Chicago here I come!

Early tomorrow I'm flying out to spend the weekend with two of my very bestest peeps, Amy and Melanie.

Thanks for Mel's ever-traveling husband, we'll be staying in the Marriott on the Mag Mile for... fah-ree!

We've also secured tickets to a show at Second City, the comedy club where many of the greats have gotten their start.

Yummy food. Good wine. Lots of hanging around the hotel relaxing and talking and just enjoying being together again.

I can't wait!

But you know that I couldn't truly relax unless I knew my fam here at home is well-taken care of. I prepared an information packet for Scott. Poor angel is left to pick up the chaotic insanity that the weekend became after I booked my plane ticket.

Here's what he's got to juggle...

1. No school for the kiddos on Friday
2. Girl Scout cookie pick up
3. Emma has a GS overnight on Saturday
4. Emma also has her first swim meet on Sunday, so he has to pick her up early from camping and get her to the meet
5. GS cookie distribution to the troop

To a mom, yeah, well... it's all under control. But to dad who isn't in charge of Family Coordination, the list can seem a little overwhelming.

So Scott's info packet contains Google directions to everywhere he needs to go, all appropriate Girl Scout paperwork, a packing list for Emma, a spreadsheet with cookie distribution for each Girl Scout, phone numbers, dates, times, swim meet information and of course, directions to get to the swim meet. 

It's taken me the better part of a week to coordinate it all for him. And I don't mind a bit.

After all, he is my Hero. Yup, Hero with a capital H.

I'll be back Monday eve, so I'll post photos and stories (the non-x rated ones hee hee) on Tuesday. Enjoy your weekends!

Please tell me I have more time...

This is the first paragraph of a letter I found in my in box a few minutes ago:

Dear Eighth Grade Family,

Please allow me to be among the first to welcome you and your student to the high school years.  I would also like to inform you of a special opportunity for your student as you begin the process of registering for high school.

Say what??????

Who me????

I have a child about to enter high school????

Say is isn't so!!!!! Please! I'm not ready!!!

Seriously, I'm not ready for her to start high school. Middle school maybe, but that's as far as I'm willing to go.

Oh wait. She started middle school two and a half years ago. And she'll be done with it in five short months. 

And that means high school awaits.

*sigh* I guess it's inevitable. 

So I'm going to get my rah-rah on and be happy about this. And I really am happy. Just a little sad that time has gone too quickly.

Repost: Cards for sale!!

My amazing and entrepreneurial 13-year-old daughter is raising money to go on her school's 8th grade trip to Philly, DC and NYC. So she created greeting cards with her artwork...

These are just a couple of the pieces she's chosen to include on her cards.

Here's her marketing email...

In early April, I’ll be joining 150 other eight graders from my school in a trip to Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New York City! It costs almost $2000 to go, so I’m raising money by selling some of my artwork in the form of greeting cards.

For only $8, you’ll receive a set of five cards, each a different design. They will arrive bundled in a ribbon and in a clear gift bag. As soon as I get the check, I’ll send the package within a couple days. (Shipping is included in the price.)

This is a fantastic and inexpensive gift idea for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, teachers or even when you want to give an extra special thank you.

Don't forget to tell your friends and family about this amazing opportunity!

Delicious Readers, won't you please buy a set or two to help send this talented girl to the East Coast for several days? If you're interested, please either leave a message here or email lafs.cards@gmail.com and she'll send you an order form right away!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I'm a Guest Blogger!

Woot! Woot!

I wrote an article on the art of being a balanced coupon shopper.

Huh? I know you're thinking "what on earth is a balanced coupon shopper?"

Well, thank you for asking...

My regular Delicious readers know that I adore couponing. But one thing I learned the hard way is that it is way too easy to become completely addicted to matching deals and coupons. Not to mention constantly heading out to various stores to get a bargain that's just too good to pass up.

Couponing is super-duper awesome in moderation (meaning you cannot ignore your children). So when I had an opportunity to do a guest post on one of the most awesome super-saver blogs out there, SoutherCaliSaver.com, I knew I had to write about finding balance in among the perforated lines.

So go on over and read my tricks of the trade!

http://www.southerncalisaver.com/2011/01/guest-post-walking-perforated-line-finding-balance-couponing-lifestyle/#respond

Rockin' Walgreen's shop this afternoon...

I scored two of the evasive $5 off any Nature Made vitamin coupons last week and held onto them so I could couple them with Walgreen's BOGO sale.

'Cause you know what that means!!! Two bottles of vitamin D for.... wait for it.... NOTHING!

That's right, delicious friends, free-ola. Woot woot!

And then I had to use my $7 Walgreen's cash coupons (can't remember what they're called), so here's what jumped into my basket...

2 boxes of very cute hamster Valentine's for Emma
1 8.5 oz. bottle hair spray
2 boxes of Duncan Hines cupcake mix

I know, I know. You're all waiting with bated breath for how much I paid. Well, wait no more!

$1.79. 

But wait! There's more! (And no. No Ginsu knives included.)

The hairspray has a "Try Me Free" sticky on it. 

Which means that I'll get a $1.99 rebate! 

Which means that I will have made a profit of 22 cents!

Which means that I did my let's get funky dance in the car on the way home! (Wouldn't you have like to have seen that? ROFLOL) Hayley, my shopping partner in finding-fantabulous-deals crime, thought it was pretty hysterical. 

Or maybe she was just being patiently tolerant. That sounds more likely. I get a lot of that from her these days.

None the less, I did my happy dance and celebrated my fantastic shop. Wanna dance with me?