Eugene the Idiot

Four years ago today, I was in a horrible, horrible car accident. My first ever car accident, and no...it wasn't my fault.

It was 8 a.m on a Monday morning. I had dropped my brother off at school, and was running a little late for work. Not a problem though, because my Dad was my boss and he knew why I was late. So, I'm sitting at a traffic light and I'm jamming out to Nickelback's "Next Contestant" when all of the sudden I feel me, myself, and my car being pushed forward with a large amount of force. It wasn't until my left side mirror was ripped off from the door, that I realized my car was moving pretty fast and I wasn't doing it. I slammed on brakes just a few feet short from the intersection, sat there for a second, and then realized that I had just been hit by another car.

Below is a basic outline of what happened before and after impact:

Me - Sitting at a traffic light in my 2 door 2001 Honda Civic
Eugene - Dude in a red, Ford 1995 F-150 going 55 mph in a 45 mph zone
Me - Still sitting at a traffic light, jamming out to Nickelback
Eugene - Can't tell that the traffic light is red, or that there is a dozen other people stopped at the red light in 3 different lanes, and hits me...still going 55 mph.
Me - My car is hit with so much force that the wheel jerks and puts me in between two lanes, where I proceed to hit 6 other cars before coming to a complete stop

And below are the pictures of what Eugene the Idiot, did to my car:


4 years later: My palms get sweaty every time I get in my car, I freak out a little when I am sitting at a traffic light (although I have gotten a lot better over the course of the years), I can still hear the sound that my car made when his big butt truck ate my little Civic back end up, and I am still sleeping on the same heating pad that I bought that night...to help my poor little back.

Here's to Eugene the Idiot, may he have lost his license and his job. May he be driving around on a MoPed, down a sidewalk, through the woods somewhere. May he never grace these Carolina highways again.

Over the River & Through the Woods...

We leave tomorrow morning for our little Anniversary Weekend Getaway. I am super excited, but at the same time...super nervous about leaving Bree behind. Bree will be fine. She's been known to push me out the door when I have left her with my Parents for a few hours. It's me, the Mommy who is insanely attached to her child, that will be the problem. Although, I am positive that once Hubby and I get our weekend started, I'll be saying "Bree who?".

In case you were wondering where we are going:

That's the Biltmore Estate my friends, and it is beautiful. I haven't been to the Estate since I was in the 6th grade, and Paul has never been...so I sort of planned this little Anniversary for him. I hope he will enjoy it.

Now...I must get to packing.

I do have a post scheduled for tomorrow that you won't want to miss. So make sure to check that out! I hope you all have an ah-mazing weekend.

Couponing 101 - Part II

Last Friday, I gave instructions on how to get started with coupons and saving lots of money! If you missed that post, you can click here to read it.

Today, I want to give you tips on how to stock up your pantry, bathroom cabinets, and laundry room (I think that covers all areas of the house that need specific things). I want to teach you how to stock up on things that you find yourself buying all of the time. Things that can take up a big chunk of your grocery bill, if you need them when they're not on sale or you don't have a coupon for. I can honestly tell you that I haven't bought toothpaste or deodorant in almost a year, and no...my teeth haven't grow fur, my breath doesn't stink & neither do my pits. I just got stocked up, and just for a few dollars!

I'm not going to tell you specific items that you should stock up on, but I am going to tell you that they need to be things that your family uses a lot. Things that you find yourself buying constantly. For my family it was things like deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, cereal, butter, tea, etc. You know how expensive all of those items can be when you have to buy them when they're not on sale. Things like laundry detergent and toilet paper can take up a large chunk of your grocery bill. That's why stocking up is so important. By stocking up, you save even more money!

How do I get stocked up?
When checking out your grocery store's sales ad, look for sales on the things that you need to stock up on. For me, it would be sales on items like toothpaste, deodorant, cereal and butter. If the items you need to stock up on are for sale, make sure you have coupons for those items and then calculate the total of how much you would be paying on them. If it sounds like a good deal, go for it! Each of the tubes of toothpaste and deodorant in my cabinet, were less than a dollar a piece. That's a great deal considering how expensive those two items generally are.

How much is too much?
If you are going to stock up big, I recommend doing it on different days. For instance, don't walk into a grocery store and walk out with 50 gallons of bleach if they were having an awesome sale on it. I know someone who got 12 gallons of bleach that they paid hardly nothing for. What's the point? Do you seriously need that much bleach? Going over board on stocking up, does make it unfair on the rest of us. We can't get the good deals, if you're buying the store out. Be reasonable. While I was stocking up on toothpaste, I would only buy a couple of tubes a week, and two tubes a week added up quickly. I actually stopped buying the stuff, because I was running out of room. There is absolutely no need to wipe out the grocery store in one setting.

Buy toilet paper when it's on sale and you have a coupon. Buy butter when it's on sale and you have a coupon. Buy laundry detergent when it's on sale and you have a coupon. Even if you don't need it at the moment, you will need it soon and by then it may not be on sale. Instead of paying 2 dollars for laundry detergent, you end up paying the full price of 6 or 7 dollars for it. Instead of paying 50 cent on a tube of toothpaste when it's on sale, you'll have to pay 3 dollars for it when it's not on sale.

Why should I buy something when I don't need it?
Don't worry, Hubby had this same question to, and the answer is simple. Have you ever turned on the washing machine to make way for a giant load of laundry that you had been ignoring for a couple of days, only to find that you were out of laundry detergent? Now you have to load the kids up in the car, and head to the grocery story to fork out 12 bucks on bottle (or box) of detergent. Had you bought the detergent when it was on sale, you would not only be stocked up on it, but you also would not have paid so much for it. Now, I don't have a laundry room full of laundry detergent, but I do generally try to stay a bottle ahead...that way I never run out.

Bottom line, stocking up is good if you do it smart. Make sure you are not stocking up on things that are full price. They need to be on sale, and you must have coupons for them. Wouldn't you like to never have to worry about buying toothpaste again, or maybe toilet paper, or laundry detergent, or cereal! How nice would it be to be able to just open up another bottle of detergent when the other runs out, or pull out another deodorant when the other runs dry? You don't have to worry about remembering to put certain items on the grocery list, because you already have them! There's no more worry, and no more stress!

If you have any questions on how to get stocked up, or how to use coupons, please feel free to drop me an email. I want to help anyone I can save money.

Try This! Thursday - Vanilla Spice Oatmeal

I've never been too big on oatmeal, at least not the instant microwavable kind, but I found a recipe for a home made oatmeal that blows those instant oatmeal mixes out of the water...literally. You have got to try this!

Vanilla Spice Oatmeal


Yield: 4 servings Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, plus more, to taste
- 1 cup lowfat milk, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Stir in the oats and raisins, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, place nuts, if using, in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame, and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- When the oats are cooked remove pan from the flame and stir in the vanilla and nutmeg. Swirl in the brown sugar and place the oatmeal in serving bowls. Pour 1/4 cup of milk on top of each bowl, and top with toasted nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Note: For a quicker version using quick cooking or plain instant oatmeal: Cook the oatmeal according to the directions on the package. Stir raisins, brown sugar, and nutmeg into the cooked oatmeal. Top with milk, nuts (toasted or un-toasted) and cinnamon.

