BARGAIN HUNTER!

Today I headed to Louisville with my mom and the boys. Mom had to get a few things at the mall and I am all about some shopping! I must say that today we hit the jack pot! Thank you JC Penney!!


They are having THE ULTIMATE SALE! We walked around the store browsing. I wasn't happy with the costs of clothing. I am accustomed to shopping at our local Walmart for goodness sake! $40 for a shirt....I don't think so!

Well...as we were about to leave my eyes located the "clearance section". Naturally I had to check it out! I am certainly glad I did too! I have NEVER seen a sell like this before! I purchased several name brand clothes (Liz Claiborne, Nicole Miller, ect) all for under 5 bucks! I was totally blown away! I haven't been that excited to shop in years! Want to know just how good of a sell it was? I spent
$70. When I got my receipt and checked out the bottom where it shows you what you saved, I nearly fainted! Literally got dizzy and needed to sit down. I saved $546 dollars!!! I bought over $6oo dollars worth of designer clothes for the bargain price of $70! That is shopping heaven!!! I even found an adorable skirt to wear all spring with my cowboy boots! I was so excited I had to share my finds with you! Nothing was over $4.97!!!

VERA WANG! Original price $48. I already had the necklaces.


Original Price was $64.00!!! They are gorgeous!


Liz Claiborne color block sweater w/ collar. Original price $44.


Nicole Miller Top. Original Price $40.00


Jones Wear adorable wrap sweater. Original Price $58


Worthington Black Lace Top Original Price $40.00


Liz Claiborne Original Price $48


Halter Ring top Original Price $44


My AWESOME skirt that goes with my AWESOME cowboy boots! LOVE!!!! Original Price $58


Nicole Miller 100% Cashmere sweater Original Price $90


Lavender cashmere blanket cardigan Original Price $89


Liz Claiborne Turtleneck Original Price $ 36


Liz Claiborne Cardigan sweater Original price $60


There you have it! All my under $5 finds! Is that amazing or what! I've never owned ANYTHING cashmere before due to the price and I got 2 sweaters for under $10! Now that is a sale!!
I also got Joe some Greenbay Packer t-shirts for $10 each at Cardboard Heros.

I fell head over heels in love with a new perfume by Marc Jacobs - Daisy Eau So Fresh. It's nearly $80 for a bottle of it! If anyone of you devoted readers know any discount perfume sites I can purchase it from please do tell! This was the most amazing smelling perfume but $70+ for perfume is too rich for my blood!


And of course, you can't go to the mall with out....


or without.....



Mom got my dad a GORGEOUS sport coat by RALPH LAUREN CHAPS (Original Price $180) with a gorgeous pastel green shirt and tie, also RALPH LAUREN CHAPS....all three items for $149. Less than the original price of the coat! AMAZING! My dad is gonna be stylin' on Easter! Go Paw-Paw! Go Paw-Paw!


The boys got the Kohl's Kid's Cause books with plush animals to match their books! You can't beat $5 a piece! They LOVED it!
Landon chose The Grouchy Ladybug.
Andrew chose The Mixed Up Chameleon
Caden chose the catepillar plush but The Foolish Tortoise book since he had The Hungry Catepillar book at home.
As you can see from the picture below, the plush animals are ADORABLE!!!!


By the end of the day I looked a little like this! But it was beyond worth it!


After shopping it was lunch at McD's for happy meals and sweet tea. That was followed by my follow up with Dr. Haas.


I am happy to report I am totally healed and off any and all restriction. I see him in a year just a followup on my results. I am beyond happy with my surgery and the results are GREAT! But it isn't that simple folks. I still have exercise in my future and I am READY! BRING IT ON!
A HUGE THANK YOU to Dr. Thomas Haas and staff (esp Lisa, Amber and Janice) for EVERYTHING! You guys are AMAZING!!!! I could not be happier with my results!





As promised I will do a before and after photo hopefully by the end of the week!

This evening Joe got home early from work and came bearing gifts. I got a gorgeous red rose and the boys got cupcakes. Just because! He is the best husband and father.


All in all I would say this was a grand day but I will admit that I am exhausted! I had a momentary break down tonight after dinner when I discovered that Caden had destroyed a dress I bought last spring. I splurged then and bought a $50 halter dress that I was instantly in love with and I absolutely ADORED this dress! I had it in the plastic the entire last year just waiting to be worn in my post surgery summer glory this year. I've been counting down the months. Every time I looked at that dress my heart would flutter! I really LOVED it! Too see it destroyed totally broke my heart. I cried and cried while Joe searched the house for the beads. We have no idea how many were on it or if we even have them all now. We have no idea how or if we can put it back together. If anyone has any ideas or can help please do so! I so very badly and with all my heart want to save my dress!

