I just learned something!

A few weeks ago, I noticed that after my workouts, I get red in the face and it has never happened before!  I drink water during and after my workout, just because I  know I need to stay hydrated.  I have also noticed that I get a little more sweaty during my workouts too.  I thought it could be the weather, but I workout between 6am-8am or so.

Out of the blue, I decided to look up one of the medications I have been taking for a month and read the side effects.  I don't like taking medications because of the long list of side effects and the dependency of a doctor and pharmacy.  Here is the side effect that caught my eye: This medication can cause decreased sweating. Avoid becoming overheated in hot weather, saunas, or during exercise or other strenuous activities since heatstroke may occur.

When I clicked on "heatstroke," two of the things listed caught my eye:
Sweating that may be heavy or may have stopped.
Skin that may be red, hot, and dry, even in the armpits.

I did noticed an increase in sweat during my workouts and my face is red afterwards!  Scary!  I am just glad I know why both things were happening to me. 

Ordered a Couch

When we were packing and preparing to move to our apartment, we ended up throwing away our couch and loveseat that we had since 2003 (the same year we got married).  There were a couple of reasons why we decided to throw them away: 1. They were dirty and grungy from sitting in a garage for close to 4 years (off and on); 2. Shannon would be unable to lift them due to his injury; 3. They were a little torn up from Cyrus chewing on them.  So when we moved to our apartment, all we had for the living room were two chairs that my in-laws gave us.  They were old and grungy from being in the garage but they would be all we had to sit on in the living room.  Well, since they are flimsy and bendable, Kyle quickly learned he could lean on them and also jump on and off of them.  One of them is broken from Kyle's abuse!  LOL 

We have been talking about getting a couch for awhile now and after one of the chairs finally broke, we decided to just buy a couch!  We found one at Rooms to Go and Shannon ordered it online. 

Shannon really liked it for the dark brown color since our TV stand is dark brown!  And yes, we still have a TV stand as we do not have a flat screen TV.  I just noticed that the couch is made of blended leather!  We also like the sale price!  There are shipping fees, but it's better than ordering a couch online and having to put it together!  We liked that Rooms to Go delivers, considering we don't have a truck.  I think this will be the "nicest and fanciest" couch we have ever owned! 

It will be nice to be able to sit on the couch next to Shannon, instead of in separate chairs.  I will also enjoy cuddling with Kyle, even though he can sit still for about 2 seconds before he's off running or playing around elsewhere. 

A refill

Earlier this month, I mentioned having to pay $3 for medication.  Well, I had to get a refill, so I called my doctor to see if I could get the "generic" form of the medication.  Anyway, I went to pick up my prescription and was told by the pharmacy that there isn't a generic form!  So, I had to pay another $3!  Oh well, $3 is much better than $188.99!!! 

While at Walgreens, I bought a few things.  They were either on sale or free.  I only used 2 coupons and still saved almost $19!!  Here's what I bought:

 

Huggies ~ on sale for $8.99

Total: $8.99

Arizona Green Tea ~ $0.99 each.  Used Walgreens coupon 2/$1
Total: $1

Pantene Conditioner ~ $4.99  Used a coupon from Pantene
Total: FREE

Finesse Shampoo and Conditioner (BOGO FREE) ~ $3.99 for both*
Total: $1.99 after $2 Finesse rebate

Scunci No Damage Hair Elastics ~ 2/$3
Total: FREE with $3 in Register Rewards towards next purchase

(Not pictured)

Walgreens brand Wet Cleaning Clothes (for the Swiffer) (BOGO FREE) ~ $3.99
Total Savings: $18.95

Pop Rocks and Boy Socks

Kyle had Pop Rocks for the first time yesterday.  Shannon bought them at the "corner store" and brought them out for Kyle to see.  Kyle was curious and he was even eager to eat them, even though he had no idea what they were.  We're never sure how he will react to new things.  He could either like it, hate it, and/or freak out.  When Kyle wanted more Pop Rocks, we gave him a little plate with more Pop Rocks to eat and he loved them. 

