Awesome Deals!!

Okay, so I've been waiting to get some stuff in the mail before I made another post about my awesome freebies, and I think it's all finally come in!! One thing I have to say, don't forget about freebies!! They can be really awesome, you just have to have the patience to find the right ones! On Facebook, I "like" the page "Coupons Make it Free" and they tell you about deals you can find & free things companies are sending out!! Here's a picture of my most recent freebies:

Okay, this picture includes: A free sample of the new Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff shampoo, free Always pads, free sample of Splenda Essentials (with a $1 off coupon!) (This sample I got for my mom :) a sample of Prilosec OTC, a sample of Head and Shoulders, a coupon for a FREE can of Pro Plan cat food, a sample of Icy Hot Naturals (plus a $1 off coupon!) and a Cottonelle roll cover! (Which is adorable & I love those commercials ;) And the best part??? Everything here was FREE!!!!!! The samples are perfect for going on trips & for if needed in a pinch! A couple more things I am awaiting to see in the mail are: Disney Vitamin Gummies & Dove oil repair (FULL SIZE!) hair care :)

I am so excited about all my freebies! And it's so easy to get them & they send them right to your house!!


Last weekend was our monthly grocery shopping trip, and I spent some time online searching for coupons. We decided since we're taking a trip this weekend for our 1 year anniversary, we would only buy the things we really NEEDED or could get for a great price :) Our goal was to spend no more than $200 and I was worried we would go way over because we also needed meat, and LOTS of it! Kyle's parents took a trip with us, and his mom always brings me coupons from the Sunday paper :) (thanks Sallie!!) Here's the total from our shopping trip:

Our total was $201.46 and we got $10 cash back so our grand total was $211.46!! Now, this includes: 10 pounds of beef, at least 16 pounds of chicken, steak, lunch meat & cheese, and other essentials we needed :) I'd say we did awesome!! And we saved a total of 7% off our total purchase! I saved $16.02 just in coupons!!!! We had a free Pantene shampoo or conditioner, and then I had a coupon for buy 1 get $1 off another. The price of the Pantene was $3.77 a piece, so I got shampoo for free, and then conditioner for $2.77!! So, the total for both was $2.77!! I also got broccoli steamers from Green Giant for 99 cents a piece, and had a 50 cents off of 1! So I got both bags for under $2!!! It felt so great to see the savings!! My favorite part of couponing is giving the cashier my coupons & watching the total go down as they scan them through at the end of the transaction!! Coupons are SO WORTH IT!! It doesn't take long to find good ones & why not do it?!? You can save money! Easy and free!!! Could I say more??

Another way to save money that people over look is surveys. Always check the bottom of your receipts, cause many times there is an opportunity to save money! I have filled out 2 surveys for Petco (for cat stuff & stuff for our saltwater aquarium) and saved $4 total!! We have also gotten two 10% your total purchase because we have obtained enough points on our Petco card! Again, those are great!! If you make purchases from a store often, you can earn points and save money the next time you come in!!

My favorite store right now is Maurices, and I just happened to have a 20% your total purchase that I got the other day. So, I went in and found a really cute shirt and some jeans, and I got two 20% off a single item coupons! I also checked my receipt and if I do a survey, I can save $5 on my next purchase!!! I know I'll be shopping there again soon, so I'm definitely going to do it!! And if you love Chick-fil-A, they almost ALWAYS have a survey at the bottom for a free chicken sandwich!! Kyle and I love Chick-fil-A, and their chicken sandwiches!!


So, the moral of my story is, don't overlook the small stuff! Surveys, freebies, and coupons can save you money! I can't wait to share more of my deals :) Let me know if you find something too, I'd love to hear about it!! Speaking of, I'm going to check Groupon and Living Social for fun things we can do in Daytona Beach this weekend!! :)

Lauren <3

September Already?!?

Okay, so I just realized how ridiculously long it's been since I've posted anything on here....and I know ya'll aren't hanging on my every words or anything, but I feel bad for not updating!! Lots has changed!

