bittersweet symphony

2012

Uh, hello blog, it's been a while.

I am making some changes around this place and hope to blog more than every 6 months. Heck, I might even do that photo 12 on 12 in 2012 challenge people are talking about.

Thanks to my new droid phone, I have been spending a lot time on facebook.  But of course, my droid is not as cool as the iphone and all of it's show off apps.  *sigh*

I want to get back to documentating life for my little family of 4 and this blog was part of that. So when I start scrapbooking again I can recall some of the details that go with the pictures. :)

Welcome 2012. It's going to be a good year.

 

Christmas Card 2011

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYsmLFizaMWbsQ&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET

Hey - check out the link over there to the left. If you post your christmas card and send a link to shutterfly, you will get a $10 credit to use on your next purchase by Jan 31, 2012. Thank you Shutterfly - this will help get Christmas pictures printed!!

may 2011

May in the Marquette household ( and I think I can speak for the other Marquette households) is known as: crazy insane busy are you kidding me another concert will it ever end birthdays oh and 3 parades month. And the other marquette households might add more words such as: tests, state regulations, anniversary, retreats, homework, report cards, dress rehearsal, recital, costumes...

This May will be a little different.  It gets to be a month of recovery for me. My surgery is over and it went well and my sweet doctor called me with the test results today.  Everything is normal, average, fine. The cancer is gone and didn't spread.  So this May I find myself at rest.  (Let me say it's kinda of hard staying busy at doing nothing). But thanks to my amazing husband and amazing in laws I get to rest and heal and take my time.

I have a few lists and beautification household projects (thank you missy). But right now I am enjoying the quiet. Sitting with the windows open tonight at the dinner table.  Eating leftovers of wonderful meals brought by wonderful people.   Brady is already asleep (he fell asleep at 6:00 after one too many time outs). Eddie and Riley are outside enjoying the weather. Eddie was teaching Riley the fine art of catch. Eddie is such a patient father.  And then off to ride bikes. Oh and yesterday? Riley thought it was time to take off the training wheels and learn to ride a 2 wheeler. After about 30 minutes- eddie called me from the parking lot where they were riding (I am thinking okay how many band aids do I need?) instead I heard: Do you want to see your son riding a bike with no training wheels? So at 6.5 years old Riley is riding a 2 wheeler. And he rides FAST.

FAST that is where the time is going. This month Brady will also be 4. And he just knows Santa will come on his birthday and bring him a monster truck. He is still figuring out how the holidays work.  Other cousins will be 10, 5 and 7. How did this happen? I am hoping to take this may to catch up on some little details so I don't forget.

I want to breathe in the fresh spring air and breathe out the worry, the stress, the aniexty.  I need to talk to Sue again about that breath prayer. If you were in my sunday school class - right now your are remembering craig's funny response - well I have cold...

So hopefully I will be here more with pictures and memories and the goings on (and of course coupon deals! ) I have thought about taking this blog down - the pressure to post sometimes is too much. But then I figured - it's my journal of our lives right now. So I am going to leave it. But what I am stepping back from: Rachel Marquette Photography. I am hanging up the camera for a year or maybe more. I just want to focus on my family. I am just not feeling in my heart right now. And there are so many talented photogs out there - if you need one check out missy or marie - coming soon to a zip code near you...:)

I hope you got to enjoy the sunshine today!

 

short notice: anyone want to come over on wednesday night? TLC's Extreme Couponing is back with a new episode. Viewing of the 1st episode from December around 8:15 then we can watch the new one. If that doesn't interest you - maybe the moscato (my new favorite wine- thanks missy! and skinny spinach dip will) dress: casual attire - read- sweats. text me if you want to come!

obsessed?well mabye...

happy mail day....

