Liz 2.0

Inspired by my cousin tina I’ve decided to post a tackle I did today. The towel shelves in our linen closet have gotten way out of order.  While folding a freshly laundered load of towels I decided to rearrange and organize these shelves so I could put the towels away LOL!  Now I’ve done these shelves quite often but they were due for a straightening as you can see.

Here is the before (a complete mess):

And the after (Ahhhh much better):

Do you have anything you’ve been meaning to tackle? Is your linen closet a disaster like mine?  Don’t you just love a nice neatly organized linen closet?

Here are my last 3 PAD’s sorry it took so long to “develop” them.  I’ve been avoiding the memory card just didn’t feel like looking what a came out.

01-23-2009 My husband and son playing. This will have to count for my 1-23-09 picture b/c on that actual day my little boy was not feeling well at all so he couldn't go outside plus it was too cold so this is nice to see the next day he was able to have a great time

01-24-2009 Taken through the windshield during the rinse portion of the automatic carwash. I thought it turned out pretty cool. We went and got the van cleaned after all the rains etc. it had gotten pretty dirty. Of course it has rained or sprinkled overnight so I’m not sure how good it looks today. I thought this looked pretty cool weird and cool.

01-25-2009 Shot of the clouds during last nights sunset. I thought it was pretty. I was on my way over to take pictures at an intermediate class and quickly pulled over and snapped this in the kroger parking lot.

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Todays recap is on Step 3: Get Coupons.

Step 3: Get Coupons

What’s couponing without coupons?!? It’s time to start collecting. It is suggested that an average household obtain at least two copies per member of your family.

The easiest way to obtain coupons is to get them out of the Sunday newspaper each week. There are three companies that put coupons in the newspaper; Smartsource (SS), Redplum (RP; formally Valassis), Proctor & Gamble Brand Saver (P&G). Please keep in mind that there are no coupon inserts on major holidays. To see how many inserts will be in the paper each week, check out the 2009 Coupon Schedule.

You don’t have to pay for your multiple copies of your paper each week. There are many ways to get coupons for free. Be sure to ask your family, friends & coworkers for their coupons if they don’t plan to use them. Another great resource is to check your local recycling center (yes, go dumpster diving!). Many hotels remove the coupon inserts from the papers they distribute to guests, so you may be able to ask them to hold them for you each week. If you are unable to get them for free using the methods I listed, you can purchase your coupons from various clipping services (The Coupon Clippers, The Coupon Master, Clip and Ship, Coupons & Things by Dede). I have personally ordered from all four of the clipping sites I listed and I haven’t had any problems. You can also purchase from ebay; so check it out!

Lastly, begin collecting non-insert coupons. These include, tearpads, blinkies, peelies, booklets, store coupons and home mailers. Keep your eye out online for Internet printable coupons, but don’t print them until you need them! Internet printables have a “rolling” expiration date. This means that they expire either 15, 30 or 60 days after you print it. So, if you print a coupon today, it’ll expire 30 days from today. If you print it tomorrow, it’ll expiree 30 days from tomorrow. So, it’s better to wait.

Here is my coupon story.  We have a local recycling facility that took all kinds of recyclables In the newspaper bins we’d go dump our recycle and jump in and see what we could find in terms of newspaper bundles or coupon inserts.  It was kind of random what we would find but we would get a few bundles.  I actually met up with a girl who delivered news papers and her extras she’d dump in the recycling.  We exchanged numbers and now we’re friends and I don’t have to dumpster dive anymore. (I had a picture of Rosemary in the dumpster but I can’t seem to find it anywhere. I will post if I ever find it).

I usually grab a bunch of q’s (coupons) in the store whenever I go I walk the isles looking for those blinkies and peelies and tearpads.  It’s fun to go hunting those down especially the really good ones!  Another place I go look is in the front little display that holds that week’s sale flyers sometimes there are sheets of coupons.  I also check around the customer service desk for any coupons that they didn’t feel like putting out on the floor.

So have you started collecting your coupons??? Have you found any really good ones???

I have a bunch of books, magazines, etc to help inspire me when I’m looking to start a scrapbook page and have no ideas in my head on what I want to do.  I took a picture of these books because this morning I completed a scrapbook page and I used one of my books as a spring board.

