Living Richly, Penny Wise

Walgreens, Rite Aid, MedCo, and Kohl's!

2010-06-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

Transaction #1 at Rite Aid:

Huggies diapers ($8.99)
Veet hair removal cream ($6.49)
Clearasil face wash ($5.29)
Physician's Formula eye pencil ($5.50)

- $5/$25 Rite Aid printable coupon
- $3 Huggies printable coupon
- $1 Huggies Video Values RA coupon
- $3 Veet printable coupon
- $3 Veet Video Values RA coupon
- $3 Clearasil Video Values RA coupon
- $2 Clearasil printable coupon
- $5 Physician's Formula printable coupon

= $2.55 (including tax!) Plus I submitted for the $2 Rite Aid SCR, so my final total will be 55c! That's just awesome.

Transaction #2 at Rite Aid:

(3) packs of Huggies diapers ($8.99 each)

- $5/$25 Rite Aid printable
- (3) $3 Huggies printables

= $14.xx

Transaction at Walgreens:

(3) packs of girls' hair clips and ponytail holders (15c each!)

There's a fabulous deal going on at MedCoHealthStore, where you can get $10 off your order (and you can order something even slightly under $10!). Shipping is only 99c. I was able to place 2 orders yesterday, and both have shipped. The codes are:

TENOFF
FIRST10
MHS10

You should be able to place 2 separate orders, using two of those codes. I got lots of gummy vitamins and a $10 mascara that I normally wouldn't buy, for under $4 shipped!

There's also a great coupon code for 20% off at Kohl's! The code is TWENTYMAY. Shipping is 99c per item. We were in need of a slipcover for our couch, and I was able to snag one that was already 50% off, and I got 20 more percent off after that!

Super cheap Huggies

2010-05-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Huggies diapers are on sale for $8.99 this week at Rite Aid. When you buy 5 packs, you get a voucher for another free pack! Here's how I maximized the deal:

(5) packs @ $8.99 each = $44.95
- (5) $3 Huggies printable coupons
- $5/$25 Rite Aid printable coupon
- $15 in previously earned rebate and gift cards

= $9.95 plus tax! (Final total was about $12)

And here's my 17 month old modeling a new denim diaper:

Rite Aid!

2010-03-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't been to Rite Aid in quite a while, but when I read about the fabulous deals this week, I knew I had to go! I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly my transactions went, and how many other items in the store were on clearance. I will be back!!

In 2 transactions, I got:

(The small items on the left are a lipstick and 2 eyelash curlers; all 3 were marked down to 49c!)

I also got 3 more newspapers, since the coupons were so good yesterday. That added $5.00 to my total.

Which was ... $20.01! Retail value is $80 (I would never pay near that much for this!). I am also on my way to getting back $10 WYB $30 of P&G products (the Pampers are P&G; I just need one more pack and a small item that qualifies, such as shave gel.
I will also get back $5 in a Single Check Rebate after I buy a 3rd John Frieda shampoo or conditioner. They are on sale $3/$15 this week, and you get $5 back WYB 3. I am using a $3/1 coupon on each item, thus paying $6 OOP on 3 and getting back $5!!

The Cover Girl/Olay Simply Ageless foundation was free! All Cover Girl face products are BOGO Free this week, and last week's P&G insert had a BOGO Free coupon. Rite Aid's coupon policy clearly spells out that they accept a BOGO Free coupon on a BOGO Free sale, making both items free! Their coupon policy is HERE. You will want to print that out and carry it with you, in case there is any argument. Also, there is a $3 off $15 coupon HERE.

I'll be stopping at Rite Aid again tonight with more coupons (that's why I bought extras this week; the $3 John Frieda's are in the 3/7 Smart Source insert).

Giant Eagle and Walgreens trips

2010-03-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

Here's what I got at Giant Eagle yesterday:

$3.99 each for the Luvs (on sale for $6.49; I used two $2/1 homemailer coupons)
17c each for the Crest TP (on sale for $1.67; I used two 75c/1 coupons)
$4.99 each for the Venus razors (on sale for $6.99 and I used two $2/1 coupons; plus I got $4 back for my next order)
Free Olay body washes! The big ones! I used two "buy 2 Venus Embrace or Spa razors and get any Olay body wash for free" coupons.

From Walgreens and Giant Eagle:

$2.99 each for the Gillette Fusion (men's) razors (on sale for $6.99; I used two $4/1 coupons and got $4 back for my next order)
$3.19 each for the Huggies Pull-Ups (marked down from $11.39!). I'm the mean Mommy who doesn't care if they are pink for my 3 year old boy! They're cheap!
$2.39 for the Walgreens brand diapers (marked down from $8.99?)
97c each for the extra-large size of children's wipes (marked down from $3.98)

Giant Eagle deals

2010-03-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a recent Giant Eagle trip ~ I paid $11.39 total!

That's 7 bags of Quaker rice snacks, a bag of 99c bananas, 2 Skippy peanut butters, 2 Lunchables subs, five 4-packs of Marcal toilet paper, and 2 packages of pork chops. That is one of my favorite finds, because not only was the pork B1G1 Free, But each package was on clearance! So I paid $2.76 for both packages. =)

I also got a bag of Stacy's pita chips for free, because I had a coupon from the manufacturer. The bag didn't make the picture because, well, I bought the Cinnamon Sugar variety, and it's already been opened!!

Secondhand store finds

2010-01-31T10:24:00.000-08:00

I stopped in to Once Upon A Child, my favorite local secondhand store! They always have the cleanest items. Here's what I got:

2 pairs of shoes for my 13 month old, and a pair of Carter's boots for my 3 year old. He loves the light-up factor! The boots were $6, and the infant shoes were under $4 each.

6 shirts, all on clearance. 50% off (the highest price item was $2.25 afterwards).

Snow pants for our 3 year old, and a new, sealed 4-pack of Leapfrog flash cards and wipe-off books. $6.50 for the pants, and $3.50 for the cards!

Total after 10% military discount: $32.00 even. At Once Upon A Child, when you save your receipts and have spent a total of $200, you get $10 to spend in the store.

My favorite feedback websites

2010-01-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

In the past few years, some great websites have come out, focusing on word-of-mouth and feedback for products. Here are the ones I belong to!

BzzAgent ~ a word-of-mouth marketing company. Fill out information about yourself, and when a new Campaign comes out, accept it if you'd like to receive the full-size product for free, in addition to coupons. BzzAgent is connected to MyPoints. When you submit feedback and reviews for the products, you'll be awarded MyPoints, which you redeem for gift cards. I recently redeemed points for a $30 Romano's Macaroni Grill card! Some of the Campaigns I've done for BzzAgent are Aveeno baby wash, Cover Girl Outlast lip color, Softsoap Nutri-Serums, SoniCare electric toothbrush system (a $179 value!), etc.

Vocalpoint ~ Surveys, Try and Tells, coupons, samples, and more! I've received many items from Vocalpoint; the last being a full-size bottle of Olay Pro-X wrinkle smoothing cream! It's a value of around $49!

She Speaks ~ Take polls, discuss your favorite products, write reviews, receive member offers to try products for free and give your opinion.

Check them out! I absolutely love all 3.

Coupon Class

2010-01-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

I had a great time this morning, meeting 3 ladies from my church to plan for an upcoming coupon class. We'll be meeting at our church and teaching people the art of coupon-ing. I can't wait!

Free Jergens lotion!

2010-01-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Giant Eagle had Jergens lotion, 10 oz, for $1.50 each. I ordered $3/2 coupons on Ebay, and got a raincheck since the shelves were always empty. I redeemed my raincheck today, and got 8 lotions for free!

Coupon Terms

2010-01-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

Getting started in coupon-ing is a lot easier when you know the lingo. Here are some of the most frequently used terms you'll hear about:

Smart Source ~ one of the 2 major companies that provide coupons in the Sunday papers.
Red Plum ~ the other major company. Formerly Valassis, this insert now seems to be primarily junk ads in my paper!
Catalina ~ a coupon which prints at the register, good towards your next purchase. For example, there may be a sale at your grocery store where you would receive a $2 catalina if you buy $10 of an advertised product. Save this and present it when you pay next time (often, you can split your orders up into multiple transactions and pay with that coupon. I do this often since I shop with my kids).
OYNO ~ Off Your Next Order. You will often see people say "I got a coupon for $x OYNO".
OOP ~ Out Of Pocket. The amount of money that you will pay.
RR ~ Register Rewards at Walgreens. A Catalina coupon that you use like cash on your next purchase.
ECB ~ Extra Care Bucks at CVS. You need to register for an Extra Care Card to receive the Bucks. Also like cash on your next purchase.

2010-01-15T11:18:00.001-08:00

I apologize that I haven't kept the site up lately. Life got pretty busy with 3 children, a husband who was away for half of 2009, and who's still gone now! But I've had requests to get back into blogging, so here I am. I will try to keep deals posted regularly, with pictures. I haven't fallen off the coupon/bargain shopping wagon, just haven't taken the time to post!

Wubbzy Christmas DVD giveaway!

2009-11-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Our kids love the cartoon Wow, Wow Wubbzy, so I was happy to find a giveaway for the Christmas DVD! Head over to http://momstart.com/2009/11/wubbzys-christmas-adventure-dvd-and-book-giveaway/" and enter to win. There are details on how to gain extra entries, as well! This contest ends tonight, 11/30 at 11:59 PST.

Another Super Saturday post!

2009-10-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

After I posted the great deals I got earlier this week, I made a trip to Giant Eagle and saved a bundle! Here are the pictures:

The breakdown is:

(2) 4-packs of Marcal toilet paper = $2.99 each. I used two $2/1 coupons and paid 99c each.

(4) 4-packs of Yo-Crunch yogurt = $2 each. I used four 75c/1 coupons which doubled, and paid 50c per pack.

(2) Breyer's swirled yogurt 6-packs = $2 each. I used two 75c/1 coupons (doubled) and paid 50c per pack. I froze these, and just got 20 more coupons in the mail today! So I'll be buying, freezing, and sharing with family soon.

(6) tubes of Pillsbury biscuits = $1 each. I used two 75c/3 coupons (which doubled) and paid 50c per tube. I then received a coupon for $4 off my next order at GE.

(2) boxes of Hot Pockets breakfast sandwiches = $2 each. I used two 75c/1 coupons (which doubled) and paid 50c per box.

(10) pouches of Starkist ready-made tuna salad = $1.50 each. I used ten 75c/1 coupons (which doubled) and got all 10 for free!! I am going to get 10 more and share some with my BIL for his work lunches.

(1) DiGiorno flatbread melts = $3.50. I used a 75c/1 coupon (which doubled) and paid $2.00. This was a splurge, but I was hungry and they had a Chicken Bacon Ranch variety! So I couldn't resist. And it was really good!

(1) bag of Nestle Tollhouse swirled morsels = $2. I used a 50c/1 coupon (which doubled) and paid $1.

I will be doing several more trips like this, between now and Wednesday! Some great items to stock up on.

Visit Money Saving Mom to read about more deals!

Super Saturday!

2009-10-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

I had a fabulous week for deals! Some weeks are slow, and some are great - and this was one of those.

Yesterday at Payless Shoes, I used the 50% off all shoes printable (exp. 10/30), and bought 6 pairs for $31! What I did was only select shoes that were already 50% off. Those baby shoes for my son were only $2 after my coupon!

At Giant Eagle, Pop Tarts were on sale 5/$10, with an instant $2 off if you purchased 5. I purchased 10 boxes and then used ten 55c/1 coupons, which doubled to $1.10 each. So I paid 50c per box!

At Target, Skippy peanut butter is $2.04 each (regular price). I used five 40c/1 manufacturer coupons, and five $1/1 Target printables. That makes it 64c per jar!

I got this book for free, plus I earned 500 MyPoints! The book is through Book of the Month Club 2. I clicked through the email from MyPoints, signed up with BOMC2, selected my free book (free shipping!), and will cancel my membership within 30 days. So easy!

And these are the freebies I got in the mail this week:

Olay Pro-X wrinkle cream from Vocalpoint, Sensodyne iso-active toothpaste from SheSpeaks, and a coupon for a free Herbal Essences product!

Visit Money Saving Mom to see what other people scored this week!

WFMW: Cleaning ceiling fan blades

2009-10-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

This week over at

We Are That Family, it's a cleaning edition of Works For Me Wednesday. My cleaning tip comes from a tip posted by one of the readers, a year or so ago. I've never forgotten it, and it's helped me a lot!

