Ah, those blues

It's raining here again. It's been raining for about a week.

Some mornings, after my husband leaves for work, I convince Baby Girl she wants to go back to bed just so I can go back to bed. On some of those mornings, I take a quick nap and then pop up and carry on with my day. Usually, though, I end up bringing her to my bed to snuggle and play because I have trouble moving or getting out of bed.

I know, know, that what I need to do is get up, get dressed and have a day. I know that I need to turn off my computer, read a book, exercise, get out of the house at least a little. But what I feel like doing and what I'll feel good doing aren't the same.

I'm reading again, which is good - although my last choice, The Last Time They Met: A Novel
, left me in a horrible funk that lasted for days. Next time, I'll look for something more uplifting. Reading, though, makes me feel more like me. It keeps the days from all seeming the same.

And Baby Girl, who is right now sleeping on my chest because when I put her down, she immediately woke up, turned to look at me, furrowed her eyebrows (she did!), and let out a little whimper that clearly said, "Mommy! This is not going to happen"? She can stay right here with me because nothing makes me feel calmer and stronger than loving her.

Things I've learned this week

The Internet tells me there's an 8 month sleep regression. This in no way helps with the waking every 2 hours, but does assure me that Baby Girl and I aren't (too) weird.

When you sleep in 2 hour spurts, it's hard to maintain a train of thought longer than one sentence.

Coupon shopping is still fun with a baby if you go when the stores are empty. Not so much if you're in line behind 3 people with the world's slowest checker and it's lunch time. And nap time.

Coupon shopping is even more fun when it's for a good cause.

Social networking is fun and addictive.

8 month olds think that 3 year olds at the zoo are far more entertaining than lions.

Coffee makes me a better mommy.

The sun is in fact not a mass of incandescent gas. It's a miasma of incandescent plasma.

Bananas taste much better than peas. That's why they end up in Baby Girl's hair less.

Sunlight gives me energy. And gives my leaves their healthy green color.

Free stuff to donate!

Are you getting geared up for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive? What's that, you say, you have nothing to donate? Here are some things you can pick up this week for free that your local food bank would love to have.

Walgreens

Carefree Pantiliners are on sale for $0.99.
Use $1/1 from last Sunday's Smart Source coupon insert.

Tylenol Precise on sale for $7.99. (This is either a cream or a heating pad and is not with the pain relievers in my store, so you know.
Use $5/1 printable coupon.
AND use the $3/1 store coupon from the Walgreens May Coupon Booklet (found in the front of the store)

Nature Made Calcium 120 ct is on sale for $5. This was not marked down in my store but still rung up for $5!
Use $5 printable coupon on the Walgreens facebook page


Target

Aquafresh Extreme Clean .8oz Travel Size regular price .97 (In the travel aisle)
Use $1/1 Any Aquafresh Extreme Clean Product HERE

Reach Floss $1
Use $1/1 Printable coupon (no longer available)

CVS
Similac Ready to Feed Formula (32 oz) – $4.99
Use $5.00/1 Similac Product from 4/3 Smart Source insert

Thanks to Coupon Katarina and Totally Target for finding these deals. If you have more time and more coupons, check out their awesome sites!

Don't forget to join the Facebook cause to ask Campbells to donate a pound of food and like Valpak to donate another $1

Do Good: Stamp Out Hunger

Stamp Out Hunger, the national letter carriers' food drive, is coming up on Saturday, May 14. If you, like me, have an overflowing stockpile of non-perishable foods and health and beauty aids, this is a great way to clean out your pantry while helping others. And it's so easy! Just leave the food out by your mailbox next Saturday, and it will be donated to a local food bank for you.

Plus when you join Stamp out Hunger on facebook causes, Campbells will donate 1 pound of food on your behalf. What are you waiting for? Go join!

Rethinking the blog

When I first started blogging, I thought I knew exactly why I was doing it. I wanted to write. And help people. And be part of the frugal blogging community. And be accountable for my finances. And make money.

In my experience, when I have to come up with 5 completely different reasons why I want to do something, it means I'm trying too hard to convince myself.

For a long time, I liked blogging, and I especially liked blogging about frugality. I made lists, I waxed philosophical, I linked to other bloggers, I joined carnivals. I was having a lot of fun. Until I wasn't.

At some point along the line, I just stopped feeling the blogging love. When I was teaching full time, I often didn't have a lot of words left at the end of the day. And at some point, after writing about all things frugal for a while, I felt like I'd said it all. I felt boring. Sure, I could post deals, but other people did that better than I do. I could write money saving tutorials, but really? It's all been done. So I stopped.

But I have an underlying desire to keep writing, or to start writing again. I want to put things out in the world, to be really honest, to write as if no one is reading (because let's be honest here, most days no one is). And probably, there will still be some money involved with this because I'm still a pretty frugal chica. I love coupons. I unplug chargers. I turn my ketchup bottle upside down.

I think, however, for a while at least, there's going to be a lot more life here than money.