This is my photo for 1-21-09. I went to take a picture of my mom yesterday for the 1-19 photo but I forgot the memory card DUH! So maybe tomorrow I’ll get my 1-19 photo.

Here is my 1-22-09 photo of my son making funny faces :) I love how they turned out. I used 3 to put this together.

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Hey I completed another layout today. (That brings my count for the year to 9 layouts!) Its all about my facebook friends.  I’m loving the connections that I’m making over there it’s been great getting to connect with new friends but then also reconnecting with old friends :)

Title: Facebook Friends
Credits:
Did It Ourselves Two Page Quick Click Template - The swirly arrow
Off Set Frame Brush from October 2006 Club Digital
Doodley Boy Brush Set by Meryl Bartho - stars
Let Love Grow Page Kit by Nicole Young - background

 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LAYOUT LARGER AND TO LEAVE COMMENTS ON DSP

How are you doing on your scrapbook goals?  Care to share any projects or pages you’re working on?

Oh and if you’re on Facebook and looking for another friend come connect with me: http://www.facebook.com/people/Elizabeth-Bianchi-McCoy/619722824

MORE SCRAPBOOKING POSTS

It’s a Scrapolution!

Step 2: Get Weekly Ads

You can either get the weekly ads from the newspaper, or you can view them online. Your goal when viewing the ads is to match the sales with coupons you have in your possession. Keep in mind, when couponing, you really can’t be brand loyal. You’ll need to buy what is on sale. Also, remember that if an item is on sale 10 for $10, you don’t have to buy 10 items. It’s always wise to write down everything on your shopping list. Include item descriptions, prices, coupon amount and more. Lastly, you may want to begin keeping a Price Book. Get a small notebook to keep with your coupons where you’ll record regular prices for items you normally purchase. This way, you’ll know how much an item normally sells for. When it goes on sale, you’ll be able to better determine whether or not the sale price is actually a good deal.
~excerpt from Sunday Savings: Couponing 101

Okay so how I’ve done this is that we usually use the online version of the weekly ads and I type up or write down my shopping list on the computer. One store we shop at often sales go from Thursday – Wednesday so I check the new flyer on Tuesdays/Wednesdays.  For my other stores their sales run Sunday to Saturday so I usually will check sale flyers on Sunday mornings when I first wake up.

When she says you can’t be brand loyal that doesn’t mean you won’t be getting name brand products. There maybe some things you remain brand loyal to, for instance say you must only use Sensodyne toothpaste. There maybe a sale every week/month where you can get free tooth paste but it might be a different brand each time.  Sensodyne toothpaste may or may not have a sale ever or maybe once or twice per year.  So either you stock up A LOT when it does go on sale or you save money in other areas like shampoo, groceries, etc. in order to buy the Sensodyne brand tooth paste at regular price.

A good point that she made was saying when something is 10 for $10  or Buy One Get One free or 2/$X you don’t have to buy the quantity listed. You’ll get used to how your stores rings things up.  When it’s 10 for $10 they usually change the price to be $1 each.  There are instances where you have to buy 10 to get the reflected price just pay attention.

Writing down your shopping list seems like a no brainer to me I can’t remember a list more than three items in my head let alone the coupons to go with them.  Writing down what you’re going to buy and then what coupons you have to go with it helps make sure you maximize your savings and don’t forget things.

A pricebook is a great tool! If you’re like Rosie you just KNOW what stores carry what products and which prices.  I on the other hand can’t remember squat! So writing down what the price of those high use items in your household is a good thing.  For instance I would write down Teddy Grahams and that at publix their $2.99 at Walmart their $2.50 at Kroger their $2.75 etc.  This way when I come across a coupon or a sale I’ll know if it is any better deal than another store.  If you’re couponing with a friend do this together combine your pricebook listings so you have less work yourself and more items priced out.

Okay so how are you feeling?? Are you overwhelmed? Do you feel confident you can achieve steps 1 & 2 already?? Let us know how things are going for you and ask us lots of questions.

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This is my photo for 01-20-09 this is representative of what my son loves to do right now…play puzzles!

