My Favorite Couponing Website

About a month ago, a friend of mine recommended a great website to me:



This is a great website if you are just beginning to collect coupons or even if you have clipped coupons for years and just don't know where or when to use them. There are several great features to the website:

1. Couponing 101 and other info: This is a great place to start if you are ready to save money but don't know where to begin. There is also a list of terms and abbreviations that are frequently used on the website listed and what they mean. And you can learn the basics of store programs like CVS Bonus Bucks and Walgreens Register Rewards.

2. Grocery stores: Each week the best deals for southern grocery stores are listed on the site. Grocery stores listed on the site are Bi-Lo, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Harveys, Ingles, Kroger and Publix. Just click on the store you like to shop at and see what's on sale and if a coupon is available for that item. If there's a coupon available, it will list the amount in red along with the date it was in the Sunday paper. For online coupons, a link is provided for you to go and print the coupon. The website will also highlight items available for free or very cheap when you use a coupon and frequently lists the best weekly deals so you know which store has the best price if you must buy diapers or ground chuck for example.

3. Drug stores: Each week the website will list sale items for Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens. Similar to the grocery listings, if an item has a coupon available it will be listed below the item. Also listed are items in the store program deals such as CVS Bonus Bucks or Walgreens Register Rewards. At the end of each store's listing, the website will give you a shopping plan of what to buy and what coupons to use, showing how much you will pay out of pocket and how much you will save or even earn in store money.

4. Other good deals: Frequently the website will post rebates, special sales or giveaways by companies. Last week we went to Coldstone Creamery and took advantage of free ice cream. Today I found out about a new rebate offer from SC Johnson & Company. A lot of these offers are for a limited time so it's important to stay tuned to the website. The best way to not miss out on these deals is to either subscribe to Southern Savers - it's free just click the link on the right side of the webpage - or become a fan of Southern Savers on Facebook and the offers will appear right on your newsfeed wall.

This website can be credited with really giving me a better grasp of not only how to save money with coupons but also with how much money we have the opportunity to save if only we are aware of it! I hope you are helped by it as much as I have been!

The Fourth G

Introducing

AVA GEORGIA VELEKE

the fourth G

Georgia arrived on Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 at 11:22 am.

She was born on my parents' 36th anniversary.

She weighs 6 lbs 11 oz and is 20 inches long.

God blessed Mama with a quick delivery - only 4 and a half hours - surrounded by my hubby, my Mama and my "sister" cousin Beckie.

We are so grateful for this newest addition to our family.

God is so kind and continues to bless our family far more than we deserve.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights,

who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Are You Ready?? He's Coming!!

This week I reached the nine week mark in my pregnancy with baby Georgia. In just nine short weeks she will be here with us and the anticipation will be over. Are we ready?? Not by a longshot.

Lately I've had a lot of thoughts about preparations that need to be complete before she arrives and the what ifs (what if she's early? what if I need a c-section and have a longer recovery?). I don't want to be caught off guard and bring home a baby to a mountain of laundry, piles of dirty dishes, an unplanned school year and disorganization. I know that things will go more smoothly if there are meals in the freezer for dinner, clean laundry in the drawers, a system of housekeeping in place that my family knows how to follow. So we have begun to prepare. We're doing lots of extra cleaning, staying on top of chores, planning our school year now for this fall. We are anxiously awaiting Georgia's arrival and we want to be ready for whenever that may be.

This morning as I began making lists of things still left to be done, my thoughts turned to another event I am anticipating - the coming of Jesus. In Mark 13:32-37, Jesus reminds us that the day and the hour of his return are unknown and we must be ready. "If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone. Watch!" (Mark 13:36-37) In the busyness of life we can get caught up in our to do lists, the frantic pace and the urgent things that cry out for our attention. But we must not lose our focus! We must be always looking to the sky, ready for the Savior's return for his bride!

In the same way I don't want to be found unprepared when baby Georgia arrives, I want my Jesus to find me ready and waiting for him. Are you ready?? He's coming!!

In Step with Jesus

Here's a video of Gracie's dance recital performance tonight. All the girls did so wonderfully dancing in worship to Jesus. I know He is well pleased with both their dancing and their hearts.

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/3b10fbda376437774db5971a109a2d60/video/4339107

First Harvest

Today we brought in our first harvest from the backyard garden. This is some beautiful lettuce, even better than what you find in the store. The kids are very excited to help me make a great salad for dinner tonight. And we're all anxiously awaiting the future harvests to come - tomatoes, cucumbers, red and yellow bell peppers, squash, zucchini and cilantro.

Hope this is the beginning of a wonderful summer for you and your familiy!

Easter Pictures

Several people have asked to see our Easter pictures of the kids this year, so I'm posting them here for everyone to see. Enjoy!!

Gilbert asked if I thought he looked like a preacher - he loved his tie!

All dressed up for Easter

Gracie did not care about taking pictures - she just wanted her Easter basket!

Nanny found matching dresses and shoes for Glorie and Gracie - so pretty!

We could not get Glorie to smile...until we asked her if she wanted to eat!!

Growing in Jesus (and the Backyard too)

This afternoon, after much anticipation and waiting, my hubby built our raised bed frame and filled it with wonderfully rich black dirt. We've been planning and talking about our first garden for weeks, so we were all excited to see it finally come together. We all went to the store together this afternoon and picked out several plants - tomatoes (large and grape size); cucumbers; red and yellow bell peppers; zucchini; squash - and also some seeds for cilantro, green onions and two kinds of lettuce.

After dinner, the kids and I put our hands in that rich soil and planted the plants and seeds. We talked about how we would enjoy the fruits of our labors all through the summer and also about the work that was needed so that we'd have veggies to enjoy - the watering, the looking for bugs/pests, the weeding, the harvesting. The work has been a big part of our conversation over the last few weeks. With Mama being pregnant all summer, most of the work will have to fall to the kids and Dad. So we've talked a lot about reaping what you sow, being diligent and doing your part.

We've also used this opportunity to teach a spiritual lesson as well. In our own Christian walk with Christ, we reap what we sow. If we are spending regular time sowing the seed of the Word of God into our hearts; if we cultivate our relationship with Christ through prayer; if we seek to grow in knowledge and understanding of the gospel and its impact on our hearts - there will be a bountiful harvest of fruit that will be evident to us and to those around us.

One of the kids asked, "What are we going to do with so many tomatoes and vegetables?" Our hope is to share our bounty with our neighbors and our friends and family. In the same way, when our lives are full of spiritual fruit, the bounty overflows and we share the fruit of the gospel with those we love. If our garden is producing bushels and bushels of harvest, people will want to know what we're doing differently so they can try it in their own gardens. If our hearts are producing in us the fruits of the Spirit, people will want to know how we are able to be joyful, loving, patient, kind, self-disciplined and long suffering. Then we can point to Jesus and share the fruit of the gospel in our lives.

This garden is a new challenge for all of us. It will require work, perseverence and a willingness to learn new things. We will have to be consistent in our care of the garden. For me personally, this garden is also a challenge for me spiritually. How well am I tending the garden of my heart? Is it neglected and overrun by weeds of distraction and busyness? Does my life bear spiritual fruit? Can others around me see the bounty of the harvest that God is producing in me? Is there fruit in the gardens of my childrens' hearts? How can I sow seeds into their hearts that will produce good fruit? How can I share the harvest with those around me?

I'm looking forward to seeing what this summer produces - in my garden and in my heart.