 

What you are seeing - other benefits of couponing! Free samples, coupons, free coupons, rebate checks, cheap newspaper subscriptions. What you aren't seeing: the 3 little bags of cheez-its received as free samples  - the boys and I had a taste testing of our own - 3 new flavors- all yummy.   Yes, I have turned into that krazy coupon lady...I bought coupons on Ebay. I know, I know.  The coupons will enable me to get FREE vitamin water, free tuna, walmart or marcs' will pay me to take GAIN detergent out of their stores.  In my defense, we hardly ever see Vitamin water coupons in this region.  And I have learned a new trick  - when you see a great "stock up" price - ask the store for a rain check if you don't have enough coupons to get a good supply.  Example: Mrs. T's Pierogies on sale @ Giant Eagle 3/$5.00 last week. Making them 1.67 each, not a bad price anyways. But use a clipping service or ebay to buy 10 - $1.00 off 1 Mrs. T's (average price with shipping $1.49). Go back to Giant Eagle with rain check and coupons in hand - get 10 boxes for .67 each.  Other things in my mail pile - free coupon for land of lakes olive oil butter (had to buy one and send in the proof of purchase and they sent me a coupon for a free one). Rebate check for $6.00 for Pediasure. Bought it when it was on sale at Giant Eagle and had a coupon - paid $2.99 for it. Brady & Riley thought it was chocolate milk.  Sent in my rebate - got $6.99 back - turned out to be a $4.00 money maker.  Funny story: This week at Giant Eagle, when I handed the cashier all my coupons, she said - "oh you are one ofthose obsessed people". I said obsessed with saving money! So by the end of my transaction - spent $22 - saved $55.00 she was asking me how I saved so much! what is the secret? where do I get my coupons? I told her about a couple websites. And she was like - I need to start doing this! Well of course - who doesn't like to save money!

okay so I might be a little obsessed lately. Just feeling the need to stock up the household for my surgery in may. I don't know how I am going to feel or how long my recovery will be. So by stocking up on stuff now, I won't feel the need to go to the store, eddie won't have to go and we can still have a  stocked pantry & freezer to make simple meals to last 4-6 weeks.

Here are some quick snapshots of the boys tonight - they crack me up. So silly! They saw me taking the above picture of the mail and wanted their pictures taken.

 this is the tight sqeeze... Riley knows mama wants good smiles - so while wearing his best cheese face, he makes sure little brother has a good smile too.

 these are the fake "nice" smiles

and this is them just being them. sweet, funny boys who truly enjoy playing together (when they are not trying to sit on each other or rolling around on the ground).

other obsessions of late:

riley - everything star wars. Playing and building star wars legos whenever he gets the chance. Drawing elaborate star wars battle scenes. playing captian rex and clone trooper with brady, or having a jedi battles with air light-sabers.

brady - trying to eat the most chicken tenders at lunchtime - just ask grammie.

eddie- counting his calories. He put a calorie counter on his droid phone and enters in all his meals counting up to 1600 calories a day.  He has last 9 pounds since sunday. How is that possible? Guys just think about losing weight or watching what they eat and bam - the weight is gone. I am so proud of him. maybe if I had a droid phone...I could count calories and lose 9 pounds in a week...hint...hint...wait I don't think eddie reads this. Oh well - flip phone it is until the next upgrade.

what i really need to be obsessed about- finishing our taxes! spring cleaning! and decluttering! selling weights sets, weight bench and conferdate train set on craigslist!  

but for now? I think I will go obsess over some thursday night tv...
 
 

 

 

10 on tuesday

1. happy march 1st! Spring arrives this month! yeah!

2. need a free gallon of milk? go to. www.coupons.comprint out the .55 cent off coupon of lucky charms & the .55 off coupon of cinnamon toast crunch. Print each twice. go to giant eagle. Buy 4 boxes - get a catalina (that coupon the prints out with your receipt) for a free gallon of milk! Giant Eagle on Norton road has cereal - 4 for $8.00 - even though it's advertised as 4 for $10.00.  Deal ends wednesday.  I might need to print some more (also available to print on www.smartsource.com and www.target.com) and go back. Can't beat .90 cents for a box of cereal and free milk.

3. Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week. I seem to accomplish a higher number of tasks on Tuesdays. At work and at home. Off my to do lists this is what I got done today so far:

1.  work - resolved lots of old items, planned a pizza party
2. renewed driver's license, got new tags for both Hondas
3. Stopped at giant eagle
4. Got Brady's haircut
5. Cleaned out the inside of the van while the boys ran around outside
6. cleaned out the refrigerator - leftovers & fruit for dinner
7. did a load of dishes
8. folded a pile of laundry
9. 2 more loads in the washer/dryer
10. baked cookies
11. bath night for the boys
12. blogging
13. cut out coupons

4. And catch up on some DVR'd shows tonight. Eddie is at Akron U with a group of band kids tonight - so I can watch my girlie shows.

