Had to write and give a shout out to Z@ppos! I ordered some new running shoes from them yesterday at 2:30 pm....and selected their free shipping option (I think it is supposed to take 5 days or so) that they always have. A few hours later I got an email that they were upgrading my shipping options free of charge. My doorbell rang a few minutes ago and lo and behold...my shoes had arrived. Less than 26 hours later! Did I mention shipping was FREE???? They also have free shipping on the return and great customer service (we have used them multiple times). Thought I'd share my great experience. 

This weekend my husband and I were invited to an an  fundraising gala, An Orphan's Ticket Home. We were invited by a couple in our church, and went with some other friends of ours who are adopting as well. It was an amazing and powerful night. I can't stop thinking about the night, the things that were said, and mainly, the orphans...the fatherless. 

I need some beauty advice. I am looking for a face soap that I can use BOTH for cleaning my face and for removing my eye makeup. I have tried a lot of different liquid face cleansers, bar soaps, expensive and cheap, but have not found "the one" yet. Anyone have any recommendations???

I got a birthday gift in the mail on Friday. Look at this awesome handspun yarn from Angie! I absolutely love it. She continues to amaze me with her knitting related skills. I have been knitting for longer, but she has blown by me in her abilities. She suggested a hat for this yarn...I think it would be perfect!

For those of you reading this only in Google Reader (which I highly recommend you sign up for if you don't already!), I changed the look of my blog...finally! I love my new background...especially because it was FREE!!! Check out the Cutest Blog on the Block website for free background downloads.

My son has a new hobby. He loves to play our little xylophone style piano and belt out songs that he knows. He also prays before each song (why?? No idea!). It is so cute...let me give you an example: 

Found this video on YouTube of a Third Day concert we went to last year. They did taping for their DVD at the concert. Anyway, Mac Powell, lead singer has the best voice EVER in my opinion. Have a listen for yourself! 

I thought I'd start a little "series" on my blog. I'd like to call it "Things I never thought I'd hear myself say as a mother". I have been thinking about posting some of the random things I tell my son. Apparently "Parents" magazine has a similar series, but I swear I thought of it first! :)

I know, I STINK at keeping up with this blog lately. After many of you getting mad at me I thought I'd actually post something! Some friends and I were discussing random songs...and I got to thinking about songs that are pretty much guaranteed to get me out on the dance floor at weddings. Some I am not proud of, but sometimes you just can't help dancing to the beat!

75...it is the number of books that I have marked "to-read" on my Goodreads list. As if I need any more! I was looking on the Goodreads website and found a posting where someone asked "what 5 books you must read before you die?". So, what I want to know is what are YOUR top 5 books that you would recommend reading before you die? I know my number one is obviously the Bible...but other than that I don't know! Too many good choices! If I had to choose right now without giving it TOO much thought...I'd say...in no particular order 

Conversation with my two-year-old today:

I wanted to wish a happy Mother's day to all of the moms and soon-to-be moms out there who read my blog! I know I have been blessed to be the mom of a wonderful, silly little 2-year-old. It is truly one of the best and hardest jobs out there! I wouldn't trade it for the world. It gives me a new appreciation for my mom (whom I already love dearly!). Happy Mother's day mom!

Well, after a couple of slow bargain weeks, I finally got some CVS deals today. I got all that you see above (not that I need anymore Venus razors or toothpaste, but that is beside the point!) for FREE using manufacturers coupons and extra care bucks...and I ended up with the same amount of extra care bucks that I started with. Gotta love that!!! 

I have a problem. I love to buy tea. Weird huh, considering that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my coffee with my yummy creamer, and I rarely drink tea. However, I can't seem to resist continuing to buy tea. I think I am hoarding it for some unseen event in the future when all of the tea supplies in the world are depleted. Don't worry...if that happens, I'll share with you. (I also seem to have an insane amount of shampoo, toothpaste and excedrin, but that's a story for another day) Anyway, there was a period of time when I could not go to the grocery store without purchasing a new kind of tea. I have since sworn off tea buying, but it continues to tempt me. I must use up some of my stash before I buy any new tea though! 

