Live Large, Spend Less

Giant: Free Cottage Cheese

2010-01-21T06:07:00.001-08:00

This week at Giant the Breakstone's Cottage Cheese doubles are $1 each. There is also a Catalina promo for $5 on your next order when you buy 5, making them free!

The $5 catalina coupon beeps and doesn't come off on subsequent transactions no matter what you do, so my store has been giving me the cash in exchange for them. Yesterday I did 3 back to back transactions of 5 cottage cheese each, paid the $5 cash out of pocket (each time), then the self check out/customer service worker took the catalinas and gave me $15 cash.

I believe this promo ends 1/24, but the cottage cheese doesn't expire until March. My kids don't like the jelly stir ins, so we only open the cottage cheese part. It makes a very easy snack to throw into the lunch box!

Meal Plan Monday

2010-01-18T14:08:00.001-08:00

Sorry I missed posting last week's meals. I'll post them below this week's current menu.

While I'm not participating *really* in the Eat From the Pantry challenge, I have been trying to use up what we have and have gone back to my cash only grocery system which I got away from after baby #5 was born. I'm amazed how much just using cash and being intentional in my tracking has saved us!

This week I'm cleaning out the freezer.

Sunday: Leftover Italian pasta soup (from last week), biscuits, canned peaches and sliced apples. Chocolate chip pumpkin muffins for dessert.

Monday: Stromboli (ham or pepperoni), carrots.

Tuesday: Pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, peas. Here's the full article for "fool-proof" grilled pork tenderloin. Includes brining tip and cooking instructions.

Wednesday: Chicken mushroom casserole (from freezer), broccoli, 5 minute Artisan bread.

Thursday: Pulled bbq chicken sandwiches. (shredded chicken from the freezer and homemade burger rolls from the freezer as well.) sweet potato fries, raw veggies.

Friday: Baked salmon, rice (make extra for Saturday), peas.

Saturday: Pork fried rice (with leftover tenderloin from Tuesday)

And last week:

Saturday: Trader Joes orange chicken, rice, brocolli

Sunday: Chicken pot pie, mashed potatoes, fruit.

Monday: Tomato, basil, spinach chicken over pasta.

Tuesday: Italian veggie soup, homemade rolls

Wednesday: Burgers, fries, apples

Thursday: Marsala chicken, leftover pasta from Monday.

Friday: Black beans and rice. (mix 1 can black beans with one can tomatoes and diced chilies)

Saturday: spaghetti and salad at 8isgreat's house.

As always, for more ideas check out Org Junkie!

Help for Haiti

2010-01-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

Like you, we've been shocked by the images we've seen this week from Haiti. This weekend lots of bloggers are joinging together to raise money for the relief efforts.

I thought I'd share how my husband and I decide on the amount of money we can give. We each take some time to think and pray about the amount of money we should give and settle on a figure. (alone) Then one person goes first and says the dollar amount they thought of. In 10 years of marriage I would say it's been the exact same amount about 95% of the time!

If you'd like to donate and need a reputable organization, please consider Catholic Relief Services. They are a great organization and do wonderful work.

Also, I know lots of Catholic churches are having a second collection this weekend specifically to aid the work of CRS in Haiti. We've told our kids about it and they want to help too, so they are going to be doing extra chores this weekend to earn money that they can put in the collection basket themselves.

Weekly Meal Plan

2010-01-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get back on the wagon for posting weekly meal plans. This what our week looks like:

Saturday: Aidelles Basil Parmesan Chicken meatball rice soup, apple slices.

Sunday: Chicken Fettucine alfredo, peas, bruscetta, and birthday cake.

Monday: Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes (or baked sweet potato), corn.

Tuesday: Sirloin steak green salads, dinner rolls, strawberries.

Wednesday: Taco bake

Thursday: Leftover soup from Saturday and grilled cheese sandwiches and apple slices.

Friday: Spaghetti, green beans and garlic bread.

Harris Teeter Super Doubles

2010-01-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

I'm not a Harris Teeter shopper (like 8isgreat is) but thought I'd link up to a very thorough post about HT Super Doubles finds:

Mrs. Moneysaver

Some last minute Amazon finds

2009-12-21T06:27:00.000-08:00

Guess Who Extra, normally $27.99, now $9.99.

Strawberry Shortcake cloth Madame Alexander doll, normally $44.95, currently $9.99.

Set card game, normally $14.99, currently $5.99.

Melissa and Doug Cutting Food box. Was $19.99, now $9.99.

If you signed up for a free trial of Amazon Prime (or have it already) all of these things can be delivered in time to be under your tree on Friday!

Homemade Christmas

2009-12-15T05:54:00.001-08:00

In our family we have the tradition of the kids making gifts for each other. In the past they've come up with some great ideas and been able to pull them off with a bit of help from Mom.

Most were made from things we already had around the house, which makes them cheap too!

Hits from last year included:

Sleeping bags for their favorite stuffed animals:

Just sew up a fleece into a rectangle.

A car mat.
(the 3 yr old made this for the 5 yr old. He drew the path for the car, I cut it out and he helped me use the machine to sew it up. I cut out the houses and he glued on the windows.)

A tutu and a "dancing hoop"/crown:
For the tutu just cut long lengths of tulle and tie onto elastic. For the hoop tie different lengths of ribbon onto quilting/embriodery hoop.

The oldest sewed fleece pillows for each of her brothers. (no picture.)

The 5yr old made a "no-sew" blanket for the one year old to use in her car seat. (no picture) She liked playing with the fringe and it kept her cozy!

The almost 7 yr old made a resuable lunch bag for her dad's lunches. She sewed up a rectangle of fabric and added a drawstring.

This year the 6 yr old has made crayons for the almost 2 year old. He took all the broken bits and pieces of crayons, removed the paper and placed similar colors in the individual cups of my mini muffin pan. Tutorial here.

He also made a sacrifice chain for his big sister. She's been wanting one, and now she'll have one made with love by her little brother! Tutorial here.

The 4 yr old has made a decorated picture frame for a holy card of the 7 yr old's favorite saint:

He also has made a game for his nearly 2 yr old sister. (It's an idea 8isgreat gave me when my oldest was nearly 2.) He took a clean, empty parmesan cheese container, decorated it with stickers and cut drinking straws to place in it. Now she can shake them out and put them in individually through the tiny holes, or more than one at a time through the larger opening. She LOVES dumping stuff out and putting it back in so I know she'll really like this toy.

This year my almost 8 year old made a "Black Apple" doll for her little sister. She did most of it herself, tracing and cutting the pattern, picking out fabrics, sewing it up and stuffing it. It's all done (but the face to be painted). I'd love to share a picture of it but it's hiding in the same room as the almost 2 year old is sleeping in, so a link to the tutorial on Martha Stewart will have to do.
This is from Martha:

I also got into the act of homemade gifts last year. I'm no sew-er but I play one at my kitchen table this time of year!

I made:

Felt food:

There are lots of free patterns and ideas you can find just by searching "felt food" online. If you make some I'd suggest using wool felt since it will hold up better.

A frog bean bag/lilypad counting game:

I saw this idea and got the frog pattern somewhere online, but I can't remember where now.

Capes for each of the three biggest:

I found a free pattern online.

A babydoll "miracle blanket".
I looked at our regular miracle blanket and tried to size it down:

A baby doll sling. Really eay, just sew a loop of fabric and fold in half:

Bean bags with a drawstring bag. (no picture of the bag)

I think I cut these 4x3 inches and used yellow lentils to stuff. I started with black beans, but you could see the beans through the lighter colored fabric. These have been the biggest hit around here. They've become doll pillows, are hidden by one kid for the others to find, are used to help teach my almost 2 year old her colors, and thrown all around. (They love to hear the "splat" they make!)

Crayon rolls.
There are lots of tutorials online my my no sew-ers eyes start glazing over when I read words like "interfacing", so I just tried to wing it and used felt. They turned out cute. The one pictured was one I made earlier for a gift. In the ones I made for the kids I used regular fabric for the outside. (I put "Twistables in my kids's rolls.)

Eye Spy bags
I looked at several tutorials online and took bits and pieces of each and found what worked best for me. This is a quiet activity the kids like to pull out of the toy cabinet from time to time.

Appliqued Number Tshirts
Each kid got a tshirt with their age number appliques on.

Felt tic tac toe set.
Similar to this one on etsy, but I used felt backed baseball flannel fabric for the "o"s and used my ric rac cutters on the felt and made the "x"s stand alone, not on other circles. I also made it a pouch (sewed 2 pieces of felt together and made one longer so it could fold over and velcro to the back to hold all of the pieces inside.

I do have more ideas of things we've made or are making, but it's taken me two days to get this post together already and I just want to get it posted while it still might be of help to someone!

Melissa and Doug items at Amazon

2009-12-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

In case you missed the Melissa and Doug birthday cake for $7.99 it's currently back for $9.99.

Also the Cutting Food Box is down to $14.99 and that's the lowest it's been for at least the two weeks that I've been monitoring it!

Also--AC Moore has all Melissa and Doug items "buy one, get one free" which would make each item $10. They run this sale regularly and every time I've tried to get them everything has been sold out by the time I get to the store. If there's a week the Melissa and Doug stuff isn't on sale it's possible to use your 40 or 50% off coupons.

Toys R Us: Rose Petal Cottage, Sweet Lily castle

2009-12-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

Toys R Us has the entire line of Rose Petal Cottage, Sweet Lily Castle, and market place line at least 70% off this week. The Sweet Lily Castle that's selling for $118 on Amazon is $29.99 in the store.

The Rose Petal Cottage rings up $14.99

The Cherry Blossom Market is $10.49.

The food sets are $5.10, the washer and sink sets are $9 and and the baby set (crib and changing table are $12.)

