Books, Authors, Doctors, and Commissary Conundrums

What a day! This morning a new friend in the military who I am getting to know picked me up to take me to a local church for an author speaking event. The book was one she came across and shared

with me written by a wife and mom in the military named Carrie Daws. I connected so much with the author!

We had so much in common. From both of us having taken the Christian Writer's Guild writing program (she is the first I have ever met in my life who mentioned taking this! She was surprised to hear that I knew what it was!) AND has a daughter who struggles with weight, diet, exercise, etc because of how naturally petite she is.

She also has become a writer because of life circumstances and is an info junkie! Always reading something and absorbing information like a sponge. We are so alike! In so many ways I knew I was meant to be there to meet this woman. I got a chance to talk with her. She is so down to earth, homeschool mom, and EXPERIENCED with an incredible testimony. She had so much advice and wisdom to speak on marriage, family, kids, etc.

I asked her if I could keep in touch and she was glad to! I now have a published author/email buddy/military wife supporter who loves the Lord and is actually willing to stay in touch! :) I have always said I'd like to write a book one day about my life and all the things that God has done in it as well as anything else God would lead me to write one day.

I've been told by several in my life that I should write a book. Funny how I have now met someone who knows how to navigate the publishing process and is on her like 6th book or something. She writes inspirational fiction and non fiction for military families. My old Writer's Guild mentor would be proud! We left encouraged and inspired with a few goodies and helpful information for navigating the military life. I plan on buying her book soon. :)

A little beat up and curled from the pouring rain.

After the event, I took Jason to the doctor to get a follow up after oral surgery he had this week getting his wisdom teeth removed and make sure everything was healing ok.

While he was there I hit the commissary for a "Cooking Matters" store event. Basically you go to four stations and learn some things about the food items in those stations. I now have a book that tells me all in one place all this helpful information on vegetables, fruits, nutrition, and how to shop smart for these things with the best benefits.

Also how to preserve them and shop for them in a way where they will keep the best. I hate being wasteful, but sometimes produce goes bad so fast in our house. Once I reached all four stations I earned $10 off my groceries! Now what I didn't understand was that you had to do your shopping that same day to get the $10 off. Agh! So now it's venting time. :)

One of the big things about military life is the Commissary. Our large grocery store that is supposed to be cheaper in their items than the other stores around. We have to have a special military id to get in and it's on base.

HOWEVER, maybe I'm wrong about this and need to seek out some veteran commissary shopper wives, but as far as I can tell there isn't really an organized system to the sales. Even the website is not always accurate and leaves out so many things that are on sale that I'd be interested in! Usually I will put together my grocery lists and which stores I'm going to that have the sales. I'll hit the Commissary for a couple things and realize they are not on sale, but of course the other items on my grocery list that were on sale at the other stores are on an

EVEN BETTER sale at the Commissary.

This often leads me to running around price checking everything on my list because I'm a sucker for having to get the lowest price. Maybe I'm a little obsessed over this, but it really does affect my day if I know I could have gotten it cheaper elsewhere. I definitely have my Grandpa in me who was an extreme couponer...

Anyway, this happened to me today. I got there, found out I had to shop in order to get the deal, and so picture this. I walk in not expecting to buy a thing. I grab my little complimentary grocer's bag and booklet and get told by the sweet smiling head of organizing "At the end of your shopping trip you can get the $10 off at the register!"

I had every intention of traipsing through the store all joyful like. I really did. I was going to be learning something new by gollee! BUT this put a real damper on things.

I WASN'T READY TO SHOP!

The OCD list person in me started to scream as I rushed to each station before they closed down which was going to be like in ten minutes. I had to go back through the store and scour it for SOMETHING to buy that wouldn't be a waste of my time or money.

So then I thought, "No biggie. I'll just buy some things I normally don't buy cause they tend to be more on the pricey side. Keep it to $10 and it's like I'm getting free food!" Smart right?

Well not exactly how things went. The further I ventured through the store, the more the red, white, and blue sales tags teased me with their ridiculously low prices on pretty much everything I needed to get.

So I started grabbing things and ticking them off my list.

