This & That...

Hey guys!  I'm just not feeling 100%, so I thought I'd share some totally random things with you today.

• I am a coupon fanatic.  Couponing is like a big game to me.  There is definitely a learning curve to couponing.  I read this blog, Savings Lifestyle daily.  She does coupon matches and also has a coupon database.  This is only helpful if you live in the Greater Cincinnati area, but you can easily find one in yours, just Google it!
• Speaking of saving money, I have a Kindle and I love it.  My husband surprised me with it about two years ago.  I'm a huge reader and he knew I would have never bought it for myself.  At first I had a hard time spending money on books since I would usually just check them out at the library.  I would only buy books that had a long waiting list.  Well, that stopped when I discovered Swagbucks.  It's a search engine (like Google) where you can earn points for searches.  They also have code searches, which are a lot of fun, to earn even more points.  You can trade in your points for pretty much anything you want, but I always choose an Amazon gift card, and buy more books.  So far I've earned about $45 since March.  You can scroll down to the very bottom of this page to join Swagbucks (I also get points for referrals).
• Speaking of reading, I've read quite a few good books lately.  Scott and I both have a Kindle so we are able to read the same book at the same time (and only pay for it once).  We just finished reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  The first two books were great, but the third one was very long and drawn out.  It took me forever to finish that last book but it was worth it in the end when all the loose ends were tied up in nice bow.  Right now I'm reading The Hunger Games which is the first book in another trilogy.  I love reading young adult fiction.  This book is completely different than anything I've ever read, but I'm really enjoying it and can't wait to see how it ends.  The nice thing about having a Kindle is that when you finish a book, you can download the next book in less than a minute.  
• I drive a big truck.  Bet you didn't see that little tidbit coming.  I told you this would be totally random!
• I've been obsessed with watching video sewing tutorials lately.  My friend Amy has been making some really awesome quilts lately and posting them on her blog (she also makes cards).  She says that everything she learned about sewing she learned on You Tube.  So, she referred me to this video series and I love watching them.  And yes, my sewing machine is still sitting in the corner gathering dust.  I have so many ideas but I'm totally lacking the motivation.
• I also want to learn how to knit and crochet.  It would be something to keep my hands busy when we're watching tv at night so I'm not tempted to snack.  It would also give me something to do on long car trips.  Oh, and I'd have a pretty blanket too.
• I love to cook and bake.  I also love to read food blogs.  Here are a few of my favorites:  The Pioneer Woman, Tasty Kitchen,  Pinch My Salt, and Smitten Kitchen.  And here are some recipes I tried and loved: Bacon Tomato Capellini,  Ree's Pizza Dough (best pizza dough that I've ever made), and Petite Vanilla Bean Scones (substituting almond extract for vanilla beans and adding a whole pack of cherry craisins).  

Okay, I think that's about all the random stuff I can come up with right now.  I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better.  I was thinking I should have included some tv shows I like, but I think that would be a whole post of it's own.  I love tv (and thankfully so does my husband).  

Have a great day!