For your doll lover

2009-12-12T18:30:00.001-08:00

American Girl Doll Tees: Sparkling Shirts Make Your Doll Shine! was $19.99 now $11.66 and qualifies for free shipping.

This looks like a neat craft kit for your favorite doll lover.

This will find it's way under the tree this year for my oldest. I actually picked it up at Michael's using a 40% off coupon a few weeks ago, but this comes up a bit cheaper and there's no tax and it qualifies for free shipping! Since I already bought one at Michaels I plan on keeping that onefor my daughter to bring to a friend's birthday party and I'll ship this one from Amazon to my in-law's house so that's one less thing for us to have to pack and bring!

A tip for making holiday travel easier

2009-12-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

My in-laws are an 18-20 hour drive from us. We make the drive usually twice a year and load up the van with videos, stories on cd, coloring books--the works--to make the trip easier for all of us. For years I had tons of DVD and CD cases at my feet along with all the snacks. Getting ready for one trip last year I realized we didn't need all those cases! Instead, I placed all of the disks into one disk holder like this:

I have no idea why I never thought of it before, but it's worked so great that we now keep all of our DVDs in one at home as well. It takes up much less space than all the cases and every disk is right at hand and easy to find.

So just in case you have a big trip coming up and need a little extra space in your vehicle, you might want to try a case like this!

Amazon Lightning Deal: Matchbox Mega Rig $9.99

2009-12-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

Lightning Deal--Matchbox Mega Rig $9.99

You need to act quickly as this is only available for a short time, while supplies last!

NoVa people: Free $20 giftcard at Springfield Mall

2009-12-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

December 12-13th you can get a free $20 Springfield Mall gift card when you buy a $100 mall gift card. (Offer good for the first 250 customers, while supplies last.)

Each time they offer this promo I take advantage of it because there is a Target in the mall, so I buy the $100 mall gift card, get a free $20 gift card and use those to get $120 in Target gift cards because I know that we will always be buying things at Target. So--I get free $20 at Target!!

Fisher Price Trio

2009-12-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

Amazon has Fisher Price Trios on sale and currently you can save an additional $10 when you buy $25 worth of Trio items shipped from Amazon. Enter code TRIOSAVE.

My son got several sets for his 6th birthday and both he and his 4 year old brother really enjoy them.

We have the King's Gatehouse (now $9.99 instead of $24.99)

We also have the Hammerpult ($14.99)
And the Siege Tower ($9.58 instead of $14.99)

EDITED TO ADD:
Just saw they reduced the price of the Castle (which my son has asked for repeatedly!) to $34.09 instead $74.99!

Amazon--Flip camcorder

2009-12-11T05:07:00.000-08:00

If you bought the Flip camcorder check your email---I just got a note that I qualified for a $10 rebate (or subscription to wired magazine.) If you missed the $89.99 price--it's currently $99.99 but after the subscrption rebate it would go back down to $89.99. Also--if you create an Amazon "PayPhrase" you can get an additional 5% back. AND it still qualifies for a free 12 month calendar from Shutterfly.

Amazon: Guess Who Extra

2009-12-10T04:45:00.000-08:00

Guess Who Extra was $27.99 currently $17.99. This game has gotten lots of good reviews from friends.

CirKis $7.99

2009-12-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

Hasbro CirKis was $19.99 now $7.99.

This is a new game that looks neat and I think my kids will enjoy. I believe it might find it's way under our tree this year! (And I think I will pick up a couple extra for birthday presents!)

Melissa and Doug Cookies

2009-12-10T04:23:00.000-08:00

Everyday I've been checking on amazon the price of these Melissa and Doug cookies and they've FINALLY moved below $19.99! Currently they are $14.02, so I snatched them up! These are absolutely adorable. The prices on all the other food have been fluctuating slightly throughout each day. So act quickly.

Amazon--Wii Fit Plus

2009-12-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

Don't know how long it will stay this price, but the Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board is currently $85.99 rather than $99.99!

10 free boxes of crackers at Safeway

2009-12-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

Gina at Moneywise Moms has found a deal my family will be most appreciative of--10 free boxes of Wheat Thins (my daughter's favorite crackers!)

Read all about it here!

Amazon--Bearpaw boots 50% off.

2009-12-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

Bearpaw Womens Altai Boots 50% off today. These boots would be $27.90 shipped!

Amazon--Crayola Intereactive DVD $4.99

2009-12-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

Crayola Undersea Adventure interactive DVD was $14.99 now $4.99

Amazon--cheap magazine deals

2009-12-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

Family Fun magazine $4.95 after immediate $5 discount. 1 year subscription.

Good Housekeeping magazine $5. 1 year subscription.

Parents Magazine $4.97 after $5 immediate discount. 1 year subscription.

Children's Place $5 Rugby Sweaters

2009-12-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

This week only Children's Place has their rugby sweaters for just $5. Shipping is a flat $5.

Amazon: Wikki Stix

2009-12-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

Amazon has a 468 ct box of Wikki Stix for $19.16 currently. (I'm pretty sure these are the original "Bendaroos" but made in the USA and not China.)

We bought these for a long car trip for the kids and they were a nice quiet activity for them to do.

Baby Robeez $14.99 shipped at Lands End

2009-12-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Baby Robeez were $24.50 now on sale for just $14.99.

We got an adorable pair of sailboat ones from a friend when our youngest was born and they are wonderful! We had Target knockoffs for our last baby and these are really much nicer and at this price they might even be less than the Target ones and you don't even have to leave your home to get them!

Shipping is free with code BRISK & pin 3224.

Don't forget to order through ebates for an additional 3% back! If you are not already a member of ebates you can get $5 just for signing up!

Save Money Online Shopping

2009-12-04T19:09:00.001-08:00

I'm sure you've seen the commercials for the new search engine bing.com, but what you many not know is that they offer you cash bask for shopping at certain stores. I just noticed that Walmart.com is currently at 20% cash back.

That makes for a great wii and wii fit deal. The Nintendo Wii, Wii Fit Balance Board Value Bundle is $298.00 and you can get free "site to store" shipping. After receiving the cash back the total comes down to $238.40 (before tax) which is less that what the wii system itself sold for just a couple of months ago!

To find out more about the bing.com cash offers, click here.

Other big cash back stores right now include Old Navy and Gap with 25% cash back, Macy's 25% cash back, and you can even get 8% cash back shopping on ebay!

50 Free Photo Cards

2009-12-04T18:30:00.001-08:00

SeeHere is offering 50 free 4x8 or 5x7 photo cards all month long! All you need to pay is $3.19 for shipping!

Set up an account at SeeHere, then create your card, order 50 cards and enter newbaby in the promo code section at the check out.

Just this week I got a Christmas card in the mail from a friend who had taken advantage of this offer and it looked great!

Thanks to Gina at Moneywise Moms for the heads up on this offer.

$5 off any purchase at Hallmark coupon

2009-12-04T18:24:00.000-08:00

from Money Saving Mom

Click here to print a $5 off any $5 or more purchase at a Hallmark store.

Be sure to hit "back" after printing to print a second coupon.

Should make for some free wrapping paper!

Neiman Marcus: Monogrammed Ralph Lauren towel $11.49 shipped!

2009-12-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for this!

$11.49 shipped for a monogrammed Ralph Lauren towel. I bought them for my 4 kids last year--each kid a different color and it's been great everyone knowing which towel is theirs. After we had our baby this summer my eldest commented that Santa was going to need to bring him one for Christmas this year too! Now Santa actually has something to bring him! For him I went with the Bay Leaf green with khaki stitching.

Link here!

Enter DECNM for free shipping

Also, they are a great gift to buy now if you know someone graduating from high school soon who will be going off to college!

Safeway

2009-12-04T08:05:00.001-08:00

Here's a couple of things I thought looked good at Safeway this weekend.

1.5 dozen eggs are $.99 with in ad coupon.

Post Honey bunches of Oats are $.99 with card. I bought 2 and a $1 cat printed for buying them. Makes them just $.49 a box. (possibly free if you have coupons!)

Amazon: Flip Ultra Camcorder $89.99--it's BACK!

2009-12-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it this weekend the $89.99 Flip camcorder is back! It didn't last long at this price.

If a Flip camcorder is on your Christmas list, now is the time to buy it! It's the lowest price it's ever been listed for on Amazon for $89.99! Also, if you buy it today you can get a free 2010 12-month photo calendar, valued at $19.99 Shutterfly by following the links provided under the "Special Offers and Promotions" section of the page.

A neat Christmas gift idea

2009-12-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

I don't mind cooking, I just dislike trying to figure out what to cook. That's why I try to menu plan so it doesn't leave me asking the question each evening, "What's for dinner?" Kate at Stolen Moments offers a menu planning service that is catered to your very own families likes and dislikes. If you've never tried menu planning before it might be a nice painless way to ease into the process. (Or it could make a great gift for the person who has everything but extra time!)

I just saw that until December 25th she is offering a 3 month gift subscription for just $16.50 for the basic plan. Gift subscriptions will include a printer-friendly gift certificate that you can print out, personalize and wrap for the gift recipients.

From her site:
BASIC PLAN – Regularly $7.95/month

Fully personalized and customized dinner menu plan, recipes and detailed & organized complete grocery list for every day of the month (Delivered to your inbox weekly, bi-monthly or monthly, per your preference.)
Bonus recipes in each email with ideas for snacks, desserts or other meals
Tips, tricks and ideas for making the most of stolen moments in your kitchen
Optional plans for bulk-cooking, leftover makeover and/or freezer cooking

3-Month Subscription – $16.50

*Please note: the subscription term will not begin until your recipient has filled out their personalization survey. Gift certificates can be redeemed at any time.
Order a Stolen Moments Menu Planning gift subscription.

