Sunday Sales (3/29)

I'm keeping it small this week and focusing on Easter baskets. Check out the links on my blog for some great sites that list even more deals. What I'm doing is listing the deals I am considering for myself. *Note - My grocery store ads run from Wednesday-Tuesday, so I will post my grocery lists on Wednesday.


CVS (You've got to have a CVS card to get the deals)
I'm only planning on going to the 2-day sale, which has some stuff for Easter baskets.

Paas Easter Egg coloring Kit (FREE) It's on sale for $1.99, earn $1.99 in ECB (limit 2.)

Easter M&M's, 9.9 or 14 oz bag ($1.00 each) It's on sale for $1.50 (limit 6.) use the $1.50/3 coupon from the 3-15 insert to make them $1.00 each.


Walgreens
Reynolds Foil (earn $0.11) There's an in-ad coupon to make the foil $0.89 Use the $1/1 coupon from the 2-8 insert to earn 11 cents! * Note, this will not work with coupons later than 2-8 because they exclude the 20 ft. roll.

Pepsi 12 pks (4/$9.00) They're on sale 4/$12.00 - earn $3 RR. If you like diet Pepsi, there are some printable coupons out there that make this an even better deal.

Chapstick 100% Naturals or True Shimmer Lip Balm or Butter, .15 oz (FREE) They're on sale for $1.99 - earn $1.99 RR.

M&Ms, 9 or 14 oz pkg (2/$4). They're on sale 2 for $5. Use the $1/2 Easy Saver Coupon to make them 2/$4. (No, it's not a great deal, but when you're using M&Ms for potty-training, you notice the okay deals, too.)

Pet bed ($7.99) I'm in the market for one, and though I can't tell much of anything from the ad, I'll be checking them out in-store.

Cap'n Crunch or Life Cereal, 15 or 16 oz box (2/$2) They're on sale 2 for $5 - earn $2 RR. Use the coupon from the 1-4 insert to make them 2 for $2.

Possibly FREE Mentos gum. Some stores have it on sale for $1.00. Use the $1/1 coupon from the 3/1 insert to make them FREE.

EASTER BASKET GOODIES

• Hot Wheels Cars, 2/$1.79
• Children's Sunglasses, 2/$10
• Hallmark Cards, $0.42 off each that's over $1.50 (limit 6)
• Mini puzzle or sticker book, 3/$1
• Butterfinger or Snickers eggs, $.39 each
• and more!

Entertainment While Sick

Six days ago, the boys started coming down with a cold. Just as they started feeling better, I got it! So we've been stuck at home trying to avoid boredom. Here are a few activities to make sick people (toddlers and mommy alike) smile.

Play doctor

• We used a Dixie cup to play, "Does your ___ hurt?" Placing the Dixie stethoscope on big brother's knee, I'd ask, "Does your knee hurt?" Move it to his shoulder. "Does your shoulder hurt?" He thought it was hillarious. I played this with little brother to reinforce the names of body parts. What was really funny was when I was sick a few days later and suddenly felt a toy cup on my head and heard big bro ask, "Does your hair hurt?"

Love on the doggies

• The boys usually don't do much loving on the doggies. They chase them, roll on them, and "brush" them, but just sitting and petting them... it doesn't happen. When the boys were cold and sick, they developed quite the symbiotic relationship. When sitting together on the couch, the boys could steal warmth from the dogs, and the dogs could steal the boys' snacks (not that the boys were very interested in snacks, being sick and all!) There's been a lot more hugging and loving going on since.
  

Rub 'em down

• Nothing puts a smile on a child's face like a good tickle. But when a child is sick, they don't want to roll on the floor and laugh until they cry, so a more subtle form of touch is useful. I pulled out the Vicks Baby Rub, and made a little game of rubbing it on their chests and feet. They liked the smooth touch, and the soothing smell (much nicer than regular Vicks!), but they especially liked the special attention they got as I massaged it into their skin. It tickled enough for a few giggles and smiles, but not enough to annoy them.