To easily clean your ceiling fan blades, take an empty pillowcase and slide it over each blade, then pull all the dust into the pillowcase. Just toss into the laundry when you're done. This eliminates most of the flying dust! My husband has asthma, and since I started doing this trick when cleaning the blades in our bedroom, he doesn't cough the night afterwards. So this really helps me!

Visit the above link to get tons of other cleaning tips!

Works For Me Wednesday: Outfits and Silverware

2009-09-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter just started 1st grade! It's hard to believe. Next thing I know, her two little brothers will be going to school in a few years.

Our mornings are pretty crazy, with my husband being gone (he's in the military), our 2 year old being his cranky self when he first wakes up, and our 8 month old needing fed and diapered. So we have to be on pace to make it out to the bus stop on time!

Besides packing some of her lunch the night before, what really helps me in the morning is outfit organization. I paired together about 8 outfits in her closet (for starters), and I bring down 1 or 2 when it's time for her to get dressed. This way, she still has a choice of which one she'd like.

I just loop items together on one hanger, like this:

This Works For Me!

Also, this is something I just figured out recently. I have always despised washing silverware (why? because there is so much of it! all the little forks and spoons floating around in the water :P). I let it all pile up in the sink until every piece is dirty! Bad, I know. But I discovered that if I simply place the empty silverware basket in the bottom of my sink, I am more apt to load it up as I go along. Then I transfer the full basket straight to the dishwasher. This also Works For Me!

To see more organizational tips, visit We Are THAT Family.

WFMW: Fun For Toddlers

2009-07-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Our middle child is almost 3, and when he gets bored or I need him to stay put for a few minutes, here's what I do:

I set him in the highchair and give him a few bowls and spoons. Into the bowls, I'll pour things like uncooked rice, beans, dry pasta, oats, etc. He loves to use the spoons to stir them, feel them with his fingers, pour them out on the tray, and mix it all together. =)

This also works with Play-Doh, crayons and paper, blocks, bubbles while I'm doing the dishes, toy cars, etc. Any other creative ideas I could do to keep him entertained in the chair?

For more ideas on What Works, visit We Are That Family.

Super Saturday: Feeding a large crowd!

2009-06-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we're having my family over for Father's Day. I'm the oldest of 7 children, so any time we get together, it's a big crowd! All but one of my siblings will be coming - she's a summer camp director and will be gearing up for another round of campers. :)

Anyhow, we have 14 "eaters" plus 2 babies. I offered to help plan the menu and buy most of the food, as my mom is crazy-busy (2 jobs, finishing up her Master's degree, etc!). Plus, I always love to see how little I can spend for our family. Here's what I bought:

(1) bag of frozen chicken breasts @ Aldi = $5.97
(1) bottle of Open Pit BBQ sauce = $1
(3) 8-ct bags of sandwich buns = $1.69 each

With that, I'm making BBQ chicken in the Crock Pot. We don't have a grill, so I wanted to do something easy, and I can throw this in the CP before church in the morning.

(2) packages of Oscar Mayer hot dogs
(2) 8-ct bags of hot dog buns = $1.69 each
(1) bottle of Hunt's ketchup

The hot dogs were B1G1 Free at Giant Eagle, and I had a "Free" coupon for one package. The packages actually ring up as half off each one ($1.89), so the cashier rang up my Free coupon as $1.89. Can't complain - that's 2 packages for $1.89!

I also had a "Free" coupon for the ketchup, from the ConAgra summer booklet of coupons. We've got mustard here, so no need to buy that.

24 ears of corn = $5.36
(1) 5-lb bag of potatoes = $1.99 (I'm making roasted potatoes with those)

(2) large loaves of crusty Italian bread = 80c each! A local grocery store was having an 80c sale on many items.
(1) jar of olive oil @ Aldi = $3.29 (I was out, anyway)
(1) shaker of dried basil @ Aldi = $1.09
(1) bag of garlic (3 cloves) @ Aldi = 69c
With the above 4 ingredients, I'm going to make bruschetta. I have many jars of free Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes in my pantry, so I'm going to use those. I already have mozzarella cheese, and am going to make cheesy bread for the kids.

(4) 2-liters of pop = $3.39

(4) pints of Pierre's vanilla ice cream = 80c each. Again, same store with the 80c sale. My sister is making brownies, and we're going to combine those 2 for sundaes. :)

Plastic cups @ Aldi = 99c for 20
Napkins @ Aldi = $1.29

I think that's it? The grand total is $40.20 - that's less than $2.90 a person. We couldn't pay that amount for 14 people, at a fast food restaurant! And we're going to have delicious summer food. My mom is pitching in for half of the food; she just didn't have time to shop, whereas I did. :) And I love to do it.

My sisters are also bringing a fruit platter and either pasta salad or baked beans. YUM! Looking forward to the big meal tomorrow!

*As an added bonus, my daughter won a bag of free food at Giant Eagle! I had dropped her off at the PlayPlace while I shopped, and entered her in a drawing (I didn't even know what the prize was!). When I picked her up, the employee handed me a bag and said, "Congrats!" Inside was a 2-liter of pop, cookies, chips, popcorn, Twizzlers, and gummy snacks. All junk food, but still fun to win and enjoy! She was tickled.

To read about more deals obtained this week, head over to Money Saving Mom.

Super Saturday: 6/13

2009-06-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

I needed some new summer outfits for our 5 month old, and since I couldn't find any garage sale ads fitting that description, I headed over to Once Upon A Child. I love it there, because it's so well stocked, organized (by size, style, and even color!), inexpensive (I just sort through the racks for all $1.50 and under items), and they offer a 10% military discount.

Here's what I got for under $12:

I had already paid when I spotted this shirt on another clearance rack, but I just had to buy it! $1.75!

We are big Yankees fans, and don't often see NY clothing here in Ohio. I put it on our son right away for this picture, and then he promptly spit up on it. :P

Today I did my big shop at Aldi, and found ham steaks marked down for quick sale! They were each $2 off, and I picked the ones that were just over $2 to begin with. The most expensive one I got was 75c. =) I kept one in the fridge and froze the rest.

For more deals bloggers got this week, visit Money Saving Mom.

WFMW: Beating Summer Boredom

2009-06-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our daughter finishes Kindergarten this week! While I will be happy to have some relaxed mornings this summer, she's going to need some planned activities to keep her busy. We like to do free things, like frequenting 3 parks in our area and the library.

I've seen a super-cool blog where the mom designates a letter of the alphabet for each day, and that day is filled with things of the corresponding letter. I don't have her blog bookmarked, so you'll have to forgive me for not providing the link right now (it's late and I'm trying to finish this post before bed!). ;)

What I'd like to do is just a little different, and I think it would work better for our family. I believe the mom in that blog only has one child, and can devote more time to doing lots of projects. However, I have a 6.5 year old, a 2.5 year old, a 5 month old, and a husband who will be traveling cross-country in July! So I need something a little simpler.

I'd like to create 26 themes, for each letter of the alphabet. For example, the first day could be about airplanes and airports. We live near an International airport, and see large planes flying low, frequently. We could go visit the airport and watch them land, learn information about aviation, etc.

Letter B could be for Bugs. Our daughter loves to catch bugs (last summer, she had a fascination with capturing bees! Ahhh!). We could learn about ladybugs, worms, ants, lightning bugs, etc.

Once we've completed the alphabet (early July), we could start over again. I think she will love it! Once I've written out a set plan for the letter of the day, we could visit the library this weekend and get books for the upcoming week. She loves to read.

I enjoy cooking and baking, and she likes to help me. I'm thinking Chocolate for the letter C, so we could bake cookies together. :)

I have large freezer bags, so I could slide in the library books we select, along with printed pages, drawings she makes for the day, etc.

Now that I'm inspired, I'm off to work on the list of the alphabet! We'll definitely take pictures and post updates as we go along.

Visit

We Are That Family for lots of great ideas!

Super Saturday: Fabulous Garage Sales!!

2009-05-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I found an ad on Craigslist for a garage sale, by a family with triplet boys! So I planned to go to it the next morning. When I arrived at the address, I found out it was an entire neighborhood sale! Let me tell you, I was in heaven - and I only had one child with me! Spending $26, here's what I bought:

Americana decoration - $1

Matted and framed photographs, signed by the artist - $1 each!

Gorgeous toile throw - the picture doesn't do it justice. It is folded in half here - $3!

Beautiful summer dress for DD - $2

50c for each shirt

Barbie skates for $2!

Winter boots for next year - $1

Bibs and shirts for our baby boy - 20c per bib; 50c per shirt

Jammies - 50c a pair

Old Navy fall outfit - $2

Cargo pants and sweater - $1 each - how adorable is this outfit?!

Light-up toy for 50c (purchased equally to keep 2 year old DS happy while with me; and also because it doesn't make noise!!)

This is my best garage sale day so far, this year! I just love finding inexpensive, gently used items that we need. Sometimes it's just a "want", like the Barbie skates, but how can I pass those up for $2? I love to watch our daughter skate down the sidewalk!

For more bargains people have found this week, visit Money Saving Mom.

Works For Me: Magazines

2009-05-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to quite a few magazines - mostly for free! Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Woman's Day, Better Homes and Gardens, Taste of Home, All You, etc. I love ideas that come from them ~ whether it is a decorating inspiration, a recipe, activities for the kids, or a product I want to try, to name a few.

As I read a magazine, I tear out a page or article I like, and put it into this folder:

Then, I throw the magazine away when I'm finished! Otherwise it would surely pile up on my countertops ~~with the other clutter~~.

Now I can save all my favorite ideas, have a place I can easily find them all in, and drastically reduce the space needed to store magazines. Works for me!

Visit

We Are That Family for more of what works!

Super Saturday!

2009-05-16T11:23:00.001-07:00

Giant Eagle has been having some fabulous deals lately! Sometimes I will go weeks without needing to get anything there (when prices are too high), and then Bam! I will be in the store almost every day, stocking up. Here's what I've purchased so far this week (more to buy before the sale ends next Wednesday!):

That's eight 6-packs of Dannon yogurt drinks; 50c for each 6-pack! These are a fun treat for our daughter, who thinks it's cool to drink her yogurt. =)

6 jars of Ragu pasta sauce; 65c per jar after sale and coupon; plus $3 off your next order!

5 jars of Skippy PB; $1.20 each after sale and coupon; plus $3 off your next order.

10 pouches of Knorr/Lipton rice or pasta sides; 25c each after sale and coupon; plus $3 off your next order (sense a theme here?!).

$1.50 to $2.50 for each box of Kellogg's cereal after sale and coupon.

89c for the bag of Quaker rice snacks after coupon.

Plus vanilla wafers and bread.

I will be stocking up on more Ragu, Skippy, and Knorr/Lipton this week! I love non-perishables.

I bought 11 (one isn't pictured because it's in my kitchen) boxes of Electrasol this week for 49c each! I traded for $2.50/1 coupons and the boxes were on sale at Drug Mart for $2.99 each.

I bought the Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta a few weeks ago, but couldn't resist sneaking the picture in. I ran out of room in my pantry, so I moved more things to the basement and took new pictures.

Each box of pasta was 50c each at Giant Eagle, and for every 6 or 7 I purchased (can't remember), I got $2 off my next order. =D

For more great deals, visit

Money Saving Mom.

Walgreen's Earth Day deals!

2009-04-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at Walgreens, I bought all this for $1.40!

Here's how:

Walgreens offered 15% off most items in the store for Earth Day. I printed the coupon out and took it in. I also got the free re-usable bag.

I printed out coupons for $4 off the new line of Glade candles. I was going to post the link this morning, but it's gone again! It was only out for a day, but I will post the link if it comes back.

(2) Glade candles, $5.99 each
- ($8) in manufacturer's coupons
- ($4) in Walgreen's Easy Saver coupons

(1) Nivea for men after shave balm, reg. $6.99; on clearance for $1.59

(1) Burt's Bees lip shimmer, reg. $4.99; on clearance for $1.05

- 15%

= $1.40! Gotta love Walgreens!!

Detergent dilemma

2009-04-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Guess how many times I bought laundry detergent in the last year?

3 times! I counted because I am down to my last bottle. :( There haven't been any smokin' deals on it for a while. I am hoping to run across some great coupons paired with a sale, soon!

I searched my blog - I stocked up on detergent at $1.50 a bottle or less, in March, August, and one other month during 2008 (I remember the sale, but apparently I didn't blog about it).

Need ... a good sale ... soon!

50c Iced Coffee 4/21 only!

2009-04-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

Today only (4/21), small iced coffees are 50c each at Dunkin' Donuts. For each one purchased, DD will donate 10% to Homes For Our Troops. As an Army wife and a coffee lover, you know I'll be there!!

