Free for my Family

Get Ready for Back to School Shopping Tomorrow!

2010-07-31T16:05:00.002-05:00

Boys and Girls, It's Time!
Get your backpacks ready because it's time to fill 'em up! Not heading back to school? Please take advantage of the sales and donate the items to a local school or give as a gift to the teacher in your life.

Here's a breakdown of the "deals and steals" in the DFW area starting August 1st:

At Walgreens you can find a 10 pack of pencils for 9 cents, 6 pack of Papermate Highlighters for 19 cents, and index cards (100 pack, 3x5) for only 29 cents. Sophie still needs highlighters and index cards, so we will be there bright and early to take advantage of this deal!
You can also get Sharpie Markers for 50 cents (limit 4), pocket folders with prongs for 6 for a dollar(a little over 16 cents each) - limit 12, Fiskars scissors for 79 cents - limit 3.
If you use Register Rewards or Mail in Rebates, you can also get the following items for FREE (minus tax) at Walgreens this week:
Crayola Washable Markers (8 pack Classic/20 pack Super Tip) - $3.00 with a $3.00 mail in rebate (LIMIT ONE)
Crayola Crayons 24 pack $1.00 with a $1.00 Register Rewards (good at Walgreens on next purchase). Limit ONE.
(Walgreens also has some other FREE items using Register Rewards this week, so you can get some great deals on other products while you are Back to School Shopping.)

At Office Depot you can find 6' protractors for 5 cents, limit 3; extra tough Poly Pocket Folders for 25 cents, limit 5, and 10 pack of pens for 25 cents as well, limit 3. If you spend 10.00 then you can get a FREE backpack, limit 2 per household/business. They also have a 2 pack of 5" scissors for 99 cents, limit 3 and a 4 pack of glue sticks for 99 cents.

At Target you can get colored pencils (12 pack)and crayons (24 pack) for 50 cents (that's total, you buy the pencils and get the crayons FREE). You can also get larger 4x6 index cards for 50 cents and 1" binders for 50 cents as well. Rulers,glue bottles, pencil sharpeners and 2packs of pink erasers are 20 centrs
Then you can head over to Staples and grab some dry erase markers (Bic), 4 pack for 1.00! I am hoping that their ad has other great deals as well, but their "sneak peak" didn't show anything else exciting.

Going Organic - Local Helpers

2010-06-14T19:20:00.002-05:00

I have found some local help recently in my quest to get healthier by going organic. One of my newest favorite places is Homestead Farms in Keller, TX. You can find them on Facebook even!
At Homestead Farms you will find raw grade A goat milk, goat cheese, grass fed beef, all natural pork, and seasonal produce. I have personallly tried their pork breakfast sausage as well as their grass fed beef and both were excellent. Sophie and I also got 2 t-shirts with the Homestead Farm "motto" - Know your Farm Know Your Food We love wearing them!
But I am most excited about the community events and classes that are offered through Homestead Farms.

For example:
Kids Summer Club
Farm Fun for ages 5 and up!! The second and fourth Thursdays of the Summer, 7pm-8:30. Your kids can hang out at Homestead Farms in the evenings and help with chores, feed baby goats, play games, help in the garden and maybe even do a few horticulture experiments! Every week will be a little bit different and you can come to all or one. $10 per session, No sign up necessary just show up (eat first) wearing closed toe shoes, and old clothes.

June 24 7pm-8:30
July 8 and 22 7pm-8:30
August 12 and 26 7pm-8:30

I am also signed up for 2 activities this summer.
I am going to a cooking class focused on seasonal produce. The class is for Adults only on Tuesday June 29, 7pm and is $10/ person. Space is limited and you must reserve your spot by e-mailing Sarah at sfarris@homestead-farms.net
The other class is on Worm Composting! It is on Saturday, June 26 10:30am. Check out the website www.wormbincomposting.com/wormcompostingclassdfw.html for more information on the class. I really hope some of you come to these classes!

They are also doing a "cleanup day" on June 17th from 7pm until dark. Sounds like a great time to meet like-minded citizens. I'm there!

I really hope you go by Homestead Farms and see for yourself what this great little farm has to offer. And I do hope to see some of you at either the cooking class, worm composting class, or clean-up!

http://www.expotv.com/raf/granthamkk

2010-05-20T19:15:00.001-05:00

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Nestlé Pure Life. Take the Pledge.

2010-05-16T19:44:00.000-05:00

Nestlé Pure Life. Take the Pledge.

Congrats to.......

2010-05-16T16:10:00.002-05:00

Comment #5 - JJC who is a Free For My Family Follower!

I will email JJC so that her Prize can be on its way!

Here is the info from the "random number generator"

5

Random numbers generated May 16 2010 at 16:9:46 by www.psychicscience.org

Soleil 100 Days

2010-05-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

Soleil 100 Days: "There are thousands of fun, sharable prizes in the BIC® Soleil® 100 Days of Sunshine promotion. Join now! www.FeelTheSoleil.com"

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change? - Sign the Petition

2010-05-11T13:07:00.000-05:00

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change? - Sign the Petition

You Know You've Watched Food Inc. If....

2010-05-11T12:51:00.004-05:00

Observations From My Daily Life:

You Know You've Watched Food Inc. If...

1. You find organic milk and eggs on sale and seriously consider buying a freezer to hold it all. (notice the photo - and we already had 1.5 gallons of milk in the fridge)
2. Your love for Heinz ketchup is beginning to cause an inner moral dilemma.
3. You know who Monsanto is and you don't like them.
4. You start a backyard garden with "heirloom seeds" and you've never even grown a flower before.
5. You try to convince your children that grilled veggies go better with burgers than potato chips.
6. You attempt to make your own laundry detergent.
7. You think a composter or rain barrel makes a nice Mother's Day/Anniversary/Birthday gift.
8. You can drive by Sonic or McDonalds and NOT want to pull in and get something.
9. You try to come up with ways to teach your dog NOT to chase/kill birds so that you can have a few chickens.
10. You read the labels on products before you purchase them (and often put them back on the shelf).

Please feel free to leave a comment and add to this list (can be funny, serious, etc.)

Gardening - My new hobby

2010-05-09T13:04:00.004-05:00

As many of my readers know, I have started a backyard garden. Yes, the Grantham family is going "Green". I finally got the family to watch Food, Inc. and encourage you to do so if you haven't already watched it. At the very least it will make you aware of things, and hopefully encourage you to change.
My husband is now on board with buying grass-fed beef and organic milk and eggs!

So, our garden started to see what we could do to be healthier and also allows us to know exactly where our food comes from and what is in it. Sophie really wants to raise chickens now, but we have explained that the two dogs (a golden retriever and a catahoula leopard) enjoy chasing and eating flying feathered creatures.

Here's an update on the garden:
We had our first "infestation" issue. I am posting pictures and would love it if you could help me figure out what it is. I've tried some EcoSmart spray and ladybugs, in the hopes that it is aphids or mites. There's also a "black" powder-like substance on my peppers.

BUT - I have my FIRST tomato!!!! Yes, like a proud mother, I am posting pictures of it's growth! Will it last? Will the birds eat it? I don't know. But I am grateful for the small green orb that is in my garden right now.

This year is a learning experience, and that's just what I am doing.

My First Giveaway: Yoplait Greek Yogurt and "Inner goddess" package

2010-05-09T11:41:00.005-05:00

Recently MyBlogSpark invited me to try out Yoplait's new Greek Yogurt line. They sent me two coupons for the Yoplait Greek Yogurt single cups as well as an "Inner goddess" package that includes a divine bath wrap (think luxurious towel that wraps perfectly around your body!), as well as slippers, sponges, and various scrubbers.

I tried the new Yoplait Greek Yogurt and really like the taste. I chose strawberry, but my local store also carried blueberry, honey, and plain. I plan on trying the honey flavored next!

Click here to download a .30 coupon and try some Yoplait Greek Yogurt today!

Would you like to win an Inner goddess package from Yoplait and MyBlogSpark? I am so excited to be able to hold this giveaway on my site!

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment telling me what flavor you are most interested in trying, or which flavor you like the most if you have already tried the new Yoplait Greek Yogurts. This is the first MANDATORY entry.

Want Bonus Entries?
"Follow my blog" publicly using the "follow" button at the top of this webpage. This is worth TWO bonus entries (Be sure to leave a comment twice stating you are now a public follower or are already a public follower)

Leave a comment on one of my other blog posts - this is worth one extra entry.

PLEASE leave an email address in your comment so I can contact you ( I always use this format to avoid spamming issues: myaddress(at)domain(dot)com

This giveaway ends on May 15th at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (U.S.) and is only open to residents of the U.S.
I will randomly select a winner using http://www.psychicscience.org/random.aspx
I will contact the winner on Sunday evening/night and the winner has 48 hrs. to respond.
In the event that the winner does not leave contact information or does not respond, another number will be drawn.

Good luck to all!

Please Note:
Yoplait Yogurt with MyBlogSpark provided me with 2 coupons for free Yoplait Greek Yogurt cups, an "inner goddess" package just like the one the winner of this giveaway will receive, as well as information, photos, and links about Yoplait Greek yogurt and this promotion.
Potential Winners: Due to different state rules/regulations,*This coupon offer for a free cup of Yoplait Greek yogurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Tennessee.

EcoSmart Giveaway at A Simple Kinda Life

2010-05-07T11:59:00.001-05:00

Well, it happened! I looked in my garden and there were buggies! I am still trying to determine what type, though I am confident one of my problems is aphids.
Sophie, my daughter, and I headed over to Home Depot because we simply didn't have time to "make our own" insect spray.
We looked at the labels and decided to go with EcoSmart. It was a great lesson for her, because the other non-organic products all said you had to wait weeks to pick/eat the food. They also had large labels saying they were toxic to wildlife. Sophie said "Mom, we're Wildlife!".
I sprayed it on and am hoping for the best!

In the meantime, head over TODAY and enter to win your won set of EcoSmart products. Of course, I hope to win the Plant and Garden set. What do you want to win?

This givewaway is sponsored by A Simple Kinda Life and ends tonight (5/07)

Good Luck

Backyard Gardening - A New Adventure Every Day

2010-05-05T14:52:00.005-05:00

This weekend I went to my local Home Depot with my husband to pick up some cedar mulch and a few more plants for the garden. While I was there I also looked around at their organic/eco-friendly insect sprays for the garden. The prices were higher and there were several brands. I looked over the ingredients. 99 percent was water - this is comparable to the chemical poision sprays as well. The rest were minute amounts of various herbal oils, including rosemary, thyme, and peppermint.
Being the "frugal farmer" that I am (lol) I immediately started thinking "I can make this!". I went to my local bargain book store (Half Price Books) and found two books on backyard organic gardening. Today I had time to do a quick search on the web and found several helpful sites that explain how to make your own garden insect repellant.
Here are my favorite "recipes"/ideas I found online:

Comfy Country Creations in the garden has many different ideas for keeping the bugs out of your garden. I plan to try the herbal sprays.
Golden Harvest Organics has a great article on "Companion Planting"

Of course, you can always purchase products pre-made, such as the ones I saw at Home Depot. And I DO recommend this if you:
don't need a lot (you'll pay just as much for the oils to make your own, especially if you only make one or two batches)
don't have the time/patience

EcoSmart has a Garden Insect Killer that includes rosemary, peppermint, thyme, and clove. It claims to repell against garden insects and mites at all stages (egg, larvae, and adult). You can purchase the plant and garden value bundle for only 26.00, and includes 4 different products - Weed and grass killer, fungicide, insect repellant, garden insect killer.

Right now I don't have a bug problem, but I want to be prepared if it occurs. Please let me know if you have heard of any great "home-made" solutions or have tried a product and love it!

Great Grocery Deals This Week!

2010-05-05T13:49:00.002-05:00

Well, the weather in Texas is already acting like it summer, with the thermometer reaching 90 degrees. The grocery stores around here seem to be following Mother Nature's lead and offerin some "hot" deals on great spring/summer items as well as pantry staples.

At Sprouts you will find an AMAZING deal on corn - 10 ears for 2.00! I would hurry over there or call ahead to make sure they have some - last week when I went on Sat. they were already out and the new shipment had not yet arrived. Seedless watermelons are 1.99 - and since the ones I planted are still less than 4 inches tall, I hope these taste as good as they look. You can also find great prices on cucumbers (49 cents each) and tomatos (4lbs for $5.)** If you go today (Wed.) and take advantage of the "double ad" sale, then cucumbers will still only be 39 cents each
Their chicken and pork are both on sale for $1.97lb.

You can then head over to Albertsons and stock up on Kellogg's cereals this week. They have all of my kids's favorites on sale for 1.29 each (BEFORE coupons). You can choose from Rice Krispies,Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, or Cinnabon cereal. You can also get Borden's Single Sensations Cheese slices for only $1.00 after in-store coupon. Parkay Margarine and Skinner pastas are both on sale for 1.00 as well(without coupons). They are also having a good sale on lean ground beef (but it is not grass fed/organic).
Kroger seems to be having a "regular" week - but the following deals may appeal to your family:
Gatorade singles 79cents
Sunny Delight 1.00 each
Mission Flour Tortillas 1.00 each (great price to stock up/freezer cook with)
1b Organic Strawberries 2.97 - I would get these IF they look better than the ones I have been seeing - lately they've not been looking too good or lasting too long.

SPECIAL POSTING - NEW STORES NOT PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED
Central Market - They are having a great sale on their organic Gala apples - 1.49lb!!! The rest of the specials are still too pricey for me, and dont' mention that the foods are organic/grass-fed/etc.

Smelly Washer Giveaway - Great Product

2010-05-05T10:36:00.002-05:00

There are several natural washing products around right now, and one of my favorites is called Smelly Washer. There is a giveaway going on at A Simple Kinda Life where you can win a bottle to try out for yourself! I would LOVE to win this!

Go to A Simple Kinda Life and explore Smelly Washer, then enter your comment for your cance to win. You have until tonight - so hurry!

