October Deals

Hello October!  You decided to come in strong with cooler temps and some rain.  Thanks, I really appreciate it. :) All jokes aside,  I really love fall.  I love the crispness in the air, the beautiful colors, the pumpkins, warm apple crisp, and the coziness of my little house lit with a vanilla cinnamon candle. It's the little things that make me happy.

My new membership coupons from Costco came in the mail and I am super excited to redeem them! I won't get there before my trip to Arizona which is only 9 days away (but who is counting?) so it looks like I will be making a pretty decent size trip come mid October.  Here are my deals that are on my list. 11.49
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers:: Normally 9.69/9pk
                                Sale :: 7.69/9pk = .85 each!  I love these things! 

All detergent:: Normally 14.49/158 loads
                Sale:: 11.49/158 loads =.07/load   I have allergies and am very sensitive to smelly detergents so I am super excited that Costco carries the free and clear ALL.

Fruit Snacks:: Normally 10.99/80count
            Sale::  7.99/80count =.10 each

Cooking Spray:: Normally 5.89/2pk
                   Sale:: 4.54/2pk

Those are my must have items that I plan on buying.  There are also some items that I am interested in but are unaware of the original price. If you know what the normal cost is, please let me know!

Semi Sweet chocolate morsels 72 oz $2.50 off
Izze Sparkling Juice Variety Pack 24 ct $4.00 off
Ziplock Variety Storage Bags 204 ct $2.50 off
Crazy Cuizine Mandarin Orange Chicken 66oz $3.75 off

Here are a few other deals this month that I am not planning on buying but I thought might interest the rest of my facebook friends (being that most of us are married with children).

Kirkland Diapers are on sale for $33.99 a box (count varies).  These are normally $38.99 a box.

Tide Powder Detergent is $6.00 off the normal price.

Kirkland Laundry Pacs are $3.5 off the normal price.

Crest Toothpaste is $4.00 of normal price. 5-8.2oz tubes.

My free coupons are a Free Kirkland Signature Apple Pie.  I.am.so.excited! I also am getting  a free Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken, and a free pack of Kirkland 2 ply toilet paper (30 ct).

Has anyone tried the pie before?  I love anything that has baked apples in it!
Happy Shopping!

Thoughts on Costco

I have been going back and forth on buying a membership at Costco for quite some time now. Jon and I bought one when we first were married. And we used it once. Totally worthless in my opinion. Fast forward 7 years and 2 kids later, I feel like I am always going to the grocery store and buying the same things over and over. So I gave purchasing a membership some thought.  To me it does seem strange having to pay to shop at a store. What is up with that? I even went to Costco to price things and compare them to my Jenison Meijer store. Costco did beat Meijer on some items but the thought of having to pay 55 bucks turned me off.  So I decided against it.

That is until a few weeks ago when a FaceBook friend of mine told me about a LivingSocial deal where when signing up as a new member (a new member qualifies if your membership has expired over 18 months ago, or you have never had a membership with Costco) you receive a $20.00 Costco Cash Card, and a coupon book mailed to you that has coupons for free rotisserie chicken, toilet paper, and apple pie. They had me at apple pie.  Say no more- I was signing up. :) The toilet paper is about a $15.00 value, so that alone with the gift card is a savings of $35.00- plus the pie and chicken, so I decided yes. I.need.a.membership.

My first trip, I spent $23.00 of my own money and my $20.00 gift card. I had my list made out and I knew what I could buy and how much I could spend. No impulse buys. That's what I kept telling myself. I did not buy the laundry soap on my list because I saw a sneak peak of the October monthly coupons that Costco puts out and I decided I would buy my laundry soap then.  So I replaced my soap with some Febreze  instead :). Here is what I bought. Please no judging or bashing on my items.  You may eat differently than us and that is fine.  We all do what we have to do.  There is no need for any bashing.
My trip included:
 40 Capri Sun on sale for 7.49
1 (2) package box Cheeseitz on sale for 5.99
24 GoGo apple sauce pouches  on sale for 7.99
36 Dannon smoothies for kids on sale for 6.99
3 Febreze Sprays
110 Dishwasher Pacs

I think Costco puts out a coupon book each month. (Please correct me if I am wrong). So For example, Capri Suns are normally 8.99. From 9/4 thru 9/28 they are basically on sale for 1.50 off list price with a limit of 4. The man that helped me with my membership said that I could buy 4 on Monday and come back on Tuesday and buy 4 more. It limits your 'per day' amount.  I thought that was pretty cool of him to tell me that. But-- there are not any prices on the food/grocery items in the coupon book.  For me, that is a pain because I like to know the starting price and figure out the math of the discount so I am not shocked at the checkout. Other items have a no limit on them.

