I Have a New Obsession

Nail polish. Specifically the good kind: OPI, Essie, China Glaze...

I just bought these six from Ulta. The code SHIPFREE25 gets you free shipping on orders over $25! Essie and China Glaze polishes are buy 2 get 1 free, OPI is buy 1 get 1 50% off.

China Glaze: Ingrid


China Glaze: Strawberry Fields


China Glaze: Watermelon Rind





Essie: Swept Off My Feet


Essie: Chinchilly


Essie: Mink Muffs

Since We Last Spoke

My grandmother has officially been diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer's Disease.



We got together as a family for the first time in at least a decade to celebrate her 83rd birthday.




I decided Jonathan looks a lot like our dad did at 16.



I started my last semester of college, and received the email clearing the way for graduation!



Highs and lows. But that's life, right?

Yesterday

Riley visited while my Dad fixed something on her Mama's car.





Jonathan and Riley are buddies.



She loves Jon.



Jack loves everyone.



Mamaw visited as well with my aunt. Mamaw has dementia. About once a week in the last month she's lived with my dad's sister she visits on Mondays because she gets upset about things and wants to see my dad.



I haven't really talked a lot about Mamaw around here because it's a complicated story. A story that begins 2 years ago when she had her stroke, picks up again a month ago when her caregiver (my other aunt) was hospitalized for whatever it was (the extended family still has no idea.) Mamaw is angry about a lot of things, one of which is a financial situation in which she was taken advantage of. And on top of it, she isn't herself anymore. At least not the way she used to be.

Ultimately all I know is this: one day you are Riley, carefree with blocks and bubbles. The next day you're Mamaw, older, angry and lacking any will to live. I often hear that growing old is a gift, and I'm sure that's partly right. But sometimes I wish we could all just check out at our peak and be done with it.

Coupon Savings Sunday

I did a quick Walgreens trip this afternoon to pick up a few sales. Here's what I came home with.

2 pints of Starbucks Ice Cream: buy one get one free 4.79 for 2 - 1.50 coupon and one 1.00 coupon = 2.29 for both

2 pints of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: I received a coupon for one free pint a few weeks back, they were also buy one get one free so I got two = free

1 50ct package of sandwich bags = .99

2 Glade Room and Fabric Spray: 2 for 5.00 - a bogo coupon = 2.50 for both

1 Dawn Dish Liquid: on sale for .99 - .25 coupon = .74

2 Mitchum Deodorant: on sale for 1.99 each - 1.00 coupon and a .75 coupon = 2.23 for both

1 Revlon Hair Color: normally 3.99 but on sale = 1.99

+ I had $1 in register rewards from last weekend

Total Out of Pocket after tax: $11.05
ad coupon savings: 9.40
ad savings: 11.40
mfg coupon savings: 12.79
total saving: 33.59



I honestly don't know why I enjoy this so much, but I do.

One of the things I removed from my previous Life List was getting married. Meeting someone, falling in love and getting married seems like such an organic thing that is so out of my control that I didn't want it on my list anymore. If it's meant to be, it'll be. And if it isn't, I'll live.

But so help me, if it ever happens I want what these two had:

(but don't watch if you don't want to cry)

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

"I walk in with you, I walk out with you."

"Being married is like having a colored television set- you never want to go back to black and white."

Oh man, tears. Ugly tears.

In Search of a Life List

Inspired by Maggie (Mighty Girl), I’m working on my Mighty Life List: the 100 things I want to do before I go, except isn’t Mighty Life List a bit less depressing than the calling it a list of things to do before I die? I think so too. I’m all about the Life List these days.

I managed to cross several things off of my old list, like:

• Meet the Clintons
  
• Attend a Catholic Mass
• Learn to garden
• Buy a brand new, zero miles on it car
  
• Enlarge and frame a photograph I took
• Join a warehouse club
  
• Make yeast rolls
  
• Learn how to make my mom’s fudge
• See all 50 states (I’ve crossed off several since then)

But many of the things I wanted a few years ago don’t apply anymore, don’t seem as important, or need serious re-vamping. I have 27 more to list to have an even 100, but I’m stalling in order to make sure all the really important stuff is listed. So I’m curious, what are a few things on your Mighty Life List?

Grocery Gaming It Again

I went couponing today for the first time in a while.

I had a $5 register reward for Walgreens. I used that to get a few items. I spent $2.18 out of pocket but also got another register reward, this time for $2, for the next time I visit.



Then I spent $41 at Kroger, saving $35.

Jonathan was with me because he wanted some library books. The library has been a huge source of frugal fun this summer. We stopped at Sonic while we were out because it was half price happy hour time (2-4), and you can't beat 2 refreshing drinks in this heat for the price of one! We may have also stopped for drinks because 15 year old boys don't find couponing nearly as thrilling as I do.

Just imagine 2 hours of this face: