Hello, my lovely readers!  I hope you’re having a great day and and that you enjoyed the gorgeous weather (it was beautiful here in South Bend, IN).

Today was my measly day off out of a total of 72 hours working.  Blech.  Needless to say, I was strongly tempted to spend it doing absolutely nothing, but I’m happy to report that I was quite productive.  We went grocery shopping (love me some Sam’s Club!), I did laundry, sorted through a ton of accumulated paperwork, cleaned out the storage under our bed, paid some bills, updated the budget, sent some emails, did some cleaning, and even got Chris to do a bit of sorting.  Last but not least, I went through 2 closets and created 3 piles for our move to New Zealand – things to take with us, things to pitch, and things to donate on Freecyle.  I love Freecyle – so much great stuff, and a good way to get rid of things that I don’t feel like hauling to Goodwill 🙂

In other news, I’m sad to report that my application for a nursing license in New Zealand was returned.  Apparently, they  couldn’t find my Academic IELTS test scores.  Rather than simply requesting that I re-send them, they paid to ship my entire 15+ page application back overseas.  Seems a bit wasteful to me, but if they want to do it, then so be it.  I’ve already emailed them and asked them to please double-check that my scores aren’t there, and hope to hear back within a week.  That’s the average length of time it’s taken them to answer any question that I might have.  Don’t you just love government offices?

I did some shopping today, too!  I purchased the “Sherlock Holmes” DVD while at Sam’s Club.  I love Sherlock Holmes and actually enjoyed this movie.  Chris fell asleep in the middle, but he swears it’s because he was really tired and that it is no way a reflection on the movie itself.

I also purchased a cute top and some cropped pants from Land’s End Canvas (I got their catalog in the mail the other day – great stuff!), and a tank top from Gap.

Land’s End Canvas Tuck Front Shell

Land’s End Canvas Stretch Crop Pants

GAP Ruffle-Trimmed Tank Top

I wanted to get some new things for St. Thomas, and with eBates, I was able to save even more.  If you don’t have an  eBates account, you need to sign up.  I’ve had an account since December 2009 and I’ve already gotten $94.22 in cash-back.  And I’m not a big spender, so you know that it’s a good deal.  If you’re thinking about signing up, email me at mrs(dot)practicallyperfect(at)gmail(dot)com, and I can send you an invitation.  It’s so easy!

Alright, I’m going to relax for the rest of my night off.  I hope that you’re able to do the same 🙂  And please, think of me while you’re our enjoying your 3-day Easter weekends!