Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! I had a great one 😀
Can I share my super uber deal that I got? Over the past 5 years since we got this house, we have been saving up and doing improvements on it. One thing has always bothered me (doesn’t bother John) and that was not having a water softener, but there were other pressing needs to do first. I have been saving since Christmas for one and had the money set aside. We just were waiting for a rainy weekend to purchase, but the weekends have been so nice we just didn’t get around to it.
Yesterday, we went shoe shopping for John at Sears because there was a sale. I heard on the overhead that there was a clearance in the appliance department for water softeners (serendipity anyone?). I went over and they had the super expensive models on clearance marked down from $799 to $50. I about fell over! That was twice as nice as the model we were looking at and I saved $750! I almost fell over myself going to checkout for it. (It was also tempting to buy the other 4 and resell them for $200 each, which would have been an awesome deal for anyone LOL.) I am still over the moon because now I have extra money to put in the Disney fund. Every once in a while, life just works out really grand, you know?
Anyhoo, it’s time for breakfast! I made up more ricotta puffs and had those with blueberries.
This actually only lasted me a couple of hours for some reason. So, I snagged some cashews.
Work was so busy today. So busy! I think some MTs must be on vacation prior to school starting or something. It’s good for me, though.
I took a lunch break and had some 2% Fage with strawberries, flax meal and honey. Oddly enough – the meal I miss grains with is really lunch time. That seems to be when I tend to eat them more during the day and I don’t have something else that I normally eat. Breakfast I already had a lot of non-grain items in my arsenal. Lunch is hard to sub the granola I usually have with yogurt. I have 6 days left of the challenge. Wonder what my first grain will be?
I feel so in control and in the groove right now. I love, love, love that feeling. It makes it much easier when life’s little irritants happen to roll with the punches when I am in the groove.
John made up lattes today, which I paired with a macaroon that I made last night.
These came out kind of falling apart, so not sure what I did that was so different.
I was really hungry for dinner tonight. I just was a little hungry all day. Could be from a very active weekend. So I had a big salad.
John and I did lawn maintenance today. Edging – one of those things that you just keep putting off, which then makes the task that much harder. Someone walking by asked if we just moved in LOL! Guess it has been a while since we edged. 😳 I also planted a couple iris rhizomes that came in the mail. I love how they wrote the name on the plant itself.
My first attempt at bearded iris in my garden. I will have some fun ones next year. I also have more tulip bulbs coming as well for fall planting (Fran, you will be proud!)
I am going to settle in with this yummy snack and a square of dark chocolate and get ready for some football!
I ate a lot of berries today 
Question: What is the best bargain you have had lately.
$50??? Oh now THAT’S the sweetest deal I’ve ever heard of. Apparently the powers that be wanted you to have a softener! LOL
I know – I kept asking what the catch was, but there was none. I’m probably the only woman who gets so excited about a water softener, but I am soooo happy! Now we just have to get it hooked up, which will probably be a blogworthy adventure.
WOW! What a fun bargain!!!
Love the idea of combo fruits. I need to do that more. GUESS what your first grain will be? If its not a bagel, I’ll fall over LOL.
It may be oats. Bagel day comes on Wednesday and my first available grain day is this Monday. 😀
Don’t you feel like you almost stole it?!? Like they were going to stop you on the way out of the store- “Uh, ma’am, you’re going to have to come with me.” I LOVE LOVE LOVE bargains! I hope other people that were in the market for one found that deal and not a dang contractor or plumber!! See, you should have bought them!
I have the ricotta, now I have to make those puffs!!
Love the sweet deal! Funny how that works isn’t it?
The best deal I had recently was theatre tickets at the Stratford Festival…2 for $25. After seeing the show, I know why! LOL!
I think your first grain is going to be a bagel!
Wow, that is awesome that you got the softener for $50. I predict your first grain will be biking for bagels:)
WOW! That is one helluva of a good deal on the water softener!!! The previous owners of our house did not have a softener, but I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to live without one!!!!
Dang Lori, that was an incredible bargain!!! Nice. 🙂
We have naturally soft water here, which is fine for showering and laundry, but icky to drink, so we ended up getting a reverse osmosis system (after years of 5 gallon bottles of water being delivered). I guess it’s always something with water.
Hmmmmm forever the skeptic…….did they discontinue the model?? Are you gonna have a hard time finding replacement parts? If it is disc will you have a hard time finding replacement filters?? ( Ha! Don’t know much about them, not my dept when i worked in home improvement lol! do they use filters??) Anyway those are some things that would cross my mind. Great deal though Lori! Woohoo!! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!!
I am a big skeptic and my first thought was something was wrong with it. They are just clearing them out to make room for the fall shipment of the new model. They can’t send them back to the manufacturer (Kenmore), so they have to clearance them. No filters in the water softener.
My last bargain was a shirt I picked up in Boston for 15 bucks. Booyah!
Now that’s what I call a bargain. I can totally imagine how happy this made you, especially since you could put the rest of your savings in your Disney savings.
I haven’t had a bargain lately but I didn’t really look for it. I’m trying very hard to cut down on my expenses, I have spent too much money the past 2 years and I want to save more and spend less.
I can’t wait to see your tulips come out next Spring!
And the first grain? I’m guessing a bagel 🙂
Bargain SCORE! I love a good bargain. Good job. And now the Disney fund got a healthy dose of dollars – double win.
I have a lot of iris here at this place. It will be interesting to see what they are.
Hi Lori! Thanks for the comment on my blog. I’m honestly working so hard on my food choices right now, and am finding your blog posts making healthy foods look very yummy, so this is the perfect place for me to be. 😀
🙂 Marion
Holy cow am I ever jealous! I have to replace a water softener and it is going to cost me $950! I almost fell over. Pick up another one and ship it to me. 🙂
I live for berries so any day with a lotta berries is a good day for me!
Haha – even with shipping it would probably be cheaper for me to get one and send it to you than for you to buy one.
WHAT A BARGAIN! How exciting!!! Love that you got to put more money in your Disney fund! Wish you would come to the CA one so I could meet you but I assume it is for the Florida one.
I was guessing bagel for your first grain day too.. you could always change bagel day that week! 😉
Congrats on feeling in control!
Not really shopping that much so no real bargains here…. I am happy when I can use a Costco coupon for things & get even a better deal! 🙂
It is the Florida one. I’ve been to Disneyland once about 15 years ago or so.
That’s amazing about the water softener! It was definitely meant to be. Don’t you love when that happens?
Now that’s a great deal! You definitely made out like a fat cat. My guess is that your first grain will be custard oats. I bet they’ll taste like manna from heaven!
Wow! Now that is a bargain. I’m envious. We have a water softener but it has been broken for years. My husband keeps saying he’ll get around to it. I miss it:(
Awesome bargain! That trumps my $20 kitchen aid mixer…and then some! Well-played! 🙂 We don’t need water softeners down here, thank goodness, so that’s an expense I don’t have to endure.
Oh, and my money’s on the oats. 🙂
Good deal on the softener.
The best deal I’ve come across lately were the Italian Prune Plums, then I made preserves from them. Sweet!
WHAT???? $50??? That is incredible Lori!!!!! YAY!!!! Getting a bargain like that is so great! I got some orthopedic shoes for 1/10th of their value a while ago. Woo Hoo!!! (that is so great that you can write the type of iris right on the leaves – certainly no mistaking that!!) Have a great Tuesday!
WOW! I would have been dancing in the streets with that bargain!!! Nice score!