The most played with toy in the house

2009-12-01T06:47:00.001-08:00

I was thinking last week about previous year's Christmas gifts--which gifts were hits--which were just a waste of money. By far and away the best toy we've ever bought the kids has been Magnatiles. I about choked on the price last year when we bought them (just over $100), but they've been the best investment toy--EVER. They are the most played with toy in the house--by everyone--an almost 8 year old girl, 6 and 4 year old boys and an almost 2 year old girl.

I admit I was a bit underwhelmed (as were the kids) when they first saw the box, but once we opened it up and started playing we quickly saw the potential. I bought them thinking they could help my oldest with spacial dimensions (and they have), but I've been most surprised with my 4 year old. The structures he creates are amazing. They are an awesome "stand alone" toy (he makes a pretty cool Washington monument) , but they've also been made into castles for playmobil people, a train for animals, a zoo--you name it. He's not usually a kid that will play for long chunks of time by himself--but he'll actually go into his room often now to be alone and build.

Even the almost 2 year old enjoys it. She makes "towers" by stacking the tiles flat and her brother is teaching her how to make "ice cream cones." Admittedly her favorite part is probably knocking down the creations of her sister and brothers, but because they can be rebuilt so quickly they usually don't mind too much!

We bought the 100 piece set last year and while it's been enough to make amazing things, with 4 of them playing with it all.the.time we're going to invest in another 100 piece set this Christmas so even more can be built.

So, if you're looking for a nice, sturdy, noiseless, toy that all the kids in your house can enjoy (and then pass down to your grandkids--because there's nothing that can break on them!) I'd recommend Magnatiles.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-11-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

Sunday: Spaghetti pie (from freezer), corn and toasted english muffins

Monday: Feast of St. Andrew so we're having fish sticks, french fries and peas in honor of the great fisherman.

Tuesday: Minestrone with homemade rolls

Wednesday: Porkchops over sauteed spinach/mushrooms/cream sauce, egg noodles, berry salad

Thursday: Chicken pot pie, mashed potatoes, peaches

Friday: Salmon cakes, rice, broccoli

Saturday: "Thanksgiving" at 8isgreat's house since her kids were sick last week.

As always, if you are in need of more ideas, head over to Org Junkie for Meal Plan Monday!

Another wii deal at Amazon

2009-11-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

Wii console is $199.99, plus you get a $20 Amazon gift card.

From their site:
"You must check out with the $20 Amazon.com Gift Card and a Wii Console in your cart in order to qualify. Limit one benefit per customer per household. Must be sold and shipped by Amazon.com to qualify."

Amazon: Flip Ultra Camcorder $89.99

2009-11-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

If a Flip camcorder is on your Christmas list, now is the time to buy it! It's the lowest price it's ever been listed for on Amazon for $89.99! Also, if you buy it today you can receive 55 free prints from Shutterfly by following the links provided under the "Special Offers and Promotions" section of the page.

Or--if you want the HD version there's also a great deal on that:
The Flip UltraHD camcorder is $151.98 and it qualifies for a free $25 Amazon gift card, making it $126.98 after gift card.

40 free batteries at Staples each week until 12/26!

2009-11-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

If you have a Staples rewards card (free to sign up) you can get 2 free 20 packs of Duracell batteries at Staples each week until 12/26/09.

Details here.

Free $3 MP3 credit at Amazon

2009-11-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

Follow this link to Amazon and follow the instructions to receive your free $3 Amazon MP3 credit. Expires 11/30.

Amazon--hot deal of the day

2009-11-28T05:52:00.000-08:00

Mega Bloks King Arthur Battle Castle was $69.99, currently $19.99.

Amazon Christmas Shopping

2009-11-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last year I did a ton of shopping on Amazon. I signed up for a free trial of Prime and was able to get free 2 day shipping without having to add additional items to get my total to $25 for free shipping. It was great to be able to ship the packages right to my inlaws house (where we were for Christmas) rather than having to pack and bring them with us.

Each day they have different great deals and often the prices can change even throughout the day. A good way to find hot items is to look on the "Movers and Shakers" page.

Here's something currently found there--marked down to $29.99 from $99.99

Amazon: Happy Black Friday!

2009-11-27T04:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas Books-

2009-11-24T10:08:00.000-08:00

I love books--all kinds of books, but Christmas books have a special place in my heart and I have a bit of a weakness for buying them. Each year on Christmas Eve my children each get a new special book--just for them. I thought I'd share with you some of our favorites from the season and the special books my kids have received for their Christmas Eve presents. (This is not a complete list and I'm sure once I pull out all of our Christmas books I'll have more to add!)

For Christmas:

Special books received on Christmas Eve:

not for Christmas Eve, but my daughter received this as a gift from her uncle:

Amazon: Corelle Livingware 16-Piece Dinnerware Set Service for 4

2009-11-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

Regular price $51.10 now on sale for $17.99!

I bought 4 sets of these last year when they went on sale and they've held up great! I was tired of my kids always eating off of plastic (with all the talk of BPA) and I wanted an alternative that wouldn't break! These plates have gone in the microwave, dishwasher, been dropped countless times by my dish "helpers" and have had lots of meat cut into tiny pieces on them with no scratching at all!

Wii and Wii Fit deal

2009-11-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

ETA: Looks like this promo ended.

for a wii for Christmas this year? Amazon has a deal right now where when you buy the wii system and buy the wii fit you'll get a $50 amazon gift card back! You'll pay $289.99, and get a $50 gift card back!

You need to buy the system through Amazon. The details are in a little box right under the price. It would be a great opportunity to use some of your Amazon giftcards from swagbucks! I always get a good laugh watching my kids do wii fit!

$5 Cooking Light subscription

2009-11-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas you can give a magazine subscription to Cooking Light for just $5! (That's just one Amazon gift card you could have earned through swagbucks!)

FOOD LION 10/14 - 10/20

2009-10-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

Whole Boneless Beef Sirloin TIp $1.77/lb. This is when I stock up on ground beef. FL runs this great price about twice a year. The beef is very lean. The butcher will cut it up any way you want. I get most of it ground and some cut up into stew meat. Here is a link to a previous post when these were on sale last Spring.

Several of the Ronzoni pastas are on sale for $1/package. There are 50c/1 blinkies in the aisle below these.

Barilla penne are $1/box. There were Barilla Qs in a recent insert.

6 or 8 roll Scott PT are $4.99 ea. A recent insert had $1/1 Qs for these.

$5 Sports Illustrated for kids 1 year subscription

2009-10-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Sports Illustrated for kids 1 year for $5 from Amazon. I haven't seen this magazine in years so I'm not sure if it's really any good for kids, but if you've seen in lately and think it's good--this seems like a great deal! (and it would only cost you one gift card that you earned through swagbucks!)

Meal Plan Monday

2009-10-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

After weeks of not planning--here's what's cooking for our house this week:

Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes (make extra for Wednesday), corn.

Tuesday: Pancakes, eggs, fruit salad.

Wednesday: Chicken pot pie and mashed potatoes.

Thursday: Brisket with dried fruit. (a new recipe for me)

Friday: Salmon cakes, peas and rice.

Saturday: Leftovers

Safeway--big time money maker!

2009-09-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a month since my little one was born--but I'm ready to get back in the action now. It's been a long month of a week in the NICU, boys with stomach viruses, a wicked ear infection and a seizure and subsequent ambulance ride for my 21 month old. Hopefully things will settle down now!

I'm back because I HAD to post about a serious money maker at Safeway. Fannie tipped me off to it.

Here's how it works.

Buy 1 Joint Juice for $1.39 (there were $1/1 printables on their site but I can't get them to print.) You will receive a catalina coupon for $5 off 7 bottles of Joint Juice.

Buy 7 bottles of Joint Juice. Total: $9.73 - $5 coupon = 4.73 plus tax, earn a $10 catalina. So you total oop is $6.12 (before tax) and you earn a $10 catalina.

So now you've made $3.88--but wait--there's more. You can now continue to "roll" this $5 coupon and $10 catalina. Each time you use do the deal from this point on you can get $5 in free stuff--and still end up with another $5 coupon and $10 catlalina to use.

In each subsequent deal you'll buy 7 bottles of Joint Juice and $5 worth of fillers. I did it today and bought 2 boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal and my oop expense was only 10 cents each time I did it.

NOTE: The $5 Joint Juice coupons DO BEEP and require a manager's key or the self service person's key to override, but there's no stated limits anywhere on how many times you can do the deal.

The SD's page says you need $5.27 in fillers--but I did it with $5 in filler just fine today.

Whittle Down Wednesday

2009-09-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Life has been soooo busy. I think our school routines are shaping up. Football has been so exciting! It is amazing to watch my little men on the field! I hated football my whole life until my boys began playing. I'm even figuring out the game!

I'm just getting caught up in housework and I've been to Walgreens once (I needed shampoo! We were sharing one bottle between two showers).

My family is asking me when I'm going to start shopping and couponing again. I think I'm almost ready. I sent one of my daughters to HT to try and "do triples" for me one day last week. The shelves were cleared. All she got was 5 pouches of tuna for 9 cents.

My freezer has been spilling snow on the floor for the past 5 days. I had to get it defrosted TODAY. When I realized it was Wednesday, I figured I'd take pictures for the blog. So here's my Whittle Down Wednesday project.

The FREEZER!!!

Before: After:

Much better. No more snowball fights! :o)

Edited to add: Now our ice-maker works again!! :o)

Meal Plan Monday

2009-09-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday - leftovers
Monday - Hamburgers on the grill, chips, salad
Tuesday - Ham & Pepperoni Strombolli, Ceasar salad, pineapple slices
Wednesday - Grilled BBQ Chicked leg quarters, baked potatoes, peas
Thursday - Chicken Enchilada's, refried beans, Mexican rice
Firday - Cheese and Broccoli stuffed Jumbo shells, garlic bread, beans
Saturday - baked chicken strips, egg noodles, corn

Triples is coming to Harris Teeter!

2009-09-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

HT will kick off another Triple Coupon event next week! (9/16 - 9/22)

See HCW's HT forum for the "Good Deal List" thread.