 Random picture I took & really like :)

First of all, after I lost my job, I was lucky enough to receive unemployment for the approx. 3 weeks that I was without a job. I felt so bad about doing so; low for receiving "free" money without having to "work" for it. But, it was a blessing, and really helped us out when we needed it. You have to drop off/email/apply to 5 places for week and put in the info about it on their website in order to receive your money. And I worked my tail off dropping off applications. I dropped 5 off on a Wednesday, and by Friday I had an interview. I went in, chatted it up, and got the job!! I have been working there since the 16th, and I LOVE it! You have no idea how much better it is than my other job. I have half a mind to call my other boss and thank him for giving me the opportunity to work here. FOR REAL. :) I'm so blessed with a job that I love, and where I get to actually get to do all the things I have been trained to do. It's amazing!

So, I've been happily working at my new job, and Kyle is pretty happy at his as well. I have also been taking classes for my Bachelor's Degree, and they have been going well. SO much easier than 8 classes...this is the easiest semester of school I have been through thus far. It's wonderful to be working, doing school, and being married and being able to juggle it all. And the plus side?? Hardly any stress. It's lovely!

Also, our fish tank is doing wonderfully! Everyone is still alive (even with Kyle's pessimistic thoughts!) and thriving! We now have a piece of coral that even the guy at the Aquarium shop didn't know what it was! So, we were able to haggle a good price and get a really awesome piece of coral!! And it is HUGE. Kinda looks like a tree...

And it LOVES light and gets really big when we leave the light on for it :) Ours is a little bigger than this, and has 2 smaller ones next to it (they're all attached to a small rock/piece of coral) We also got a clown fish or "Ocellaris" clown fish-he's orange, black, and white. And AWESOME :) Kyle named him (of course :) and his name is Zeus! He kinda looks like this....

Pretty cool, huh? He likes to hang out in the corner. Kinda looks retarded. But what other kind could we have? ;) Our theory is that he likes to see his reflection in the corner of the tank, so he chills there :) We also got a few new crabs, and what's called a "turbo snail" to keep the algae down in the tank.


All of our creatures are doing well, and are happy! Kyle & I also went on a trip to Ohio with my parents about a week ago for my cousin's wedding. I haven't been up there in 9 years (since my grandma's funeral.) We went to many of the same places we went the last time I was there (the church, cemetery, fire house, etc) and at first, bad memories came back. I pictured things as they were the last time I was there, and it was depressing. I finally decided that I was going to try to forget theses memories, and make some new and happy ones in the same places. I know that's what my grandparents would've wanted. And they would've been so happy to see everyone together and getting along. It was such a wonderful few days with my family that I hardly ever get to see! We remembered old times and had many laughs together. And they all got to meet Kyle which was great! They loved him (or at least I think so ;) And he couldn't stop talking about how funny and great they are. What a wonderful feeling :) My 2 cousins that got married ended up coming to Florida for their honeymoon, so we got to spend some one-on-one time with them :) Dinner, a movie, ice cream, and even lunch the next day! They're so much like us, wish they lived closer so we could see them more!!

 Beautiful Ohio :)

I'm feeling so blessed with all the friends God has given us, and our wonderful families :) Everything is going well right now, and we are praying it continues this way. Please continue to pray for us and our families who are both going through financial issues right now, and for my sister who just hasn't been able to catch a break since she moved and started her job! She deserves to have a good week without incidence! Kyle and I have some unspoken prayer requests right now as well, so please keep us in your prayers. Hopefully it won't take me so long to write another post! Hope ya'll enjoyed it :)


Lauren!

