I promise I’m not going to turn my blog into one of those coupons-only sites, but sometimes a girl’s got to share her shopping successes! Here’s today’s Target lowdown:

4 – Johnson’s Buddies soaps – regularly .97, used 4 $1 coupons, making them all free

2 – Oral B Stages toothbrushes – regularly 2.29 each, used 2 $1 Target coupons, 2 $1 manufacturer’s coupons, making them .29 each

4 – Tampax 36 CT multipack – regularly $6.99 each, used 4 $2 manufacturer’s coupons, got two $5 Target giftcards, making them $2.49 each

3 – Listerine – regularly 4.49 each, used 2 $1 manufacturer’s coupons, got a $5 Target giftcard, making them $2.16 each

2 – Tidy Cats kitty litter – regularly $11.99 each, used 2 $1 manufacturer’s coupons, got a $5 Target giftcard, making them $8.49 each

3 – Duracell Batteries – regularly $9.99 each, on clearance for $6.99 each, used two Target $1 peelie coupons, 3 $1 manufacturer’s coupons, making them $5.32 each

Phew! That was a lot of math! I ended up doing four separate transactions so that I could roll over the gift cards and use them all up, so that was a bit of a hassle, but I’d say it was worth the effort! All told, I spent $54.80 and saved about $55.00.

And yes, incidentally, life has been dull when a trip to Target is noteworthy. Other things I’ve been working on include getting my bathroom ready to paint, working on bedroom decor since our room will be the last unpainted one in the house, sewing a cute baby blanket for my sister’s new baby, and just generally laying low. I think I need a rock show or something. Remember back when we were fun?

Jim: Sleeping helps our bodies stay healthy.

Elijah: AND it helps our breath to be stinky.

Less than two months into 2010, and we’ve already seen some major changes!

  • Jim is loving his new job – lots of variety, a thriving company, and a grown-up paycheck.
  • Our new sectional arrived last Thursday (love it!) and then that night we got another surprise…
  • I got a call from the Stake President’s office asking if we could come in that evening. Gulp. With no small amount of trepidation, we met with President Buys and Jim was asked to be the new Elder’s Quorum President. Is it weird that my initial reaction was to start laughing? I have full confidence in Jim and his abilities, but it was unexpected nonetheless.
  • Jim got me an iPod Touch for Valentine’s Day. Best. Present. Ever.
  • My little sis Amanda had a new baby, her first. His name is Joshua and he is adorable. Now I just need her to send me LOTS MORE PHOTOS! {hint, hint!}
  • Not quite so major – new blog template! I’m all about keeping things simple, plus this one doesn’t do wacky things with my photos like the old one. What do you think?

I’m working on a new layout, so bear with me while our blog goes through some changes in the next day or so.

One of my favorite fashion blogs (okay, possibly the only fashion blog I read) just posted about a super-cute internet clothing store here. We’re talking super cute, customizable, affordable dresses and more! Check out eShakti here.

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{You’re welcome.}

I should probably preface this post with an acknowledgement that I am the WORST BLOGGER OF ALL TIME. I have been terrible about writing over the last several months and I’m hoping to turn a new leaf this year. I think I’ve just been feeling blah and didn’t have anything positive to say. Nothing new in reproductive news, so we’ll skip that. The only major news – and it is major news – is that Jim just got a new job! He starts this Thursday. He’ll be doing basically the same type of work – marketing design – for a company in Sandy. It is a great opportunity for him so we are excited.

To celebrate, we decided to finish furnishing our basement. In our quest to find the perfect sectional, we visited TEN different furniture stores. TEN. My problem with all kinds of shopping is that I generally know exactly what I want and usually can’t find the perfect item in my price range. So imagine my surprise when I found EXACTLY what I was looking for at just what I was willing to pay! And at Macy’s! I don’t think I even knew they sold furniture, but check out the beauty we just ordered (top). It’s microfiber, so it’s durable and pet (and child) friendly, and it’s modular, so each piece is separate and can be rearranged into different configurations.

The second photo is a darling sofa we considered, but it’s a bit more formal than we were looking for. But it gives you a good idea of the cuteness that they have available.

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My sister-in-law Kelly just opened a new Etsy shop, here. She’s just getting started, but right now she’s got cute onesies, pacifier clips, and headbands like this one. She’s local (like five blocks away local), so you can skip the shipping charges if you are too. Happy shopping!

CJane is giving away a family pass to Thanksgiving Point! I think it’s clear from the endless number of photos I’ve taken there of Elijah that I am a HUGE FAN. If I’m not the lucky winner, though, it would be a consolation to know that one of my friends won. Enter here!

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This time of year, especially, I miss the Gardens! Photo by Liesl.

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Here’s my yearly reading roundup, with ratings for each book. I hit 29 last year, with an unexplained zero books read in November. (Actually, it can probably be explained by my watching seasons 1 and 2 of Veronica Mars. Love that show!) The five-star books I read this year were Harry Potter #7, The History of Love, a children’s book called I Am David, and Jesus the Christ, which was an accomplishment in itself since I’d previously started it twice. Great doctrine, but not an easy read!

Three of my least favorite books were by Nobel Prize winners/finalists, The Interrogation, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and The Shipping News. They all made me seriously rethink my practice of finishing every book I start. My favorite book  group read turned out to be a classic I hadn’t read before – The Scarlet Pimpernel. If you love it as much as I did, I also highly recommend the Jane Seymour movie adaptation. So good!

I didn’t get around to writing many book reviews this year, but I do have a few notes on my Goodreads page here.

January

Timeline, by Michael Crichton **2 stars

Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell ****4 stars

February

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke ****4 stars

February – April

Harry Potter (all 7 of them!), by J.K. Rowling **** – *****4/5 stars.

March

The Wednesday Wars, by Gary Schmidt ****4 stars

April

The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss *****5 stars
The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch ****4 stars
I Am David, by Ann Holm *****5 stars

May

World Without End, by Ken Follett ***3 stars
The 5000 Year Leap: The 28 Great Ideas That Changed the World, by Cleon Skousen ****4 stars
Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt: A Novel, by Anne Rice ****4 stars
A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini ****4 stars

June – July

The Interrogation: A Novel, by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio **2 stars, but barely

August

Olive Kitteridge: A Novel in Stories, by Elizabeth Strout ****4 stars

September

The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Emmuska Baroness Orczy ****4 stars
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers *1 grudgingly given star
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1), by Suzanne Collins ****4 stars
Catching Fire (Hunger Games, #2), by Suzanne Collins ****4 stars

October

Spilling Clarence: A Novel, by Anne Ursu ****4 stars
Jesus the Christ, by James E. Talmage *****5 stars
The Shipping News : A Novel, by Annie Proulx **2.5 stars
Circle of Friends, by Maeve Binchy ****4 stars

December

A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving ****4 stars

Happy reading in 2010!