You Spin Me Right Round, Baby

"....right round, like a record baby, right round round round."

Okay, I have to disagree wholeheartedly!  I'd change Dead or Alive's lyrics to, "You spin me round and I hate it baby."  I know that may sound funny, and it is meant to be, but I do mean what I said in all seriousness.  To completely understand what in the world I'm talking about, let's start at the beginning.

A few weeks ago, I experienced these really weird dizzy spells.  I really don't have much experience with dizzyness aside from the occasional merry-go-round, or you know, my beloved Teacups ride at Disney.  Either way, it's been years since I've done either of those things, so I really don't have much personal experience to go on.  The first time, it was like a constant state of semi-dizzyness and I chocked it up to allergy season being newly upon us.  Hey, I did have pretty strong sinus pressure in my forehead, so I thought that simply must be it.  The only thing that concerned me was that I'd never experienced dizzyness with allergies before, and it got so sketchy once that day while driving that I felt it best to pull over.

Then, I was good for awhile.  A week or so later, it happened again, only this time was much more scary!  I literally got so dizzy that I almost passed out, and again I was in the car and had to pull over.  I got so shaky and I tried to drink water and eat the chocolate that I just so happened to have in my car, and that did help after about 20 minutes.  By this time, though, I was convinced I had some sort of crazy brain tumor that was affecting my world!  I did the best thing I could think of and called my doctor - I had to have an appointment that day!

The only way I could describe this dizzy feeling I was getting is this:

Yes, that is your Chicken Wing (and the mandatory "We got cows." graphic) in a tornado.

Ridiculous, yes.  As accurate as I can be without actually having ever been in a tornado, also yes.  After several tests at the doctor's office, it was determined that I was suffering from BPPV, or Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.  We call it just vertigo around these parts, to keep it short.  Basically, it's an inner-ear issue that can pretty much pop up and affect anyone. 

There are calcium crystals in your inner ear that dislodge from their normal places and begin floating through your ear canals (you have three in your ear, and they're called the Labyrinth).  While you always have fluid in these canals, the crystals aren't supposed to be floating along, too.  Ultimately, the example my doctor gave me was this:  In a normal circumstance, if I turn my head to the left, fluid flows through the canals and hits the little fibers in the canal.  This sends a message to my brain that says, "Hey, guy, I just turned my head to the left.  In case you needed to know."  (Or something like that).  In BPPV, the crystals slam into the little fibers, and the vibrations that causes are so intense that too many signals get sent to your brain at one time, and your brain has no idea what you just did.  So, you get really dizzy until your brain can figure it out. 

Is this fun?  No.  Does it make you nauseus?  Um, yeah.  Did I find myself army crawling across my bedroom floor at certain points?  You betcha, Sir!  I had to miss two days of work!  That's how you know how terrible it is!  My treatment period of crystal-moving exercises and anti-motion-sickness medication is two weeks, and I'm hoping that I'll be back to 100% after that!  I surely would love it!  The only bad thing about vertigo is that it can reccur later, and there's really no way to know that it's going to hit.  :(  I guess the silver lining, though, is that at least I should know what it is next time, and I won't go straight to panic and fear!

So this has been my journey with something totally random that simultaneously scared me to death and made me feel like a completely crazy person.  I've been shocked at how many people have reached out to me who have also experienced vertigo!  Some folks had mild cases, others had it so bad they couldn't drive for a MONTH, but everyone could easily agree that it's miserable and horrible. 

My PSA to all of you readers out there:  If you're feeling any of the symptoms I did (and am), please make an appointment with your doctor to get checked out.  Then, do the exercises and take the medicine as directed, and please, don't try to be a hero!  Pull over your car if you feel like this!  My doctor said he was so proud of me for not risking my life and the lives of others because your vision and ability to adjust to your surroundings are severely compromised with vertigo!

Have a happy and healthy week!

Until next time,

Six Years!

Type of Ticket:  One Way
Destination:  Crazy Town
Population:   Me

I just wanted to say that today is the six year anniversary of my being employed at my awesome company!  On one hand, I'm hollering "WOO HOO!" and on the other, I'm scratching my head in disbelief that it could even be possible!  I'm a huge fan of longevity, so I guess this is right up my alley.

