Sunday Night Chit-Chat

It's Sunday night, which means it's time for Chit-Chat with CARLA.

I

This is a shot I caught last week of my 2 goofy dogs.  Every day around 3pm Cherry the beagle lays down and rolls on her back and just lays there and waits for Penny the chihuahua to notice.  When Penny notices she comes over and starts barking at Cherry, as Penny just can't stand it when Cherry lays there belly up.  Penny yaps and yaps until I either come over and roll Cherry over and tell her to stop begging for a belly rub or I pick up Penny and give her pets.
Usually I'll just go get their dinner bowls ready and they forget all about this "one upmanship" game. 8-)

If you haven't guessed they are both female and they both want to be top bitch.lol

Reading?

A funny book called "Do Over".  This guy goes back to watershed moments in his life that went badly and attempts to do-over his life.  He's done-over his horrible Kindergarten experience so far.  fun stuff....


Watching?

At 9pm EST I'll try to watch Hoarders.  After that I'll be primed to go gather up some things for Salvation Army.  It's my AA meeting.....keeps me motivated.


Listening to?

Hubs has some Harry Potter movie on behind me.  Plus the beagle is snoring.....the music of my life.lol

Cooking/Baking?



I went to the grocery's this morning and bought 2 roasting chickens.  I cooked one with veggies today for dinner.  That sure hit the spot!  And there is enough meat for another meal/dish or a big bowl of chicken salad.  I've never been a big fan of "salad" meat spreads(besides tuna)but we are craving chicken salad lately around here.  ;-)

Happy you accomplished this week?

Got taxes x 6 finished(and 4 of them filed online/via telephone) and we got the FAFSA x 2 filled out(but I still need to submit those online on Tuesday).  It's a weight off my mind and shoulders....and NOW I can get my dining room table cleaned off....yay!!!

Looking forward to next week?
Catching up on my Week 3 Decluttering Challenge.  Monday is set aside to get most of it done.

Thankful for today?

Everyone is mostly healthy, roof over the head, no big problems at the moment with the kids, no big expenses or repairs this month(other than the ones I planned for)and enough money put away for what may come that I don't have to worry about it.

Sluggy

Sunday in the Rite-Aid with Sluggy

I stopped back into Rite-Aid yesterday as I had to go out to the local grocer's so I picked up this....

1 x Got2B hair product on sale=$3.99
I used a $3/1 ManuQ and paid $1.05(w/tax)on my gift card.
It's a Winter Reward qualifying item, so BIL's card has $57 tracking toward the $20+UPs Reward going into Sunday.
My card has $74 tracking going into Sunday.

Sunday's rounds began with this transaction on my card.....

1 x Brainstrong toddler vitamins on sale=$13.00
I used $2/1 IPQ HERE (click where it says to get coupon)
$13-$2=$11.
I used $10+UPs(2x $5), put $1 on the gift card.

I received $13+UP back.

Now I goofed bigtime, as I thought this item was a qualified item for the Winter Reward.
Nope....but with that $2Q it was a moneymaker, so still worth buying.
And who can't use more free vitamins, right?lol

Tracking on my card remains at $74.
Carry forward $23(1x$10, 1x$13)in +UPs.

On BIL's card I then did this....

4 x Colgate toothpastes on sale $3.50=$14.00
I used 1 x $1/1 Colgate Total toothpaste ManuQ(that's all I had).
Total was $13 and I paid with the $13+UP I received in the previous transaction, so ZERO OOP....my favorite kind of OOP. ;-)

I received $14 back in +UPs(4 x $3.50+UP)AND 1 x $10(for getting to $25 in Colgate/SoftSoap spending....remember Friday's Soft Soap purchase.)=$24 +UPs.

Tracking on BIL's card is now at $71.
+UPs carrying forward $34($10,$10, 4x$3.50).

Another transaction on BIL's card.....

3 x 12-packs Coke on sale $3.66=$10.98 *regional sales price*
1 x Brainstrong vitamins on sale=$13.00
1 x Vaseline lotion(the new one)on sale=$2.97 *not pictured*
2 x Cella cherry w/20% wellness discount=$.52 *not pictured either*
$27.47 subtotal.
I used 2 x Free Coke 12 pack Qs earned with codes from MyCokeRewards, $2/1 Brainstrong IPQ(see above), $1/1 Vaseline ManuQ(1/29 RP insert), so $10.32 in Qs.
$27.47-$10.32=$17.15....I used $17 in +UPs(1x$10,2 x $3.50)and put the .15¢ on my gift card.

