My Spinning Plates

I received an email asking if I would be willing to do a sponsored post for Coupon Chief. My first thought was, “Have you not spent enough time on my site to realize that I hate couponing?” Then the email mentioned it was an e-coupon site. That didn’t move them up in my estimation. I figured it would go one of two ways:

1. A site like Coupon Mom where I have to scroll through pages of printable coupons to find the one (if I’m lucky) that I can use.
2. A deal of the day website that isn’t any more helpful. “Look at this great deal: 40% off beard trimmers!” Those sites don’t consistently have products I’m interested in so I don’t bother reading them.

I clicked through to the Coupon Chief site, anyway, so I could get more ammo for turning them down. By the time I was 30 seconds into the introductory video on their “How It Works” page, they had my attention.  It is a site that finds coupon codes for online shopping. Their search bar allowed me to search for anything from a particular website/store (Amazon, Target) to a specific product (Marmot jackets).

The best part (besides the fact that it supports my Amazon habit), I didn’t have to sign up for an account or an email list to use Coupon Chief.

In summary: Coupon Chief has an amazing searchable website that finds coupon codes for thousands of different products. You don’t have to wade through a lot of irrelevant information to find a deal on what you’re shopping for and you don’t have to become a full time deal blogger to save money on things you want to buy online.

This post was sponsored by CouponChief.com but all opinions are my own.

Though my hatred of Facbook has been well documented (10 things you hate about Facebook), I have tried everything to make it work (9 People You Should Unfriend Today).

I changed my privacy settings to “friends only.” I stopped uploading pictures. But when Facebook suggested I friend someone who I had only texted (no mutual friends, no other connections), I started to realize that Facebook was in a lot farther than I had realized.

I found a Facebook page that told me how to download all my pictures from Facebook to my hard drive in one fell swoop. Getting my mobile uploads off of facebook was the only thing that stopped me from deleting my account before. Manually saving each picture was a daunting task but PhotoGrabber had them all saved in no time.

I deleted all of the app permissions from my account and found the one account (LivingSocial) that I usually logged into using my Facebook account. I sent them a request for a login username and password.

I set up a shell account so that I could continue to put links on the fan page for this blog, but I don’t intend to have anything more to do with it.

I had to find another site to get the link to the delete page. Facebook is pretty good about not leaving it lying around.

Once I deleted my account, I have to stay off of it for two weeks, or I’ll have to resend my delete request and start all over. I deleted the bookmark off of my phone and my computers so that there was no way that I could accidentally access my account.

Now it’s just a matter of waiting.

I’m glad the Facebook era of my life is over. Now I can concentrate on more important things…like Twitter.

See what happens when a theater in Belgium fills all but two seats with some rough-looking bikers and sells the last seats to an unsuspecting couple.

Maybe you make yourself too available for the job or maybe you just don’t give the interviewer that tingly feeling.

Brandon Wright, 21, was riding his motorcycle when a BMW pulled out in front of him. He had to lay the bike down, but ended up sliding under the car. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the motorcycle caught fire. Trapped under a burning car, it would have been a death sentence if it hadn’t been for some construction workers, students, and other bystanders.

Despite some broken bones, cuts, and burns, Wright is in good shape, considering. He was on the news a few day later, thanking his rescuers and promising to wear a helmet from now on.

Today is our anniversary. I know that because I had this conversation yesterday:

Paul: Hey, babe, tomorrow is our anniversary.

Me: Oh, crap!

Paul: I was thinking to myself, “She probably already has dinner planned and everything,” then I remembered who I married.

Me: Crap! I have to see if my mom will watch the kids.

Paul: Now, I got you a little something…

Me: Nooooo!

Paul: You don’t have to get me anything. Stop being such a spaz.

I forget our anniversary every year. I know it exists and I know it’s in September. I even thought about it a few days ago. But I didn’t think to plan for it or buy a gift or anything. Poor Paul.

Paul’s car wouldn’t start this morning and Grace had a doctor’s appointment, so we rushed out the door early to get him to work and still make it to the doctor on time. Once we got there and back into a room, Wesley asked me his favorite question when he’s bored: Mom, what can we do? It’s my least favorite question as nowhere on my list of responsibilities does it say, “Must constantly entertain the children.”