I picked up the Sunday paper and found 2 coupon inserts (I normally only receive one insert), so I was very happy about that!  Unfortunately my Sunday paper didn't have the Walgreens ad, but luckily I can access it online.  We stopped at Walgreens and picked up the ad (I like to have a copy in my possession so I can scour the ad and compare them with the coupons that I have) and a few things we needed.  After Walgreens, we went to Walmart for a few groceries.  Shannon also needed computer ink and printer paper.  I also picked up some boy socks for Kyle.  His "toddler" socks were getting old and he needed a bigger size.  Luckily I found the "smallest" size I could find in the boys section.  I also looked at pants for him but the smallest size (4/5) looked too big for him.  He will eventually need more clothes for school. 

I've been a busy bee!

It's been a productive day for me!  I woke up and did my 55 minute workout (I always seem to put this one off by taking an extra rest day from working out).  I am also catching up on laundry today since I realized we were almost out of clean clothes.  I am doing at least 4 loads of laundry (darks, whites, and two loads of towels & bath mats)! 

Kyle starts Kindergarten on August 25th and I am looking to get him more clothes for school.  His school district doesn't not require school uniforms, but we're going to stick with the same theme.  Kyle will also be attending 5 days a week, which means I will need to have more clothes for him, plus extras when I need to do laundry.  He's still the same size as last year - 5T, which I can only seem to find at JC Penney. 

A difference of $27.30

We just received our electric/energy bill today and it was $27.30 more than last month.  First, when we called to set up service, we were offered the option of "equal payment plan" and it would be around $80 a month.  Since our bill was more than $80, I called and asked why.  I was told that we weren't set up for the equal payment plan, but she was able to change it for us.

We're in the process of re-applying for food stamps in our current county.  We just need additional paperwork to send to our local office.  Since we are without food stamps, we are forced to pay out of pocket.

Just a few things

I am always looking forward to Sunday -- to get the Sunday paper for the coupons.  I found a few in the Walgreens ad that I wanted to get.  I took Kyle with me and thankfully it was cool outside!   I used coupons for every item I bought and ended up saving over $19! 

We went to Walmart today for a few groceries. 

I applied for food stamps last week and we received a letter asking us to come in to "interview" so that they can determine our eligibility.  I guess they require all applicants to come in (unlike the former county we lived in where we did everything via mail).  The letter also stated that we may qualify for "expedited services" so hopefully we can get our food stamps as soon as possible!

Mini-Getaway

We just got back a little while ago from a mini-getaway!  We decided to stay two nights in Cherokee, NC.  We stayed one night at Fairfield Inn & Suites and then stayed the second night at Harrah's.  Our hotel at Harrah's was comped.  We were also able to comp our breakfast from this morning as well as a few other purchases. 

On our first night, I ended up finishing a book I had already started and was able to write the review the same day.  Our second night, I didn't have internet access because Harrah's charges their guests to use their Wi-Fi, so instead, I started reading a new book and already over half way done!

On a whim, we decided to get away.  Thursday afternoon, we just decided to go.  While Shannon made the hotel reservations, I packed our stuff.  Kyle was easy to pack and I packed my clothes pretty quickly.  The "hardest" part was gathering our toiletries.  We were able to fit all of our stuff into one suitcase!  It only took us 45 minutes to get packed, make hotel reservations, and out the door. 

Now that we're back, I am catching up on laundry and just trying to get back into our normal every day schedule.  Thankfully, I only have 2 loads of clothes to do! 

I saved how much?!

My last prescription was ready at Walgreens yesterday, so we all jumped in the car to pick it up.  I would have walked, but it was super hot and humid outside.  If I attempted to leave, Kyle would have wanted to go with me and walking with him slows me down, which means more sweat and more time in the hot sun! 

I only had to pay $3 for my prescription since we have Medicaid.  When I opened my wallet, I saw that I only had $2 and then I checked the other slot in my wallet and saw that I had $5, otherwise, I would have had to use my bank card for a $3 purchase.  As I was walking away from the counter, I looked at the paperwork that was stapled to my bag and it said, "With your insurance, you saved $188.99."  I was shocked at how much this medication costs!  All I could think was, "thank goodness for Medicaid."  If I didn't have Medicaid, I would have looked for an alternative herbal remedy. 

When I got back to the car, I told Shannon how much I "saved" and all he could say was "holy sh*t" or something to that effect. 

When we returned home, I took a pill and I took another pill this morning.  I don't think it has started working yet because there haven't been any changes.  I hope this does start to work soon!

Panties and Blush

We went to the mall today.  I have been wanting to get a certain blush that I have heard a lot about.  There are celebrities that wear it and it's been the best seller since 2001!  I knew it was sold at Sephora and we happen to have a Sephora inside of our local JC Penney's.  I was able to see the blush in person and had to think about it before buying it.  While doing that, I went over and found some panties.  I had a hard time choosing the colors and sizes, but finally bought a few.  I have decided to stop buying panties that come in a package from Walmart (I usually bought Hanes) because they would start to unravel after a few weeks of wearing them!  It just didn't seem worth it to have underwear fall apart after a few weeks or have holes in them.  I am hoping that panties from the department store will last longer than a few weeks! 

I ended up getting the blush that I really wanted.  I figured that I would regret not getting it, so I just took the plunge and bought it.  I tried it on and love it!  It works perfectly for my skin color! 

After going to the mall, we went to Walmart to get groceries.  Since we are no longer receiving food stamps, we tried not to buy as much. 

I called the department of social services today regarding our food stamps and she said that we would need to reapply because we were supposed to get recertified in May, which is around the time we moved.  Also, we have to reapply since we moved to a different county.  I filled out the application today and sent it out in today's mail!  Hopefully we can get back on food stamps by the end of this month and not have so long.

My appointment

I had my doctor's appointment this past Thursday.  It was a long awaiting visit, since I haven't been to the doctor since 2007!  Since I was a new patient, they wrote down as much of my medical history they could.  Then they asked what issues I had wanted to discuss with the doctor (there were 3). 

Anyway, I am little surprised at how eager the doctor was to write me a prescription for medication.  I think our society is way over-medicated!  I suppose I am not on medication mainly because I haven't had medical coverage since 2006 or so.  Even when I did have medical coverage, I rarely used it.  The doctor didn't even question my wanting a prescription for an inhaler (for my asthma).  He also wrote me a prescription for birth control and one other medication.  I am pretty sure if we were in California and I asked for a prescription for medical marijuana, he wouldn't even question that!!!  So crazy! 

I ended up filling my prescriptions at Walgreens since it's less than 2 blocks from us.  I was able to get two of my prescriptions, the third one wasn't covered by Medicaid and they need to get authorization for another medication from the doctor.  My birth control cost $32.99 and the inhaler cost $44.99 -- I only paid $3 for the inhaler.  Thank goodness for Medicaid! 

I am happy to have Medicaid and a "regular" doctor.  Shannon and I have both been seen by the same doctor. 

July 3rd

Tomorrow is 4th of July!  We don't have any plans but I have been thinking about making Pineapple Angel Food Cake or Brownies!  I can't decide.  Yesterday, I bought the stuff to make both. 

A few weeks ago I started getting the Sunday newspaper for the coupons.  Two weeks ago, I was able to save at Walgreens just from using coupons.  Last week was a little dull on the sales and coupons.  This week, I bought some things that were on sale, as well as use coupons with them.  I was able to get a bottle of Herbal Essences conditioner for free since it was on sale and I had a coupon for it!  I also bought two toothbrushes for free!  As I was putting away all the things I bought, I felt like I am becoming a hoarder!  I think it's more "stocking up" on the things we use. 

Last week, I bought a bottle of liquid castile soap with the idea of using it to make homemade hand soap, homemade dish soap, and other things.  However, I realized, I am saving more money using coupons.  I ended up returning the bottle of liquid castile soap, which was about $15!  I think I will continue to make our laundry soap just because it's all natural and it cleans our clothes so well and I don't need to use fabric softener. 

There are a few other things I need from Walgreens, and I plan to go again later this week.  As I am collecting more and more coupons, I am realizing that I may need to get a binder just to organize them.  More experienced couponers use a binder filled with plastic baseball card holders to organize their coupons. 

I am so glad that we live so close to a Walgreens (about 1 1/2 blocks away), so I can walk there!