I received back $18 in +UPs($13 vitamins, $3 Coke, $2 Vaseline).
Added $13 in tracking to BIL's card for a total of $84.  It should have rounded up to $14($10.98+$2.97=$13.95), making the total $85, but the system may due so at a later date if I have some odd partial dollar amounts.

+UPs going forward are $35($13, $10, 2 x $3.50, $3, $2).

Then I did this transaction on my card....

4 x Colgate toothpaste on sale $3.50=$14.00
1 x Vaseline(the new kind-Total Moisture) on sale=$2.97
1 x Cella cherry w/20%wellness discount=$.26
Subtotal of $17.23.
I used 1x $1/1 Vaseline ManuQ and the total was $16.23.  I used $16 in +UPs(1x $13, 1x $3)and put the .23¢ on my gift card.
I received $16 in +UPs(4 x $3.50, $2 Vaseline).

Added $17 to my tracking for a total of $91 for my card.
+UPs carrying forward.....$35(1x $10,2x $2, 6x $3.50).

If the system doesn't right itself I'll need to call CS.....yet again!.  BIL's card didn't get credit for $12.00 of the Neutrogena skin cleanser we bought on Friday evening.  We got credit for $18 of it(3 of the bottles)but not for 2 of the bottles(we bought 5 total).  We bought 2 types of cleanser that didn't qualify so returned it and rebought the proper ones.  The system is slow to record, correct and update that change so we'll give it another couple of days before we go chew someone's head off.

IF that $12 in spending kicks in, BIL's tracking goes from a total so far of $84 to $96.
I'll either buy some little thing to get to $100 this week or wait until next week and get the Stopain topical analgesic that qualifies AND has a SCR attached to it's purchase.

Then the last transaction on my card.....

5 x Colgate toothbrushes on sale $2.49=$12.45
1 x Cella cherry=.26¢
Total of $12.71.
I used $12.50 in +UPs(3x $3.50, 1x $2), put the .21¢ left on my gift card.
I received 4 x $1.50(1 for each of the 1st four toothbrushes)=$6+UPs.
And why did I buy the 5th toothbrush if I didn't get any +UPs for it?
Because I needed to get my Colgate purchases over $25(remember the toothpaste I bought earlier?), so I qualified for the Buy $25/Get $10 in +UPs reward.
I figured with the $16 in +UPs associated with this purchase(and a cost to me of $12 in +UPs)it was a no brainer and I should do the Colgate $25/$10 Deal.

So I got 4 $1.50 +UPs for the toothbrushes, 1 x $10 +UPs for spending $25 and this purchase put me over $100 and I got the $20 Winter Reward +UP for a total of $36 in +UPs for this transaction.

I have $58.50 in +UPs going forward, one card is done with the Winter Reward and the other will be at $96/$100 spending when the system slogs things forward.

There is light at the end of this long Winter Reward tunnel! ;-)

So what are you buying this week at Rite-Aid?

Sluggy

Rite-Aid Hocus Pocus!

I have 2 Wellness cards to get to $100 in qualified spending by March 3rd in order to earn a $20 +Up Reward on each.

Card #1 has $74 in qualified purchases on it at the moment.
Card #2 has $23 in qualified purchases up to Friday evening.

Word around the blogs is that those $15 +Ups earned for buying the reading glasses earlier this week?....They are only scanning in for $7.50, half of their value, when you try to use them to pay for your purchases.
Rite-Aid is playing games with the +Ups so if you didn't take advantage of the Glitch and only got the amount of +Ups for the glasses you were suppose to, they are screwing you!
Well done Rite-Aid, well done..... 8-(

So I made a point of getting rid of the 2 glasses +Ups I had on Friday night.

On the Card #2, I bought 13 bottles of the Soft Soap hand soap that was on sale this week for .97¢ a bottle.
This counts toward a monthly deal--Spend $25 in Colgate and/or Soft Soap items and Get $10 +Ups.
Subtotal on those was $12.61

I also bought 5 Neutragena facial cleaner items, with a subtotal of $20.95 after Qs.

Total for those lots of items was $33.56.
I "tried" to use my 2 $15 +Ups.
They rang up for $7.50 each.
Night Manager fixed them so I got the full value off.
$33.56-$30=$3.56+ $.72tax=$4.28 OOP put on gift card.

I received 2 x $5 +Ups for buying 5 Neutragena items(The Deal is Buy 3/Get $5 +Ups-limit 2, but the second set, only buying 2, instead of 3, triggers the 2nd $5 +Ups.).
I also  got a $10 +Ups for the monthly Skincare Deal(Buy select brands/types of skincare products worth $25 or more/Get a $10 +Ups).
So I have $20 in +Ups going into next week.

Going into next week....
Card #1 has $74 in qualified spending.
Card #2 has $53 in qualified spending.

