Grocery store savings

I just had a friend post some AMAZING savings that she got at the grocery store--so that made me think of the last trip I took to the store....how much did I save?

So I pulled out the long old receipt.

I paid full price for 27 things including---

tomato soup
tweezers
bell peppers
lettuce
oranges
gum
and so on---

The most I saved on one item was $20.00--I bought a griddle--the kind you cook pancakes on-
But that was only about a 50% savings--On some items I saved more than that--I box of $3.98-- I paid $.98--so that was a bigger savings, just not in dollars--anyway...

I "spent" $335.23
and paid $260.71

I saved $75.52

which actually is only about 23%....I normally strive to save 35-40%...but hit right around 30%.

Yes--huge grocery bill for me!

But to justify--I bought
a griddle--$20.00
Steak--$10.00 (i ruined the last steak with too much seasonings--)
Ham--$18.00 (I got a great deal--so I bought alot)
Canning Jars--$22.00 (never on sale that I have seen)
A window cleaner tool--$15.00
make-up/2 pair of Tweezers $10.00

And that right there is about $100.00
So then throw is some food--some cleaning supplies and it adds up SO FAST!

I am not a big coupon person--since they are not easy to get here and our computer drinks ink-I don't save hardly anything on printing coupons (unless they are really good).

BUT maybe I will try to make a game and see how much I can save. I would make my sister proud!

Have a lovely time---I am not sure when I will post again---crazy week and weekend ahead of us!

Ok I need help

When ever I post a background only about 1/8 of it shows--what am I doing wrong? How can I make my main page a little smaller to show the cute backgrounds? Anyone?

Thanks!

WAY TO MUCH INFORMATION

I know this is a little personal and I would have HATED my mom if she Blogged about this, but at the same time--maybe my experience can help someone else.

Pepper has a hard time going poo. She holds it in until it really hurts to go and then can't and it just cycles.

I gave her medicine to help her, and it worked great. So I started to lessen it, but too quickly because she had issues again.

SO after her having to "go" for a whole 36 hours and NOT "going" - I did something Drastic. I gave her an enema. YUCK! I know! She was very brave and I gave her about 1/4 bottle--less then the box recommended--and about two minutes later she went--alot--it was awesome, but then the problems started. This was at night before she went to bed.

The next morning she has had diarrhea (sp?) all day. Poor little girl. Totally one extreme to the other.

So hopefully no one else will have to deal with this, but if you do give an enema--start out with less than needed--way less--you can always give more--AND make sure that you aren't going anywhere that day- Next time I would give it to her in the morning...

Who Am I

I like to Google people I know and see what pops up--so yes I google myself.

SO this is who popped up for Amy Larson (ok I just chose a random few)

I didn't make you look at the picture of the Amy Larson who..

1. was in labor

2. was a muscle women--string bikini and all

3. was half naked (yes my safe mode is ON!)

4. was a large women in a bikini

5. a he/she

6. getting arrested

7. doing yoga

8. the numerous brides

9. licking food off the floor

10. MANY Hispanic men--is Amy Larson a Latino drag queen name

(none were in drag--but I have no idea!)

(PS: Looked under Amy Whitaker and Amy Whitaker-Larson--and found nothing better, but a picture of a friends kids--strange I know!)

So with all these Amy Larson people running around--who am I?

I looked at each picture and found myself in each one of them....

-----------------------------------------------------

I guess the cow's name is Amy Larson?

Amy Larson---The Cow

Yes a little overweight, had two children -- breastfeeding is cow like--but mostly

I live in the country.

----------------------------------------------

The "trying to be happy girl next door"

this girl looks WAY more athletic than I EVER was!

----------------------------------------------

The bad hair day--hiding behind something some days--

I REALLY don't think this guy was actually named Amy Larson--
--------------------------------------------------------------
YES! This showed up so I HAD to include it!! The music/theater in me!

