Super Doubles!!!

Harris Teeter started super doubles today.  For those of you that don't know what super doubles are...  it's when coupons valued at $1.98 or less are doubled.  Normally coupons valued at $.98 are doubled.  Here are some pictures of my super double deals:

All the groceries I picked up today.

The above items I got for free.

These are the items I paid for.

Items I got for free:

2 boxes of Ortega taco shells

Lysol wipes

1 container of Country Crock butter

1 Steamfresh vegetables

1 bar of Lindt chocolate

4 Strawberry Light and Fit yogurts

1 package of taco seasonings

1 jar of taco sauce

1 can of refried beans

2 containers of sour cream

1 ladies Deodorant

1 Philly Cooking Cream

1 McCormicks Seasoning

Now the details:

Total before coupons: $64.66

Total spent: $16.97

Total saved: $47.69 or 74%

Easter Weekend

This past weekend we went to Greensburg for Easter.  On Friday night, Ben and I got together with Jared, Kelly, Scot, Justin, Sara, Tycho, and Kepler!

We went to dinner on Friday night and then back to Justin and Sara's house.

Isn't he too cute???

Double trouble.  I love these boys so much!

He did not drop the duster all night.

Easter picture.  :)

Half bath and the deck

The half bath is done (almost!) and the deck is finished (yay!).  Ben and I each took on a project during spring break.  Mine was the half bath by the kitchen and Ben was given the task of power washing and water proofing the deck. 

The half bath was painted builder's cream, had a large towel rack above the toilet, it did not have a hand towel ring, and had an old school, ugly faucet at the sink.

The beautiful bathroom is now a powder blue, the large towel rack has been removed and a hand towel ring at has been installed near the sink.  I also installed a new toilet paper holder on the left side of the toilet.  I installed a cabinet and removed the mirror.  Ben installed a new faucet because I had no idea how.  Thank you Ben!!!

Now... before and after pics!  Ha.

Ugly faucet and ugly mirror.

Why a large towel rack in a half bath?

                                                               Boring, and old looking

Action photo!

All the walls are blue, however it does not look like it in this picture.  ha!

Like the new toilet paper holder?

Beautiful new faucet and towel ring!

Fabulous new cabinet.

Now... Ben updating the deck.

Look at how yucky and grey the deck is.

 Ben power washing the deck.

Ben water proofing the deck.



Visitors

A week and a half ago (also known as "not last weekend, but the weekend before") my old roommate Ricky came up for a visit.  He and a friend drove from Charleston, SC for a weekend of fun in the Capitol.  On Saturday we took Ricky to one of our favorite restaurants... Crystal City Sports Pub!

This past weekend (also known as "last weekend") Ben's parents Sally and Al came for a visit.  We took them shopping on Saturday to some fabulous stores that they do not have in PA.  We took them to Home Goods and World Market.  World Market was having a FREE wine tasting.  Woo Hoo!  After World Market we went to Total Wine where we picked up some more fabulous wine.

Sunday we went to Church and then tried a new restaurant called the Fox Fire Grill.  That place had the most wonderful brunch in the world. 

This week is spring break and I am updating the half bath one the first floor.  Ben has power washed the deck and is working on staining it.  I will have pictures soon.

Here's your sign...

I love this joke from Bill Engvall.  If you have never heard one it could go something like this...

Abby loading groceries into car

Random person "Hey, did you go grocery shopping?"

Abby "Nooo, I just filled random plastic bags with stuff from my house...."     Here's your sign


Has this ever happened to you??  I'm not sure why stupid questions are so irritating.  As a teacher I always tell my students that there are no stupid questions.  But, that isn't always true.  Is it?
When I've told my students the same thing 394,590,458 times and someone asks me the same question, I want to shout from the roof tops "Here's your sign"    However, I try to exhibit some self-control in my class and I do not scream "Here's your sign" but answer the question for the 394,590,459th time. 

Does anyone have any coping techniques to deal/handle/resolve irritating situations where the same information has already been given repeatedly OR is something so obvious (such as my grocery example) that it should not be asked in the first place?

Random of the day:

I was craving potato soup from a bread bowl today... this picture looks so yummy!

I hope I can get a bread bowl tomorrow (Panera was out today)



Crafty.

I try to be crafty.  Sometimes I even succeed! 

My friend from work is leaving on Friday to go back to her old job.  I wanted to make her a basket of goodies to thank her for all of her hard work this year and helping me out a ton (she is a Spanish translator).

This is what I came up with:

This basket is so delicious. 

I think I really enjoy being crafty and creative (and girly) because at work I am in such a male-dominated field and I wear sweats and t-shirts to work everyday (don't get me wrong, it's fabulous).  However, I have been thinking more and more about working crafts into my life and maybe creating a second job (new business??)

I love decorating, planning parties, and "decorating" gifts, like the basket.  So my thoughts of crafting always lead me down that path.  Or scrapbooking.  I love scrapbooking!  But when I start thinking about maybe, possibly making my crafts into business, only one thing comes to mind.



The diaper cake I made for Stacy's baby shower for Emmie.  I absolutely loved making it and I think it looks pretty darn good (but I am biased).

So... would you buy a diaper cake from me?  Please leave your answer in my comments.

NYC!

This past weekend Ben and I took 36 of my students to NYC for a weekend of theater, food, and shopping!  We had 4 additional chaperons and we split the 36 students into 4 groups.  Ben and I took 14 8th grade girls to get New York bagels for breakfast, shopping on Canal Street for bags, earrings, and bracelets, more shopping in Times Square, fabulous dinners, and two shows.

Friday when we got to New York we checked into our hotel, the Marriott Marquis.  This is the view from our room:

Straight down

Straight across

The pizza and pasta buffet we had Friday night.  Or, what's left of it...

I surprised our girls after Canal Street and took them to the DASH store.

Saturday night Ben and I at dinner at The View which is the restaurant on top of the Marriott Marquis.

Times Square Sunday morning.

We had breakfast at Juniors every morning.

The play we saw Saturday night!

It was so incredibly awesome!!!

Sunday afternoon we saw Spiderman.  It was every bit the disaster I heard it would be.

Our trip to NYC was so awesome I can hardly describe it.  I was a bit nervous taking 36 kids to NYC but everything was wonderful.  How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was one of the most fabulous plays I have ever seen.  Daniel Radcliffe and John Laroquette were superb in every way!  Times Square was overwhelmingly wondeful as always.  Spiderman was interesting, horrible, incredible, and surprising.  I wonder if it will reopen after it closes in 2 weeks.

Ben and I have been so blessed this year and looking at these pictures reminds me how very fortunate we are.