Pet peeves...

I feel like I am driving all the time. Drive to work, drive to church, drive to meetings, drive to the store... It's a never ending battle that I admit, I used to enjoy. That was before I started driving behind stupid people. I use to enjoy my relaxing commute to and from work, but now I feel like I look like this more often then not: I have been thinking about writing this post for quite sometime, but I keep adding to the list of my driving pet peeves...and I don't ever think that list will be complete. I honestly think that the state needs to enforce people to take the driving test every time a license is to be renewed. After seeing how people drive I can imagine how many people wouldn't be on the road.... Ah, what a great thought! I have composed a list below of a few important things everyone should know before driving...

1) Roundabouts: Yield and enter the roundabout when there is a space for your vehicle and do not stop until after you have exited. This means that you are not to enter the roundabout and stop at every street to let out everyone else waiting for a space for their car. There are people behind you trying to get home, or to work, or to get their screaming child to the doctor, etc.2) 4 way stop: Everyone must come to a complete stop when at this sign. Whomever was the first to the sign proceeds through the intersection first. If you and someone else got there at the same time, you yield to the person on your right. If there is someone on your left and no one on your right....that means YOU GO FIRST. Don't wave the person to your left and tell them to go first. You are messing up everyone and making them forget how to use a 4 way stop. Also, the person with the largest or most expensive car DOES NOT GO FIRST, unless they were at the intersection first. 4 way stops aren't that confusing people...
3) Lane Ends - Merge: This means your lane is ending and you need to merge into the other lane NOW. This does not mean speed up as fast as you can and try to squeeze your SUV into a spot intended for something the size of a 4 wheeler, then curse at someone for not letting you in and almost forcing you to hit their car.
4) Cell Phones: I am one of those that is big about not using your cell phone while driving. I have a bluetooth vehicle that allows me to talk on my phone without having to touch my phone. I have seen way too many people driving along, swerving from lane to lane because they think it is more important to read the latest FB update or email than save the lives of them, their passengers, and the people around them (my husband and father are two people on the road that cant wait until they stop or get home to read the email they just received). I fully believe that someone needs to come out with a vehicle that disables all functions of a phone, other than the phone feature itself, while a vehicle is in drive. 5) Interstate: I think this one is my biggest issue since I am on the interstate at least 2 times a day. When you are merging onto the interstate, you are to be going the speed limit of the interstate or close to it. FYI - For anyone who didn't know, the speed limit on I-75 throughout the Gainesville area is 70mph (you have been informed). This means everyone needs to be going at least 65mph by the time they hit the interstate. This will help all the people behind you as well as the people currently driving on the interstate to not have to stop or swerve to ensure they do not hit you. I like to think of the on ramp to the interstate in a few different ways.
a) A airport tarmac - The state provides you with ample space to increase your speed to "take off" on the interstate. There is no need to be going 40mph after almost a mile of ramp space.
b) The drive-in scene from Back to the Future 3 - Doc: "All you have to do is drive the time vehicle directly towards that screen, accelerating at 88mph."
Marty: "Wait a minute Doc! If I drive straight towards that screen I am going to crash into those Indians."
Doc: "Marty, you aren't thinking fourth dimensionally. You will instantly be transported to 1885 and those Indians won't even be there."
Marty: "Right....!"
If people would just drive towards the screen (of cars on the interstate), accelerating toward 70mph (since 88mph is breaking the law), they will be transported (able to merge) right in line with the Indians (vehicles) and it won't even be a problem.
Problem solved!!!!

Oh, if only there were no stupid drivers!

But then again, if everyone drove perfectly we wouldn't have people like this to laugh at....

Crazy couponing...

I am super excited so I will apologize in advance if this post is boring to you!

I have heard about these women who go into stores with tons of coupons and a strategy and walk out paying very little for a lot of groceries. I have looked for coupons and use them occassionally to save a couple bucks here or there but I never realized what great deals are out there to be had. After watching one episode of Extreme Couponing I was hooked. I recorded 5 episodes, sat my husband down, watched them together and said I wanted to be like them (though sometimes they are a bit too extreme). Soon after I was getting a tutorial and walk thru to learn all about "couponing" from my awesome friend and visiting teacher, Stacy. I still didn't know if I could do it...but I was willing to try.