$5/$20 Rite Aid coupon

2009-09-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Go to RiteAid.com click on "New Rite Aid Video Values" box. Watching any combination of videos totalling 20 points earns you a $5/$20 purchase. If you have a little one in diapers or know someone who does, you may want to save this Q for an upcoming Huggies deal at Rite Aid.
From 9/20 - 9/26 Rite Aid is offering a single check rebate of $10 wyb 3 packages of Huggies Diapers or Huggies Goodnites jumbo packs priced at $11 each.

Jenny over at Southernsavers.com has worked out a deal where you will only end up paying $1 per bag! Check it out here!

MIR update

2009-09-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

I mailed out 9 MIR forms yesterday totalling $48. I dropped $12 in rebate checks at the bank today and have deposited about $90 since Sept. 1.

I just made a trade on HCW for a $20 MIR and Tuesday I found a $10 MIR form at my local grocery store.

If you havent started rebating yet, I recommend it! :o)

Here's a quick tutorial.

You must be 21 years old or older to submit a MIR offer. Most MIRs (Mail in Rebates) are offered by beer and wine companies. Most of these offers (not all) require no beer or wine purchases. They do however have purchase requirements. Sometimes the offers are seasonal for example recently there was a $30 rebate when you purchased a grill over $100. I have seen rebates for lawn furniture, christmas trees, sunglasses, etc. Most rebates are on grocery items while some are on a receipt total of $X or more with exclusions. The majority of rebates I have submitted are on combinations of meats, ice, condiments, chips, salty snacks, soda, pizza, water, paper plates.

If you begin to trade for MIRs on a coupon trade forum remember these things:
1. Make sure the rebate is valid in your state.

2. Make sure it isn't expired. There are three dates you want to look for: 1. Offer begins date, 2. Offer expires date, and 3. Must be received by date.

3. You may want to know if you can combine purchases from more than one receipt, or is only a single receipt required.

4. Is it NBPR (no beer purchase required) or NWPR (no wine purchase required)?

Six of the rebates I mailed out yesterday were MIRs for $3 back wyb $3+ in fruit. (Note most rebate offers are limit of one per household - this one had no minimum). I always save my receipts for up to three months. I keep them to record my expenses in a budget, track my purchases, and I save them in case I find MIR offers I can use them for. My old receipts reap cash for me!

The trade I made today was for a MIR valid only in my state. It required a cash register receipt with a purchase of $40 or more not including alcohol, tobacco, pharmacy, gasoline, lottery tickets or gift cards. I went through the receipts I have saved on past purchases made during the MIR promotional period and found one for over $40. I will mail it to the beer company and they will send me a check for $20 in 6-8 weeks.

August budget in review - 8isGreat

2009-09-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

The last three weeks have been extremely busy here!
We had 4 birthday celebrations.
DD #1 started college.
I began homeschooling DD #2 & 3.
For the first time ever DS #1, 2 &3 went to public school.
An unforseen ($COSTLY$) home repair caused many changes to our original plans for education for the 2009/10 school year. So, I have been spending the past 3 weeks buying textbooks for homeschooling kids and registering and placing public school kids and teaching myself Algebra II late at night. :o)
I missed the Kroger 2 week long Mega Event and I missed Harris Teeters Super Doubles AND Triples. There just wasn't any way to do what needed to be done for my children's school plans and shop for deals...or even plan meals! DH stepped in and made many meals during these weeks and we've ordered pizza in twice - extremely rare for us.

Regrets? NONE. I'm just glad I didn't know ahead of time all the changes I would be making. It would have stressed me out too much. :o)

August spending breakdown.
Week #1 -$174.30
Week # 2 -$123.94
Week #3 -$131.76
Week #4 - $48.89
Last 3 days of month -$103.28
Total spent on groceries, H&B, baby items, and cleaning products for August 2009 -$582.17

I went overbudget AGAIN. I'm not upset this month. I have been in the past.
Life is "REAL" and God is in control, not me. He knows what is best for us and we need to stick close to Him to discern His plans. I really think I didn't do too bad all things considered.
A goal is a great tool and I won't stop keeping a budget goal.
I wonder what my total would look like if I didn't add in cleaning, baby and H&B items. Probably under $500. Maybe I will make separate accounts of these categories in the future.

Here is what we got for $582.17.

August Purchases
H&B
Blink Tears 2
Body soap 4
Schick intuition refill cartridges 12 individual
Feminine products 4
Purse sized Hand lotion1
Tooth brushes 12
Shampoo 2
Conditioner 3
CVS Makeup remover toweletes 1

BABY ITEMS
Tubs Huggies wipes 32

CLEANING/HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES
Electrasol power tabs 3
Tide liquid 4 large bottles
8 AA Energizer Lithium batteries

BREADS
Hot Dog Buns 5
Hamburger buns 6
Tortillas 70
Croutons 3 bags
Honey wheat loaves 9
Italian loaf 1
French Loaf 2
English Muffins 30 individual

BEVERAGES
Cranberry juice 1
Apple juice 8
12 pack soda 5
2 liter soda 1
Tea bags 4 boxes
Powdered lemonade drink mix 1

CANNED/JAR
Tuna fish 2 cans
Ravioli 4 cans
Plum sauce 2
Ragu pasta sauce 2
Peanut butter 1
Diced tomatoes and green chilis 2
Enchilada sauce 1
Soups 8 cans
Roasted peppers 1
Tuna 6 cans
Salsa 1

DRY GOODS
Frosting 3
Devil’s Food Cake mix 1
Mac n Cheese boxes 3
Cereal 12
Chocolate chips
Nutri Grain bars 1 box
Ramen Noodles 2 pkgs
Flour 15 lb
Sugar 5 lb
Jumbo Pasta Shells 2 boxes
Martha White Muffin Mixes 14
Cereal 4 boxes
Granola bars 1 box
Poptart boxes 22
Dole fruit bowls 1
Grape jelly 1
Chocolate chips 4 bags
Potato chips 4
Tortilla chips 1
Individual snack size chip bags 150
Mac N Cheese 5 boxes

PAPER PRODUCTS
Paper towels 21 rolls
Napkins 7

DAIRY
Eggs 208
Milk gallons 60
Sour cream 7
Cheese block 4
Shredded cheese 14
String Cheese 48 individual
Sliced cheese 6
Butter 12 sticks
Cream cheese 1 block

DELI
Potato salad
Sliced Turkey breast 3 ¾ lbs
Honey Ham 9 ¾ lbs.
Provalone 2 lb

MEATS
Ball Park Hot Dogs 2 packages
Boneless skinless chicken breasts 40 individual
Split Chicken breasts 12
20 lb chicken leg quarters

PRODUCE
Cucumbers 4
Red Onion 1
Yellow Onion 1
Celery
Green leaf lettuce 1
Baby carrots 2 lbs
Apples .89+ 1.36 lb
Bananas 3.27+1.88 +3.35+2.78
Watermelon
Clementines 5 lb
Iceberg lettuce 3
Cherries 1.26 lbs
Organic Bananas 8.08 lbs
Corn 28 ears
Peaches 27 lbs.
Grapes 2.25+2.14 + 1.96 lbs

FROZEN
DiGiorno Pizzas 6
Breyer’s Chocolate ice cream 1
Dove stick ice cream
Dreamsicle bars

It looks like we buy alot of deli meat. I freeze it when it is on sale. I wonder if it would be cheaper to buy a ham butt instead of sliced in the deli dept. I use 30% off Qs in the deli so my OOP is pretty low on deli purchases. Just thinking out loud...

$10/$50 Lowes Coupon

2009-09-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

UPDATE!!

Sixteen packs of Energizer batteries at Lowe's have been reduced to $8.89/package! (Formerly $9.99/package)

Inside each package (visible from the front) is a Lowe's coupon for $10/$50 purchase. There are $2 Energizer Qs from a tearpad. I don't know where these were found. There were also $1/1 Qs in a recent Sunday insert.

Buy 1 package with a $2 Q and pay $6.89 OOP. Get 16 batteries and a $10/$50 store Q for Lowes.
Note: you cannot stack the $10/$50 Q with the battery Qs unless your total AFTER the battery Qs is $50 or more.

NO COUPON INSERTS THIS SUNDAY

2009-09-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Don't stock up on Sunday newspapers this weeked. There will be no inserts in the Labor Day weekend holiday paper.

Touching Base

2009-09-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

Life with eight children is wonderful. The gift of my husband and children surpass anything I have ever had or will ever have.

I have been unable to seek deals, post them or shop them lately. School and football are in full swing.

I have my August receipts and plan on posting everything on Friday. Look for other posts to resume soon! :o) Thank you!

Time Saving Tuesday - Schedules

2009-08-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

It's Back to School Time!

The lazy days of Summer are behind us and it is ime to return to a more fromal routine. As you firm up bedtimes, get stricter on oral hygine and matching clothing for the kids it may be a good time to look at your daily schedule. How are you spending your hours each day? Use the change in routine for the children as a framework to more effectively spend your time each day.

I began carrying around a small stack of index cards and a pen in my pocket. They are rubberbanded together. The top card is a "To Do" list, the other cards represent the hours in my daywith one hour increments printed at the top.

On my "To Do" list I write down the "must be done items" the things my DH has asked me to do, any goals for the day and reminders.

On my hourly cards I have given myself a schedule. I give myself times for prayer, scripture study, personal time. I also alot time for each of the children & homework time. Each day I tackle one room/closet/area for de-cluttering or deep cleaning. The rest of the day is filled with routine housework such as laundry, meal prep, etc.

These cards give me accountability and a game plan.

IT'S A BOY!!!