Now for the monkey wrench.....
My $13(they rounded it up from $12.61)for the Soft Soap/Colgate monthly Deal is tracking on the receipt as "$25 ADVIL $10+UP"
WTF?!?!lol

If everything pans out, I figure I have 4 transactions to do next week(2 on each card), which will get me to or close to both $20 Rewards and increase my current $20 in +UPs to $35.50 in +UPs(and use $1.73 of my gift card in the process).


Well stay tuned to see how this all works out next week....IF it works out......lol

Sluggy

You Like Me, You Really Like Me!

This is the Versatile Blogger award which I was presented with by B-Kat over at Slay The Monster.
She just paid off her mortgage by the way, so go give her a nice pat on the back, won't you?

There are 2 rules that come with this prestigious honor....yes, make it sound like a grand event now, don't I?lol

Rule 1--Pass on this Versatile Blogger award to 5 other deserving VERSATILE bloggers!
And the award goes to.....

A Mom Money and More
Finally Frugal and Happy
Pay The Bills or Feed the Kids
Two Girls One Budget
Our Simple Lives


The second rule is to tell you 7 random things you don't know about me....oh, like anyone cares!
If you have nothing better to do(contemplating one's navel comes to mind), here are my 7 things.......

1.  My Great Uncle once gave me 4 wild rabbits he trapped, to raise as pets.  Within 1 year I had 52 rabbits.
2.  The high school I attended no longer exists.
3. I have driven a Chevy Chevette around Manhattan(more than once)and almost had it stolen once in Times Square.
4.  I have never attended a high school Prom.
5.  I have sung with the Naval Academy chorus and it was broadcast on the radio.
6.  In high school, some friends and I stole a duck out of a pond because we needed it to appear on stage in a skit we wrote.  It was returned with nary a feather out of place.
7.  I worked for awhile in Brooklyn with the sister of Michael Tylo.  If you ever watched "The Guiding Light", you know he played Quniton Chamberlain(aka Quinton McCord).....of Quint and Nola fame.....or "Quola" as die-hard GL fans refer to them as a couple......

Therefore, if I ever have to play "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" I can link to Kev in 3 moves....

I worked with Teri Tylo, who is sister to Micheal Tylo, who worked on GL(from 1981-1985/1996-1997) with Kevin Bacon, who played Phillip Spaulding (from 1981-1982).

And this proves that you NEVER know what you'll find here! ;-)

Sluggy

Friday Fun!

Here's a fun song I have liked since I heard it when it was included in an off-Broadway Revue in 1979 called ONE MO' TIME. This show premiered at The Village Gate and has been resurrected a couple of times in various venues.

I have often thought this number would have made a good audition piece for me, back when I was still in the theatre world.

Done in this clip by the most excellent cabaret artist Catherine Russell.

I dedicate this song to SonyaAnn......

 Enjoy and have a good weekend!


Sluggy

Look for This Guy!

I am not a fan of the whole American Idol thing but.....
If you watch that show, watch for the guy, second from the right in this photo the next time they perform....

I have a "loose" connection to him.
One of my old beanie  baby friends-who I have actually spent time with in 'real life' too.....anyway, he has a daughter named Jade Bartlett who is an aspiring singer/songwriter/actress living in NYC.  She is the songwriting partner of that guy in the photo, Nick Boddington.  He auditioned and got picked to go to Hollywood for the show.

And he's there now, trying to win, or at least get some attention from the industry's "Powers That Be" to take his career to the next level.
I believe American Idol is on tonight so if you watch be sure to look for him.

 He and Jade also make up an alternative country singing group called
Wonderland Robbers.

Here is a recent Youtube video of them for your viewing/listening pleasure.....




Sluggy

They are Back!!!!!

New readers will need to get up to speed HERE before reading further.

That's a link to last September's post about when I finally set about cleaning digging out #2 son's bedroom. Yes, I let it go for months, NAH!....Years!
Out of sight, out of mind and all that.

        A Before shot of part of #2 son's room from Sept. 2011

I figured eventually cleanliness would kick in but my fear of his room turning into an episode of Hoarders kicked in sooner.
So we shoveled it out and turned it into a clean thing of beauty.
Or so I thought.....

Last weekend he spontaneously went through his dresser and brought down a large sack of old clothes too small for him or too raggy to be worn in public, for me to get rid of.

Here is what I found when I opened that garbage bag of clothing.....

Dear Lord!
Either we didn't get them all the first time and they are reproducing in the dark recesses of his bedroom or he has recommenced his plastic spoon kleptomaniacal behavior......

Throw it on the pile and call it 55 spoons now......*sigh*

Sluggy-who needs a spoon intervention for her son