Our 3rd annual girls trip is next weekend. I am very much looking forward to it!

What is a girls trip? Well, my daughters, DIL, mom and I all drive up to Portland for 3 days and just bond, and shop, and have fun together.

This year DD3 and DIL arent able to go with us, so it will just be 4 of us.

All of us save our money so that we can just enjoy ourselves without guilt.

We are going to stay in a two story apartment-like penthouse.

We will get to visit Trader Joes- we do not have one in So. Oregon, we try to hit Powells Books...an amazingly HUGE bookstore of new and used books, we go to a nearby shopping mall and we do the Saturday Street Fair---where we can browse the local handmade goods and wares.

and we come home Sunday night tired and happy.

The really cool thing is that the younger girls are totally into spending this time with mom and grandma (nana)...I remember a day when they had no time to talk--and when they did, it was often unpleasant...oh those teen years...

We leave next Friday, right after nana gets out of dialysis..can't wait!!!

I actually got out of the house for a little while today and hit the grand opening of our brand new Kohls. What a fun store!

I had two $10 off cards and got an adorable dress for GD for $10.40 (reg price was $34). I will be doing alot of shopping the rest of the year for Christmas. You see, I find the 'perfect/great' gifts for everyone, and then Nana nabs them so she can give them and gives me the money...and then I get to start all over! Needless to say, Nana nabbed this lil cute outfit before I got it fully out of the bag to show her!

I also got 4 books with matching stuffed animal combos that they sale-and the proceed go to childrens hospitals. (Nana also nabbed two of these sets). $20

Then, I found a nice, light weight pink sweater for me. I know I had stated that I wasnt buying anymore clothes for the remainder of the year, but my old sweater has gotten embarrasing to wear and I had a $10 off coupon...so I spent $14. (But I passed up the socks, tops, shoes, etc...) I will take the new sweater on our girls trip next week. (Have I sold everyone on this being a real need yet??? lol)

All in all, a fun afternoon- a nice diversion to my...well, you know. (Im tired of blogging about it)

I was shocked when I passed by a mirror and caught my reflection...I looked pretty tired, pinched face, unhealthy...I definately need to get this whole pain thing fixed..but I am currently at the doctors mercy (why do they let you wait so long to get you in for testing??...)

Oh well, I still had a fun time looking at all the new stuff. I definately will visit Kohls again!!

Maybe they mistook my dance around the living room at 3am (blasted arm) as a money dance...but the money clouds opened up and rained down upon me today!!

Ok, maybe it isnt that exciting...but I found $.26 while cleaning house and I received 4 free samples in the mail! (Post its, Always, Sensodyne toothpaste and Jergens)

THEN...I decided to check the room rates for a reservation I made this past summer for our girls trip (more on that later) next weekend. (We stay in the PENTHOUSE...and its like an apartment..two bedrooms, two baths a full kitchen, fireplace, etc.)

The reservations were just under $400 for two nights.

But TODAY the rates were way lower...only $107 per night so $230 when you add tax..WOO HOO thats a savings of $170, just for checking again!!!

A good day indeed!

Take a usually NORMAL, semi-intelligent, yet sometimes naive female...

Mix in a few weeks of really bad pain...

a couple of doctors visits that dont bring results aside from drugs..

a few LARGE bottles of drugs...strong drugs---some that are known for being addictive..and still, dont work for said pain...

a few sleepless nights...

and a STRONG DESIRE to find relief...

a trip to Walmart...

a browse down the BENGAY isle...

a quick perusal of the ingredients....

and a decision to buy the one that is highly recommended for arthritis pain...hey, this feels like it could compare to arthritis...hey, isnt stronger better???

of course, it is also the most expensive on the shelf...but who cares, Im going to be PAIN FREE at any cost!!!

a slather of the stuff on my arm- from shoulder to finger tip.

after this series of events....DH and I walk into the grocery store for a few things...

When I start to feel the burn...no, not BENGAY burn, we're talking third degree burn...and a very itchy arm to boot.

I rip the instructions from the box and discover that this particular creme is derived from.....


.....****RED PEPPERS**** ??????????

it is now 2 hours into this ordeal and I have washed, scrubbed and aloe vera'd the arm, but the instruction say that the burn will last....oh, approximately FORTY EIGHT HOURS.

OOOOOWWWWWIIIIEEEEE!!!!!!

Me and my bright ideas....well, at least Im not feeling the spasms and cramps now.

And I am $11.97 poorer!

I just learned last week that my FIL is getting married this month. (They just decided to tie the knot)...so I will be adding another name to our Christmas gift list.

Yesterday, I received a call from one of our pest business customers reminding me that Ive never picked out one of her beautiful handmade pieces of jewelry that we had bartered for. (This was our first barter customer, she is a single mom making a living this way)

So, FILs new wife's gift will be all taken care of for FREE to me!!!!

And in addition, I've found my single mom to annonymously send some money to at Christams (in honor of Phyllis).

My decluttering is going well. I woke up at 4am and could not go back to sleep (thanks to my arm), so I went ahead and organized DHs dresser drawers. This whole decluttering thing is a work in progress, as it appears I have MORE clutter than before--simply because all of this stuff has been pulled out of the hiding places and are awaiting their final destinations..(throw away, give away or put away). Now I have to say, life is much easier when everything has a home. I am pacing myself so I dont burn out part way through...If ever there was a poster child for Flylady, it is me.

I failed miserably at tracking my expenses last month...primarily because of the arrival of puppies and the pinched nerve. So I am having a go at it again this month. However this month has some unique expenses, but I will still track them all. (hunting trip, our annual 'girls trip'...more on that later... and extra puppy food.)

No freebies or money in the mail today...just some bills *ugh*. Mainly medical bills- amounting to over $800...sigh...just in time for my paycut...hows that for 'special'?

Puppies are doing great.
Businesses are doing great.
and today was a no spender.

Life is good.