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I love a good coupon.  I even like going through the pamphlets in the paper to see which of my favorite products is offering me money to buy what I already buy.  It’s free money.  After trying out several different methods, I’ve found that clipping only coupons for products that we know and love (and the occasional new product that looks like it might be worth trying if it’s a good enough deal) and then making my weekly list while keeping in mind weekly sales, the coupons I have on hand, and what I actually want to eat that week (this not being the least of the three — because if I don’t feel like eating it it’s probably not getting eaten…) works out the best for us.

As anyone who knows me is well aware, this coupon love also extends to sales and deals of any sort.  I love a good outlet mall.  75% off sales make me sweat.  I have been known to comb ebay for deals as a leisure activity.  I adore a great deal.

Lately I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for framing coupons.  We have three things that have needed framing for quite a while and because I’m nesting, they’re getting framed.  Right.  Now.

Yesterday I ventured out to the Home Goods in search of a way to rig up one or more of the pictures for much less money than I knew custom framing would cost.  I got really lucky and walked out of the store with framing solutions for two of the three things for around $38.  I was very proud of myself, since the last time I had something framed it cost me around $85 (with a coupon, mind you) and these solutions look good and cost considerably less.

As serendipity would have it, I mentioned this to my mom the other day and she immediately sent me a new coupon for 55% off a custom framing order from Michaels.  The catch was that it was only good for a week, starting today.  I rushed on up there with the coupon burning a hole in my hot little hand.  I figured that the savings from the other two frames would offset the cost enough to make it manageable.  Plus, I had my trusty coupon, so I was all set.

Then the guy rung up my order.  I actually choked just a little bit.  I’m not going to say how much the final tally was,  but Y’all, apparently we should all become custom framing apprentices because it’s a gold mine.  Coupons or not.

Matt and I are both sick.  It’s possible that we’re both dying.  It’s also possible that one or both of us has severe allergies and that one or both of us has a virus (also possible:  virus + allergies).  What we both really need to be doing today is lying in bed sleeping and drinking copious amounts of fluid.  Because we are parents, however; Matt is at work and I am at home (in bed with a laptop and some fluids (many thanks to PBS), but definitely not sleeping).  Why?  Because even if we both took a “sick day” neither of us would get any rest.  Ahhh, parenthood.

I hear you have a lot of smarties on your team, so I’m just wondering when you’re planning on developing Advil and (effective) cold medication for pregnant ladies.  It may not have the profit potential of a pill that allows you to eat whatever you want with no adverse health effects, but the audience would be every bit as grateful.

Headaches and sniffles,

Shannon Connolly

[Scene:  Liam is sitting in time out, where I assume he was placed for a hitting violation, since I didn’t hear much build-up and hitting is an automatic time-outable offense.  Matt is walking down the hall towards our bedroom where he will presumably hide out for the 2 minute time-out duration.]

Liam:  “Dad!  Dad!  Where ya goin’ Dad?  Where ya goin’?  Dad!  Hey!  Wanna play hide and seek?  Where ya goin’ Dad?  Hide.  And.  Seek!”

Obviously he totally gets the misery that is time-out.

I think it’s really great that you’ve made your bags compostable.  Whether or not it’s a total gimmick, it’s a good idea and I would like to commend you for that.  Here’s the issue:  this bag is LOUD.  As a mother, I sometimes need to sneak a little snack while preparing food for Liam in an effort to keep myself from vomiting out of sheer hunger.  There is absolutely no way to inconspicuously open this new bag.  Even if the bag is already open, there’s no way to stick your hand inside without the immediate onslaught of the crackle of death.  While my child is still fairly easy to distract, the crackle of death comes close to breaking the sound barrier and even trains and cheese triangles are not enough to distract him from the fact that there is crunchy whole-grain goodness being unleashed in his immediate vicinity.  If you could work on a solution to this problem, I’d really appreciate it.

Yours in hunger and sneakiness,

Shannon Connolly