For this recipe and more like it, click here.

I am looking for guest posters to guest post for Try This! Thursday. I thought it would be fun for you to share some of your favorite recipes! So, if you are interested in doing a guest spot, please drop me an email!

3 Years: The Wedding Anniversary Post

I know that on Wednesdays I usually feature a super cute picture of my otherwise demonic 2 year old daughter, but today is mine & Paul's 3rd Wedding Anniversary and I felt it necessary to let you all know a little about us. Our story. How we met, and how fast things went from the very first date. About our ups and downs, and the things that we've been through together both good and bad. This is a testament of how two people who are meant to be together, get through things that other couples never thought possible. This is the story of Paul & Samantha.

I never will forget the moment that I first laid eyes on him. He sat two rows over from me in English class at the University we both were attending. He was a freshman in college, and I was a senior in high school taking college courses for college credits. He had shoulder length, dirty blonde hair, he was thin and looked freakin' sexy in his blue jeans. He was laid back, and calm. I was immediately attracted to him, his demeanor, and those dang sexy blue jeans. Normally, I wouldn't just walk right up to someone and start talking. I didn't initiate conversations, and I generally kept to myself, but there was something about him that just brought me out of my shell. Maybe it was the thought that if I didn't exert myself, I would never get a chance to be with him. However, at the time that we met, Paul had a girlfriend and well, I had a stupid, crazy, abusive, controlling boyfriend. Shortly after meeting Paul though, I broke things off with him. Meeting Paul gave me the courage to get rid of something in my life that should have never been there in the first place. Still, it wasn't time for me and Paul...yet.

Spring Semester passed, and Summer started. I had been single since the previous Fall, and I was having fun just doing things that single people can do. I was lonely though, and I thought about Paul a lot off and on. I needed someone, and wasn't having any luck with a guy who wanted me. Most guys looked at me like their little sister, and couldn't think of me in any other way. So, one Sunday morning at church, I broke down and gave everything over to God. I knew that God knew who I was going to be with, and when & where that happened was all up to Him. Not me. I left church that morning with a sense of peace. I knew that the very moment I stopped looking...that special guy would find me.

That very next Tuesday I was on Myspace (that's when Myspace was cool & Facebook hadn't quiet caught on yet), looking around at friends and searching for friends I had gone to school with. I can't even remember how I even came across Paul on Myspace, but when I did...everything I had felt for him when we first met came rushing back to me. I friend requested him....and waited. A couple of hours later, he accepted my friend request and I decided to send him a message. Paul claims he didn't know who I was at first, and only accepted my friend request because he thought I was hot. Go figure, this was my profile picture at the time:
How sexy are those oompa loompa sunglasses?
Anyway, somehow or another we exchanged phone numbers, and had a date set up for the following Friday, June 23 (which also happens to be his birthday). Our first date was at Starbucks. I don't even remember the drinks we ordered, I just remember sitting there, totally enthralled with this boy. I was in love, and I knew that he was it. From that very first date, our relationship went into high gear. Things between us went fast, which is how I assume they are supposed to go when you meet the one.

In mid-August, things between us got kind of strained. He wasn't coming around much, and was hardly calling me. When we were together, he wasn't completely there. I felt distanced for him. Cut off. I knew that there was something going on with him, but I wasn't sure exactly what. Feeling rejected, and overwhelmed I sank into one of the lowest points in my life. I withdrew myself from everyone and everything. I wouldn't go to work, my Parents and I were arguing a lot, and it seemed that the only thing I wanted was Paul. That's it. For two and a half months I was wallowing in the deepest depression I have ever been in. I was in a dark place. A place I never want to be in ever again. But on November 15, just five days after my birthday, every question I had about what was wrong with Paul, were answered. I had gotten off of work, and Paul asked me to meet him at his Mom's house. I had no idea why, or what was going on. I just thought we were going to hang out over there. Until, Paul and his Mom had me sit down on the couch and they proceeded to tell me something. My heart began racing, and my palms got sweaty. They were about to tell me something bad, and I had no idea what it was. That's when Paul looked at me and said, "For the last six months, I've been addicted to cocaine."

My whole world crashed down around me. I felt betrayed, relieved, hurt, and broken hearted all at the same time. Betrayed because six months was the extent of how long we had been dating, relieved because I finally knew what was going on, hurt because he had lied to me for six months, and broken hearted because I loved him so much. The next few weeks were full of experiences that I wish to never experience again. I had to sit with Paul through withdrawals, and rehab. I had to make sure he was where he said was. I had to make sure he was getting off and staying off of the drugs. He had two slip ups with Marijuana after the confession, and after the second time I seriously considered just leaving him. I didn't know if I wanted to have to deal with this addiction for the rest of our lives together. I didn't know if he could seriously just stop what he had been doing. Stopping it all was an evident struggle for him, and I didn't understand why he couldn't just stop. I didn't understand the addiction. I lack the addictive personality. I didn't know if I could even help him through it. Leaving him would have been the most obvious decision. It would have been what any other girl would have done when faced with this issue.

But I didn't leave. How could I just leave the person I loved more than anything else in the world at the moment when he need me the most?

I stuck by him, and together we got through the dark place we had both been in. Paul has told me that this is when he realized that he really, truly loved me. Our damaged relationship was quickly being healed. For the first time, I was beginning to see that boy that I fell in love with in the old Donan Building at the University. For once, it was just Samantha and Paul; not Samantha, Paul & Cocaine.

Nearly a month had passed since his drug confession. Our lives seemed to have gotten better, and back to normal despite the fact that by this time, we had both dropped out of school. As Christmas neared, we found out that I was pregnant; a moment that I will never forget. I was scared to death, but not because I thought I couldn't handle being a Mother. But because I was afraid of disappointing my Parents. Thankfully though, my Parents love me to no end. They told us that we needed to make a decision on whether or not we wanted to get married. They didn't push us in either direction, but rather told us to make the decision.

Initially, Paul and I had planned to get married in October of that next year, but now that there was going to be a baby...we decided that waiting would be pointless. My Mom and I put a wedding together in a week, and it was every bit of the wedding I had always dreamed of. I never wanted a big snazzy wedding, but rather just a small intimate setting and itt was just that. Small, intimate, and sweet. I never had any doubts about us. I walked down the aisle with confidence, and I couldn't wait to get my life started with him.

It's hard to believe that it's been three years since that day. At times it feels like it's been forever, but at other times it seems like it hasn't been long at all. Like most marriages, there have been fights and times that I just wanted to quit. But when you love someone unconditionally, and have been through so many things together, throwing it all away on some stupid fight seems kind of...well...stupid. I can hardly stand to imagine my life without him, and I can't bare the thought of ever losing him. I am so thankful to have married such a wonderful guy, and although he pisses me off more times than I can count...I will never, ever stop loving him.