Works For Me: Once Upon A Child!

2009-04-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I often post pictures of the items I buy at Once Upon A Child, my favorite local children's resale store. Take a look around my blog if you haven't seen those posts! ;)

They always have items 50% off. They are well organized, have everything you could possibly want, and they offer a 10% military discount!

My only complaint is that they have those teeny-tiny carts, which aren't long enough to hold both an infant carseat and a toddler in the front. But, that doesn't deter me!

I went there yesterday and got 4 pairs of soft pants for our daughter (who loathes all clothes itchy and/or with buttons), a new, handmade pink purse to put in her Easter basket, a brand-new pair of summer sandals for our 2 year old,  and a long-sleeved shirt that I couldn't resist for our baby. It says "party at my crib!" Heehee.

My total after the 10% off? $20.xx!

The only thing that works even better for me, is garage sales!! I cannot wait till they begin here!!

See more of what works for people, at

We Are That Family.

Free sample of Huggies Pure & Natural diapers

2009-04-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Click Here for a free sample (3 diapers!) of new Huggies Pure & Natural diapers. The diapers run through size 5, but the samples are only for Newborn, Size 1, and Size 2.

Works For Me Wednesday: Crockpot Chicken Tacos

2009-03-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

This super-simple recipe is a favorite not only in our house, but in many of my friends' as well. We call it "Steffie's Crockpot Chicken Tacos", because she's the one who shared this recipe with our military support board. We all make this frequently! You just can't go wrong.

*I make this for just my husband and I, so if you are making it for more than 2 people, just increase the quantity as you see fit.

2 large chicken breasts (frozen or thawed, it doesn't matter)
Salsa
Taco seasoning
Water

Place chicken in the Crockpot.

In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup salsa, 1/2 a pack of taco seasoning, and a little water. I just eyeball it, and have played around with the recipe to know this works for us. You can change it around however you like!

Pour salsa mixture on top of chicken. Cook on Low for 5-6 hours or High for 3-4.

Shred chicken with a fork and serve with tortillas, crunchy taco shells, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, etc.

This delicious recipe always works for me! It's in my Crockpot as I type!

For more great tips, visit We are THAT family.

Super Savings Saturday

2009-03-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here are the deals I got today, at my favorite childrens secondhand store:

7 shirts for our 2.5 year old; all but one of them were 50% off (and that one was only $1.50, LOL).
A corduroy spring jacket for $5.50.
Blue swishy pants for him (that he's currently wearing).
A shirt for our 12 week old (he's also wearing that).
And Disney Princess dress-up shoes for our 6 year old. =)

Total: $21.20!

At WalMart:

The double packs of Lysol wipes are on Rollback for $2.00. For each pack, I used a $1 off coupon, and paid $1 per pack. I love these for wiping down everything!

Total: $4.00.

Oh, and I also snagged some cheap bananas at Giant Eagle! I ran in just to get some, and there were bags of ripe bananas set out, reduced for quick sale. I got a 3 lb bag for 99c! I can make smoothies and at least 2 loaves of bread with them in the next few days.

For more Super Savings, check out Money Saving Mom.

Super Saturday

2009-03-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

I almost didn't have anything to post for Super Saturday this week (I only went to one store, and that was for a few groceries at Wal Mart!). Then I made a run to our local secondhand store to get an outfit or two for our 2-month old son. They had a sign on the door that spoke my language:

"Buy 2 Clearance Items, Get 1 Free".

Oh, yeah! They had oodles of clearance, and I picked out lots of items that were mostly under $2 at regular price. They were each 50% off, and every 3rd item was free! I paid less than $15.00 for all of this ($1 was tax):

Check out the deals that others found this past week, over at Money Saving Mom.

Free Arby's Roast Burger w/drink purchase!

2009-02-24T07:36:00.000-08:00

Click Here to print out an Arby's coupon, good for a Free Roast Burger with any drink purchase at regular price! It does not limit the drink to a certain type, so you should be able to pick any kind.

The coupon is valid through March 9th and may be used only once.

Free Quiznos sub!

2009-02-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

Here with Quiznos, and they will e-mail you a code to print out a coupon for a free sub! This is for the first 1 million people, and there are still plenty available as I type this. You can get a coupon for each person in your household with a different e-mail address. The coupon expires 5 days after printing.

Free Kashi Entree!

2009-02-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

Here with Kashi, and they will send you a coupon for a free frozen entree!

Super Saturday: Big Savings at Target!

2009-02-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

As always, I can count on Target to fulfill my love of things on clearance! I stopped in today, and bought:

(1) beautiful floral shower curtain, marked down to $7.48 from $29.99.
(1) cute throw pillow for the couch, marked down to $3.48 from $14.99.
(1) pair of little boys' jeans, marked down to $6.48 from $12.99.

Valentine's merchandise was 90% off! Most of it was gone, but we did grab 2 packs of Valentines for next year, at 29c each.

Red Dot merchandise at the $1 Spot was 75% off! We got some cute scrapbook supplies for DD (she loves to make crafty things) and a 3-pk of sponges for the kitchen.

(2) 8-ct boxes of Pop Tarts, $1.57 each
Used a $1/2 manufacturer's coupon and a $1/2 Target coupon.
Total for both boxes = $1.14

(1) bottle of Suave lotion, $2.69.
Used a coupon from Suave for any free product!

(1) tube of Crest Weekly Clean toothpaste, $3.99.
Used a coupon for a free tube of this variety.

Woohoo! For more deals and bargains, visit

Money Saving Mom.

Works For Me: Easy Egg Sandwich

2009-02-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple recipe for a homemade breakfast sandwich; cheap and fast! Delicious, too.

Beat one egg, then pour into a microwave-safe bowl sprayed with cooking spray.

Heat in microwave for approximately 35 seconds (until egg is completely cooked in middle). If desired, after the egg is cooked, place a slice of cheese on the egg and heat until cheese is melted (about 20 seconds).

While egg is cooking, toast 2 slices of bread, a bagel, or English muffin.

Slide a fork around the edges of the cooked egg, and place atop your choice of bread. Put remaining bread over the egg, and slice in half.

Voila! A super-easy hot breakfast. You could put different things on it based on what you like; a few slices of bacon, a tomato, etc. I like it with freshly ground black pepper and OJ on the side.

Works For Me!

Super Savings

2009-02-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

I had a great week, between Giant Eagle and Target! Here's what I got from GE:

Pictured above:

(4) tubs of Wet Ones wipes
(3) boxes of Hefty trash bags
(3) Wishbone salad dressings
(2) strips of Red Star yeast
(1) box of vanilla wafers

Total before sales, card discount and coupons: $36.91

Total after: $11.34.

Not pictured:

(14) Colgate toothpastes; on sale for $1.50, all were free since I used fourteen 75c/1 coupons which doubled to $1.50. I "bought" this many because for each increment of 7, you got $3 off your next order. So, free and a profit!

(9) Dannon DanActive 4-pk drinks; 66c for each pack after the sale and $1 coupons.

From Target:

Pictured above:

(4) Gillette Fusion Power razors
(2) packages of Kotex pads
(2) boxes of Kotex pantiliners
(6) boxes of Pop Tarts
(1) large can of Target brand infant formula
(1) loaf of bread

Total before coupons: $67.59 (I can't imagine paying almost $70 just for this!)

Total after coupons and gift cards (earned 2 $5 GC's for purchasing the 4 razors): $20.23!

Visit Money Saving Mom for more deals that people got this week!

Tackling Patience

2009-02-03T05:47:00.001-08:00

Patience is not a trait that I was blessed with. I suppose I have it in certain situations, like waiting in line at a store (unless I have the kids with me and they're fussing), or sitting in traffic (unless I'm running late), or on hold to make a doctor's appointment (unless the kids are being noisy or the baby decided to wake up). See, I don't have much of it at all, even in mundane situations!

But where I really struggle with it is at home. The most important place, right? Yeah.

Take this morning for example. I had everything planned out (my first mistake). I got DD up for Kindergarten, and the baby was up as well, but our 2 year old was still sleeping. DD was in a good mood, and coloring a paper she wanted to take to school. I had her clothes laid out (I even picked out 2 shirts so she could choose!). She ate breakfast, used the restroom, and started to get dressed. That's where my patience left the building.

Neither of the shirts worked for her. She unfortunately inherited my husband's great discomfort for tags on shirts, and any itchy fabrics. So she was crying and whining about the shirts, though we cut out the tags. I looked over, and suddenly it was 10 minutes before the bus would arrive! She had no shirt on, bare feet (how come I could only find one clean sock anywhere!?), messy hair, and no lunch packed. Normally she gets lunch at school, but she decided yesterday she wanted to pack today. Okay, so we decided last night what she would take, and this morning she freaked out and said no! Gaaah. So we throw together a lunch that, while healthy (yogurt and a granola bar), isn't going to fill her up! But she would have it no other way.

Now there are 5 minutes before the bus comes. Her Daddy takes her out in the morning (thank the Lord for that!). I've had to do it once since the new baby arrived, and it's not fun with a 6 year old, a 2 year old, and a 1 month old in the cold Ohio morning. It's easier in the afternoon when I get her off the bus.

So she finally is ready, with moments to spare (she has a new bus driver, who keeps coming early! 2 weeks ago, my husband had to chase the bus down the road because it had already pulled away when they got outside. Fun times ... ). She kisses me and her baby brother and hops out the door with Daddy. I sit inside and exhale. Why does the morning start off smoothly, and end up with me losing my cool? I hate for her to go to school, thinking Mommy's upset with her. I'm not. I just hate when my routine gets thrown off course, which I should know to expect! A schedule? That actually goes as planned? With 3 children ages 6 and under? What was I thinking?!

*Breathe*

I should remember the Serenity Prayer, which is conveniently hanging in the hallway upstairs:

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."

I looked up the prayer online, and found there is more to it:

"Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen."

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Free Magazine Subscriptions

2009-02-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

You know it's going to be a good day, when your 2 year old pushes a chair up to the counter and turns on the toaster, melting the bag of bread that was on top (good one, Mom!).

On another note, click

HERE  to get a Free, 2 year subscription to Working Mother magazine. It's from Rewards Gold, which I have used before and is truly free!

Also, you can get a Free subscription to Woman's Day magazine

HERE.

And

HERE'S

 a link for a Free 2 year subscription to Parents magazine.

Super Saturday Savings

2009-01-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

I hit quite a few stores today, as part of my weekly shopping, and I also needed to use up coupons that expire today. Here's what I got:

Dollar General

4 boxes of Electrasol dishwasher tabs (12 ct) ~ $3.00 each (used four $2.50/1 coupons) = 50c each
10 cans of Sweet Sue canned chicken ~ $1.00 each (used ten 75c/1 coupons) = 25c each
5 packages of red tissue paper (8 sheets each) ~ 10c each (they were 90% off in the Christmas section) = 50c
2 small boxes of Fig Newtons ~ marked down to 58c each
1 box of Kellogg's Cereal Straws ~ marked down to $1.50
1 box of honey graham crackers ~ marked down to 63c

Less than $9.00 OOP!

Walgreens

1 gallon of milk ~ $2.99
(2) 20 oz bottles of cream soda ~ 69c each

I used (3) $1 Register Rewards, and paid $1.45 OOP.

Pat Catan's (craft store)

(7) sheets of craft foam ~ 35c each
(1) package of night light bulbs (4 ct) ~ $1.00. I am always looking for these!! They were right by the register.
(1) roll of clear packing tape ~ $1.17
(1) 24-ct package of mini clothespins ~ 89c. I am going to make a wall hanging for DD's room, with string on the wall, where she can hang her artwork and interchange it whenever she wants! I'll post pictures when we finish the project.
(1) "Princess" wall hanging ~ $2.47. Pink and purple and feathery!

All regular priced items in the store are 20% off this weekend! I paid $6.xx for all after the discount.

Target

(1) Brita water faucet mount ~ $19.99. I was going buy this anyways, and was happy to see a $10 MIR (Mail In Rebate) sticker on the box!
(5) boxes of Kashi soft-baked cereal bars ~ on sale for $2.75 each. I used (5) $2.00/1 coupons from VocalPoint. 75c per box!
(3) packages of Kotex pads ~ $2.94 each ~ I used three $1/1 Target coupons and three $1/1 Manufacturer coupons.

Total:

$24.93 after tax (then I'll send in for that $10 MIR).

For more deals that people have found, visit Money Saving Mom.

SwagBucks code!