Episencial Product Giveaway at Burkett Blessings

2010-04-27T13:52:00.001-05:00

Head on over to Burkett Blessing and enter the Episencial product giveaway. It ends tonight (April 27th) at 9:00 - so you've only got a few more hours to enter.

The prize is 4 different Episencial products: Protective Face Balm, Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath, Better Body Butter, and Playful Foaming Wash. I would be most excited to try out the Protective Face Balm and the Bubble Bath (though the body butter sounds wonderful as well!).

Hurry on over and don't forget to leave a comment if you win!

Win a Sonic Alarm Clock - very few entrants

2010-04-26T13:47:00.002-05:00

I found a great website - The Giveaway Gallery - don't you LOVE the name?
As you all know, I have won several great things lately by participating in other blog giveaways. Just lask week I won an amazing organic sunscreen lotion set (and tried it out this weekend, smells awesome!) as well as a shirt for my youngest!

You can go to The Giveaway Gallery to win a Sonic Alarm Clock. There are less than 20 entries right now - so good luck to you!

This giveaway ends tonight (April 26th) at 11:59.

Kroger Deals for 4/21-27

2010-04-22T14:41:00.002-05:00

Here are the "best" deals (for my family and I) this week at Kroger. Remember that the Kroger in my area (DFW area in TX) will triple the value of coupons up to and including 39 cents and will double the value of coupons between 40 cents and 50 cents. This makes for great savings.
You can also find "loadable" coupons at www.cellfire.com and www.shortcuts.com
(Some people have said that they can't use loadables with paper, but I haven't noticed/checked, however I do plan to try it out this weekend and I will let you know)

4 Rolls of Angel Soft Bath Tissue - check for coupons, you might be able to get free Bath tissue!!

Country Crock Buttery Spreads - 1.00 each coupon here for .40 off (will double to .80), you pay only .20 each!

Dial Hand Soap - 1.00 each, FREE after using .35 coupon from March 7th Newspaper.

Green Giant Boxed Veggies - 1.00 each, can get FREE or CHEAP using coupons - check Cellfire, coupons.com, smartsource.com for online/printable coupons - there are LOTS out there.

Weekly Deals (not part of 10 for 10 deals)

Borden Milk is at a great price fo $3.79 - use the 1.00 off coupon from previous newspaper or go here for a .75 coupon.

Purex Laundry detergent is on sale for 2.50 - use the .35 coupon from last week's paper (4/18) and pay only 1.45!
http://www.purexsavesgreen.com/ - you can also use this site to get a .50 coupon for Purex.

Soft Sole Shoe Giveaway - Ends tonight!

2010-04-22T13:04:00.002-05:00

There is a great giveaway going on right now and it ends today (April 22nd) - Earth Day! (You will also find today is the deadline/final day for a LOT of giveaways in honor of Earth Day).
The Giveaway is for a pair of Soft Sole Shoes
This giveaway has very few entries right now (less than 35), so your odds are VERY good. The blog offering the giveaway is called Mom of All Trades

I am entering this giveaway because the shoes will be perfect for my Callie - and she does need some new shoes.

Happy Earthday and don't forget - let me know if you win!

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Slimpressions Giveaway from The Write Gal

2010-04-20T12:40:00.003-05:00

Slimpressions is a great company that offers slimming undergarments in a variety of styles for all body types that need lift,tuck, or gentle reshape. Their styles come in nude or black and offer support for the upper, middle, and/or lower body.

At the Write Gal blog, you can win your own Slimpressions garment ( your choice!) AND you can find a discount code to save 25 percent if you want to purchase!

Hurry - this giveaway ends tonight (April 20th)!

Mud Gardening Gloves Giveaway on Sweeps4Blogers!

2010-04-20T10:23:00.002-05:00

Sweep4Bloggers is giving away 2 pairs of gardening gloves! These aren't your ordinary gloves either. They are really cool and specially designed for light gardening/outdoor work and heavier outdoor work. They are both from the company "Mud Glove". Remember, there will be FIVE winners!

Good luck to all , and dont' forget to enter today because this giveaway ends tonight(Tuesday, April 20th)

24 Hour Giveaway at Coupon Geek!

2010-04-19T16:53:00.003-05:00

You can win an amazing package from Yoplait Greek Yogurt at Coupon Geek!
It's a 24 hour giveaway, so you have to hurry!
You can win the Yoplait Greek Yogurt Goddess pack - offered by Coupon Geek and MyBlogSpark (a great site).

The giveaway ends tomorrow at 2:30 (Central time).

Good Luck to all and let me know if you win!!!

A Great Giveaway Site and a Great Giveaway!

2010-04-19T13:16:00.004-05:00

Sweeps4bloggers.com is a great site where you can find numerous giveaways! Best of all, there giveaways are usually really easy to enter and they often offer ton of bonus entries,which increase your chances of winning.

Today (Moday, 4/19) you can win a "Your Name University" t-shirt from Yournameuniversity.com

Do you like how my shirt will look if I win?

I just entered and hope you do too! Let me know if you win!

Free "Freakin Clean" T-Shirt

2010-04-19T11:58:00.002-05:00

You can grab a free blue t-shirt from the Company Cognitive Data, Inc. You can pick the size and which slogan you want on the front and back of the shirt. Just go here and fill out the form.
Cognitive Data works in data accuracy and helps company reach their customers better.

Tonic HairCare Products Giveaway (ends 4/19)

2010-04-19T11:43:00.002-05:00

I am sure you are noticing that I am linking you up with a lot of great giveaways. I just want to remind you what I have won recently on blog giveaways:
Earrings - won this weekend!
Kellogg's Fiber Plus bars
Peeled Fruit Variety Pack
KidsCraft Rocket Ship
Zhu Zhu Pet
The Autism book
Skelanimals gift pack

This giveaway ends tonight (April 19th) - to make sure I don't "double enter" and to keep track of what I have entered already, I always enter on the last day.
This giveaway is for some quality hair products from Tonic. The Tonic line is eco-friendly as well as hair friendly! And the line looks like it will make you feel and look young and vibrant :)

Just go to Simply Being Mommy and sign up for the Tonic Giveaway.

Another great Giveaway ends Monday night!

2010-04-19T10:26:00.001-05:00

There is a great giveaway being held at Penny Pinching Penguin! It's for a personalized name t-shirt by Holly Designs. I really want to win this, especially since the little girl in the photo is wearing a shirt that says Callie, and that's my almost-3 year old's name!

There are less than 50 entries right now, so your chances are good!

Good luck, and remember that it ends TONIGHT (MONDAY the 19th). Just click on the link above to get there!

Great Giveaway ENDS TONIGHT!

2010-04-16T15:00:00.001-05:00

There is an exciting giveaway that ends tonight (April 16th)

It is being hosted by THATSIT Mommy(The Adventures That Star Izzy and Teagan)Mommy

The blog (which is amazing) is giving away some diapers, training pants, or youth sleep overs from First Quality. You can choose which one you want if you win (I am going for the training pants, since Callie still needs something at night).

Go enter right now - it ends tonight!

I have had a lot of success entering giveaways lately - so I can tell you it works.
Here are some of the things I have won from blog giveaways this year (in the past 3 months)

ZhuZhu pet hamster
Skeleanimals penguin and book
Peeled Fruits Assortment (dried fruits)
KidsCraft Rocket
The Autism Book
Kellogg's FiberPlus Bars

GO Enter and let me know if you win!

2010-04-15T13:28:00.000-05:00

http://www.expotv.com/raf/granthamkk

2010-04-02T15:58:00.001-05:00

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Why Organic Milk is So Important

2010-04-02T12:53:00.005-05:00

As most of you know, I am making a slow (i.e. realistic for my budget) switch to "greener" foods and products.
When money IS something that has to be considered, there are certain items that you should buy organic first. I have explained previously that one of the first things you can do is buy the "Dirty Dozen" (fruits and veggies) organic when available. The cost difference is minimal and the taste and health differences are astounding.
The next switch I suggest making is in organic/"green" dairy products. There are two reasons for this switch and both are very compelling.
1. Health reasons: Organic milk is, according to most research, "healthier" because it has more Omega 3, more vitamins, antioxidants, and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid - which helps the body reduce body fast and increase lean muscle mass). Some also consider organic milk healthier because the cows have not been exposed to antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides. Some studies suggest that the levels of antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides in milk are so low (or non-existant) that they do not and cannot cause a health problem. But, when given a choice, would you want water that has been polluted and THEN cleaned, or water that was kept clean the entire time? Which sounds tastier?

2. Humane reason: one reason many people go "green" for their white (or chocolate) milk has everything to do with how the cows who produced the milk are treated. National Organic Standards state that dairy cows must be given the ability to move, proper shelter/housing, food, medical care/treatment, the opportunity to go outdoors, etc.

Still not convinced? The Organic Consumers Association wrote an excellent article on the 7 Reasons Why Kds Should Drink Organic Milk.
Once you have decided to purchase organic milk, there are several brand option to choose from.
Organic Valley sells a wide range of products. You can use their website to locate a store nearby that sells their products. (A local Wal-mart sells it near me!)
Horizon Dairy can be found at most grocery stores in our area(Southern states)and also produces milk and other dairy products, such as yogurt.
Many grocery stores, including Kroger, have their own organic dairy line.
I personally love Borden's Organic Milk line (it comes from Texas and who doesn't love Elsie the cow?)

Organic milk can/will usually cost more.But you can find great deals. Horizon and Borden both offer coupons. And recently Albertsons had a promotion on their cereal, whch included 3 coupons for free milk (up to 4.19). I have used those free milk coupons to get Horizon milk and still be able to get it either very cheap (less than 1.00) or free after using a Horizon coupon as well.

I love this cost comparsion made by a fellow blogger, Thankfully Thrifty.
So, what is your favorite brand of milk? Do you still drink milk or just use it in cooking?

Deals at Kroger Next week.

2010-03-30T19:00:00.004-05:00

Based on the "sales" of the other regions, here is what I 'hope' tomorrows ad will show us:

Pillsbury grands biscuts on sale for .98 - with a printout if you buy 4,5,or 6. Buy 4 and get $2 off on your next purchase at Kroger, 5 you get $3, and 6 you get $4. Combine this with coupons and you get FREE biscuts! (and these are the 8 count, the BIG ones)

I can't believe it's not butter - on sale for .98 - there are several coupons for anywhere between 80 cents and 1.00 off, so you can get some cheap or free margarine!

Select Post cereals, 4 for $6, use coupons and get a great deal on cereal, possibly even free!
Betty Crocker cake mix is 1.00 - so you can get this free as well!
Birds Eye frozen veggies are also 1.00 - more free frozen veggies!
Hunts Ketchup should be on sale as well for around 1.00 and maybe even Kraft BBQ sauce too!

Ready to Win Something?

2010-03-26T14:38:00.003-05:00

I don't know of a better way to start the weekend than by playing a few instant win games. There are an abundance of them online right now. My "motto" is that I am bound to win something at some point!

Here are some of my favorite current online instant win games:

The following games can be "played" daily, so make sure to visit every day!
Hellman's Real Food Project Online Game - you can instantly win cookbooks, a portable grill, and, of course, Hellman's Mayonaise! While you are there you can also print a coupon for 1.00 off any 2 Hellman's Light products.

Mimi's Cafe, which has a location in Fort Worth, is holding it's own online sweepstakes. You can instantly win gift cards to Mimi's as well as enter for the grand prize (a trip to France!). This contest is only open in states with a Mimi's Cafe: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Utah and Virginia.
Epson Printers are also holding their own Sweepstakes with instant prizes (like a $25 iTunes giftcard) or a grand prize of $50,000!
Troybilt is hosting a great giveaway for the Spring season! It's called I love my Dream Backyard! Find the I love my Dream Backyard button and follow the links to this page.
Hyundai is hosting the Urban Adventure Giveaway. Just look at the bottom of the page where it says "play to win $100 instantly". This is a WEEKLY game - so you can only enter once a week.

First Shopping Trip to Aldi

2010-03-23T19:14:00.003-05:00

I finally went to Aldi today to purchase groceries. I was really glad to see the great deals were still available!
Here's what I found:
10 lbs of Russet potatoes for 1.99
Bananas for .39 a lb!
2 green bell peppers for .99 (that's 50 cents a pepper!)
90 percent lean ground sirloin for 2.95lb.
Large eggs for 89 cents
Red Grapes for less than 1.00 a lb! (1.58 for a two lb. container!)
white bread for .69 a loaf
whole wheat bread for 1.19 a loaf!
And lots of other great deals.

In all I spent 25.54 (I had a 5.00 Aldi coupon) and got everything in the picture:
10lbs potatoes
2 packs fruit snacks
onions
bananas
pepperoni (for pizza)
green peppers
sliced cooked ham
sliced roast beef
ground sirloin (about 2.5lbs)
eggs
instant oatmeal
bananas
grapes
bread (2 loaves)

Most of what I bought are things that I don't have coupons for, like produce and meat. That's the kind of shopping I plan to do at Aldi, and I will likely stick to Kroger/Albertson's for the other things, with a trip to Sprouts for great deals there as well.

I have a goal starting next week:
$60 a week for groceries total! If I can do that, then I would like to see if I can go down lower ($40).

I have found that the more planning ahead that I do, the less it costs and the better quality foods we eat. We are eating much less pre-made and prepackaged foods. For example, tonight I made "spaghetti pizza" (my own recipe/version) instead of ordering out pizza. I used pizza dough, turkey meat, spaghetti sauce, and cheese. Yummy! It's all gone! I had all the items in the freezer/pantry already.

Great NEW Milk Promotion/Giveaway

2010-03-22T13:16:00.003-05:00

Why Milk? is having another great promotion! If you registered for Milk's recent promotion (Great Gallon Give), then you are already registered.
Just go to http://www.whymilk.com/milkthemoment/ and login daily to see if you win something instantly and you will also be entered for the Grand Prize - an unforgettable dinner experience with Tyler Florence!

Remember to enter daily and let me know if you win!

2010-03-22T10:54:00.002-05:00

Yoplait Smoothie

One full serving of fruit and an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin C
Live and active cultures
Just add milk and blend
Available in three fruit combinations: Triple Berry has strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Also, Strawberry Banana and Strawberry Mango Pineapple
A Sensational Smoothie in Seconds!

A while back PSSST General Mills sent me a coupon for a free sample of Yoplait Smoothies. Sophie and I tried the triple berry flavor. We loved the flavor, but weren't fond of the grity texture.
You can usually find them on sale for around $2.50 a package. Combine this with a 1.00 off coupon for a better deal. Each package has 2 servings.

Albertsons Market - my "favorite" of the week

2010-03-21T20:26:00.003-05:00

This week Albertson's won me over with their sales. Between the 7 boxes of cereal and 3 gallons of milk for no more than 14.00 (and that's BEFORE coupons) and the great deal on other staples, I have been their twice this week!
Today was my second time taking advantage of the cereal deal. I made this deal sweeter by using 3 coupons for 1.00 off 2 boxes of cereal as well as 3 Albertson's coupons for .25 cents off (part of the Monopoly game). So for 10.25 I was able to get 4 boxes of Apple Jacks, 2 Froot Loops, and One Frosted Flakes, as well as 3 gallons of milk (and you get to pick the brand!).
AND A BONUS - the boxes of Apple Jacks have $5.00 worth of coupons inside - 2 coupons for 1.00 off 2 Kelloggs Cereals, 1.00 off any milk, 1.00 off 3 Poptarts, and 1.00 off Dannon yogurt 4 or 8 pack! Milk coupons are hard to find - so I am very excited about these!
I also picked up 2 bottles of Sunny Delight that were on sale for 1.50 each and used a .25 coupon (tripled to .75 each). My favorite buy was the Bird's Eye frozen veggies that were free after coupons (I had 7).
I was also lucky to find the Lunchables Subs on sale for 1.67 with an in-store .50 cent coupon. This brought the price down to 1.17 and I had a 1.00 off manufaturer coupon from today's paper! I got 7 Lunchables subs for only .17 each!
At my last trip to Albertson's I also received a "code" for a free reusable bag if I completed a survey (just my opinion, no personal info asked or required).
To round out my meals for the week I picked up 2 packages of Johnsonville Beef Hot Dogs (on sale for 1.99 each), 2 packages of Hillshire Farms Polksa Kielbasa.

My "grand" total was 22.09 after coupons (and my .05 credit per bag x 3 bags for bringing my own)!

So this week we will have:
Sunday - hot dogs
Monday - fried chicken (from Sprouts, great deal at 1.97 lb)
Tuesday - Polksa Kielbasa and rice
Wednesday - Spaghetti (from freezer)
Thursday - ? (not sure, maybe leftovers, or grill out depending on weather)
The boys will be gone this weekend (Friday evening to Sunday at lunch), so I haven't decided what I am making for us girls :)

The Map by David Murrow (Book Review)

2010-03-20T22:05:00.002-05:00

Recently BookSneeze, a website/company, sent me a free copy of the book The Map - The Way of All Great Men by David Murrow.
This is Mr. Murrow's second book on the subject of men and church - specifically why men are leaving the church, or are not as involved as they have been in the past.
I have not read the first book, but it did not seem necessary to understand The Map.
The book starts out as a suspense-filled novel. You feel like you are reading Dan Brown's next best-seller. The Map begins by leading us on an adventure with David Murrow (the author) to find a long lost map that will lead men back to Christ and the Church. The first part of the book grabs your attention, and then the second part solidifies the points that Mr. Murrow is trying to make - that men don't go to church because they are not following "the map".
This book definitely got me thinking - and researching - about certain biblical events. It makes you want to go back and study Matthew.
I believe this book is a great weekend read and can help both men and women. Is there a map - yes. What does it tell you? Well, for that you will just have to read the book.

This Week's Sunday Coupon Preview

2010-03-20T17:38:00.002-05:00

I am really excited about the coupons this week!
I am listing what is in our Fort Worth Paper. Remember that if they have a T beside them I am willing to trade it, and if it has a W that means that I WANT it (if you don't).

1.00 off Smart Balance Milk carton T
1.00 off Smart Balance Sour Cream T
1.00 off Smart Balance Butter Blends Sticks T
1.00 off two Smart Balance Buttery Spreads (these often go on sale for 1.00 at local grocery stores) T
.50 off Goodlife Recipe Treats for cats W
1.00 off Goodlife Recipe Cat food T
2.00 off Pedigree dog food W
1.00 off Sundown Naturals vitamins T
1.00 off 2 packages of Rhoades bread T
1.00 off 2 Rhoades cinnamon rolls T
1.00 off 2 Success Rice products T
2.00 off Loreal Hair color T
2.00 off Loreal Everpure hair products W
1.00 off any Loreal skin care product W
1.00 off any Loreal cosmetic W
1.00 off any 8 Del Monte Canned veg,fruit W
1.00 off Goody's pain relief T
1.00 off B.C. pain relief T
10.00 off Alli 60 to 120 ct. T
1.00 off Cooking Light T
.75 off Sara Lee meat T
1.00 off 2 packs of Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage W
.50 off 2 cans of Carnation Evaporated milk W
1.00 off 2 packs of Nestle Morsels T
2.00 off Childrens Zyrtec, Zyrtec Eye Drops T
4.00 off Zyrtec Liquid Gels T
6.00 off Zyrtec T
1.00 off Ocean Spray Fruit and Veggie Juice W
.75 off Mrs. Smith's Bakery Products T
.75 off Edwards pies T
1.00 off: One A day, Bayer, Phillips, Citracal, Aleve, Aleve D, Flinstones Vitamins, NeoSynephrine T
1.00 off Kingsford Charcoal T
.25 off Van Camps Baked Beans W
1.00 off Scott Paper Towels W
1.00 off Scott Bath Tissue W
.75 off Alouette Cheese T
1.00 off Alouette Brie T
.50 off Alouette Crumbled Cheese T
1.50 off Huggies Diapers T
2.00 off Huggies Diapers T
.50 off Huggies Baby wipes W
.50 off 32 oz. Yoplait yogurt W
1.00 off 2 General Mills Cereals W
.50 off Bugles T
.50 off Yoplus T
.50 off Yoplait Delights W
.75 off 2 GoGurts T
.35 off one GoGurt W
.40 off six Yoplait yogurts T
.75 off Fiber One Muffins T
.50 off Fiber Ones Yogurt W
.50 off Cheerios Snacks T
.35 off Birds Eye C & W veggies W
.35 off Bob Evans side dishes T
2.00 off Arm and Hammer oral care W
1.50 off Crest Pro Health W
10.00 off Crest White Strips T
2.00 off New England Coffee T
.50 off Newman's Salad dressing T
.50 off Newman's sauce, salsa, popcorn, marinade T
1.00 off Pedigree Dentastix T
.35 off Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies W
1.00 off Physcians Formula Makeup W
1.00 off 2 Lays Kettle Chips T
1.00 off Oscar Meyer Lunchable W
.75 off Oscar Meyer Bacon W
.55 off Velveeta T
1.00 off Crystal Light W
1.00 off Kraft Deluxe Cheese T
1.00 off 2 Maxwell House packs T
.75 off General Foods International coffee packs T
1.00 off Starbucks coffee T
.55 off 2 Dole Fruits T
1.00 off 1 gallon of Borden Milk W
.75 off Alexia sides T
.55 off Alexia frozen foods T
1.00 off Noxema W
1.00 off St. Ives facial product W
1.00 off St. Ives body product W
1.00 off Tresemme product W
.45 off Daisy Cottage Cheese T
1.00 off Splenda T
1.00 off Finish Dishwasher Cleaner T
1.00 off 2 No Nonsense products T
.75 off Mitchum deodorant T
.50 off Reynolds Oven bags W
.75 off Reynolds Parchment paper W
.25 off 2 Reynolds Baking Cups W
3.00 off Purina Beneful Incredibites T
1.00 off 2 Windex T
1.00 off any Windex Multi-surface T
.55 off Shout T
1.50 off 2 Pledge T
1.00 off any Pledge or Armstrong floor cleaner T
3.00 off Glade holder T
1.00 off Glade refills T
1.00 off Glade fabric odor remover T
.40 off Ziploc bags W
1.00 off 2 ziploc bags T
.55 off any Ziploc container T
1.50 off 2 Ziploc containers W
.75 off Scrubbing bubbles T
5.00 off Scrubbing Bubbles Shower kit T
1.50 Scrubbing Bubbles shower refill T
1.00 off Scrubbing Bubbles Brush kit T
.75 off Scrubbing Bubbles Cleaner T
1.00 off Scrubbing Bubbles Gel T
3.00 off Ester C T
4.00 off Schick Quatro W
3.00 off any Schick razor W (really want)
.50 off Gold N soft tub W
1.50 off 2 Gold in Soft Tubs T
1.00 off 3lb bag of Healthful Life or Naturals Purina Cat chow T
.75 off Marzetti's Salad dressing T
.55 off Texas Toast Tortilla STrips T
.55 off Texas Toast croutons T
.50 off Swanson broth T
.40 off Swason broth T
.30 off French's Yellow Mustard W
.50 off French's mustard T
.50 off Mazola oil T
.85 off Reynolds Wrap W

CVS / Walgreens Deals 3/21

2010-03-19T11:25:00.003-05:00

I was looking at the Sneak Peeks of both Walgreens and CVS, and I must say that there aren't any great sales this week (in my opinion). The only possiblity is some Crest and Colgate products that might be free after coupons and rewards (at both stores).

A Six roll package of Viva paper towels is on Sale at CVS for 5.99. That's about 1.00 per roll, and for Viva is an excellent price. Viva paper towels are a great "splurge" towel, very soft and clothlike.
At CVS, you can also get Colgate Total or Sensitive free after Extra Care Bucks (pay 3.99, get 3.99 back). There are coupons for 1.00 off that can help you make a dollar on this deal. You can also get some free Crest Pro Health Rinse after coupons and extra care bucks. A similar deal is available at Walgreens as well, so if you have CVS bucks or Walgreens Rewards that expire this week, I would use them at that store. Otherwise, hold on to your cash/rewards until a better week.

"Best Green Companies" - Not quite sure...

2010-03-18T13:13:00.004-05:00

I was reading through the April 2010 Working Mother magazine(yes, it's a freebie subscription). I enjoy reading this publication and it usually has some good tips, recipes, and/or articles in it.
This month the magazine featured an article titled "Best Green Companies for America's Children". I must say that I was quite surprised by the names on the list. Here they are:
Annie's Homegrown - this one, in my opinion is a "no brainer"! Of course Annie's a great green company for kids! They make all natural, organic (and even gluten free) mac-n-cheese. (And don't forget this good stuff is on SALE at Kroger this week for 49 cents a box. That's cheaper than the Kraft version that ISN'T organic). I was pleased to find out that Annie's also funds and donates products to kids' organic gardening and education programs. The program is called "Grants for Gardents". They even give away scholarships totaling $50,00 for undergrads studying sustainable agriculture. Way to go Annie's!
Another thing I like about them is that they will send you freebies!

Clorox is the next company listed in the article. My response was "Clorox - really????". The writer thinks Clorox deserves this recognition because it purchased Burt's Bees and started the Greenworks label. They have also agreed to "phase out" (which means they are still using it) their use of and transportation of chlorine gas. It has also become a parter with the Sierra Club.
Personally, while I think Burt's Bees is a great company (and was much better off without the Clorox parentage), I don't agree with Clorox being a green company. While they may have started "Greenworks", they still make many other "non-green" products. My opinion is that they did it for the money - and if/when green doesn't put more "green" in their pockets, they will discontinue it. My other gripe is that if Clorox knows that petroleum based products are bad for the environment, then why keep making them?
Intel (yes the computer company) is also one of the 5 companies profiled in the article. To be honest, I don't know much about this company beyond their ads and the fact that my computer has their sticker on it. Did you know Intel hs given away $100 million a year in investments in education (mainly math, science, and technology). They sponsor an international Science fair with a prize of $50,000. The winners of this contest discovered some amazing things, like using mealworms (a favorite of bluejays)to get rid of styrofoam (who knew???). They are also working on making computers more energy efficient and purchases renewable energy-so much that they are the largest corporate purchaser of the stuff!
For the coffee drinkers out there, Starbucks may or may not be a name you were expecting to make this list. I don't drink coffee, so my experiences with Starbucks are limited to hot cocoa and cheesecake (the ones in Barnes and Noble or Target also sell Cheesecake Factory cheesecake). Starbucks gives away grants to support young innovators and they are a Save the Children sponsor. They are also the largest purchaser of Fair Trade coffee, which accounts for 75 percent of it' product (the other 25 will be changed over by 2015). It has a lot of plans, like making all their containers recyclable or reusable - but they are PLANS. Hmmmmm. This makes me think - if this company makes the list, still using 25 percent of it's coffee from suspicious farmers and is planning on going "green" - what about the companies that DIDN'T make the list.
The last company really shocked me (not as much as Clorox, but I was still surprised). It is Johnson and Johnson! Why? Because they have "reduced their dependency on fossil fuels by 34 percent." They have done some good things, like using hybrid vehicles and helping with the HIV/AIDS problems in Africa. Like Starbucks, they have a lot of goals or plans - like reducing carbon dioxide emissions and using less water, as well as looking into alternative "green" packaging methods. But they make a lot of petroleum based products, and do a lot of testing on animals, so I honestly don't know how they made this list.

The article mentions other companies - most of which I was shocked at. If these companies are going green then they need to be more vocal about it: General Motors, Honda, Nike, S.C. Johnson, Disney, Walmart....
The list also included Stonyfield Farm on the list. They should be upset to be mentioned with Wal-Mart. Really? Stonyfield Farm - the organic dairy company and Wal-Mart - are NOT on the same page when it comes to the environment.