On a side note I am very puzzled yesterday we had a horrible nap and going to bed day. He just would not nap.  Then putting him to bed last night was awful. Constantly getting back out of bed I think 9 times I had to put him back in bed.  I did the nanny 911 method no eye contact and no talking. It played out alot like the shows…at first he thought it was fun then he got upset then he started saying my name and then he just cried a bit and went to sleep.  A tough day but glad today is a new one!

I haven’t taken my 01-19 picture yet because I want that one to be of my mom since it was her birthday. I haven’t had my camera the last couple times I saw her.

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I thought I’d review each step that Rosie shared in her couponing 101 post.

Step 1: Know Your Stores

You need to begin by making a list of stores that are in your area. Be sure to include grocery stores, drug stores and big box stores (such as Target & Walmart). If you are in Atlanta, the following stores take coupons:

Grocery: Ingles, Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods
Pharmacy: CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens
Other: Target, Walmart, BJs

Once you have your list of stores in you area, it’s time to call them up and ask some questions:

Does your store double coupons?
What is the maximum value that you will double?
How many ‘like’ coupons will double?
Do you ever have triple coupon promotions?
Do you take Internet printed coupons?
Can I combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons?
Does this store take expired coupons?
Do you accept competitor coupons?
Do you offer a senior citizen discount?

Be sure to record the answers to these questions for your reference.

Have you made your list of stores?   Have you made any phone calls? Anyone have any questions?  This is a pretty simple step but a necessary one.  Let us know the answers to these questions in the comments below.

RELATED POSTS

Show your love/support of Liz 2.0 by adding these badges.  I’ve already done all the hard work for you:

Now all you have to do is copy the code in the box and add it as a widget to your blog.

Here is how you do it in Blogger.

Click on the Layout Tab:

Click on Add a Gadget options:

Select the + sign next to HTML/JavaScript

Just paste the code in and click save (add a title if you want)

And you’re all set!  Thanks for sharing the love :)

Oh and if you check down the right side of my blog you’ll see another badge you can add also.  I will have a few more after a while.

Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday dear MOM,
Happy Birthday to You!

God’s Blessings on You,
God’s Blessings on You,
God’s Blessings dear MOM,
God’s Blessings on You!

Happy Birthday to My WONDERFUL MOTHER.  I sure am blessed to have such a great mom!  She’s giving and loving and most importantly she’s an incredible example of a virtuous woman.  I’m so thankful to be able to learn from her in all aspects of life especially how to raise my son in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

She watches my son 3 days a week while I am at work and I am SOOO grateful for that. If anyone could love my son more than me it would be my mom.  She is supportive of my goals as a mother and how I want to raise Jack and reinforces those values and goals.  I’m so thankful for her and lover her dearly.  Happy birthday MOM!

My photo for 1-18-09. A shot of our space heater which is pretty much constantly running when we are down in the den.  We’ve needed it here the last few days/weeks been really cold (by Georgia standards).

I'm back! Hopefully you were able to get some good deals this week. Just a heads up, the Walgreens Pepsi deal continues into this week. So, be sure to get your really cheap soda! Also, if you did the deal, there is a Pepsi rebate you can complete as well (thanks Kim L).

This week I'm going to start by giving you a good understanding of basic couponing. It’s Couponing 101.

As with any new subject, we have to get a grasp on all the vocabulary. Let’s begin with the types of coupons that are out there.

Peelie – stuck to a product like a sticker
Blinkie – from SmartSource machine on the grocery shelf
Catalina – prints at checkout from the coupon machine
Tearpad – from a pad usually attached to the grocery shelf
Hangtag – hangs from a product
Winetag – a hangtag that hangs from alcohol
Internet printable (IP) – printed from online
Cash register tape (CRT) – coupon on store receipt
Mail-in-rebate (MIR) or Try Me Free (TMF) - rebates
Store – coupon only redeemable at a specific store
$/$$ - coupon that takes an amount ($) off of a higher total amount ($$) – ex. $5/$35

Now that we understand the different types of coupons available there are few general terms we need to be familiar with.

Doubling – store takes off twice the value of the coupon
Price match (PM) – when a store matches the price of another store
Raincheck – guarantees a sale price at a later date when an item is out of stock
$1/2  - way to write the vale of a coupon
DND – Do Not Double

Last, but definitely not least is to understand the terminology on a coupon.