2009-08-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

FrugalMomma and her family welcomed their newest member this afternoon!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-08-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday - BBQ at friends
Monday - Stuffed shells, garden salad, bread
Tuesday - BBQ chicken, grilled veggies, pasta salad
Wednesday- Tacos, beans, Mexican rice
Thursday - Grilled chicken salads, sliced pineapple, rolls
Friday - Cold Tuna Casserole
Saturday - Pizza, salad

BabyAge sale at Amazon!

2009-08-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

EDITED TO ADD--That offer went quickly! The code is now already expired! Hopefully some of you got in on the great deal!

For a limited time you can get $40 off a qualifying purchase of $41.00 or more through the BabyAge store at Amazon by using the code LDAVISO3 at checkout. Below is just a sampling of some of the things being offered through their store. (If you've been using swagbucks.com to search and have been earning Amazon gift cards, now is a great time to use them!)

EDITED TO ADD: It looks like the links are messing up--but if you click HERE it will take you directly to the the BabyAge store and then you can search their store for deals. I found all these below by clicking on a category and searching by price. So it's best to click the above link and then you can type in the items below so you can be sure you're getting them from BabyAge.

I just got this Skip Hop Diaper bag for $14 shipped (instead of the $54 I was planning on spending at Buy, Buy, Baby!) but it was free for me after using my swagbucks Amazon gift cards!

Fisher-Price ESPN Better Batter Baseball for just $1.18 plus $9.99 shipping after code.

Fisher-Price Rainforest Bouncer For $4.48 = $9.99 shipping.

Little Tikes Americana Table & Chairs Set $5.36 + $9.99 shipping using code

Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair $4.05 + $9.99 shipping using code.

Melissa & Doug Parking Garage Only $8.40 + $9.99 shipping

Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Deluxe Infant Seat - White/Brown $5.66 + $9.99 shipping using code.

Peanut Shell Reversible Sling Collection $2.43 + $9.99 shipping using code.

Arctic Splash Water Table $2.91 + $9.99 shipping using code.

Badger Toys Doll Crib with Cabinet $3.36 + $9.99 shipping using code.

Lego - Star Wars Republic Attack ShuttleTM $9.40 + $9.99 shipping with code.

Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat $9.14 + $9.99 shipping using code.

Advent Calendar $9.09 + $9.99 shipping using code.

Badger Basket Three Bin Organizer $4.20 + $9.99 shipping using code.

$10/$50 LOWES coupon!

2009-08-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

My Lowes hardware store has a display of Energizer batteries 16 AA's or 16 AAA's on sale for $9.99. In side the package is a Lowes coupon for $10 off your next $50 purchase.

Walgreens 20 free 4x6 prints today!

2009-08-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today only you can get twenty free 4x6 prints at Walgreens. You can upload your pictures online and checkout using the coupon code 20FREE4ME. They don't need to be picked up today, just ordered today.

If you've never ordered pictures from Walgreens before, you can get an additional 25 prints for free by signing up here first. After you sign up and get your 25 free print credit, you can then upload all of your pictures. By doing this and adding the 20FREE4ME code you'll get 45 free 4x6 pictures.

Free bacom at Safeway

2009-08-19T14:11:00.001-07:00

Smithfield bacon is $3 per pack at Safeway this week. Go HERE and sign up and print out 2 $3 off coupons and you'll get 2 free pounds of really good quality bacon!

Walgreens--4 day sale Spend $25 (pre coupons) get $5 RR

2009-08-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

Today starts a 4 days sale at Walgreens where if you spend $25 (after tax, but BEFORE coupons) you will receive a $5 Register Reward good for your next order.

The Huggies wipes deal works GREAT with this.

If you only have the $2 Huggies wipes coupon found in the Back to School coupon flyer at the front of the store, your transaction would look like this:

9 tubs of wipes $2.79x9= $25.11
-$2 coupon (x9--you just need the one coupon though) = $18
=$7.11 oop of pocket, earn a $5 RR. Total cost for 9 tubs of wipes $2.11.

If you have the $.50/1 manufacturer's coupons that came out last Sunday (or previously) the deal looks like this:
9 tubs of wipes - 9 $.50/1 qs, 9 $2 qs = $2.61, earn $5 RR, making it a $2.39 money maker!

Don't forget that the new Softsoap Nutri body wash is $3.99 and produces a $4 RR. You can use this as a good "filler" to get you to a $25 total.

The Register Rewards don't "roll", meaning if you get one from one transaction you cannot use it on another $25 transaction and receive an additional $5 RR.

I did 3 separate "$25" transactions, received 3 $5 RR and one $4 RR for the Softsoap, then turned around and spent those RR right away since I'll be having the baby soon and won't be able to get back to the store later to use them. In addition to the wipes and Softsoap I bought 3 12 pack double rolls of Angel Soft toilet paper, a Red Baron pizza, a 12pk of Coke, 7 boxes of mac-n-cheese, a box of cookies (to keep little shoppers quiet), 40 4x6 prints, and a hard case travel size of Huggies wipes for the diaper bag.

Target: Dove Deodorant for $.29

2009-08-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Money Saving Mom for this head's up. Dove Ultimate Visibly Smooth deodorant is $3.29 at Target. Using the $1/1 target IP and the $2/1 manufacturer's coupon, you pay just $.29!

I've been waiting for a Dove deal at CVS to stock back up on deodorant but there hasn't been one in a while, so I'll be jumping all over this!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-08-17T11:46:00.001-07:00

This will be my last MPM post for a bit. A woman from school has generously organized families to bring meals for us for the most of the nights of the following 2 weeks as we prepare for and celebrate baby's arrival!

Sunday: Burrito Pie, fruit salad
BURRITO PIE aka Mexican lasagna 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 onion, chopped 2 teaspoons minced garlic 6-7 (6 inch) flour tortillas 1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce 1 (16 ounce) can black beans 2 cups shredded Colby cheese 1 (10 ounce) can diced tom. w/ green chiles 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat. Mix in the tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco sauce and beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. 3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then a layer (2 cups) of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese (another bag=2 cups). 4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

Monday: Lazy lady shish kabobs--Beef, red/green pepper, onion marinated in Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian dressing cooked in grill basket, buttered egg noodles, pineapple and watermelon.

Tuesday: Oven baked "fried" chicken, mashed potatoes, corn.

Wednesday: Spaghetti, green beans.

Thursday: Grilled cheese or quesadillas, fruit, carrots.

Friday: Salmon cakes, rice, green beans

Saturday: Spiral cut ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn

As always, check out more ideas at Org Junkie!

Walgreens Huggies Wipes Deal

2009-08-13T11:23:00.001-07:00

8isgreat mentioned this great deal going on at Walgreens this month. (Tubs of Huggies are $2.79 at many stores and there is a $2/1 tub of Huggies coupon available in the store and you can combine manufacturers coupons with it.) Read all the details here.

I was able to go to two Walgreens today to do this and got 31 tubs of wipes for $8.41 before tax. If you are going to do this deal and have the $.75/1 or $.50/1 manufacturer's coupons, make sure you give those to the cashier first then after all of those are entered, give the cashier the $2/1 walgreens coupon. It will then take $2 off each tub of wipes and the computer won't beep at all.

It's a great deal, and there's still time to order coupons to take advantage of it!

Thrifty Thursday--make it yourself!

2009-08-13T05:31:00.001-07:00

Recently I saw a friend with a new baby with a beautiful nursing cover. It was the Bebe au Lait style, but at $35 I knew that wasn't something I was going to buy. After mentioning this to another friend she passed along a great tutorial for how to make your own Bebe au Lait style nursing cover for about $10 and less than an hour of sewing.

Here's the link. It's fantastically easy to sew and it was so fun to go to the fabric store with my oldest daughter to pick out which fabric we thought was prettiest. There was plenty of fabric leftover so I was able to make a cute drawstring bag to hold it in. This project is simple enough for the novice sewer. If you're new to sewing, you can make it even easier on yourself by ironing the hems first before sewing, rather than just tucking and sewing as you go. (in the picture above you can kind of see how I added a soft flannel pocket on the underside to hold nursing pads or to wipe baby's mouth.)

If you try it, I'd love to hear how it turns out!

Bebe au Lait cost: $35
my materials cost: $9.82
savings: $25.81!

Harris Teeter Triple Coupon Event 8/12 - 8/18

2009-08-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the list of FREE items from HCW. For all the deals see this thread at the HCW HT fourm.

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits $1.00$0.35 07-12 SS=FREE
Suave Deodorant- 1.47 .50/1 8/2 RP = FREE
Rhodes Rolls - $2.19$.75/1 IP found here: http://coupons.com use 85031 = FREE
Wacky Mac - $1.59$.75/1 IP found here: http://coupons.com use 85031 = FREE
Tabasco Sauce - $1.79 $.75/1 blinkie = FREE
Uncle Bens Long Grain & Wild Rice - $2.25$.75/1 7/26 RP= FREE
Wishbone Dressing - $1.99$.75/1 8/02 RP= FREE
Wishbone Spritzer - $2.00 $.75/1 8/02 RP= FREE
Mt. Olive Pickles - $2.19 - $3.19$.75/1 7/19 SS= FREE to $.94
Martha White Corn Meal Mix, 1.49 .55/1 6/7 RP (DND - 5) = FREE
Purell 2oz, 1.500.50 8/2 SS = FREE
Reach Floss, 1.390.50 3/15 or 8/2 SS = FREE
GUM Toothbrush 1.99 (adults and kids) .75/1 8/9 RP = FREE
Heluva Good Dip 2.15 .75/1 6/28 SS = FREE
Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner- 1.99 .75/1 7/12 SS = FREE
ZonePerfect Bars 1.39.55/1 6/14 SS = FREE
Viva Big Roll Paper Towels 2.49 .85/1 6/28 22 = FREE
3 lb Mahatma rice - $2.75/1 Coupons= FREE
(28 oz brown rice = .39, Basmati or Jasmine = $1.74)
Solo Squared Cups - $2.75/1 Solo Cups, Plates or Bowls, Any Package (Bricks Link)= FREE
.75/1 Solo Squared Cup, Any - 06-21-09 SS= FREE
Curad kids bandaids - $1.49 (Curious Geogre or My Pretty Pony).50/1 http://coupons2.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=GLPAHOLHDARLS = FREE.
50/1 Curad Product, Any - 07-26-09 SS or 06-21-09 SS= FREE
Simply Beverages – 1.50 – Use .50/1 (Tearpad) = FreeSnapple – 1.39 Use .55/1 hangtag = Free
Propel – 1.39 Use .55/1 hangtag = Free
Pepsi Max – 1.49 Use .60/1 tearpad = Free
Lysol All Purpose Pourable- $2.50 .75/1 Lysol All Purpose Cleaner Pourables, Any - 07-12-09 SS=FREE

ANOTHER free 10-day sample of bareMinerals MATTE SPF 15 Foundation

2009-08-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

This offer is good in stores only, but you can get a free 10 day sample of the Bare Minerals MATTE foundation and brush. Available now at Bare Escentuals Boutiques, Sephora, Sephora inside JCPenney, ULTA, and select Nordstrom, Macy's and spa locations. Click here to find a store near you.