Vocalpoint and Pantene Nature Fusion

2010-03-18T09:33:00.003-05:00

Recently, Vocalpoint (an online community that offers product samples) sent me a full size bottle of Pantene Nature Fusion Shampoo. I was already using Pantene Classic 2 in 1 Shampoo. When I received the new Pantene Nature Fusion Shampoo, I switched to it and WOW!
First, this shampoo lathers up into a rich, luxurious foam (which I LOVE). It also left my hair very soft and moisturized, with a noticeable difference right away. My hair was softer - so soft I considered not using conditioner (but I did - as I have naturally curly hair that is also very dry).
I really enjoyed this product and would recommend Pantene Nature Fusion Shampoo to my friends. Even compared to Pantene's Classic line, it performed better -i.e. more moisture, more lather, cleaner feeling. My hair looks and feels healthier already!

If you haven't tried Pantene's new Nature Fusion line, I would recommend you try it out for yourself.

Grocery Shopping This Week

2010-03-17T13:36:00.004-05:00

Here's my "plan" for grocery shopping this week.

Sprouts -
Remember that the BEST day to go is WEDNESDAY, where you will be able to take adavantage of 2 weeks worth of sales (this upcoming week and last week). Today ONLY (3/17) you can still take adavantage of Cuties Clemintines 5lb box for 2.99 (and make the deal sweeter by using a 1.00 off coupon from last Sunday's newspaper). Their exra ground beef is also only 2.99 lb. today.(and remember this beef is safe and natural). Kettle potato chips are also on sale for 2.99! There is a 1.00 coupon you can use with this (from the newspaper). That's an UNBELIEVABLE price!

This week's ad (good through NEXT Wednesday) has strawberries on sale for 1.47 lb, cucumbers for only 49 cents each, red bell peppers for 88 cents each, and, in my opinion, the BEST deal is 1.89 a lb for fresh chicken breast tenders (all natural, no hormones!) Muir Glen tomatoes are on sale for 1.25 each (4 for $5). You can go to the Muir Glen website and print off two $1.00 coupons to get them for only a quarter each! That's what I did this morning!

(Side note - I do plan to get the Kettle Chips, but I will check to see if Wal-Mart or Target carries them and ad match it so I don't have to go all the way back to Sprouts today).

Kroger has a couple of good deals this week. My favorite is that Annie's Mac N Cheese (which is organic, and also comes in gluten free varities) is on sale for 49 cents each when you buy 8 (or a total of 8 participating products). I bought 7 and 1 Wesson Oil (on sale for 1.99 and I had a 1.00 off coupon). Other great products in their Buy 8 Save $4 deal are: Del Monte Tomatoes 50 cents, Bumble Bee Tuna 50 cents, Skinner pasta 50 cents, and Kraft or Sargento cheeses 1.67 each. Ther are coupons available for all of these products, either online or from the newspaper.

Alberstons was the place for me today! They have an amazing deal on cereal and milk. You can get 7 boxes of Kellogg's cereal for $14 AND get 3 coupons for FREE MILK (value of $4.19 or less). I had coupons of course, so I was able to get 3 gallons of milk and 7 boxes of cereal for $10.50! Unbelievable!
I also took advantage of their "Free Nature's Own bread when you buy Country Crock margarine" , which is on sale for 1.99. I used a 30 cent coupon (took 9 cents off) and got both the bread and "butter" for only 1.09!
Their Oscar Meyer lunch meats are also on sale for 2.50, which makes a great deal when combined with the 1.00 off 2 coupon!
I also picked up 3 packages of Birdseye Steamers corn for FREE - They are on sale for 1.00 and I had 3 coupons for 35 cents off (which triples to make them FREE). AND they are still doing the Monopoly game so I got some game pieces.

Choose & Cruise Sweepstakes

2010-03-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

Choose & Cruise Sweepstakes: "UR chance 2 Choose & Win a Disney Cruise vacation for 4 at http://bit.ly/9ngT81 - NO PURCHASE/PAYMENT NEEDED. Register today!"

Olive Garden's 2010 Win a Culinary Tour of Italy Sweepstakes

2010-03-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

Olive Garden's 2010 Win a Culinary Tour of Italy Sweepstakes

Free NasaDrops after Rebate

2010-03-15T20:21:00.003-05:00

I received an email yesterday from NeilMed USA. You can purchase their natural, simple, and effective treatment for infant allergies and colds. It's called NeilMed Nasadrops. Basically, they are single use Saline Droppers. I really like this idea because I hate thinking of reusing anything that goes up a stuffy nose, whether it's a cold or allergies! You can find Nasadrops at CVS.
You can go to their website for complete instructions on your 100 percent rebate.

A Good Week at Walgreens

2010-03-15T09:51:00.003-05:00

Well, as some of you know, Kenn and I are trying to get healthier this year. Kenn is going to Philmont with Jonathan this summer and their is a weight requirement that he has to meet. So we are both trying to lose weight and get fit.
As part of that, Kenn has begun drinking Special K drinks for breakfast. It seems to be working for him (and our budget - it's cheaper than McDonalds!).
This week Walgreens has a good price on the Special K drinks - 2 packs for $9 - BUT you get $3 in Rewards when you buy 2.
They also have their Revlon Cosmetics on sale 40 percent off! And if you buy $10 worth of Revlon, you get $5 in Rewards.
Their last "can't miss" deal is on Colgate Total toothpaste. It's on sale for 3.99 with 3.99 in Rewards! It's FREE after Rewards! To make it better, you can combine it with the 1.00 off Colgate toothpaste coupon - and make a buck!

Here's my trip yesterday:
(I had $10 in rewards from 2 weeks ago - I did the Nyquil/Dayquil deal, where you buy $20 worth of Vicks products and get $10 in rewards. Of course I had coupons to go with it, which brought my total WAAAAAYYYYYY down).

I bought 2 Special K drinks, Colgate Toothpaste, and Aloe Vera Gel (it was on clearance for 74 cents, and summer is coming!)
My total before coupons was $13.73
I used a 1.00 coupon for the Special K drinks, a 1.00 coupon for the Colgate and my $10 in Rewards. I paid 1.73 in cash!
I GOT BACK $7 in Rewards!
Then...
I bought 6 Revlon nail clippers, 2 Revlon nail files, 2 Revlon Eye Shadows, Walgreens brand SPF 70 sunscreen, some candy for Sophie (Hubba Bubba Sour Lolly) and used 8 coupons for 1.00 off any Revlon product and 2 coupons for 2.00 off Revlon makeup. I also used my $7 in rewards from the previous transaction and paid $5.20 in cash. I got back $5 in rewards.

So for $6.93 and $10 in rewards I was able to get all of the above AND walk out with $5 in rewards!
I'm pretty pleased :)

Reach Toothbrushes and Floss FREE at Kroger this week

2010-03-15T09:41:00.003-05:00

Kroger has Reach toothbrushes and floss on sale this week for 1.00 each. If you have been getting the Sunday coupon inserts for a few weeks, then you should have coupons for 1.00 off any Reach toothbrush, 1.00 off any Reach floss, and maybe even the Buy One Get one free on a Reach toothbrush.
THIS IS WHY I get 6 papers a week! I used 5 coupons for 1.00 off AND 5 coupons for Buy one get one free! We now have 10 toothbrushes, all free. Actually, it ended up being better than free, because when the Buy1Get1 coupon rang up it took off the regular price of 1.99, not 1.00! So I actually made 4.95 (which went towards my other groceries).
Do you have these coupons? If not, you can go to the Reach Website and print out coupons for 1.00 off any toothbrush or floss. You can print the coupon twice (just use your back button).

Unbelievable Trip to TARGET (SAVED 82.44!!!)

2010-03-10T18:20:00.001-06:00

Today I went to Target and was able to come home with a lot of things and spent very little money.
Here's what I got:
8 Johnson's Buddies Soap
Windex
6 Tide Single Packs
Surf Powder
Trident Gum
Kelloggs Yogos
Kashi Heart to Heart cereal
Kashi Clusters cereal
Mrs. Bairds Hamburger buns
2 Right Guard deodorants (trial size)
Crest Kids Toothpaste
7 Reach Dental Floss packs
Crest toothpaste
Revlon Nail polish

And I SPENT 3.46 TOTAL!!!!
Yep - and all because of coupons.
I had a 5.00 off any 50.00 or more purchase (I got this when I went to the Dr. Seuss event last Saturday). I then combined manufaturer coupons with Target coupons on the toothpaste, Surf, Windex, and Revlon. The rest of the items I had coupons for that made them free or almost free. The only things I didn't have coupons for were the hamburger buns, gum, and Yogo's.

Coupons in Sunday's Paper - a "MUST GET" week!

2010-03-07T17:59:00.000-06:00

If you haven't already - go out and get today's (Sunday) paper. There are some great coupons in there. I would suggest getting the DOUBLE bundle, with 2 papers (and twice the coupons) for only 2.89 - remember that one paper is 2.00, so the second is only 89 cents!

Here's a list of the coupons. If you are part of our Coupon Club at school, the ones with a T by it are ones that I am trading (don't need) and the ones with a W beside them are ones that I want (and would love to have if you don't need them).

.25 off any Charmin T
.25 off Three Puffs T
.25 off Downy T
.25 off Bounty W
.50 off Dawn Hand Renewal T
.25 off any Dawn W
.25 Cascade W
.50 Cascade Complete T
10.00 off Swiffer SweeperVac Starter Kit T
.50 off Swiffer Refill T
1.00 off Swiffer Starter Kit T
Buy 1 Get 1 free on Swiffer Dust and shine T
4.00 off Febreeze Luminary Kits T
2.00 Febreese Diffuser T
1.00 off Febreeze T
1.00 off Febreeze Air Effects T
1.00 off Febreeeze Noticables T
1.00 off Febreeze Candle T
1.00 off Tide W (really really want, because it says Any Size)
.35 off Tide to Go T
1.00 Febreeze Sport T
1.00 Tide Stain Release T
3.00 Tide Stain Release (larger size) T
1.00 Bounce dryer balls T
.25 bounce sheets T
3.00 off any Iams Healthy naturals dog T
2.00 any Iams Healthy Naturals cat T
1.00 Iams Puppy T
2.00 off Always Infinity T
2.00 Tampax Pearl T
1.00 Always pantyliners T
1.00 Always pads T
1.00 Tampax T
***1.00 off LUVS T
Buy One Get One Oral B W
Free Old Spice Deodorant when you buy deodorant or body wash T
Free Old Spice body wash when you buy deodorant or body wash T
1.00 off Old Spice Body wash or deodorant T
2.00 off Gillette disposable razors T
3.00 off Gillette disposable razors T
2.00 off Gillette body wash W
Buy Gillette deodorant get body wash free T
1.00 off Gillette hair care T
Free Gillette Fusion razor with purchase of cartridges T
1.00 off Gillette Fusion shave gel T
3.00 off Olay Regenerist W
1.00 Olay W
1.00 Olay body wash W
1.00 off Olay lotion W

1.00 off 4 cans Pringles T
.50 off Pringles Snacks W
1.00 Covergirl W
5.00 Covergirl Simply Ageless (2 products) W
.50 off Secret T
1.00 Secret Clinical T
.75 Crest W
2.00 Crest Rinse W
1.00 Crest Rinse W
3.00 Oral B Battery Toothbrush W
7.00 Crest Whitestrips T
3.00 Crest Whitestrips classic T
1.00 off Clairol Hair color T
5.00 2 Clairol hair color W
3.00 off 2 Pantene W
1.00 Pantene styling prod. T
1.00 Head and Shoulders T
2.00 Venus Razors W
.55 Satin Care Shave gel T
.35 off Zest W (really want!)
.25 Ivory W ( really Want!)
1.50 Vicks products T
3.00 off Metamucil T
1.00 Prilosec T
7.00 2 Prilosec T

There are LOTS more coupons! This is only one of the 3 inserts!

From the other inserts I am looking for (want):
.50 off 2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
.50 off 2 Green Giant Steamers
1.00 off 2 Big G cereals
1.00 off Almay
1.00 off Revlon
.75 off Mission Tortillas
1.00 Colgate
1.00 off Johnson and Johnson baby (REALLY WANT)
1.00 Reach toothbrush
1.00 Reach floss (Really want)

Amazing Rebate on Two GREAT Hair Care Products

2010-03-07T10:37:00.001-06:00

While at CVS this morning (snagging two free Nivea lip care products and a free Oral B Cross Action toothbrush) I noticed two "Try Me Free" tags on quality hair care products.
The first one is for Organix Shampoos or Conditioners. This line of Shampoos and conditioners has won numerous awards and is CRUELTY FREE! That's right, no testing on animals. And they are great for your hair. Here are some of "features" of these products:
Luxurious Sulfate Free & Paraben Free Formulas • Organic Active Ingredients • Amazing Scents • Safe For Color-Treated Hair • Safe For All Hair Types
Even the bottles are earth-friendly using (from their website)"manufactured from materials containing recycled post-consumer resin. All labels are printed utilizing environmental inks and compostable label film made from annually renewable resource corn, not from petrochemicals." WOW!
Look for the packages that say "Try me Free" and you can get a rebate for the full price of the bottle. I found mine at CVS.

Right by the Organix line I also found Renpure Organics products. They also have "Try me Free" tags on them! Rempure Organics are made with 100 percent certified organic extracts and safe, fresh, natural ingredients. There are no sulfates, parabens, colors, or dyes in their products! AMAZING! I love their tag line "Not tested on animals, tested on the Redmonds" (the Redmonds are the family who created this create company.) You have got to read their story and meet the triplets (their adopted children from China).

So - get out there - and try these two great products for FREE! I've already filled out my forms!

philosophy's birthday celebration instant win game

2010-03-01T18:11:00.000-06:00

philosophy's birthday celebration instant win game

Enter to win a great prize!

Add Some Bling to Your Life (and your blog)

2010-02-27T17:39:00.001-06:00

This morning I was introduced to an exciting new website/company. It's called called ChunkyBling.com
After browsing their site I discovered their Interchangeable Charm Necklaces, which seem like a more modern version of the charm bracelts we all wore in highschool. They also have really cute interchangeable beaded watches (the kinds you find at all the "specialty" shops for three times the price).
Another thing I love about this site is that it is designed for women like me who are not very fashion knowledgable. Their main site explains all about chunky jewelry and how to wear it (and not have it wear you). You can even host an online jewelry party, which is the best type of party to have (no cleaning, entertaining, buying appetizers...).

