Bolduan's Bloggity Blog

An Important Milestone

2011-09-20T19:27:00.002-05:00

Well, maybe not super important, but I have realized that this September marks five years that I have either:

Been pregnant
Nursing
Both at the same time.

Wow...that is quite a lot! If God sees fit to bless me with anymore children anytime soon, that time will be extended even longer.

Wednesday's Walgreens Trip

2011-08-17T22:30:00.002-05:00

I am still on a school supplies kick, and of course this is the best time of year to get that kind of stuff. It's way overpriced any other time of year. Here's how it breaks down:

3 10 count Crayola markers, .99 ea. with Wags coupon

2 Elmers glue sticks and 1 Elmers glue .79 ea. with Wags coupon

3 boxes Kraft mac n cheese, .69 ea. with Wags coupon

I also had a $1 RR to use as well

My total cost for this trip was $6.80.

We are pretty much set for school supplies now, which weren't really bad to begin with, since Elijah is only going to be starting preschool. I will really have to work for deals in a few more years, when both kids will be in school!

Saturday Shopping Trip at Walgreens

2011-08-13T22:48:00.004-05:00

I got everything in this picture, plus another box of watercolors, for 9.08! It breaks down as follows:

-24 count Crayola crayons $1-$1RR = 0

-10 count Crayola markers .99

-2 Crayola watercolors 2/$3 with Wags coupon

-2 Crayola colored pencils 2/$3 with Wags coupon

-2 Kotex on sale 2/$5- a 1/1.50 catalina stacked with a 2/$2 coupon

Brand Loyaly

2011-07-30T09:53:00.002-05:00

I still coupon quite a bit, trying to get the things my family needs either for very cheap or even for free. I have learned that you cannot be brand loyal to save the most money. However, there are a few select items that I will only buy a particular brand, even if it means paying more for them. I still try to stock up if that item is on sale, but won't go with something else even if it is cheaper.

Brands I am loyal to:

Huggies Wipes
I have tried other brands, including generics, none are as thick or as high quality. For generics, I have use more wipes to clean each mess, so I actually come out ahead just buying the Huggies wipes in the first place.

Finish Quantum Dishwasher Tabs
These get the dishes cleaner and shinier than any other detergent or tabs I've tried. They are pricey, but I use coupons and watch the sales to stock up. I will never use anything else in the dishwasher again, even if I have to pay full price. The Quantum tabs have never left behind any food residue or spots, so they are worth it!

Jon Frieda Frizz-Ease Conditioner
I recently bought this only because I had coupons plus there was a great gift card deal for it at Target. Turns out it is great for my hair! I have very thick, coarse, curly hair, and this product does a lot to tame the "frizz halo" that I seem to constantly have.

Stuff I don't care what brand it is:

Paper Products
I use washable towels in the kitchen about 75% of the time. For really gross stuff I will use paper towels, but I use less than one roll a month. So it doesn't really matter what kind, as long as they are cheaper than the rest. Bathroom tissue doesn't matter either, as long as it is two-ply.

Laundry Detergent
If I can get a great deal, it is formulated for HE washers, and I like the scent, it's fine.

Disposable Razors
If I pay less than $1.00 a pack using coupons and sales, those are what I buy.

Body Wash/Soap
If I can get it free or under $1, and it smells OK, it's fine.

Too Traditional or Not Traditional Enough?

2011-07-30T07:25:00.003-05:00

I really hate labels, most of the time. One thing I have noticed on the internet is that various adjectives are used to label the type of Catholic someone is. For example: "He is a liberal Catholic, she is a cultural Catholic, I am a traditional Catholic" and on and on. I notice these adjective are most often used in a pejorative sense when refering to someone else, but used in a positve light when refering to one's self.

And amidst all of this I wonder, "Where do I fit in?"

There are various factions on the internet and in real life-although I haven't met any in real life, they obviously exist- that believe that a traditional Catholic does certain things. Traditional Catholics only attend Mass in the Extrordinary Form, receive Communion on the tongue only. The list gets longer if you happen to be a traditional Catholic woman. Traditional Catholic women only ever skirts or dresses, always cover their heads at Mass, never work outside the home, homeschool their children, etc, etc, etc.

