What's A Girl To Do?

It's a busy week around here.  A transitional week.  School starts tomorrow.  Guitar lessons and Bible studies are gearing up.  But all the rest of the things that need to be done won't just go away to accommodate all the new things added to the calendar.  Too bad. 

Things To Do This Week:

• Catch up on the laundry (have to make sure school clothes are clean and ready to wear!)
• Clean up living room
• Work on organizing craft area
• Work on projects for Queen B's Busy Work
• Finish at least one of the books I'm reading
• Do some writing
• Go to library
• Organize coupons
• edited to add:  Schedule yearly mammogram!!

Give Me A Sec - I'll Think Of Something

(Note: I've started a few different postes today, but none of them feels quite right. I wrote this as a guest post back in April. To my knowledge it has not yet been used. Today, I am reclaiming custody of it and using it for lack of anything better. Melissa, I sincerely apologize for taking it back. If you need a guest post in the future I will gladly write something fresh and new)


It's an illness many crafty people can related to.  That uncontrollable urge to purchase more of the supplies for your particular hobby - despite the fact that you have more than enough to keep you busy for weeks months years. 
For me - it's yarn. 

It's easy to deny there's a problem here.  You justify picking up a few skeins on this day because it's a perfect color and you may not find it again.  Or it's on clearance which means it's being discontinued and you may not find it again.  Or you have the perfect thing in mind to make with it.  

Or... or... or...  Give me a sec - I'll think of something. 

Let's face it -It's hard to think clearly with visions of all the possible creations you can make with this gem which you simply must have. Which, of course, might never come to fruition, but still. 

Then the moment comes when you find yourself at the checkout at Michael's.  With 20 skeins of yarn in your little basket.  And the clerk says to you "What are you making?"  Your mind panics.  Spiraling out of control as you stare blankly at the lady behind the cash register. 

What am I making?  What am I making??  I can't tell her I'm not making anything in particular but rather buying all this just because it's on sale and I have a coupon which makes it a great deal.  Give me a sec - I'll think of something.   

"Oh, just some tote bags and stuff"  

Whew... nice cover up there.  Veeery smooth.  Embarrassing disaster avoided. 

It's easy to lie to yourself like that in the middle of a yarn collecting spree.  I finish my transaction and happily depart with my overflowing shopping bag. 

While daydreaming of turning said shopping bag into recycled material I can use to make reusable shopping bags - see, it's all part of the addiction.

So, what AM I going to make with all that yarn?  Or the bins full of yarn hiding under the crafting table right now? 

Give me a sec - I'll think of something.

Making A List... Checking It Twice

It's that time of week again.  Time to make the grocery list for the week.  Seems easy enough, right?  Figure out what you want to eat for the week.  Make a list of what you need.  But leave it me to make it a little more of a challenge than that!

It starts out with deciding what to prepare for the upcoming week.  This portion of the process alone can take quite a while. There are many things to consider.   What do I already have in the freezer, pantry, and cabinets that can be used?  What do I have coupons for?  What am I in the mood to make that the rest of the household will eat?  That is easy, delicious, and nutritious?  What is not going to take long to fix on nights after I work?  Nights there are softball games, classes, and lessons scheduled. 

Sometimes this is more of a challenge than others.  Some weeks I'm bored with the recipes I usually create.  Some weeks nothing sounds good when I am making the list.  Some weeks I just draw a complete blank!

Then of course, it's time to consider breakfasts.  And lunches.  Especially for those of us spending the mornings rushing to get off to work and school.  It has to be easy, filling, and portable.  The portable part refers to lunches, but now that I think about it - I often have breakfast in one hand as I head out the door for work.

And there are the other needed items.  Toiletries, personal care items, paper goods, etc.  I have to go through the entire family and ask "What do you need from the store?"  Sometimes more than once because often the first response is "oh, I don't know".

Through all of this, I'm still looking through my collection of coupons and looking for where I can save a little off the total.  I go to the coupon websites I frequent to check what I can print for the week.  I dig through my coupon stash. 

Finally I get everything organized and ready to go.  Of course once I get to the store I'll realize I forgot to check if I needed something.  Sometimes I don't realize I forgot until later in the week when I actually need it.  Or sometimes while at the store I'll find a great deal on something that I can't pass up.  Especially if it's something nonperishable or something I can freeze.  But in the end it all comes together and my family has it's needs met for another week.

Mmmm hmm.. suddenly not as easy as it sounds - is it?

Target Missed the Spot Today!

I am frustrated. I don't like being frustrated.  And I was a little embarrassed too.  I don't like being embarrassed either.  What happened you ask?  Well, let me tell you...

Today I made my regular Monday shopping trip to Target.  And for the first time the cashier and manage refused to take several of my coupons!!

I was using coupons from yesterday's paper for Tide and Q-tips.  The coupons did not specify a certain size had to be purchased to use the coupons.  And they did not state that trial sizes were excluded from the coupon.  But they refused to accept them because I was purchaseing travel sized items.  I have used this type of coupon in the past with no problem.

And yes, the register popped up a little notice that was along the lines of "if item is included please press accept" or something along those lines.  They said they couldn't do that because it was against policy.  Please!!  I've seen the cashiers do that literally dozens of times when it popped up for other coupons and not even blink over it.  Policy, my foot!!  He just didn't want to take my coupons for the travel size.

I typically enjoy shopping at Target.  And one of the reasons is because of how they accept coupons.  Even allowing customers to use one manufacturer's coupon and one store coupon on the same item.  It's an important part of my strategy to save money and make the most out of our grocery budget.

But today's experience left me annoyed, frustrated, and yes - a little embarrassed.  AND will have me carefully considering how much of my business Target will be getting in the future.