Freebies, Deals, & Couponing OH MY! :)

I remember watching those "Extreme Couponing" episodes and shaking my head, thinking "those people are crazy!! Why would they do that? How do they have time to do that?!" One woman said she lost her job, and used couponing to stay on budget & help provide for her family. I had no idea that could be me! I'm going on 3 weeks of no job (I've been putting out resumes like crazy!!) and have been going STIR CRAZY. If you know me, you know I'm not the type to sit around in the house all day and do nothing. As my husband says "Why do you always want to go-go-go? We always have to be doing something!" Sound familiar, Mom? ;)

I have decided, why should we be paying more for items we need, when we can get the same stuff, but cheaper? Now that I'm without a job, Kyle and I are watching our money much closer. And while I'm at home, I can coupon! I didn't even know where to start. I certainly wasn't going dumpster diving for coupons (again, crazy extreme couponers!) and computers are more my forte then newpapers and such. Facebook was my starting point. My friends had added coupon websites, so I decided to check them out. The first one I "liked" (in real life & on Facebook) was "Shop at Home.com" It's AMAZING. You can search for the items you want, or search under categories. (They also have a "freebie" section, which is great!) They have over 900 grocery coupons. That's crazy. And they're super easy to print out, just add the toolbar & you're good to go! Kyle & I saved about $20 last time we went grocery shopping! And it gets easier as you do it more.

Another great website is the Krazy Coupon Lady (sounds like me ;) and they send you about 5 emails a day with different deals. On Facebook, I "like" Hip2Save.com (which is awesome!!) This website tells you what's on sale at what store, which coupons you can use, what register rewards you can get back, and the total price! They even give you links to the coupons you can use. And you can search by store. Also, they have a "beginner's guide" that teaches you the lingo, and gives you some tips to help get you started with couponing. I know, I know, it's not "your thing." But, I didn't think it was mine, either. And I'm not perfect, but I'm getting better and better at this. When I first started couponing, I got some extra stuff that I didn't need right away, because I got a good deal on it. How thankful am I for that now!! Kyle & I have extras of items we use everyday. I never thought I would be in this situation. And you never know when/if you will be too! Why not save some money? It's really not hard. The websites tell you how to do it! It's certainly worth a try :)

I will give you some examples of how freebies, deals, & coupons have worked for me!! First of all let me say that I like clothes. No, no....I LOVE clothes. They're my favorite thing to shop for. Seriously. I don't know why, but they make me happy. I usually buy a new clothing item once or twice a week. Well, now that we're on a tight budget, we certainly can't afford for me to do that. So, today I went shopping. But, I had a plan! First, I went to Target. They have AWESOME clearance sections. (Not only on clothes, either!) I was just wandering around when I found a GEM. This adorable little brown dress with ruffles on the front began calling my name. My heart began to pound, but, I had to be careful. I wasn't going to spend over $15 on a dress today. I checked the size first (usually this is the quick deciding factor) and it was right. Whew. Next, the price. I closed my eyes for the anticipation, and flipped the tag over. I couldn't believe my eyes.

This is what I saw:

I couldn't BELIEVE IT!! A dress that was $27.99 I got for $6.98!! It was exhilarating! & The dress fit wonderfully. Here is my beautiful new little brown dress!

And don't forget the cute little detailing on the top....

EEEKKKK!!! Yes, deals make me squeal ;) I was SO happy. I decided today I was going to find some more deals on clothing. Heck, I found this deal, what else could be in store for me today?!?! So, I decided to wander on over to Ross. I really should go there more often. They have great deals! But, their regular prices weren't good enough for me today. No, no, no. I went straight for the clearance section. I have been doing Zumba classes lately, and decided I needed a new shirt to shake my booty in! ;) And that's when I wandered upon this gem:

AND....it's Roxy. SCORE! But, the best part about it was the price. Here's the original Roxy tag & the Ross tag:

(Sorry it's turned!) I got this shirt for $4.27. WITH tax. The original price was $26.50!! Oh yes, it was awesome :) I bought a dress & a shirt today for a little over $10. I'd say that's a pretty successful shopping trip!!