My first find - Pop Tarts. To me they are okay but my husband likes them, and they are convenient for him to grab on his way out the door for work. He really isn't a breakfast fan but will eat Pop Tarts so I will take what I can get. I got boxes of Pop Tarts for $0.96 a box, normally $2.59 a box. I got a good deal and was ready for more.

I started looking for deals and coupons and came across a steal of a deal. Mueller's pasta on sale at Publix, Buy One, Get One Free. Two boxes normally cost $1.47 each just became $0.73 each. Then I found a coupon for $0.55 off 1 box. The catch...you have to register and email address on Mueller's website to get two coupons. I registered my normal email and got two coupons and headed to the nearest Publix. Out the door I got two boxes of pasta for $0.37...that is $0.185 per box!!! I paid with the change in my wallet. WOW! At this point I was excited. We don't really need any more pasta but hello... it has a two year shelf life. Food storage here we come.

I have tons of email addresses with misc. business ventures I have tried, old email addresses I didn't think worked any more, work email, personal email, and my husbands multiple email addresses. I was able to get 30 more coupons (yes that is 16 email addresses between me and my husband...don't judge). I went to work today with the intention of running to Publix on my lunch to get the deal of my life (or at least the day, since now I know what I am doing... I better get more deals like this). I was excited and shared the deal with my co-workers. One even asked if I would show him the "tricks of the trade" so he can teach his wife how to save money! At this point I was stoked and ready to go. But the closer it got to my lunch break...the more nervous I got. I was sure the store was going to limit the amount of coupons I used, or all my coupons were going to crash the computer and I would have a little old man standing in line behind me, very upset that he has to wait for me.

Finally, feeling very anxious/nervous/excited, I headed to the store. I loaded up my cart with 30 boxes of various pasta and headed to the front lanes. When the cashier saw my stack of coupons she sighed. OH NO! I upset someone already...I don't like that feeling. After confirming with her that I had 30 coupons on 30 items she seemed happier and the transaction went smoothly, for the most part. She somehow managed to not scan a box of spaghetti which threw off the whole transaction. After 5 minutes of counting boxes, looking at the receipt, counting the amount of coupons scanned, the manager coming over to manually enter $1.65 worth of coupons because it just wasnt working, and apologizing profusely to the old man standing in line behind me (see, I knew that was going to happen), we got it taken care of and I was out the door with my prize!

32 boxes of pasta: Retail cost = $47.04.

Total out of pocket cost = $5.92

4 Angel Hair (2 whole grain), 4 Spaghetti (2 whole grain), 4 Penne (1 whole grain), 3 Elbow Macaroni, 3 Sea Shells, 3 Corkscrews, 3 Ziti, 2 Linguine, 2 Fettuccine, and 1 Tri Color Rotini.

I feel like I have accomplished some great feat. Though I also feel like I stole from the store...and I know I didn't, the deal is just unbelieveable!!! I am super excited about this deal and I am even more excited about my next great steal of a deal. Now... where do I put 32 boxes of pasta?!?!?

Family Pictures

We are lucky enough to have a very talented photographer (Dawn Sims from Yellow Dandelion Photography) in our ward. The Anderson clan has attempted to gather all 22 of us for a family picture and use her as the photographer but plans never seem to work out as well as we would hope. This week, Dawn and her cute little family are moving to Iowa. They will be missed! Anyways, Dawn contacted me a few weeks back, asking if I could make her some vinyl quotes for the walls in her new home. In exchange she would take some family pictures for us. The last family photo we had taken of us was over three years ago for Logan's grandmother. I am typically one that stays behind the camera because I feel camera's add 50lbs, not just 10lbs (which isn't true, I just don't like seeing myself). Reluctantly I said yes, and I even thought of canceling more than once but I went through with it. The pictures turned out way cute (minus the fact that it was hot, right after a rainstorm, super humid, and the mosquitos were eating me alive). This one is my favorite but below is a small slideshow of some of the photos (there is still some on Dawn's memory card that she forgot to send and are now on their way to Iowa...I will get them soon).

Yay!

