About a week ago, my friend and I had the opportunity to go to Old Navy and pick out a new coat for each of us to wear. For free.
Yes, you heard me right. We each got a free coat.
And how did we do that? I’m a member of Crowdtap, which is an amazing community that gives you these free items for review! It’s awesome. (Please join us!)
Lala (my friend) and I showed up at Old Navy (sans kids) and decided that we were going to try on every single coat we could get our hands on. I’m sure the employees were thrilled with the coat mess we made in the dressing room area. Coats were flying, hangers were bending, and we were laughing. I tried on wool, puffy, jean, grey, orange, long, short, big and small coats.
In the end, I had narrowed it down to 2. One grey hooded coat with red toggle buttons (VERY cute) and one wool blend double breasted blue and black plaid coat.
I picked out the wool blend double breasted coat. It’s not one that I would have ever picked out for myself had we not decided to try on all the coats. But it was cute. It showed off my waist nicely. The arms were long enough. The coat itself is long enough to look stylish and cute without cutting me off or making me look boxy.
Why did I pick that one instead of the other one? I wanted to like the red toggle coat. I did. I loved the hood especially. I could just see myself wearing it to the bus stop in the morning and not having to remember my hat to keep my ears warm. So why didn’t I buy it? The arms were too short on me. I would have put it on every day and been annoyed that my wrists were sticking out and getting cold.
Besides, the blue one looked really cute on me. Do you agree?
It’s a warm coat. I honestly wouldn’t have thought that this coat could have kept me this warm. Now granted, we haven’t had any temperatures in the teens yet, but it’s been pretty windy. And that wind will slice right through to your bones sometimes. This helps keep the wind out. It keeps me very warm. So far
Lala got a really cute jean jacket too. Thanks Crowdtap and Old Navy for helping me and her look stylish and stay warm this winter!
This is turning out to be a super busy week for us. Something going on every day. I like it like this but I fear the children will not be as happy as I am about it.
Although my day time plans may be derailed tomorrow by all the snow we’re getting tonight. We shall see.
Yes, more snow! This has been the snowiest winter we’ve had since we moved here. Amazing. I think they said we should get 2 to 3 inches tonight, and then another snow storm this weekend. I am very excited about all of it!
I earned another $20 at Swagbucks this month. I am saving up for one of those flip cameras and I should have it by the summer. If you’re not searching and winning, I don’t know why not! Click on the link and earn free money. Totally works. (And if you’re already signed up but not active…get active! I know who you are.)
I have been enjoying my forced hiatus from the blog this month. I say forced because the kids and Juice have been sick. Oh so sick too. Pigs have been mentioned but never fully diagnosed. I remained above it all (amazingly enough! Knock on wood.) but I have been buried under needy kids and a very cranky hubby. He is not a good sick person, FYI. I, in turn, have been eating too much of the Halloween candy and craving doughnuts.
What I have not been doing is checking my blog. Or really anyone’s blog lately. I’ll get back onto the band wagon next month. Why next month? Well, first off because it starts on Sunday! (Also, daylight savings time, yay for another hour of sleep.) And then there is this: That’s right. It’s my 3rd year doing this (I think?) and I’m looking forward to it again. If anything, November will be my best documented month ever. Look for me every day in November and December because I need to challenge myself a little. I know a few people that’s going to make very happy (hi Nana!) so this should be fun.
One thing I have been obsessing about lately has been a website called Swagbucks. Basically it’s a search and earn site where you use their search engine and they reward you with bucks. Then you can turn in those bucks for prizes. What kind of prizes you ask? Things like electronic stuff, mp3s, gift cards, and more. I am loving the amazon gift cards. I get about $5 a week from amazon and it’s been buying part of Christmas this year. Seriously, sign in here and start earning easy money!
So, let’s recap. We have been sick. Everyone is feeling better (it’s almost 9pm and I hear the boys and Butterfly saying, “uh-oh! uh-oh!” and laughing. They are feeling better!) and I will be writing every day soon. Also, sign up with swagbucks and earn some dough!
I think I figured out how to publish movies. So here you go. This is Pirate crawling in the cast.
