Deals, Deals, Deals

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

A few of my blog followers like to hear about my shopping exploits, so here goes.

My mom took the kids on an adventure, so I could do my errands in peace and quiet. You know couponing is serious business, right?

Here are some highlights from stops at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid & Giant Eagle:

Walgreen's

Spend $20 of Vicks products, get $10 RR (register rewards)

Bought 4 Vicks Products @ $5.00 each

- (4) $1.50 coupons

+ 2 coupons for buy 2 Vicks products, get a free puffs tissue

Total for 2 Nyquils, 1 VapoSyrup, 1 box of Dayquil, and 2 family size puffs: $14 - $10 RR= $4

Also had a coupon for 'free' Excederin (5.99 value). I found a box of 100 count Excederin Migraine packaged with a free 24 count bottle for $6.99 -5.99 coupon= $1 for 124 Excederin!

While this doesn't top the BOX of pampers I (well, Bill got...I sent him with the scenario all written out and he executed perfectly) got for $1.99, it does rank up there as one of my best WAGS deals ever!

Giant Eagle

I like to have the cashier scan my card at the end of the transaction. It is gratifying to me to see the dollars go rolling off. Couple that with a coupon/sale for every item (minus blueberries, which Sal Reagan can't live without) I bought equated to a 44% savings on the grocery bill.

The best deal I scored here was on No Yolks Egg Noodles. They were on sale 3/$5. I had (3) $.75 coupons. At Giant Eagle those double to $1.50. So I ended up paying $.50 for 3 packages of noodles.

The savings breakdown:

Mfg coupon savings $14.51

Bonus Card savings: $5.35

Store Coupons: $4.15

Total: $24.01 savings

Rite Aid

Rite Aid, oh how I love thee. There are always good sales and lately there have been a lot of items discountinued that are marked 50-75% off. I usually am running in while someone sits in the car with the kids, so I don't get to stroll the aisles for deals, but today I had a chance to do that and scored some good stuff.

Some of the highlights here:

Pampers Mega packs BOGO 50%

Pampers (1) @ $17.99

(1) @ 8.99

- (2) $2 coupons

- (2) $10 coupon (one from Pampers and one a quarterly savings check from Rite Aid)

$27-14-10= $3 for TWO Mega packs of Pampers

Satin Care Shave Gel

$1.49

$1 SCR (single check rebate)

-.$55 coupon

$.06 money maker --I'm not sure why this rang up at $1.49, it was supposed to 1.99 and not be a money maker. I just realized this as I was typing this out.

My total coupon savings: $31.05.

CVS

The total bill was around $21 for 2 boxes of cereal, 2 bottles of Excederin, 2 ring pops for the kids Easter basket, and a box of Huggies. Considering that the diapers were $19.99, I'd say I did pretty good here.

One Fish, Two Fish...

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!!

The Snowy Day

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

It's a winter wonderland out there, so our plans to go to free playtime at Playground World (which is further into the snowbelt) were cancelled. Luckily, I didn't mention it to the kids so they didn't have a clue.

Since it's a trapped-in-the-house kind of day, we made the best of it.

We made "snow ice cream." Thanks Lori, for that idea!!! It was a fun "cooking" activity for the kids and it was tasty too.

Today's secret ingredient is.......SNOW! Allez cuisine!

Move over, Iron Chef Symon. My boy has a smile just as infectious as yours!

Next up was finger painting. Always a favorite, but very messy, activity. Luckily the paint washes off super easy.

Nolan takes his work VERY seriously.

Reagan is more of a free spirit.

While the kids were doing that, Grammy called and sounded very frazzled. She spun out on the freeway and was slippin' and slidin' all over the road and almost ended up in an embankment. Luckily, she had a guardian angel and ended up stopping just short of it, pointed in the right direction. Be safe out there, kids!

Just before naptime the kids decided to empty out two of their toy bins and set them in front of the TV and played "bubble tub." For those not in the know, that is the what the kids call the hot tub at Kalahari.

Nolan and his sister, Winky.

I think tonight will be movies night. Not sure what we'll watch, but I'll find something in my goodie bag in the attic!

I'm like the post office, neither rain, nor sleet, nor slow stops me from doing my Mommy job!

New Discovery

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

We checked a new-to-us place over the weekend, the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. It has a planetarium, lots of animals (inside & out), and a play area for kids. They also offer classes and we were fortunate enough to be able to get into the Twinkle Tots one when we got there. The kids really enjoyed it.