It's really cool to think about my 21-year-old self walking through the doors for my first interview here, wondering if I was giving away just how nervous I was.  It was a weird, out-of-body experience, because nervousness actually fuels me - I guess I could chock it up to my Public Speaking classes in college.  Scared to death - check.  Ready to kick some arse - also check.

I've come a long way since January 16, 2006, and my life has seen so many changes, but one thing remains - I am so grateful for the experiences in my life.  I'm so proud to work where I work, with the people I work with.  I'm so thankful that the powers-that-be decided to extend a hand and give this young gal a chance.  I hope they're as happy with their decision as I've been with the decision to accept their offer.

Here's to my sixth year of being excited to go to work every day!  Let's make it a great one!

Until next time,

The NEW Post

Okay, let's just be honest - I've been a blogging slacker to the max lately!  And, in typical Chicken Wing fashion, I'm fashionably late in wishing each and every one of you a very

Well, 2011 left as quickly as it came, didn't it?  I don't know about all of you but I have gotten quite busy - not that anyone should necessarily be surprised by that.  For whatever reason, it's surprised me more than ever. 

But, it's now 2012, and this is a NEW post in a NEW year with a NEW blog background (you may or may not have noticed).  I felt the desire to change it up because hopefully, we're all changing up.  New years bring new resolutions and new hope - you want to learn more, eat better, live better, and just be better.  None of these are easy tasks, to be sure, but for whatever reason, when the last two numbers of the year change, you get this jolt of electricity through your veins that makes you excited about the possibilities that await you.

Don't get me wrong - I'll never completely change.  I like myself - sometimes too much, and other times not enough, but as a general rule, I really like myself.  I just aspire to be the very best version of myself, and I really don't think there's anything wrong with that.

From where we left off (Christmas, of course) to now, I've been living in a maze of boxes as Little Sister Chicken Wing and I prepare to depart our current rental townhouse!  Talk about crazy!  We've lived together for the past few years, and there have definitely been highs and there have also been lows.  I don't know about each of you, but for us, we get along so much better as siblings when we don't occupy the same dwelling.  I'm looking forward to us branching out on our own again and the closeness it will allow.  I'll miss the absolutely crazy things she does that typically make me laugh (either with her or at her) at least once per day.

Our moving situation is a little more stressful than others I've been in before for a few reasons.  1)  The little sister and I are moving to two different places.  2)  The majority of the furniture in our townhouse is mine, so moving it too early will make it really difficult for LSCW.  3)  LSCW literally has ONE DAY to move.  How?  She can't move into her new place until the same day we have to turn the keys over to our place. Suckfest 2012!

Where does all of this leave us?  Feeling like we are going to soon be featured on an episode of this:

I'm shaking in a corner already.

I've always been a little bit of a clutterbug, and I also have a tendency to want to keep things.  But, for some reason, ever since this show started and as the level of horror I experience when I watch the stories deepens, I get panicky!  So, my answer to that has been to sell pretty much anything I don't think I'll need!  I figure, the best way to keep the new place pared down is to get rid of things that are not necessary for living there before I even have the chance to move them in!

While a few sales made me sad, most of them make me want to high-five myself!  (Subsequently, I may or may not have actually high-fived myself multiple times - don't judge me.)  It feels pretty good to just let go of things that actually weigh you down in the long run, especially when you realize that someone else can love the item even more than you did!  Plus, with a wedding to pay for, the extra income is another glorious benefit!

If you are moving, too, I feel your pain sisters and brothers!  If you are not, high-five yourself.  If you're busy, I hope you are busy doing things you love and that make you happy.  If you're not busy and not enjoying it, get PUMPED and off the couch!  If you're too busy (like I've admittedly been), take a breather and live in the moment.  Happy Everything, Peeps!

Until next time,

In Case You Need Uplifting

Just to start your week off in the right fashion, I thought I'd share my favorite of the songs we sang at church yesterday.  It truly does have a powerful message, and sometimes, I find that is exactly what you need to cleanse your mind and heart in order to start a brand new week.