Here's to three years, and here's to three more years plus one hundred. Happy Anniversary Paul. I love you.

Here are some pictures from the wedding:


Here are some pictures of us from our Honeymoon:

P.S: Excuse the crappy wedding pictures. When you put together a wedding in less than a week, there's no time to hire a photographer. Oh & notice my Preggo tummy in the picture of me from our honeymoon?

Random Tuesday Thoughts: IHOP & Denim Woes

t's time for Random Tuesday Thoughts, and as I have said before...I refuse to use the little ugly purple button that everyone else uses. It just doesn't go with my color scheme :) Don't hate.

It's Pancake Day, and you know what that means?! It means go to your local IHOP and pig out on some pancakes, because they are absolutely FREE!!

Sometimes, while I am making the bed, I randomly break out into a verse of "I Believe I Can Fly". I don't know why, and it comes out of my mouth before I can do anything about it.

Riddle me this, when I buy a pair of jeans in a light wash, I buy a size 4 but even then, they hang off of my butt. So, last week when I bought a pair of dark wash jeans (same cut as my light wash jeans) in a size 4, I couldn't even get them up past my butt. This has happened to me more than once, and it's really starting to get aggravating. Is this some kind of vendetta the jean company has out for me? I'm hoping that maybe a denim expert reads my blog, because I seriously need some answers.

I am going shopping today! I am going to buy the crap outta some clothes. Gonna pick up a few Winter clothes, and stock up on the Spring clothes...and I am so excited! Watch out Kohls, Belk & Target...here I come!

Can't believe that tomorrow is mine & Hubby's 3 year wedding anniversary. Seems like we've been married a lot longer than that. Geez.

"I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky. I think about it every night and day. Spread my wings and fly away. I believe I can soar. I see me running through that open door. I believe, I can fly. (I can fly) I believe I can fly (I can fly) I believe I can fly..."

How about I bought 140 dollars in groceries last night for 70 bucks! Look forward to my "Stock Up" post on Friday where I tell you how to stock up on items that you won't ever need to buy again! Well, not ever, but not for a very long time.

How un-American is it of me that I have not watched the Olympics, and I don't want to watch the Olympics. And how pointless is Curling?

I'm going to take crotchet lessons so I can learn how to make a bunch of crotchet crap and then sell it on Etsy for 60 bucks. Can you believe I saw a kid's crotchet hat on there for 60 dollars?? Who are these people kidding? But seriously, I am going to take some crotchet lessons.

It's going to be 60 degrees today, beautiful and sunny....and then tomorrow the high is 40 with the possibility of snow. FML.

I am so excited to get away for the weekend with Hubby. I'm gonna miss my girl, but I am going to have so much fun with Hubby. We haven't done this in 3 years...literally...since our honeymoon! Tomorrow's post will be a special edition Wedding Anniversary post where I get to tell you our story. It's a long post, but a neat little story. Look forward to it!

I just want to randomly tell each of you, my beautiful followers, readers and commenters, how much I love and appreciate each of you! You all make me laugh, and I look forward to hearing from you all and reading your blogs as well! Keep on keeping on.

The Great Trade In

Over the weekend, Bree got a brand new car seat. Babies R Us (Toys R Us) was holding a promotion called, The Great Trade In. By trading in an old car seat, stroller, or high chair (just to name a few), you could get 25% off of a new car seat, stroller, high chair, etc... Sounded like a pretty good deal, and we knew that Bree really needed a new car seat. The one she had just wasn't working out.

When Bree turned a year old, it was time to move her from the baby carrier to a forward facing car seat. At the time, we were flat broke, but somehow managed to fork out 60 bucks for a car seat made by Evenflo. It was possibly the cheapest car seat one could by:I'm still trying to figure out how it passed inspections, because it would tend to tilt 3 inches on either side when going around curves or making turns, and the seat just didn't seem to be padded that well. I always thought that if we ever got in a wreck, Bree would probably get hurt. The thought of that alone scared the crap out of me.

So we browsed the car seats, amazed at how luxurious these things were. I don't remember any car seat of mine ever being so nice and fancy with little gadgets attached. My booster seat consisted of a plastic seat with a plastic arm wrapped in foam that came down across my lap. These new booster seats that were being displayed were nothing like that. They had arm rests and cup holders!

Have you seen the new Safety 1st Air Car Seat?I wish this thing wasn't 250.00 or it would be sitting in my back seat right now!

We spent about an hour or so in Babies R Us before we finally decided on something. The sales guy talked us into getting this car seat:
It's a 3 in 1 Convertible car seat. So, if we ever decide to have another baby (God forbid), we can re-use this car seat as an infant seat too, and instead of having to go out and buy Bree a booster seat when she gets to that age...this seat converts right in to one! As you can imagine, Bree is feeling pretty good about herself now that she's got a bangin' new ride. She does love it, and I do love it a lot more too! It has more padding, and best of all...it doesn't tilt at all! Plus, it makes the back seat look bigger. Bree was pretty ecstatic about the cup holder. She couldn't wait to put her cup in it!

Thats what we were up to this weekend, what about you?

Couponing 101

As requested, and as I promised, I have composed for you a little help guide on getting started with coupons and how to actually use your coupons. First off, let me tell you a little bit about why I started using coupons. About a year ago, Hubby's (ex)work place was giving pay cuts. You know, because of the whole bad economy thing. Anyway, when you are already living paycheck to paycheck, and then you suffer a pay cut...it hurts and it hurts bad. I had to find a way to cut cost in my household. So, I took a look at my bills. We had rent, and utilities, cell phone, and grocery bills (we have absolutely no debt whatsoever & we still stay broke). Since there was no way to really be able to cut rent down, and our utility bills were under control, I decided to tackle the grocery bill. On a weekly basis we were going to Wal-Mart, getting 60 dollars worth of groceries (not counting the 20 dollars in Diapers every 2 weeks), and going home with nothing to really show for it. We were really only getting enough groceries to have supper every night, and Bree and I would just scrape by for lunch.

My Mom had got into coupons a few months earlier, and she had cut her weekly grocery bill almost in half and you wouldn't believe the groceries she was bringing home! I mean, she was getting TONS of food for the 60 dollars that I was paying just for a few things. So, after Hubby got the pay cut I decided I'd try out the coupon thing. I wasn't really a believer, and I thought it would be hard, and I mean really, how could this actually work? But when you're broke, what could it hurt to just try it? For me, visiting different grocery stores for their sales seemed a bit overwhelming at first. So, I went to Wal-Mart for my get groceries but I used a few coupons on different things. The first week I went grocery shopping on coupons I immediately saved 10 dollars. That may not sound like a lot, but it was to us and we actually got a few extra things. After about three weeks of this, I decided to go ahead and start checking out the sales ads for different grocery stores. Where I live we have a BILO, a Publix, and a Bloom. So, I gradually started adding in a grocery store with Wal-Mart, until one day I was no longer shopping at Wal-Mart! Currently, our average grocery bill is between 30 and 40 dollars a week and you wouldn't believe the stuff that we get!