Some of these things I already do. Many of these things I aspire to do, but can't because of my life's circumstances. I believe in everything our holy Church teaches and strive every day to follow those teachings to the best of my ability. I try to live the life that Jesus wants me to live. I attend Mass every Sunday, but I go to the Ordinary Form, the nearest EF is nearly an hour away, and only offered once a month at that location. My parish does a good job of presenting what the Church teaches, not just glossing over it, and the Masses are reverent. I receive Communion on the tongue only. I go to Confession once a month, more often if I need it.

I don't say this to brag, but to make a point. In some circles, what I am doing would STILL not be good enough, I would be written off as lost. Why? Well, I don't wear skirts or dresses all the time (to Mass, yes, otherwise no), I don't cover my head at Mass (mostly too self-conscious, I would be the only woman in my parish doing this and it would really stand out). I work outside the home, I have to, we are a working class family. I won't be able to homeschool, and may even have to send my children to public school because of finances. I am also in a mixed marriage.

I also want to clarify that many tradtional Catholics realize that many of these practices, such as skirts only and head covering are personal practices that help them feel closer to God. That's great, personal devotions are very important, and I have nothing but respect for those who practice them and are humble about it. But, there is another segment who let judgement sound out loud and clear that I must not be serious about my faith if I don't follow ALL of the various personal devotions. That because I wear pants or don't cover my head or plan on homeschooling my children or work outside the home I am not really, truly Catholic. It doesn't matter that I truly believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity. It doesn't matter that I feel handing my Faith down to my children is of extreme importance to me. It doesn't matter that I reject the secular world's contraceptive mentality and choose to follow what the Church teaches in that regard.

So, I end this post full circle right back where I started it. Where DO I fit in? I don't feel like I would be accepted by those who self-identify as "traditional" nor do I in any way fit in with those who cherry pick what the Church teaches or want it to change. I guess I will do my best to make my own way and keep searching for the Truth.

"You Guys Are Living On the Edge!"

2011-06-22T21:09:00.002-05:00

"You're REALLY living on the edge..."

This was the reply I got when I told an individual that we are letting God plan the size of our family and not doing anything to limit the number of children He gives us. For the time being, at least, I believe in trusting God's grace and that He will not give us more than we can handle. In, the future, if our health or financial situation dictates, we will consider NFP for a time.

The very, very few times I have disclosed this to people, they look at me as if I have taken leave of my senses. My statement that we follow the Church's teaching on the use of contraceptives and spacing of births is met with shock or even people being threatened by our stance. Assumptions are then made that we will change our mind, or we will end up having ten children. Well, after almost six years of marriage, we have only two. It will probably be a while before another is on the way, due to the fact that Gabe still nurses ALOT, which surpresses my fertility even more than usual.

I didn't realize I was being so subversive! Children are a blessing, not a liabiltiy.

Happy Father's Day, Honey!

2011-06-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

I just want to wish my husband a happy father's day. You are the best dad to our boys, and I love you for it!

Happy Name Day to Elijah and Gabriel!

2010-09-29T11:18:00.000-05:00

Today is the Feast Day of St. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels.

I obviously named Gabriel for the angel who appeared to our Blessed Mother. Elijah's middle name is Michael, and since Elijah was an Old Testament prophet and doesn't appear on the Catholic calendar of Saints, this is his name day as well.

Amazing Diaper Deal from Amazon!

2010-09-25T21:21:00.000-05:00

I scored an awsome deal for diapers for Gabe today. This is probably my best yet! I had two coupon codes for 20% off of my Amazon diaper order that I had taken from Parents and Parenting magazine. I joined AmazonMom and did the subscribe and save feature offered on Amazon. As a result, I was able to get 140 Size 3 Seventh Generation diapers for a whopping 11.99. This comes out to about eight cents a diaper. If I paid full price in retail they would run almost thirty cents each. Not too shabby!

My Rather Pathetic Blog Update....