I found this song especially moving, simply because I've been so incredibly busy lately.  I've found it very difficult to just stop and slow down for a minute.  Don't get me wrong - I love being busy.  It beats the alternative any day of the week, but one thing I constantly struggle with is balance.  I need to continually practice the balancing act that is life.  You are supposed to work hard, but you also need to take time to relish in the moments life presents to you, and that's something I need to be better about.

So, to those of you who are like me, and forget the simple truth about who gives you the strength to handle all of life's challenges, and through whose teachings you can learn to find balance, this song's for you.  Happy Monday, everyone!


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Until next time,

SURPRISE! It's Friday!

And thus, you must enjoy this hilarious and adorable video.  Go on.  Do it.  Turn your speakers up a wee bit.  You.are.welcome.


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Happy Weekend, Peeps!

Until next time,

A Step In The Right Direction

Hello, Peeps.  I'm Miss Chicken Wing.  You might remember me as someone who used to write regularly on this blog.  No, I haven't been kidnapped.  I've had so much going on in my life recently, and I am so excited to tell you guys all about it!  I apologize that it's taken me this long to get back to the happy place that is my blog, but sometimes a little vacation is necessary, you know?  Not to mention, I have just gotten started planning what is sure to be one of the very best days of my life so far - the day I get to marry Comanche!  People who have been there know how busy that can be!

Getting engaged is not the only new and awesome thing that I count in my blessings list, though!  Hold on to your hats, y'all - there's more!  The first thing I want to catch you all up on gets its own post on the blog, and is something that I'm now allowed to go public with!  I recently got a PROMOTION!!!!!  WOO TO THE HOO!!!!!!



It's true.  Believe it.

 Pause for a moment - who doesn't love Ron Burgundy, right?!?!  Okay, back to the actual subject matter. I am so excited because it's really a step in the right direction as far as my career goes, and I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to grow within my amazing company. 

For those who know me, they know how protective I am about my job(s) and my company - I will go to the mat any day for the people I work for and with.  I am so blessed to be a part of such an amazing organization, and I genuinely work with some of the best people I know.  Other people may make more money or have fancier offices, but I can guarantee that most people can't say that they like everyone they work with.  I can, and that's a big deal to me.

So, while I've been away from the blog, I have been working on the transition between my current position and my new one.  In my new position, I will have an even greater chance to help people, which is my passion, after all.  It's a little scary jumping into the somewhat unknown, but I've found that most of the things in my life that have scared me have ended up being the ones most worth it.

Here's to the newest journey on my crazy ride!

Until next time,

Songs of Sunday - Special Edition

9/11 - We will never forget...

I still remember where I was ten years ago today.  I was a high school student standing in the student lounge of our local community college with my friends in Governor's School.  We were huddled together watching the tragic events of the morning unfolding on the televisions there.  We stood in silence - in disbelief - most of us with our hands on our heads or on our mouths.  The horror pumped through all of our veins as our heart rates increased with each passing moment.

With those memories in mind, it was appropriate that the ten year anniversary of 9/11 fell on a Sunday.  In church today, we had a wonderful tribute and we lifted the victims' families and friends up in prayer together and individually.  We sang songs about reaching out to complete strangers because Christ's compassion doesn't play favorites - about expanding our scopes to include all the people of the world as our neighbors.

I've been pretty busy the past week, but I wanted to share a couple of the songs that we sang in church today to get your week started off right.

Matthew West - My Own Little World

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Matt Redman - We Could Change The World

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It's been an amazing albeit bittersweet day for me - Comanche and I have been hanging out with friends watching football (my Redskins and his Cowboys - I know, it's insanity), eating steaks we grilled, and having fellowship with our church family.  We know how lucky we are and therefore, we must continue to be mindful of those folks who are hurting today.  If you can spare five minutes, lift them up, everyone!  It'll be worth it!

Until next time,

Why Struggle Is Necessary

A few friends and I were discussing the absurd entitlement that children and young adults today employ when a situation arises that is less than favorable to them.  It's a disgusting epidemic that is circling the globe and it saddens me beyond belief, especially when I have my rare moments of entitlement.

Sure, we all have weak moments where we feel someone "owes" us something, or that we really, really "deserve" to get this/have this happen for us.  The people who have it right usually recognize this behavior is occurring within themselves and snap out of it.  Unfortunately, that leaves the rest of the entitlement generation who seem to consistently have it wrong.