Now, I'll move on to my Freebies. Coupons Make it Free on Facebook is AMAZING. I've gotten so many samples for free, & I won a $25 gift card to Restaurant.com! & I bought a $25 gift card for $2!! That's the way I like to eat :) I also decided to sign up for freebies, deals, and emails from certain products. I signed up for Tide, because that's the detergent Kyle & I use. One day I came home & there was a package on the table and it was for me. Kyle didn't know what it was, and I hadn't ordered anything, so I was curious. I opened up the package and lo and behold this was awaiting me inside:

That's right!! Free sample detergent, a 10 pack of stain release in-wash boosters (& if you know me and/or Kyle you know how often I have to use these!) and a $2 off coupon!! What a great surprise!! This is why I LOVE freebies!!!

Last week Coupons make it free put a new deal on my Facebook newsfeed: $10 off a $10 or more purchase from Pier 1 Imports. Now, I don't usually shop there (it's a little too pricey for my taste) but I figured, why not? I can find something & get it for free!! So, off I went with my coupon & began to shop!! & this is what I found:

Okay, I LOVE Zebra prints. They speak to me, I couldn't help but buy this adorable little re-useable Zebra cup! & the little rocks I plan on putting in the bottom of a few little vases I have. They will make cute little decorations on our table :) And although this purchase wasn't completely free, this is all I had to pay:

YUP!! $2.62 :) Gosh, I love coupons!!

I hope this little rant-post inspired some of you to try couponing. It's easy, fun, and rewarding!!! I also have lots more freebies coming in the mail, and I will be sure to take pictures and keep everyone updated with them. Swagbucks.com is also an awesome website! You get "swag bucks" for searching for stuff or participating in chats on the website. And you can trade these bucks in for REAL STUFF!! Such as Amazon giftcards, jewelry, clothes, etc. You will just have to see what I got. Mom, you will LOVE it :) It's so....ME. Well, I hope you have enjoyed my rant. As you can see, all of this is very exciting to me. If you have any questions about anything, let me know! I'll be happy to help! Kyle & I are going grocery shopping this weekend, so hopefully I'll be able to update ya'll with some great new deals! :)

Thanks for following!!!

Lauren <3

Mom's Birthday Surprise :)

As I begin to think about what I should write about today, I wonder how in the world I'm going to fit it all on the page!! As the weekend approached, activities began to fill every hour, of every minute, of every day! But, I must say, it was certainly worth it :)

A few weeks ago, my sister called me with an idea of what we could do for our mom for her birthday (which is still about a month away) :) Her idea was to get the photographer that did my engagement & wedding photos come out and take "Sister Pictures" and family pictures as a surprise for my mom. She had been talking about doing this since the wedding (it's been almost a year already!) but the photographer (who is AMAZING by the way) moved earlier this year. So, the hopes of her taking our pictures went out the window. When my sister came up with this idea first thing was first-call the photographer and see how much it is & if she would travel for our shoot. Luckily, she was in our town for a wedding the same weekend!! Oh how perfectly the plan was coming along :)

Picture day quickly approached, and I got to spend the day with my mom and sister antique shopping. And my mom hit the motherload!! (no pun intended :) & we were very excited. So, we loaded up her car (and mine!) and headed back to my parents house. My mom hadn't slept well the night before & after all the shopping-literally dropped! She was exhausted. And, when asked if she was going to dinner, said no. It was a giant dent in our plan. Going to dinner was how my sister & I were going to get my mom to the picture location! So, as my mom laid on the couch my sister & I secretly (and quietly) got ready for our pictures. Finally, we decided we had to tell her our plans. Or she wouldn't go. And the surprise was for her, so it was kind of important for her to be there ;)

She had NO idea what was going on. It was great! My sister and I walked up to my mom and explained the plan. She started crying. We were ecstatic! It was her dream come true-exactly what she wanted & my sister and I had planned it ourselves. And worked together. Without fighting about it. It truly was a miracle :) So, everything went perfectly. Mom was happy. And we had memories that will last a lifetime!

Here is the link to our pictures!:
http://hardtle.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/wiseman-family-melbourne-florida/

As I've gotten older, I have begun to realize how important family really is. And now that I live farther away & don't get to see them everyday, it's even more special when I get to see them. This may be the last time we will all be together for awhile & we have great memories of it. I love to see my mom happy. I don't think any other present in the world would've made her happier. Finally a family picture-the last one taken was 9 years ago (when I had a giant space between my teeth, a lisp, & awful hair. It clearly wasn't my year....) And my parents got pictures together. They smiled, laughed, played around & got to be romantic with each other. It was so wonderful to see :) I know my dad's not keen on pictures, but he was a good sport & made mom very happy. I can't wait to see the smiles & laughs caught on camera!! (I promise to post some when I see them :)

Families are the best. And I must say, I couldn't of asked for a better one. Getting our pictures together made me realize just how blessed I am to have them :) I miss them & think about them everyday. Love you guys!!! <3

"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses." ~Joyce Brothers

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." ~Desmond Tutu

My First Blog!

When I first heard about blogs, I never thought I would ever make one. "Blogs are for people who have a lot to say!" (and I didn't think I was one of those people) BUT, now that I'm married, life has gotten just a bit more interesting! ;) I figure family, friends, and such can read my blog and keep up with my "new life" :)

After a few weeks of being married, our house began to feel a little "lonely." So, Kyle and I went to our local Humane Society & adopted 2 orange, male, tabby kittens whom we named Max & George. As I tell stories about my "furry children" to my mother; she reminds me how much I used to hate cats. Well, now that we have our own, I love them. I don't know what it is; their curiosity, playfulness, or trouble-making, but they're awesome. And I have figured out that I'm not allergic to them!! YAY! :)

So, we have Max & George, and our snake-Nike. Snakes aren't my thing. Nike doesn't scare me or creep me out, but I've just never had (or thought of having) a snake as a pet. But Kyle has had Nike since he was about 10 years old; needless to say he was part of the package deal :) The best part: He's GREAT entertainment for the cats!

Now, onto our newest addition; Kyle and I are now maintaining a saltwater "nano" aquarium. It's a Fluval Edge; a 3D cube aquarium that provides viewing from every angle. (No lid so the little furry kids can't get into it!) Now, neither of us has ever had a saltwater tank before. We had turtles. Which our parents took care of. So, this is very new & (hopefully) won't be too complicated!! This is what the tank looks like:

Of course, ours isn't exactly the same, but we LOVE the color: burnt orange! We bought the water, sand, and a live rock to get us started. The tank comes with lights, a filter, and the stand. But, we got a hidden treasure inside our live rock! A day after we set the tank up, I noticed a little snail stuck to the side of the tank! It had survived our set-up and initial decorating :) So, I decided to name her. Sammie the snail!! She is a Cerith snail which looks like this:

Once she stayed alive for a few days, Kyle & I took our water down to Petco for a free testing to make sure it was all balanced. And it was great!! (yay! :) So, we figured that we would get Sammie some friends :) We are starting out with the cheap ones just in case they end up dying, lol :) We also headed down to the beach to see if we couldn't find some more coral or rock to put in the tank (save some $$) And we found some! After some googling, we figured out that we have to boil the rock we found at the beach. So, along with dinner, we boiled our beach rocks. They look awesome in the tank! We are hoping we get some "free creatures" from our new rock :)Today we went to Petco and decided since the water tested out ok, we would get some new friends for Sammie! We got another Cerith snail (Sandy), 2 Cortez Crabs (Pablo & Sanchez) and a Scooter Blenny (Charlie). Let me show you what they look like:
This is the Cortez Crab:

And here's the Scooter Blenny:

All of these creatures are "bottom feeders" basically the maids of the sea world. Now if only we can get some to clean up the house....

Anyways, I will put up some pictures of our new creatures, their habitat, and keep you updated on how it's going! If anyone has any tips, secrets, how-to's, or anything of that nature, let us know! As of now, we are reading up online how to do this. I hope we can get the hang of it without lives being lost! :)

Thanks for reading!
Lauren :)