2009-01-30T10:31:00.001-08:00

If you participate in SwagBucks, here is a free (limited time) code to earn you 1 SwagBuck!

Log in to your SwagBucks account.
Click on "Your Swag Bucks".
In the blue bar, enter the code BeMine and hit Gimme. You'll be credited 1 Swag Buck!

Works For Me Wednesday

2009-01-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here are some activities our 2 year old can do while sitting in his high chair ~ and I can get some needed things done!

~ I tape a piece of paper to the tray and give him some big, fat crayons. He can scribble away without the paper sliding around! He is obsessed with letters, and is mesmerized if you write his name and his siblings names down. This keeps him busy for quite a while!

~ I give him a couple of bendy plastic straws and let him examine them. Fascinating!

~ Put small (but not little enough to choke on) objects into an ice cube tray. Kids can mix them up and put them into different spots.

~ Alphabet and number magnet soup! Add a plastic bowl and spoon for some stirring fun.

~ Little cars and trucks. Show your child how to make "vroom vroom" noises and drive the cars around the "track".

~ Blocks and stackable cups.

~ Books to read ~ we love the vinyl ones that you can slide pictures into. Our son loves to look at family pictures and say everyone's names.

~ A play phone or old cordless. He will "call" family members and say, "Hey. Okay. Bye!".

~ A Doodle Pro or similar board. We've got a travel sized one, which is a great size for the high chair tray.

Any other ideas? What do your kids like to do while sitting in their chairs?

Awesome run to Walgreens!

2009-01-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

I had a fantastic trip to Walgreens this morning! I purchased:

(4) bags of Mauna Loa milk chocolate-covered macadamia nuts ~ on sale 2/$4, but in the January Easy Saver catalog, there is a $3/2 coupon! So it's 50c a bag! Yummmm ...

(6) jars of Skippy peanut butter ~ on sale for $1.99; buy 4 and get $2 OYNO, buy 6 and get $6, buy 8 or more and get $10! I bought the 6 they had, used (2) $1/2 coupons (all that I had), and got the $6 catalina.

(1) Jumbo pack of Huggies diapers ~ on sale for $9.99. Buy 1 and get $1 OYNO. I used a $1.50/1 coupon. I was happily surprised to see a promo listed next to the diapers: Buy a pack of Huggies diapers Size 1 (the size I was buying) and get a trial pack of Walgreens brand Size 1 diapers (14 ct) for free! A value of $3.99.

(1) Toy cell phone for DD ~ $1.99. This actually helped my total, as I needed it to stay above $10.00.

I also used a $10 OYNO coupon from 2 weeks ago, and a $3/$10 coupon for the grand opening of this Walgreens.

Total after all coupons: $9.96 ~ less than the cost of the pack of diapers! And I have $7 in catalinas to spend! So that's $2.96 when all is said and done.

Super Saturday

2009-01-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted one of these in a long time! Great grocery deals have been scarce around here, but Giant Eagle has some fabulous deals this week. I spent exactly $20 at Giant Eagle, and $2 between 2 other stores. Here's what I got:

Giant Eagle

4 boxes of Kellogg's waffles ~ $1 each after coupons
4 boxes of Kellogg's Special K or All-Bran cereals ~ $1 each after coupons
4 tubs of Quaker Oats ~ all free after coupons!
5 boxes of Healthy Ones lunchmeat ~ 50c each after coupons
20 Yoplait yogurts ~ 28c each after coupons
2 tubes of Pillsbury crescent rolls ~ $1.25 each after coupons
1 lb of ground beef chuck ~ $2.62

I have a $3 OYNO (on your next order) coupon to use (generated by the waffles and cereal purchases) that I will "roll" to buy more cereal and waffles. Need to make more room in the extra freezer!

Drug Mart

2-packs of G.U.M. Crayola toothbrushes ~ on sale for 99c each, I used 75c/1 coupons.
I bought six 2-packs and paid $1.8x after tax! I love this deal ~ Drug Mart runs it several times a year, and there always seems to be coupons available at the time. So I stock up for the kids!

Walgreens

I just went in to browse the clearance items, and I found Garnier Fructis hair cream marked down to $1.99. I used the $2/1 Easy saver coupon from the January booklet, and paid 12c tax.

Check out

Money Saving Mom to see what others have scored this week!

WFMW

2009-01-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

What works for me ~ right now, as I type ~ is swaddling! Our 3rd baby is 16 days old, and evening is his fussy time. I've got him tightly swaddled and stretched across my thighs. He stopped crying immediately!

We don't use a special blanket, though I've heard those are great, too. We just take a large receiving blanket and fold it in half in a triangle. On the long side, we lay him on his back. His feet are pointed down to the corner. We take the left side of the blanket and wrap it over his stomach, putting his left arm underneath. Then we pull the bottom up over his stomach. Lastly, we take the right corner and wrap it over his left arm, over his stomach, and tuck it underneath his back. He loves it!

What makes Mr. Boy happy, works for me!

Visit Rocks In My Dryer to find out what works for others.

Free Suave product - your choice!

2009-01-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

On January 14th, visit this website to sign up for a free bottle of Suave! Shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, styling aid, body wash, or body lotion!

Suavenomics

Limit of one per household.

Baby #3 is here!

2009-01-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

We welcomed Luke Wesley to our family this week! He was born on Monday, 12/29 at 11:57 am. I was induced for the 3rd time, and labor was under 5 hours, start to finish! =D Luke was 7 pounds, 5 ounces and 19 inches long. We are home and relaxing as a family.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

Tackling It Before Christmas

2008-12-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

December has been a crazy month at our house! Here's a rundown of what it has been filled with:

11/27 - 12/6 ~ Visiting my in-laws out of state. We had a wonderful time with them, and especially loved seeing my husband's brother and wife, who have been stationed in Italy for 3 years.

12/9 ~ our daughter's 6th birthday! We had her party that weekend.

12/14 ~ we met my 1-week old niece and celebrated her brother's 2nd birthday!

12/20 ~ another sister of mine got married! It was a beautiful wedding and reception.

On to the next big events: Christmas of course, my birthday on the 28th, and I am being induced with baby #3 on the 29th! We are praying he holds out at least through Christmas.

So I've been tackling a long list of to-dos before the holidays and the baby's birth, and I am happy to say I have almost everything crossed off! I have definitely been nesting, so that's helped. I have:

~ Finished Christmas shopping, and have 90% of the gifts wrapped.
~ Mailed Christmas cards.
~ Paid the bills that need to be taken care of before the birth.
~ Packed my hospital bag.
~ Washed the baby boy clothes and re-organized our son's dresser to include said clothes.
~ Cleaned our basement (because MIL's and mothers might go down there to help with laundry! LOL)
~ Cleaned the fridge and microwave.
~ Washed the bed sheets and pillowcases ~ because I want to come home from the hospital to clean ones!
~ Have a good supply of formula and bottles ready. Though I haven't mentioned to my mom that I'm not nursing this time ... do you think Christmas Eve dinner is a good time to casually tell her?
~ Have newborn diapers in the closet. Not as many as I'd like, but some!
~ Have baked 2 different kinds of Christmas cookies, and will make 2 more types tomorrow. Have bought the items needed to prepare food for Christmas Eve dinner with my extended family, as well as Christmas dinner with my husband and kids.

If all of this doesn't send me into labor before the induction, I'll be happy! Hey, at least I'm prepared!

Blessings to you and your family this Christmas!

Cleaning ideas that work for me

2008-12-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

These 4 little cleaning tips work for me - it doesn't mean I always follow them and have a clean house (far from it!), but they are easy to remember and to do.

1) Courtesy of my MIL~ "Clean 1 extra thing a day that isn't on your routine list". This could be the microwave, wiping down kitchen cabinets, the baseboards, ceiling fans, etc. Just one additional thing isn't hard (often it will motivate me to do more!), and then everything doesn't pile up at once. I am trying to do this, this week; because we are having our daughter's 6th birthday party on Saturday!

2) "It takes just as long, to put something in the wrong place as it does to put it in the right place". So true! Often I will set something down as I'm in the midst of doing another chore, and then it's still not in the right place when I see it again! If I return it to its proper place the first time, I will find it the next time I need it.

3) "Take something to its right place, whenever you leave a room". I use this tip especially when I'm going from one floor to another. I teach our daughter this as well ~ we'll do silly things like put something on her head, something over her shoulder, in a basket, etc. Then carrying several things at once doesn't seem like too much!

4) "A place for everything and everything in its place". Classic! I'm really trying hard with this one, as we live in a small 3-bedroom apartment that we are quickly outgrowing (and we're adding a 3rd baby this month!). I'm searching everywhere for extra storage space, as well as all kinds of containers to use to hold things.

What works for others? Read more here, at

Rocks In My Dryer.

Deals and savings while out of state

2008-12-04T10:27:00.001-08:00

I've been visiting my in-laws in Indianapolis for the past week, and finding fabulous deals! Here's a quick rundown of some of them:

Meijer

Buy any combination of 3 Hanes socks, underwear, or bras; get $10 off instantly! 6-packs of socks are on sale for $3.99 thru 12/6. The deal is good thru 12/11 in Indy.

The children's socks were almost entirely wiped out (I didn't discover this deal till last night, and it began Saturday), but I was able to grab three 6-packs of boys' socks.

$3.99 x 3 = $11.97
- $10.00
= $2.09 with tax! For 18 pairs of socks!

Target

Gillette men's razors, $7.94 each. Buy 2, get a $5 Target gift card. I used (2) $4/1 razor coupons per transaction.

$7.94 x 2 = 15.88
- $8.00 in coupons
= $7.88
Get $5 gift card

I did this deal twice, for 4 razors total and less than $11 OOP, with another $5 card left!

Archer Farms (Target brand) ham steaks are on sale for $4.49/lb this week, which makes each of them less than $2 apiece. Print off $2 coupon from Target.com (or at Hot Coupon World's coupon generator), and every single one is free!!! I've "purchased" 11 so far. Will give some to my MIL, freeze the rest, then bring them back to Ohio with us when we return home.

Kohl's

Very nice, summer-inspired (but not overly so) picture frames, 90% off! $1.99 each. I bought 8 of them, for all the family members we'll give gifts to. Less than $16.00 OOP!

A few deals online:

From Walgreens.com:
I ordered (4) Johnson and Johnson SoftLotions, for a total of $5.49! They were running a one-day promo where the lotions are free, and all I paid was shipping. They arrived at my home yesterday, and my neighbor is kindly picking up all packages while we're away. Lotion is something I'm always trying to stock up on, especially with this cold weather!

From Target.com:

I ordered a Britax carseat a few weeks ago, which was mistakenly listed at 80% off ($42.99!). All orders were cancelled, but I was happy to receive a $25 Target.com E-giftcard as an apology!

On Black Friday, they were offering Free Shipping on select toys, and I found a baby doll set our daughter wants for Christmas, for $24.99 with FS! So all I paid was $1.48 in tax. Talk about cool!

From Buy.com:

A 100-ct pack of hi-gloss photo paper, for $5.99 including shipping!! 88% off!

From Step2.com:

This Castle of Courage: http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1448

Regularly $79.99, on sale for $39.99 with Free Shipping! This is our son's big gift this year.

I am very happy with all the deals I've found this past week!

Works For Me Wednesday

2008-11-26T15:20:00.000-08:00

Today, DD and I dipped pretzels (free - a bag left over from my sister's bridal shower) in melted white chocolate (free from Giant Eagle), then rolled them in sprinkles. Delish!! Very easy, and only slightly messy. Works for me!

See what works for others at Rocks In My Dryer.

Tackle It Tuesday: Christmas Decorating

2008-11-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

I decided to decorate early this year! We always put the tree and decorations up on the day after Thanksgiving, but we are going out of state for 10 days, beginning on Thanksgiving. I didn't want to come home to an un-decorated house! Plus, it's been snowing here in Ohio for over a week, so it just feels right. I'm also 34.5 weeks pregnant, so I wanted to get it done now! Here are the pictures:

Our dining room table:

The wall hangings have Christmas Carol verses on them, and were $1.45 each from Flower Factory, a wholesale craft store!

I always have this candle decoration on my dining room wall, so all I did to Christmas it up, was hot-glue a little bit of ribbon to each candleholder.

Same idea with the mirror - hot-glue, ribbon, and voila!

Where we hang the kids' stockings, since we have no fireplace (on a side note, our 5 year old laughingly tells us that Santa Claus comes up the toilet since he can't come down the chimney!).

My friendly snowman keeps me company while I do dishes.

On the back of the upstairs toilet:

In our bedroom; I simply placed a snowflake ornament (90% off at Target last year!) underneath the candle. Love it!