Here's where I help you get started! Are you excited? Take some notes, because you will not want to forget any of this!

Where do I get coupons?
You can generally find coupons in the Sunday Newspaper. You know, mixed in with all of the different ads. If you're not looking for them, you'll swear they've never been there. But they have been. There are generally two to three different magazines of coupons in the Sunday Paper. There is Smart Source, P&G (Proctor and Gamble), and RedPlum. All three come in a magazine type booklet, generally with an advertisement on the front and the name of the company. When you open these books, you'll find tons of great coupons for different products like shampoo, deli meat, snacks, laundry detergent, deoderant, etc...

What do I do with the coupons once I cut them out?
Go out and buy yourself a 3 ring binder, dividers, and baseball card holders. Organize your 3 ring binder in the order in which a grocery store is generally laid out, and then slip in your coupons for each divider into the baseball card holders. Here is a wonderful website that will help you get your notebook organized!

How do I find out what is on sale?
Grocery Stores and Pharmacies (like CVS, Rite Aid, & Walgreens) generally put an ad in the Wednesday newspaper and Sunday newspaper with a list of their sales, but I tend to go the grocery store's website and look at their ads from there. I write down what sales I am most interested in. You can go to Southern Savers website, and she actually already has the grocery ads listed with what coupons to use (and even coupons you can print out) and how much an item would cost using the sales & coupons.

When it's time to go grocery shopping, I take an envelope and write my grocery list on the front. I then slip the coupons that I am going to use inside the envelope. It's important that your coupons are also organized inside the envelope. Depending on how many coupons you have...it can be hard to find the one you want to use quickly. If I am going to more than one grocery store that day, I put my coupons in order of how they are listed on my list, and in order of which grocery story I am visiting first, second, etc. It is also a good idea to take your 3 ring binder shopping with you, because there are also a lot of sales that aren't listed in the ads and you could miss out on some more really great deals!

Working The Sales
- Just because something is on sale, doesn't mean it's a great deal. Make sure that you are getting the most out of the sale and your coupon. For instance: Kelloggs Mini Wheats were on sale, Buy one get one free (B1G1) and I had a coupon for a dollar off of 3. After calculating how much the actual price would be with my coupon, I came up with it costing 5 dollars to get 3. That's when I found another coupon for a 1.50 off 2. So I ended up paying 2.50 for two HUGE boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats.

- When an item is Buy One Get One Free (B1G1), you do not have to buy both items to get the sale price. You can buy just one of the items, and get it half off! For instance: A box of spaghetti is on sale B1G1, for a total cost of 1.20 for 2 boxes, but you only need one box. By getting one box instead of two, you will pay only .60.

- Some grocery stores will let you use a manufacturer coupon AND their store coupon together on one item. Use those two together and you'll get an even better deal! For Instance: You have a Mini Wheats coupon for a 1.00 off of a box of Mini Wheats, and you also have your grocery store's store coupon for 1.00 dollar off of a box of Mini Wheats, if you put the two coupons together, you'll get 2.00 off of that one box of Mini Wheats (can you tell how much I love Mini Wheats?)!

- Some grocery stores will double your coupons up to .60! For Instance: You have a coupon for .50 off of a bag of shredded cheese, the grocery store will double that coupon, giving you 1.00 off of that bag of cheese. Doubling and tripling coupons can really, really add up. This is how you can get a lot of things for free, or just a few cents.

For more Grocery Store Savings Tips click here.

There are also websites you can go to, to print out coupons. Yes, grocery stores do take printed out coupons. You don't have to have any special paper, and you won't be arrested for trying to forge a coupon. I know, I was a skeptic myself the first time I used my printed out coupon. I still get a little nervous when I hand the cashier my computer coupon, but they take them without a second thought. Remember those 2 boxes of Mini Wheats that I got for 2.50? I used a printed out coupon to get that deal!

Coupon Mom [DOT] Com provides several different websites that you can print out coupons with. There are even restaurant coupons too!

I know that a lot of you told me that you lack coupon dedication, but the trick to staying dedicated is keeping organized and staying determined. Treat yourself to make couponing worth it. Take the money that you save on your grocery trips and put it back in a savings account for a vacation, or a new pair of shoes, or a special outfit. If you usually spend 100.00 a week in groceries, and by couponing you cut your grocery bill in half...that is an extra 50 dollars a week (200 dollars a month) that you can put into a savings account for anything you want!

I hope I have answered most of your couponing questions, and I hope that maybe you will start using coupons. You wouldn't believe the money you can save, the items you can get for free, and products that you only pay a few cents for (some of which would have cost lots more at normal price)! To most people, saving a few pennies here, a dollar there, and 50 cents here doesn't sound like a lot, but it really adds up. I have watched the total of my grocery bill go from 50.00 to 20 after scanning all of the coupons in. That's incredible!

If you have any questions, make sure you ask me! I want to help you get started! Every week I wonder why more people aren't doing coupons. Remember this post where I spent 4.00 on a Gillette Fusion Razor, Shaving Cream, Peanut Butter and Jelly? I mean really, how could you pass this up? Who doesn't love free stuff?! So come on, and jump on the coupon band wagon! This is one trip that you won't mind taking.

Try This! Thursday - Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites

Hey, did you know that dark chocolate is actually good for you? Yeah! When eaten in moderation, it is actually a healthy little treat! Dark Chocolate helps lower blood pressure, and is a potent antioxidant. So how excited was I when I found this healthy, super easy, Dark Chocolate dessert? You have got to try this!

Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites


Ingredients
- 8 1/4-ounce squares of bittersweet dark chocolate
- 4 teaspoons almond, cashew or pistachio butter

Directions
-Top each chocolate square with 1/2 teaspoon nut butter of your choice (almond, cashew, pistachio).

To find this recipe & others like it, click here.

This Is How a 2 Year Old Eats Chocolate Pudding

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Affect & Effect & Unexplained Laziness

It's time for Random Tuesday Thoughts, and as I have said before...I refuse to use the little ugly purple button that everyone else uses. It just doesn't go with my color scheme :) Don't hate.

Hubby and I got our reservations at the hotel made for our Anniversary. I'm pretty excited about a little weekend away. First time ever without Bree! Wonder how long I'll make it before I take off down the mountain to get my Breezy? Maybe I won't miss her like I think I will.

I paid 1.25 for a HUGE box of Frosted Mini Wheats. Wanna know how much the regular price was? 3.99. I got two boxes for 2.50! I'll be writing a post on coupon-ing soon. You guys don't know what you're missing out on!

The worst part of my morning is when the coffee pot runs out of coffee. Seriously, why can't a coffee pot be like a sink, with an endless flow of coffee all day long every day?!

I feel lazy today. I feel like I should be running a marathon or something. I feel like I slept too late...but I really didn't. I feel like I should be doing something. Maybe it's because the sun is out today, and I can't use the "Oh it's raining and cloudy out so I'm going to have a lazy day" excuse. Whatever it is...it's bothering me.

We bought Bree a potty over the weekend. She likes carrying it from room to room to pee in it.