I should be getting the books I previously blogged about in the mail today. I am so super excited to see the end results!!! I wish it was 5 o'clock already and I wish I could run home and check the mail. I am trying to be patient but it isn't working. On top of the three books I showed earlier I also made the following book:



I have a generic ABC 123 book I made (the first book I made from scratch, without a template) but when I saw a template for a Gospel ABC book I instantly knew that my future child(ren) needed one. Well, as most of you know by now, the child(ren) part isn't happening or hasn't happened yet, so I kept waiting to make this book. Then I heard that Heritage Makers was no longer making their board books and I still felt like my future child(ren) needed to have one. What a great cute way to start teaching them the gospel at a young age. So, I unpersonalized the book, changed from pictures of future children to pictures of the Savior, removed the names I have picked out for my future children that I put in the book (just hoping and dreaming), and made it as generic as possible so it could be enjoyed by either a boy or girl, young or old, etc. It turned out so well that I have had three other people ask for a copy of the book customized with their family pictures, etc.

Per the USPS website, my packages are out for delivery. So, I am trying to patiently wait for the end of the work day! ...it isn't working very well!

Scrapbooking galore

Three years ago this July, Logan and I went on an amazing trip through Yellowstone and ever since we got back I have been trying and trying to make a scrapbook. I printed pictures, papers, stickers, and tried to lay them all out to make a scrapbook. Finally four months ago I gave up on the idea of ever finishing that scrapbook (which only had maybe three completed pages) and started a scrapbook using Heritage Makers. I finished the book in April and you can see a preview here:

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=1380383&productId=11&sponsorID=346919



My neice and nephew were both baptized over the past few months (one in March and the other May) and I took it upon myself to make books for them as their baptism gift from me. I realized it was a lot harder than I thought it would be trying to gather information from family members, recording and transcribing the talks given during their baptism, writing down everyone that attended, and taking lots and lots of pictures! I have finally finished both the books and I cannot wait to see the look on my neice and nephew's faces when they get their book.

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=1795874&productId=5&sponsorID=346919



http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=1797942&productId=5&sponsorID=346919

Backyard Makeover

I have always wanted a nice flower garden with a swing, or hammock, or some type of chairs to make a relaxing retreat in my backyard. I dream of sitting outside reading books, feeling the breeze and sun on my face while the children play in the yard. As of right now I cannot have the children part (except for the dogs and they LOVE the yard) but since we now live in a house, I decided I was ready to start working toward that dream.

This is what our yard looked like shortly after we moved in. It is winter so pardon the dead grass. And the black thing you see is a fire pit.

I started by designing and deciding on where to put the flower beds.

Then I removed all the grass from those areas.Next came the flowers and mulch.

I am lucky enough to work at a construction office and have a large selection of rocks on property. I picked out a few and had someone load them into a truck for me. I think they look pretty good!

There are still some plants that need to be placed, so excuse the containers in the pictures, but you get the general idea. I think it makes a huge difference and didn't take that much work. We have enjoyed relaxing in the yard while the boys play. And we are excited about, and look forward to having barbeques with friends and family, and spending time in our beautiful backyard.

Kelsey's Kreations

I have recently become an open book of creativity and have created more things. With a mostly failed attempt in the hooter hider business I can't believe I am actually looking into selling something else. That would just be stupid, right?

Since I have become so into reading recently with things at work slowing down, allowing me to more time to read (and my husband stealing my cheap bookmark because he didn't have one), I decided I would make my own bookmark, or what I like to call book thong!!! And it turned out so cute I made myself a second one. I posted pictures on facebook of my book thongs and instantly got someone who was interested in purchasing two, YAHOO!!! Then a week later, five more sold. I also gave some to my family members hoping they would pass the word along and enjoy them at the same time. So I am selling them already, but I am so hesitant to go any further and get excited about selling them just to have the whole thing flop in a month. For those of you who don't know my husband lost his job in January. We have been trying to get by on my salary, which isn't enough to pay the bills but we have managed to get by. He finally got a job but it is only part time on weekends and still not enough money. Selling these could help with the income, but supplies cost so I don't want to get in to it and have stock sitting in my closet (I still have hooter hiders sitting in my closet waiting to be purchased) and lose that money. So I am asking my loyal followers (all 2 of you) your opinion. I thought about coming up with something about "Kelsey's Kreations" or "Kelsey's Krafty Kreations" and selling Book Thongs and Hooter Hiders, and anything else I come up with in the next little bit but I am seriously torn. So... sell or hobby? Try to promote, push the products, post, website, sell, etc., or just do it because I like them, if they sell they sell. What do you think?