A few of my new favorite things I had to share:

This blog is really not supposed to be about my little monkey son, but since we are living in Quarantineville, I have little else to write about this weekend! Every morning I let my son watch a movie while I shower. The past week or so I got out of the shower and I would hear a banging noise every few seconds. I could never figure out what he was doing. Inevitably I would go into the living room and he would be sitting in his chair innocently. Today the mystery was solved when he walked up to our magnetized tv stand and gave it a big kick (which produced a loud bang). Sure enough, the door swung open and he began to play with the DVDs. So much for child-proofing!!!!

Well, the self-made diagnosis of hand food and mouth started to look a little dicey yesterday when the rash went all up and down my sons legs and lower torso. After waiting all day for a call back from the pediatrics clinic and never receiving one, we emailed photos of his rash to our doctor who is also a friend of ours. He consulted with several other doctor friends of his. The diagnosis? Chicken Pox!!!! He's been vaccinated too, so I guess that's why the rash isn't too terrible or too itchy. How weird. We're going in to see him on Monday, so we'll see what he says then. I'm hoping that the quarantine will be lifted then! Today we got out because our friends wanted their children to be exposed, so that was nice for us!

Just figured out that I'm pretty sure my son has hand, foot, and mouth disease!

Yeah, so, it wasn't in my daily schedule, but gonna have to add 

Got up at 6:45 (typical waking hour of my 2-year-old). About once every 6 months I get to sleep until 7:30, which basically I think he does to give me false hope of it happening more often.

Got this link off of Money Saving Mom's website for a free sample of Starbucks coffee. WOO HOO!!! This is so meant for me. So go here and register your information, then answer a short survey and you get free coffee in 6 to 8 weeks! Now that's a great deal!

I went shopping yesterday for a little bit and last weekend for a little bit for some clothes for myself. I was not very successful, but I did learn a few "lessons" along the way that I'd like to share.

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted! We've been busy! I did do some bargain hunting last weekend...as did some friends of mine, so I'll post about that maybe tomorrow or something. 

Hey! I thought for a change of pace (I know some of you are thinking "finally!!") from the couponing I want to know what you are listening to a lot lately! Are you listening to a favorite CD or favorite download a lot? Which ones?

I typically listen to books on CD or children's songs (Veggie Tales, Curious George...etc) but every once in a while I pull out a CD.

I am listening to a CD by a Christian group called Selah, specifically the CD called Greatest Hymns. Their voices are absolutely INCREDIBLE. I recommend that you give them a listen here
Just scroll down and you will see a list of songs from this album. Click the play button next to the song to listen.

Another CD I LOVE is actually a Christmas album. I know, how weird is that to listen to Christmas music in March?? I promise these songs don't sound like Christmas music. They are awesome. It is Third Day's Christmas Offerings CD. We had the opportunity to go to this concert this past December and it was SO SO SO AWESOME!! Have a listen here.

Now it is your turn! What is on your Ipod/in your CD player?

Just returned from my weekly (okay, sometimes more than weekly) CVS and Walgreens trip. I actually bought some things we needed...like the shave gel, the gum, and the little Disney washcloths. The Disney washclothes are birthday gifts for a kids bday party next weekend. The rest of the stuff...well, it was essentially free! I spent 1.50 out of pocket on all of this!!!

I did find one "no brainer deal" for this week. If you got the Sunday paper there is a coupon for buy one get one free trident gum in one of the coupon inserts. At walgreens this week there is a coupon in the weekly Walgreens ad for buy one get one free trident gum. So, you can get 2 packs of gum totally free! I bought some pomegranate blueberry gum which is really yummy!

Just got an email that for every coupon from the Proctor and Gamble ad (comes in the Sunday paper the first Sunday of the month) that is redeemed in March or April they will donate 1 liter of clean drinking water to needy people in third world countries. Pretty cool! Read about it here.

I thought I'd start a little "series" here at IRSBC with some couponing lessons that I have learned in the short time I've been doing it. So, today the first lesson is:

Just sitting in our office with sunshine coming through the window and feeling happy and blessed.