The Dress AFTER the halter straps and beads were broken off.....


The beads we were able to find...


The straps and clean line attached to them where the beads once resided. One end of the clear line is detached, which is were the beads fell off from.


ANY ONE THAT CAN HELP PLEASE DO! I am DESPARATE TO SAVE THIS DRESS! I've searched online all over and can't find this Dress Barn dress anywhere any longer. I guess it's SOOO LAST SEASON. UGH!!!
It even had the tags still on. =(





DAY 9

Love Makes Good Impressions

Greet one another with a kiss of love. – 1 Peter 5:14

You’ve covered some serous ground so far in this journey. Learning to demonstrate aspects of love patience, kindness, and encouragement are not always easy but are certainly crucial to a healthy relationship. So dealing with the way you greet your spouse each day may seem inconsequential, but this small issue carries surprising significance.

You can tell a lot about the state of a couple’s relationship from the way they greet one another. You can see it in their expression and countenance, as well as how they speak to each other. It is even more obvious by their physical contact. But how much importance should you give a greeting?

The Bible has more to say about greetings than you might expect. The apostle Paul took time to encourage his readers to greet one another warmly when they met. In fact, near the end of his letter to the Romans, he asked fellow believers to greet twenty-seven of his friends and loved ones for him. He even took time to list each one by name.

It’s not just about your friends, however. Jesus noted in His Sermon on the Mount that even pagans speak kindly to people they like. That’s easy for anyone to do. But He took it a step further and said that being godly included being humble and gracious enough to address even your enemies with kindness.

This raises an interesting question. How do you greet your friends, coworkers, and neighbors? How about acquaintances and those you meet in public?

You may even encounter someone you don’t necessarily like yet still acknowledge them out of courtesy. So if you’re this nice and polite to other people, doesn’t your spouse deserve the same? Times ten?

It’s probably something you don’t think about very often – the first thing you say to him or to her when you wake up in the morning, the look on your face when you get in the car, the energy in your voice when you speak on the telephone. But here’s something else you probably don’t stop to consider – the difference it would make in your spouse’s day if everything about you expressed the fact that you were really, really glad to see them.

When someone communicates that they are glad to see you, your personal sense of self-worth increases. You feel more important and valued. That’s because a good greeting sets the stage for positive and healthy interaction. Like love, it puts wind in your sails.

Think back to the story Jesus told of the prodigal son. This young, rebellious man demanded his inheritance money and then wasted it on foolish lifestyle. But soon his bad choices caught up with him, and he found himself eating scrapes in a pigpen. Humbled and ashamed, he practiced his apologies and tried to think of the best way to go home and face his father. But the greeting he was expecting was not the one he received. “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed” (Luke 15:20).

Of all the scenarios this young man had played out in his mind, this was likely the last one he expected. But how do you think it made him feel to receive his father’s embrace and hear his thankful tone? He no doubt felt loved and treasured once again. What do you think it did in their relationship?

What kind of greetings would make your mate feel like that? How could you excite his or her various senses with a simple word, a touch, a tone of voice? A loving greeting can bless your spouse through what they see, hear, and feel.

Think of the opportunities you have to greet each other on a regular basis. When coming through the door. When meeting for lunch. When saying good-night. When talking on the phone.

It doesn’t have to be bold and dramatic every time. But adding warmth and enthusiasm gives you the chance to touch your mate’s heart in subtle, unspoken ways.

Think about your greeting. Do you use it well? Does your spouse feel valued and appreciated? Do they feel loved? Even when you’re not getting along too well, you can lessen the tension and give them value by the way you greet them.

Remember, love is a choice. So choose to change your greeting. Choose love.

Today’s Dare

THINK OF A SPECIFIC WAY YOU'D LIKE TO GREET YOUR SPOUSE TODAY. DO IT WITH A SMILE AND WITH ENTHUSIASM. THEN DETERMINE TO CHANGE YOUR GREETING TO REFLECT YOUR LOVE FOR THEM.

(In your Love Dare Journal or notebook) When and where did you choose to do your special greeting? How will you change your greeting from this point on?


For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love. (Philemon 7)