Wesley: Mom, what can we do?

Me: We can put on a small circus using trained animals, tiny cars, and clowns.

Wesley: We don’t have that stuff.

Me:  Are you sure? I specifically asked you to bring the trained animals and you forgot them?!

Wesley: What can we really do?

Me: We could use the fabric from the chairs to fashion a hot air balloon AND ESCAPE!

Wesley: We don’t have the materials for a hot air balloon.

Me: Hmmm, we could build a submarine AND ESCAPE!

Wesley: No water and not enough materials.

Me:  Find a really long lab coat, sit on each other’s shoulders, AND ESCAPE!

Wesley: We’d have to knock someone out for their lab coat and we’d go to jail.

Me: Ah, true. Okay, throw a chair through the window AND ESCAPE!

Wesley: We’d have to pay for it.

Me: Poo.

Wesley: What would you really do, Mom?

Me: *pointing* Counter, up onto the cabinet, get into the drop ceiling, and we’d be golden.

I was in the middle of explaining a drop ceiling to Wesley when I was rudely interrupted.

Grace: I have to go potteeee!

Me: Crap. Hold on.

We stepped out and found the bathroom. As Grace was tending to her business she looked at me and said, in a whisper, “Mom.”

Me: *also whispering* What?

Grace: We escaped!

She’s like her father: taking the logical way out while I’m still in the middle of making a complicated plan.

We did go back behind enemy lines long enough to see the doctor. On our way out, we stopped by the tall reception desk to pay and make the next appointment. The kids were on their tip-toes, peeking over the desk.

Receptionist: Those are some good looking kids you’ve got there.

Me: Thank you. We leave the ugly ones at home.

She burst out laughing and my kids craned their necks so they could let her know that I really only had two kids. I resisted the urge to say, “Are you sure? Why do you think I never let you go in the attic?”

I know it’s usually a bad idea to write a blog post first thing in the morning, especially when it takes me three tries to spell “sphere” correctly. This is really a desperate attempt to get it accomplished before my children come bursting into the room, followed by the cats. The fact that I’m risking a typo-laden, and possibly logic-free, post should tell you how much of a distraction my kids (and cats) can be.

Also, you should read my recommendations because I think they’re important enough that I decided to forgo my usual morning routine of sleeping until my kids get up. Glamorous, isn’t it?

Read and listen. I did some editing for my friend, Lance, over at My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. He’s been writing a story about a rocker girl trying to make it. The latest edition is also his submission for the Indie Ink Challenge. I like Lance’s blog because he’s sarcastic (birds of a feather) and because he’s very open and honest with his struggles. Another cool thing about Lance’s blog is that each his entries includes a music video. It’s nice to have a soundtrack to each post. (You are all lucky I don’t do that because my taste in music sucks.)

Can your peaches. I know. You’re thinking, “Can my peaches what?” I guess the real question is, “Can they avoid being eaten long enough to be preserved?” Stacy Makes Cents has a wonderful tutorial on canning peaches that has lots of great pics. She also has lots of tips on feeding your family healthy food without breaking the budget. I have Jenn to thank for finding this blog. (I just noticed that Stacy Makes Cents has some Frugal Living workshops coming up in Bristol, VA/ Johnson City, TN area. My friends in that part of the country should check them out.)

Get fit. My other new find is a site called Nerd Fitness (Level Up Your Life, Every Single Day). It’s a great site for regular people who don’t have all day to spend at the gym. Also, you can’t beat the pictures he uses for his posts (legos, ftw).   Because of this blog, I decided to try the Paleo Diet. It isn’t going well. I’m a grains person, but I’ve been trying desperately to stay on this diet. It isn’t killing me, but it may very well kill someone around me, especially if that someone has a baguette or a plate of pasta.

Now my kids are up, fighting over how to pronounce someone’s name, and the cat is chasing the reflection my laptop is casting on the wall. Another day in paradise. Goodbye, train of thought.