5. Okay, boys are in bed now it's 8:38. We needed one more drink of water, train blankets and stuffed animals needed hugs too. Is it wrong that I put the boys in comfy play clothes after their bath? So in the morning - they are ready to go - no need to get dressed - just brush teeth and ready to go! I am always looking for ways to cut down on our morning mad dash out the the door.

6. I am running out of steam and i might now make it to 10 things tonight. Lame. Sorry

7. Bachelor: Chantal or Emily? I think he will pick Chantal. I think he just has a school girl crush on Emily and the kid scares him a little more than he is letting on. But I think Brad is the most genuine Bachelor ever.

8. Trying to book a beach vacation...hoping we can pull it off this year.

9. My taxes are not done yet- oops- my goal was to have them done by 2-28-11. Maybe I should work on 
them...next tuesday.

10. Received awesome news tonight: SGM Dennis Gerber returned home today after his year long deployment! So happy for the Gerber family as they get to be a family of four again. Prayers for all the service men and women still waiting to come home. Thank you Denny for your service & sacrifice. WELCOME HOME!

Random picture: I took some shots of this really old baseball for friends of ours that are going to sell it...look closely you might see Yogi Berra & Micky Mantle's signatures. it's a New York Yankee's World Series ball from the 1940's...I told them I would only charge 10% of the selling price for the pictures...

    

10 on tuesday

1. I love that the boys are still singing Christmas songs and it's almost March. favorites: jingle bells, we wish you a merry christmas, santa claus is coming to town. And Brady asks for Trans-Siberian Orchestra whenever the ipod touch is on. he loves christmas eve (sarajevo). He'll say: mama play the doot-dot-dot-dot-dot song.

2. I love that on Valentine's Day my boys surprised me with a box of chocolate covered strawberries, 4 heart shaped balloons, and a note: will you be our valentine? love the marquette boys.  We made a spaghetti & meatballs for dinner. And they found valentines candy & beef stick treats (what boy doesn't love processed meat snacks?!) at their places at the kitchen table. I am a very lucky girl to have 3 boys loves me so much. 

 

3. I am grateful for our wonderful neighbors Greg & Linda. not only are they the nicest people in town, they are always happy to see the boys, even brought them christmas presents. But Greg snow blows our driveway whenever we have a big snow.  A couple weekends ago - when it was kinda warm - eddie and riley spent 3 hours chipping ice off of the driveway. Riley then started helping mr. greg chip the ice off of his. I think Riley just wanted to climb the giant snow pile in their front yard-  but he really did some damage on the ice and is learning we should help other people because it's the right thing to do.  

4. Last night, I rocked Brady to sleep. This hasn't happened since he was 1. He was sad all weekend, melt downs about everything. We suspected he just didn't feel good. He was having a melt down after dinner, I scooped him up (despite his protests) and headed for our rocker. I turned off the light, and just started rocking. He immediately snuggled up and started those long, slow blinks. As we rocked, I could hear eddie & riley flying around their new paper airplanes - hoping to break the 23 second record flight for a paper airplane - and my heart just starting bursting with love for these boys. I looked down at brady's sweet long lashes as his eyes closed, taking in the chubby still toddler cheeks and button nose and sweet little mouth.  These moments are so precious and amaze me that I get to be their mama.

5. I know why I am so sentimental this week - sorry for the all the gooey love stuff. But I got to hold 2 newborns last week.  Emma Renee - just hours old. Proud parents: Big D & Tara. And baby Jackson - proud parents Marie & BJ.  Such sweet little reminders that God loves us. His precious pure gift of life. After I handed these babies back to their mamas, my arms literally ached to hold my babies. I never want to forget how it felt to hold their little bodies in my arms. From their tiny little newborn weights, to 6 month chubby weights, to toddler weights all wiggly. I want to remember how it feels to have the weight of their little body on my lap. To feel their little heads snuggle under my chin or their heads lay on my shoulder. Or even better when they hug back - little arms wrapped around my neck.

