Welcome to Spend Less 2 Save More!

Welcome to my blog! I am so excited this is my first blog ever and now my first Ultimate Blog Party!!

I am Kelly and I am a full-time working Mom of two young boys. Last year I discovered this awesome thing in the blog world, couponing!! Ever since then I am so addicted to couponing! I guess that is not a bad addiction since it actually saves my family money! I use to use coupons here and there, but now I am OBSESSED with coupons! I spend a few hours a week clipping, sorting and organizing my coupons and then I plan my store trips. Yes, I play the drug store game at CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. I LOVE CVS!! I feel that if I do not go, I am missing out on something! My other favorite store, GIANT EAGLE! Who knew you could score some really sweet deals there and I never have a problem using all my coupons!

So more about me? I have been married to my high school sweetheart for over eight years now. We have known each other for more 14 years! We met as we were both working in a local grocery store. I was the cashier; he was the bagger (ironic?). We live in a lovely suburban neighborhood in northeast Ohio, where we get to enjoy all the seasons! I have a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and an MBA. I currently work in sales and marketing for a Fortune 500 company. I love my job, and my laptop, and of course my blackberry! I feel like I always need to be connected to something.

After being married four years, my husband and I received the most wonderful gift ever, a son!! Three years later we welcomed our second son. What a wild ride it is has been so far with a four year old and a one year old. Two little boys certainly have A LOT of energy and boy can they eat! After I give my all to everyone all day, the best part of my day is when I get to give baths, read bedtime stories and tuck those two handsome little boys into bed, at 8 o’clock sharp! Yes, I am also the “sleep police” as my husband calls me! I believe enough sleep is one of the most important things we can give our children. I worked hard those early months to train to make them great sleepers and now I have two boys who sleep in their own beds all night for 11-12 hours straight. That is one of my most proudest accomplishments as a Mom! I cherish my sleep too much and it is too much to sacrifice a good night’s rest for everyone! Babies are not born good sleepers; you have to train them to be!

In my copious amounts of spare time (really?) I love to cook, bake, garden, shop, travel, and play! I believe the reason we had children was so that we can do fun children things again! Just this past weekend we took the boys to Great Wolf Lodge and man did my husband and I have a great time. It has been six years since I went down waterslides, and yes I went down them all! I look forward to Breakfasts with Santa, Hayrides in the fall, Thomas the Train Rides, Trips to the Zoo, and so much more with my kids!

Another important aspect to my life is making our money go as far as possible. My husband and I believe strongly in saving for the future! This includes contributions to 401K plans, IRA’s, 529 Plans, Life Insurance, CD’s, Savings Bonds, savings accounts, and the piggy bank! Life is precious and you always need to be prepared for the future! My husband and I were given great upbringings from our parents who lead us both to be able to obtain college degrees, awesome careers, and a wise sense of financials. We want the same for our children. Education is the best preparation we can give our children for a successful future and life that is ahead of them!

I started Spend Less 2 Save More to hold myself accountable for spending less money and saving more money for our future! I post weekly deals from my favorite store, Giant Eagle; I also post deals and freebies I find as well as the deals I get while I am out on my shopping adventures! I have also started posting my weekly menu plans on the blog! Yes working mom can cook for their families! I also post some of the recipes I make for my family like these yummy Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce! I will also be blogging about my garden adventures this year.

So come join me at my blog and the Ultimate Blog Party this year. Now more then ever it is important to spend every penny wisely that you earn and make it go as far as possible! I may have some different views than other bloggers out there that you may just like! And feel free to ask me anything, I’ll give you some sort of answer!

There are so many great prizes to be won at the Ultimate Blog Party this year, my top three picks would be:

40- One winner will receive a 3 day 2 night stay from Holiday Inn Main Gate East in Kissimmee, FL (less than 2 miles from Disney World) a value of $250.

Provided by: Holiday Inn Main Gate
Follow here: bloggin2noggin

39 -Be My Guest certificate ($250 value) for one lucky winner, (2 night stay for a family of four) at any Hilton Garden Inn.
Provided by: Hilton Garden Inn
Follow here: bloggin2noggin

11 – A $100 gift eCertificate to Restaurant.com, immediately redeemable online at over 13,000 restaurants nationwide.
Provided by: Amy LeForge of Earnest Parenting
Visit Our Fan Page: Earnest Parenting

And if my top 3 picks are already chosen, I would like (in the order below):
03, 95, 02, 15, 32, 31, 71, 73, 112, 37, 52, 61, 84, 107