Per purchase
10 items, 1 transaction = 10 coupons allowed
Per transaction
10 items, 1 transaction = 1 coupon allowed
Per customer
One customer = one coupon
Per household
One household/address = one coupon

Now, it’s time to begin our five steps to couponing.

Step 1: Know Your Stores

You need to begin by making a list of stores that are in your area. Be sure to include grocery stores, drug stores and big box stores (such as Target & Walmart). If you are in Atlanta, the following stores take coupons:

Grocery: Ingles, Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods
Pharmacy: CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens
Other: Target, Walmart, BJs

Once you have your list of stores in you area, it’s time to call them up and ask some questions:

Does your store double coupons?
What is the maximum value that you will double?
How many ‘like’ coupons will double?
Do you ever have triple coupon promotions?
Do you take Internet printed coupons?
Can I combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons?
Does this store take expired coupons?
Do you accept competitor coupons?
Do you offer a senior citizen discount?

Be sure to record the answers to these questions for your reference.

Step 2: Get Weekly Ads

You can either get the weekly ads from the newspaper, or you can view them online. Your goal when viewing the ads is to match the sales with coupons you have in your possession. Keep in mind, when couponing, you really can’t be brand loyal. You’ll need to buy what is on sale. Also, remember that if an item is on sale 10 for $10, you don’t have to buy 10 items. It’s always wise to write down everything on your shopping list. Include item descriptions, prices, coupon amount and more. Lastly, you may want to begin keeping a Price Book. Get a small notebook to keep with your coupons where you’ll record regular prices for items you normally purchase. This way, you’ll know how much an item normally sells for. When it goes on sale, you’ll be able to better determine whether or not the sale price is actually a good deal.

Step 3: Get Coupons

What’s couponing without coupons?!? It’s time to start collecting. It is suggested that an average household obtain at least two copies per member of your family.

The easiest way to obtain coupons is to get them out of the Sunday newspaper each week. There are three companies that put coupons in the newspaper; Smartsource (SS), Redplum (RP; formally Valassis), Proctor & Gamble Brand Saver (P&G). Please keep in mind that there are no coupon inserts on major holidays. To see how many inserts will be in the paper each week, check out the 2009 Coupon Schedule.

You don’t have to pay for your multiple copies of your paper each week. There are many ways to get coupons for free. Be sure to ask your family, friends & coworkers for their coupons if they don’t plan to use them. Another great resource is to check your local recycling center (yes, go dumpster diving!). Many hotels remove the coupon inserts from the papers they distribute to guests, so you may be able to ask them to hold them for you each week. If you are unable to get them for free using the methods I listed, you can purchase your coupons from various clipping services (The Coupon Clippers, The Coupon Master, Clip and Ship, Coupons & Things by Dede). I have personally ordered from all four of the clipping sites I listed and I haven’t had any problems. You can also purchase from ebay; so check it out!

Lastly, begin collecting non-insert coupons. These include, tearpads, blinkies, peelies, booklets, store coupons and home mailers. Keep your eye out online for Internet printable coupons, but don’t print them until you need them! Internet printables have a “rolling” expiration date. This means that they expire either 15, 30 or 60 days after you print it. So, if you print a coupon today, it’ll expire 30 days from today. If you print it tomorrow, it’ll expiree 30 days from tomorrow. So, it’s better to wait.

Step 4: Stay Organized

Organization is key! You’ll have a very difficult time couponing if you don’t begin organized. There are a few different methods for organizing your coupons.

Whole Inserts – You can keep the inserts in tact and file them in envelopes or file folders. Then file them by date. Each insert has a date on it’s spine, so it’ll be easy to identify which week the insert came from.

Clipped Coupons – You can clip all your coupons and then put them in a binder (with baseball card pages) or an expandable organizer. You can organize alphabetically or by category.

I prefer to keep my inserts whole. I feel that clipping all of my coupons is a waste of time. I usually don’t use enough of them to make it worth all the work involved with clipping them all. I file my whole inserts by date and store them in file crates. Then, I clip the coupons only when I’m ready to use them.

Don’t throw away any coupons until they are expired. Seriously. You never know what you might buy or what deal might come along. But, once coupons expire, be sure to clean them out of your files. You can donate them to military families (who can use coupons up to 6 months expired) or just toss them.