Check out Chunky Bling and let me know what you think.
I hope to receive a ring from their website and will be sure to update you when I get it, with pictures to show it off.

My LUCKY Day!

2010-02-27T17:26:00.000-06:00

I am seriously considering going out to WinStar Casino today.

So far I have:

won a great prize pack from Deal Seeking Mom (another gift Sophie will LOVE - her birthay is almost completely taken care of and I haven't had to buy a thing).

bought a 10 dollar lottery ticket and won 50 dollars.

went to Petsmart with my 3.00 coupon for completing a survey and found Beggin' strips on sale for 3.00. I had a buy one get one free coupon, so I got two FREE bags of Beggin' strips!

found great deals at Kohl's today. Had 20.00 in Kohl's bucks to spend by today and found a great "hoodie" and two shirts for Sophie - and was really close to my mark, my total out of pocket was 2.20!

visited Wal-Mart and got (after coupons) three free packs of Schick razors (for our troops that our school adopted)and a free Scotch Lint Roller.

went to Walgreens this morning and was able to get a great deal on Venus Embrace Razors and Olay Body wash. The razors were on sale for 8.99 with 4.00 in Register Rewards (so it wasa 4.99). I had a coupon for free Olay body wash with any Venus razor purchase. I also had a 2.00 off any Venus razor. So for only 2.99 I was able to get the razors and the Olay Body wash (and I picked up the big 23 oz. one!)

So today is my lucky day!

CVS Deals this week (2/28-3/6)

2010-02-27T14:37:00.000-06:00

Ready for a great week at CVS? First you will need to go to Wal-Mart (I know, sounds silly, but you do) and get the March issue of All You Magazine. Inside of the magazine is a 1.00 off Softsoap Nutri Serums body wash. CVS has this product on sale for 99cents after ECB's (Extra Care Bucks). It's 4.99, with 4.00 ECB's, so after the ECB's and the coupon, you will get it for FREE!

You can also get a great deal on Revlon cosmetics or tools. They are on sale Buy One Get One Free (prices 1.99 to 21.99). If you can find one of those 1.99 items, pick up 2 of them and combine it with these 1.00 off coupons. Don't worry, they are MANUFACTURER coupons, not Target. Just find the link to coupons and print out the Revlon coupons.

You can also get PowerBar Gel Blasts free after ECB's this week.

The milk at CVS is also on sale for 1.89 after 1.00 ECB (so 2.89, and get 1.00 back in ECB's). Unfortunately, I don't know what KIND of milk it is, and I am working on moving over to organic/hormone free milk.

Want to Go to Walgreens tomorrow?

2010-02-27T13:52:00.000-06:00

I know I have been diligently trying to get some of you to check out Walgreens and CVS. So, is this the weekend? Look at the great deals below and let me know if you would like to meet and shop together. I will gladly meet you up at ERE and we can visit the Walgreens nearby and the CVS on the corner of Basswood and Beach (the one on North Tarrant isn't customer friendly).

Here are the Walgreens deals:
First go to www.reachbrand.com and print out the 1.00 off coupons that are good on any Reach toothbrush or floss. You will use these to get two FREE toothbrushes (or floss) after coupons at Walgreens. They are on sale for 99 cents, so after the coupon you will pay ZERO. Don't like Reach toothbrushes? Donate them! But don't let this deal just slip by.

For the next deal to be "great" you will need to have the 2.00 off Crest Rinse from the newspaper. Actually, it's a GREAT deal if you have 3 of these coupons. I have 4.
They are on sale for 3.00 each, BUT when you buy 3 you will get 3.00 in Rapid Rewards (walgreens bucks), essentially making them 3 for 6.00. Take off 3 coupons for 2.00 each, and you've got three FREE bottles of Crest Whitening Rinse. That's a great deal!

There's also a great deal on a new Neutrogena product, Neutrogena Clinical. You can get the Clinical Eye or Night treatment for 29.99 AFTER 10.00 in Rapid Rewards (which means the price is 39.99 and you will get 10.00 back). You can combine this with the 15.00 rebate at Neutrogenaclincal.com AND use the 5.00 coupon found in this month's All You magazine (OR you can register at the Neutrogena Clinical site and print out a 5.00 coupon!). That means that you will only pay 9.99 after coupons and rebates!

You can also get a good deal on DayQuil or Nyquil. If you buy 4 Vicks Products for a total of 20.00 (they are 5.00 each), you will get 10.00 in Rapid Rewards, making your total 10.00 for all 4. You can combine this deal with coupons to make it better. I have 2 coupons for 2.00 off and several others for 1.00 off. So, if you have 4 of the 2.00 coupons, you would pay 2.00 for all 4 Vicks products (or 50 cents each). Since I have already done this deal once, and don't have 4 coupons left that are 2.00, I could get 6.00 off and pay only 1.00 per product (4.00 total). Not bad!

There is an AMAZING deal on Tylenol that I would LOVE to help you out with. I Have LOTS of 1.00 off coupons for Tylenol and Motrin. They are on sale for 1.49, so after the coupon you would only pay 49 cents! Even store brands can't beat that price! I have 14 coupons total for either Tylenol or Motrin - so PLEASE let me know if you want some!

I can also help you out with coupons if you use One A Day - They are on sale for 6.99 each. If you purchase two for 13.98, you will get 3.00 back in Rapid Rewards. So you can get 2 for 10.98. I have numerous 2.00 off coupons, which will take another 4.00 off, bringing your total down to 6.98 for two bottles of One A Day vitamins! I think that's a pretty good price.

Recycle Bank - Join today!

2010-02-27T13:12:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of RecycleBank? It's a fantastic website/program that rewards you for doing good (i.e. recycling). You get 40 "points" for signing up, and if you sing up for Ebay's Green team you will earn an additional 50 "points". With these points you can receive quality Earth-Friendly items.
I just traded in 50 of my points for a free box of Kashi cereal. You can also get Seventh Generation dish soap for 50 points!

Right now, the program isn't merged with our Fort Worth recycling program, so we can't earn points for our curbside recycling (or if we can, I don't know how). But you can earn points for turning in old electronics. You can also sign up for the newsletter which sometimes contains promo codes that help you earn free points.

I strongly recommend you sign up for this program - both you and the Earth will be rewarded :)

Free Issue of MORE Magazine - no strings

2010-02-26T17:09:00.000-06:00

You can use ShopText to get a free issue of MORE magazine. MORE magazine is designed for women 40 and over. It deals with women's health, beauty, and fashion.

Simply text in MORE to 467467 (the ShopText number)and you will receive a confirmation email for a free issue of MORE magazine. I will let you know when mine arrives.

I love it when ShopText has new codes.

And how did I find this code? It was completely random. I decided to type in a few words to Shoptext to see if they would work - and I hit jackpot with MORE!

Try Organic Bora Bora Bars for free!

2010-02-26T13:51:00.001-06:00

You can go here to try Bora Bora Organic food bars for free. You will also be entered to win a wonderful vacation!

Special Target Deal *Free Power Bar Energy Gel Blasts

2010-02-26T13:31:00.000-06:00

At Target today, I noticed they have their PowerBar Energy Gel Blasts on sale for 99 cents. This is a reasonably good price, but can easily become a Freebie if you combine it with the 1.00 off coupon from the newspaper (SS 1/03/10). I was able to pick up 5 packages for free.
I also checked out the CVS "hidden" deal on the same item. If you buy the PowerBar Energy Gel Blasts at CVS this month, you will get 1.50 in ECB's (Extra Care Bucks). My CVS has them on "sale" for 1.59, so you would pay 9 cents after ECB's if you don't have the coupons, or you can turn this deal into a money maker if you have the 1.00 off coupon!
I haven't tried these yet, but with two guys in my life (my husband and 13 year old son) that love camping and hiking, I am sure they will be eaten quickly!

On a quick side note - I actually went to Target to get a good deal on Charmin. CVS has their Charmin Basic 12 double roll TP packs on sale for 4.99. Target will ad-match the deal, which means I could use both my 1.00 Charmin Target coupon and my 1.00 Charmin manufacturer coupon, which would mean 2.99 for 12 double rolls of tp. Unfortunately, Target only had the 18 packs.....and I am almost thinking they do things like that on purpose.

Comcast True Fan Trivia

2010-02-26T08:36:00.000-06:00

Comcast True Fan Trivia

Won Over by Sprouts!

2010-02-25T14:40:00.000-06:00

Browsing through their weekly ad, Sprouts has officially won me over.
Imagine - a place that sells quality, organic foods at "Wal-Mart" prices. Well, Sprouts says "imagine no more!"

Take these comparisons - Kroger has their boneless, skinless chicken breast on sale for a good price, around 1.90 per pound. But this is for "regular" chicken - with hormones and a history added to it.
Sprouts on the other hand, offers us Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts, fresh (never frozen) and hand plucked for only 1.97 - which is an amazing price ANYWHERE!

You can also find red bell peppers at just about any "Super Store" or grocery chain. They typically run about 1.50 for the colored varieties, and around 1.00 for green bell peppers.
Sprouts has their RED (yes the more expensive ones) on sale for 69 cents. That price is so low I'm going to research ways to cook them ahead or freeze them for the future.
Apples? Sprouts has theirs for 88cents a lb! I don't know of any grocery chain that can beat that this week.
You can even grab a gallon or two of milk while you are there without worrying about your pocketbook. Their organic is only 3.99! And I recently found out you CAN freeze milk! (Although I haven't tried it for myself)
Barbara's Cereals are also on sale for a good price of 2.99 (10-12 oz box). That's comparable to the cereals of Kellogg's, General Mills, or Post. (side note- I am still waiting on my free sample of this cereal and will let you know if it is "kid approved).
Sprouts also has some decent prices on their beef and pork this week. Their pork chops are a definite "buy" at only 1.99 lb (and remember these chops are all natural).
You can also get Newman's Own products at Sprouts. The second great thing about this company (the first being their quality ingredients) is that they offer coupons!
My daughter LOVES going to Sprouts. They have a great selection of "treats" - everything for chocolates to trail mixes and nuts. We always leave with a bag of something to munch on during the car ride home.

I Just Won 10 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

2010-02-25T11:15:00.000-06:00

I Just Won 10 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

Why you should RUN (not walk) to KROGER

2010-02-24T18:59:00.000-06:00

I just got back from Kroger and found a couple of NICE "hidden" deals.

First - our local Kroger (on Beach Street) has their women's Suave Deodorant on clearance for 77 cents. What makes this a "run now" deal is if you have any coupons for Suave Deodorant. I had seven (7) 50 cent off coupons for any Suave Deodorant. With Kroger's double/triple coupon policy, this means FREE deodorant.And guess what happened when I checked out? Instead of self adjusting the coupon, it gave the full 1.00 off - that's right! I actually ended up NEGATIVE and had to pick up a pack of gum.
I will check the web for any printables, but Suave usually doesn't have online coupons to print. If you have the coupons though, go get this deal!

Another "hidden" gem is that Right Guard deodorant is on sale for 1.00 - but here's the "downside". It's an unlisted deal, and our Kroger was out. Since it wasn't listed in the ad, they won't give rainchecks. So I will keep checking to see if they have any in stock.

Now is a great time to get some Jennie-O turkey and send it off quickly for the rebate. Do you have a Jennie-O coupon? In the paper a while back there were 1.00 any two packages/products of Jennie-O, so if you have those, it makes this deal even better (because rebates are based on the price BEFORE coupons).

Blistex is also on sale for 1.00 each. If you've been couponing for a while, you should have a Blistex coupon for 35 cents off. I was able to pick up four FREE Blistex lip balms!

Tennessee Pride gravy is on sale for 1.00. I tried this last time it was "free" after coupon, and it was pretty good. WAY better than I expected. It's great for a busy week day morning when Kenn (my husband) wants biscuts and gravy. Luckily I still had a 1.00 off coupon, so I picked up another free package of gravy.
(Side note - I do have a couple of 55 cent off coupons - if you want a good deal - not free but good.)

Kroger also has their chicken breasts on sale for 1.89 a lb. I stocked up!

I also took advantage of the Kelloggs deal. Buy 4 participating Kelloggs products for $10.00 and get 2 FREE gallons of milk (Springdale milk). You can go here to get a 1.00 off 3 boxes of cereal coupon to make this deal better. I searched for better coupons, but couldn't find any, although I do suggest to you that you do a search for your own before heading to the store. You can get Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, Rice Krispies, Special K bars, and more on this deal. So for 10.00 or less you can get for boxes of cereal and two gallons of milk!

Jennie-O Turkey Rebate ($5)

2010-02-24T18:06:00.001-06:00

You can get a full price rebate (up to 5.00) from Jennie-O Turkey. Simply go here (wellnessdaily.com) to sign up and print out your rebate.
Our family has switched over almost 100 percent to turkey. Our spaghetti, hamburbers, etc. are all made from Jennie-O turkey. Kroger usually has a good price on these products.

Try Loreal Ever Pure Hair Products for Free

2010-02-24T17:58:00.000-06:00

I am a member of Loreal Paris "My Loreal" club. Today I received a member email with a link to a free sample of EverPure Shampoo.
If you would like a free sample as well as coupons for other Loreal products, simply go to www.lorealparisusa.com

Hitting the Jackpot at Target and CVS!

