Mommom

I went to PA this past Thursday to visit with my mommom. Recently we found out that she has breast cancer and then found out that she needed to have her breast removed. I have always been close to mommom, she was more like my mom, or a mix between a mom and my grandmother growing up. I had the woman in my life that supported me, encouraged me and was always there when I needed her, and I also got the woman that would take me on trips with her and do lots of fun stuff! Mommom and Poppop would care for us when my dad was at work, or working on the house. Late snowy winter nights, when dad would be at work plowing the snow, we'd be sleeping over, baking cookies, and having mommom braid our hair. Most people know the history behind my relationship with my mother and know that she wasn't in my life often and when she was it wasn't very long. It would start out good and end very badly. So mommom has always been the most important woman in my life! And I love her so much and owe her alot of credit when it comes to my independence and strength. I have always seen her as such an independent woman and I always looked up to that and wanted to be that way too. 


We were able to spend a few hours with her on Thursday afternoon/early evening, before she had to go and take care of a few things. Then Friday morning was her surgery, the doctor said that everything went well. I didn't go to the hospital in the morning because I wasn't sure how long it would last and I knew that even though my kids are really well behaved when we are out, they wouldn't be if we were stuck in a hospital waiting room for hours and hours. We waited til noon, I called the hospital and she hadn't been moved to a room yet so she was still in recovery. My aunt called and said she would be in a room soon so we piled in the car, got lunch and then headed over. My Gram works at the same hospital so we visited with her for a few minutes, she checked and mommom still hadn't been moved to a room so we headed to the waiting room and waited for about 2 hours. She finally had a room and we got to see her, she looked really good for someone that just had surgery and they said she should be ready to go home the next day! I was so happy and relieved to see that she looked pretty much herself and I'm so happy that we were able to be there with her. There were so many times when my Poppop was in the hospital, before he passed away, and I always wanted to be there with him. I wanted to be like the rest of the family and be there by his side. Being in NC made the so much more difficult. I am so thankful that we live closer and are only 3 hours away! I am so thankful that mommom is ok right now and pray that whatever comes next, that she stays strong.
Thank you to everyone who was thinking of us and praying! 






<3 Liz  

Couponing! Pathmark trip 5/15

OK so I officially am crazy obsessed with couponing! I know I 'm not the only one that has seen the new show on TLC because almost everywhere I go I come across people that are talking about it. 
I started watching it the first week that we arrived in NY. It was Wednesday night and there were a bunch on before the new one. I was in our bedroom cleaning, organizing and getting things unpacked and I got glued to the TV. During the commercial I ran out to the den and told Sean about it, he wasn't too impressed but after the second commercial when I came running out telling him that someone got about $1800 worth of groceries for around $100 he had to see for himself and changed the channel :) I then had my MIL watching too and was determined to give it a try! 
Now I don't expect to save hundreds of dollars in one trip, but I have always loved to save, I mean who doesn't, so I have been clipping coupons alot more than I ever have in the past, and following blogs of other extreme couponers! I look forward to Wednesdays when I get a sneak peek at the sales, Thursdays when the weekly circulars come in the paper and Sunday when all the coupons come! It has been a little overwhelming but I've been figuring out a system that works for me! 


With such a huge change in our life, Sean getting out of the Army after 7 years, moving to NY, still owning a home in NC, and trying to raise our family, saving is even bigger on my list of things to do. It's always been a priority but now its an even bigger one. 
This past weekend Pathmark advertised that they would have TRIPLE coupons. BONUS! 
I got all of this for FREE :) 

4 Bottles of Ken's dressing
2 Bags of Lay's Kettle Cooked Chips
2 Bottles of FUZE
1 Herbal Essence Shampoo
1 Herbal Essence Conditioner
1 Country Crock Soft Spread Butter
2 Jars of Tostito Restaurant Style Salsa
1 Jar of Tostito Salsa Con Queso
1 Bag of Werther's Original
1 Lunchable with fruit

On top of getting all of that for FREE I got all of this discounted

Using other coupons, my pathmark card, and adding from zavers I got 2 bottles of apple juice at $2 each, 2 bags of Herr's tortilla chips 89 cents each, 4 boxes of pasta at 88 cents a piece, AIM toothpaste at 88 cents 2 cans of PAM at 74 cents each and 4 cans of tuna at 75 cents each. 

Great deals all around and I've still got a ton more coupons and planning :) 

I am going to try my best to document it all so I can continue to encourage myself and others of all the ways to save! Happy couponing :) 

<3 Liz