They really do. Sometimes I stress myself out like I can't go to the store without a coupon for everything I want to buy or need. My desire to be organized, have a list that corresponds with what's on sale & what I have a coupon for is a bit compulsive. So, yesterday I loaded up both children and went to the grocery store with no coupons at all. Not even one!

I assessed my leftovers from Freddy's birthday party (pictures coming soon) and what items I'd picked up on sale last week then I made my list. I spent $28.91 and we have meals for six nights! I'm well pleased with myself & that both children made it through the trip with minimal drama. Addie rode in the carrier Andrea let me borrow, and Freddy sat in one of those awesome carts with the two seats built into the front. I got stuck in multiple aisles unable to steer the beast, but onlookers gave me winks and nods as if they somehow remember what it was like to have two young children & need groceries! What's really funny is when the cashier is greeting me absent mindedly then looks down to see a baby attached to me. She said, "Oh my God, how cute!" I thought that was a bit extreme myself, but Addie does this to people.

I hate to post with no pictures or deals to speak of, but sometimes, thems the breaks. I was home sick with baby girl yesterday and I made some homemade pita pockets I found from a link on MoneySaving Mom's last backing (correction/baking-thanks Kristina) day. Only half the batch worked but the rest made great pita chips, now if only my homemade hummus didn't taste like powdered glue!

Kroger's new weekly ad came out today. They are running a special on participating Daytona sponsored items. Here's a link to the ad for the Little Rock area. If you buy any 10 participating items you get $3 off your total ticket, so .30 additional cents off each item. Don't be fooled by the .30 off each item listed as participating, that is not in addition to your $3 off your ticket. If you have coupons for these multiple items, Kroger doubles them up to .60. With a little effort, you could make out with some substantial savings this week at your local Kroger store. There are even many Kroger brand items that are participating in the Daytona event, so even without coupons you could still get some good deals. Just thought I would share! This ad is good through next Tuesday 6/30.



Also, the Kroger website has links to a few sites where you can download coupons directly to your shopper's card.



Some of the items participating are

Velveeta

Pop Tarts

Chips Ahoy

Pillsbury items

Country Crock

Totino's Pizza Rolls (downloadable .55/2 coupon here-will be doubled)

Assorted General Mills Cereals (.55/1 Resses's Puffs here-will be doubled)

Fruit Rollups (downloadable .50/2 here-will be doubled)

Purex Fabric Softener

Scott Toilet Tissue ($1/1 coupon here)

Bounty Paper Towels

Huggies Diapers (downloadable $1.50/1 here).



There are tons more! Hope you find some goodies!

I'm sure others are much more experienced in the area of making your own baby food, but I thought I'd post about it. I ordered my food chopper and it came in yesterday.

I like it and it is very easy to assemble. So, I steamed some carrots, which took a lot longer than I would have expected. A 1lb bag of carrots made about 10 oz of pureed carrots. Then I added a little to Adeline's rice cereal and they were a huge hit. I even tasted the carrots and was pretty impressed. They get very sweet. I spooned the rest into an ice cube tray with a slide lid. It was much cheaper than the special "baby food storage systems."

The cubes popped out very easily and here in a bit we'll see how nicely they defrost. I say hooray for easy homemade baby food. I think I may share some with a friend. I'll get my camera charged and some pics up soon.

My Kids

God has blessed us with these two sweeter sweets, Freddy and Adeline. They are precious pediddle pies, hence the name of my blog. Addie turned 5 months on the 11th and Freddy will be 3 in a couple weeks. Little Addie is getting so big, she rolls over, pushes herself up, scoots all around the floor, twists and turns, and does whole body smiles. About a week ago, we tried her on cereal for the first time. I thought I'd just give it a shot figuring she'd hate it and it would be a long process. Nope!! She ate like a pro and is just getting better at it. She's just had rice cereal and some prunes mixed in so far.

First Try

Second Try

She's pretty much awesome at eating. Best news is that she is sleeping 5-6 hours at a time at night now! I don't want to mess up her breastfeeding routine, but everything seems to be running pretty smoothly for now. I ordered a food chopper from Bed Bath and Beyond and plan on starting my adventures in baby food making over the next few weeks. I'll be sure and post some updates on that. Here's my gal, All Done!!

Freddy is pretty much the best big brother in the world. He is so sweet to Addie and I think they are going to make such great playmates as she grows. I let him have her in his lap during church this morning and she leaned forward. He said,"Oh no Addie, you gonna fall down." I found him giggling with her in the living room floor this afternoon after she'd made it across the rug to the other side of the coffee table. He had a hold of her legs while she kicked and squealed with delight at him. She hasn't laughed yet, just squeals and shrieks but I know she'll laugh first with Freddy.

So, I'll just use the rest of this post to show you more pics of my bebes.

Spit Bubble Beard!


Ingenuity? This happened when I didn't go get him as soon as he woke up from nap time!


Addie all dressed up for Jennifer's wedding. So pretty girl.

Okay, last one, Freddy says, "Cheese me Momma, cheese me."

I got a $1.50/1 Kashi Waffle coupon here. Thanks www.moneysavingmom.com

Target has Kashi waffles on sale right now for $1.77. That's a box of six delicious Kashi Waffles for only .27 folks!!

Several Kraft condiments are on sale for $1.99 as well, with this $1/1 coupon, you can get 18 fl oz of Miracle Whip, Mayo, and other items for only .99 cents!

I just checked and this sale ends TODAY Saturday 7/13!!

If you live in the Little Rock area, check out the Chenal Target's improved grocery section. It was remodeled several months ago and they really have some fantastic food finds and good prices on sale items. Check out their weekly flyer here.

Well, here I am. I have moved from no man's land of Xanga and into the big wide world of blogger where so many friends have landed. I hope to update often, be useful and informative, and share some ideas and good deals! I want to update friends and family on my kiddos too, and find time to share crafts/sewing projects, recipes, encouragement, and many faults of mine! So, for my first useful tip...

Coupons- I used to think they were the devil. They only caused me to buy things I wouldn't have in the first place and buying store brands was cheaper. Then I discovered this whole internet world out there of couponing. Apparently, there are some stores that do double coupons and you can match coupons with store flyers to get extra awesome deals. Oh, and you can double up store coupons and manufacturers coupons to get more savings as well. There's also this awesome idea of planning your meals around what's on sale and what you can save the most on...which is a work in progress for me. I'm used to planning my meals and then buying from a strict and specific list.

LR Stores that I have confirmed Double Coupons:

Kroger- Everyday up to .65 cents. This means your coupon can be .65 cents and they will give you $1.30 off.

Fred's- Saturdays only up to .70 cents.

Good places for printable coupons but oh the pain the butt coupon printer download!!
www.smartsource.com
www.pgesaver.com
www.kroger.com (Even has links to loadable coupons on your shopper's card)
www.organicgrocerydeals.com (Great Target coupons)
Those should get you started.

Deals/Codes
www.sdshoppe.com

Kid's Stuff
www.theminisocial.com (They have huge discount sales on designer brands for clothes, bags, shoes, decor, etc. that last for 2-3 days at a time, register for free for an email invite)

Last but not least, check out my inspiration at www.moneysavingmom.com

Maybe I'll put some pictures of the fam up next time. This weekend we are going to get free sammies from Quizno's thanks to my coupon. Sign up here for their email newsletter and get a coupon for a free Sammie w/purchase of regular drink and a side (side can be just a cookie, yum!). Oh, and we're going to buy a food chopper for my endeavors with homemade baby food and I found a list of all the things Bed Bath and Beyond are offering rebates on at this time. Check it out here in case you are in the market for any of these items.