Okay, so it’s just me trying to get him to crawl. Try this one.
And yes, I realize that I use their real names in the videos. Because unlike most of you, I can’t call them by their internet names without having to stop and think about it first. And I don’t have time to stop and think some days!
At the very end you heard Butterfly’s question for EVERYTHING. WHY??? It’s okay most of the time, but after about 200 whys in a day, I’m pooped.
Happy Birthday Dad! My Dad has been generous enough to have his birthday on National Pancake Day and decided to celebrate with free pancakes from IHOP! Yes, it’s true people. You can get free pancakes at IHOP today. Think of my dad while you eat them.
I think I figured out how to publish movies. So here you go. This is Pirate crawling in the cast.
Okay, so it’s just me trying to get him to crawl. Try this one.
And yes, I realize that I use their real names in the videos. Because unlike most of you, I can’t call them by their internet names without having to stop and think about it first. And I don’t have time to stop and think some days!
At the very end you heard Butterfly’s question for EVERYTHING. WHY??? It’s okay most of the time, but after about 200 whys in a day, I’m pooped.
Happy Birthday Dad! My Dad has been generous enough to have his birthday on National Pancake Day and decided to celebrate with free pancakes from IHOP! Yes, it’s true people. You can get free pancakes at IHOP today. Think of my dad while you eat them.
Juice came home early today and Butterfly met him at the door. “Daddy, today is a special day! We are getting a new leader.” Hopefully whoever it is, will be a good one.
I voted today. Juice voted today. We all voted at the same time. We walked down to our polling station with the dog because we are all about combining outings these days. The line was out the door, around the building, and swirled around on the side walk. As we got to the end of the line, people just coming out of the door were saying a 2 hour wait. Outside for most of it. I was never so grateful for the car seats for the boys because they block the wind. I stayed in line with them and Juice took Butterfly and Soot to the elementary school play ground and let both of them run off some steam. Look, another errand combined and checked off!
As I got closer to the door, they came back and joined me. We put Soot in her little dog carrying case and left her in the bottom of the stroller and took her inside with us. Yes, we took the dog voting. No one said anything. I don’t even think anyone noticed. They were too busy looking at the boys and all the whining she did was over shadowed by the crying of the boys.
Which was not much. Really, all the kids were wonderful. I bribed Butterfly with a doughnut and she was pretty good. She mostly played but when her attention span ran out, she watched a movie on my ipod. When we got home, I told her thanks for coming to vote with me and she said, “But I didn’t do anything.” I think she was a little put out that she couldn’t vote too.
Only about an hour of wait for us, and then it was walking back home and off to get free doughnuts. The parking lot was horribly packed (since there was a free coffee place in the same parking lot) and we waited in yet another line for our free doughnut. The manager came out and asked us to move the line inside. He stopped everyone after me and locked the doors. We got the last 2 doughnuts in the entire store. They were the good kind too, full of custard with chocolate on it! My favorite! By the time I got there, they were giving out one free doughnut per customer, not per I voted sticker. So I had to buy Butterfly’s. As we were sitting there eating our yummy doughnuts, another mom asked me if we had just been voting. I recognized her from the line. We chatted a little bit, and she asked if I was going to go get some coffee. No, thank you. She mentioned that the ice cream place in the same shopping center was giving away free hot chocolate. Oh really? Another mom piped up and said that the grocery store was also offering 10% off your purchase with your sticker. Sweet!
We walked over to the ice cream place in which I totally lied to Butterfly. I told her that the peach ice cream was pink. (The peach was on sale…that is one expensive ice cream place!) It was sort of pink. Just not the pink one she was pointing to. She had ice cream, I had free hot chocolate and we were both worn out.
Home for naps (which everyone did for at least half an hour today) at the same time! Yay! The boys woke up pleasant and we played for a bit and I did some email. Juice came home and we went right out to grocery shopping because 10% off could be good!
Well, turns out you had to have a coupon for the 10% off so no money saving here but at least we were able to get some grocery shopping done. We also had hot dogs at the store so that was good. All in all, a very productive, very busy day.
Juice even rearranged the furniture in our dining area to accommodate 2 high chairs. He swept the floor even. I love him.