 I want to share my findings in what I like to call "Costco VS. Meijer" Is bulk always better?"
Here are some typically grocery items and prices from both stores.
M= Meijer C=Costco

Paper Towel: M- Bounty Basic     11.99/12 ct.   .999/Roll
                       C- Kirkland brand   14.99/12 ct.   1.25/Roll
      I had a .25 off Mperk coupon for Bounty as well bringing the price to 11.74/12ct

Toilet Paper: Costco won. I could not even find a 36 count package that came near the price.
                      14.69/36ct of Kirkland Brand.

Dishwasher tabs: Hands down Coscto. 9.69/110ct .09/tab/wash

Toothpaste: This is a good one.  Meijer always has sales on toothpaste.  Usually the sale is 2/6 or 3/5, and that usually a 5.8 oz tube.
                     M: 2 for 6 = 3.00 each or 2 for 5 = 2.50 each
                     C: Kirkland (6) 7.5 oz tubes for 9.99 = 1.67 each

Detergent: Meijer usually has a different brand on sale each week.  If you are a coupon cutter and enjoy hunting for a good deal, Meijer may beat Costco. 
              C: Kirkland Powdered detergent 15.89/200 loads .08/load.
            If you do not like powdered detergent, here is the liquid breakdown
             C: 13.99/126 loads .11/load (Kirkland brand).
            I found if you can get under .08/load then you are getting a great deal!

Frozen Waffles: We eat this for breakfast with fruit :)
         M:    If you stock up when Meijer is running a 10 for 10 sale, you can get (6) 10 ct. boxes for 6.00 which equals to .10/waffle.
         C: 6.99/60ct = .12/waffle
         M: (not on sale) 4.49/24ct = .19/waffle

Frozen Chicken Breasts: I have heard awesome things about Costco's frozen Chicken Breasts. I can't wait to buy some!
         M: (Sale Price) 9.98/4lbs  2.50/lb  I think the regular price is 11.99/4lbs which is 2.997/lb!!
         C: 22.99/10lbs 2.30/lb

Frozen Pizza: We eat this sometimes since Jon has such a crazy work schedule.
         M: Their sale price is usually 10/3pizza = 3.33 each or 10/4= 2.75 each.
         C: 9.99/4= 2.50/pizza

Cheese Block: This is crazy how much better Costco price is!
        M: usually on sale for 3/6 for an 8oz block.  Buy 4 to get 32oz for 8.00/32oz=.25/0z or 4.00/lb
        C: 5.99/32oz block.    .19/0z or 2.99/lb

Goldfish:
       M: 7.69/30oz =.26/oz
       C: 8.99/58oz= .16/oz

Capri Suns: (No judgment, remember!)
      M: They have them on sale sometimes for 1.88/10 =.19/drink
      C: 8.99/40 =.19/drink.
      The trick is buying them when they are on sale at Meijer if you happen to be there.

Applesauce Pouches:
      M: Sale price usually of 2 for 4.00 (4pk) that's .50 a pouch.
      C: 10.49/24ct =.44each

BBQ Sauce:
We like Sweet Baby Rays. I grew up on that stuff! If you buy it when its on sale 10 for 10 at Meijer then it is very comparable to Costco price.
      M: (sale) 1.00/18 oz = .06/oz
      C: 4.89/ (2) 40 oz bottles = .06/oz

Cooking Spray:
    M: They usually put theirs on sale for 2 for 3 or 2 for 4 and it is normally a 6 oz bottle. that is .25/oz or .33/oz.
   C: 5.89/(2) 16oz bottles = .18/oz

Sugar:
    M: 2.39/5lb (sale Price) .48/lb
    C: 3.99/10lb = .40/lb

Fruit snacks:
    M: These usually go on sale for 2.00 a box. 2.00/12ct = .17 each
     C: 10.99/80ct = .14 each

I can tell you that the boxes of Kirkland Diapers are 38.99 (count varies) and wipes were right around 19.99 for 1000.
I did not look at the produce or fruit yet. I hope to be able to do so soon! What do you guys think? Do you have a membership? Have you ever compared costs before?  What are your go to items at Costco? What do you think you get for a great deal? And who know where the croutons are!? I could not find any on Saturday!  We eat a lot of side salads and Jon loves croutons!