This also represents the things I have given up in order to have the life I have now-

(Who am I? --I'm Jean Valjean---24601!!)
------------------------------------------------------

the happy to be who I am--even if I wear librarian glasses--

-------------------------------------------------

AND

These are who I see....

Almost all pictures DO not

make me look glamours on purpose--

I want to show YOU the REAL ME!

Not in any specific order!

A Loving Mom--I thought this was a picture of me and Pepper--too tired to

find a picture of Pepper and me -- sorry! So much for a loving mom!

Trying to be

1. a crafty mom

2. A hot mom!

The nerd in me says that Arpon are hot--the realist in me laughs!!

3. A domestic Diva!

4. A good friend--this was SO fun Annie and everyone--thanks again!

I try to do fun things with the girls--this was sleeping in a

tent with Sedona in the back yard. Pepper was still too young.

This looks kind of like a passport picture!

This is me, no make-up and my hair not even combed--so you know--a normal day!

Trying to be a good wife.

This is The Real Amy Larson.

My Dad

I had this scheduled to post in a few months, but alas I still stink at this blogging thing, so it posted now, which is fine with me--he is still in my thoughts all the time!

I was randomly google imaging people I know and When I googled by dad--he was the first picture to show up---I was a little suprised, but then I saw it was for his obituary. So I thought I would post it. I added the pharagraphs myself.





Thomas Doran Whitaker
Age 60, our loving Father, Grandfather, Brother, Brother-inlaw, Uncle, Bishop, Friend, and Husband passed away on September 26th, 2009 due to injuries sustained in a bicycle accident on June 15th, 2009.

Born February 22, 1949 in Logan, Utah to Thomas W. Whitaker and Marjorie Rath Whitaker. The oldest of six children, raised in Washington. He served a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas. Doran married the love of his life, Joye Ann Fischio Whitaker on August 20th, 1975 in Salt Lake City and spent 34 years of marriage together. They look forward to many more in heaven.

He had many interests, talents, and virtues. He loved every moment of life, and was an eternal optimist. He enjoyed the outdoors, puzzles of all kinds, reading books, writing sonnets, and riding his bicycle. He had a beautiful singing voice, and was friend to everyone he met.

Our Doran was a loving, patient, spiritual giant who served others in whatever capacity he could. He taught his children the important values of life: hard work, dedication, education, and treating a spouse property. (this was a mistake!! Properly! not property! Geeze--for $1000.00 you think they could get it RIGHT!)

He spent his life serving the church. He lived every aspect of life extraordinarily. He was partners with Phil and Diane Nolen, who befriended and employed him at Nolen & Company for 27 years, where he was Vice-President.

Doran is survived by his mother, wife, two sons, two daughters, and their spouses: Marjorie Rath Whitaker, Joye Ann Fischio Whitaker, wife, Thomas A. "Tandy" (Steffani) Whitaker, Brad (Angela) McFadden, Lucas (Amy) Larson, and Jonathan Whitaker; 8 grandchildren. Preceded in death by his father.

Funeral services, Wednesday, September 30th, 11 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1939 E. Easter Ave., Littleton, CO. Friends may call on Tuesday, September 29th, 6-8 pm, at the church and an hour prior to services. Internment, Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.

------------------------------------------------

I am sure I have stated this many times before--but I love how true it is.


Afte the funeral Lucas said--"I think that is the first funeral where everything they said about the person was true!"

Piano Lessons

My Uncle Danny tells the funnest story about how he signed up for the ward talent show--to play the piano. He went on stage and played chopsticks and NOT well---he had to start over a few times, and kept messing up-

what the audience DIDN'T know--what that my Uncle Dan can ROCK the piano---so as the audience was getting squirmy in their seats -- his playing was so uncomfortable to watch-and listen-to Uncle Dan play Chopsticks--slowly he started getting a little better and a little more rockin' right before their eyes--by the time the song ended I am sure Uncle Danny had pushed the piano bench away and was rocking the whole piano standing up. I love hearing him play--I haven't ever seen him play with sheet music, but he is awesome at that jazzy boogie-woogie style! Like the song Great Balls of Fire style.