Blanket Buddies

• The boys love each other so much, but it seems that when one is in a hugging mood, the other is in a "don't touch me" mood. When they were both at the height of their cold, both were in a "don't touch me" mood, but they both had fevers, too. I put them on the couch side-by-side and covered them up with a big, fluffy blanket. They sat there cuddled together for at least 30 minutes, heads resting on each other.
  

Pull out the Essential Oils

• I keep a few EOs on hand for cleaning and to use in a diffuser. I pulled out the rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, and orange, all good scents for sickness. Both boys enjoyed getting to smell them, and it certainly helped the overall mood of the room to have the diffuser going.

Pull out something new

• Pull out a new DVD, book, game, or toy. I always try to have a few things put back (items secretly removed from the overflowing Christmas or birthday present pile) for an "emergency." Another option would be to send someone (DH, a good friend) to the library to check out a book or DVD. My boys loved the Baby Einstein DVDs that they hadn't seen in forever!
  

Cool-mist Humidifier "sprinkler"

• Pull out the cool-mist humidifier, aim the mist out into the middle of the room, and watch them go! It was like a sprinkler or bubbles in the house. They were running through it, trying to catch it, and just having a blast. It was a positive side to while trying to help them breate better!

What other ideas do you have for making sickness less miserable?

Monday Meal Planning (3/23 - 3/29)

This week will be a bit different. The boys and I are leaving on Thursday to drive 8 hours to visit family in Georgia. We'll be there for a week, and my MIL has asked me to get her a shopping list of things she should have on hand for the boys (stuff that doesn't travel well). I also need to plan snacks for the trip itself before I head to the grocery store. So I'll be posting meals for Monday-Wednesday, travel snacks, and then my MIL's "shopping list" for our visit to GA.

Monday
Lunch: Mac-n-Cheese
Supper: Corn Dogs

Tuesday
Lunch: Crock pot pork tenderloin
Supper: Mexican Lasagna

Wednesday
Lunch: Grilled Cheese sandwich
Supper: Chicken nuggets

Thursday
Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas

Travel Snacks to Pack
5 bottles water
Kool-aid mix
Nutrigrain bars
Travel bowls
Trail mix (Chex, Cheerios, cranberries, raisins)
M&Ms

MIL's shopping list
Fresh fruit (bananas, grapes, or apples are their favorites)
100% Fruit juice (not apple or purple grape)
Half gallon whole milk
Gallon skim milk
Yogurt
Tortillas
Sliced cheese
Loaf of bread
Ball Park beef franks
Mac-n-cheese

I guess my cooking skills haven't improved as much as I'd hoped!

We're all sick. It's chilly and a little rainy outside. Soup sounds perfect! I make a basic vegetable noodle soup. DH and I say it's amazing! I look to the boys for the final word of approval.

DS #2 repeatedly throws his spoon on the floor and pushes his bowl to the middle of the table. After the 4th new spoon brings another attempt to get him to eat, he pushes the bowl away, takes off his socks, and starts sucking his toes! He's never done that before.

On the other side of the table, DS #1 says, "I don't want any. I don't like it."
DH replies, "You haven't even tried it yet. You need to take at least one bite."
DS #1 answers, "No, I don't. I wanna to go play, now."
DH warns him, "Don't think we're going to give you something different or a snack later. You need to try the soup. Do you want to go to bed hungry?"
DS states, "Well, that's a option! May I be excused."
You can't argue with that kind of logic! Desperately trying not to laugh in his sight or hearing, hands over our faces, we blurt out that yes, he may be excused.

Sunday Sales (3/22)

Another so-so week, but there are a few things I'm planning on getting. After all, I've got some Register Rewards and Extra Care Bucks that I need to use before they expire! Check out the links on my blog for some great sites that list even more deals. What I'm doing is listing the deals I am considering for myself. *Note - My grocery store ads run from Wednesday-Tuesday, so I will post my grocery lists on Wednesday.