I understand that people can be picky on their brands and that is fine!  I am too when it comes to certain items.  This was seriously just a fun little big project that I have been wanting to do. I guess that is the math/banker geek in me :)

I hope to be back in action in a few days to bring you the Must Have for the October Coupon Deals.  I have my list wrote out, but I want to wait until Costco is public with their coupons before I post.

*If you see an error that I need to fix, please let me know! Thanks all!!

Oh Baby Baby...

It has been awhile since I’ve updated.  I know.  But life is busy.  And when your computer sounds like an airplane taking off, you tend not to turn it on.  But since Jon and I have a new computer, well new to use, I should be able to update more.  His mom got a new one and we got her old desktop. This one doesn’t sound like an airplane taking off and it’s a flat screen monitor.  Not like my old one that was about 2 feet long in the back.  So this is a step up for us.  Why do I want to update more?  Well let me tell you!  Our family is growing, and in June we will have a new little baby.  Yes, that is correct!  Hailey is going to be a big sister!

With this pregnancy comes new challenges.  1.  Even when I am so tired I can’t keep my eyes open, I still need to be awake for Hailey.  Not like last time when I pretty much slept on the couch after work every night until bed time.  2.  This pregnancy brings weekly infusions for me.  My first infusion was last week and I will have them every Thursday until this baby makes its appearance. Why do I need infusions?  Let me start at the very beginning.

After Miss Hailey was born, her amazing pediatrician noticed red spots on her body.  Along with the severe bruising from such a traumatic birth he knew something was not right.  So he ordered a CBC test. Her platelet levels were at an extreme low of 14,000. Normal level is 150,000-400,000.  Platelets are what clot your blood.  Without those, you can bleed to death.  He thought that number had to have been a mistake.  So he ordered another one.  That one came back even lower.  So she was rushed to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.  At that point, Jon left with her and I was stuck at Metro.  Long story short- she received platelet transfusions and an IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) and was able to come home 4 days later.  Why did she have such low platelets?  Well after genetic testing on myself and Jon, come to find out we have incompatible blood platelets.  {Yes- this is different from the Rogam shot – or however you spell it.  If I could take a shot to fix this issue I most definitely would. That sounds a bit easier then 8 hours of an IV in my arm.}

Hailey was more than a miracle.  She beat the odds. This condition is called Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombcytopenia.  It occurs in 1 out of every 5000 births.  Go figure that we are that lucky one.  I think I read somewhere that an untreated pregnancy has a 5% survival rate.  That’s low.  But a treated pregnancy has a 95% survival rate.  I want those odds.  Thanks to www.Naitbabies.org for this wonderful explanation of how this nasty bug works.

When a woman becomes pregnant, genes (inherited traits) from her egg are combined with genes from her partner’s sperm. Together a unique embryo (future baby) is formed. This embryo carries with it genes from both the mother and the father. These genes include things such as hair and eye color, body build, blood type and platelet type.

Platelet alloimmunization happens when a mother’s body forms antibodies (a protein substance that reacts to unrecognized proteins in the body) in reaction to antigens that are different from her own.

These antibodies are usually formed when the mother’s blood circulation comes in contact with blood from another person that is different from her own. This can happen with blood transfusion, or during a miscarriage, abortion, or after the delivery of a child, when the baby’s blood mixes with the mother’s. It can also happen during pregnancy, as the baby’s blood can cross the placenta and come in contact with the mother’s. If the mother’s platelet type is negative for a certain antigen and the baby’s platelets are positive for that antigen, the mother may form antibodies against the baby’s platelets.

During pregnancy, these antibodies cross the placenta (afterbirth) and attach to the platelets in the baby’s blood.

The antibodies can cause the unborn baby’s platelets to disappear from his or her blood stream, resulting in a low platelet count. This is called thrombocytopenia. The disease process that happens in the fetus or baby is known as Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia. It is a direct result of the platelet alloimmunization in the mother. In about one fourth of cases, the baby can experience spontaneous bleeding into the brain; in about one third of these cases, this leads to fetal death.

So this is why I am having infusions done.  The IVIG that I am given is made up from antibodies of many people.  It is not exact as to how it works, but it I’ve read that it crosses the placenta therefore raising the baby’s platelets.  It also helps the baby have zero bleeding in the brain.  My nurse said that it raises my platelets which therefore raise the baby’s platelets.