Our Winters haven't been this cold in a long, long time. I have decided that I don't like it much, and I'm really, really ready for Spring and more so for Summer. Winter is just not even cool.

My Brother has been gone for 5 weeks now, and I've only gotten 1 letter from him. ONE! My Parents have like 8, and his girlfriend 8. WTF lil' bro?

I have strange dreams in the mornings when Hubby leaves for work. Maybe it's because I go back to sleep after I've been awake for 30 minutes...and then only sleep for another 30 minutes. I don't know.

I'm sorry this Random Tuesday Thought thing has been sort of boring. As I said earlier about feeling lazy or whatever...I'm all off track this morning and I'm not sure why. I guess that's affected my randomness. When you haven't seen the sun in three days, it can have a sort of strange effect on you.

Do the words affect and effect confuse you? Sometimes they confuse me.

A Snowy Valentines Weekend...

Friday afternoon around 3:30, I was engaged in a pretty intense Yoga work out. As I was lifting my body back to an upright position, concentrating hard on balancing and NOT falling over, my concentration was thrown off when I noticed that it had suddenly began snowing outside. Since it takes nearly all of my concentration to stay balanced on one foot, I toppled over. I picked myself up off of the floor, and made my way to the window to watch the snow fall. Much to my disappointment, the meteorologist had predicted the snow correctly. Still, I wasn't giving up on going on my Valentines Date with Paul that night.

Two hours later, Paul was home from work and the snow had not yet let up. I was still determined to go out on my date, but then our babysitter (the Mother In Law) wigged out and decided that the roads were going to be too bad. Thing is...the snow wasn't really sticking to the roads, but evidently that didn't make a difference. We didn't go. I cried, thought over and over to myself about how bad my life sucks, how it's just one big FAT disappointment after the other, and how Paul was being a big butt because he didn't want to go out in the snow anyway. I finally decided to practice a few tips that I learned from Mrs. M's Valentine Week posts last week about how to love your Hubby more. By doing so we ended up avoiding what could have been a pretty big fight between us. After getting myself calmed down, I decided that there wasn't any sense in making the remainder of Friday night miserable. So I sent Paul to get pizza and a movie, a Snicker Bar and a Pepsi...and I ate my weight in food and sweets. Which, if you read this post, that doesn't make any sense. I regretted it later though, and by the time I went to bed...I seriously thought I was going to die from the amount of sugar I had ingested.

I was glad to know that eating my weight in pizza, indulging in a Snicker Bar, and drinking a 20 ounce Pepsi didn't have an effect on how I looked Saturday morning. I half expected to wake up with a pot belly. Nevertheless, we had a good 5 inches of snow on the ground. Paul thought it would be fun to go over to his Dad's house so that Bree could play in the snow. Bree and Paul attempted to build a snowman (or a no man in Bree's vocabulary), but when someone doesn't rake their leaves in the Fall time you wind up with a leafy snowman instead.:

Don't hate on the pitiful looking leafy snowman, Bree was proud.
Paul and I did finally get to go out on our Valentines Day date Saturday night. If you read this post, you would now how pissed I was about the snow Friday night and it's date ruining self. We had fun together though. It was nice being just us for a few hours. Plus a Starbucks Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte really puts the finishing touches on a wonderful night.

For Valentines Day we did pick Bree up a couple of things to give to her. Paul and I decided on no gifts for each other since we have our Anniversary in a couple of weeks. We got Bree a Kai-Lan book, and little box of Dora chocolates. She was pretty excited about both, especially the candy.

So...that was our little weekend. It was a cold, snowy weekend, but I'm disappointed that it's already Monday again.

How was your weekend?

Especially For You...

I got an award!! Woo hoo!! Although I have already gotten this award, it's an honor to get it again! Kiera over at Imperfect Daisies gave me the Honest Scrap award. Thank you Kiera!

Like most awards, there are a set of rules. Recently, I have changed the rules on a few awards I've gotten mainly because of laziness lack of time...but tonight I'll follow the rules and they are as follows:

1. I get to tell you 10 random things about myself
2. Pass this award on to 7 other super cool bloggers

So, here are 10 Random Things about myself:
1. I have Psoriasis on the back of my head, hidden under my hair...but it's still aggravating.
2. Soda makes me want to die.
3. I really, really miss my little Brother who is currently in Phase 2 at Marine Bootcamp.
4. I am addicted to sleeping on a heating pad every single night & if I don't...I can tell a difference in my back the next day.
5. I seriously hate Winter and anything related to it.
6. I tan really, really well in the Summer time.
7. I absolutely LOVE blogging and meeting other bloggers (friends).
8. I wear contacts, and am blind as a bat without them.
9. I could stand to be a little taller.
10. I love shoes.

& Here are 7 Super Cool Bloggers to pass this award on to:
1. Ian of The Daily Dose of Reality
2. Amanda of Serenity Now
3. Tiffany of On the Verge
4. Kato of Pandorah's Box
5. Julia of Sweet As Punkin' Pie
6. Menopausal New Mom
7. Everyone reading this and wants the Honest Scrap award! Go ahead and take it! You deserve it :)

Dear Snow...

Dear Snow,

I seriously hate you. I was supposed to go out on a date with my Hubby tonight (for Valentines Day by the way), and YOU have ruined it. I am not a happy camper right now, as you can imagine. Seriously though...go hit up the West Coast. Leave us East Coasters a lone. Enough is enough, you date night ruiner!

Sincerely,
Samantha

I'm sorry to all of my West Coast bloggy friends that I wished this horrible snow on, but we're getting plummeted over here on the East Coast and it's ruined practically every weekend for the last 2 months.

Dern You Fat! Just Fall Off Already!

It seems like I have been on a weight loss journey for almost 3 stinkin' years, and I am beginning to get a little tired of it. I know, I know..I'm the one who keeps setting these goals for myself. But I'm not like everyone else. I can't just diet and exercise and watch the weight fall off in 2 weeks. I am so far beyond that now. My body doesn't want to lose any more weight, but I do! I just reached 125 lbs. last week sometime. I could tell a major difference just in those three or four pounds, but I need more. I need 120 lbs. and possibly 115 lbs. I want to get to where I can be comfortable. To where I don't have to eat so strictly, and I don't have to work out so much. I want to get where my weight isn't the only thing on my mind, and that's where it seems to be these days and for the last 3 years. I've been so obsessed and consumed with it. It's making me crazy.

I've been doing the Your Shape work out for the Wii, and let me tell you...it ain't no joke. It's hard. I sweat, a lot. If I work out in the mornings, I feel the burn all day long. It was four weeks until I was able to start telling a difference, weight loss wise, in the work out. The first week and a half, there was no difference, the next week and a half I gained 4 pounds in muscle, and the next week and a half I was losing a pound every day until I stopped at 125. It's been a week and a half since I've lost anything.