Click here for the printable offer (just bring it into the store with you!)

Time Saving Tuesday

2009-08-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

Painting.

Use disposable rubber gloves when painting a room. You can slip off the gloves to answer the phone, or quickly wash up to make lunch for others. If you are taking a break, but are not finished for the day, wrap your bristles in foil or in plastic wrap to prevent paint from drying on bristles. Then you only need to clean bristles once - when you're done!

Menu Plan Monday - 8isGreat

2009-08-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday - Cheeseburgers on the grill, pasta salad, chips
Monday - Chicken and mixed vegetable casserole, rolls
Tuesday - A day at the lake - Pizza & ceasar salad
Wednesday - Pork Tenderloin on the grill, rice, corn on the cob
Thursday - DS #2 turns 8! His request, spaghetti, corn, garlic bread
Friday - DD#2 turns 16! Her request Chicken Enchiladas, black beans, mexican rice
Saturday - Flank steak, red cabbage, rosemary roasted potatoes, broccoli

Meal Plan Monday

2009-08-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

This is another edition of the very tired, very uninspired, very pregnant lady's weekly meal plan.

Sunday: Dinner at a friend's house.

Monday: Ham and spinach quiche, fruit

Tuesday: Leftovers that the very generous friend from Sunday night sent home with us!

Wednesday: Grilled chicken breasts with grilled packet potatoes, green beans

Thursday: Grilled homemade pizzas, salads

Friday: Cold tuna noodle casserole, chips, carrots, fruit

Saturday: Burgers and fries

$5/25 CVS printable coupon!

2009-08-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

If you go to cvs.com you can fill out a short survey about their Ready Fill Program. At the end you will receive a $5/25 coupon to be used in the store!

You can click on the survey on the image on the center of the screen that scrolls through a couple of different screens. It's the #1 screen and says "Ready Fill.....Get a $5 coupon just for testing your health IQ."

Once in the store, be sure to stop by the pharmacy and ask about the Ready Fill program. Just for asking about it you can receive a coupon booklet that has great coupons to use in the store (including two $4 off $20 purchase coupons!)

If you need diapers this week, here's how to get them for cheap after ECBs:

1 Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mousse Makeup $9.99 (earn $9.99 ecbs)
2 bags Huggies $9 each (earn $4 ecbs when you buy 2)
total cost: $27.99
use $5/25 coupon
use $1/1 Revlon cosmetic coupon from 7/19 SS
use two $1.50/1 huggies coupons from coupons.com or recent insert
=$18.99 oop, earn $13.99 in ECBS, plus submit for $1.50 rebate from Caregivers Marketplace.
After ECBs and rebate, just $3.50 for 2 packs of Huggies and the Revlon make-up

The deal is even better if you have the $3/1 Huggies from the home mailer Huggies sent out. The math would be:
$27.99
-5/25
-$1 Revlon
-2 $3 huggies
=$15.99 oop, earn $13.99 ecbs, submit for $1.50 from Caregivers
After ECBs and rebate, just $.50 for 2 packs of Huggies and the Revlon make-up

If you belong to Upromise.com, be sure to load the $1.50 Huggies coupon to your CVS card and you can add $1.50 contribution to your upromise savings account!

Safeway Kellogg's cereal deal

2009-08-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Buy four boxes or more of specially marked boxes of Kellogg's cereals (on sale for $2.49/box) and get $1 off each box automatically at the register. There are many Kellogg's Qs out there. Some are $1/1 box. Uses 4 $1/1 Qs on four boxes or more and pay 49c/box.

The Kellogg's brands marked $2.49 at my Safeway were:
Rice Krispies
All varieties of the Mini Wheats
Fruit Loops
Corn Pops
Frosted Flakes

There may be more varieties participating in this promotion.

Cheap Huggies Wipes at Walgreens!

2009-08-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Walgreens Huggies wipes are $2.79/box for the 64 count.

In the Back to School coupon flyer found at the front of the store there is a $2/1 Huggies wipes 64-216 count Walgreens coupon. You will only need one of these Qs. It will take $2 off each package of wipes no matter how many are rung up. You can use manufacturer's Qs with the Walgreens Q. I had some 75c/1 Huggies wipes. I bought 6 tubs of 64 count wipes for $0.04 each + tax.

There was a 75c/1 Q in a home mailer recently. Also, there may be Huggies Qs coming out before the coupon expires on 8/29/09.

Thrifty Thursday makes room for Tradition Thursday!

2009-08-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Family Traditions!

Today is my #3 son's 6th birthday. I decided to share our family birthday traditions instead of a thrifty tip. The idea came to me while I made breakfast. The birthday breakfast is one of our family traditions.

Here is my son's birthday pancake on the griddle.

I've gotten pretty good at making number shaped pancakes over the years. One and eleven are really easy! :o)

So, at our home, the birthday person gets a birthday pancake in the shape of their new age. They also choose the menu for dinner. Tonight is hot dog and beans (much easier and cheaper than some of the other requests I've had). They also choose their celebration dessert.

We also reassign chores shortly after the bithday to reflect their growing responsibility and contribution to the family.

Whittle Down Wednesday

2009-08-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

I have decided to make decluttering a part of my daily routine.

My washer really has freed up some time in my day! :o)

I thought about doing one room/day and working through all the rooms my house a few times/month. The first time I declutter a room it might be a big job, each additional visit to the room will be easier and easier. I have worked a few rooms already but even with a HE machine I just can't commit to doing a whole room every day (I'm thinking closets, dresser drawers, toy bins, bookcases, etc). I still have little people that need feeding, diapering and play time not to mention errands to run.

I've decided to give myself a challenge each day, but to be realistic as well. I have a short 2-handled laundry basket that I bring to the room where I will be working. I empy the contents of the dresser/bookshelf/cupboard/closet and anything that doesn't go in the trash that needs to be returned to another room or be donated goes in the basket. I return all necessary items creating a home for them. Then, when I've finished the particular project, it is easy to carry the basket around the house placing lost items where they belong.

My project this morning was my bed side table.

I love to read. I don't have lots of time to read, but like to have a book (or ten) nearby when I do. I like to be inspired when I read. I read a lot of spiritual, self help, mothering, homeschooling and marriage books. If I do read fiction is is usually a read aloud to my kids.

When I purchased our bedroom set, I wanted a bedside table with drawers. My idea was that I'd always have a drawer to keep my books in so my table surface wouldn't look cluttered.

Here was the surface of my bedside table thismorning. For some reason 3 drawers weren't any help at keeping the table surface clear.

And here's why. Drawer 1 before.

Drawer 2 before. Drawer 3 before.
It took about to an hour sort through papers and remove the overflow from these three drawers and put items in new homes.

Surface after. Drawer 1 after. Drawer 2 after. Drawer 3 after. Just tissues, a folder of momentos and my booties and gloves for winter skin care. I decided to keep only one book on the table. I kept journals (8 of them! I can't part with them, though.), two Bibles and a few devotional books in my drawers. The rest I moved to a book shelf in my closet. (my old coupon inserts are stored in the 3 buckets on the bottom shelf).

Time Saving Tuesday

2009-08-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Laundry!

I had no idea how a HE top loader would change my life! It is incredible. Gone are the days of 3 full dirty laundry baskets (or 7-8 loads) waiting for their turn in the washer. It used to take 130 minutes to dry my loads. Here is a Whittle Down Wednesday post (from April) where I tried to decrease our dirty laundry mountain.

Now a days my dirtly laundry baskets are empty! I run about 1-3 loads per day. I can't tell you how much time I save with this new washer! I look back at my former situation and I'm sad that I had the old machine so long!

My HE washer is a huge time saver!

Meal Plan Monday - 8isGreat

2009-08-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday - Cheesburgers/hot dogs on the grill, potato salad, garden salad
Monday- Pot Roast, rolls
Tuesday - Baked potatoes, ceasar salad
Wednesday - Mandarin Chicken Wraps, Bob and Larry salad (we've called it this for more than ten years. We are long time veggie tales fans. The salad is chopped tomatoes and cucumbers in Italian salad dressing)
Thursday - Sloppy Joes, french fries, Bob and Larry salad (our garden is fruitful!)
Friday- spaghetti, garden salad, bread
Saturday - grilled chicken, egg noodles, grilled vegetables

free 10-day sample of bareMinerals MATTE SPF 15 Foundation

2009-08-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

If you've never tried the bareMinerals make up before, now is a great time! On their site you can order a free 10 day sample of their SPF 15 matte foundation and mini buki brush. All you pay is $1 shipping! There are 6 different shades to choose from. Limit 1 per customer. (You can order up to 3 different shades as long as each is a different color. And still get all 3 shades shipped for just $1!)