During this discussion, we shared stories about where we have helped people younger than us, and we also had to divulge that in some cases, we probably weren't doing them any justice because they could always rely on someone else to "handle" things for them.  Sadly, I think this is one of the most rampant issues in America today - we are babying our nation's children to the point that they literally cannot fend for themselves.  This creates weaker adults, who then marry other weaker adults and produce children three times as weak.  The cycle goes on and on.

I was reading another article today, though, and came across a story similar to those we were sharing with one another, and it was accompanied by "The Tale Of The Butterfly," which I had actually never heard before.  So, I will share it with you, and I encourage you to share it with others!  Let's pass this thing around!

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A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but
it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body.
Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
into the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly. 
(Author Unknown)

How fitting it was to read and to realize that sometimes, despite our own best intentions, we stunt the growth of others that so desperately needs to happen.  Trying to over-care and over-nurture others does not make you a bad person - quite the opposite, it makes you someone who genuinely wants to help.  But there has to be a point where you have to step back and realize that your help is crippling an individual that needs to learn lessons their own way - and most times, the hard way.

Until next time,

When You Have A Good Job...

...your birthday sort of rocks!  :)  Yes, I said it!  One thing that my company does that is super duper awesome is that they send you a package to your house for your birthday.  Granted, it's not always on your birthday, but it's usually the week of your special day.  Want a sneak peek of what's inside?  Of course you do!

Basically, anything from here is AHHH-MAZING!

Pretty packaging!

What's a present without a card?

Oh my goodness - what do we have here?

Cookies, peanut butter squares, and brownies - OH MY!

Double decker brownies!!!

Attack of the Chicken Wing!

HOORAY for birthday treats!!!

As I always say, it's the small things in life that mean the most, and it's little touches like this that can set a company apart.  It's easy to get busy with the hustle and bustle of your everyday duties, but it's really nice to know that your company cares enough about you to acknowledge you on your birthday!

As you're reading this, I will be hopefully figuring out how to settle into turning twenty-seven and enjoying my birthday treats with Comanche on the little birthday adventure he's planned for me!  Let's hope Hurricane Irene doesn't invite herself to my party!!!  I don't like party crashers, what can I say?

Until next time,

Kasey & Vienna...I Have To Go There

Okay, the intention of my blog is NEVER to be mean, cruel, or judgmental, but sometimes....well, I'm not above it.  There are certain things that just have to be laughed at, and if you watched last night's episode of Bachelor Pad, you already know because you've already laughed at this.

Okay, what do you get when you combine this fine fellow

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with this dazzling young lady?

Fraggle Rock rocked the most, yes?

Well, you definitely get this - especially when you know Muppets and Fraggles love a good mushy musical opportunity.  What can I say?  Haters gonna hate.  And I am a def Kasienna hater.


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And apparently, so is Kirk...and the rest of the Bachelor Pad contestants.  High-larious.  And this is just one reason why Kirk is the hottest guy on the show.



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Until next time,

Oh, Anderson Cooper...

As someone who works in television media, I can tell you that news can be really tough - more often than not there are terrible stories to report on and it can become a gray and dreary world if you constantly focus on the negative. 

Every now and again, though, there are stories that are so utterly ridiculous that you can't help but shake your head and laugh, and one of the most recent stories in the headlines absolutely fit the bill!  Have you heard the one about Gerard Depardieu's public urination on a plane?  I mean, really???

Now, imagine that your program chooses to cover this sort of news and you are the unlucky victim who has to report on it - I can only imagine how difficult that would be, and that is the purpose of today's post.  Anderson Cooper, whom I adore, had to perform the light-hearted humor segment, The Ridiculist, on his show Anderson 360, and the topic of the day was none other than Gerard Depardieu.

Please sit back and enjoy Anderson absolutely losing it for the first time in his career over the absolutely ridiculous puns (and boy were there ever a lot of puns) and this absolutely ridiculous situation.  I'm so glad that he's got a new daytime show coming on in September on ABC - down to earth, adorable, and straight up hilarious in this video - cue the giggles!



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Happy Weekend, everyone!