2010-02-23T20:36:00.000-06:00

This evening I was able to visit both Target and CVS with my lovely 10 year old daughter, Sophie. While browsing we were able to find some amazing deals! First, we headed to the light bulbs/home improvement section. Our Target finally had the GE Reveal single package lighbulbs in stock. What makes these wonderful is that they are FREE when you use the Target coupon (save 1.50) and the manufacturer coupon (save 1.00). So, I saved 2.50 on a 1.79 lightbulb! And luckily I had 2 Target coupons, so I was able to get two free lightbulbs.
We then headed over to the make-up section. I was ESTATIC to find the "Rimmel deal" that I had heard about on other blogs. For those of you who haven't heard of this deal - the current All You Magazine (Wal-Mart's own magazine filled with coupons) has a coupon for 3.00 off any Rimmel Mascara. Guess what? Target sells Rimmel mascara for 2.79! Because I purchased two All You Magazines, I was able to get two mascaras free!
Our third stop was to the "travel and trial size" area. Since I check here often, I wasn't expecting any surprising deals. Imagine my glee when I found Almay Eye Make Up remover pads for 1.49. Why was I smiling from ear to ear? Because I had SEVEN (yes 7!) coupons out of the newspaper for 2.00 off any Almay cosmetic product including the eye makeup remover (there was even a photo of this product on the coupon - I love that!). So I picked up seven of those.
We then veered our cart towards the baby care aisle. Callie, our 2 year old, needed Huggies Pull-Ups (the only ones with reclosable sides). I was able to get a package of those for 8.99 (minus my 2.00 manufacturer coupon)as well as pick up three Johnson and Johnson Buddies soaps for free! They are priced 97 cents and I had three 1.00 off coupons!
At this point I didn't think my trip could get any better - but there was one final deal left!
On a recent trip a coupon for 1.00 off any two General Mills cereals printed out at the register. It was a Target Store Coupon. I went down to cereals and was able to find two great GM cereals, Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (both in throwback boxes!) for 2.50. I had printed out a manufacturer coupon for 1.00 off these cereals (and yes, I had two!), so that meant that I paid about a dollar per box!
I went to the register and let the cashier know I was using coupons (always polite to do) and that some would need to be adjusted to price match the item.
The strange thing is that she only did this on the Almay products. She gave me face value for all the other coupons. Which means that my grand total was......... less than 7.00 WITH TAX! Yes, essentially I paid for the Pull-Ups and got everything else for free!!!!

I then headed over to CVS for a quick stop to see if a rumored deal was true. Some people claimed that the large Huggies Wipes refill packs were ringing up for 2.50 each. It was true! I was able to get 8 package of Huggies Wipes refills for about 10.00! How? I combined this "too good to be true but is" deal with my CVS $5.00 off any purchase of 15.00 or more as well as 4.00 in ECB from last week.

So I was able to get everything in these pictures for less than 20.00!

Watching for the "Dirty Dozen" (and I don't mean the movie)

2010-02-19T14:26:00.000-06:00

As my friends and family know, I love a good deal. And I must admint, organic foods tend to be pricier than their non-organic/non-certified counterparts. Therefore, I have not purchased organic foods in the past UNLESS they were on sale for a price that was as good or better than the "regular" foods.
After some research though (and by research,I mean looking at blogs like Centsible Sawyer)I have realized that there are some foods worth paying extra for because of what you AREN'T getting.

Here is the list of the Dirty Dozen fruits and veggies you should always buy organic. (they are on the list because they are treated with pesticides the most/most often and/or their skins/coverings do not protect the inner fruit from contamination.

1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Bell pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale ** some lists include spinach instead of kale/lettuce
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (imported)
11. Carrot
12. Pear
**some lists also include potatoes

You should only consume certified organic versions of these foods (or grow your own/know the farmer). By doing so, you can reduce your pesticide intake by 90 percent.

The Budget-Conscious should not fear though.Not all items need to be organic. There are the "Clean Fifteen" - i.e. fifteen fruits and veggies that can be consumed without fear of over-contamination from pesticides.
1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet potato
Many lists also have bananas on the "clean" list (some do not have cabbage and/or watermelon)

You can visit the EWG (Environmental Working Group) website and download a handy shopper's guide. And yes -There IS an APP for that :)

Great Weight Watchers Smart Ones Coupon

2010-02-18T16:23:00.000-06:00

Looking through my FREE Weight Watchers Magazine (that's right, the subscription was FREE), I noticed an add for Weight Watchers Smart Ones entrees. At the bottom it mentions Saving $4.00 when you go to www.eatyourbest.com/wwmag.
If you go to www.eatyourbest.com you can get a coupon for 1.00 off 5 Smart Ones - but the $4.00 off 10 Smart Ones is a much better deal!
I was able to print this coupon twice.

Enjoy!

Today's Mail - Worth the Wait!

2010-02-16T17:04:00.000-06:00

It was hard, painful, and downright wrong to make me wait two days for mail. Since Monday was President's Day (even though school was in session...)which is a National Holiday, there was no mail delivery. Which meant I had to wait until Tuesday for mail.
In the mailbox today I received:
1 reusable shopping bag for Frozen Groceries courtesy of Skinny Cow, Nestle Drumsticks, and Haagen-Dazs.
Beech Nut coupons for 2 FREE jars and a free cereal (total value 3.50)
Two seperate packages from Kotex including TWO coupons for 1.00 off any Kotex product.
Free Sample of Kleenex from Costco.
Rouge Magazine - with the following coupons on the back.
1.00 off any Olay Body Wash, 2.00 off any Natural Instincts Product, 1.00 off any Zest, Ivory, or SafeGuard Product OR Old Spice or Gillette Body wash, 1.00 off Perfect 10, 1.00 off Secret Clinical (not trial size), 1.00 off any two Head and Shoulders, Free Zest bar with any Venus Embrace Razor, 1.00 of Olay Skin Care.
Vegetarian Starter Kit - I was hoping for coupons, but there weren't any :(
Forbes magazine
Saveur magazine

Caress Evenly Gorgeous - A product worth PAYING for

2010-02-16T13:03:00.000-06:00

Yes - you read the title correctly - there are things out there that I think are worth spending money on. I know that I can (and did yesterday) find free body wash products. And most (if no all) do the job.
BUT...
This product, Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating body wash is amazing. The scent is divine, and is called Burnt Brown Sugar. The body wash itself lives up to the promises on the bottle!
I know you are wondering how I found this fabulous product. Easy answer: Wal-Mart.com was giving away free samples a while ago and I got one in the mail. I also got another free sample in the mail last week from Vive Major.
Those samples have me hooked! The kids can use the other body wash, but for me, I am indulging myself with Caress! The price (before coupons) is between 5.00 and 8.00 for an 18 oz. bottle.

I'm almost tempted to dry the body bar/soap in the same scent!

Finding Some Freebies at Wal-Mart! (or Why I get 6 newspapers a week)

2010-02-15T20:24:00.000-06:00

I went to Wal-Mart this evening under the guise of needing some hair color (I really DID need this, which you know if you have seen my hair lately - I didn't realize I had that much gray hair!!).
I also went to see exactly what they had available in travel size that would end up free after coupons. I found a couple of GREAT deals.

First I found Old Spice Body Wash (1.7 oz) for 97 cents. The newspaper had coupons a while back for 1.00 off any Old Spice Deodorant or Body Wash that was 1.7 oz or larger. So I picked up six (since I had six coupons).

Then I looked and found Dove shampoo and conditioner. The larger bottles were 1.47 and the smaller blue bottles were 97 cents. I had 7 coupons for any Dove Shampoo or condition (any size - I LOVE coupons that don't exclude trial sizes). The coupons are 1.50 off! - So, if you have these and by tht little ones, you make 53 cents. I bought the bigger ones and a couple of little ones.

I also found a great deal on cat food. The Iams Premium Cat food for seniors (our Sara is over 13 years old) is sold for 6.97 a bag. I had 7 coupons for 5.00 off any bag. So for 1.97 a bag I was able to get some quality cat food for our Sara.

Note: My Wal-Mart does not "adjust" coupons, which means they GIVE me the value off stated, even if the product is cheaper. I LOVE this.
In all:

6 Old Spice Body washes at 97 cents minus 1.00 each = 18 cents OVER
4 Dove Shampoo/Condition (larger travel size) at 1.47 minus 1.50 = 12 cents OVER
3 Dove Conditions (smaller travel size) at 97 cents minus 1.50 = 1.59 OVER

So, I got the above FREE, plus I applied the 1.89 to the cat food :)

CVS Shopping this week

2010-02-14T09:35:00.000-06:00

Starting today, CVS has some amazing deals going on. It's a MONEY MAKER WEEK!
Here are the "money maker" deals that I got -

1. Crest Pro Health Enamel Rinse - on sale for 3.50, with 3.50 ECB (Extra Care Bucks) back. This means that the item is essentially free! The limit on this deal is 2, which makes it a GREAT deal. Want to make it even better? Combine it with the coupons from the newspaper that are 2.00 off one Crest Rinse and you've got a 4.00 money maker.

2. Aussie shampoo/products/hairspray- on sale this week for 2.99 with 2.00 ECB back. That makes it only 99 cents - but it gets better! This Sunday's paper (2/14) has coupons on Aussie products - 1.00 off any product. So that makes it free!

**Here's how I did this "deal"
I had 5.00 in ECB from last week's Nivea deal (buy 10.00 get 5.00 back, and I had coupons of course, which made the deal better).
I got two Crest Pro Health Enamel Rinses and one Aussie Shampoo. Before coupons it was 9.99 - after coupons my total was 4.99. I gave them my 5.00 ECB (let 'em keep the penny) - AND got back 9 dollars in ECBs!!!!! That's right! I went from 5 ECBs to 9 ECBs AND got 3 great items!!!!!

3. This next one is "special" - I had a CVS coupon for 3.00 off any Glade Fragrance Collection - it came out of the CVS scanning machines inside the store (you scan your card and get extra coupons instantly). This week CVS has their Glade products on sale - buy $12 worth of Glade and get 4 ECBs. I had 2 coupons that were 3.00 off any Glade Fragrance Collection, I motion Starter kit. I combined that with the 3.00 CVS coupon, and it automatically took 9.00 off! So I started at 12.00 for the Fragrance Reeds and I Motion Starter Kit, and then it went down to 3.00. I paid the 3.00 and got 4.00 in ECBs back! I made a 1.00 off this deal!!!

4. This next deal is a mail in rebate and can be done anywhere that sells Olay products. You can probably get a better deal than I did, but I was already at CVS and went with it. Olay has a rebate right now offering 15.00 back when you buy any 3 Olay products (facial, lotion, soap, body wash...). CVS has their Olay Reginerist Facial Cleanser on sale for 6.99. I had 3 coupons for 3.00 any one Reginerist product. So my total before coupons was 20.97, and after coupons it was 11.97. I will then send this in for the 15.00 rebate check! So I will make 3.03 - oh happy day!

In all, I was able to "make" 8.03 cents this week at CVS AND get 3 Olay facial cleaners, 2 Glade products, 2 Crest Pro Health Rinses, and 1 Aussie Shampoo!!!

What does your week look like at CVS?

***Special note to my close by friends - I do have "extra" coupons and will GLADLY walk you through your first CVS experience or share my coupons with you if you need them!!!!

Free Cat and Dog Food!

2010-02-13T18:26:00.000-06:00

I must say that I have a "love/hate" relationship with Petsmart. I dislike strongly that they sell live animals (namely dogs and rodents). I do not agree with their stance on this and have a hard time supporting any store that sells animals when so many already need homes. They also do not ensure that the future owners know enough about their "purchase".

BUT - today I am liking them. I was able to go in and use 8 coupons with NO problem and my total was 0.00 and it didn't take a manager, no one glared at me, and the cashier was friendly the entire time.

Eubakenuba sent me a 10.00 off coupon for their puppy food. It was on sale for 9.99, so I grabbed a bag.

I also had 7 coupons for Purina cat food (free 6 oz. bag). I got 7 bags!

The picture shows the bags of cat food. I gave the dog food to one of the local rescue/adoption organizations, since our dogs are not puppies.

I am thrilled!!!!

Petsmart gets an A plus today on service!

Snow Day

2010-02-13T18:07:00.000-06:00

By Friday afternoon, our area received a record breaking snow fall. Over a foot of now in Fort Worth, Texas!
The girls loved playing in it. I made a snowman with Sophie. Kenn shoveled off the sidewalk and then got the car ready for us to go eat breakfast together (since both school and work was called off). We went to eat at Denny's and then came home and enjoyed the snow some more.
About 24 hours later, it's 47 degrees outside and melting fast. Now we have rivers of water and lots of mud. Numerous snowmen in the community have lost their heads. I think that because we so rarely get this amount of snow, most of us don't know how to properly adhere a snowman head onto the body.

Here are some pictures of our Texas Blizzard :)

Win groceries for a year! Try COZI!

2010-02-10T15:15:00.001-06:00

Cool contest I found to win free groceries for a year

"You can win FREE Groceries for a Year! Try once a day - I know I will!"

Hey, I just entered this contest on Cozi.com to win free groceries for a year. All you have to do is put in your email address.

Even if you don’t enter, please click the link to help me win. (I get an extra entry for telling you.) Thanks!

View >>

Updated List to Win Something INSTANTLY

2010-02-10T14:51:00.000-06:00

Here are a few ongoing instant win games that I am participating in. If you try and win, please post and let us know about it so we can celebrate together!

Clorox and KMART are sponsoring POWER UP YOUR DETERGENT, where you can win a Maytag washer and dryer set.

Dockers is giving away a lot of pants as part of their Wear the Pants promotion.

Long John Silvers is giving away lots of great prizes and the game is pretty fun too!

Johnson and Johnson are also giving away a fabulous trip!

Yellawood lumber wants to help you make the back yard paradise of your dreams!

Play the Dove Soap Toss and win Dove beauty bars and more!

You can still win great prizes from Clorox at Whiten your Whites!

General Mills and Target are giving away classic Atari games.

You could win a gift card from Herbal Essences

Clorox and Fresh Step are giving away lots of neat prizes! Just help Ginger find her litter box!

The Nature Valley instant win game is still going on.

Cheer wants to help you Brighten Your Whites with their online game!

Dole wants to give you the chance to live longer, or at least healthier, with their Super Salad Slider game.

Again, I hope you win something and please let me know if you do!

Great 1.00 off ANY Johnson's Baby Oil Product Coupon

2010-02-01T11:33:00.000-06:00

Go here to print out a 1.00 of ANY (including those 99 cent trial sizes) Johnson's Baby Oil or Baby Oil Gel coupon! While you are there you can also enter into their sweepstakes!