My first infusion went well, until about 10 hours later.  I came down with a nasty headache.  Not a take some medicine and it goes away kinda headache.  This was one of the worst migraines I have ever had.  It’s hard to describe the horrible pain I was in.  It lasted for about 18 hours.  Needless to say I am hoping that this week’s infusion doesn’t bring those same side effects.

Everything is on the table now.  If you have any questions just ask.  I am still learning about NAIT.  I am no expert.  But this is life and these are the cards Jon and I were dealt.  And please don’t think I am complaining.  We could have things way worse. We are lucky.  We have amazing doctors through Spectrum Maternal Fetal Medicine who are taking great care of us. 

Until next time!  God Bless!  

Photo Fun

It has been a very long time since I have been on here to update.  Life in general is crazy.  Taking care of my very active toddler (yes, I tear up when I say that because she is no longer a 'baby' and yes I know I am that total dorky mom) but also working outside of the home and everything else that life throws at me causes this blog to get put on the back burner.  But here I am! And I come with another photo session post!  Now I have actually known this totally awesome guy in these pictures for quite awhile.  He is very good friends with my brother in law and was also an usher in my wedding.  Out of all of my brother in laws friends, and believe me- he has a ton, this guy has always been my favorite of them all.  He has always been so friendly and polite and just a stand up kind of guy.  I am so happy for him and Ash.  They really seem to just enjoy each others company and truly care about one another.  Here are some of their pictures.  Now remember, I am no professional here.  Maybe someday, though :)

Such a Fun Time!

I was given the honor to photograph my wonderful daycare provider, Miss Sara and her family.  I used to work with Sara at the bank, and I am so blessed and thankful that she is in my (and Hailey's) life.  Sara has been there for me during some pretty difficult times in my life and it was so nice having someone to talk to and relate to.  She is such an amazing woman, and is a big inspiration to me.  She watches my darling princess once a week (sometimes twice).  I know that Hailey is in such loving care when she is over at Miss Sara's house.  It makes being a working mom so much easier when you have such a wonderful daycare provider!  Her family is so stinking cute.  I had so much fun with them!

Fall Fun

I'm finally able to create another post.  The past few weeks have been so crazy.  I hope things start to slow down a bit!  I've been loving fall.  I love the crispness to the air.  I love the leaves and their beautiful colors.  I wish the trees could always look this pretty.
This past week I was given the opportunity to photograph some wonderful people.  I am not a 'professional' by any means. I just like taking pictures capturing the moment.  I am still learning and figuring out the cool things my camera can do... like continuous shooting mood.  I wish I would have known about that one when I photographed this wonderful family :)  The kids are beyond adorable, and their parents are such sweet, loving parents.  I used to work with Katie, and I still wish I did.  She is such a wonderful woman and a fabulous mommy.  Kraig is a pretty decent guy too ;)  Thank you for letting my photograph your wonderful family!  These are just a few of my favs!

Homemade Mayo, anyone?

I"ve been experimenting this week with all sorts of different fun projects.  I've been so blessed to be able to have stayed home this week.  I am sad that this time is drawing to a close, but to be honest I am anxious (and nervous) to get back in the swing of this.  Exspeically with all the crazyness that has been going on a work. 
I was thinking about how much I enjoy fair week.  I really enjoy the fair food.  I really, really enjoy the fair fries with vinager on them.  I've decided that's what I'm going to make for dinner.  I'm going to dig out my mini deep fryer and see what happens.  I already set some chicken out and I got this craving for a chicken wrap.  Thus, I decided I wanted to make my own mayo.  I didn't realize how simple and tasty it is!
2 egg yoks
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 lime, squeezed
salt and pepper to taste
dash of curry powder
1/2 cup veg. oil
Put the first 6 ingredients in a food processor and blend.  Then you slowly add the oil and keep it blending.  I wanted a 'bite' from my mayo so that's why I put in the curry powder.  Keep it mixing until you reach a nice 'mayo-ish' consistency.  It can be stored in the fridge for a week or so, in an air tight container. 
I plan on making chicken wraps with my new mayo and lettuce.  I might even add some mushrooms and onions.  I'm pretty excited! 

On a different note::  did you know that you can use equal parts borax and baking soda as dishwasher detergent?  You can also use vinegar as a rinse aid.  It worked out great!