I am involved with an international Bible study called Bible Study Fellowship (BSF for short). Some of you may have heard of it. Each week we study part of the Bible. Everyday we are given verses to read with questions to go along with them. When we have our weekly meeting we first meet in small groups and go over our answers to our questions. Then we get together in a large group (Ours has maybe 100 or so women) and hear a speaker do an in depth look at the verses we read throughout the week. 

To join in on the Persuasion book club discussion happening over at Simply Serina?? I confess I haven't read it in a few years. I meant to catch up this week, but it hasn't happened yet. Maybe during nap time today (when I really should be cleaning..hee hee).

Anyone ever read Jane Austen??? I admit to being a fan of hers. In fact, when I was pregnant and bored out of my mind I divided my time knitting and reading Jane Austen books. Persuasion was one of my favorites. My friend Serina is hosting an online book club on the book persuasion. It begins next week...so get your books and start reading!

My sister-in-law emailed me with a question about this little object. She says that she inherited it from her husband's grandmother and that it is a kitchen tool. She has no idea what it is. She said it is porcelain and has a bunch of tiny raised bumps on it. Zesting a lemon with it did not prove to be successful, so it isn't that. Any guesses??? My guess is a soap dish, but that doesn't explain the circular hole at the top. What do you think?

This weekend I hope to...

Thought I'd post a little list of some of my favorites in some different food categories:

Today only at Walgreens their "Easy Saver" books overlap. These are checkbook sized booklets they keep at the front of the store near their current ads. Each month a new book comes out with coupons and rebates in them. Well, it has been reported that there is the overlap of a day on these...so some really good deals to be had.

Most end tomorrow, but click on the Money Saving Mom link on the sidebar. She has some really great deals listed from the past few days. Lots of grocery store deals, pharmacy deals, etc. Let me know if you get any! I may have to do the CVS M&M deal (I've done it once already this week, but didn't have the coupon...) and maybe the Walgreens makeup deal! 

All over my house!!! UFOs is the knitter/crafter term for Unfinished Objects, and MAN do I have a lot of them. I seem to have NO problem starting projects (definitely no problem BUYING the stuff to do the projects); however, I have a problem seeing the project through to the end. 

because I am laughing SO hard! 

Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE to read. I am constantly reading magazines, listening to books on tape, or at the library getting new books. I read while I'm brushing my teeth, using the facilities, taking a bath, eating breakfast...you get the picture! I tend to read mainly fiction books, but occasionally venture into non-fiction. The problem that I have discovered with getting motivated to read non-fiction books is that I feel smarter merely by buying them and putting them on my shelves! Almost like I learn through osmosis. As a result I have a lot of really good titles sitting on my shelves that make me feel smart or make me a better person just by looking at them! Anyone else have this problem? 

Shari (or Mom, as I like to call her)!!! 

Time's up for the contest! Winner will be announced later tonight! Stay tuned!

Can you guess??????


I promised more posts, so here's a little quiz for you to get you reading my blog again and to entice you to keep reading!!! I'm also attempting to tempt you to join me in my latest hobby, couponing. So, quiz time....I'm posting several pictures and I want you to guess how much I spent out of pocket on each photo. I will be giving a small prize to the person who guesses the most correct. If there is a tie, then I'll have a drawing between the tie-breakers. 

Well, so sorry to tempt you all with a new blog, and then not post! My intention was to post much more often than this...unfortunately that was not my computer's intention! It decided to die on us last week, so we have spent the week shopping for a new computer. It's been driving me crazy not to be online! So...please check back frequently! I promise to redeem this rocky start! 

Well, here it goes! I'm finally in the blogging world! Hmmm, actually, to be more acurate, I've been in the blogging world for a long time, just more as a commenter/lurker/stalker :). Now I finally have my own blog and I can spend even MORE time procrastinating those things I should be doing (like cleaning).


Basically, I'm starting this blog as a way to write about my many, varied hobbies. I am completely addicted to scrapbooking, knitting, reading, taking pictures, shopping (yes, it's a hobby!), and most recently, couponing. I spend a lot of free time doing these things, as well as hanging out with friends and family, talking to friends and family...and a little bit of free time doing those OTHER obligatory things that make a household run (grocery shopping, errands, cleaning....).


So anyway, welcome and a big




















from me to you!