Slap in the Face

Today was just one of those days. I can't pinpoint any specific problem. I just had a bad attitude I guess and well, in my opinion everything was going wrong. I had lots on my to-do list that needed done but I found myself going in circles and getting nothing done. Just when I would start..another mess that just had to get cleaned up at that moment would happen. It seemed never ending.

I broke out in tears while emptying the dishwasher. I just felt overwhelmed. My house was a wreck and I just couldn't seem to get ahead on anything.

THEN I saw it. It being my notecard that I had lamanated that was taped up by my sink. (click here to read a post about it) It read "feeling overwhelmed? too much to do but not enough time? Take 5 minutes and refresh in God's word.". I even have a Bible by my kitchen sink for those times that I want to look at it but heading to my room would be too much.

SO I grabbed that Bible and started reading. Skimming actually...thinking I was going to find some verse that would just POP out at me giving me the comfort and strength I needed at the moment. I kept reading...NOTHING that seemed to pertain to what I was feeling. THEN..I flipped a few more pages...started to skim and out of nowhere a verse popped out. Not the verse I had hoped for. Instead of something comforting and strengthing...it was like a SLAP in the face. The verse was this:

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. Phillippians 2:14-16

SHOOT...so it's ME that is the problem. I know I complained many times today...Yup..that verse was DEFINETLY for me. The scripture didn't exclude complaining about housework or dealing with misbehaving children. It DID indeed say EVERYTHING. Yup, I need to do EVERYTHING without complaining. I should NOT be complaining about what needs to be done. I am definetly not blameless or pure at the moment. So then I had to bow my head and first ask for forgiveness, then thank God for speaking to me thru his word and THEN with a new outlook on my tasks at hand get back to work. :)

Okay, now back to my work with a smile on my face and a happy heart. :) I had to take a few minutes to type this blog post. I was just going to type it and save it for later but decided it was okay to go ahead and publish right away. So sorry if there are typos. :)

My Walgreens Trip 5/22/11

YES..I was FINALLY able to make it to a Walgreens on a Sunday and score some deals before they were out of stock in everything I wanted. I usually get the newpaper on Sunday and read thru the Walgreens ad. I find things that I think are a good deal. I get my coupons together and head there on Tuesday. And usually end up leaving there without anything or half of what I came to buy. So this week I scoped out the ad online BEFORE even buying my newspaper. I figured up what I wanted to buy and went there. SCORE! I was able to do 2 transactions. (I'll tell you everything I got in the next paragraph). After going grocery shopping and getting my newspaper I went home. I went thru my coupons and walgreens ad again and decided to make another Walgreens run. This time to do 4 transactions. I had it all written out what I wanted. I walked in and 10 minutes later I had my cart full of everything I was going to get. I checked out and was out of there with everything I set out to buy! I was so happy. Finally success at Walgreens!

Sorry if this bores you. I hope this encourges you to start shopping the deals and creating your own stockpile! I used to have a HUGE stockpile of all kinds of items we used all the time (especially diapers...at one point in time I Had 3 kids in diapers at the same time so we went thru TONS of diapers!)but those items have been used and my stockpile has disappeared. I have started it back up again! I will now list out each transaction:

Trans #1:
Carefree pantyliners = 1.99 used a 99cent walgreens in-store coupon and a $1.00 manufacterer's coupon making them FREE.
Complete multi-purpose contact solution = $7.99
Total out of pocket with tax = $8.73 received an $8 register reward (RR) coupon to use on next walgreens purchase.

Trans #2:
Tone Body Wash = $3.99
4 Suavital fabric softners (one is $2.99 and they were buy one get one free) = $5.98
I used my $8 RR coupon from previous purchase.
Total out of pocket with tax = $2.89 received a $3 RR from the tone body wash to use on next purchase.

(my second trip)
Trans #1
Complete multi-purpose contact solution= $7.99
I used my $3.00 RR from previous purchase.
Total out of pocket with tax = $5.73 Received $8 RR from the Complete contact solution to use on next purchase.

Trans #2
Infusium shampoo= $5.99
Tone body wash = $3.99
Scrunci hair rubberbands = $2
Used a $2 manufacturer's coupon for the infusium and $8 RR from the Complete contact solution.
Total out of pocket with tax = $3.09
Received a $2 RR from the infusium, $3 RR from the Tone and a $2 RR from the scrunci rubberbands.

Trans #3
Pure Silk shaving cream = $1.99
4 Suavital fabric softners (one is $2.99 and they were buy one get one free) = $5.98
I used the $3, $2 and $2 RR's from previous purchase.
Total out of pocket with tax = $1.71
I received a $1.50 RR from the Pure Silk

Trans #4
3 walgreens brand tin foil = $.69 each with Walgreens in-store coupon.
I used the $1.50 RR from my previous purchase
Total out of pocket with tax = $.76

Summary of my Walgreens Trips:
19 items for a total of $22.91. I estimated the total without the register rewards or coupons or buy one get one free deal to be around $65. I saved a total of $42.09!! I was very happy since all items I would buy anyway. I would just probably buy different brands (usually what is cheapest but in this case...brand name products were cheaper than the store brands!)

I could have kept going and kept rolling my register rewards but decided this was a good run and I would leave stuff on the shelves for other shoppers (as I know first hand it's VERY frustrating when people clear the shelves only a day after the sale starts - I'm not out to clear the shelves, just to get some each time to add to my stockpile)

I hope this encourages YOU to try some walgreens shopping. Or other deal shopping.