Anyway--

Inspired by the lack of piano players in our ward (and sometime the difficulty to find a piano player to play for me at times) I have taken up piano.

I am going to brag a bit. I am better than I thought I was, and I figured out all I really need is practice, and lots of it. But just as I am typing here without looking, very quickly---I know I can get that good at the piano. It will take a long time and I will have to practice a lot, but it can and will happen!

I would like to sign up for our Primary Talent show in April, but I am not sure I am ready for that or not ! :)

I love this picture, because we were blessed to have the "family" piano. I can image past family members and maybe future--not pregnant!--(as in grand kids) playing the family piano.

Library Job--

I am not sure if I have mentioned this yet--I get facebook and Blogging mixed up sometimes--pathetic I know!

Anyway...

I did NOT get the job at the library.


I am SUPER DISAPPOINTED, but I am also SO GLAD!


Pepper had a fever between the time I applied and found out I didn't make it. It was almost as if Heavenly Father was saying---see---you can't take that job, your kids still need you here, to take care of them! I am sorry that Pepper had to get sick to have me figure that out (again).




I have so many idea's I would like to see the Library do...BUT I also figured out that I don't have to work at the library to make great things happen for them. There use to be a program called "friends of the library"--and their job was to improve, fundraisers, and overall help the library. I would LOVE to be active (ok truth be told--I would love to be the president, but you can't elect yourself--that is a dictatorship!) in a program like that again.


I found out a few things in the interview like---

1. They don't own their building--the County does--I think there is good and bad on both sides of that---but I would LOVE to see the library own it's own building!

2. They want to move forward with technology, they just don't have the manpower to do it. I love the library ladies, but they don't have those skills--so maybe I could volunteer a few hours a month updating info. on their webpage--and do fun things like that.


3. They don't have the man power (energy) and money to do clubs, events, and other exciting things like that! Why not get a group of people who enjoy doing those things and do it for them! I volunteer!

So until I am released from being Primary President (which should be this year-) I am not going to move forward with this. PLUS... I don't want to become so involved I can't be Classroom mom helper (or whatever they are called) or that I neglect my family, self, and house...

This is the list of items I would like to see happen at the library (maybe some of them have not happened because of the above mentioned items)

(when I paste into Blogger--it messes up my spacing--sorry--this is in outline form--just pretend it is correct!)

1. Tuesday Night Activities
A. Family Night
B. Book Club
C. Craft Night/Knitting
D. Holiday/Theme Party/Small business helps/Men's night (fishing, hunting, ect)
2. Link with Centauri (the local high school) & Sanford
3. MP3/I-pod Book Downloads
4. More movies
5. Update Non-fiction Section
6. Calendar of Events
7. Other Check outs (circuit cartage)
8. Expand Spanish Section
9. More Teen programs
10. Workshops
A. Be Published
B. Digital photo’s
C. Meet a local Author
D. Storytelling 101
E. Learn English/Spanish
F. Job Fair
G.Really there are endless possibilities
11. After school program 2 times a month
12. More resources for schools

A. Have preschool, head start, and daycare tell us what their monthly theme is and we will deliver (or hold back) books for them to use that month--That would also be a great launching pad to know what type of books to order.
13. Better Storage (own their own building would help!)
14. Better Book Search system

15. Online Book Search--Renewal system--and more!

I would LOVE any more suggestions--like I said I am NOT going to act on this right away--but I want to be armed and ready when I meet the board to propose this.

Thanks!

PS: how cool would THIS be for the Children's section--Have little "rooms" which hold different book categories---Picture Books, Fiction, non-fiction---OK NOT realistic for our budget--but still SUPER COOL! You would have NO problem getting kids to go to the library!

What about something like this for Teen-agers, but make it teen-age friendly, like a huge "computer screen" they walk into for the non-fiction--or a Castle looking thing for fiction.