Step 5: Stockpile

Stockpiling and couponing go hand in hand. If you can get an item really cheap that you will use, then why not get 10 of that item? You should only buy multiple of items that you have room to store and if they are non-perishable. I personally have at least 6-12 months supply of toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, shaving cream, razors, paper towels, napkins, paper plates, cups, laundry detergent, dish soap, frozen foods and much more. Many of these items I’ve gotten for free or nearly free.

When stockpiling, be sure to remain organized and only buy what you have room to store. Also, be sure you only buy what your family can use. A family of 6 will need more toothpaste than a single person.

Courtesy of HCW member RosieG

Courtesy of HCW member stalkermagnet

You should now have a good understanding of how to get started with couponing. Coming up next week will be more advanced couponing techniques and how to utilize my favorite site Hot Coupon World to help you coupon!

Check out the handouts that I’ve put together as well as my pocket sized coupon guide (for Atlanta).

Feel free to post any questions, comments or concerns in the comment section of this post. 

*The above post was adapted from HotCouponWorld.com. All pictures are from HotCouponWorld.com.

MORE COUPONING POSTS
New Team Member - EISOR|ROSIE
Sunday Savings: Introduction
Sizzlin' Savings Alert

As you all know my son is all about Ninja Warrior right?  He turns every play session into a ninja warrior course and runs through it over and over again.  If you’ve ever seen ninja warrior you’d know that at the end of a stage if a contestant makes it through they hit a red button to stop the timer.  So Grandma and Grandpa B got him this easy button from staples to substitute as his ninja warrior button. He sets the button at the end of his course runs around the room a couple times doing the different obstacles and then slams his hand down on the button then shouts “I made it! One second to spare.” We all get a kick out of watching him.

When you push the button it says: “That was easy!” We hear that phrase 30 or 40 times a day.  I don’t think any of the contestants on Ninja Warrior make it to the end and say it was easy.  But it definitely serves a purpose, and we all are adopting a new motto “THAT WAS EASY!”.

MORE PAD POSTS

My picture from 01-16-09. Jack found a disposable camera in a drawer in the closet and it reminded him of Ken’s mom.  She always comes to town with her digital camera but hasn’t quite let go of the trusty disposable :)  We love her and thought it was soo cute that he thought of her when he saw this.

MORE PAD POSTS

PAD: Pink Zote
PAD: Shoe Collection
PAD: Computer Time
PAD: Thomas our Hero

Over at my favorite digital scrapbooking site, DSP, they’re having a Scrapolution.  What’s a scrapolution?

It’s a DSP evolution, a scrapping revolution, and our New Year’s resolution:
It’s a SCRAPOLUTION!

One thing that DSP is encouraging us members to do is set our scrapping goals.  DSP’s team and community will be there to cheer us on as we work to accomplish those goals.

I set my goal at 50 pages for 2009. I set it a bit higher than what I thought I could do, in order to push myself beyond my comfort zone and scrapping history.  I broke out 50 layouts into how many I’d have to get done in one month to reach my goal and it’s a little more than 4 layouts. Four layouts in one month that made me a bit nervous I don’t think I did that at all last year.  I was also getting a bit nervous because it was half way through the month and I hadn’t started scrapping yet! 

I was getting the itch to scrap but didn’t really have time.  I had downloaded a bunch of Ploppers to help show someone how easy they were for their photos but I didn’t really have intention of using them on my photos. I guess you could say I was a bit of a Plopper snob. 

Plopper™ = Pre-made page for you to “plop” your photos onto. Usually in jpg format that you would place your photos on top of, however some are PNG with holes for your photos so you can place them underneath.

I really prefer quick clicks and having “control”.

QuickClick = The QuickClick Template system is a wonderful new product that gives you the creative license to make unique layouts by filling in the "blanks (shapes)." The design work is done...you won't have to think about placement of your photos or accent papers because we have carefully designed these "interactive sketches" for you!

So anyway I decide to try out the Ploppers I got from DSP.  They are basically premade layouts that you just fill in your pictures.  Pretty simple especially if you’re already a digiscrapper. The first one I did took a bit longer than the rest I just wasn’t to familiar with working with them and I felt it was missing something.  I often struggle with titling and journaling my layouts so it was hard to fill in that blank area with something that made sense.  I think I’m happy with it what do you think:

Title: Jack and Mommy
Credits:
Elizabeth Weaver's Pink Christmas Plopper
Tina Chamber's Swirlywords Word Art
Font: DSP LIZ (that’s me!)