6. Does anybody think Lady Gaga's new song sounds like early Madonna? 

7. Ahh tuesday night tv: glee & Parenthood

8. My quick trip to CVS today: Spent $6.40, saved $26.62, got $5.75 back in extra bucks.

 
Purex $1.99 each - had 2 $1.00 off coupons. They didn't have the purex 3-1 sheets. 1/2 gallon milk $1.89 (i would have gotten a whole gallon - but this was a quick trip and I didn't have a cart) Starbucks $1.99 used $1.00 off cvs coupon, cadbury egg. 75 cents - got back .75 in extra bucks. colgate $2.99 - had 2 $1.00 off coupons -got back $ 2.00 each in extra bucks. Filippo olive oil - $3.99 - had $1.00 coupon and used $6.00 in extra bucks from a previous CVS shopping trip.   
 

9. Don't cook dinner thursday night - go here http://thejebbers.com/wp/2011/02/food-to-fuel-the-soul/  help support a local family and get your big mac fix. I know the boys and I will be going. Eddie works late on thursdays, and it might be my birthday and I know I won't feel like cooking.

10. Whenever I need some mindless celeb news I go to www.gofugyourself.com. I love Gwen Stefani - but she might need a new look- the harsh blonde hair, dark eye make up and blood red lips is so 1998. 

 

kitchen pictures & mondays

First - can I say - I have had the highest number of page views today - 46! what is going on? spammers? couponers? I would love to know who's stopping by. (hi erin, hi missy, hi rebecca, hi kim, hi elizabeth, hi shelly - the rest are unknowns...) But I am glad you stopped by...whoever you are...

I never shared our semi-finished kitchen floor pictures!! How rude! sorry!

Please note: this was 2 days after christmas. Please look past the recycling paper bag stuffed with lego star wars boxes, the table filled with stocking stuffers and gifts that haven't been put away. Please do look at the new blue walls! (no more knotted pine paneling!) the drywall ceiling! the new 4 inch planks of vintage birch. Eddie is amazing! he not only layed the floor himself in 2 days - but when framing in the windows - designed the trim into shelves (thanks to This Old House Magazine). I love our new kitchen. I will post the rest of the updates in the kitchen album.

In Monday news: Today was President's day. The boys got to spend the day at home with Daddy. They built legos, played lego star wars online, and built paper airplanes. They just had fun. I love that they get to spend these days at home.  Another snow storm today. When is this snow going to be over?

And yes, monday also means the Bachelor. Tonight is home town visits! I hope Emily makes it to then next rose ceremony. And so glad he sent Michelle packing last week. I have big hopes for Brad this season and that he will find love. (okay are you rolling your eyes yet?)

Oh - and remember my UP rewards from Rite Aid yesterday? I went back at lunch today and used them to buy 3  -12 packs of coke, 3 more ramen packs and clearanced 75% valentines. And I got another $2.00 in UP rewards for buying 3 coke products. I love when I make free money pay me !!!
 

Rite Aid spent $20.77, saved $22.10, got back $16.00 in UP rewards

 
I normally don't shop too much at Rite Aid, but thanks to www.thekrazycouponlady.com I did this week. They have Johnson & Johnson baby products on sale this week for $2.99 & you get back $2.00 in UP rewards for each one purchased (with the Rite Aid Wellness card - UP rewards are cash that prints at the bottom of your receipt to use on your next purchase at Rite Aid) We don't have babies in the house-but we do use the natural baby lotion - but the rest of them will fill a basket of baby products for my hairdresser that is expecting her first baby in June. Purchased 6 j & j products. had 6 $1.00 off J & J products. Found the spic & span gloves in the clearance bin for .50 cents each - a quick flip in my coupon binder I find a $1.00 of 2 spic and span products (made the gloves free!) Ramen soup on sale this week .88 cents for 6 pack. My kids love noodle soup! Some of these will go to grammie & papa's for quick lunches. Oreos on sale for 2 for $6.00. I had a mfg coupon for $1.00 off of 2. Also went on Rite Aid's website and watched a video and earned a store coupon for $1.00 of 2 oreos. which made the oreos 2 for $4.00. Also got back $2.00 in UP rewards for a cookie purchase. The beef jerky? On sale for $2.50 - used a rite aid coupon for .50 cents and got $1.00 UP reward for a food purchase. So thank you Rite Aid for the $16.00 in basically free money to use at your store.   

A bonus picture of my silly boys -this is what I get when I want a cute picture of them together in their sweet sweater vests. Silliness. I just love them so much. Brady adores his older brother. And Riley loves Brady, even when Brady doesn't make sense or destroys Riley's latest Lego creation.  I love to see them play together, brothers becoming the best of friends.