I get so excited thinking about stuff like this!

A new birth with Easter?

So I started thinking about it.



Why do we celebrate with eggs and chicks and rabbits at Easter--why not pictures and statues of Christ.



PS: why is it called Easter? I will have to look that up...



When I looked around I saw that most Easter religious decorating dealt with crosses and such.



Not such a big fan of that stuff. I would like to remember the awakening of Christ and not the death...so maybe these things make us feel uplifted, fresh, revived, and "awakened" to the joys of life....



So maybe New Years Resolutions should be renewed at Easter time. Maybe this is a great time to have another Jump Start!



So what would I want to jump start in my life?

My sleeping pattern

My exercise routine (which means do one)

My Eating pattern/menu

My Energy Level



Hum...maybe the first three deal directly with my last one? Ya think?



I am reading a book right now where each of main characters (about 4 of them) all choose a word to focus on for the year. One chooses gratitude, one faith, and so on---

what word would I do?



I have NO IDEA!



Word hunting---I would love to hear what word YOU would choose for this "awakening" time of the year.



Maybe Healing. I have lots of places in my personal life that need healed--or maybe strengthened. YEP that is the word---Strengthen --



Strengthen...

my body

my mind

my relationship with husband

my relationship with kids

my family as a whole

my self as a whole person

my wallet/future

......

(Since this IS THE EASTER SEASON--what better goal than to strengthen our religious/spiritual self!)

my relationship with Heavenly Father & Christ

Easter Decor

I would love to have a very cute house

--wait---

I DO have a very cute house--AMAZING HOUSE!! but I am not an amazing decorator or house cleaner or organizer--anyway---

These are some Easter idea's that I love--Most of them are from Martha Stewart--no surprise there!

I might be able to use some of them in my quest for "amazing decorator"!

So enjoy!

Love the black door---love this arrangement, but think eggs would look cute too

Love this Bunny Banner in the background--

That is why people need a cricut!

Cute, cute cakes, cute bags--the whole thing is cute!

The pink is a little much, but what a cute idea!


A little much for me, but cute concept!
Without the feathers, with real (blown out eggs) and no funny costumes--
this could be really cute!

These are darling! not sure where to place them, but cute!

These I LOVE! I want to make them!

Eggs, Candy, and a darling plant--Not a fan of the flower pots painted like that-

but again great concept!

I think these would be fun to make too, but I have no egg holders--Might have to thrift store them this summer!

Too darling!

I would like this tree on top of my Piano

Again--colors don't do anything for me, but love it!

Maybe this could work with my Cupcake stand--

I would have put the jelly beans in the bottom.

Really cute and with the right cricut cartridge, this could be SUPER easy!

I LOVE THIS IDEA!! Again, I am going to be looking for pastel colored buttons!

(Annie -- inspired by your jars!)

Or I could put Jelly Beans, or other candy, or ??? The possibilities are endless!

scary room AGAIN--more to be posted later today too

So after feeling rather low about the lack of progress..I went back up and worked some more.

Can't really tell from this picture that progress was made....but you can see the floor--so that is nice--until you really look at the carpet! :)

This side looks about the same. small bags and trash bag are give aways--so that corner will look better.

These are all boxes I need to go through and organize what is inside them
(this is the pile I started on--you'll understand when you read to the end)

This is all give/sell away---anyone interested?

Mostly this is Christmas stuff--the thing is--I don't like most of my Christmas stuff--so I will be going through it and giving/tossing it soon!

ANOTHER REASON the last set of pictures didn't look like an improvement is because I started to move the boxes for a semi-scary room into the big scary room--I know i have before pictures somewhere--not sure where--but here are some "after" pictures of that room

Image the wall to the right and the back wall stacked with boxes (mostly Christmas was in here)

The crib will go under the bed and nicely disappear until I am ready to sell---Just not there yet!