CLICK HERE SEE THE LAYOUT LARGER, AND TO LEAVE COMMENTS ON DSP

The Story – These photos were taken of me and Jack on Christmas Day while we were all taking our family photo. I was thankful to get a half way decent shot of the two of us as we don’t always get those. (thanks daddy) Please ignore my double chin.

After that one layout the next 6 pages came together easily and quickly.  I completed all 7 pages using Ploppers and adding journaling.  For this scrapping session I found the Plopper I wanted to use then I would find a photo to go into it.

Title: Jack & Tori
Credits:
Nicole Young's Just Junky Plopper
Lauren Bavin's In the News Alpha
Font: DSP LIZ
 
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LAYOUT LARGER, AND TO LEAVE COMMENTS ON DSP

The Story – A picture of Jack and Tori saying good-bye on Christmas Day. Tori was leaving for Switzerland that day.  Another photo from our mini shoot I’m loving how these pictures turned out!

You can definitely make ploppers your own. On the above layout I added a T from In the News Alpha you can see that it fits in fine I just used my layer masks to mask out the part that would be behind the domino.

Title: Believe in Dreams
Credits:
Nicole Young's Land of Dreams Plopper
Suzanne Walker's DSP Tina Font
Fonts: DSP LIZ & DSP TINA

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LAYOUT LARGER, AND TO LEAVE COMMENTS ON DSP

The Story – This picture was taken at our recent play date.  It was a fun day and I only got a few photos but this one was a GREAT one of Jack.  I don’t get these big grand natural smiles very often usually he’s cheesing it up for the camera. I thought this photo was perfect for this plopper and I journaled about his dream of being an Ninja Warrior.

You might notice that I’m really into teal right now and there is plenty in the DSP store to support my current color addiction.

Title: Blessed Sisters
Credits:
Marcee Duggar's Blessed Flowers Plopper
Font: CK Renaissance

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LAYOUT LARGER, AND TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON DSP

The Story – Another picture from the mini photoshoot. These are 2 of my sisters who live far away. It was a real treat to have us all together and to have them there with us to spend time together during the holiday.

It is always soo cool to find a plopper or kit that matches your photo PERFECTLY as this plopper above did for my photo. YES!

Title: Our Family 2008
Credits:
Marcee Duggar's Family & Friends Plopper (FREEBIE!! WOOT WOOT)
Font: DSP Liz

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LAYOUT LARGER, AND TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON DSP

The Story - This year we all have spread further and further apart. Sometimes our schedules keep us apart or there are states that separate us. We keep in touch with email and phone calls and some of us get to visit others on occasion. However there are not many opportunities for us all to be together in the same place at the same time. That is what made this holiday so special. Tori came back to Georgia on the 18th and flew up to Ohio to drive back with Becca, they got in late on the 24th. Rosie and Andy met up with us all the afternoon of the 25th when we all took this picture. Right after the picture Tori was jetting off to Switzerland for her job. Even though we only had a few hours of time together as a whole family it was WONDERFUL. Mom and Dad got to spend time with everyone who lives far away and still get to spend time with those of us who live closer. It was fun to see that we all coordinated our outfits without even planning it. As we all grow up and move in different directions it sometimes seems like our family is getting smaller. When we look at this picture we will remember how big our family is and how much LOVE we have for each other, no matter how far apart we are still close.

The above layout was made with a freebie from DSP so you could have it too for NOTHING!!

Title: Jack & Grandma
Credits:
Meryl Bartho's Hundred Percent Gorgeous Ploppers
Font: DSP Liz

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LAYOUT LARGER, AND TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON DSP

The Story – This photo was taken on New Years Day.  Mom and Dad had a cook out for the family and we all hung out played games and enjoyed each other’s company.  The journaling talks about how much we love grandma and what great care she takes of Jack while mommy and daddy work.