2010-09-25T12:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've been saying for over a year now that I was going to stay on top of my blog. I have failed miserably at this! I have been following blog of other mom who have more children than me and they are able to post several times a week with pictures, video and everything. I wish I knew how they do it. With work, the babies, and trying to manage the house, I never seen to keep up with my own blog.

Well, here are the updates of the happenings in my family's life since the last time I posted:

*Last summer, we found out we were expecting baby #2! We were so thrilled!

*Gabriel Glenn Bolduan was born on February 5, 2010 via emergency c-section. He weighed in at seven pounds, three ounces, and was twenty inches long.

*Elijah turned three on June 8, 2010. He is very talkative, creative, and very, very busy. This means that he is quite a handful for Mommy at times!

*I am taking a break from teaching Religious Education this year, after being a catechist for five years. I am at a season in my life where I really need to focus mainly on my children and my home, since this is my vocation.

*I still am into couponing and searching for the best deals out there! I will post some of my latest finds soon!

My Baby Isn't a Baby Anymore!

2009-05-29T22:30:00.000-05:00

Elijah seems to grow more every day. He just had his two year well-child check up. It's kind of sad they don't call them well-baby check ups anymore. He not really considered to be a baby, but he is to me and will be for a long time yet! At this appointment, he weighed in at 27 pounds, was 34 inches tall and had a head circumference of 19 inches.

Some More Great Deals I've Scored Lately

2009-05-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

I have had a couple of great finds while shopping in the last couple of days.

During a recent trip to ShopKo, I scored a pretty good diaper deal. They had Huggies on sale for 8.99 a pack. Plus they were also do a 1.00 rebate for their Super Combo Rebate program for each package of diapers. I also used a 1.50/1 coupon for each package I bought.

So it worked out thus: 8.99-1.50 coupon-1.00 rebate= 6.49 per pack of diapers that normally retail for 10.99!

I went to Walgreens today and did a deal I found on moneysavingmom.com. I purchased 10 Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, which were on sale for 2/5.00. I used 5 B1/G1 coupons from last weeks Sunday paper. I paid 12.50 for them and got $6 in Register Rewards. Each box came out to .65.

Awesome Deals At Walgreens Today!

2009-04-27T21:11:00.000-05:00

I was a little sad that Walgreens ended their EasySaver program. But every cloud has a silver lining! They now have more items that are free after Register Rewards. Here is my shopping trip today...

Transaction #1:
1 Nivea Body wash- 4.99
1 Rembrandt Mouthwash- 5.99
Spent $11 + tax out of pocket and got $11 in Register Rewards

Transaction #2
2 Boxes Kleenex with lotion 80 Ct.- 2/2.19
3 AirWick IMotion Air Fresheners- 4.99 ea.-3 $4/1 Qs.
General Mills Cereals- 3/$7-$1/3 Q.
I used my RR and ended up paying a little over 13.00 out of pocket for both transactions! Not too shabby!

Busy, Busy, Lent!

2009-03-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

Again, it's been forever since I posted. Maybe I should have made keeping up with my blog a Lenten goal. Anyhow, I have been doing pretty good with scouting for deals and couponing lately...I am totally stocked up on diapers, wipes, shampoo, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, etc. to last for at least three months. Some of these items I have enough of to last for a year (possibly).

The following is a list of goals I have for Lent this year, as well as my progress.

Purchase items to put in the food shelf donation bin each time I shop at the grocery store:
I have done this during the last three weekly trips, I plan to keep it up even after Lent is over.

Abstain from all alcolholic beverages:
Those who know me best know one of my favorite ways to relax in the evenings after putting Elijah to bed is to enjoy a beer or a glass of wine. This has been going OK, except I messed up last week on Thursday and Friday nights. After this slip-up however, I am going strong.

Continue to improve and enrich my prayer life:
I try to say one Hail Mary at the very least every day. I am also starting to teach Elijah the Rosary. I let him hold his own set of beads, and we try to make it through a decade, with him listening, me praying aloud. This has been going great! He actually will sit very still and listen to me recite the prayers, all the while running his set of beads through his fingers. I can't wait for him to get older and recite along with me.

