Today I spent $2.36 on a Mother's Day card for my daughter-in-law. It's her first Mother's Day, and I wanted to recognize that. Couldn't find a First Mother's Day card, though! I'm sure they exist. I also called my son and told him NOT to send me a gift. He and his wife have a lot of expenses right now, and I don't want them spending money on something silly.

I have a brand new grand-niece -- that's three! Along with two grand-nephews. And if I count the children on my ex's side of the family, I have six grand-nieces! But they're spread all over the country, so I rarely get to see any of them. I wish we were one of those families that all stay in the same town. I would love to baby-sit!

Tomorrow the pad under the corner of my carpet will be replaced. The dealer quoted a price around $100 -- mostly for the labor.

Then I called the carpet cleaner. They quoted a price of $115. After setting the appointment I called back because I'd found a $20 off coupon on their website. She said she would put it in the work order, and that I should print off the coupon. However, there is an expired date on the coupon which I didn't notice. It's confusing, because the link to it said "May Specials" and the expiration date is March. Well, I'm going to hand him the coupon and see if it flies.

I never reported on how dying my pants worked out. Only fair. Even though I followed the directions to the letter, the dye is a bit uneven. For some reason it is darker at the bottom hems. Also, some random stains, which I hadn't noticed before, are significantly darker. Oh well, they will do for knocking around. It was worth a try.

I'm planning to skip grocery shopping this Saturday. I have enough on hand to make do, I think. Instead I will shop at PetSmart -- get my cat food, Greenies, my dog's glucosimine chondroiton. I'm going to try to limit myself to shopping at only one place each weekend. Might be a challenge, but I think it will help control my spending.