Apparently, It Really Is More Irresistible

I don't love the latest (tacky) commercial.
It's not my favorite candy bar. But I had a coupon.

I've been trying to save money with coupons but not in an extreme way. For example, I'll use websites to identify deals,  clip my coupons and go to Kroger -- but I'm not at the level of those who do the drugstore shopping and get money back. Yet.

I am also trying save my mind. I'm interested in getting my friend Jill's summer system started. It's how she gets her kids to do things like chores without having to nag. They get tokens if they are done with their To Do list by noon and can redeem tokens the next day for things like treats, activities, or even money. She collects tokens back for infractions like whining, being argumentative, etc. DO YOU READ MY BLOG, JILL? SEND ME THE RULES FOR YOUR SYSTEM!

So today at Kroger I used coupons to begin a stash for token redemption. I had a sweet coupon -- $.50/2 Three Musketeer bars -- and Kroger doubles coupons up to $.50 but wait, it get's even better! At the checkout, the candy bars were on sale 2/$1 so with my coupon I got them for free. Awesome.

Now the chocolate is calling to me. Is it wrong to raid my own stash?

Weird Science

Afterbirth: It's What's For Dinner is the name of an article I stumbled across online today. The internet is a vast and disturbing place.

I've heard of keeping umbilical cords for the stem cells, but who knew you could have your afterbirth converted into pills to help ward off postpartum depression and increase milk supply? If you have done this, I say, "Good for you!" But don't tell me because I also say, "TMI!"

Meanwhile, back at the lab, I just finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. "HeLa" cells were instrumental in the development of the polio vaccine and are still being used in research on cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization and much more. Although HeLa cells became famous within the scientific community, for decades Henrietta Lacks' family didn't know they had been taken and were being used for research.

The book reveals Henrietta's story, the cells' history and how the truth about each finally came out. It is well-writen, fascinating nonfiction.

100 Things Lighter

I did it. It was the biggest closet purge yet, but I still kept some things I 'm not ready to part with. In the end, the embarrassing and hideous truth is that I cleared out 56 items to give to friends and CCA (local charity shop). I have one more stack I'd like to get to Utah somehow.

It was hot in my closet but I was motivated. Because I hadn't reached my goal with clothing, I added some hangers. Then I went down to the pantry and stuffed about 50 grocery store bags into a sack for my dog-owning friends.

It totally counts.

100 Things or What Not to Store

Sue tells me that Shelly sometimes decides she's going to give away 100 things and goes through the house clearing out miscellaneous items. Shelly's house is not cluttered, and I admire that. Especially since things are starting to get out of control around here.

So today I'm going to give away 100 things, starting with my closet.
There's a lot of stuff in there that needs a good home.
Winter holdouts, pre-Texas (14 years)
Maternity leftovers (10 years)
Things I might fit into again (6/5/4/3/2 years)

I'm talking about the really cute stuff...
You know the Serentiy Prayer? Here is my cleaning-out-the-closet version:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot wear;
courage to find the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

My Head Might Explode / Father's Day Fashion

Okay, I know my head won't really explode -- it's a wee bit of exaggeration -- feels good to let the crazy overpower the rational. It happens sometimes. In June. Do not be concerned. These are not the droids you are looking for.

And now for something completely different:

All the cool Dads were wearing these.

The Relief Society was asked to come up with Father's Day treats this year. I found this idea online and thought it was perfect -- chocolate and just the right amount of silly. We made 100 and asked some of the older Primary kids to hand them out. I am happy to report that many men wore them.

Happy Father's Day!

Bats In The Belfry... Or Something Like That

I may have attic rats. Or squirrels. Perhaps both. A scratching sound in the ceiling above the master bedroom is what alerted us.

Two companies came to inspect and give me quotes and two others I interviewed by phone. All four approached the situation similarly, and each had different strengths. There was no clear winner, although at $500-$875 I was clearly the loser. It made my head swim. So I let it sit for a night and day and then another night.

This morning I still didn't know what to do, so I decided to try one last company. They came, inspected, gave me a great quote, with me paying only a fraction of it this month. "You're hired!" They'll be here early next week to fill in gaps, set traps, and treat for pests of the more common variety.

I'll keep you posted.

Multitasking at the Pool

I started going to water fitness classes at the gym this week because I'm trying to become physically stronger in a kinder, gentler way. I am extremely deficient in vitamin D, so it pleases me to be able to address that issue at the same time. I sunbathe after class for that, to get dry enough to drive home and in an attempt to give my albino legs some pigmentation. Four days in and they're still pretty glow-y, but slow and steady is the only way it works for me. I hope to keep this morning pool and sun routine throughout the summer. Stay tuned...

Sizing It Up II

 Displaying clothes and the current ideal for women.
(Considering all of the beautiful women you  know,  how many look like this? )

The cute long-torso swimsuit I ordered Kate  was not long enough and it had to be sent back. It is the fourth one I have returned. On Wednesday, the day of her swim check, I got a workable but not so cute "practice suit" at the sporting goods store.  Then I  found out that tankinis are allowed at camp, after all. We'll look for a cute one as soon as I can gear up for the experience. Isn't shopping fun?! 


I think C.Jane's guest blogger nailed it:

How many of us go into a dressing room with 2 or 3 different sizes of the same pants and stare into the mirror blaming our body for not fitting into clothes that were made across the world on an assembly line? How often do we walk away from a trip to the dressing room feeling “fat” or “disgusting” and resolving to begin another weight loss diet? If you had a tailor who continually made clothes that felt too big, too tight, too long, too short . . . would you change your body? Or would you change tailors? 

You can read the full post here.