Awesome Deals Today

2008-12-08T20:54:00.000-06:00

Today I made a run to Wal-Mart for a few groceries and scored some awesome deals. Here is what I purchased:

*Four bags of Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers frozen veggies: $1.08, I used a $1/1 Q for each and paid .08 per bag.

*Four small boxes of Arm & Hammer baking soda: .46 ea. I had two Qs for $1/2. They were free plus overage.

*Three bars of Johnson's Buddies soap: .97 ea. I had a Q for $3/3 Johnsons products. Again free plus overage.

*Four cans of Red Gold diced tomatoes: .87 ea. I had a Q for $1/4. They were .62 ea.

I also had to pick up a few other things as well, got some on sale...my total bill for my Wal-Mart trip this go round was $7.91 for nearly $20 worth of stuff.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

2008-12-08T20:46:00.000-06:00

Today, December 8, Catholics celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception. We honor our Blessed Mother this day and remember the fact that she was preserved from all sin from the moment of her conception, and for her entire life.

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden.For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name. And His Mercy is from generation unto generations upon them that fear Him. He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our Fathers, Abraham and His seed forever.

Updates

2008-12-04T20:38:00.000-06:00

Wow...only just over two months since I last posted. I'd better get cracking.

I am spending the next few weeks of Advent attempting to get the house ready for Christmas. No small task with an 18-month old running around. Somedays it's once step forward, two steps back. I'll try to post some pics.

In other news, I am doing OK on the couponing front. I am mostly stocked up on things like soap, deoderant, shampoo, etc. so I don't really need to try and score any deals on those a while. I am trying to get more deals on groceries and diapers, since the prices of those items are through the roof right now.

Great news, our local Kmart was one of the stores participating in the Double Coupon Days. Any Qs up to 2.00 were doubled. I was able to get body wash for free, deoderant for .49, cereal for .50, and two tubs of the primo baby wipes for 1.79 ea. I may make one more trip and see if I can score any more great deals.

The Month of the Rosary

2008-10-02T23:07:00.000-05:00

This is couple days late, but I've decided to post this mostly as a reminder to really try and pray at least one decade of the rosary every day for the entire month of October. I feel like I've failed miserably so far, especially since I have resolved to get better at my daily prayers. I think it will also set a good example for Elijah to see/hear me praying it as well.

Feeding the Puppy

2008-10-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

Elijah has a new favorite activity...feeding Loki one piece of food at a time. I kind of like it: Elijah sits still and doesn't get into anything else for up to 20 minutes at a time! I can actually get something done in my kitchen without having to chase the baby every two seconds!

Awesome Deals So Far This Week...

2008-10-01T21:34:00.000-05:00

All of the stuff in this picture above I paid...$7.42! This has been my best deal so far at Walgreens.

Here is how it breaks down:

108 ct. Puffs Plus: Wags Q for .89 ea. plus two Qs for .25 off. Two boxes @ .64

Dawn Dish Detergent: Wags Q B1/G1 @1.98 plus two Qs for .25 off. Two @ .74

Gillette Shampoo: 2/$10 plus two Qs for $2/1. $6 minus a $5 rebate...these shampoos will

actually cost .50 after the rebate!

Softsoap 7.2 oz.: Wags Q for .98 plus 3 Qs for .35 off. Three @ .64.

100 ct. coffee filters: B1/G1 for 1.19

1 pack Northern TP: $3 on sale plus $1 Wags Q. 1@$2.

I had $9 in RR which I also used...which is how I arrived at 7.42!

Learning from My Mistakes...

2008-09-20T22:07:00.000-05:00

I am fairly new at this couponing/searching out deals stuff. Previously, I purchased whatever products I wanted whether it was on sale at the time or not. I almost never bothered to clip coupons, and when I did, I ended up getting a bunch of stuff I didn't really need because, well, I had coupon for it!

I haven't been totally savvy about all of this yet, although I have snagged a few good deals. Here are a few of the things I wish I had done differently.