CVS (You've got to have a CVS card to get the deals)
Crest Pro Health Enamel Care (earn $1.00) It's on sale for $3.49 - receive $3.49 ECB (limit 1.) Use the $1/1 coupon from the 3-1 insert to earn a dollar!

CVS-brand Vitamin D, 400mg, 100 ct (FREE) It's on sale for $2.99 - receive $2.99 ECB (limit 1.) Apparently there are occasionally coupons printing for this at the scanner in the center of the store that would make this a money-maker. Even without a coupon, though, it's a way to roll any ECBs you have that are about to expire.


Walgreens
Stride Gum (3/$0.37) There's an in-ad coupon that makes them $0.79 each. Use the $2/3 coupon from the 3-22 insert to make them 3/$0.37

Hunts Tomato Sauce ($0.39) There's an in-ad coupon that makes them $0.39 each. You can also submit for ESR Rebate #29 (Buy $10, get $5 back.)

Pledge Fabric Sweeper ($0.50 each) They're on sale 2/$7.00. Use 2 printable coupons HERE to pay $3 for both. Then submit for the Easy Saver Rebate (#23) to get another $2 back ($2.20 if you put it on a gift card!)

Nature's Source (Toilet) Cleaner ($1.00 each) They're on sale 2/$6.00. Use two $1/1 coupons from the 3-1 insert to pay $4 for both. Then submit for the Easy Saver Rebate (#23) to get another $2 back ($2.20 if you put it on a gift card!) I'm only interested in the toilet cleaner, but I'm not sure if it is included in the rebate or not. Still working on that. But the other three cleaners are included if you are interested in those.

Kelloggs Cereal ($1.00). It's on sale 4/$10 - earn $2 RR. Use four of the $1/1 coupons from the 2-22 insert.

Tums Dual action ($1.99) They're on sale for $7.99 - earn $3 RR. Use the $3/1 coupon from the April All You or the 3-22 insert.

Pepsi 12-packs (4/$10.92) They're on sale 3/$10.92. There's an in-ad coupon for buy 3, get one free. There are other coupons out there that make this an even better deal, but I don't have any of those. Therefore, the best I can do is 4/$10.92. That's less than $0.23/can, so it's an okay price. Why can't I ever find any deals on Coke products?

Advanced Memory Formula 45 ct soft gels (FREE) It's on sale for $19.99. Apply for the Easy Saver Rebate to make this free. This is a way to roll any Register Rewards you may have that are about to expire.

Extra Strength Headache Relief 20ct gel (FREE) It's on sale for $2.99. Apply for the Easy Saver Rebate to make this free. This is a way to roll any Register Rewards you may have that are about to expire.


Did I mention that this was a sad week for deals? I can't even find chocolate that's worth the trouble of listing! There are lots of fancy chocolates and chocolate bunnies for Easter, but not in my price range. If you want the expensive chocolate, go ahead and look, but it's too rich for my blood!

Dealing with tantrums

Books are scattered across the living room floor. Somehow, in the 2 minutes I was in the bathroom, they had gotten the bookcase open and nearly emptied it out! "NOOOO!" I noticed my favorite book, one my grandmother had given me, The Secret Garden, lying open on the floor with a page half torn. At my feet was DH's Dune Messiah with the front cover torn off. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to hit something, and I wanted to run away. What did I do? What any sane, rational person would do, of course! I found the nearest empty receptacle (a toy bin, of course) and started throwing books into it as fast as I could, with no regard for the books, children, or other innocent bystanders. I knew that the boys could empty the bookcase faster than I could fill it, so I scrambled around with the books looking for a "safe" place. While looking for an empty high shelf, a dog got underfoot, tripped me, and I bumped into DS, knocking him to the floor. "NO, dog! Not now!" To my crying DS, "You're okay. Here. Have some milk. Here's a boo-boo-duck." After placing the sippy and the cold pack in his hands, I turn away from him so I can deal with the dog. "How many times do you have to go out in one day?! Fine. Fine. Out! I'll let you back in at bedtime. I said, 'OUT,' dog!!" I slam the door, brush past DS, throw the book bin on my bed, and sit on the floor. I can't handle this. I'm a horrible mother. I was so upset about the books that I blew up at the kids, at the dogs, ignored their needs, and proved to be a horrible example. Sure, I didn't use any language that was improper, but my tone of voice, my attitude, and my actions were far from agreeable. I could have damaged the books even more throwing them about like that. I probably hurt DS's feelings by ignoring him when I hurt him, even if it was an accident. I was ready to get rid of the dog just because she asked to go out at the wrong time. What else can I do to mess things up? Then I go back out to prepare for the next battle.