Until next time,

Aww, Look At The Baby! Pt. 3

And we shall call this post in the series "the shopping trip that changed my life."

In case you missed them, you should absolutely and most definitely check out the prior posts in this money-saving series:

Part 1 - The Beginning
Part 2 - This One's For The Haters

Anyways, to follow up on Part 2, I told you that there were people who were questioning the trip that changed my life, so I wanted to clear up that little situation.  The trip did in fact happen.  How can I prove it?  Check out the pictures, below, and let your mind be blown.  (Please excuse the cell phone quality - I had no idea I'd be so awed at the conclusion of this trip or I would have taken my camera!)

My business partner, L, being taught about the binder by the artist formerly known as the Coupon Queeny, Tanya - Divine Deal Diva!

Cart 1 in progress

Cart 2 in progress

Nervously waiting in line at my local Kroger - how will we do?!?!

Before coupons (but after Kroger Plus Card savings - we scanned it before we started! BOO!)

After coupons!  WOW!  $210.48 in coupon savings alone!!!

With our fabulous cashier and our hella long receipt! WHAT A RUSH!

So, as you can see, the shopping trip with the DIVINE DEAL DIVA, Tanya, actually went down - and it went down in MY city!  I was there. I pushed Cart #2, thank you very much!  And this was the shopping trip that changed my life - because it put into action what Grandma Chicken Wing had been telling me for years.  Coupons are money and when times are hard financially, which they are for me right now, I have to do what I can to help my money go further.  As I said in the post prior to this one in the series - my couponing isn't about you.  It isn't my goal to make your life harder - it's to make mine better, and sometimes, I think it's okay to put yourself first if you are constantly courteous to others.

So, I hope that each of you who wants to try to start saving money enjoyed this trip through my local Kroger, and I hope that you found motivation - it CAN be done.  I'm not saying it's easy, but I am saying that, for me, it's worth it.

Next post in the series?  I shall call it - the method to my madness!

Until next time,

Awww, Look At The Baby! Pt. 2 - This One's For The Haters

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I have been so surprised by the amount of questions I've gotten regarding the first post in my series about coolpon-ing (You thought I was going to give that up, didn't you?)!  You can find the post HERE if you missed it - and if you missed it, how dare you??! Just kidding!  The interest is definitely there, but I think that what's surprised me more than the interest were the haters that came out of the woodwork - the nonbelievers or downright angry folks, if you will. 

They have asked all sorts of questions that I didn't anticipate (and a few that I did), so I've decided that this post will be my rebuttal post.  Up first was the growing-in-popularity question:  Chicken Wing, are you going to become one of "those people?"

Cue the horrified face.

No, I am not going to become a glorified hoarder, and it's true that sometimes super extreme couponers make me angry.  I like to think of myself as a courteous coolpon-er.  I don't cut coolpons from 10+ papers so that I can swoop into your favorite store and steal every last item that you are looking for, just because it's on sale, and just because I can (insert evil laugh here).  I only buy the things that I need and I rarely EVER buy the last item.  The only way that happens is if other people buy all the items but one or two.  In my opinion, that's not my fault.

My primary goal is to only stockpile things I need/things I will use/things that will not go bad for forever.  For example, things I would love to create a stockpile of:  toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, deodorant, soap/bodywash, dental floss, etc.  These are things that I need and that I use every.single.day, so it makes sense to buy these things when they are at the rock bottom prices so I don't have to make spontaneous trips to the store because I accidentally ran out.  I'm not coolpon-ing in order to donate to charity, I'm coolpon-ing to make my life more comfortable, people!

I'm satisfied with my answer that NO, I will never be featured on Extreme Couponing, but if TLC wants to give me my own show simply for being awesome, I'm down with becoming famous for being famous - it's kind of a big trend right now.  Am I right, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, and Kristin Cavalleri?

On to the next question/statement from the haters.  "Oh geez, remind me never to go grocery shopping with you.  I bet that takes forever."  You know something, yes.  Yes, coolpon-ing takes time.  It takes time to cut the coolpons out of the paper.  It takes time to organize them.  It takes time to read the weekly circulars and try to figure out what items I use are on sale and where to get the best deal. It takes time to actually DO the shopping.  And for gosh sakes, it might take me a LITTLE bit longer to check out. 

