It has been quite a busy week here for me!  Christmas is coming so fast.  Every morning, I have the kids count out tome how many days it will be.  This morning we will count 3!  They are getting so excited!  Saturday night, I was up pretty late, paying all the bills and writing out the Christmas cards.  I also mailed my nephew Logan's gift--we got him a Toys R Us gift card. 

     One day last week, I put a little bag of colored marshmallows in Cameron's lunchbox.  He came home and told my mom that he ate all his lunch, but he didn't say much else.  The next day, we walked him down to school, an his teacher, Miss Kathy, told us that they always have the kids eat their sandwich before they can have anything else in their lunchbox.  She said usually Cameron takes a few bites and talks, then eats a little more.  But that day he wolfed that sandwich down!  She said she never saw him eat so fast!  She asked if he was hungry, and he pulled out the bag of colored marshmallows and said, "Look!  Colored marshmallows!"  All the other kids said, "WOW!"

After we walked Cameron to school on Friday, my mom and I went to a sale.  Dave's aunt had passed away this summer, and her kids were having a sale at her house.  I got a few books and some other things, and in the living room, there was a box full of old papers and booklets and things.  I asked how much they wanted for the stuff, and they told me I could take whatever I wanted fo free!  I got some pretty exciting stuff in there!!  I got an old canning book from the '40s, an old dream interpretation dictionary (there wa no date on that, but it is literally crumbling, so it's pretty old), and the best find of all--Dave's grandfather's old report cards from 1916-1917!!

In the mail the past 2 weeks I have gotten address labels, a sample of Escada perfume, lots of magazines, a few coupons for FREE Glade refills, 2 coupons for $10 off any purchase at J. C. Penney, lots of Christmas cards, a free Pledge Multi-Surface wipe, a big packet of coupons, some free coloring books, the sale paper, a sample of Calgon body spray, a religious booklet, some Marlboro coupons which I am trading online, the gifts I ordered online for Dave, some gum for a product test, 3 free books, a sample of Tetley tea, a sample of Golden Moon tea, a $10 Wal-Mart gift card from MyPoints, a sample of orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn which will go in Dave's stocking, a sample of Tide Cold Water and a sample of Tea Chef chestnut tea.

On Saturday, I did 3 loads of laundry, started typing the cookbooks I made for Christmas, vacuumed and made lots of cookies.  Then I stayed up pretty late that nigh, and got the cookbooks almost finished. 

I worked all day Sunday, then when I came home, we got the kids to bed a little early, and we wrapped presents.  I had a pretty good time, but I think Dave got tired pretty early.

On Monday, I didn't have to be at work till 1:00.  Cameron had a make-up day at school because they had a snow day a few weeks ago.  After we took Cameron to school, we went into town.  I had earned $1 off per gallon of gas at GetGo, so we went there.  Dave filled up both of the tanks in his truck for $38!  It is normally that much to fill 1 tank!  We paid $1.35 a gallon for that gas!  I am proud of that, because I showed him that I help save money in all areas.  We went to Wal-Mart for 1 last-minute gift, and Dave had an extra 10% off 1 item.  So we waited in the long line, and when we got there, the lady told us (not so nicely) that we had to go to register 22.  So we went over to register 22, and no one was there.  We stood there for a good while before anyone came over.  Dave was furious.  After we FINALLY  left there, we went to eat at Arby's.  There jalapeno poppers are to die for!

Tuesday was my shopping day with my mom.  We went to CVS first.  I spent $15.78, and I got a pack of Twizzlers for Emily, 2 Gillette Fusion shave gels, 2 packs of soft peppermints, a pack of Gillette Fusion blades for Dave's stocking, 2 Revlon eyeshadows, and 2 Revlon lipsticks.  Then we went to Ulta.  We had coupons for $3.50 off a $10 purchase.  We really didn't need anything, but it was fun.  I got a lipgloss set and a Rimmel nailpolish.  We stopped at Bed, Bath and beyond next.  I seriously could have spent thousands of dollars in there.  They have got some really cool kitchen gadgets!!  I got a Rudolph cookie cutter set and a measuring cup that measures ounces, milliliters, teaspoons and tablespoons.  They let me use a $5 coupon, plus a 20% coupon!  We stopped at Petco to get Max some food, too.  We had to look at the fish while we were there.  There was a little bunny that I wanted.  It was brown and had floppy ears.  It was SO sweet!  Then we went to Giant Eagle.  I spent $44.98, and I got 3 gallons of milk, 2 Philadelphia cream cheese, a shrimp platter for Dave, 2 big cans of Redpack tomato sauce, a box of Bisquick, 2 big boxes of Glad freezer bags, 5 boxes of Hefty garbage bags, a McCormick gravy mix, 3 Betty Crocker brownie mixes, 2 loaves of bread, a Green Giant boxed vegetable, 2 packs of Oscar mayer bologna, a pack of Breyers yogurt, a bag of grapes, a Breakstone's sour cream, a Hunt's pudding snack pack, a pack of pork chops, and a head of cabbage.  When I got home, I had a lot of food to make.  My friend Steve's birthday was Sunday, and I asked him what he wanted me to make him.  He wanted my pork and cabbage saute.  I had gotten a small head of cabbage at work the other night, but I was afraid it might no be enough, so I bought another head at the grocery store.  I made a BIG pot of rice, and I made the pork and cabbage saute.  Dave ate 2 big plates, I ate 1 big plate, Cameron ate a little bit, Dave made us each a lunch, and Steve had enough for 2 lunches!  Plus I still had some rice leftover!!  And it cost me around $2.50 to make all that! 

On Tuesday evening, I made out my Christmas cards for work.  I had a big stockpile of Swiss Miss hot cocoa that I had gotten almost free a few weeks ago.  So I put a packet of hot cocoa in everyone's card.  I also finished up my cookbooks, which was a big relief.

Wednesday and yesterday, I gave out some cookbooks at work.  Everyone really liked them!  I put in all our favorite recipes!  Yesterday, my friend Angela gave me 2 candles for Christmas, and the owner's mother gave me a candle.  I LOVE candles!  Angela's were blueberry cobbler and watermelon.  Judy's was gingerbread.