the following promotion to your advantage:
Buy any four Activia, DanActive, Light and Fit 4 pack get $2 off instantly
Here are some ways to do your transaction:
Buy 4 Activia Dessert 4 packs $8.00
Use 4 $1.00 off coupons on any flavor Activia Desserts - $4.00
Register will take $2.00 off instantly - $2.00
Total $2.00 for 4 4-pack Activia yogurts or $.50 each
OR –
Buy 2 Dannon Activia Desserts $4.00
Buy 2 Light & Fit 4-packs $3.78
Use 2 $1.00 off any 1 Activia Desserts - $2.00
Use 1 $1.00 off any 2 Light & Fit 4-packs - $1.00
Register will take $2.00 off instantly - $2.00
Total $2.78 for 2 Activia and 2 Light & Fit or $.70 each

Silk Soymilk $2.94
Use $.55 off 1
Total $1.94

Huggies Tub Wipes 2 of $4.00
Use $.50 off 1 package of Huggies baby wipes 64 ct. or higher
Total $1.00

Peace, hugs & smiles,
J

the library && everything else

Something that is not a secret about me is my love for books, all books, and being that I really don't have much else to do throughout the day but apply for jobs, clean, plan and organize (a little at a time), I can't even begin to count the minutes that I have spent in my local library. The good ole library has provided me with a wide selection of entertainment including movies, magazines and books. While I have a million resources for entertainment at home in my own personal DVD and book collection, what I don't have is the kind of books that I have been checking out - non-fiction. Organizing books, decorating books, cooking books, wedding books, dog books, craft books, holiday books, tattoo books, cake decorating books and many more have been on my list of books that I have read or skimmed - but there is one category that stands out the most. I have a love for simplicity but achieving that is sometimes hard to do but I have a new found love f0r organization (thanks to my unemployment and boredom). I have, for a long time wanted to get my apartment organized but I have been so overwhelmed with trying and not knowing where to start that I have just given up. I am pleased to say that I am on a roll and trying new ideas and tips from all the books I have checked out. I also have fallen in love with decorating and they have A LOT of those books at my library. My library card is definitely being used now more than it has, ever, and I am loving every single minute of it. My library even has a small section of books that are free and you can just take with you and you don't have to check them out. They are books that patrons donate to the library after they are done reading it so that you can read it and pass it along to a friend or even bring it back to the library so someone else can read it. The selection of books however, are not my kind of reading books (trashy romance novels, vampire books, etc.) but I still check it to see if I might find something that is up my alley or a book that I know a friend would enjoy (I got a couple of Nora Roberts books for my friend Lee Lee). In all of my page flipping I have done I have obviously found recipes, decorating ideas, craft ideas and just articles in general that I would like to refer back too but I clearly can't clip them out and I don't want to waste paper in printing them out so what have I done? I got out my trusty printer that has no ink by the way but does have a scanner and I scanned what I want to keep for future reference. It works, and it saves paper, and ink and keeps down on my clutter which in turn is better for my organization and getting my life on a more simple track. Have you visited your library lately? And what kinds of books do you read?

Peace, hugs & smiles,
J

"i do"

In exactly one year from today, on Saturday September 10, 2011, I hope to have a different last name - the one that my boyfriend carries. I say hope because a lot of things have to happen first. I need to:

a) get a job

b) save money

c) get ENGAGED!

d) finalize my ideas

e) play out my dream wedding (or the wedding that I can afford)

...IN THIS ORDER!...

(unless Mark wants to propose before or after a and/or b)

That's A LOT to accomplish in one year. However, I have been planning my wedding since the age of 13. You know, the wedding that (mostly) all little girls dream of - the fairytale princess wedding - the one without a budget (because who knows the cost of wedding planning when you are that young), the one where your husband is a knight in shining armor (because aren't all boyfriends/husbands/fiances supposed to ride up on their white horse and save you from the bad guys), and the one where nothing goes wrong (because aren't all fairytale princess weddings perfect). My wedding will by no means be THEE fairytale princess wedding or even the perfect wedding, but, it will be OUR wedding. It will be simple and fun. Rustic and charming. Low budget and beautiful. I have been working very hard (especially lately) to try and make things happen. So here's too (hopefully) a new beginning, a new last name, and new initials, J.L., in one year. CHEERS!

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

designing bug

I've caught the designing bug which is pretty much the sole purpose of my previous post and obviously a sign that I am getting old(er). I've checked out nearly every design book from the library, researched a lot of things online and came up with some of my own ideas that I would love to implement. I really like the homemade/second-hand/garden/rustic look. I just want to design things and make old things into new things. I've already cleaned and rearranged my bedroom and it looks much better than before. I've spent a lot of time in it since because it's so wonderful; however, it's nothing spectacular...yet. But since I live in an apartment, I can't exactly paint it but I can dream about what I want it to look like and I can certainly write down all the details about it. I've actually done that with all of the rooms in the apartment - the bathroom, kitchen, dining room, living room, etc. I have my color palettes and I have my ideas, now I need a job so that I can spend money to actually make my dreams come true. And a house wouldn't be a bad idea either...