I am in LOVE with Walgreens this week

2010-01-31T14:39:00.000-06:00

I usually prefer CVS, but Walgreens has won over my heart this week. At CVS there is only one great deal. But at Walgreens, their cup runneth over!

Here's what my trips looked like today:

I paid 14.15 out of pocket in cash for the following items:
4 30-day supply of Joint Juice (good for Kenn)
4 Johnson and Johnson Baby Lotion (scent free)
2 packages of Scalpicin wipes
3 packages of Blink Gel Eye Drops
2 Valentine Gift bags
1 Milkly Way Simply Caramel Bar
3 Valentine Ring Pops
2 DayQuil cold medicine packs
2 Nyquil Cold medicine packs
2 Puffs tissues
1 Zicam Cold Sore Remedy Creme

Yes - 14.15 OUT OF POCKET for ALL of the ABOVE!!!!!
And I started with 10.00 in Rapid Reward Bucks, and I now have 27.00 in Rapid Reward bucks. So, let's do the math.

27.00 RR - 10.00 RR that I started with = 17.00 RR - 14.15 cash paid = 2.85 OVER!!!!
I got all of the above free and actually came out 2.85 ahead.

Even if you don't count the Rapid Rewards, it's an amazing deal to get all of the above for only 14.15 out of pocket.

Why you MUST get this week's Sunday Paper!

2010-01-31T12:53:00.000-06:00

This week is a "must" for the Sunday paper. With it, you can make money at Walgreens and it has many "staple" item coupons (butter, spaghetti sauce, etc)that can be tripled at Kroger or Albertsons for great savings later.

I strongly recommend you get at least 2 papers this week (I got 7 - one to preview yesterday, and 3 bundles today - you save on the bundles, it's 2.89 for 2 papers, instead of 2.00 each).

With 2 papers you can make money at both CVS and Walgreens. Here's how:

At CVS, clip out the Dove Men's Body and Face wash coupon (1.25 off) Go to CVS and use your Extra Care Card to buy the body wash. It is priced 5.49, but with the coupon you will pay 4.24. After you pay, you $5.49 in Extra care bucks will print out. You are allowed to get 2 of these deals! That means you can make 2.50 at CVS this week.

Note: At Walgreens, you will only get 1 Register Rewards per item for each transaction. So if you want to get 2 of the Blink Eye Drops you MUST do them in seperate transactions. I usually go to one Walgreens and then go to another.

At Walgreens there are several money makers and freebies.
Using this week's paper you can get 2.00 off Blink Gel Eye Drops. They are on sale at Walgreens for 7.99 with 7.99 in Rapid Rewards. So you will pay 5.99 and get 7.99 in rapid rewards back!
You can also get money back using a coupon for 5.00 off any Accu-Check diabetic meter. It has a mail in rebate, so you will make 5.00 or more if you are willing to wait for your rebate check.
Scalpicin is also on sale this week at Walgreens. Go here to print out a 1.00 off coupon for Scalicin. You can print it twice. So you can make 2.00 off this.

You can also get 2 Joint Juice Products for free. They are "free" this week at Walgreens (10.00, with 10.00 Rapid Rewards). So you can get 2 for free buy using the Buy One Get One Coupon (DO NOT do the 50 percent off, it is only good at the online store for Joint Juice)

There is also a GOOD deal on Vicks Products. You can buy $20 in products and get $10 back. In the paper earlier this month (I think last week) there were 2.00 off any Dayquil or Nyquil product. They are on sale for 5.00 each, so if you buy 4 you will be at $20.00, minus the 8.00 in coupons is 12.00, minus the 10.00 rapid reward (use your reward from the Joint Juice above!), it will be 2.00 out of pocket for all 4 items!!! I am also going to see if they will let me combine this with the "buy 2 vicks, get free Puffs" coupons, and if so, then it will be an even better deal!

Found some Extra "hidden" deals at Kroger

2010-01-31T12:50:00.001-06:00

At my trip to Kroger I found a great "hidden deal"

The Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie mix is on sale this week for 1.49. If you have been saving coupons for a while, you should have 1.00 any Krusteaz cookie mix. I picked up two boxes for 49 cents each!

Great deals at Kroger this week! **Bonus Coupons!

2010-01-30T18:01:00.000-06:00

Today I had to make a run to Kroger to get bread, milk, lunch meat and other neccessities. As I was there I found TWO bonus deals:

1. - Zip-loc containers. They are already on sale for a great price (less than 2.00 before coupons), but what made it better was that someone had placed a 1.00 off any Zip-loc container product. I was able to get two for 1.25 each, and one for 99 cents! So I spent 3.49 for 3 Zip-loc container packages AND I am sending off for the $5 rebate from SC Johnson (you get $5 back when you buy 3 participating products, and there a lot).
You've got plenty of time for this rebate, as it's good until June. This is a great "money maker" deal if you can stand to wait just a little bit for your money back.

2. They were giving away free samples of Totino's pizza and Toaster Strudel. The Pillsbury Toaster Strudel is on sale right now for 1.77 and with the free samples they were giving out 1.00 off one coupons! So I picked up two packages as a "gift" to the kids. I am willing to pay 77 cents for them, since the kids like them so much.

Update on Target Shopping Trip

2010-01-30T07:17:00.000-06:00

I sent an email off to the Target corporate offices about my experience yesterday with the cashier and manager who did not want to accept coupons.
I got a very polite and timely response (Thanks Target!) that apologized and explained the following coupon policy:

We (Target) use the following guidelines:

- We accept two kinds of coupons: Target-issued and manufacturer-issued.
- We'll accept one Target coupon and one manufacturer coupon for the same item, unless either coupon prohibits it.
- We can't give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item; in this case, we're able to adjust the value of the coupon to equal the price of the item.
- We can't accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for products not carried in our stores.
- All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier while you're checking out.

So I am printing this out and heading up there later to have a little chat with the manager. They should know their own store's policies! And Target WILL adjust coupons so you can get free items (just like they have always done...except this one time).

The response also gave me a number and contact person to call, which I will later today.

Freebies in the mail this week :)

2010-01-29T15:31:00.000-06:00

This week I got a LOT of reading material in the mail. I received several free magazines (Cosmopolitan, Car and Driver, Parents, and American Baby) as well as two calendars. I also got two nice sized free samples. One was Lubriderm lotion and the other was a Green Works laundry detergent sample.

Did you get any freebies in the mail? If so, send me a picture or a leave a comment telling me what you got!

What's Free for my family today?

2010-01-29T14:45:00.000-06:00

I went to Target today, since the kids had dental appointments and I had a little extra time.
I was able to get some great deals, although I did have to ask for a manager because the cashier didn't want to even scan my coupons. (That cost them a letter to the home office - I am famous for my letters.)

Free(no cost after coupons)
Johnson Buddies soap, SlimFast 6 count chocolate bars, Johnson and Johnson Band-Aids to go (2 of these), Hello Kitty Band-Aid packets (4 of these), Renu contact solution (2 of these), Johnson's baby bath/wash

Very Cheap deals I found
Extra gum 3 pack - 79cents
Ball Park Turkey franks - 89 cents
Uncle Bens Ready rice - 24 cents
Barilla Plus pasta (2 packages) - 75 cents each

They also had their grapes on sale for a reasonable seasonal price of 1.49 lb. So I picked up some of those.

Finding Some Freebies!

2010-01-27T15:16:00.000-06:00

This afternoon was a bit rough. What I thought would be a quiet afternoon of testing and scoring ended up being an afternoon spent with what seemed like one hundred first graders (in actually I think there were 18).So, I am giving myself some "chill" time and found a good freebie that I had not come across before.

Another new-to-me free sample is for Ensure. They will ask some questions, but you can honestly answer them and still get the free sample. You can ask for the free sample coupon to be mailed to you or you can print it out.I like mine mailed to me :)

Another site that I don't visit nearly enough is Johnson's Baby Site. They have great coupons on there and "reload" them frequently, so check back at least once every couple of weeks. I am excited about these because I got some great Target Store coupons in the mail yesterday for Johnson's baby products, Desitin, and more. Using both the store coupons and the manufacturing coupons should enable me to get some free items!

Free groceries from Kroger and CVS

2010-01-24T14:56:00.000-06:00

I went to the stores today (Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens).

At Kroger I was able to get the following free after coupons (no out of pocket at all) - 4 Birds Eye Frozen veggies, 1 Always Infinity, 1 GatorAde, 1 Hormel Pepperoni, and 1 Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls.

At CVS I got the following free after coupons (no out of pocket) - 1 pack of Ivory soap, 2 packages of cough drops.

I also got a GREAT deal on make-up at CVS. I got 2 blushes for 25 cents after coupons (they were 75 percent off and I had a 1.00 off coupon). I also got mascara and eye shadow for an amazing price (less than 1.00).
CVS is also have a great deal on Dove Ultimate Deodorate, so I snagged some of those!

I also was able to get the following "deals"

Walgreens: this week they have their Olay Quench body lotion on sale for 7.99 AND you get a free Olay Quench bath lotion FREE with purchase. So it's 7.99 for both - but it gets better! I had coupons that were 2.00 off any one Olay lotion, so my total for BOTH was 3.99! I did this twice, so I got 2 lotions and 2 bath lotions for 7.98! What makes it better is that Olay is offering a REBATE on 2 Olay Quench Lotions, so I am mailing that off and will get 15.98 back from Olay (you get your purchase price, which for me was 7.99)!!!!! So I paid 7.98 for 4, and in 6 weeks I will get back a check for 15.98 - I am making money to use Olay Quench!!!!! You too can do this deal. Just click here for the rebate. If you live near me, I have extra 2.00 coupons and will be glad to share on a first come, first serve basis. Just let me know.

Also at Walgreens, there is an AMAZING deal on Benefiber. If you buy $30 worth, you get $10 back in Rapid Rewards. The Benefiber is on sale for $5.00. Walgreens has a 2.00 off coupon (and it multiplies automatically). I found a benefiber coupon online for 2.00 off (you can print twice) and there are 1.00 off coupons from the newspaper. So, this is how the transaction went - 30.00 - 12.00 in walgreens coupons, -8.00 in manufacturer coupons= 10.00, with a 10.00 rapid reward, so it's FREE!

At CVS they have a great Rebate offer for Dulcolax ( it's a money maker). It's on sale for 10.99 and you will get 5.00 Extra care bucks after purchase. There are 3.00 off coupons with a 5.00 rebate form . So I paid 7.99 (I used Extra Care Bucks from a previous week's purchase) and got back 5.00, which meant that it cost 2.99. I am sending the 5.00 rebate off and soon I will be 2.00 richer AND have the product.

Free Grocery Shopping Items

2010-01-23T19:21:00.000-06:00

Today I went grocery shopping (mini-shopping trip with Callie, our 2 year old). I first went to Kroger and picked up 3 bottles of Gatorade. After my 1.00 off coupons, they were free. I also picked up my free Digiorno pizza from Kraft First taste. which is a great website by Kraft that will peridically offer free samples.
I also went by CVS for a quick trip to see what was printing out of the Extra Care Card Scanner and got a 1.00 off any hand or body lotion coupon. So I picked up an Aveeno trial size bottle for .99 and got a nice free bottle of lotion.
I also went by Wal-Mart and picked up a few more Renu contact lens solutions bottles (which are a money-maker, since they are only 1.47 and you get 2.00 off with the Renu coupon).
I was able to print 2 out at a time (2 per email address, 4 per computer/printer). These can make great items to put in the Troop Care Packages! If you aren't going use the coupons, PLEASE print them out and I will use them and give you the items or put them in the Troop boxes at our school. Don't let free offers go to waste!
I also picked up some very cheap (but not free) Post-its. Wal-mart had post-its for a1.28 and I had 3 coupons for 1.00 off one package.
I did also find a good deal on Beech Nut "Let's Grow" mini-meals. They were on sale for 1.08 and I had 1.00 off one coupons. So I grabbed six chicken and stars packages for Callie. If she won't eat them then I will give them to the Community Storehouse which will always be glad to take your unwanted freebies!
I also picked up my last Thermacare from CVS.

Have you Joined Survey Head Yet?

2010-01-22T21:04:00.000-06:00

I have made 46.00 so far on Survey Head in a little over a month. And I do this in my very limited spare time. I strongly encourage you to join www.surveyhead.com if you haven't already.

Summing up This Week's Free Samples and Fun

2010-01-22T20:56:00.000-06:00

This was a great week as far as free went.
Each day the mail contained free items including:
2 magazines (Parents and Weight Watchers)
samples of Pull-Ups
Vitamin E sticks
Slim fast bar
Bounce dryer sheets
sugar substitute
and more!

I also used two great coupons to get free (actually more than free) items at Wal-mart. One was a coupon for Renu: http://www.renu.com/
which meant that I got 2.00 off a product that was 1.47!
I also used the Starkist Tuna coupons from VocalPoint (you will need to sign up for VocalPoint, which is a good tester site) to get 1.00 off tuna pouches that cost 93 cents. So I came out of Wal-Mart with four free items and actually had 1.20 off the book I was wanting.

Great Walgreens deals at the end of the month

2010-01-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

This week Walgreens had a couple of good deals (free Wet Ones wipes and Theraflu/Lipton, as well as Neosporin products).

Next week, not so much...

On the 31st I only see one great deal.

Colgate Max Fresh is also on sale at Walgreens (and CVS) for 2.99 with 2.00 Rapid Rewards (RR). Combine this with the 1.00 coupon and it's free (or combine with the 75 cents off at colgate.com for a good deal as well)

Puffs tissues are on sale as well that week for 89 cents, which is a good price. You can combine this with a 25 cent coupon from the newspaper to get a good deal (good, but not free....).