Spent .56 cents at CVS, saved $9.91

6 gain dish soap @ .88 each. 2 hershey dark @ .89 cents each. I had 6 $1.00 off gain dish soap and 1 BOGO hershey bar.  Since the Gain coupons ring up as $1.00 - each coupon gave me .22 cents overage which applied to the hershey bars. So total before tax was .21 cents.

I have been asked a lot this week how I save so much with coupons. I am kinda of obsessed with coupons as of late. They have made me re-think the way I grocery shop. It can be kind of overwhelming at first. So I want to share what I do and maybe it will help you. My friend Marie said I should teach classes. (by the way do you know Jack? I met him today - such an adorable,  sweet little baby and he smells so good.)

One common things I hear as to why people don't use coupons:  All coupons are for boxed, processed foods. I don't have time. I don't get the newspaper.

Well let me tell you - you can use coupons and still eat healthy! Yes there are a lot of coupons out there for boxed cake mixes, rice, noodles, brownies, crescent rolls, etc. But you can also find coupons for milk, dairy, cheese and organic products.

Don't have time? You already going to the store, right? You are already on the computer, right ? You are already on facebook, right? You have the time. We all have the same amount of time everyday - 24 hours. Just choose to spend a few minutes searching and printing the net for coupons.

You don't have to get the newspaper - ask friends or family for their coupon inserts if they don't use them. I am seriously thinking about jumping in our recycle bin at church looking for coupon inserts. You can dumpster dive at your local recycling center. But if want to stay clean and not embarass yourself when you can't get out of the dumpster - use your computer instead. So many free coupons on line and on facebook. You can print the same coupon twice from each computer. Some of my favorite free websites:

www.coupons. com  (search by zip codes for different products - sometimes products are regional)

www.redplum.com

www.smartsource.com

www.allyou.com(sign up for their free sample everyday -and print coupons. They also have a magazine ALL YOU typically sold at walmart or get a monthly subscription and they are loaded with manufacturing coupons in each issue.)

next go to your favorite brands websites...www.heluvagood.com, coffe-mate, proctor & gamble, kraft. You can find coupons on their page or sign up to their newsletters and coupon alerts.

"Like" your favorite brands on facebook. Sometimes they give away free samples or you can print coupons directly from their promo page.

Fight the urge to clip every coupon you see. Only clip products you currently use or want to try.  Try to stay organized. Get a little file binder - separate them into categories: baking, cereal/breads, canned goods & frozen, dairy, drug & beauty, baby & paper goods, pasta, rice, helpers, pet & misc, condiments.

Shop your ads. By this I mean you have to be willing to travel to a couple stores to get the deals. Stores I typically visit in one week: CVS, Walgreens, Target, Giant Eagle & Acme. I go on my lunch hour, list in hand, coupons for that shopping trip neatly cut out and in an envelope or paper clipped to my list. Only buy what's on your list! Be familiar with each stores coupon policy.

CVS: accepts manufacturing & store coupons. Buy a bag tag for your shopping tote. Each time you shop - they scan your tag and get a .25 cents credit. Once you have a $1.00 - a cvs coupon will print out for $1.00 extra bucks

Walgreens- accepts manufacturing & store coupons. Number of coupons can not exceed the number of items you are purchasing. sometimes you have to throw in a few "filler" items - like that .89 cent candy bar so you can use all of coupons.

Target: accepts manufacturing & store coupons. go to www.target.com and print out target coupons to "stack" with mfg coupons. Bring your own tote -get .05 cents off

Giant Eagle: accepts mfg coupons & store coupons. sign up at www.gianteagle.com for their e-offers. Basically it's a store coupon that is added to your advantage card. You can also "stack" a mfg coupon for that item. Giant Eagle doubles coupons that are under .99 cents. So a .75 cent coupon? just became 1.50 off that item.

Acme- accepts mfg & store coupons. They also sell the sunday paper on monday for .75 cents.

And I site I visit daily: www.totallytarget.com This gal is awesome. She will list everything that's on sale at Target and any available coupons out there.

Okay this is all for today. My boys are starving & must be fed!!  let me know what you are saving on your shopping trips! or if you want to start extreme "couponing"- I will be happy to help!