Title: Jack & Delia
Credits:
Tina Chamber's Counins 'n Friends Plopper
Font: DSP Liz

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LAYOUT LARGER, AND TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON DSP

The Story – Jack and Delia did so well playing together on our trip up to Ohio for Grandpa B’s funeral. We took them to the Columbus Zoo. It was such a blessing to see them connect. Jack remembers Delia and we talk about her often.

Phew! I’m done.  Sorry for the length of this post. I am excited to have gotten so much scrapping done in one afternoon.  I am more encouraged that 50 layouts in one year might be a goal I will surpass not just reach. I’m thinking I will add to my goal for the year and get 1 hardbound book printed.

Are you a part of the Scrapolution?  Have you set any scrapping goals?  What do you think about Ploppers?  Do you have any questions?  Let me know I’m happy to help.

Yesterday’s Photo is our current hero Thomas.  Jack totally loves watching this show and we all watch it with him.

______________________________

RELATED POST
______________________________

PAD: Pink Zote
PAD: Shoe Collection
Candies and Canoes
PAD: Computer Time
PAD: Thomas our Hero

The only shot I got yesterday was on my blackberry so not great quality. But I got a shot and that counts right? Here is my son doing his “work” and his abc’s.  He loves to “check my email” as he says.

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01-09-2009 Photo of the Day
PAD: Pink Zote
PAD: Shoe Collection
Candies and Canoes
PAD: Computer Time

On December 27, 2008 we had a girls night and a guys night.  The guys in the family headed over to Dave and Busters for some dinner and gaming.  While us girls (plus one little 2yo boy) hung out at mom’s house and sang Karaoke and then played Wii until the boys got home. 

Disclaimer: Watch at your own risk this is me and my sister singing Summer Nights from Grease. She’s good me not so good. The last 12 seconds are the best!

Here is Jack rocking out:

I think you can tell we had a bunch of fun.  It was great getting to spend quality time with some of my sisters and mom.

New Year’s Eve was great we had a game night with our whole fellowship.  A bunch of people watched the GA Tech game and a bunch played board games and a few of us played the Wii.  Of course I was a Wii player and I totally kicked everyone else’s butts LOL!  Well to be fair it was Paula’s first time playing.  Of course I was much too busy to take any pictures…so you’ll have to use your imagination.  Jack did stay up all the way to midnight.  Some neighbors set off fireworks so we tried to get him to watch them but he was too scared and now every night he says I don’t like fireworks uh oh.  We’ll have to see if he grows out of this before the 4th of July.

New Year’s Day most of the family had the day off so we played games and Wii again all together at mom & dad’s house.

This picture is funny of my dad looks like he’s making a shocked face that Jack is having a beer.  Well that’s not his beer it’s mine but it sure is funny what some pictures capture.

 
Mom and Jack. His new thing at the time was to put a pen behind his ear like Handy Manny :D

 
Becca’s friend Jonathan, Rosie, Andy & Ken all watching a football game on tv down in the office/man’s room.

  
Dad, Mom, Jonathan, & Becca playing rummikub.

 
My adorable kiddo in his Miami dolphins (Daddy’s favorite team) outfit being too cute as usual.

Dancing with Aunt Becca.

Aunt Rosie and Jack sharing a candy cane :) Okay maybe not sharing. Rosie’s probably protecting the whole room from a sticky coating from Jack enjoying a candy cane.

MEANWHILE…………….

You maybe asking where is Liz during all this fun?? Over the holiday break I was a Wii addict!  I was perfecting my bowling skills with game after game after game at home and at Mom and Dad’s. I have a very unique style to how I bowl and I think these pictures do a good job capturing it, let me share with you my secret techniques for striking!

 
Notice the flamingo leg (a crucial part of the roll).

Now don’t forget you have to really take off and get some good air under your feet. And completely follow through on your swing

Now make sure you have some intense concentration on your face.

What wasn’t captured on film is my victory dance.  When I strike WOO HOO! That probably will have to be in a video format :P

Apparently unique bowling form runs in the family:

Jessie, not happy with what just happened with her wii game.

I think we all rang in the new year beautifully!  I sure am thankful for such a great holiday and how we all were able to be together even if it was just for a couple of hours for some of us.  My family is certainly a treasure to me and I am thankful for their love, support and the opportunities we get to be together.

Did you have a great new years??  Have any wii stories to share? Want to comment on my unique bowling moves??  I love hearing from you!