And of course, our humble tree!

Thanks for looking! See more Tackles this week, over at 5 Minutes For Mom.

Super Saturday

2008-11-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

I was tipped off to a great deal at Giant Eagle, thanks to a fellow poster at Hot Coupon World!

Phisoderm facial cleansers are on sale this week, B1G1 Free (save $4.44). At Giant Eagle, B1G1 Free sales don't ring up as one item full price, the other free; they ring up as each being half price, which makes the cleansers $2.22 each this week. And you can use a coupon for each item! There are $2 peelie coupons, right on the products!! So with no effort at all, I have purchased 10 cleansers this week, for a total of $3.26 including tax!! That's a value of $47.06!

Also, Lindt Excellence candy bars are on Extended Price Reduction (at GE as well) for $1.50 each, until 12/31. There are 75c/1 coupons available (I ordered 20 on Ebay and am waiting for them to arrive), which double to $1.50 and make the bars free! Hello, Christmas gift baskets!

More deals that people have found, are listed here: Money Saving Mom.

No-Go on the Huggies diaper deal

2008-11-09T11:07:00.001-08:00

Well, after reading many posts on GottaDeal and SlickDeals forums today, it seems like everyone who ordered the Huggies diapers off of Amazon, which I posted about yesterday, have had their orders cancelled. =( Sure enough, when I log in to Amazon, there are no recent orders in my History, though it was still there at 9 am this morning. It seems that the seller (DAB Nutrition) realized they made a price mistake or something, and pulled all the orders. Yet we've all been charged, of course!! So now I have to wait till the $24.60 gets refunded to my account. I will be calling Amazon to complain! I did not receive a cancellation e-mail like some did - I wouldn't have known about it if I didn't read posts from others.

Super Saturday

2008-11-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

** Edit 11/10: Please see above post on 11/9 - all diaper orders have been pulled without explanation. It appears the seller made a price mistake and is refusing to honor the cheap price they listed the diapers for. =(

I've gotten in on a few great deals this week! The biggie was just this morning:

I ordered 264 Huggies diapers off of Amazon, for a total of $24.60, including shipping!! It is for Size 1-2 diapers, 8-15 pounds. Perfect for our baby due in 8 weeks! Here are the details to get in on this deal:

Slick Deals Thread

Target - Halloween merchandise 75% off - hoping to catch 90% off tomorrow, and get my daughter an Ariel costume for next year!

Giant Eagle - Muir Glen organic tomatoes for 29c a can, plus $3 off my next order for every 6 cans I bought (which I rolled into the next order of tomatoes and got them for free).
Campbell's Select Harvest soups for 50c a big can! Stocked up the pantry for winter.

Victoria's Secret online - I got in on the fabulous deal of last week, and purchased 2 bras and a pair of underwear, for under $17 shipped! They arrived at my home within 4 days or ordering!

Must ... not ... spend ... more ... money ... this ... week! But it's so hard - there have been some great deals lately!

More Super Saturday posts at Money Saving Mom.

Works For Me Wednesday

2008-11-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

Today's edition of WFMW is titled "Toys Worth Buying". I'm excited to share which toys are great in our house, and also to check out what other moms have to say! Here are ten items that are keepers in our home, and one I want to get!

Melissa & Doug Latches Board - this is on our To-Get List! Our local library has it, and our 2-year-old plays with it every time we go. It has 6 different latches to open and see the animals underneath. Fascinating! In fact, I like every M&D product I've seen.

Leap Frog Phonics Library - I picked this up at a consignment shop a few years ago, and it's been a hit ever since! There are numerous games to be played, it encourages children to spell 3-letter words, etc. Our 2-year-old has started playing with it in the past 2 months, and can now identify many lowercase letters!

Shape sorter - this is the one we have, but any will do!

Sesame Street Medical Kit - is perfect for doctoring stuffed animals - or your siblings!

Fisher Price Roll-A-Rounds: Drop & Roar Dinosaur - I picked this great toy up at a garage sale, for $2!! My only complaint is that even with a volume control, it's a little loud. But very entertaining!

Dora ABC game - we bought this for our daughter last Christmas, and it's one of her favorite board games.

Bead toy - this isn't the exact one we have, but you get the idea. My son is currently playing with his on the floor as I type!

Fisher Price Peek-A-Blocks with Giraffe - a great toy that will last for years! We have the full set of blocks, which are perfect for making towers.

Fisher Price piano - we bought this one when our daughter was about a year old. She adored it, and our son uses it often! This picture is over a year old, and he still uses it faithfully.

Refrigerator magnets have always been a hit! They're about a dollar a package, so they can easily be replaced when they inevitably get lost in the big hole under the fridge.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a wonderful book! Our almost 6-year-old loves it because of the melodic rhyming, and our 2-year-old is obsessed with letters, so it's right up his alley! The book is small enough to fit in my purse, and I've been taking it with us to the store so he can entertain himself. On the last page of the book, all the letters of the alphabet have weighed the coconut tree down, and they all topple to the ground. Our son stares at this page forever! He loves to point out the letters he knows.

~ Hope you enjoyed this list!

Fabulous consignment store finds!!

2008-10-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

I headed to Clothes Mentor today, a partner store of Plato's Closet and Once Upon A Child - my favorite consignment shops. CM carries women's clothing and has an extensive maternity section. I am wearing comfy Motherhood Maternity jeans that I bought a month ago, for $12.

Today I was in desperate search of long-sleeved maternity shirts! We've had a week of cold Ohio weather, in the 40's, and I only have a few warm shirts that fit! Case in point: today I left the house in a non-maternity shirt that didn't quite cover my belly, and I kept my winter coat buttoned even when I got too hot. Not great!

So we arrived at the store. They had a large rack of maternity shirts outside the door, on clearance. I stopped to look, and they were all long-sleeved - marked down to $1 each!! Now that is my kind of bargain. I quickly found 10 shirts that were my style, and didn't even need to look inside the store! Here's what I got (one is not pictured, because I promptly put it on!):

I added up the totals at home, and even at consignment store prices, the value of the shirts was $69!

Works For Me Wednesday

2008-10-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

My husband is currently away at a military school until the end of November. We're very thankful that he's not deployed, but of course any separation is still difficult on a marriage, and the little kids at home who want Daddy here right now!

So for our daughter, who is almost 6, we have done a few special things to keep her going while he's not here. She made a "Daddy folder", and is putting artwork in it that's designed specifically for him. She's having fun drawing the pictures, and is excited that he'll have a full folder to look through when he's back.

We also made a paper chain that hangs in our dining room, to count down the days till Daddy returns. She loves to tear off a circle each morning.

For our 2 year old son, he's been a little confused about why Daddy's not home, but so far he's just been content to listen to his voice on speakerphone. He knows Daddy's out there somewhere!

For Josh and I, this little separation has actually been good so far. Yes, I miss him a lot, and it just makes us appreciate each other more. We're going to celebrate our 9th (!) wedding anniversary the day he comes home, and with him working long hours and me taking care of kids all day long, good communication is hard! So our e-mails and short talks at night now are really cherished. We haven't bickered or fought once, in 10 days! That's gotta be a record for us, haha.

These little things are what work for us, while our family is separated.

Tackle It Tuesday

2008-10-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

I need help! My sister is getting married in December, and her shower is in a week from Saturday. My other sisters and I need to decide what kinds of food we're having! The shower is at 1 pm, so we're going to have finger foods; enough that it could be a full lunch if a guest hasn't eaten yet, and light enough that they can just nibble if they've already eaten beforehand.

We're thinking:

Chicken salad - any cute ideas for that? Croissants would probably put our costs too high.
Fruit salad
Veggie tray
Cheese ball and crackers?
Cute little desserts, and a small cake. We don't want half a sheet cake left over!
Punch with heart-shaped ice cubes
Coffee and water

Would love to get some tried-and-true recipes from all of you! I'm a huge fan of easy, 5-ingredient type recipes, so send them my way, please!

Sensational Sunday!

2008-10-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Had another awesome shopping day!! All of this (combined) cost me $3.42, and I earned another $8 to spend at Kmart!

Old Navy

$1 Old Navy logo t-shirt
$2.49 for each of the other shirts
- $5 coupon

Somehow it came out to 77c, including tax! On the receipt, it didn't take off a flat $5, but a portion of each item. So it actually discounted more than just $5! The cashier was impressed, LOL.

Kmart - double coupon days (through 11/1)

Not pictured: A jumbo pack of Pampers diapers. The makeup items in the 2nd picture are Almay eye makeup removers, makeup remover towelettes, and an eyeliner/highlighter duo.

A value of $63.99 at Kmart, for $2.65 OOP (out of pocket)! I was overcharged $8, which I could tell by careful planning ahead of time, so I went straight over to CS and explained it all. They believed me, though they looked quite confused, but the manager promptly refunded me the $8 for "customer satisfaction". Woohoo!

Super Saturday

2008-10-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Here's what I got this morning, for a total of 70c at Kmart, and $5.27 at Old Navy! And I earned another $8 to spend at Kmart!

Transaction #1 at Kmart:

(2) Glade scented oil warmers, $4.19 each. I used a B1G1 Free coupon, and a $4 OYNO (on your next order) coupon for previously purchasing a Glade warmer.

Total after tax: 70c. Earned 2 more $4 OYNO catalina coupons. A profit of $7.30!

Transaction #2:

(1) box of Cap'n Crunch cereal, $2.
(1) box of Quaker Oatmeal granola bars, $2.

Total: $4 even - I used another $4 catalina and paid nothing!

Double Coupons start tomorrow at Kmart, and I've got $16 in catalinas to use! Also, I still have (4) B1G1 Free Glade coupons to earn $32 more! I plan on using most of that to buy Christmas presents.

Old Navy

ON is having a huge sale! Halloween tees for kids are $1 each (the ones I bought are normally $10!), and there are racks of clothing everywhere with an addt'l 50% off the clearance price. Also, they were handing out coupons as customers came in the store, and I got $5 off my entire purchase (no minimum required)! So I bought:

(2) Halloween tees, $1 each.
(1) pair of khakis for DD, $4.
(2) shirts for DS, $1.98 each.

Total after $5 discount: $5.27!

Check out more deals at Money Saving Mom.

K-Mart Double Coupon Days are here again!!

2008-10-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

From 10/26-11/1, K-Mart is having Double Coupons (up to and including $2!) again! Here is a long list (arranged alphabetically by state) of participating stores: K-Mart Double Days October 26-November 1. My store is participating!! I will be heading to K-Mart in the morning, to look up prices with the current coupons that are out. I will also be using the great Beauty Book again (check your store for them!), as it results in many free/cheap items like makeup, nail accessories, and Dove Cream Oil body wash.

Also, don't forget! There is a $4 Glade Scented Oil Plugins catalina deal running through 11/1! Buy a warmer (I've heard prices are around $4.19 each) and get a catalina (coupon good towards your next order) for $4 off! Rinse and repeat. There are several coupons out which make this a money-maker deal. There's a B1G1 Free coupon, as well as pink peelies that are for a Free warmer! I was able to find some of these at Walgreens (attached to the warmers), and will use them tomorrow.

This all works for me!

Why do I have to tackle this now?!

2008-10-21T05:57:00.001-07:00

Usually on Tuesdays, I blog about tackling something in my home. A room, a closet, a project maybe. But today I find myself tackling something much less fun - extreme wisdom tooth pain. I've had one bothering me for several years now, and I've put off getting it extracted due to pregnancy, nursing, and now pregnancy again (all back to back). Welp, I can't stand it any longer. I've been having pain at night for a week, and of course - as soon as my husband leaves for a month, the pain becomes unbearable! I think this is a sign, because when I had 2 wisdom teeth pulled before, my husband had just left for Korea ...

Anyhow. I got 3 hours of sleep last night, in between baking soda and salt rinses, ice chips, and heating pads. At exactly 8 am I was on the phone, trying to get an emergency appt. I have one for 10:40 this morning, so I will be tackling some more pain and (hopefully!) an extraction. Thankfully, my dad is able to come watch my son this morning, and my daughter is at school. I'm just praying for a good day, and to be able to manage the pain afterwards (I'm 29 weeks pregnant). As they say on Seinfeld, "Serenity Now!!".

The easiest pumpkin cookies you'll ever make!

2008-10-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

These cookies are super-fast, fluffy and soft! They only require 2 ingredients and couldn't be simpler.

