Buying Kid's School Pictures - such a rip-off

I didn't buy my son's school pictures this year. Gasp. I just didn't like them that much, plus the cost was ridiculous for what you got. Instead, last night I took my son to Target - with my $7.99 coupon in hand, and bought their package of photos, using a plain background for the photos. Plus I got to pick out the photo I liked the best. The photographer was great and we were done in about 5 minutes. It took longer to fill out the registration form and to pay than it did to take the photos.

And I don't know when this all started, but schools around here now take photos at least 3 times a year. They do the fall traditional pictures in September, then in November they do it again - if you want - for a package they call the "Grandparent's Package", then in the spring they do one with a fancy background.

Had to say goodbye to The Witch today

I didn't leave the house today so I have no bargains to report. I did however have to say goodbye to my The Witch cup, because it finally developed some cracks. It had sentimental value (yeah right). My thoughtful husband gave it to me as a souvenir of one of his golfing trips to Myrtle Beach. The Witch was the name of a bar at one of the golf courses. The following year he brought me back a souvenir t-shirt from a strip club there. (I actually wore it when I had one of my yardsales and had a male customer say "Hey, I've been there!")

Added a Shoutbox over there to the left

Just wanted to mention that I added a *shoutbox* chat thing over there to the left. So if you have a question or comment or whatever, feel free to post it over there and I'll respond. I know posting comments on a blog is sometimes a PITA (Pain In The butt) but writing on the shoutbox is super easy. Plus, now the way it is, if someone here posts a comment or question on a posting I did weeks ago, chances are I won't see it since I usually don't go back and look at old postings. But I won't miss something on the Shoutbox.

I survived the Black Friday Sales

I enjoy going out and shopping on Black Friday. My husband is usually home from work that day so he stays home with Jacob. (There is no way I would take Jacob out shopping on Black Friday with me). Since I live an hour away from a regular shopping mall, I stick to the local big box type stores: Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Old Navy, Staples, BJ's Warehouse etc. Also went to JC Penneys, Bath & Body Works and two CVS stores. Yes, I went to all of those yesterday along with two thrift stores - they had .35 clothing.

I didn't make any big purchases, just some little stuff. I bought a bigger memory card for my camera at Staples (for about $10 after they deducted my $9 worth of inkjet recycling coupons) - I think with it I'll be able to make some short videos of my yardsale buys and post them on YouTube. I already have some short videos on Youtube but with the bigger memory card I can make longer ones. We do have a regular Sony videocamera but I'm not sure how to make videos on that and since I'm lazy, I don't want to learn :)

Here's a link to my YouTube videos: Yardsalequeen Videos (so far they aren't yardsale related)

Bath & Body Works had some sales, plus I had a $10 off a $30 purchase coupon. I bought all of the above for $22.84

Happy Thanksgiving

I'll be cooking my own big bird today. I have a 12 pounder that I've had in the freezer for a good 6 months. Bought it on sale but never felt like cooking a turkey in the summer. Paid $4.65.



I normally just buy a turkey breast since its really on the two of us, since Jacob doesn't eat turkey. But at that cheap price, I couldn't pass up getting a whole turkey.

I plan on doing some shopping tomorrow - so I have been looking at the sale ads, but this year I don't see anything I really have to buy and stand in line to get. Last year I was at Staples at 6am for a GPS for my husband. But this year, I will go out early, but not super early.

gotta free rose today

I got my hair cut today at a fancy place in town - they charge $40 for a haircut (but there was a $10 off coupon), so it was $30 plus tip. Whenever I am in NY visiting family, there is a hairstylist that I go to (and pay $35 plus tip) for a haircut. But here in Maryland, I can never find a good hairstylist. Or if I do, it turns out to be their last week of work before moving out of state. I did like the cut I got today, so I will definitely go back (and hopefully with another coupon).

After my haircut I got my camera out and snapped some pics from an arms length away - so I updated my photo to the left.

Then after my haircut I went to the nearby florist and got a free rose (pic above). This florist always sends out a coupon for a free rose, so I usually pick one up.

In looking at some older photos - here is a pic of my free rose that I got in September:

Tag Sale Maps - Find Yardsales in your area

Yardsalequeen.com has a new advertiser and I wanted to mention it - Tag Sale Maps - Find sales on a map - search by zip code. Advertise your sale up to 7 days for only $10. Tag, estate, moving, garage sales, flea markets, thrift & antique stores.

I practically live in East Podunk, and just checked my zipcode there and found a sale I didn't know about!

Big Bird in the Backyard

Some sort of hawk. I took this photo this morning. I saw that he was eating something - and I really don't want to know what.

Well I did go get a replacement driver's license on Tuesday....

I thought I lost my driver's license (it's been a good two months since I remember having it). So on Tuesday, I gathered up my birth certficiate and two forms of residence (like utility bill and credit card statement etc) and went and paid $20 for a replacement license. (That $20 is what financial guy Dave Ramsey would call paying a stupid tax. The tax you pay for being stupid - LOL!)