An incident this morning got me thinking. As adults, we don't have the throw-yourself-on-the-floor, scream, kick, and threaten-to-hold-your-breath kind of tantrums. But we still have tantrums. Our human nature tends to take over in times of stress if we allow it. We need to seek out God's peace in order to face difficult situations with wisdom and dignity. Whenever my children are exhibiting signs of stress, or going into temper-mode, I have them go to timeout. I tell them they are there to calm down, and as soon as they're calm and ready to play nice, they can get up and go back to playing. Why don't I do that myself? Why, as adults, do we put higher expectations on our kids than we do on our own selves? We all need a chance to calm down. Instead of hiding in the bedroom or resting my head on the kitchen counter top as I await the next crisis, I could put myself in time out to calm down and perhaps avert the next crisis! In addition to a more positive outlook, I would have provided my children a positive example of behavior and attitude in times of frustration. How much different... how much better would my perspective be if I were willing to put myself in time out? Hmm. How weird would it be to add "Put myself in time out" to my weekly To-Do list?

Books are scattered across the living room floor. Somehow, in the 2 minutes I was in the bathroom, they had gotten the bookcase open and nearly emptied it out! "NOOOO!" I notice my favorite book, one my grandmother had given me, The Secret Garden, lying open on the floor with a page half torn. At my feet was DH's Dune Messiah with the front cover torn off. I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to hit something, and I want to run away. What do I do? Set a good example, of course! I gather the boys and herd them upstairs. "It's time to play puzzles!" As they dump pieces onto the floor, I sit in the hallway and pray for peace, wisdom, and understanding. I pray for my children, that they would know that I love them no matter what. I pray for DH to have a good day at work so he's in a good mood when he finds out his book is now missing the cover. DS comes over and asks why I'm not playing, and I say, "I need to calm down in time out. Mama was really sad, so I'm sitting in time out to pray. I'll come play in just a few minutes after I'm calm and happy. You go play with your brother." After a few more moments, I go in and start playing with them. After a few minutes, the dogs start barking to go out. We all head back downstairs. Younger DS helps direct the dogs out the door while older DS gets their food ready. Once the dogs are back in, we all sit on the couch. I explain that I'm sad that some of my books are broken, and daddy will be sad to find his books broken. I suggest we try to clean them up and see which ones we can fix. With help, the boys fill the nearest empty recepticle (a toy bin, of course) with the unharmed books. The "broken" books go up on the bookshelf so that I can do the repairs once the boys are in bed. We move to the kitchen table so the boys can color. I stand in the doorway watching them, thinking about what a blessing they are to me.

Coupon Clipping Services

Several days ago, I listed a variety of ways you can get coupons from the Sunday inserts and shared that the newspapers on the following Sunday would have more coupons than usual, so you should go get several papers. Due to... a misunderstanding, I was unable to acquire my extra copies. I knew which coupons I wanted, so I went to ebay to search. To get those 5 particular coupons was going to cost me over $15. I couldn't get any from the same seller, so I would have had to pay separate shipping on each bundle, and, of course, I could only get them in bunches of 20 coupons, which I didn't need! So, I searched ebay to see if I could buy whole inserts. Once again, to much for what I needed. Argh!