What Daddy really enjoyed was the stop at Fatheads for lunch.

Gung Hay Fat Choy..... maybe

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

We took the kids to the Asian Plaza for the New Years Lion Dance. We had fun, well, until the actual dance started. I'll post pictures later. Maybe. Right now I'm too upset to do that.

Allow me to digress....

You see, Bill and I were on a "date night" tonight. (Yes it is the Saturday before Valentine's Day and you'd be correct if you remember that Bill and I don't usually go out for this day, but we had sitters, so you go with the flow, you know?) We'd finished up a nice dinner at Dante and were having a nightcap in Downtown Willoughby when the phone rang. I had just checked in an hour before and everything was A-OK, so I was really surprised to see "home" come up on caller ID.

The first words out of my mom's mouth were, "Reagan's barfing."

Check, please.

So we rushed home and found an already calmed down girl (who probably had herself so wound up from excitement & Valentine's candy and didn't want to go to bed) and a mostly clean house (Thanks Steph!!! Way beyond the call of duty!!!!)

That part isn't what is bothering me. That is not the reason I am blogging at midnight after scrubbing the kitchen floor. (Which needed cleaned anyway, just not at 11:45pm on a Saturday night!)

What is bothering me is that we took the kids to see a Lion Dance this afternoon to celebrate Chinese New Year. We had a fun time (well, until the loud music started and the lion started dancing). While scrubbing the floor, I hear the news story that a man was robbed and forced into his car at gunpoint at the Asian Plaza this afternoon. He was shot in the back while trying to escape his car as the robbers tried to get him to an ATM.

This is the exact same place I blindly took my kids to.

The same place Bill walked alone down the street to get the car to come and pick us up.

The same place I plan to go back to and take pictures. Alone. Wrapped up in my own little world, oblivious to what is going on around me.

Have I really lived in the 'burbs that long that I've let my guard down? When we lived in an inner ring suburb my guard was always up. With kids it should be up even more, but you know what? It is not. So many people talk to my kids and we talk back. I'm distracted and looking in two different directions all the time. I'm an easy target.

My purse.

My camera.

My kids.

It scares the shit out of me.


http://www.newsnet5.com/news/22559187/detail.html

Another Busy & Snowy Day

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com


Most days, we are busy. Today we were B-U-S-Y and we didn't have time for the weather to stop us, despite its best efforts.

(one of my new favorite pics)



We started the day at the schoolhouse for some fun learning about shadows. The kids really enjoyed this class because they got to play with flashlights.



After stories we stopped at Daddy's work so the kids could say "Gung Hay Fat Choy" to one of Bill's co-workers. Ever since a visit to San Francisco during Chinese New Year, I enjoy celebrating it and remembering the good times I had exploring Chinatown on my own many years ago, so I've passed on the love to the kids.

We made our way home, very slowly, as the snow increased and the road conditions worsened for an (indoor) picnic lunch and a quick nap.

Next stop was the Cleveland Clinic for Nolan's yearly check with his cranio-facial surgeon. It seems the pattern for these appointments is driving to them in a snowstorm, so today was no different.



Nolan has been practicing his Polish, so he could say "Jak si´ masz?" (How's it going?) to Dr. Papay. He was impressed and answered appropriately with a big "Dobrze!" He said Nolan's head will be fine enough for him to play football (the real question is will Mommy's head be ready for that someday!?)

To celebrate another great appointment, we headed downtown to The Greenhouse Tavern to celebrate. Ironically, the only other occupied table in the place (only because of bad weather, the food rocks!) was someone we know from the local food and wine forum. She wasn't sure it was us because she didn't believe that those were "the babies!" Me either. Me either.

Nolan chowing on the bread service.

Reagan and her "petit three." Thus named because her "petit four" had three dots on it. Clever girl.

After lots of pomme frites & petits three (and salted caramel ice cream!) we headed home for an early date with Mr. Sandman.

Well, make that three of the Pchaks.

History Mu-zee-M

http://www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com/

We put one of our Christmas gifts to good use and visited the History Museum again this week at the kids request.

If you are struggling for a gift for someone, think about a membership to something they enjoy. It is a great gift. We have the zoo, history museum, and botanical gardens-thanks again, Grammy, Grandpa Fred & Nonny Linda, & Uncle John and Aunt Jan. I'm thinking of getting a Farmpark one in the spring too.

Just to prove that toddlers change their mind like the wind, Reagan loved the dinosaur room this time.