Again, I refer back to trying my best to be a courteous coolpon-er.  If there is someone in line behind me, I inform them that I have coolpons and give them the option to move.  If they have less than me, I offer them the option to go in front of me.  If I have a coolpon for an item that isn't my favorite, and I see that someone in line behind me or in front of me has it in their cart, I will give them a coolpon, thus saving a complete stranger money.  I know that not everyone out there has the same practices and that sucks, but there isn't anything I can do about them.  But hating on the "regular" coolpon-ers, which I am a part of - the group who just needs to save their family's hard-earned money as best they can - is not cool, yo!  We take the time and put forth all the effort to coolpon and thus we get the reward of saving some money. 

As far as I'm concerned, YOU CAN

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Finally, I've gotten the question from the haters of whether or not my account of my shopping trip with the Coupon Queeny is accurate.  For the answer to that, stay tuned to the next post in the series.

Until next time,

Aww, Look At The Baby! Pt. 1

Okay, I know you all are "awww-ing" in unison, and yes, that insanely adorable baby is none other than yours truly.  I was my Grandma and PaPa's little princess and the apple of my parents' eyes, for I was the first born child and the first born grandchild on my Mom's side of the family.  I also happened to be the first girl grandchild on my Dad's side of the family, but who's really keeping score of how awesome I am?

The subject of this post makes me revert back to those days in certain ways because when you're just a young-un as I was in the photo above, everything is a new experience and you have so much to learn about everything!  You're vulnerable and you need guidance and protection from harm.  So, what exactly are we talking about here that would send me back to baby-dom in all its terrifying glory?

COUPONING.  Yes, folks, I said it.  My name is Chicken Wing and I am a baby couponer.

The photo I chose for this post is actually quite fitting as I actually first learned of couponing from my maternal Grandma who was married to the wonderful man holding me up in that picture (my beloved PaPa).  For this post, we'll call her Grandma-the-Great.  If there is one constant that has always been associated with my Grandma in my life, it's that she is a lean, mean, couponing machine!  (And she can cook some amazing Southern staples, let me tell you - she is a Jedi in the kitchen).

Anywho, Grandma-the-Great has oft preached about the values of couponing.  "Chicken Wing, it's like they are giving you money to shop with," she would exclaim.  I oftentimes would scoff at her outbursts or would just brush them off with a nod and a, "You're right, Grandma."

Fast forward quite a bit more than a decade, and yours truly was a twenty-something trying to make it in this big ole world (fairly unsuccessfully if you're looking at the world through monetary-measuring glasses).  I was actually contacted by my part-time job boss while we were in the midst of planning one of our biggest events - the Women's Show!  She had been bogged down by a ton of tasks that were running over in time, and she would no longer be able to take our special celebrity guest of the show on her errands.  Who was this guest, you ask?

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The COUPON QUEENY, I answer!!!  Hello, people, she has received SO MUCH PRESS for her amazing couponing efforts!  Not buying what I'm selling you?  Check out her website here.

So, little-ole-me got to take famous-ole-her out shopping for hours and I quickly came to realize that I had found another couponing sensei to teach this little grasshoppa how to save money with coupons.  This was so awesome, I have changed the name of these little magic pieces of paper to cool-pons.  I'm sure this will catch on.  (When the terminology sweeps the nation, make sure you let people know that Chicken Wing started the revolution.)

We shopped at Kroger, Food Lion, and Dollar General, and what a day it was.  At Kroger, I believe we got $300 worth of groceries for $100. At Food Lion, we stocked up on free toilet paper.  At Dollar General, we got a handful of items, and the store ended up owing us so much money, we had to each buy a bottled soda and a candy bar, just so we could break even (apparently, you can't leave the store with them owing you money, and DG can't pay you overage in cash.  Overage, I learned, is when a store owes you money because you saved so much.  Wal-Mart will actually pay you cash!) Are you finding this to be a tall tale?

I know, right!  Source.

Check out the photographic evidence that this day of shopping did, in fact, happen.

Yes, this is my PT job boss, my biz partner, the Coupon Queeny, yours truly, & my three PT job colleagues holding the longest receipt ever - OURS!