1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 box cake mix (I've used white and yellow, and heard it's great with spice cake mix)
I add a dash of cinnamon

Mix thoroughly together, till clumps of cake mix are well incorporated in the pumpkin. Drop by large spoonful onto baking sheet (they don't spread much; just fluff up) and bake at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes.

Yum! These taste great with my homemade Frappuccinos in my blog below!

Consigment shop success!!

2008-10-15T10:52:00.001-07:00

I love my local Once Upon A Child store, I really do. Sometimes I will stop in and not see anything I'm looking for, and then there are days like today! I went in needing to find shoes for each of the kids. They must have just added a bunch of shoes to their collection, because I found some great ones! Of course I must take pictures (my husband just shakes his head when he sees pictures of all my purchases =P).

Winter boots for DD: $5.50.
Barbie school shoes for DD: $10.00 (a splurge! So cute and different from the usual shoes we've seen at Target or WalMart).
Shoes for DS: $4.50.
Jeans for me (after I have this baby and can fit into regular jeans again!): 50% off at $4.00. Purchased at Plato's Closet, next door to OUAC (no, I don't fit into children's clothing =P).

Winter hat for DS (isn't he a cute model?!): $2.50.

And DD found this one; a Barbie laptop which we've been looking for! I really intended to get one for her birthday in December, or Christmas, but there was no talking her into waiting 2 months. It hardly has a scratch on it, still has working batteries, and was $5.50! She is playing with it as I type - it has over 50 educational games.

Total (after 10% military discount): $30.xx! Everything is in almost-new condition, and I couldn't be happier.

Homemade Fraps

2008-10-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been on a Starbucks kick. I found a gift card that my sister gave me for last Christmas (thought I'd lost it forever!), and our Target put in a Starbucks at the front of the store. I've been enjoying the Strawberries + Creme Frap, as well as the Pumpkin Spice. But my gift card is about to run out, and I won't buy the drinks after that. So I've been making my own basic version at home, and would love to hear your takes on it! Here's what I use (I'm not a measurement girl, I "eyeball it" as Rachael Ray would say):

Brewed, cooled coffee
Milk
Vanilla ice cream - I just realized I could really change up the flavor combos, with chocolate-y types of ice cream! Think of it ~ peanut butter chocolate, cookie dough, Rocky Road, etc. YUM!
Ice cubes

Swirl in the blender till creamy. Freeze if desired for a slushy treat.

What else can I add for variation? Chocolate syrup sure would be yummy ... whipped cream on top is excellent ...

Cheap, homemade Fraps

Work For Me!.

Tackling the little things of life

2008-10-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've tackled lots of little things today, and while I don't have pictures to show for it, here's what I've done!

~ Sent our daughter off to Kindergarten (almost missed the bus - yikes!).
~ Did a big grocery shop at Aldi with our 2 year old son (didn't add in any other stores, as he was up early and thus ready for an early nap. This was good though, as I didn't spend any more money!).
~ Tried a new recipe - a toasted peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich. Made just like a grilled cheese, and so delicious!
~ Made a batch of

Caramel Chocolate Chex Mix. I used regular Corn Chex, and milk chocolate chips melted overtop. Can we say YUM!?
~ Straightened up throughout the house. My husband had a 3-day weekend, so I relaxed with him and the kids, and needed to get it back in order!
~ Paid a few bills, always so much fun. Thankful though, that today is payday and the money is there!
~ Played in the leaves with DS, while waiting for DD to come home on the bus. There's a tree in our front yard with gorgeous leaves, of the brightest hues of red, orange, and yellow!



So nothing spectacular to share today, but a good day nonetheless!

Today's Freebies

2008-10-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today I had two packages waiting in my mailbox! One was from 5 Minutes For Mom, where I signed up to participate in the CLR Tackle. I entered my name and received a full-size bottle of CLR cleaner in exactly 1 week! Now I will use the cleaner and then participate in the CLR Tackle on Tuesday, October 21st. 3 winners will be chosen to receive a CLR Prize Pack and a $100 cash card! So even if I don't win, I've got the full-size product to use for free.

The second item was from BzzAgent - a product testing and review site. I've belonged to this site for over a year now, and have tested many products like Teddy Grahams trail mix, Ziploc Twist N Loc containers, Grey Poupon, Ziploc Zip n Steam bags, and even a Sonicare FlexCare electric toothbrush! That one had a $179 value.

The campaign I'm currently in is for Smuckers Uncrustables. I received a round Uncrustables container to carry the sandwiches in, a coupon for a free 4-pk of Uncrustables, and 75c off coupons! I get the sandwiches at the store, try them and/or share them, and submit feedback based on my own opinion or others'. Then I earn MyPoints, which can be redeemed for gift cards! Check out their site; it is very cool.

Today was a great mail day!

What works for me while cleaning the bathroom

2008-10-08T11:06:00.001-07:00

Here are a few tips that help me when cleaning the bathrooms (my least favorite chore). If you have some to share, please comment below!

1) I use old toothbrushes to scrub the corners of the bathtub, as well as around the bottom of the toilet (gag).

2) I use inexpensive shampoo, which I've gotten for free, as a tub cleaner. I squirt a little bit on a soft loofah sponge, wet it to lather, and scrub all over the walls and tub. It smells great, isn't made from harsh chemicals, and cleans everyday grime effectively.
Any good tips to rinsing off a shower that doesn't have a detachable shower hose? That's an area I'd love to find an easy solution to.

3) I use Lysol wipes, Clorox Anywhere spray, or just plain old baby wipes to wipe down the bathroom counter and sinks.

4) I use a plastic lid to store the toilet plunger on top of. That thing grosses me out, and we have to use it often with the plumbing in this house. So at least I can store it off of the floor, and just throw it away when needed.

For more great tips, visit

Rocks In My Dryer.

Tackling the Closet

2008-10-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

As I sit here at my computer, our bedroom closet is staring at me. It has been neglected lately. The floor has piles of miscellaneous clothing on it, so much that I can't close the doors without shoving. So I grabbed the camera and snapped a before picture, then took less than 10 minutes to re-organize. This was an easy tackle!

Before:

After:

What are you tackling this week?

Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes For Mom.

Works For Me: In The Kitchen

2008-10-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

This week over at Rocks In My Dryer, the theme for WFMW is Kitchen Organization. These tips I'm sharing will help your kitchen stay clean!

After I've wiped down my counters, I despise having to make a sandwich or something equally crumby that will mess it up. So I decided to lay a clean kitchen towel down on the counter, prepare my food, and then shake the crumbs into the trash. Voila - the counter is still clean! Plus, I'm not wasting a paper towel this way.

Also, my 2 year old loves to push a chair up to the kitchen sink, pull open the silverware drawer, and proceed to dump all of the clean forks and spoons (I keep the knives up high) into the dirty sink! This entertains him so much, but then of course I end up with an entire drawer full that needs re-washed.

One day the light bulb went off in my head - I laid down the tray for the dish drainer in the sink, and placed another of those clean kitchen towels on top. Now my son can play with the silverware to his heart's content, and it stays clean! Works for me.

Super Double Coupons at K Mart!!

2008-10-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here's what I got at K Mart this morning, for under $17.00! $3 was tax.

(2) Gillette shampoos - on sale for $4; I used (2) $2/1 coupons which doubled to $4 = free!
(2) Dove Cream Oil lotions - $4.99; I used (2) $2/1 coupons from the in-store Beauty Book. Doubled to $4 = 99c each.
(4) Dove Cream Oil body washes - $4.49; I used (4) $2/1 Beauty Book coupons which doubled to $4 = 49c each.
(1) Jergens lotion (25% more free) - $2.50; I used (1) $1/1 coupon which doubled to $2 = 50c.
(3) Colgate Total Advanced Clean toothpaste - was marked 2/$4 but rang up $3.29 each. I did not catch this till in the car, so that was my one oopsie! Still, I used (3) $1.50 coupons which doubled to $3 each, so 29c each.
(1) Colgate Max Fresh toothpaste - on clearance for $1.99; I used (1) $1/1 coupon which doubled to $2 = free!
(1) Edge shaving gel - $2.29; I used (1) $1/1 coupon from in-store flyer; doubled to $2 = 29c.
(2) packs of nail art (200 stickers each) - $3.99 each; I used (2) $2/1 coupons from Beauty Book. Doubled to $4 = free!
(1) Revlon nail clippers - $2.49; I used $1/1 coupon from Beauty Book. Doubled to $2 = 49c.
(1) Revlon nail files (8-pk) - $1.29; I used $1/1 coupon from Beauty Book. Took off the full $1.29 = free!

(1) Big roll of Scotch tape - $1.99; I used (1) $1/1 coupon = free!
(2) 4-pks of Ziploc holiday containers - $3.19 each; I used (1) $1.50/1 coupon which doubled to $3. Paid 3.38 for 8 containers. DH uses these to take lunch to work!
(1) Brillo 10-ct pads - $1.69. Used (1) 50c/1 coupon which doubled to $1 = 69c.
(1) Glade carpet powder - $2.19. Used (1) $1/1 coupon, which doubled to $2 = 19c.
(1) Glade candle - $2.89. Used (1) $1/1 coupon, which doubled to $2 = 89c.
(1) Fantastik spray - $2.69. Used (1) $1/1 coupon, which doubled to $2 = 69c.
(1) box of generic fabric sheets - $1. No coupon - gasp! LOL.

WHEW! My hands are sore now from typing, haha.

My transaction went very smoothly. Cashier was pretty friendly; all coupons doubled automatically. Kids behaved decently, LOL. I will be going back on Friday when DD's at school, to grab a few more things! I'm still looking for Greased Lightning cleaner, as my $1.50 will make it free, but I could not find it anywhere this morning.

ETA: I've gone back twice since Wednesday, and while they've been out of stock of most things I wanted to get more of, I was able to purchase (2) bottles of Greased Lightning and (4) L'oreal eyeshadows, for a total of 66c!

Tackling my daughter's room

2008-09-30T06:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I got the urge to do a massive overhaul of our 5 year old daughter's room (nesting already?). ~~She and~~ I clean it often, but the room was just overwhelmed with so many toys and stuffed animals that it quickly became a mess again. So we tackled it together, and surprisingly she was willing to throw out a lot of toys! Anything from McDonald's, toys with missing or broken pieces, etc. We filled 2 plastic shopping bags with trash and a large garbage bag with stuffed animals to take to the basement. We are having her Daddy move the dollhouse to the basement, as it doesn't get used as often anymore and takes up too much space. We moved her furniture around as well, to make for more playing room. I forgot to take a picture at the very start (just had to dive in), but here's one mid-overhaul:

(Her bed was previously on the right side of the wall, her dresser was underneath the jacket shelf, and a mountain of stuffed animals was in the left corner). The dollhouse was at the foot of the bed and, as you can see, became a dumping ground to lay things on. Yuck!

What's on the floor was not always there, in my defense. Like I said, this picture was taken in the middle of the tackle, so I was making piles.

After:

Look at all the space in the middle, now! More room to play, easier to clean, less toys to dump out.

And the closet:

All her favorite stuffed animals are now there, and some of the games that were under her bed are now at the top of the closet. We keep her shoes under the bed for easy access.

Woohoo! Okay, so my body was killing me last night when I collapsed into bed, but I kept peeking back in there just to admire it!

Find out what others are tackling this week, at 5 Minutes For Mom.

Free interior decorating!

2008-09-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is what my dining room table ~~currently~~ looks like when I keep it clean:

I just changed it for my fall decorating. The stand and bowls are from Pampered Chef, which I used to sell a few years ago (and got those items for free!). The stones, I poured out of a vase that was in my kitchen, and moved here. The pumpkin - okay, I did buy that this year - but at a craft warehouse and it only cost me a dollar! The placemats I found at Kohl's last year, around 80% off if I remember correctly.

I use this type of decorating often in our home. Earlier this summer, I redid the look of both our full bathroom and half bath by just switching the decorations! When we moved into this house, my husband and I chose the same hand towels for both bathrooms - blue, sage green, and white striped. So in the downstairs bathroom we had sage green rugs, toilet cover, and coordinating picture on the wall. In the upstairs, we had the blue rugs, toilet cover, and blue picture on the wall. Our shower curtain was floral with blue in it. When I got tired of it this summer, I found a never-before-used shower curtain in one of our boxes, with sage green in it! So I just switched the two bathroom color schemes, and put up that new curtain. Both bathrooms look completely new, and I didn't spend a penny!

Spending nothing but getting a new look Works For Me.

Tackle It Tuesday

2008-09-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

This morning, I tackled baking and cooking! I made a double loaf of apple bread, and put a whole chicken in the Crock Pot for dinner.