I've cut my calorie intake down from 1200 calories a day, to 1000. Some days I eat around 1200 calories, but for the most part I try to stay right at 1000. I don't get terribly hungry on a 1000 calorie diet, and I do eat a little snack when I find myself hungry. I don't necessarily count calories either, but I do make myself aware of the calories, fat and sugar in take in what I eat. I think everyone should do that.

So, here I am. Before my brother left for Boot Camp, I made a goal to lose 10 pounds by April 9th, the day he graduates. That would put me at or around 115 pounds. After I saw how thin my face and stuff got when I hit 125 pounds last week, I decided that 115 may be too thin for me. I don't want to be tooth pick skinny, just healthy skinny. So, if I can just lose 5 more pounds and get toned up. I'll be happy. I'll be done. And I don't have to think about losing weight again. Maybe.

Do you have any tips for me in the area of exercise, or diet? Has anyone drank Green Tea to help the metabolism speed up, and does it really work? How many of you are in my boat...just stuck?

Try This! Thursday - Sugar Heart Sandwich Cookies

I know I despise Valentines Day in every sense of the word, but who can resist all of the lovely sugary treats that this little pointless Holiday does bring? I love a good cookie, and this my friends, looks like an ah-mazing cookie. You have got to Try This!

Sugar Heart Sandwich Cookies


Ingredients
- 1 recipe Sugar Cookie Dough, at room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
- Small red sugar hearts, for decorating
- 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, 1 1/2-by-1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

Directions
- Prepare dough as directed and chill for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioner's sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed. With a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 72 dough rounds, re-rolling dough as needed. With a small heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 1 1/2-by-1-inch), cut hearts from the center of half the dough rounds. Place the rounds and cutouts about 1 inch apart on parchment -lined baking sheets. Bake until just set but not brown, about 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the pan slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, confectioner's sugar, and pomegranate juice until smooth and fluffy. Spread about 1 teaspoon filling on each round cookie and top with a cut-out cookie. Place a red candy heart in the center of each. Leftover filling can be used to sandwich the small hearts together.

To get this recipe & more Valentines Day treats like it click here.

Eight Dollars

That's how much all these items cost me:
I know that the peanut butter & jelly really don't fit in with the razor, shaving cream & body wash...but its part of the deal.

I walked out of Walgreens feeling as though I had robbed the place. I know that it may not look like a lot...so let me break down the prices for you.

Gillette Fusion Razor w/2 cartridges: 8.99
Gillete Fusion Shaving Cream: 1.99 (sale price)
Dove Men's Body Wash: 5.99
Smuckers Jelly: 2.00 (sale price)
JIF Peanut Butter: 2.00 (sale price)
Grand Total: 21.00

But here is what I actually paid for each of the times:
Gillette Fusion Razor w/2 cartridges: 4.99 (I had a coupon for 4 dollars off)
Gillete Fusion Shaving Cream: .99 (I had a coupon for 1 dollar off)
Dove Men's Body Wash: 4.74 (I had a coupon for 1.25 off)
Smuckers Jelly: 1.50 (I had a coupon for .50 off)
JIF Peanut Butter: 1.50 (I had a coupon for .50 off)
Total: 13.72
Plus subtract 6 dollars from the total in Register Rewards to get a Grand Total of: 8.72

PLUS I got 4 dollars back in Register Rewards for buying the Razor (although technically I paid nothing for it).

Notice that I paid a few cents less for all 5 items than what the original price of the Gillette Fusion Razor cost alone.

Seriously, how does that even happen?

Happy Blogaversary!!

It's hard to believe that it has been one year since I decided to start my own blog. I must admit, that in the beginning...I really had no idea what I was doing. I just needed wanted a place to write down all of my thoughts, no matter what they were. Over the course of the last few months, Apple Juice & Milk has really taken off. I have gained a lot of readers who have also become my friends. I never could have expected when I started this blog, that I would meet so many wonderful people. For a stay at home Mom, blogging has really helped me out in a lot of ways. From having a place to vent, to communicating with other SAHM's who are in the same boat as I am. I don't know what you all see in me, but I'm sure glad you see something.

Now...the moment you all have been waiting for. Your questions...answered:

- Mrs. M from I've Changed My Name to Mommy asks...
If you had to pick ONE characteristic or action that made you want to marry Paul, what would it be?
Paul was just easy going. "Chilled-out", I guess you would say. He was calm. Not nerdy, but not loud. He didn't feel like he had to be funny all of the time. He was just...Paul.

What does being a young mother mean to you/How do you feel about it?
I'm pretty excited about being a young mother! When Bree graduates high school & heads off to college (God willing), I won't even be 40 years old yet! Heck yeah!

What are your future plans for blogging-specifically what role do you want your blog to play in your personal life and what do you want your blog to accomplish in "the outside world"?
I want my blog to continue to grow, at some point, I'd like to be able to make money by blogging. I want to help people feel less alone in their crazy world, and I want to be an escape for those who just need a good laugh at times.

- Working Mommy from Lessons Learned asks...
When are you having baby #2?
Of course, you can't stop what God has planned...but my plans don't include a baby # 2...Bree is too mean. Subjecting her mean-ness to a new baby would just be inhumane :)

- Julia from Sweet as Punkin Pie asks...
You are pretty young to be the mom of a 2 year old... was she planned?
She definitely wasn't planned. But she was the best unplanned event to ever happen to me!

How did you meet your hubby?
When I was a senior in high school, I had a chance to take a college course for early college credits. So I signed up for an English class, and Paul was in that class. At the time that we met though, he had a girlfriend and I had a horrible, horrible boyfriend.

What's one thing about your hubby that drives you nuts?
There are quiet a few things about him that drives me nuts, but probably the worst is how much of a critic he is. Nothing is ever good enough. Whether it be movies, television shows, food, etc...he criticizes everything!

What is one thing about him that you absolutely LOVE??
I love how sweet he truly is. He has a great heart.

- Helene from I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor asks:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a young mother?
Where as most people don't get started on raising children until they are in their late 20's or early 30's, I was 19 years old when Bree was born. That will put me being 39 years old when she goes off to college...and I consider that a pretty good advantage. Where most people are just getting started, I'm already done. But I do miss not being able to just go out on a whim. I miss the quiet, and I miss being young. I had to grow up pretty fast.

Would you ever consider homeschooling your daughter?
I have actually thought about homeschooling her, but I haven't completely decided on it or not. I went to public school from Kindergarten through the seventh grade, and then my Mom began homeschooling my brothers and I. I never went to a public high school, and I wish I had. I feel like I missed out on a lot. I have a couple of more years to think about it though.

Any plans for more kids?
No plans yet, but again, I can't change God's plans. I honestly, personally, feel as though I am done. I'm good with one. I think I'll die of a heart attack if I have to go through the toddler stage again. I'm not even quiet sure I'm going to make it out of the one I'm in now.

- Salt from Salt Says asks...
What is some advice you would give for a successful marriage?
Most people would answer this question by saying that it takes "trust" & "honesty" to keep a marriage going. I'm not so sure that I agree with that. It takes a lot more. It takes a lot of love, a lot of respect, and a lot of patience. Appreciate each other. And when you're angry with each other, it's just best not to talk until you have calmed down. In my experience, a lot of hurtful words can be thrown in a fight...and those are words that you'll never forget. Never mind the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That's not true. Words do hurt.