*Clipped more coupons. I did OK, but there were a few items I wish I had been able to buy, yet I didn't clip more than one coupon for them.
*Waiting to submit my rebate info for Walgreens Easy Saver Catalog. I was in too big of a hurry with this, and missed out on some money-making deals. In particualr, the Glade Candles, they were offering a $1 rebate per candle, allowing up to four. If I had waited for these to go on sale, I would have come out ahead .01 per candle.
*Being too trusting of Walgreens cashiers. They caused one of my rebates, which amounted to 7.99 to be messed up so I couldn't get it. Never take their word on anying about the receipts, especially if it's "no, they will still process your rebate just fine if I scan this item in as "service merchandise." It was supposed to be shampoo!

Deals for September 14-20

2008-09-20T21:54:00.000-05:00

This week has been a little slower for me as far as finding deals is concerned. Here is what I came up with:

Walgreens: Huggies Supreme on sale for 9.99-1.50/1 coupon -2.00 RR = 6.49 (.21/diaper)
Glade candle on sale for 1.99-1/1 coupon=.99
Bic Soleil Razors on sale 4.99-2/1 coupon-1/1 WG coupon=1.99

HyVee: Seedless watermelon 1.99 ea.
Banquet Frozen Dinners 10 for $8

Wal-Mart: Johnson's Buddies Bar Soap .97...I had a coupon for $3 off any Johnson's baby products. I bought three bars of soap, ended up paying only .11 in sales tax!

Deals for the Week

2008-09-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

Since I am really making the effort to commit to my couponing/frugal living hobby (obsession), I am going to post my best deals for the week. I am not as good as some of the people who are able to purchase over a hundred dollars in items and pay either very little or nothing out of pocket yet, but I hope to get there someday!

Target: Luvs Family Pack Diapers- On sale for $15. I used two $1 off coupons, plus received a $5 gift card for buying two boxes. Not the best deal ever, but the cost of diapers is through the roof these days, and this is the cheapest I could get without buying generic.
My real stroke of luck came when I found an entire shelf of Febreze Noticeables on clearance. Normally 7.49, they were priced 6.45, plus I had two $5 off coupons, I also used my giftcard and spent nothing on them. I only regret not having a third coupon, then I could have bought another without spending anything!

Cashwise: Green Giant Steamers 4 for $6 plus four $1 coupons= .50 ea.
Prego Pasta Sauce: 3 for 3 coupon= $1 ea.
Progresso Soups: 8 for $10 plus four .50 off of 2= $1 ea.
Select General Mills Cereals: 2 for $4 plus $1 coup. off 3= 3/$5
Kleenix Tissue: 3 200 count boxes for $3

Creamette Macaroni: 2 lb box for .98

Since my total came to over $25, I also was able to get a free 8 oz. bag of

shredded cheddar cheese.

In the end I spent $49 for $63 worth of groceries.

Walgreens: Glade Fabric Deoderizer: on sale for 2.99, I had 2.50 coupons

Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash 4.49, got 4.50 in Register Rewards

My Wags trip cost me only .48!!!

Requiéscat in Pace, Grandpa....

2008-09-12T22:18:00.000-05:00

We will miss you and have you in our hearts and prayers always.

Réquiem ætérnam dona ei (eis) Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat ei . Requiéscat in pace. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Waiting for Daddy

2008-09-11T21:46:00.000-05:00

Elijah gets very excited when he hears Daddy pull up in the driveway. Since Brent works a rotating shift, the time he arrives home changes each week. This picture was taken at about seven this morning.

My Little Helper

2008-09-10T19:36:00.001-05:00

Elijah decided to help out by cleaning the kitchen floor today. Using a Scotch sticky-roller thingy, he picked most of the dog hair and little bits of junk off of the kitchen floor. He also likes to help unload the dishwasher by handing me one dish or piece of silverware at a time. It takes longer, but he is sooo proud of himself. Now if only he is this eager to help out when he is a teenager!

In other news, Elijah had his 15 month well-baby checkup yesterday. He is now 31.5 inches tall and weighs 23 pounds, 1 ounce.

In the Beginning...

2008-09-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

My first post! This should get better as I add pics, video, etc. Enjoy!