2009-08-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Free Redbox code--today only! Good for one free night's rental!

27HZ4KT

Practicing Hospitality on Budget

2009-08-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

After reading 8isgreat's last post about her grocery budget struggles I was reminded of a recent article by a guest poster on Money Saving Mom about Practicing Hospitality on a Budget.

It was something the author struggled with until she set up a separate cash envelope for "hospitality" and put a set amount of money in there each month. Something so simple, yet I never thought it before!

Hopefully this article will be helpful to you and your family.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-08-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here we go again! It looks to be an easy cooking week for Mom!

Sunday: Take out pulled chicken and pork for a picnic dinner from Red, Hot and Blue using a gift certificate from www.restaurants.com.

Monday: Grilled steaks, corn on the cob, baked potatoes

Tuesday: Zesty Herb chicken, brown rice, peas (make extra rice for Saturday)

Wednesday: Mom's night out! (leftovers for everyone else)

Thursday: Spaghetti and green beans.

Friday: Pot luck at church for the end of Vacation Bible School

Saturday: Chicken fried rice

July Budget Review for 8isGreat

2009-08-03T06:57:00.000-07:00

Back in April I began tracking my spending. Details here. In May I was determined to cut my budget. I gave myself parameters outlining what was covered in my budget here. I strived to meet these goals in May, June and July also.

I wrote here about my first week of July. I was determined to push on without making changes to my budget goals for the month.

Here are my expenses for the month
Week 1 $250.82
Week 2 $63.31
Week 3 $73.37
Week 4 $134.68
Last 3 days of the month $61.51 - (I was purchasing items to qualify for MIR w/7/31 deadlines)
July's total is $583.69
I submitted over $150 in MIR this month, bringing my expenses for July down to $433.69.

Here is what I purchased this month:

2009 JULY Expenses - Grocery/H&B/Cleaning/Baby products

BREADS
Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns 12
English muffins 13
Wheat sandwich bread 13
Rye/pump swirl bread 1

DAIRY
Milk gallons 49
Pillsbury French loaf dough 4
Butter 20 sticks
72 Eggs
Cheese blocks 3
Shredded cheese 4 lb
Yougurt cups 4

MEAT
35 Beef patties
4 top round steaks
2 flank steaks

FROZEN FOODS
Corn dogs
35 lbs ice
Popsicles
Orange sherbert
Waffles 5 boxes
Haagen daz 4

DELI
1 Macaroni salad
1 Potato salad
5 lbs honey ham
3 lbs turkey
3 lbs provolone
1 lb Colby jack
Parmesean cheese

PRODUCE
Green leaf lettuce 5 heads
Cucumbers 3
Green onion
Tomatoes 1.33 lb (thank goodness the garden kicked in here!)
Bananas 19.56 lbs.
Strawberries 2 lbs.
Watermelon 1
individual yellow corn 24
Apples 11.22 lbs
Cherries 6.03 lbs
Grapes 4.95 lbs
Peaches 13.94 lbs
Russet potatoes 5 lbs
Onion 2

CONDIMENTS/DRESSINGS
BBQ Sauce: 15 (donated)

DRY GOODS
15 Fruit Roll up boxes (donated to swim team concessions)
Ramen Noodles 5 packages
Marshmallows 2 bags
Hershey candy bars (6 pack) 3
Grahm crackers
Bread crumbs 1
Peanut butter 1
Minced onions 1
Vanilla wafers 1 box
Chocolate chips 3 bags
Smuckers fudge 1 jar
Cereal 4 boxes
Popcorn kernels 1 bag
Packages of Flour tortillas 2 packages
Vegetable oil 1
Cake mixes 4 boxes
Olives 1 jar
Cup o noodles 2 cups
Martha white muffin mix 6 mixes
Roasted red bell peppers 2 jars
Mayonnaise 4 large jars
Spiral pasta 6 bags
Pancake mix 10 boxes
Syrup 7 bottles
Candy bars 4 individual
Olive oil 3 bottles
Tuna 2 pouches
Potato chips 3 bags
Cookies 2 packages

BEVERAGES
Sparkling grape juice 3 bottles
Powdered lemonade
Tea 4 boxes
Apple juice10 frozen concentrate containers
Starbucks double shot: 3 cans

CANNED GOODS
Ravioli 5 cans
Chicken noodle soup 3 cans

PAPER PRODUCTS
Paper towels 9 rolls
Ziplock bags 6 boxes
Chinet plates 12 packages

HOUSEHOLD
Playtex kitchen gloves 4 pair
Lysol wipes 11 containers
Oxi Clean 1 bottle
Tide HE detergent 1 bottle

HEALTH & BEAUTY
Feminine products 16 packages ( I always stock up when these are 50c or less/pkg)
Cotton balls 1 bag
Hand sanitizer 3 small bottles
Nail polish remover 1 bottle
Hand soap pump 1 bottle

It is frustrating to consistently miss my goal. I have decided to give myself a little more budget room. I believe I could keep a $400/month budget in the areas I have selected if we lived a consistent routine. But we are a large group. We have celebrations to have (birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, sacraments, holidays, etc.) and we love to entertain and frequently have family and friends over for dinner. So my goals for my August budget are more generous. I am setting my goal at $500 and hope to fall below this. This gives me $125/week for my groceries, baby needs, paper products, cleaning supplies and Health and Beauty items.

As for cash, it has proved very difficult to have an envelope of cash to draw from. When I have cash I have teenagers who need to borrow it or spend it on something outside the "purposes" outlined in this budget. It is easier to lend the cash then drive to the ATM to get more. I thought I could use my debit card and keep a running track of expenses in my receipt notebook. However, I would need to keep closer track of this notebook. I think it would be much easier to have $125 in my wallet each week and know exactly what is left unspent after each purchase.
I will give the cash only system another chance in August.

Cash only groceries--month of July review

2009-08-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well July wrapped up our third month of using only cash and the results are so good, we'll stick with it. I was hoping to spend a good bit less than I have the past two month since we were gone for the first 13 days of the month, but a trip to Costco put a $30 ding in the budget for stuff I wouldn't normally buy, but wanted to have on hand for convenience's sake since baby is due in just 4 weeks now.

Budget: $220
Actual spent: $219.73 (barely under budget!)
we ended the month with just 27 cents to spare!
Mail in rebates submitted this month: $66
So after MIRs, we spent $153.73 to feed our family of 6.

Here's how the money got spent this month:

Produce
7	indiv	bananas
9	indiv	fuji apples
1	whole	seedless watermelon
2	indiv	peaches
1	pt	blueberries
2	indiv	baking potatoes
1	indiv	sweet potato
11	indiv	fuji apples
7	indiv	bananas
2	lbs	strawberries
1	bunch	scallions
3	oz	baby spinach
4	indiv	peaches
2	indiv	canteloupes
1	lbs	strawberries
5	lbs	potatoes
1	indiv	sweet potato
1	indiv	onion
10	indiv	fuji apples
8	indiv	bananas
1	pt	blueberries
1	indiv	cucumber
2	indiv	plum tomatoes
1.68	lbs	grapes
1	lbs	carrots

Dairy
2	six pks	yogurt
1	blk	cream cheese
2	gallons	2% milk
1	gallons	skim milk
0.62	lbs	American cheese
2	dozen	eggs
3	gallons	2% milk
0.5	lbs	American cheese
1	gallons	skim milk
2	bags	Kraft shdredded cheddar
3	dozen	eggs
1	lbs	American cheese
2	gallons	skim milk
3	gallons	2% milk
1	twenty-eight pk	mini baybel cheese

Bread
1	loaf	whole wheat sandwich bread
1	bag	TJs mini bagels
2	loaves	ficelle
1	loaf	whole wheat sandwich bread
1	8pk	hamburger buns
1	loaf	whole wheat sandwich bread
1	loaf	whole wheat sandwich bread
Canned/Jarred
1	can	refired beans
6	cans	canned salmon
Staples
1	bottle	vegetable oil
1	bag	flour
1	pkt	taco seasoning
2	lbs	brown rice
1	lbs	lentils
4	boxes	multigrain cheerios
1	boxes	Aunt Jemima pancake mix

Misc
1	bag	potato chips
1	bag	potato chips
1	bag	tortilla chips
2	boxes	Bandaids
1	tube	neosporin
1	indiv	first aid kit
1	pack	panty liners
1	jar	cream of tartar
4	boxes	fruit roll ups
4	boxes	strawberry yogurt granola bars
1	bag	potato chips

Household
2	12pks	toilet paper
1	8pk	Bounty paper towels
Baby
3	tubes	Desitin
8	pks	baby wipes
Frozen
2	bags	Orange chicken
1	bg	Disney chicken nuggets
1	bg	waffle fries
3	lg	Red Baron pizzas

In the last 3 months we've averaged just over $250 a month for groceries. Much better than the $523 we spent in the month of April alone. In these 3 months we've submitted $204 in mail in rebates based on the groceries purchased. After calculating the mail in rebate savings, it brings our 3 month average down to $186 per month.

CVS 8/2-8/8

2009-08-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

There's finally a great week to write about at CVS!

Lots of opportunities for deals and money making this week.

New CVS coupons came out today and they are yours for the asking at the pharmacy counter. Just ask about the Rapid Refill coupon booklet. There are $25 worth of coupons in it (including two $4/20 purchase coupons and a $3/12 eye care purchase.)

In today's ad they list TONS of free after ECB school supplies. Even if you don't need them, I'm sure a local school does, so please buy them to donate if you can't use them. These are all part of the 3 day sale. No ECBs will print for these after Tuesday.