- Kiera from Imperfect Daisies asks...
Ok, the only reason I feel like I have the liberty to ask you this is because I'm a young mom and was pregnant before I was married. Were you? Tell your story, if you don't mind.
I don't mind telling my story at all. In fact, I had hoped someone would ask me this! Paul and I began dating in June of 2006. Things went pretty fast for us, which I assume is what happens when you meet "the one". We found out in December of 2006 that I was pregnant. That was a scary moment in my life. Not because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to be a Mother, but because I am the daughter of a preacher, and disappointing my Parents is not something I tried to do. In fact, disappointing my Parents was something I always tried to avoid. The scariest moment of my life was when Paul and I had to tell my Parents that I was pregnant. I didn't know how they would re-act. I wasn't sure if they would be so disappointed in me that they couldn't even look at me. I didn't what to expect. The relationship between my Parents and I was a little rocky after that, but things got smoother over time. Paul and I got married in February of 2007 and over the stretch of 9 months...our relationship got back to normal (sort of). Bree was born in September of 2007...and now, things couldn't be better between us all. I am so thankful to have such a loving set of Parents, who will absolutely love me no matter what.

- Becky from In the Trenches asks...
How did you and the hubby meet?
I was taking a college course my senior year in high school, and Paul was in the English course that I was taking. I remember the very moment that I first laid eyes on him, I just knew that he was it. The one. Most people don't believe in those moments, and I wouldn't have either if it had never happened to me. But, love at first sight does exist. Unfortunately, at the time that we met...I had a boyfriend and he had a girlfriend. It wasn't too long after we met though, that I broke up with my boyfriend. I was thinking about Paul all of the time, and I just didn't feel right having this boyfriend whom I really didn't see myself going anywhere with. Besides that, I didn't really like him much at all...and really wasn't sure why I was with him. Paul and I didn't have anymore classes together after that English course, and I went about my life. I never did get his phone number, or anything so we didn't talk for nearly a year. But hot, Summer day in June, I found him on Myspace. I asked to be his friend, he accepted. He says that he didn't know who I was, he just accepted my friend request because he thought I was hot (how flattering). But two days after I befriended him on Myspace, we went on our first date...and the rest is history!

- Brandy from You Don't Know asks...
Does your Husband read your blog?
No he doesn't. He doesn't do much on the internet actually. He doesn't even Facebook. Such a weirdo :) He enjoys television more than the internet. I guess that's okay. At least I don't have to worry about having to share the computer with him :)

Thank you all for sending me your questions. I was excited to answer each and every one of them! Thank you all for your support, and for making Apple Juice and Milk what it is today. Make sure you get yourself a cupcake and celebrate Apple Juice & Milk's 1 year Blogaversary. You all deserve it!

When Valentines Day & Wedding Anniversaries Collide

I have never really been a fan of Valentines Day. I think it's become a pointless holiday (if you can really call it that). It's just another day to remind the single people that they're single, and to stress out the already married or dating couple. Hubby and I always wonder what we should do for Valentines Day, because our wedding anniversary generally falls a week and a half after Valentines Day (February 24th). Of course we want to put more money and love into our Wedding Anniversary, because let's face it, it is more special than Valentines Day ever thought about being. Last year though, we should have definitely talked things over a little more. On our Anniversary I wound up spending the evening in the bathroom, crying my eye balls out.

On Valentines Day, Paul brought me home some beautiful Daisies (my favorite flower, I hate roses). I smiled and felt so special, because he brought me something home even though we had decided to do more for our Anniversary. I took pictures of the flowers and proudly displayed them on Facebook for all to see. I was so in love with my hubby.

But then came our Anniversary...

I was making us a special Anniversary dinner; breakfast with HUGE pancakes! When he came home from work, I had expected that he would have in hand some flowers, or chocolates or something meaningful. Instead, he walked in with nothing. Nothing! At first, I tried not to get offended. I mean, he had brought home flowers for Valentines Day. But this was our Anniversary, and even though we were going to celebrate it the following weekend...I felt like he should have at least brought me home something.

As I stood there making our special Anniversary breakfast, I felt myself getting angrier and angrier. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. By the time supper was ready, I threw the HUGE pancakes at him, gobbled down my dinner, and went in the other room...to cry. A few minutes later he walked into the room, and actually had the balls to ask what was wrong with me. I told him. It was our Anniversary, and he should have at least brought home something. I wouldn't have cared it was a Hershey Kiss, or a flower that he jerked up out of the yard before he walked in the door. I wouldn't have cared what it was just as long as it was something. He was completely dumbfounded (as most men are), and tried to argue with me. I ended up locking myself in the bathroom, on the floor with my back against the door, using toilet paper as a kleenex, and bawling my bloody eye balls out. Paul stood on the other side of the door, pounding his fist, begging me to come out. I still haven't figured out what good coming out of the bathroom would have done. I could talk just fine through the wood of the door. He still didn't understand what he had done wrong. We were celebrating our Anniversary that weekend, where was the need to bring something home?

After about an hour, he stormed out of the house and went bought some flowers. I took them from him, threw them on the counter and told him that the flowers didn't make any difference now; it didn't mean the same. I know, I was probably being a little bit of a bitch now...but hey...what man doesn't bring something home to his wife on their Wedding Anniversary? My Dad tried to explain to me Paul's train of thought, but in my mind...there was no train of thought.

I'm sure he has learned his lesson from last year's little ordeal...okay maybe it was a BIG ordeal...but we've got things planned out now. This year we will celebrate Valentines Day with dinner and a movie, no gifts (but there better be some flowers in there somewhere), and although our Wedding Anniversary falls on a Wednesday (again, there better be some flowers or chocolate or something)...we will be celebrating it the following weekend in North Carolina.

If I had it to do over, I would have definitely pushed our wedding back another week or so. Heck, maybe I wouldn't have gotten married at all (totally kidding), but the fact is...it's kind of tough having these two "holidays" right next to each other. I imagine that this is how people who share a birthday with Christmas feel. What do you do? So, this is yet another reason why I just don't like Valentines Day. It adds unnecessary stress to situations...like my Wedding Anniversary. I hope to not spend my Anniversary, locked in the bathroom and crying my eye balls out, this year. I hope it runs smoother, and I hope that husband of mine brings home something on both occasions.

I'm Cheering For the Team With the Pretty Colors.

I'm not big on the NFL, never have been. In fact, I'm not real big on any sport except baseball (Go Yankees!) & college football (Go Tigers!). So, what do I do when something comes up like the Super Bowl, where I pretty much have to watch the game regardless if I want to or not, or if I don't care about either of the two teams playing? This may sound silly to you, but I take into consideration the team colors of the two teams playing. Whichever team colors I like best, that's the team I pull for. Sounds stupid, I know, but the ironic thing about it is...generally whichever team I pick to cheer for ends up winning the game. That is sort of why I began this little tradition. It has never failed me.