Wish it was that easy...

Recently I've gotten into couponing. I have spent every week clipping the coupons from our temporary Washington Post newspaper circulars, stashing them in a folder thing I have in my purse. Oh I was ready! I also have been using the Ibotta app and Favado to keep track of sales and get rebates on items. I popped out my phone, flipped on the apps and nothing. Just a swirly circle getting nowhere. Turned on my data and still nothing. Absolutely no reception on the network at all. "Oh you have failed me Commissary."

There I was in the middle of the aisle pulling an amazing TIDE detergent in bulk off the shelf eagerly awaiting to scan it to make sure it was eligible and dropping my pile of coupons on the floor as I rummaged through looking for a match. Finally found a coupon and decided to go with it.

I then realized at that moment that if I kept going through the store carrying things I was sure to drop something. I get to the front of the store to grab a cart. It's POURING. Every cart has been neglected to the doom of the parking lot. Every one of them under the shelter is sopping wet. There is no way I'm going out there in that monsoon or bringing in a soaking wet, squeaky cart.

I decide on a nearby hand basket, tossing in the smaller items jumbled in my arms, filling my new grocery bag, still managing to hold onto my purse, and proceed through the store. Then the EGGS are on the best sale they've been on in awhile.

Great. Eggs. Fragile extra large eggs. And we are just about out. So that means 4 of these babies needed. Husband wanted gatorade too in the 6 packs. I found 8 packs powerade for cheaper. Somehow in ways I still don't understand, I managed to carry 4 dozen eggs, 2 packs of stick cheese, four ice-cream cups, 3 avocados, 3 corn husks, a pack of 8 powerades, some shampoo/body wash, and 138 bulk tide detergent with one little basket and a grocery bag.

IT CAN BE DONE! WHO KNEW?!

I feel a little stronger today...Everything went well at checkout. The dear bagger lady even grabbed me a dry cart to put my things in at the end of checkout. I stepped outside and it was pouring even more than before. Pretty much the story ends with me being soaked as I put the groceries in the car and walked a good bit towards the front to put the cart back.

My poor husband was still waiting for me at the clinic to pick him up during all of this. He did survive. Was all this worth it? I did have a breakdown when I got home. I will admit. It was very frustrating but Jason reminded me that everything takes practice and I'm in the process of learning all of this. Goals for the year:

Learn the Commissary sale madness!
Learn how to coupon in a way where I don't go crazy.
Figure out how Ibotta, Favado, and Checkout51 apps REALLY work.
Put into practice better shopping techniques and better routines for shopping
Figure out how to follow sales
Be okay with my life being different and not exactly meeting the expectations I always thought I'd have. (BIG ONE)

One last update. My results came back from my labs. I was told it was unremarkable for everything with just a slight elevation in a couple areas where they will further keep an eye on. So vitamin levels were where they should be. The nurse pretty much told me to just eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, but everything else in my diet is good.

This is encouraging because I have over time been purging processed junk and white flour, replacing it with whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. The food pyramid and my body will be thanking me! I also was told I need to make sure I'm exercising or staying active about 30 minutes a day at least. This was sooo much easier when I was working with little toddlers. Running, jumping, and dancing daily. :D

The goal is to get outside and walk on the days that are warm and sunny. We of course have a rain marathon now. It will help because my military friend is also trying to get out more and agreed to help me out by walking with me. I need motivation people! I'm such a hermit, reclusive nerd. Always happy with my laptop and reading material. :P

I have another appointment this Friday to discuss the results with the doctor and see where we are going next. I also will be setting up some appointments with a psychiatrist to see if the depression and anxiety is due to an imbalance or just unresolved past that needs worked through. I also hope to learn some coping mechanisms to help me cope with the difficulties day to day.

To top off an evening of frustration, all I needed was some love, affection, and affirmation from my husband. For some reason I also had this nagging urge to have him braid my hair. He did all of this and I think he did a lovely job with my hair. It may not be the kind of braid I was thinking, but I kinda like it better! I'm not normally one to wear my hair all feminine like, but the fact he attempted it and made it that way, makes me love it. It's nothing I have ever done!