Thus began my own personal cool-poning journey.  I'm not making any more money (thank you, Econo Me McSuckerson), so every penny counts these days.  Financially, it has been an exceptionally stressful couple of years, and I've decided to make the most of my hard-earned cash.  Sure, I could join the "in-crowd" and not work, have ten kids out of wedlock, and be way richer than I am right now by living off the government (I may have pondered it once or twice after witnessing so many people who are living large and not working for a cent of their income).  But, I was raised better than that and I will just make do with what I've been given (because I'm sure there are plenty of folks who would kill to walk in my shoes).

If you'd like to know more about my journey, what methods and resources I'm using, and how it's going so far, stay tuned!

Until next time,

Goals Are Important

Every now and again, it's good to take some time to focus on your goals.  Having something to achieve is so important in life - the moment you stop trying for something is the moment boredom sets in and we all know what they say about idle hands being the devil's playground.  I've actually seen such boredom in action recently and it's amazing to me how unhappy people can become when they stop reaching for something greater.

I want to increase my chances of reaching my goals, so I thought that it would be best to keep myself accountable, and what better way to do that than to share a few goals with all of you so you can hold me to them! :)  Welcome to your homework, Peeps!  Here goes nothing.

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1.  I would like to become more of a domestic goddess.

By domestic goddess, I mean that I would like to be better at all things home related.  I know that in order to accomplish this, I will have to practice better time management, as I have so little free time as it is.  Yes, that means that sometimes, I will have to give up my precious television or catching-up-on-the-magazine-subscription-I'm-four-months-behind-on in order to become the goddess I was intended to be. 

Help needed in the following areas: 
a.  Cooking - yeah, I have three dishes I can successfully make (and that's if I check the recipes a bazillion times).
b.  Cleaning/Organization - Okay, I'm sure we can all be better at this, but I know if I could accomplish a better system for myself, it would keep the anxiety and breathing into brown paper bags at a minimum.  Just kidding - there have been no actual documented panic attacks associated with having to clean or organize things.

Excuse the cell pic (that's me on the end back there) and the members of our Coupon Club at work!

2.  I want to become an awesome coupon queen!

You see, I have discovered that couponing is power, and I want to be better at it!  I have done pretty well so far, but there is vast room for improvement.  (Have you seen Extreme Couponing? Crazy Town, right?!?!)  While I don't have room for that kind of stockpiling, and mine is done on a much more pared-down level, I would love to know that I'm saving money on EVERYTHING I buy.  It's possible - inconvenient sometimes, and a lifestyle change - but possible! I really want to be able to save money!

I, along with some girls at work, even started a Coupon Club at our company, and basically we meet once a week to clip or organize our coupons, and share the ones we know we won't use.  For example, I don't have any children yet, so I have no use for Pull-Ups.  My coworker, though, has a little girl and she's in the midst of potty training.  I give her Pull-Ups coupons and she gives me M&M coupons.  I think it's a fair trade!

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3.  Simply doing simple things.

I want to make more time to do simple things.  Day-tripping to the lake, taking a hike, having a picnic, laying by someone's pool, taking a drive somewhere, taking more pictures!  I want to enjoy the simple things in life!

I'm hoping these are some attainable goals - in my experience, having goals is great but overloading yourself with goals is a good way to set yourself up for failure.  While I have way more than three goals currently in my life, I have chosen these three to start with.  Once I accomplish these, I can focus on different ones, and hopefully by pacing myself, I can achieve them!

What about you?  What goals do you hope to soon achieve?

Until next time,

Chicken Wing "New Song Obsession"

I LOVE THIS SONG!

...and it's a Christian song, to boot!  I was flipping through the radio channels in my car the other day, and the background music of this song came on.  I started bopping the head a little bit and thought to myself, "This is quite catchy."

Then, I listened to the lyrics and immediately the song resonated with me!  We all get caught up in the hassles and messes of life, and we sometimes forget to remember just how blessed we are.  This song came at the perfect time for me - if you read my last post, you already know why. If you haven't had a chance to read it, go check it out.

I hope you all enjoy "This Is The Stuff," by Francesca Battistelli.


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Until next time,