Well guess what I found today? My old license. And its almost embarrassing where it was. Basically right in front of my face - on my computer monitor stand is my where I had put my business card case. Today I look inside, and oops, there it is. The bad part is that I can't even use the old one for legal stuff (like if I got pulled over for speeding since technically it is voided now). But on the plus side, my picture is much better on the new one! LOL! The last time I got my pic taken for it, I had helmet-hair from riding to the DMV on the back of my husband's BMW motorcycle.

And it could be worse - on Monday I was packing up some old clothes and shoes to donate - and as luck would have it, I just happened to look inside one of my canvas type beach shoes - and found a $10 bill in it. I don't remember putting $10 in my shoes, but its something I know I would have done when I was at the community pool or something.

Splurged a little yesterday and got a manicure & pedicure

Even though I love finding a bargain for cheap, my life is not all about squeezing a penny til it bleeds. Yesterday I went and got a mani-pedi. But of course I did it cheaply and went to a place that has a Monday special for $30 (plus tip of course). It was my first time trying this particular place and I will be back, despite being basically told I am fat.

The guy did my nails and toes and I was sitting there drying them before I left, and a female worker came up to me and showed me a box of some sort of Japanese diet pills for $66. And tells me how they really work and she sells many boxes of the stuff. HUH??? Do I look like I need diet pills??? (well yes, I probably do, but geez, I don't need some stranger telling me that!).

It was almost as bad as the time - about 5 or so years ago when I was at a yardsale and the yardsale seller says "Are you going thru menopause?". Huh???? Don't I look WAAAAYYYY too young to be going thru menopause? Then she continued on "Because if you are, these chocolate soy bars really helped me". No lady, I am not going thru menopause and I won't be buying any of your leftover soy chocolate bars. Ask me again in 20 years.

Today I am going to go get a replacement driver's license. Since sometime in September I haven't been able to find it. I think I took it out for something and never put it back. I am sure it will eventually turn up, but for the $20 fee, I'll just go get a replacement and have some peace of mind (and stop along a couple of thrifts along the way).

Speaking of being fat - one thing I am grateful for is that the DMV office does not have a scale to weigh people to make sure they are telling a little fib. I don't think my weight on my driver's license has gone up in a good 20 years. That's my weight loss goal - to weigh 10 pounds more than what my driver's license says that I do ;) Cuz I know getting down to what it says would be too hard of a goal.

I was looking at one of my old diaries from high school the other day, and I read something like "Uggh, I weigh 103 pounds. I want to lose 5 pounds before such and such". And to think back then I thought I was fat!

Some of my yardsale and thrift store buys from the last week

I bought the little blue suitcase ($1) which in in immaculate condition to store mementos and such. After hearing about all those awful California fires, it made me realize that if I had to evacuate quickly, I don't have all my sentimental stuff in one easy location. So I think I'll use the small suitcase - which would easily fit under a bed to store a bunch of my stuff. For instance, I have CD-roms full of pictures of Jacob when he was younger (and deleted off my computer), and even made back-up copies too. And I have no idea where any of it is.

Now, all I have to do is somehow find room under a bed to store it. I like that the logo emblem on it is "Lady Baltimore"

Also in the pic is a fog machine light. When I first saw them I thought they were so neat, I guess I'll see if it lives up to my expectations. It was marked $8 but I got it for $5. I remember seeing them in Antique stores (the kind of antique stores that sell new stuff too) for about $30 or $40.

I bought for $3 the Black and Decker jar opener to give to my mom. She probably won't use it but complain about her arthritis anyhow. I did test it out and it does do what its supposed to. But the place where you put the jars, is pretty narrow. A wide bottom jar would not fit. How stupid, those are the hardest to open!

Confession: sometimes I don't think used.

Yesterday we had two sets of doors replaced - here is one of the doors with "Before" and "After" pics. Didn't want to buy used doors for the home improvement project. I may have mentioned on the blog a few months ago that I broke one of the doors back in August. (It took a while to figure out who we wanted to replace the doors and then it took a while to figure out what we wanted and then place the order and then schedule the installation).

There are many choices when replacing doors - the doors we replaced were the original cheapest sliding doors possible that the builder put in. Hopefully the new doors with be more energy efficient. I am just glad to have a door that actually works as a door now! For the past 2 months, one set of doors was not useable. We also replaced the sliders off the kitchen.

Did trick or treating with the boy last night. Took him to a strip mall where the businesses just position someone out on the sidewalk to give out treats. Then had a late dinner at Chick-fil-a. It used to be he was happy with a 4-pack nuggets kids meal. Then he graduated to the 6-pack kids nugget meal. Last night he enjoyed a 6-pack nugget meal and then requested more nuggets, so I got him an 8-pack. I don't mind though - I tend to think of Chick-fil-a chicken has healthy food. Much better than some of the other junk he likes.