Peace, hugs & smiles,
J

Thrifting

I love going to thrift stores. Sometimes I buy and sometimes I browse. Regardless of what my intention is, I simply love the simplicity of thrift stores. I love looking at things that belonged to other people, to see how other people may have decorated their homes, or the kinds of things they used to use, or the clothes they used to wear. Thrift store items tell stories. The items in the thrift stores may have meant something to someone or it just may have been another useless item or a gift that they no longer wanted, used or liked. They come from all sorts of backgrounds, places and people. Thrift stores hold an endless amount of treasure. Whether it’s old or new, there are things that can be brought back to life, things that can be used for other purposes, or things that can bring a smile to someone’s face. I have purchased brand new things and old things that are now new to me. I have purchased mason jars (for storage of my cooking utensils) to playing cards (for endless games of nerts playing at church camp) to brand new baby clothes (for my nephew) and of course books. Nothing brings a smile to my face more than walking into a thrift store, especially when I see the book aisle. Nothing beats paying 29, 49, or 69 cents for a good book. It’s apparent in my past posts about books that I love books. Collecting books is a thing that my mom’s side of the family has done for decades and I just so happened to fall into the book collecting phenomenon (or craziness) that comes from the Stephens Family. What I’m trying to say is that I miss it. I miss browsing and buying things at the thrift store. I miss finding a “treasure”. This whole unemployment thing has kept me at home reading books, trying not to make myself go crazy, trying to think of new things to do, new posts to write about, new projects to start and as I start planning things for my future and all the ideas that I have, all I want to do is go to the thrift store to see what I can obtain to make those dreams come true.

Peace, hugs & smiles,
J

mPerks

Meijer is one of my all time favorite stores. Even when I was younger it was my favorite store to go to with my mom. I remember when they had a lot of fun activities for kids - and they still do. They have lots of sample Saturdays and they even hand out coupons and have things for kids. I even got a free goldfish when I was little and last summer, Mark won 2 Reds baseball tickets from Meijer. I didn't think this store could get any better but it does. I'm pleased to let you know that they have a program that allows you to use digital coupons at the store. That's right, no clipping coupons, no wasting paper or time. All you have to do is sign up here, "clip" the coupons that you want, then redeem them at the checkout. They just need your basic information and your cell phone number which becomes the number that you input at the checkout BEFORE you pay. It's easy as that. No card to carry, and you definitely won't forget your phone number, and there are no pins to remember either. They have a really awesome coupon right now that gives you $2.00 off a purchase of $5.00. They update their coupons weekly which is really awesome. I was so excited (and eager) to see how this program works, how easy it is and how user friendly it is so my lovely boyfriend and I ventured to Meijer the other day to check it out. We purchased some chicken and 2 Purina kitten chow in which I will donate to the animal shelter since I don't have a kitten, or a cat. My transaction looked like this:

Purina Kitten Chow $1.99
Purina Kitten Chow $1.99
Meijer Family Size Chicken breasts $8.52
________
Total $12.50
- $1.99 (Purina Kitten Chow FREE coupon)
- $1.99 (Purina Kitten Chow FREE coupon)
________
Total $8.52

I then hit the mPerks button on the check out card machine and it took my $2.00 off coupon since I purchased more than $5.00 which took my total down to $6.52. Add in .23 for tax and I only paid $6.75 for 5 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts. For me, this program comes at a great time seeing as how I am unemployed and have very limited funds. I've never had a bad experience at Meijer - they have friendly greeters, awesome cashiers, very helpful employees on the floor, fast pharmacy workers and now they have this amazing time and money saving program. My cashier that I had today even said "I'm gonna have to sign up for that thing (meaning the mPerks program) because it really does save money." Yes!! It does and that's what I love to do --- save money! And I can, thanks to Meijer!!!

Peace, hugs & smiles,
J

free stuff

I am the QUEEN of free stuff! I love getting free stuff...I mean, who doesn't. I get free stuff in the grocery store and in the mail which is why I want to share this with you. It's only one of many, many wonderful sites that offer free samples and merchandise. Within the last week, I've already received a book, bookmarks, and pencils in the mail. Do I need the book - maybe not. If I don't like it I will pass it on to someone or take it to Goodwill and donate it. Do I need bookmarks, well, YES! I read a lot and I lose bookmarks a lot so that is something I would need. Do I need pencils - no, but I will donate those to my church camp. Whether or not I use these things, or need these things, I still sign up and get them in my mailbox. I love mail and I love free things. Some of the other things I have gotten in the mail include laundry detergent, diapers and baby formula, post-its, cookbooks, coupons for FREE merchandise, glucose monitors (to donate), shampoo/conditioner, trash bags, cleaning products, feminine products, toothpaste, cards, and clothing. Companies pay a lot of money to get their products out there so why not take advantage of it.

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J