There were actually two reasons why I decided to pull for the Saints in last night's Super Bowl:
1. I liked their colors best
2. Everyone I knew was pulling for the Colts, and well, where's the fun in pulling for the same team that everyone else is pulling for?

To be fair, I really didn't watch much of the Super Bowl. I was at the In-Law's house (which is a whole other situation I could delve into, but won't), and I brought my computer to keep me from being bored out of my mind. I had thought that I would at least watch the commercials, because they're generally pretty funny. Not this year. They were terrible, and lacking in some serious funny! There was like one that made me laugh, and it was a Dorritos commercial.

Anyway, that's beside the point.

The point is...the Saints won, and my tradition of choosing which team I'm going to pull for because of their colors lives on!

Anyway...

Tomorrow is my Blogaversary and I am super excited to answer all of your questions!! If you haven't submitted your question(s) into me just yet, click here to read all about my Blogaversary & submit them. I have gotten a lot of great questions, but would love to get more! I am also pretty tired of looking at this dreary look I've got going on for this blog. Be looking for something new and fresh and bright! Spring will be here soon...at least for Apple Juice & Milk.

I hope everyone's weekend was fantabulous (yes, I made up another word). Mine definitely could have stood to be better, but that's another post for another time.

Oh and to all of my newest followers, welcome!!

A Saturday Morning Post

I generally take the weekends off from posting, but this morning the Hubby is at a Men's Breakfast and I'm a little bored. I am also secretly hoping that Hubby will bring me home a biscuit from the delicious Country Ham House. That place is ah-mazing, and I must say...I'm a little jealous that Hubby got a 3 course meal for breakfast and I had to settle for a piece of toast and some coffee. Of course I texted him to see if he could possibly, maybe, bring me home a biscuit. Haven't heard back from him. Maybe he's in some pretty serious Bible Study or something. I don't know. I really want a biscuit.

Anyway, our monsoon weather finally cleared out late last night. What was supposed to be tons of ice and snow, turned into tons of rain. I'm not sure which is more annoying, snow and ice, or a lot of rain. Rain is definitely more...wet. We did however, go out to eat with the FIL and BIL last night. I wasn't going to spend another Friday night at home like I had the last 3 weeks. Sometimes ya just gotta get out and ya don't care who you're getting out with. It was okay, but I'm in a serious shopping mood and have absolutely no money.

Why is it that when you want to shop the most, you're the brokest (I definitely just made up a word)?

I used to think that I didn't have a shoe fetish. Now I am thinking that I am wrong. Although I just got my Clarks a couple of weeks ago, I told Hubby I wanted a pair of Dansko's. He looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. Hey...I like a good comfy shoe and I can't help that you have to pay a 100 dollars to get that. Don't yell at me, yell at the companies for pricing it that way. Oh and the Spring shopping I'm going to do when I get that tax refund. Oh the flip flops I'm going to buy. And Oh the Doc's appointment I have to make with my OBGYN. I don't have health insurance. Can't afford it. So...in order to avoid debt, I'm making my check-up appointment at the OBGYN so I can pay for it with my tax refund (yes, this is how poor people have to live). Gotta have all that precious woman stuff done. Ugh. Child birth was embarrassing enough. And yes, my OB is a man. And no, he's not attractive. I even think he may be gay...but that's another story.

Anyway...

This post turned out looking like a Random Tuesday Thoughts post. I guess that's the mood I'm in, but that's what's to be expected from someone who didn't get much sleep.

How many of you are snowed in today?

...Freaky Friday

It's a dark and rainy day here in the South. It feels like a Freaky Friday (not the movie) kind of day. Like anything could happen.

As I mentioned in my interview over at Ian's place yesterday, one of my favorite television shows is Ghost Hunters. I love how the T.A.P.S crew set out to disprove paranormal activity, but aren't afraid to admit when they have the proof to prove a "haunting". That sets them apart from any other "ghost hunter" crew out there. Plus, Jay, Grant & Steve kick butt (never mind Kris & Amy...and GHI? Nah)! Anyway, often people wonder why I get so into stuff like Ghost Hunters and the paranormal. I don't strike people as the type of person who would believe in that type of stuff.

You see, I've been seeing things since I was a baby. My Mom often tells of times that she would be changing my diaper and I would begin smiling, laughing, and waving at something over my Mom's shoulder. She has also told stories about me waving at something in our front door, as we would leave the driveway. I believe these stories that my Mom tells about this particular something, because I remember what she looked like. Yes, I said she.

[Cue creepy music]

I may have been 3 or 4 years old; I remember my Mom standing me up on the dining room table, for what reason, I'm not sure. I remember the dining room table begining to tilt as if it were going to tip over. As I replay this moment in my memory, everything plays in slow motion. I remember seeing her walk down the hallway toward me, and that's when I began saying something about my Nanny Bridges (my Grandmother). I guess to my little 4 year old mind, she looked like my Grandmother. That's when my Mom saw that the table was tipping over, and quickly scooped me up...clearly a little freaked out. Was she my guardian angel, or perhaps just a lady watching over me in the house? I don't guess I will ever know, but I will never ever forget what she looked like.

Fast forward a couple of years...

When I was about five years old, we moved to a house in a part of the county that was referred to as The Dark Corner. It sits at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and was named the The Dark Corner, because it attracted outlaws and moonshiners. It is said that there were gun-fights, knife-fights, and mayhem in general. I tend to believe that the house we moved into was built on top of an indian burial ground. Why? Well, my Dad's Mom lived in the house before we moved in and I had spent the night with her one night. I remember waking up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, when I saw a man standing there at the door of the bedroom. His face wasn't real clear, but I could make out the outline of his body, and I could tell that he didn't have on many clothes (like an indian). By the outline of his head, I could tell that he didn't have any hair, and I could tell that he was very muscular. My Grandmother had a lamp that was hooked onto the headboard of the bed, that could be turned on by a a chain. The ghost scared me so much that I jumped up and turned that light on. I'm pretty sure that my Grandmother suffered a mini-heart attack that night.

That was the first of many occurrences to happen in that house. Everything from seeing shadows, to a man standing at the top of the stairs, to feeling like someone was standing right behind you while playing the piano. I never will forget that house, and the many, many "paranormal" experiences I had there.

I am not afraid to tell people of my experiences with things like the paranormal, because I know that they happened. I can't explain it though, and I don't intend to. But, I do believe that the "dead" are closer to us than we think.

I hope I haven't scared some of my new followers away. I felt like in honor of the dark and dreary day outside, doing a sort of Freaky Friday post would be fun! Do you have an "experiences" with the paranormal or some other type of entity that you would like to share? If not, it's okay. I tend to think that you have to sort of "believe" in these things, to see them. That's why children often see things; they're innocent and have no reason to not believe in anything.

*If you haven't submitted your questions to me for my Blogaversary, DON'T FORGET to do so!! You have less than a week to get those questions into me! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, or you are new to my blog...click here to find out how you can help me celebrate my Blogaversary!!*

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