Caliber 10 Pk Pencils 99¢ - 99¢ ECB
Caliber Academic Book Covers $.99 - $.99 ECB
Poly Portfolio 49¢ - 49¢ ECB
Caliber 20 ct Pens 99¢ - 99¢ ECB
Caliber Academic Scissors $2.99 - $2.99 ECB
Caliber Academic Compass/Protractor $1.50 - $1.50 ECB
Caliber Academic Flexi Ruler 99¢ - 99¢ ECB
Caliber Note/Glue stick/Pen Eraser 99¢ - 99¢ ECB
Caliber.CVS 1 subject notebook 99¢ - 99¢ ECB

Blink tears: $7.99, earn $7.99 ECB. (limit 1) In today's Red Plum there is a $3 off any Blink product = $4 money maker!

Softsoap Nutri Serums body wash: $4.99, earn $4 ECB. Go to www.coupons.com and use the zip code 45435 to print two $2 off any soft soap body wash coupons. $1 money maker! The ad says limit 1, but currently the receipts are showing that the actual limit is 5.

Stay free pads: $5 each but part of a promo where you spend $10 you get $5 in ECB. There's a BOGO free coupon in the 6/28 SS which makes the 2 packs of pads free after ECB.

Skippy Peanut Butter and Hellmans Mayo: Spend $10, get $5 ECB. Skippy is $2 and the mayo is $3. There are $1/2 coupons for both the peanut butter and the mayo in today's paper. Spend $8, get $5 in ECBs back, so you only end up spending $3 for 2 jars of peanut butter and 2 jars of mayo.

Electrasol Finish Tabs: $4.50 each, spend $20 earn $10 ECB. I told you about this deal a few weeks back so you could get your coupons ready for it! $2.50 coupons were in the $7/12 SS.

Some possible scenarios using the $4/20 pharmacy coupons:

2 skippy
2 hellmans mayo
2 stay free pads
=$20
use $4/20
$1/2 skippy
$1/2 hellmans
stayfree BOGO
=$9 oop, earn $10 extra care bucks. $1 money maker.

1 blink eye drops
2 softsoap body wash
1 free after ecb scissors
=20.96
use $4/20
$3 blink
2 $2 softsoap
=$9.96 oop earn $18.98 ECB. $9.02 money maker

5 boxes of Electrasol tabs at $4.50 each = $22.50
use $4/20
- 5 $2.50 coupons
=$6 oop, earn $10 ECB. $4 money maker.

2 part scenario:
part 1
1 pack Pampers
$10worth of free after ECB school supplies
= $20
use $4/20
use $1/1 pampers from today's P&G
=$15 oop, earn the $10 in ECBS from the school supplies

part 2
1 pack of pampers
$10 worth of free after ECB school supplies
= $20
use $4/20
use $1/1 pampers from today's P&G
=$15 oop, earn $15 in ecbs ($10 from school supplies, $5 from buying 2 Pampers)
so you yield 2 packs of Pampers and $20 worth of school supplies for $5 oop.

Free Multigrain Cheerios at Giant or Stop and Shop

2009-07-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

Multigrain Cheerios are on sale 4 for $6 when you buy 4 boxes this week at Giant and Stop and Shop. Print out 4 $.75/1 coupons from here, here or here and they double to make 4 boxes of Multigrain Cheerios for free.

(Make sure you hit "back" after the coupon prints once so you can print it a second time.)

Free Chocolate Friday!

2009-07-31T06:05:00.001-07:00

Don't forget! It's free chocolate Friday again!

Get your free chocolate each Friday (while supplies last) from M&M/Mars as part of their "Real Chocolate Relief Act".

Click here every Friday morning through September for a chance to get a coupon for your favorite Mars product: M&M’s, Snickers, Dove, 3 Muskateers, Twix, or Milky Way. Limit 250,000 coupons per Friday!

Free $15 Toys R Us gift card w/ pampers purchase

2009-07-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

2 day super sale at Toys R Us and Babies R Us

July 31 and August 1 only

Purchase 2 boxes of Pampers Diapers and get a $15 Toys R Us gift Card

Details here

The Thursday Edition of Whittle Down Wednesday--the junk drawer!

2009-07-30T06:51:00.001-07:00

The junk drawer. It's been on "my list" forever. My husband's been asking me to clear it out--and yet--I've kept putting it off. I finally tackled the job today, and you know what. Actually clearing it out wasn't bad at all! I could have saved myself all the dread it and the mental weight of it on me if I had just done it weeks ago!

I think every household has at least one junk drawer--where everything ends up that you're just not quite sure what to do with it. My challenge for y'all today is to take 15 minutes to work on it today!

Here's my before (scary!):
and after:

Betty Crocker Free Gluten Free Baking Mix

2009-07-30T05:53:00.001-07:00

Lots of people seem to have gluten free diets now and it seems Betty Crocker has gotten on the bandwagon! If you have someone in your home with a gluten free diet you can call and get a coupon for a free gluten free mix. ($4 value).

Here's how to get it:

1) Call 1-800-446-1898 (General Mills Customer service) and select option #4 on the main menu.

2) Tell the representative you are interested in the gluten free baking products coupons.

3) He/she will ask you questions about your family--if anyone is gluten free, how many family members, where you normally shop and your address.

If you want to see if the Gluten Free Products are available to you, click here for a product locator.

Thank you to Tomorrow's Plight for the head's up.

Time Saving Tuesday - Make a Menu Binder

2009-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Make a Menu Binder

I've only been menu planning for a few months, but when I follow a plan my time spent thinking about, shopping for, and preparing meals is significantly reduced!

Leslie at Menu Maker Mom has a step by step plan for creating a make-a-menu binder. (Scroll to the bottom of the link to see step one). Leslie's outline begins with you collecting a list of family favorites by asking each member for their list of favorites. Next you compile the favorites into categories, beef, chicken, meatless, etc. Then you compare your list of meal ideas with what you have in the freezer, if you don't have anything in the freezer Leslie has you go to your grocery store ad. This is a tremendous help to the meal budget as you are making use of what you already have on hand or you are purchasing the loss leader meats from the sale flyer.

Leslie plan has you print out a blank calendar where you will fill in family activities and your meal plan. If you will be out at the soccer field for 3 practices on a given night you will probably be packing a picnic dinner (and avoiding the drive thru). Leslie's plan was a tremendous help to me. With eight children and many different activites in the evenings I was able to step back and see who was going to be at the table on a given night and what time dinner should be prepared so as many of us as possible could dine together. Before her plan I can remember putting dinner on the table right after 3 people had left and realizing that if I'd only scheduled dinner 30 minutes earlier we could have had a "family" meal.

I am still making my binder. I have so many recipes to go through and categorize. I am looking forward to having a completed Make a Menu Binder (by Christmas at least!). Check out Leslie's blog and make your 4 o'clock hour an easy one!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-07-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Popcorn chicken, mac-n-cheese, corn/peas and cantaloupe.

Monday: Caribbean Jerk Chicken, black bean corn salsa, mashed potatoes
Recipe from Good Seasonings Casual Entertaining cook book:
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground thyme 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 2 1/2 pounds chicken breasts

Mix all ingredients except chicken in small bowl until well blended. 
Pour dressing over chicken; cover.  Refrigerate 1 hour to marinate.  Drain; discard dressing mixture.
Place on greased grill over hot coals or on rack of broiler pan 5-7 inches
from heat.  Cook till cooked thru. (I top mine with a spritz of lime juice.)

Salsa:
1 can drained black beans
1 cup rinsed frozen corn
1/4 chopped red pepper
1 tsp Good Seasonings Italian dressing mix
1 T lime juice
Mix together and chill

Tuesday: Burrito Pie, carrots, peaches
BURRITO PIE aka Mexican lasagna 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 onion, chopped 2 teaspoons minced garlic 6-7 (6 inch) flour tortillas 1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce 1 (16 ounce) can black beans 2 cups shredded Colby cheese 1 (10 ounce) can diced tom. w/ green chiles 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat. Mix in the tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco sauce and beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. 3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then a layer (2 cups) of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese (another bag=2 cups). 4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

Wednesday: Cold Tuna Casserole served on a lettuce leaf with wedges of tomato and cucumber and potato chips on the side. Cooked macaroni noodles, drained tuna, mayo celery seed, minced onion, parsley flakes, shredded carrots, pickle juice (If I have any). Chill for a few hours before serving.

Thursday: Burgers and nachos

Friday: Cheese pizzas on the grill, salads

Saturday: Ham and cheese stromboli, carrots, fruit (supposed to have last week, but we were invited to a friend's house for dinner instead!)

As always, visit Org Junkie for more meal ideas!

Menu Plan Monday - 8isGreat

2009-07-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday - Leftovers, lots of them!
Monday - Chicken Cacciatore, salad, bread
Tuesday - Golden Pork Chops, rice, corn (pork - season boneless pork chops with salt & pepper, dip in 1 beaten egg, coat with cracker crumbs, brown in olive oil. When golden add 2 cups milk (almost enough to cover meat, place in oven preheated to 350. Bake 45-60 min. until milk is almost cooked away, spoon juices over meat.)
Wednesday - Mexican Stuffed Shells, black beans, refried beans
Thursday- Ranch chicken fingers, egg noodles, beans
Friday - homemade mac n cheese, stewed tomatoes, peas
Saturday - cheese burgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, chips

Food Lion $200 sweepstakes

2009-07-25T04:09:00.000-07:00

Food Lion is giving away $200 worth of FL brand pantry products each week. There are two weeks left in this promotion. Register here for a chance to win.

Need help finding the sippy cups at Target?

2009-07-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

I posted earlier this week about the Playtex sippy cups that are $1.68 a Target right now.

Want to know if a store in your area has any in stock?

Go here: http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/mobile.jsp
Enter the DCPI in the space provided (030052357) and hit enter.
Click on Infant and Toddler.
Click Find it at a Target Store.
Type in your zip code.

If it says "available" and when you get to the store you can't find any, ask the team member to type in the DCPI number (030052357) for you to see if they might be in the stock room instead.