See, I do exist and I've decided that I would have been a great paleontologist due to my attention to detail.

It was a nice family couple of hours after Bill being out of town for 5 days and we virtually had the place to ourselves, except for a middle school (maybe early high school) class. (Did we really act like that in public when we were kids? Some of the kids were sitting in the exhibits or jumping on each others back and running around while the "teacher" walked around self-absorbed.) Just another "you know you are getting old moment" for me!

More photos.

Daddy's Home

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

Do you think someone was happy that Daddy returned from California and had trolley car souvenirs for them?


Mommy was happy too, especially with the Sourdough Cheese Wheels from Acme and the Recchiuti Fleur de Sel Caramels I adore. Must.Ration.Them. (yeah, right!)

Botanimal Gardens

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

Grammy, the kids and I headed to the "Botanimal Gardens" since it was a nice, warm, indoor activity---even the parking is inside--- on a very frigid day.

The kids spent a lot of time playing with the train table and the various craft things while Grammy watched them. It gave me a few minutes to take some pictures.

"The Twins"


"Lunch Time"

Here are more. I'm pretty happy with a bunch of these. Just wish I could figure out how to make money doing something I love so much. At least enough to afford this expensive hobby!

Kalahari Fun

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

This was the twinadoes 3rd trip to Kalahari and probably their best one yet.

They were more willing to venture into the wave pool and it was a crowd pleaser. However, being battered around in those waves takes a lot out of a person, especially ones so low to the ground. I have never seen Reagan and Nolan more tired and ready to leave Kalahari as early as we did. They had a blast with Grammy and Aunt Deb and it was fun to have them see how much the kids enjoy this. It's safe to say the adults all had a good time as well.

The best quote of the trip was Reagan telling Aunt Deb that I was "at the swim-up salad bar!" Too bad I wasn't really at the swim bar, I was at our backpacks getting the kids a snack!

hanging in the "bubble tub", catching snowflakes on our tongues.

luggage cart ride. Reagan deserved it. She unloaded ALL our luggage on her own. She is very strong, you know?!

I promised Aunt Deb & Grammy there would be no bathing suit shots. This isn't *really* a bathing suit shot is it? It was too good not to post.

I've got the packing down to a science now, but one detail I neglected to address...I wore crocs (and not the warm fuzzy mammoth ones either). I figured going from my attached garage to the front door of Kalahari was no big deal. What was a big deal, was that it snowed the night we spent at Kalahari. No. Snow isn't the right word, it was a freakin' blizzard. I had to walk (a fair distance) to get the car to bring it around to load and then repark while we played in the water park after checking out of the hotel. You guessed it, after the waterpark, I had to walk back out and collect the car.

I'm not gonna lie. It sucked. BIG TIME.

My feet have never been so cold and I've never cursed my crocs so much. The whole time I was shivering and sliding walking over the wooden plank bridge to the parking lot, I kept repeating my kids names, just reminding me of why I was doing what I was doing.

They are my everything and I'd walk to the end of the earth.....in the snow.....in my crocs for them.

Who Doesn't Love This Face?

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

I swear, his apple cheeks are the two best things I've ever kissed!

He is sweet, silly, sensitive and one of two of the best cuddlers I know.

I am so lucky to call him my son.

Homemaker

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com So, I hooked up with a survey website that pays you to speak your mind. Nice, right? Good to keep my mind active with things other than Yo Gabba Gabba. I've taken a few surveys and one of the first qualifying questions is always about "employment." Homemaker is the option I have to pick.

Tonight I really thought about the word "homemaker" and how dated it is. Have we not evolved as a society that there is no other term for what I do day in and day out? Every other job has some fancy title that some HR guru made up for them. I want one too! Also, every woman I know that works at a paying job outside the house is a homemaker too, so what box does she check? From now on, I'm going to check "other" and when the write-in box pops up, here is what I'm going to write:

mommy, cook, chauffeur, maid, laundress, window washer, nurse, butt wiper, gardner, personal shopper, wife, gift wrapper, card writer, party planner, photographer, canner, travel agent, coupon clipper, playdate coordinator, blogger.

Pet Peeves

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

Dear Fellow Theatre-Go'ers:

1. If you don't know how to silence your cell phone, then you don't need to own one. You were smart enough to figure out how to put that obnoxious ringtone on, so you should be able to figure it out.

2. If, an hour after leaving the theatre, I can still smell your eau de Grandma perfume in my nostrils, you put too much on.