The house smells divine now, and I am about to go devour a big piece of hot apple bread, with butter!

See what others are tackling today over at 5 Minutes For Mom.

Found a discount grocery outlet!

2008-09-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in our local paper, there was a large article about a surplus grocery store. It looked very interesting and inexpensive! It sells items that are either close to their expiration date, just past it, or slightly damaged (dented cans or boxes, etc). So we jumped in the car and went to check it out.

I'm a fan!! For $18.56 we got:

1 bag of Sargento Chipotle cheese = 99c
(4) containers of Dannon lemon yogurt = 29c each
(1) 8-pack of Danimals drinkable yogurts = $1.19
(2) 10-oz. packages of Sara Lee turkey breast lunchmeat = $1.49 each
(1) 2.75 lb. Rotisserie Tuscan chicken = $3.19! Yum.

1 box of Nestle La Lechera flakes cereal = $1.50 - I had to look this up online - apparently it's cereal that tastes like sweetened condensed milk?! We'll see how we like it, LOL ...
1 bag of Back to Nature organic oat and soy crisp cereal = $1.50
1 box of unsalted crackers = 50c
1 box of Taco Bell hard taco shells = 75c
1 dented can of Dole crushed pineapple = 70c
1 bottle of Canadian style chicken seasoning = 35c
1 bottle of Weber zesty lemon seasoning = 75c
1 McCormick Italian herb grinder = $1.00
(1) 8-pack of Kraft Light Zesty Italian dressing packets (perfect for my husband to take to work) = 75c
(1) package of Mentos mints = 25c (DD's choice)
(2) packages of pb + cheese crackers = 20c each
1 sheet of Barbie candy cake decorations (to save for DD's birthday) = 50c

The kids were also impressed with the store's sample section - you could have a sample of coffee or a fresh cookie - guess which one they chose?

All of the refrigerated items will expire this week, but that's fine because we will eat them all!

More from Target!

2008-09-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

I realized, after scoring all those dirt-cheap notebooks from Target, that my family could greatly benefit from some. My siblings and I were/are homeschooled, with 3 still at home. So I ran back to Target (thank goodness it's so close to our house!) and grabbed a case of notebooks. That's 60 notebooks for a total of $1.44! God is so awesome.

Also at Target that night, I spent nothing out of pocket because I received a baby catalog in the mail, with a coupon for a free $20 Target gift card for creating a baby registry! So I found a few things we will need for this new baby, and got my $20 gift card. Sweet!

Super Saturday

2008-09-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

I had a great week at Target! I've been waiting for their school supplies to go 75% off, and when I checked on Thursday morning, they were just putting up those signs! They also had 75% off signs up for their Blue Dot $1 Spot items, so we grabbed quite a few things for 25c each. We got:

(9) packs of gel window clings, 25c each (I got 1 pack the first day, but discovered our kids adore them! They stand at our sliding glass door for half an hour affixing them! So for 25c a pack, I grabbed more. These will be great in the cold months ahead).

(2) handled dish scrubbers, 25c each.

(4) pairs of rubber cleaning gloves, 25c each.

(1) sheet of 45 stickers, 25c.

(1) Hello Kitty notebook, 25c.

(2) 4-pks of magnetic clips (great for chip bags or the fridge), 25c each.

(1) 4-pk of gel pens, 25c.

Then, on to the school section! We got:

(1) pack of 50 washable markers, $1.74!

(1) 3-pk of glue sticks, 42c

(1) big bottle of Elmer's glue, 38c.

(10) packs of notebooks - 5 notebooks in each pack - 12c per pack!!! That's $1.20 for 50 notebook!! I was really excited about this, because our daughter loves to draw and this will last her forever.

I also found a large Sterilite container with a pull-out drawer, for 75% off at $3.74. I decided to use this for our daughter's collection of art supplies!

Total spent at Target this week: $10.23.

Check out what others saved on this week, at Money Saving Mom.

Works For Me

2008-09-17T11:03:00.001-07:00

Here's a super-easy kids' craft! All you need is beads, string, scissors and tape.

Cut your string to the desired length, and tape it to the table. Now it can't move, and the beads won't slide off while the kids string them on!

It keeps kids busy, and it's mess-free! Sure works for me.

No-Spend Update

2008-09-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

I spent a few dollars this morning ~ but it was planned! Some of the women from our church's MOPS group met at McDonald's with our kids for a playdate, and I did buy breakfast for myself, then a Happy Meal for DD when we left. Well worth it, as we all had fun!

I did not spend a dime yesterday. =D

Tackle It Tuesday

2008-09-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

This week, my Tackle is to have as few No-Spend Days as possible. I just don't need to spend money! Thanks to coupons, sales, and stockpiling, we have everything needed as far as health + beauty items, cleaning products, baby items, etc. I just did a big grocery shop on Sunday, and though we lost power for 21 hours shortly after that, so far the only spoiled food is milk (I'm not chancing it!). My husband picked up more milk on his way home last night, so I don't need to run out. Yeah, I like to ~ but I don't need to!

So far this week, the only thing I've spent is $2.55, on 3 jugs of spring water, in case our power and water stayed out for longer (we lost power Sunday evening due to the winds from Hurricane Ike, and it was restored on Monday afternoon).

DD is at Kindergarten today, and it's so tempting to go shopping with only DS. But I resisted this morning, and he'll go down for his nap shortly, then DD will come home on the bus - and I make an effort not to shop after her long days at school. It just doesn't go well, haha.

So that's my Tackle for today! Doing well so far. I'm going to do the dishes, laundry, read a good book, enjoy the cool breeze through the open windows, and possibly bake something yummy.

Saturday Savings

2008-09-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Walmart

The Huggies Clean Team $3/2 coupon expires today, and I went to Wal Mart one last time to get the soft packs (42 ct). I was able to use the last of my coupons, and my grand total is ... 78 packs! =D I have given 20 packs to my sister, who also has a toddler and is expecting this fall. Each pack was $1.64, and after the $3/2 coupon I paid 14c a pack! Not including tax, I actually paid around $11 for all those wipes!

Walgreens

Free Herbert's chocolate bars - there is a September Easy Saver booklet coupon for $3/2, and (at some stores) the bars are 2/$3! At the first store I stopped, they were marked as 2/$3 or $1.99 each. So I grabbed the 4 they had and went to the register. They rang up $1.99 each! So I explained exactly what the shelf sign said, and though the cashier looked doubtful, she voided them and re-rang them correctly. 4 free bars of gourmet chocolate! They are milk chocolate, topped with nuts, and bits of dark and white chocolate. *drool*

I stopped at another local store, and this one had a large sign right over the shelf that said, "3/$1 when you use Easy Saver coupon". So no free chocolate there.

Once Upon a Child (consignment shop)

I found the perfect Halloween costume for DD! It's a pink fairy outift, with a tutu top and a swirly skirt. It also comes with wings, a tiara, and jewelry. The price? $6.50 - minus 10% for my military discount! I showed it to DD, but put it away so it's still in one piece come Halloween ...

Drug Mart (Ohio drug store)

Farmland bacon = $1.99 on sale for 16 oz.
Used a $2/1 coupon and was paid a penny to take it home! I'm thinking of a big, yummy Sunday breakfast tomorrow morning.

Certainly an odds and ends week - I rarely ever need to do a big shop anywhere besides Aldi (and that's coming next week), but I only pay a fraction of the retail price, wherever I am! All of these deals listed were done in 2 trips - I always combine 2 or 3 stores so as to save my ~~stinkin'~~ gas.

Works For Me

2008-09-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Easy, frugal, homemade snacks work for me - they're great for the kids or yourself! After school, in between meals (my kids don't like big meals yet and prefer to graze), etc.

Frozen grapes, frozen bananas (or chunks for the toddlers), frozen individual cartons of yogurt (I love how long it takes to eat one of these!).

Baggies of homemade trail mix - raisins, nuts, pretzels, dry cereal, M&M's, chocolate chips (or any flavor), etc.

Vanilla wafer frozen treat - line a muffin tin with paper liners. In bottom of each one, place a vanilla wafer. Top with a mixture of Cool Whip and strawberry yogurt (or any flavor) - 2 Tbs. each. Add another wafer on top and freeze till firm.

Graham crackers with peanut butter in the middle.

Vanilla wafers dipped in Cool Whip.

Soft tortillas, slathered with creamy peanut butter, topped with banana circles, and rolled up.

These are some of our favorites - what are yours? I love to learn about ideas I haven't tried yet!

Tackle It Tuesday

2008-09-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I participate in 5 Minutes For Moms' Tackle It Tuesday, sometimes I don't. Well, now I have a great reason to every week - my daughter is at Kindergarten on Tuesdays! So during my son's naptime, I can tackle whatever I want with no kids underfoot.

I didn't take pictures, but here's what I accomplished today (with the windows open and the AC off since it's only in the 60's!):

~ Swept and mopped the entryway, kitchen, and dining room floors.
~ Windexed the 1/2 bathroom mirror and wiped down the counter and sink.
~ Emptied all trash cans in the house and took them to the Dumpster outside.
~ Shredded a mountain of mail (mostly those darn credit card offers!). My son is terrified of the shredder, so I was happy to get it all done while he napped, haha. I waited way too long for this chore - an entire trash bag was filled with shredded paper!
~ Dried 3 loads of laundry and washed 2 - folded 1 load and have the other 2 to go.
~ Made beds.
~ Ran the dishwasher - oops, at the same time as the washer was running - this flips the breaker switch every time!

It was very satisfying to get all of that done, but I had to spend the next 20 minutes doing stretching exercises to ease my back pain. It feels like I'm 33 weeks pregnant rather than 23!

I had to do it

2008-09-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist! I stopped at yesterday's garage sale, today. They had so many girls' clothes, that I was sure I could find more to get for DD (and at a dollar apiece or less, why not?!). This time I only took $10, and here's what I got for that amount:

A Gap shirt, Ralph Lauren shirt, and a Gymboree shirt. A pair of khakis and a pair of jeans.

An adorable ruffled sweater jacket, a tutu with ballet slippers on them, and 4 pairs of tights - perfect for the cooler weather (whenever it arrives!).

I'm done! No more garage sales ... this weekend. ;)

Lord, thank you for people who buy really nice clothing for their kids, keep it all spotless, and then sell it for cheap at a sale!

Best garage sale of the summer!!

2008-09-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

I hadn't planned ahead to go to a garage sale this morning. I was going to run to the library and then pick up a mum at the nursery. But I thought I'd check the online listings for our area's garage sales, and there was a perfect one! Starting this morning, just a few streets away from our house, with baby items and girls' clothing up to size 6. Score! Our daughter wears 5's and 6's. She already has tons of pants for the fall and winter, but will need long-sleeved shirts by October.

So I loaded the kiddos in the Escape, ran to get some cash (why do I never carry any?!), and headed on over. They had the cleanest, name-brand, low-priced clothing!! I spent my $20 that I pulled out, plus $2 in quarters in my wallet. LOL. Here's what I got for DD's fall/winter wardrobe!

The lighting doesn't do it justice. In the first picture, there are 2 The Children's Place corduroy skirts and 4 Gap shirts.

In the second picture, there are 9 shirts from Gap, Gymboree, Land's End, and The Children's Place.

In the third picture was my splurge at $7 - haha! It's a Rothschild winter coat, hat, and snow pants! Not a spot on them - this little girl must have been very careful in the snow.

$22 total for 2 skirts, 3 short-sleeved shirts, 10 long-sleeved shirts, and a snowsuit! I am so happy. I never go into any of the stores listed on these tags, because I could only buy 1 - maybe 2 - pieces for that total! But every time I wait, I find an awesome deal somewhere - just in time for the next season or size my kids need. God is so good!!

Fresh tomato recipes needed!

2008-09-03T18:12:00.001-07:00

This week's edition of Works For Me Wednesday is backwards ... instead of posting ideas on our blogs to help other readers out, those participating are asking for help from the blog readers! Here's my question:

What are some tried-and-true recipes using fresh tomatoes? Normally I don't cook with them (I have a ton of free cans of Muir Glen organic tomatoes), but my mom brought me about 10 from her garden. I'd like to experiment with them - stuffed, bruschetta, made into a cream sauce, tossed with pasta, you name it!

Huggies CleanTeam wipes

2008-09-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

There are great coupons available for Huggies CleanTeam wipes - save $3 on any 2 CleanTeam products. WalMart has the soft packs available for $1.64 each (40 ct). This is the only store I've found the wipes at. I've traded for lots of these coupons at Hot Coupon World, because it makes each pack of wipes 14c! I've purchased about 40 packs so far, and have roughly that many more to get before they expire this month. I've given half my stash to my sister, who's also pregnant and has a toddler in diapers.

