My forearms are thanking me.

I'm a couponer.  I'm not an 'extreme couponer' though... I think in order to be considered 'extreme' you have to have eleventy billion rolls of toilet paper and I do not. (Do these people have family members with gastroenteritis? 'Cause otherwise, they are decorating the neighbors lawns on Halloween to use all that up.)  But I will aspire to the eleventy billion.  Or I will aspire to having a house large enough to store it all... but whatevers.

Anyhoo, I, like most other couponers, have a coupon binder.  I named her Sheila. She's a big girl:

She's sensitive about her weight, so don't mention it. She's up to 12 pounds.  I told her that now that the weather is warmer, we'll work out together so she can get back to her goal weight of 9 pounds.

I take this binder just about every place I go.  Since she's been packing on the weight, she's gotten harder to close.  See exhibit A:

That's my husband's beefy forearms.  Hands off ladies, he's all man and all mine... but if he leaves the toilet seat up ONE MORE TIME...

Exhibit B:

It took three hands to close her today. Poor Sheila... one too many $3 off Nivea Body Wash coupons.

It's ridiculous shopping with this thing.  For realsies.  I have two children, one of whom has made it his entire 2-year old life's purpose to run from me in all situations.  He runs from me, screaming gleefully.  He's a heathen.  But I digress.

I had to find another option.  I thought to myself, 'self, what is a gorgeous and charming couponing mother to do when she can't have her hands full because she has her hands full?'  So I came up with an idea: I made a clipboard.

I bought a regular old clear clipboard and some pretty scrapbook paper.  How cute is this paper?

I used my super-duper paper cutter, which I love almost as much as I love my children, and trimmed the paper to fit the back of the clipboard.  I used some spray adhesive (how did the settlers EXIST without this stuff? Those were rough times, indeed.) and secured it to the back.  Then, I took an envelope and dressed it up a little bit... made it pretty and whatnot, and gave it a label.  Some people hate labels. But this envelope/clipboard combo loves her label.  I will name her soon.  Everything is getting a name.

I don't have a Cricut... or a Silhouette.  I am wearing my scarlet letter for it too, but I had to cut the letter out by hand.  I'm ashamed.  At any rate, I used the old-fashioned method of printing the label out on paper and using my trusty exacto knives (the beefy forearmed man bought them for me on clearance, ain't he a jewel?) I cut the letters out into that scrapbook paper myself.  'Cause I'm hard-core, yo.

I know you're all holding your breath for the final reveal.  It is stunning.  And I'm sure my writing style has left you on the edge of your seat.  Well wait no more, my friends!  Here's how it all shaped up:

Now, I have my grocery list (made in Excel and including formulas that will even tell me the tax on my transaction) and all the ads I need clipped to my board and my necessary coupons in the envelope.  I still bring Sheila along for the ride, but she stays in the car.  No worries though, I crack the window for her.  I'm sure that I will see an awesome deal and have to run out to the car to get Sheila... but those times are not as often as you'd think.  And my arms are much happier with this arrangement.