Ok, I'm really getting into this coupon thing now. This week alone, I have giddily bought baby wipes at CVS and paid 5 pennies and 11 cans of Hunts Tomato Sauce at Walgreens for 33 cents--both purchases are including tax! To think that only a few months ago I didn't believe such a beautiful thing existed. Now it is my new hobby.

In addition to stocking our pantry with food and toiletries, one of my goals has been to help my sister get ready for her baby. (Due date: tomorrow!) Her DH, a commercial electrician, is about to be laid off and so we are working together to make sure her cabinets are full of the right things to minimize stress in the next coming months.

Yesterday I went to Wal-Mart to get dog food for their puppy, Rookie.
$35 of Iams dog food - $35 in Iams coupons = $2.33 tax out of my pocket.
It doesn't get much sweeter than that.

Thanks to my wonderful husband, I got to spend a rejuvating weekend at a retreat called "Hearts at Home" on the campus of ISU. The theme was Real Moms and it was truly incredible. There is relief and encouragement in knowing that you are not alone--your struggles are common, your fears are common, and there are others out there who share similar interests.

We also got to hear from many amazing speakers like Bill and Pam Farrel who wrote "Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti," Kevin Leman who has written many many books, including "The Birth Order Book" and Jill Savage who is the founder of Hearts at Home.

The main entertainment was Go Fish, who were completely hilarious. The Mom Song is now on my list of faves. Check it out!

Check out my Raising Baby on a Shoestring Budget blog to see how I "ripped Walgreens off" by walking out of their store with $110.33 in merchandise, but only paying them $14.68.

When we think of the persecuted believers in China, I express my gratefulness to live in a country that allows freedom to believe and worship whatever or whoever I desire to worship. I am thankful that, unlike Christians in China, my pastor has never asked me to promise that I will defend my faith *when* the government comes to take me away to prison.

But today, I felt a little bit nervous being inside my church building. At the beginning of the service, when everyone was shaking hands and greeting one another, I walked up to Micah and asked if I could sit next to him. He never took his eyes off of his cell phone. He'd just received a text message that the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois had been shot and killed during the first morning service, with others injured.

I asked "Is this for real?" and just stood there in shock. How can this be? Why would a gunman walk into a church and open fire? You can read the story yourself here. This is a sad day in my country, in my own state when people feel threatened to express their beliefs. I would also like to express my thanks to God that my former collegiate minister who was visiting the church was not hurt.

I'm addicted to this tv show on the Style Network called "Clean House." (James and Baby G always take their naps while it is on.) It's pretty much like "Clean Sweep," only with more attitude. I watch this show 3 times a week, and it never fails to horrify and amaze me. Every. single. time.

Now granted, I'm a messy person. Just ask my Dear Husband! He will testify to that any time you'd like to talk about it. But eventually I have to face my clutter and deal with it. In fact, when I do that on a reglar basis (eg daily) then my life is calmer and my days are smoother.

Which is why I'm in shock at how these people on Clean House live everyday. How do you function in a room that you can't even walk into or sit down in? How do you live in the present when your house is overrun with furniture and knickknacks from your past that you don't even use?

The most interesting aspect of the show, IMHO, is getting down to the nitty-gritty: figuring out why people can't give up their material possessions in order to have a clean, functioning home. There is ALWAYS some kind of underlying issue. Some of them have parents who are pack-rats and taught them to live this way. (Another reminder that modeling good behaviors for my son is so important!) Others have a spouse or parent who died, and they equate the memories of their loved one with their loved one's belongings. Yet others become hoarders because they "might need" their junk someday.

Here's what dear FlyLady has to say:

Clutter has been our security blanket for a very long time. It protected us from people, hard times and having to face ourselves. When our homes are cluttered, we don’t have people over. That way we don’t have to open ourselves up for the public to see how we really are.

If you are having anxiety attacks about releasing some of this clutter in
your home; stop and think about what you are afraid of.

1. Is it the security of have 3 of an item, in case one breaks?
2. How about the memories that the item evokes when you see it?
3. And there is always the “Aunt Mary gave us this when we married.”
4. I spent a lot of money on this. I can’t possibly give it away.
5. Oh, I can fix this, but it has been in the basement for 15 years waiting to be fixed.

I want you to think about these reasons and look deep into the heart of them.

I love you, Flylady! You are the master at getting to the heart of the issue. Maybe you should co-host Clean House?