Buying coupons off of Ebay or Hot Coupon World is so worth it, because you can get large quantities for a good price (if you look around). For instance, I found someone who sold me (20) of these coupons today for 5c each! That's only a dollar! That will buy me 40 more packs of wipes for a total of $5.60!! Just can't beat that.

Fantastic Sunday!

2008-08-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, I stopped at K Mart to use my (6) $3 Pert Plus Botanicals coupons, which expire today (K Mart is the only national store I've heard of that carries these). Along with them, I found tons of kids' clothing that was 40 additional percent off the clearance price. Here's what I got for a total of $19.xx!

That's a value of $68 for the clothes, and $17.94 for the shampoo!

Then at Giant Eagle, I needed to use up a bunch of coupons that expire today. For $11.xx I purchased:

24 packets of Kool-Aid
3 packs of Oscar Mayer cheese dogs (12 ct each)
2 tubs of Crystal Light drink mix
3 packs of Kraft cheese slices (16 ct each)
5 yogurts
1 loaf of Sara Lee Soft + Smooth bread
1 gallon of milk
1 20 oz. bottle of cream soda - I caved at the register!

A savings of almost $30 in the free products alone (cheese dogs, Crystal Light, cheese slices, and bread).

Super Savings

2008-08-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today I hit a few good garage sales, taking $20 with me and spending no more. My total came to exactly $20 and here's what I got!

A baby swing for DD
A great potty chair for DS and then the new baby
Quite possibly the most annoying toy we now own - the caterpillar. It was new in its box (I don't usually like to buy used stuffed animals). It wiggles and plays a very loud song - over and over - but thankfully has an off button! DD fell in love with it, so I allowed her to get it. She is now holding it in bed while nursing a splintered foot.
A dressy maternity shirt for me
A pair of Ralph Lauren shorts for DS
A skirt, 2 pairs of pants, and a hoodie for DD
5 bibs and 4 pieces of clothing for the new baby - who has shown himself to be our second boy!

I also stopped at Once Upon A Child this week, and picked up a pair of Gap capris for DD, as well as 2 adorable brown skirts. Total: $11.13.

Read about more Super Savings this week at Money Saving Mom.

Works For Me Wednesday

2008-08-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

"Chick-fil-A® is introducing new, bigger, tastier, dippier Chick-n-Strips™ and sauce – and you can try them for FREE. This Labor Day, 10:30 a.m. to close, wear any football team logo or collegiate logo for a free three-count of Chick-n-Strips."

Full Details Here

That works for me! We'll be there on Monday to score a free lunch.

Here's what's working for others this week:

Works For Me Wednesday.

Tackle It Tuesday

2008-08-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

We returned from a week-long vacation to Pittsburgh last Friday, and while my husband kept the house very clean while we were gone (he had to work), the kids and I promptly brought everything in and dumped it. I had the energy to clean this afternoon (both kids napped!), and here's what I accomplished:

Cleaned the master bedroom - always a dumping ground
Washed, dried, and put away 2 loads of laundry (a 3rd one's in the dryer now)
Cleaned DD's bedroom - always a mess. Usually she helps, but I just tackled it all while she napped (in my bed!)
Cleaned DS's room
Vacuumed living room
Unloaded dishwasher and re-loaded it (it's running now)
Cleaned upstairs bathroom while kids were bathing

Before (sorry, cell phone pics - the real camera is in the SUV):

Psst - you can't see all the hair and dried toothpaste!

After:

A productive day, and I'm not too sore! 21 weeks pregnant!

See more Tackles Here.

Super Savings

2008-08-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

These deals are from last week at Giant Eagle (I shopped on 8/13). MoneySavingMom took a week off from Super Saturday, and I was away on vacation this past week, so I am sharing these deals now!

(10) Dial hand soap pumps - on sale for $1 each; I used (10) 60c/1 coupons which took off the full $1. All free!

(10) L'oreal kids' shampoos - on sale B1G1 Free, which rings up as each being half price ($1.74 each). I used (10) 75c/1 coupons, which took off the full $1.74. All free!

(5) Purex 2X concentrated laundry detergents. On sale for $2.50 each; I used (5) 50c coupons which doubled to $1. $1.50 for each detergent.

(6) Edge shave gel for men, on sale for $2 each. I used (6) 75c/1 coupons, which doubled to $1.50. 50c per full-size can of gel.

Total after tax: $12.xx!

Read about others' weekly deals here! MoneySavingMom

Summer Fun Photo Contest

2008-08-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Over at 5 Minutes For Mom, they are having a Summer Fun Photo Contest. The winner gets $500! Here is my entry:







My daughter, enjoying a summer evening at the park. I love the simple beauty of this picture, and the way the sun is illuminating DD as it sets!

Potluck Dinner on the Cheap

2008-07-27T12:45:00.001-07:00

Today we are going to our church picnic, and each family is bringing a side dish and dessert. Look how inexpensively I was able to make 2 dishes!

Side dish - marinated cucumbers and onions
3 cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly - 10c for all 3 at Aldi!
1 onion, sliced into thin rings - 25c.
3/4 cup of vinegar - I use el cheapo brand, which is $1.99 for the entire jug.
6 tablespoons sugar.

All tossed together and marinated in closed container in the fridge. Yum!

Dessert - brownie trifle
1 box of Betty Crocker brownie mix - free after coupon
1 egg - about 10c
Oil

Bake brownies; let cool.

Meanwhile, prepare 2 packages of vanilla instant pudding (39c each at Aldi); let set in fridge. You can also use chocolate pudding.
When brownies are cool, cut into squares.
In large clear glass bowl, make one layer of brownies in bottom.
On top of brownies, spoon 1/3 of pudding.
On top of pudding, spoon 1/3 tub of Cool Whip (I used fat free version from Aldi - 75c for tub).
Layer any type of candy you like (today I'm using Reese's PB chips - I think they were 50c a bag after sale and coupon?) on top of Cool Whip. I've also used crushed Oreos, Reese PB cups, Reese's pieces, crushed candy bars, etc.
Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with Cool Whip and candies.

Both dishes for less than $3 total!

Super Saturday!

2008-07-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

Target

6 boxes of Band-Aids (30-40 ct) - on sale for $1.50 each
1 electronic piano - on clearance for $8.04 (a gift for a birthday party tomorrow)
1 box of Target brand dryer sheets - on clearance for $1.47
1 cheese grater - on clearance for $2.99

Coupons used:
(2) $5/3 listed products (includes Band-Aid) - Target coupon
(6) $1/1 Band-Aid manufacturer coupons

Total before coupons: $21.50

Total after coupons: $8.17 - basically, I only paid for that piano! I needed the dryer sheets, but grabbed the grater (wanted a new one) as to not draw attention to my total. Also, the cashier took off the full $6 in MC's, but only took off $9 of the TC's (I guess since the total of Band Aids was $9 even).

Giant Eagle

I used my rain check for the remaining 16 Ragu Fresh + Simple sauce pouches. The price was for $1.25 each, and I used (16) 75c/1 coupons, which took off the full amount of $1.25 (GE's registers prevent the coupons from full doubling, since that would be $1.50, but I still got them all for free!) That brings my grand total of free Ragu for July, to 48! They have a pretty short expiration date (Oct), so I am going to freeze some pouches.

I also got more free Crystal Light tubs and Oscar Mayer hot dogs, using those great coupons listed a few posts below. All that Kool-Aid is coming in handy, because our daughter wants to make some every day and share it with her neighbor friends!

Aldi

This is where I do our big grocery shops, as it is by far the cheapest in the area. Occasionally, they will mark down certain items for a one-day sale (I once got 6 loaves of bread for 10c each!), and today there were several items! I got:

(2) big bags of Dole bananas for 10c each (not damaged or overly freckled!)
(1) 3-pk of squash for 10c (I probably should have grabbed another pack, LOL. I like to saute squash for dinner, and make zucchini bread. Made some today, in fact!)
(1) 3-pk of cucumbers for 10c

Woohoo!

Garage sale

I wasn't going to go garage saling this weekend, but when I pulled up our paper's listings online, I couldn't pass this one up: A family with triplets! Selling all baby/kid items, most clothing 50c! So I just had to load up the kidlets and go. I spent more than I usually do at a garage sale, but got all this:

3 maternity shirts for moi ($2 each)
2 summer dresses and a shirt for DD (50c each)
A winter coat for DS ($4)
12 shirts and summer outfits for DS (50c each)
6 Carter sleepers for the new baby (50c each)
An adorable stuffed dog (supposed to be for baby, DD has claimed it so far - 50c)
A set of 6 classic Winnie the Pooh mini books ($1)
A set of 10 classic Winnie the Pooh stackable boxes (I'm going to display these on the shelf in the nursery - $2)

Total: $24 - this is splurging for me!

Works For Me

2008-07-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

Recently, our 22-month old son has started taking his diaper off whenever possible. He loves the thrill of running around the house with it all hanging out. But, we usually end up with a puddle somewhere, or worse! Yes, we have found poop on the stairs ... fun times.

I've heard of friends having to resort to duct-taping the diapers on, but I hadn't done that yet. I was laughing about this situation with a nursery worker at church, and she said, "just put his diaper on backwards!". Wow! Never thought of that - but so simple! And it works - after the first time of trying to figure it out, he doesn't even bother. I don't put it on backwards every single time, but if he sleeps in his diaper on these hot summer nights, backwards it goes.

Works For Me!

Sunday Shopping

2008-07-21T07:34:00.001-07:00

I had 2 more great trips yesterday! Alone! Sunday is usually my day to get out by myself, after church, lunch, and while our son is napping. I crave this time each week, and see how little I can spend and how much I can stock up on.

I went to Walgreens and Target and got the following:

Target

6 boxes of Band-Aids (characters, to make DD happy) = $1.97 each.
1 pair of sandals for DD, marked down from $9.99 to $2.48! There were lots of summer shoes for 75% off.
1 ribbon wand for DD, marked down to $3.18.
Kellogg's Cereal Straws for the kids - DD has been singing the commercial incessantly ("put it in and sip, sip, sip - take it out and munch, munch, munch!") but has never tried them! $2.79 for a 24-ct. box.

Total before coupons: $20.27

Coupons used:

(2) $5/3 Target coupon - good on Band-Aids among other products
(6) $1/1 Band-Aid man. coupons

Total after coupons: $3.98! Not sure why, as it should've been a little over $4, but I'm not complaining! The male cashier was impressed - Target was packed, and he told me "that's one of the best deals I've seen all day". Well, thank you!!

On to Walgreens

6 boxes of Reynold's Wrap aluminum foil, 20 sq. ft = 89c each with in-ad coupon.
1 gallon of milk = $3.59

Coupons used:
In-ad coupon for the 89c price
(6) $1/1 Reynold's Wrap coupons (excluded 25 sq. ft but not 20, hehe)

Total before coupons: $8.93

Total after coupons: $3.25 - less than the price of the milk! Each Reynold's coupon takes off the full $1, though the foil only costs 89c each, earning 11c overage for each box. Woohoo!

Total spent for the day: $7.23!

Super Saturday

2008-07-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

This week I got (32) Ragu Fresh + Simple sauce pouches for free! They were on sale at Giant Eagle for $1.25 each, and I traded for (50) 75c coupons, which would take the full $1.25 off. I was also able to get a raincheck for 16 more (the girl said "how about 16?" when I asked for a raincheck of 18, LOL), so I will be able to get the rest for free before the coupons expire.

Also pictured are (3) Kool-Aid packets and (1) Kraft dressing, which I purchased for 66c total. I used a coupon tearpad that earns you the free dressing WYB any 3 products listed. Kool-Aid is one of them, and the packets aren't single serve (excluded on the coupon) because they state "8 servings!" I have done this deal several times also with free Wheat Thins, Crystal Light drink mix, and Oscar Mayer hot dogs.

We also picked up (2) Dole fruit parfait 4-pks for 69c each (regularly $2.19). I used (2) 75c coupons which doubled.

Then I went to Walgreens yesterday, and got (6) L'oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss shampoos and conditioners for tax only! They are B1G1 Free through 7/26, and I traded for B1G1 Free man. coupons. They are normally $4.99 apiece, so I saved $29.94! L'oreal Vive is my favorite line of hair products, so I am excited. I'm going to stop at another Walgreens today and look for more!

Total spent between those 2 stores this week:

$3.44! A value of $77.57!

Check out others' deals this week at Money Saving Mom .