The bed full of girl clothes--sizes 12 months to 8 year old---
SO actually two scary rooms is now down to only 2 rooms
1. Keep the door closed--but not scary
2. Still scary, but walk through-able and workable!


PLUS--since i took these pictures I have started to go through boxes and got ride of 10 boxes! Can you believe it--ok--all honestly--not 10 big ones--only 3 big one, but 7 small ones should count as 2 big ones right?


Now the goal: Finish going through each of the boxes and sorting them (yes I have a box that is "i have no idea!"-as in I have no idea a. what it is--ask Lucas b. where to put it, but I want it)

Long Term Goal: I have literally hundreds on magazines in one of my silo's--just sitting there (yes I should ebay them since they are all worth something I am sure--) --I want to clear those all out--and then put shelves up on that side of the silo--find some mouse proof boxes--gotta love the country and but my holiday boxes out there.



GOAL TIME: END OF OCTOBER.



But that is so far away!! Actually with the bug problem our town has we loose about a month and a half of really quality outside late spring/early summer work. Then the garden/yard/garage take up the rest of summer/early fall--so maybe I can find some time to stop being a wimp and actually do it!!







Ok enough--I know---



Good night!

a link to cuteness

http://kari-youcanmakeit.blogspot.com/2010/03/felt-peeps-banner.html

This post is mostly for Annie---This would be totally cute on your Piano--maybe in multicolors.

Enjoy!

Play room AGAIN

I am SICK of the playroom....I just moved the toys in and said FORGET about it!

I do have a few more things to do --I think I will ALWAYS have a few more things to do.

But here are some MORE pictures!

Notice that nothing is organized or really arranged cute? I am thinking of getting a while bunch of cardboard boxes that are the same size and cover them with scrapbook paper. Then I will make a little word strip and picture of what goes in each box and line them against the wall where the toy boxes are at now.

The kitchen area (watch your head!) Also on the floor is my flannel board with a flannel house on it. I have big plans to teach my girls alot of neat things using that flannel board!

you can't see it, but there is a cord hanging from the ceiling. One day that will have power to it and it will be a light! Yoo hoo!!

Yes the desk is still kind of a work area, but one day it will be usable.

It will be Sedona's "Writing Center" with pencils, crayons, scissors, markers, paper, tracing things, and all sorts of other "craft" items. We are waiting for Pepper to get a little older before we pull those things out permanently.

first steps

So this picture looks like I made amazing progress, but really most of it ....

...is just on this side now

It is amazing to me how little was taken away--and just shuffled around.

Mostly I boxed up and stacked all the loose stuff. It is alittle better looking than these pictures show, but there is still a LONG way to go!

Most of those items in the middle (mostly the baby stuff) is give away.

Truth be told--I did box up A LOT of stuff to go through when I have space to go through each box and really nit-pic it. I also got ride of alot of small boxes with only one or two things in it, and I got ride of a whole box of stuff. (see in the picture below the box with the kid guitar sticking out of it? That is the box full of trash--yes guitar is trash--it broke two years ago and costs more than it is worth to fix it)

Remember I was going to clean up this area too--actually it became more of a landing place for stuff to take downstairs--so maybe tomorrow.

the SCARY ROOM

This is what happens when you don't use a room for anything and just throw stuff in it to "deal with later".

I have put all the stuff from the rooms downstairs that I didn't know what to do with....the stuff that I bought and didn't put away right away...the craft stuff...the baby stuff my girls have outgrown...and everything else I didn't know what to do with!!

yes this is ALL one room--what potential this room has--what could it be? I music room? a workout room? an extra bedroom? All of the above? This will be where some of our indoor storage goes for a while, but maybe someday the garage and silos will be fit for storage--those are future projects.


I started to tackle this room a while ago, but then my dad's accident happened and the room only got worse!!



Looking from the craft room into the scary room Looking from the craft room to the balcany
From the stairs (opposite of the craft room) looking in

Not part of the scary room--but just as scary--the top of the stairs!

I will take picture of this also!!

Do you understand now why we call it the scary room?!

No judging me!

"After" pictures to come soon -- remember NOT FINISHED--but "after" today's clean up!

St. Patty Day's--the REAL meaning!

I finally got motivated enough to look up (at the library-in a book) St. Patrick and his story.

This is what I found..

Patrick was kidnapped at the age of about 16 from his home town in England. They took him to Ireland and made him a slave.

While in Ireland he had a dream about a boat that would take him back home to England. He awoke and ranaway from his slave life and found the very boat that had been in his dream.

He returned home and said he would never to go Ireland again. BUT....a few years later he had another dream. He felt God was telling him to return to Ireland and teach the people about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. So he went back to Ireland.

In order to help people understand the nature of the Godhead one day--he bent down and picked up a shamrock. The three leafs each represent a member of the Godhead. Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost.

(this part I made up)--and the reason a four-leaf clover is lucky is because it represents someone who has "found" or come unto Christ. Therefore placing yourself as a friend to the Godhead. AND mostly the shamrock leaves are in a heart like shape to help show the love all three members of the Godhead have for us!

And that is the rest of the story!

smile and sit up straight!

Today I had my library interveiw. Overall it went well.

Lucas and I got in a little tiff before I left so that never makes a person feel confident or good about themselves--I arrived a little early (and one of the board members was a little late) so it gave me time to calm down.

Then I was invited in---4 board members, each with paper and pen poised and ready to write! Marie (the Library Director was present, but she is kind of like a silent partner) Across the table they were sitting at was a smaller table and a lone chair. I take my "place of honor" and try to smile and make eye contact with each one of them.

Then the dreaded interview process began. Actually I was nervous, but pretty laid back--very strange combination.

first the normal- "Tell us a little about your self?" question.
Then questions like "how do you feel about working weekends and evenings?"
"Would you be willing to travel to overnight conferences?"
"do you feel like you are committed to the library and this job"
"how well do you work with children and teen-agers?
"how do you feel about working with volunteers?"
"Are you good at budgeting?"
OK--I will stop with the boring details.

I totally BLEW some of the questions--and got some PERFECT!

The one I really Blew: How do you feel about overnight conferences? I stumbled over my words as I said "well, I don't really like the idea, but I know they are needed. I know you wouldn't send me to any that were frivolous...but I wouldn't really look forward to them...but I know they are needed so--Yes, I would go to them." (my mouth went dry and my eyes watered as I said this--don't know what is up with my eyes watering when I get nervous sometimes! Frustrating!)

Overall...

Lots of smiles, nodding, and eye contact through out the interveiw---all good signs I think.

Then it was my turn to ask questions...

1. Where would the BOARD like to see the library accomplish in the future?

all good answers --things like -

-expand on the computer/Internet side of the library (Good-I already said I know how to run a website and navigate the Internet!)
-Own our own building--the county owns the building right now! (I didn't know that or would have mentioned that before!)
-expand to other locations--(I stated something like--Help the community grown stronger together, and bring programs available to them ONLY through the library!)
-Bring resources (mini-classes) to the library.
and some other great points that I had mentioned some in the interview! I am kicking myself for not bring my life of things I would like to see the library have happen.

I would give myself a B+ if I was in school. Like I said I messed up (but spoke honestly) on some questions.

Now the waiting game..I also asked them when we would know--they said "as soon as we know we will let YOU know."

I will keep everyone posted!

Playroom!

So the playroom is finally on it's last steps of finalization (I have watched an addition on a neighbors house go quicker than this room!) The colors on the wall are NOT that bright in my opinion, because the lighting isn't as good as the lighting of the camera flash.

These are pictures when it was still in process.

That little diamond window is the only light this room gets if the door is closed...I am working on that.

So I will try to have more pictures and another post with in the week of this fun (frustrating) room! I know I will never have a future in home building--which is FINE with me!!