The Crazy Box-Tops Lady

That's what people are going to call me.

Since getting involved with this program at school, I've been very cognizant of buying Box Tops products. In fact, I'm so aware of Box Tops that I found myself looking through my mother-in-law's stuff at her house and cutting them out this weekend. As if that wasn't bad enough, I also went through my sibling-in-law's stuff and cut them out too. And they were here just visiting, for crying out loud! I already know I'm going to rummage through my mom's stuff and my sister's stuff when we head up north for Thanksgiving, like a homeless person rummaging through the trash for a can.

Tonight, though, I took it one step further. Even I'm a little embarrassed. But it's compulsive now. Like an addiction to gambling: just one more time and I'll make it big, then I'll stop. But that big jack pot -- or in this case: a big pile of Box Tops coupons -- keeps tempting me, beckoning me to cut them out.

I went to buy diapers today and as it turns out my friend Erin also needed a box. I offered to buy her one and did so. We both use Huggies, which as everyone knows is a Box Top product (I'm shocked my co-coordinator SHANA DI DODO is still using Pampers -- tsk, tsk). Anyway, as a good friend I dropped the box off at her house on my way to meet Truong for dinner with the kids. I failed to tell her that I very neatly and cleanly snipped off her Box Top coupon. After I triumphantly held the coupon in my hands -- and saw the hole I made in the diaper box, I was horrified at what I had done. I can't believe I cut a hole in her box of brand new diapers.

What kind of person am I becoming? To go around and clip these little purple coupons off other people's stuff?!

Crazy, that's who. I'm becoming the Crazy Box Tops Lady.