Get Ready for CVS deals (1/31)

2010-01-19T21:11:00.000-06:00

This week was a very "slow" week at CVS with no great deals to be had (unless you want a lot of Pepsi...but it wasn't for me).
Next week is not great either - I think because they are still running their monthly deals (which were great!) on SoyJoy bars, Oust, and other items.
BUT starting on the 31st of this month, there are finally a couple of great deals to be had.
1. Dove Men's care products are 5.49 with 5.49 Extra Care Bucks (ECB) - this means that it's FREE! You can get 2 of these. Want to make a great deal better - you can combine this with coupons to make this a Money maker (mm) deal!
https://secure.dove.us/mencare/Offers.aspx is the place to find 1.00 off Dove Men's products, so you can make some money and get some things for your honey :)
2. Colgate Max Fresh toothpaste is 2.99 with 2.00 ECB - so it will cost 99 cents. Combine this with the 1.00 off coupon in last weeks newspaper and it's FREE! The limit is one. If you don't have last week's (1/18) paper, then go to www.colgate.com and look under Special Offers for a coupon for 75 cents off - still a great deal on toothpaste.
3. This one is only good if you need and use ITunes. You can buy a $50 ITunes gift card and get 10$ in Extra Care Bucks.

So - get ready and I'll see you at CVS!

Sophie's new bed set

2010-01-19T16:35:00.001-06:00

Here is Sophie's new bed set. It was on sale at Target and looks really cute. Sophie loves things "just so" (at least her bed, the rest of her room is another story). Isn't it cute?

What was in YOUR Mail today?

2010-01-19T16:24:00.001-06:00

Wow! Today was a AMAZING mail day for me! It was difficult waiting TWO days for mail (Sunday and Monday, since Monday was the MLK holiday). But it was worth the wait.

Here's what was in my mail today(Yes, just today!):
1. a FULL SIZE sample of 5 hour energy and 5 hour energy extra. How did I get it? Simple - I emailed the company (5 Hour Energy) and told them how much I enjoy their product. That's it - I didn't even ask for the samples. Are there products you like? Have you told them? You would be surprised by what you will get in return for you kind comments.
I truly do enjoy 5 hour energy. It is a great way to get a little caffine in the morning for minimal calories and it has a lot of B vitamins. I haven't had any "crashes" or "jittery" feelings with 5 hour Energy. I do personally recommend this product.
2. A sample of Nature Made Triple Flex for joints. I got this just by going to Wal-Mart.com and looking at their free samples - this is a great way to get free samples for almost no effort. Just go here: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-Free-Samples-And-Tools.aspx3. Slim fast bars from Wal-Mart.com
4. Free Parents magazine
5.Free sample of Bounce from Sam's Club (no membership required, just visit their site)
Well - I think that's a great mail day.
Please share what freebies were in your mail this week!

A New (and Unexpected) place for FREEBIES

2010-01-18T16:03:00.000-06:00

I found new store where GREAT deals are to be had. Can you guess? No "reward bucks", no "loyalty cards" - straight FREE items (after coupons).
It's TARGET!
Yes - Target. How? Because Target issues their own store coupons which you can COMBINE with manufacturer coupons.
I went to Target today because on Friday I got a Target Coupon booklet in the mail. Inside were some great coupons on Burt's Bees products, Colgate Toothpaste, and more.

So, I searched online for other Target coupons and came up with two FREE items and a few VERY CHEAP items.

Free (No out of pocket expense to me at all!!!!)
1. Burt's Bees soap (Target had a 3.00 off any item over 3.50. I had a Burt's Bees 1.00 off any non-lip item. The soap is 3.99, minus 3.00 from target, and 1.00 from Burt's Bees themselves. I actually made a penny!
2. Nivea Body wash. Target has a 1.00 coupon on any Nivea item. I had a 2.00 off Body wash coupon from Nivea (in Sunday paper). It is on sale for 2.99. Take off the 1.00 from target, and the 2.00 Nivea, and it's FREE (actually plus a penny again for me!)

I then found a great deal on toothpaste. Colgate Max Whitening was on sale for 1.79. I had a 1.00 off coupon and a 75 cents off Target coupon. So I got it for 4 CENTS!

I also had to get some shampoo for my teeenage son. He will only use shampoo not deemed too "girly". I found Pantene 2 in 1 (Classic Clean) for 3.29 each - 6.58 for 2. I had a 3.00 off Pantene, so that was 3.58 for 2, then Target had a 2.00 off coupon, which makes it 1.58 for 2 Pantene (so 79 cents each!). I think that's pretty good for Pantene.
I also got two Healthy choice meals for a reasonably good deal - they were 1.75 each (which is a good price already) and I had 1.75 in coupons, so I paid 1.75 for 2. Much cheaper than the cafeteria lunch :)
I then went over to the Cat Treat Aisle and made a great deal. Purina Temptations were on sale for 1.49 and I had a buy one get one free coupon. That brought it down to 1.49 for 2. I then had 1.00 off coupon from target, so I paid 49 cents for both!!!!
I had to get something for the dogs, since I got our cat something. I found Cesar's treats on sale for 2.99. I had a 1.00 off coupon and a 1.00 off target coupon. So I paid 99 cents for them. They are high quality and great for training (the perfect size for teaching a new trick).

So - I plan to go to Target more often, especially with deals like these.

If

CVS and "Rain Checks" - making a good deal even better

2010-01-18T14:08:00.000-06:00

I have had a rain check for Thermacare heat wraps at CVS for over a month now. I have been waiting and waiting for them to be in stock. There was a great deal back in December that you could get up to 5 thermacare heat wraps for 2.49 with 2.49 ECB (which makes them FREE).
I went all week and they were out, so I finally asked if they did rain checks. (Note - my Walgreens says they don't do rain checks on rapid rewards, so I was hesitant to ask, as I thought the answer would be NO). I was surprised that they do! The clerk wrote out a rain check for the 5 Thermacare heat wraps.
I found one heat wrap at the closest CVS to my house. To my glee I got 3.00 in ECB back! (I only paid 2.49).
I then went and found three more at another and got back 8.00 (paid 7.47).
So, being paitent does pay off. I am getting back more than I expected. The clerk said it (the register) rounds it up to the next dollar....good for me!)
So - once I find that last Thermacare, I will have made 1.55!

This makes me almost want to wait until later in the week and HOPE they are out, so I can get rain checks :)

What to do on MLK day? Go to Walgreens and get FREE stuff

2010-01-17T21:18:00.000-06:00

Want to know what to do on your day off? Try going to Walgreens!

You will need to do the following FIRST.

Go here:
http://www.theraflu.com/index.shtml
and print out one or more (usually the limit is 2) Theraflu coupons. You will need ONE coupon for this deal (you can do the deal more than once if you want to).

Then go here:
http://www.wetones.com/wo_couponregistration.asp
and "take the pledge" which will allow you to print out two coupons for Wet Ones. You will need BOTH (2) coupons for this deal. If you don't want to do the deal, print them out anyway and give them to Karen :)

Lastly, go here:
http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=qjalfgr5237947&bt=vi&o=58843&c=LH&p=fKqxGeu4
to print out TWO (2) Neosporin coupons. You will need two for this deal.

Now, head to Walgreens.
Enter the store with your printed coupons (2 Wet Ones, 2 Neosporin, and at least one Theraflu).
Go to the Pharmacy area. Find the "Diabeties/Diabetics" magazines. It is beige. It is free and usually hanging near the other free pamphlets. Ask if you can't find it.
Look in the free Diabetes magazine for a $2.00 off Walgreens coupon for Theraflu (sugar free). Get this coupon!

Now - pick up the following:
One box of Theraflu Sugar Free (6 count)
One box of Lipton Tea bags
Two Wet Ones canisters/containers (40 count)
Two Neosporin Lip products

Hand to the cashier like this:
First transaction: Two Wet Ones with coupons - pay the cash for them (1.00 out of pocket). You will get back 1.00 in register rewards.
Second transaction: One box of Theraflu Sugar Free and one box of Lipton Tea bags - give Walgreens coupon FIRST, then the printout. Try to give the 1.00 register rewards (it may not work, since they sometimes count this as your "third coupon"). You can either pay the $3.00 out of pocket OR pick up a very cheap (like 25 cents or less, usually a votive candle or Christmas candy that's at 90 percent off - I got several for 5 cents). You will pay either $3.00, or 2.00 and 1.00 register reward. You will get back 4.00 in register rewards (so either way you JUST made 1.00!!)
Now - pay for the Neosporin - give the coupons and again, if you see something CHEAP and/or something you "need" add it, so you can use your rewards here.
The Neosporin after coupons will be $2.00.

So - if you pay Out of Pocket on all 3 transactions (and save your rewards for next week, when you won't have to pay out of pocket at all!!!!)- then you have spent 6.00 and gotten 1 Theraflu, 1 Lipton, 2 Wet Ones, and two Neosporin. You will have $8.00 in register rewards, which you can use like cash next time. So basically, you just made 2.00 AND got all that stuff. And next week will be even more fun because your out of pocket will be less (if any)!

*****Look around for any really cheap stuff (like votive candles for 10 cents, or anything else you see at a GOOD price that you want)in case you need fillers. Remember that Walgreens is picky about one main thing - your number of coupons cannot exceed your number of items, and they do count register rewards as coupons.

Emergen-C Chance to Win IPOD and other great items

2010-01-17T08:12:00.000-06:00

http://survey.emergenc.com/refer-jan-10.php

Follow the link above to Go to Emergen-C's refer a friend website. If you give them 3 valid email addresses, you will be entered into a chance to win an IPOD and Emergen-C gear. Your friends will then be invited to try Emergen-C free!

Rebate from SC Johnson $5

2010-01-14T17:28:00.000-06:00

You can use this link to print out a rebate form to get $5 back from SC Johnson. You will need to purchase 3 SC Johnson items including: ZipLoc, Glade, Saran, Scrubbing Bubbles, Shout, and Pledge. Since Glade and ZipLoc are often on sale for less than 2.00, this could mean you can get some "free" items!

Here is the link: http://www.scjohnson.com/files/Rebate_Form.pdf

Want to Earn a little money or get free products?

2010-01-13T22:14:00.001-06:00

Over the Christmas break, I signed up for a few survey sites. I have found some to be useful, and others not so much :)

Here are my recommendations. (If you want to join and it asks you who referred you, please give my name or contact me if you need my username)

1. Ipsos I-Say - this website does not give out "cash", but through it I have already gotten accepted for 2 programs where I have been sent items to try and give my opinion. The items ranged from personal/beauty products to food. You also earn "points" when you complete surveys and you can redeem your points for things. I haven't redeemded any points yet, so I can't comment on that part, but I am very pleased with the offers and freebies I have gotten through the surveys.

2. Surveyhead - I really like this site. I have already made over 40.00 on this site. My mom tried it and has not been so lucky, so I guess it depends on your profile. This one pays out cash via PayPal or you can donate your earnings to credible organizations. The only negative is that you have to "earn" 25.00 before you can "cash out" and actually get your money.

3. Dollar Surveys (.net) - This site is one of my favorites, but it is "hit or miss". Sometimes you complete most of a survey and then it suddenly tells you that you didn't qualify. I have gotten 14 dollars right into my PayPal account this week from them! They pay weekly, even if it is just 1.00, which is also nice.

4. You Data (this one does referrals - my username is granthamkk) - this one I am hesitant to refer. You will get paid weekly, directly to PayPal, no matter how low the payout. But the payouts are low. My first week I made about 2.00. The week after, around 1.00. Last week I made only 30 cents. You get paid to look at ads, but a lot of times there are no ads to view.

Stacy's Pita Chips Review

2010-01-13T21:59:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I posted that Stacy's Pita Chips was giving away coupons for a free bag of chips if you became a fan on facebook. I recently recieved my coupon and hope you have also recieved yours (they are shipping out over the next couple of weeks, so don't worry if you haven't yet).
My mom and dad tried the original/plain version and were very dissatisfied. My mom kept saying it tasted like cardboard, even with dip.
I steered away from that flavor and opted for the Tuscan herb chips. They are sold at my local grocery store (Kroger) for 3.99 a bag. They were on sale this week for 3.49 (BONUS - my coupon was for 3.99 off and I got the full 3.99 off, not just 3.49!!!)
I opened the bag tonight. I must first say that it is a small bag and is a lot more expensive when compared to other "chips".
There are 130 calories per serving (7 chips) and the chips are thick and a nice size. Seven chips would be a large "snack" - very fulfilling.
The Tuscan Herb Pita chips were tasty. I would definitely recommend that you try this flavor with your free bag coupon.

So, what's the verdict? I really enjoy this chip and it seems to be a healthier alternative to the potato chip. But is it worth the price? To me, right now, no. But I am working on frugality and 4.00 for an 8 ounce bag of chips is quite a lot. THere are 8 servings in a bag, so I guess when you think of it that way, it's really only 32 cents per serving, which seems reasonable.
If I have a coupon and find a good sale and could get a bag for around 2.00/2.50 I would buy these again, but keep them away from the kids (they don't appreciate them enough for the cost!).
Let me know what flavor you tried - and if you liked it.

New YoPlait Frozen Smoothies Review

2010-01-13T21:48:00.000-06:00

Yoplait Yogurt sent me a coupon for a free package of the new Yoplait Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Mix. It is available in your freezer section. I am not getting paid to make this review, but the product itself was free.

Sophie, my daughter, and I tried the smoothies last night. There are a few different flavors and we tried Triple Berry. Each package makes 2 servings and was priced $3.19 at my local grocery store (Kroger).
We put the frozen mixture into the blender (you do need a blender for this) and added milk. We ended up adding more milk than it initially said because the smoothies were too thick. I guess we like ours thinner - it depends on whether you want to EAT it or DRINK it.
The taste was nice - very strong, berry flavor that was not too sweet or too sour. Both of us commented on the grainy texture of the smoothie though. I don't know if this is just true for the berry flavor, but it was distracting while eating.

I finished mine off, but Sophie left some in her cup.
All in all, this is something I would give one more try IF it's one sale and I had a coupon. The company did send me several 1.25 off coupons, so if you are interested in trying a flavor, let me know. I would not be willing to pay 1.50 plus per serving for it, but if you like smoothies and normally spend more than 1.00, this might be a good deal for you (with the coupon).

If you try it, leave a message and let me know what you think. Also, let me know if you would like a coupon.

For more info on the product: http://www.yoplait.com/products_smoothie.aspx