3. If you and your boyfriend are so tired that you can't hold your heads up through a 2 1/2 hour show and you must lean on each other, making it impossible for the person behind you to see around your ginormous conjoined head, maybe you should have stayed home and gone to bed early.

Other than that, Chicago was awesome. Dinner was even better. More on that tomorrow.

Ciao

A Mother's Love

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

Between a mother and child, a smile translates the same no matter who (or what) you are.



I was fortunate enough to catch this through glass at the Rainforest this weekend.

My Own Sonny & Cher

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

The twinadoes have their own music when they roll with Grammy, among their favorites are "Help", "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch" and "I Got You Babe."

Nolan got a little shy for the camera, he usually sings much louder, but his mouth still reminds me of the singing kids in the Charlie Brown cartoons.

This Weather Is For The Dogs

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

Reagan and Nolan had a playdate of the 4-legged sort this morning. Their best pal, Ginger, came over to romp in the snow.

The three of them had a great time!

They romped, ate icicles, played on the swingset, and just plain ran around. Well, as much as the three of them could with snow up to knees and belly.

Hanging out with Aunt Deb. The kids call this part of the woods, "Kalahari." Think they obsess much about that place?!

"Higher Uncle Sam!" -Reagan

Nolan & Ginger checking out the view of the front yard.

Alleviated the need for the afternoon Popsicles!

There wasn't a corner of the yard that went unexplored.

I don't know about Ginger, but the twinadoes came in the house and took a nice warm bath, ate lunch, and Nolan was down for the count. Reagan has skipped her afternoon nap two days in a row now. She does stay in her crib and is (for the most part) quiet so at least her body is resting. And so is Mommy's brain!

Nolan's Pickup

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com The other night the Y gym & swim classes were cancelled due to the weather. The kids were so geared up to go that we decided to venture out in the snow and go swimming anyway. Whenever we have swim class, Reagan goes into the girls family locker room with me and Nolan with Bill to the boys room. For the past 3 classes she has been asking to go with Bill so we decided to do it this time figuring it wouldn't be too crowded (it was). As I'm getting Nolan's swim trunks on he smiles at the lady across the aisle from us. He says "Hi. I'm Nolan. I'm going swimming." They proceded to have a whole conversation. He was smiling and being charming. He asked her if she knew where Reagan was. He told her Reagan was his sister. She asked if Reagan was older and said "yep, one minute! We're twins." She asked me how old he was because she said he looked pretty small to have the vocabulary he does. When we were ready to go he bid her a good night with a big grin. She laughed and told him what a sweetheart he is. My boy. The lady killer.

It's Electric

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com

Million-Dollar Noodle

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com Two years ago, I couldn't sleep. I knew in a few hours, I'd have to walk my then 8-month old son, into an operating room so a neurosurgeon and a cranial-facial plastic surgeon could cut his head open from ear to ear across the top of his scalp, remove the plates in his forehead, reshape them, create a soft spot for him, and piece him back together. It was the scariest moment of my life to just leave him alone in that stark operating room. I cried all day and felt like an elephant was standing on my chest. When the call came, almost 8 hours after I left him, the release of emotion was tremendous. There was laughter and tears and, finally, a deep breath. I have never experienced anything as intense. Nothing could have prepared us for what he'd look like in the days after the surgery. When his eyes swelled shut, he would still kick and reach when he heard a familiar voice. It was heartbreaking. I won't ever forget reading on this blog (back in the day when Bill had the password, he posted too :-0 ) that Nolan could open his eyes. I couldn't get to the hospital fast enough so he could SEE me. The smile he gave me, well it is just something I'll never forget. Looking back, it sucked, but we got through it. It was a very short-term medical issue and all went according to the best case senerio and he is just fine. I never want to do it again, but knowing that I was the best advocate for my son makes it easier. If I hadn't stood up and spoken my mind, who knows what would have happened thanks to the negligence of our (then) pediatrician. We often tell Reagan and Nolan the story about how Nolan had to have surgery on his head because he is so smart that his brain needed more room to grow. They also like to talk about the time, this past summer, that our peds office sent us to the E.R. for a case of roseola. In their little 2-year old minds, the two stories blend together and now the story is that Nolan had surgery on his "million dollar noodle" because he had roseola. I go back and read the posts from January 2008 every so often, but tonight it is most meaningful. *If you care to relive the inception of this blog, here is the month of January (read from bottom up) : http://nolanpchak.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html