Mommin' It Up!

November 17, 2008November 22, 2008

It’s an Itzy Ritzy Giveaway!

Good Monday! You all are going to have to wait until tomorrow to hear how Sophie’s birthday cake turned out, (and I know you are ~~tired of hearing about it~~ on the edge of your seats) because today is our second Monday Holidaze Giveaway! This week we will be giving away a beautiful, luxurious set of two baby bamboo burp cloths from Itzy Ritzy!

Itzy Ritzy offers beautiful eco-friendly baby and mommy gear like blankets, car seat covers, nursing covers and shopping cart covers for the baby who is “Born Into Style” and the Mom who is holding on to hers! Their fabrics contain baby bamboo, which is eco-friendly and so much more. Bamboo is sustainable and grown without pesticides and fungicides. Its soft, smooth texture is exceptional for babies’ tender skin, and it is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and deodorizing. Bamboo fabric looks and feels like silk, but it is much more practical as it is machine washable. (YAY!) I like products that are fashionable, practical, and good for the environment!

Here’s how to enter the contest: First, go to Itzy Ritzy’s website and take a look around at all their great products! Then come back here and leave a comment telling us which Itzy Ritzy product is your favorite! Comments will close and we’ll pick a winner with the Random Number Generator at 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 22nd.

Thanks Itzy Ritzy! Have fun entering!

***THIS JUST IN! The great folks at Itzy Ritzy are giving Mommin’ It Up readers 20% off their entire order this week!! Use promo code “mommin”! Thanks again Itzy Ritzy!***

November 16, 2008

To My Sophie on Her 2nd Birthday

Sophia Diane a few hours after her birth. She was being held by her cousin Emily for the first time.

My Sophie girl,
Happy Birthday baby! I can’t believe you are two. It makes me sad because you are growing too fast! Knowing that there are so many moments with you that I will never get to have again makes me a little teary-eyed. But then I think about all the great times we are going to have as you get older and I know the best is yet to come. I love you, little girl.

I remember the first time I saw you, all gooey and fresh out of my belly. I was so happy that you had a lot of hair. I just knew you would have a bunch! Then they whisked you off to clean you up and I tried to watch but it was hard to see from where I was laying on the operating table. So your Daddy kept an eye on you for me, and after just a couple of minutes they brought you to me so we could have a little face time.

You were so beautiful. I’d say it was love at first sight but I loved you from the moment I knew you were growing inside me. Maybe adoration at first sight is a better thing to say. You had me at “waaah!”

Your first two years have been crazy. I should have known they would be crazy when your hair started sticking up straight when you were two weeks old and did so until you were six months old!

More craziness ensued with all the crying and the not-sleeping and the constant nursing and then the getting into everything and doing everything rascally that your brother DIDN’T do to me. I am sure I will have to pay lots of therapy bills because I know you have heard me say, “Joshua never did that to me!” too many times. But believe me baby girl, I love you with all my heart – just as you are. Craziness, stubbornness, and melodrama – all of it. You are just who God made you to be and there is nothing you could ever do to make me love you less.

One thing you have made very clear to me your first two years is that you love me. I know you need me, but I also know you love me. For awhile I was afraid you’d love me less after we stopped nursing, but you’ve proved that isn’t the case. I love that even when we are parted just a few minutes, you welcome me back with a hug and an “Eyeluhyoooo” and many repeated “Aww”s. You are a sweet, sweet sweetheart, and I’m so glad you’re sweet on me. I’m pretty sweet on you, too, girl.

I promise I’ll always do my best to be the best Mommy I can be to you. I will most likely fall short of that over and over but even when I do I will start fresh and keep trying to be the Mom that God wants me to be. I love you, angel girl. I’ll always be so thankful that you’re mine.

But could you maybe throw me a bone and slow down this growing up thing just a little bit?

Hugs and kisses,

Mommy

Sophia Diane, two years old, (wearing an outfit that used to be Kate’s!)

November 15, 2008

Jenny and CVS: A Love Story

This coming week marks my one year anniversary of CVSing! Last year it was the week between Sophie’s birthday and Thanksgiving when I first darkened the door of a CVS and signed up for an ExtraCare card and began gettin’ my coupon on. It wasn’t long before I was hooked…now me and CVS are soulmates! Oh…the memories!! Sniff, sniff! Seriously, couponing has changed my life and I consider it and CVS a real gift from God. More on that in a later post, but for now I’ll just show you what I got this week.

I had to hoof it in on Sunday to get the two-day sale items before they ran out! Here’s what I got!
SmartWater $1.59
Listerine Kids rinse $3.99
Loreal Revitalift $11.99
St. Ives Body Wash $3.99
Total = 21.56
Coupons I used: CVS $4/$20
CVS $1 off Listerine 500ml or larger q (from Diabetes book)
$1 Listerine manu q
$2 off St. Ives manu q
$2 off Walgreens Loreal q
$1 off Loreal manu q (from Kmart beauty book)
Total = 10.56
I paid with 10 ECB and some change (I can’t find my receipt once again! Slacker!) and got back 19.58 ECB! Oot! That’s making money!

Later I went back to get some of my favorite beverage, Mountain Dew. I am soo classy, I know. I also got some of that Sierra Mist Free Cranberry cause that stuff is GOOD and it won’t make ya fat like Mountain Dew will! We needed a few other things, too.

Three Pepsi products $10
Listerine Kids Rinse $3.99
Bleach $2.29
Garnier Fructis hair spray $2.99
Milk $2.99
Total = $22.26
Coupons: CVS $4/$20
$1 CVS Listerine q
$1 Listerine manu q
$1 Garnier manu q
$3 catalina from Meijer (my CVS will accept as a competitor coupon)
Total = 12.26
I paid with my 11.99 ECB from the Loreal Revitalift and paid 43 cents in cash and got back 7 ECB. Not too shabby!!!

Next, I hit the Kroger Mega-Sale once again. Lucky for me, my beloved Glade Scented Oil Candle refills were part of the Mega-Sale AND on a catalina deal this week. YESS! So first I bought 10 Glade products, and with coupons and the $5 off for the Mega-event, paid $9.75 for 4 Glade jar candles and 6 GSOC refill packs. I got back a $4 Catalina to use on my next order! Here is a total of ALL the groceries I bought that night:

Both transactions combined came up to over $125 before coupons and promotions. After coupons & the promo, I paid $59.18 and got back another $4 coupon to use on my next order. 🙂 This is over budget for me but not really because we budgeted extra to get goodies for Sophie’s birthday party – so I came out under when all was said & done. YAY! Please don’t be too concerned about the amount of Glade refills – I SWEAR I am giving some away as gifts with the candle holders. 🙂

Well that is IT for me this week! I gotta go decorate a birthday cake now! Yikes, for more great couponing adventures, check out Money Saving Mom and The Centsible Sawyer.