It's Hip To Save!

As some of you know- I have recently become obsessed with this website called Hip2Save.  http://www.hip2save.com/. 
It's a money saving blog run by a stay at home mom of 3.  She posts anything from printable coupons to current deals at restaurants and stores as well as free sample websites to score free stuff!!  I have quite the stash of sample size shampoo, conditioner, and lotion (just patiently waiting for my next trip).  I'm sure my mailman hates me.  I'll post a pic the next time I get a huge stash of free stuff in the mail. 
Some of my favorite things I've gotten:
Full size Pantene Shampoo
Full size Redken straightening balm
Full size Olay antiaging face lotion
Coupon for Free Duraflame Logs
Coupon for 2 free Excedrin Migrane
Free year subscription to Shape, Cosmopolitan, and Good Housekeeping magazine
And much more!

Reading her tips on saving money and how to use coupons to the max really inspires me to do the same.  Since I've started using coupons, I save an average of $35 every time I go to the store.  That adds up! 
I will admit... I was hesitate at first that I was going to feel like a homeless person at the checkout line, and I did, but I've gotten over that because of all the $$ I've saved.  Tony thought I was crazy at first and I don't think he'll ever go to the store with me and my coupons again, but he appreciates my effort.  He was really impressed when we received 2 packets of Rachel Ray dog food samples in one week that included coupons for 2 FREE  bags of dog food!! ($15-$18 value each).
I asked for a coupon organizer for Christmas and man did I get one!  It is the best thing ever!  I don't even care that I am that crazy coupon lady.  In fact, I've had multiple people compliment me in the store.  I was at HyVee yesterday cruising down the frozen food isle with my coupon book and this lady stopped me and wanted me to show her how I did it.  She was impressed and now I know that not everyone thinks I'm out of my mind.  However, I do feel bad for the people behind me in line... sometimes.  :)

Ducks & Guns

I was asked to volunteer at a Duck's Unlimited banquet with Gina and Emily.  We were going to be selling raffle tickets - No problem right?  About a week before, we come to find out that our easy job of looking cute and selling raffle tickets turned into looking cute and being bartenders!  Maybe the worst job for the three of us... not just because we had never bartended before, but because we were in charge of serving other people drinks instead of ourselves :)  Not to mention there was about 350 people there.
So, we show up and the guy in charge is asking us if we've ever done this before... 'no'.  He gives us the 'uh oh we are in trouble' look and wants to put an 'experienced' bartender with us.  We confidently tell him that we have drank enough in our lives to figure it out and he lets us be. 
We heard through the grapevine that we were the hit of night... maybe because we were cute, or maybe because we were serving strong enough drinks that everyone thought we were cute...
I will proudly say that we succeeded with no fatalities and no angry customers.  Only suggestions for next year... lighten up on the pours (the drinks don't need to be 1/2 and 1/2) and save the caps to the bottles (so we aren't left giving away Jim Beam shots at the end of the night as people walk out the door). 
We even had time for a picture:

And here are the souvineers we came home with... pink ducks unlimited hats and a wooden mallord. 

KKKKK SSSS UUUU WILDCATS!

How bout them cats???!!!!  I have had so much fun following them this year and couldn't be more proud of my boys!  Even with the 3 loses to KU - damn those jawhawks! 
I love Frank Martin more and more each game... he is so wonderful!  I'll admit, I was mad when Huggins left (the real reason being that I bought a 'Huggieville' shirt for $30 and he annouced he was leaving about a week later.  I almost mailed it to him asking for a refund)  but Frank has been a great surprise and staple for our school.  Even though every one says he is 'one scary dude'... this happens to be my favorite expression of his...

I'm so excited to see what the Cats will do in the tournament and ready to cheer them to victory.  If we somehow make it to the Final 4... Tony and I WILL be there :) 

Purple... get ready to roll!  Come onnnnn CATS!!!!

Green Beer!!

I'm a little late on posting a Happy St. Patty's Day post... but none-the-less, here it is anyways!

What a wonderful holiday!  I secretly wish I was Irish so I could truely celebrate and not feel like a fake - but all in all I LOVE everything Irish.  Green - love it.  Beer - love it.  Irish jig music - LOVE it!  If I could go anywhere over seas again, it would be Ireland.  My fam and I pub crawled our way through Ireland in the summer of 2004 and I couldn't get enough of it.  I like to think that is the reason I am not a beer snob.  However, I will admit I don't love Guiness...  hush, don't tell the Leprechans!  Harp may be my favorite beer... my mom and I even have a little hand sign for it.  Looks something like this...

On Wednesday, Tony and I decided that we had to celebrate this amazing holiday.  In Tony's words talking to Rizzo on the phone 'It's a drinking holiday... Callie is getting antsy'. 
Tony got off work at 1:00 (I guess his boss was antsy too) and when I got home we made our way to Fred P. Otts.  Now, this is no Irish bar but it's close to our house and we figured it wouldn't be too busy.  Don't get me wrong... if I had the choice, I would have had my butt on a barstool at Kellys in Westport about 8 am.  But when you get off work at 5, it's hard to be motivated to face the drunkards - even with green beer.  So to my surprise, P.Otts had green beer!  And Irish music!  And a lot of people in green!  YESSS!!  We called my parents and they came to meet us.  Dad ordered a small Guiness at first... silly move.  From there on out we all stuck with the biggies...  What a fun night it was!!  :)  Cheers!!! 

Best/Worst Movie Ever!

So Tony and I wanted to watch a movie last night and decided on Marley & Me.  Thinking it will be cute since we have Margo now.  From the second Marg hears a dog bark... she is hooked.  Jumps off of my lap and onto the ottoman directly in front of the TV.  If she could have gotten any closer - she would have.

If you haven't seen this movie, it is adorable.  It goes through the stages of getting a puppy and having it grow up with you as your family grows.  However, it is by far the SADDEST movie I have ever seen.  I don't think I've cried that much over a movie since My Girl.  I would like to say Tony cried too, but that man is a steel trap.  Clearly has no heart :) ... kidding.  After it was over he did say - 'why would anyone ever make a movie that sad??'  Even with the tears, I would recommend this movie to anyone that has a dog or has ever had a dog.  A must see - plus, your dog will actually watch it with you! :)