I went to swagbucks and searched for "where can I buy extra coupon inserts." Link number 2 was Coupons & Things by Dede. On a thrifty forum I frequent, someone mentioned that they always got their coupons from Dede, but I thought Dede was another user on the forum. I didn't realize what a treasure I was missing! I was able to get 5-10 copies of each of my needed coupons, plus a few extra, a total of 55 coupons worth more than $50 in savings (before being doubled) for only $5.58 shipped!

Here are some other clipping service sites. I haven't tried any yet (except for Dede) but I thought I'd pass on the info in case you're interested.

• Coupons & Things by Dede
• The Coupon Master
• The Coupon Clippers
• CentsOff
• Coupon Clipping Crew

I will add this information to my original Making the Most of the Sunday Paper post, but wanted to add this in here to make sure it gets noticed!

In-store Coupon Quest

Last week I talked about various sources to get Sunday paper coupons. However, you don't have to get the Sunday paper or get the coupons from the Sunday paper in order to save money. Head to the grocery store and look around. There are lots of coupons available right there for free!

Look on the shelves or on cardboard advertisements:

• Blinkies are the SmartSource coupons you get out of the little machines at major grocery stores (and occasionally at drugstores.) "Blinkie" refers to the little blinking light that's supposed to attract your attention to the little box hanging from the store shelf. These are manufactuer's coupons that are useable anywhere, anytime (before it expires). If you like the Kraft cheese, but don't like the current price, go ahead and take the blinkie anyway and use it at a different store that's having a sale or save it for a sale at your regular store.
• Tearpads, like blinkies, often hang from the product shelves. It's a stack of coupons, glued at the top like a pad of paper. You just take one from the top. Like blinkies, these are useable anywhere, anytime.
• Booklets which contain coupons for multiple products can often be found during holidays or special events. Look for displays next to popular products for that occasion. For example, a "Holiday Entertainment" booklet might be found in the baking aisle and feature recipes, decorating tips, and coupons for products frequently used during the holidays (cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling, etc.) A Super Bowl booklet might be found near the beer, and have coupons for various snack foods and drinks. You can also find booklets at the pharmacy counter, doctor's office, vet, etc. so keep your eyes open!

Look carefully at the products you plan to purchase:

• A hangtag or winetag is a coupon that hangs from the product (not taped to it), usually from the neck of a bottle. It can be for that product (I found some on bottles of Welch's Juice yesterday for $1.00 off) or a related product (free tortilla chips when you buy 2 jars of salsa.)
• Peelies are coupons that are stuck to the product and usually say something like, "save $1.00 now." From what I understand, these are generally supposed to be removed and scanned by the cashier at the time of purchase. However, cashiers often don't notice them, or you may have a better coupon with you and you'd prefer to use it, so you may end up with a peelie or two among your coupon stash.
• A package coupon is one that printed on the packaging or inside the package. To get it, you have to open the product or cut it off the package, so it's not something you would want to deal with in-store before buying the product, but it can save you money on your next purchase! You may even have some at your house right now, and you don't even know it. They can be sneaky. Look under can labels, inside cartons and boxes, and on instruction sheets. Manufacturers don't always make these obvious or add a label to inform you of a coupon waiting inside.

Pay attention when you check out:

• A catalina is a coupon that prints when you check out. There is often a seperate printer for this purpose. Some are just advertisements, some are coupons. At a drug store earlier this week I got one for 20% my next purchase at PayLess Shoes! I occasionally see stacks of catalinas left by the register that someone didn't think worth the time or effort to pick up. What a loss! Pay attention, people, and grab the free coupons! Sheesh.
• Register Rewards are given by Walgreens on certain items. It is a seperate slip of paper from your receipt. Do not lose these! They are like cash (except that cash doesn't expire) to spend on any products in the store. Keep them, spend them, and save!
• Extra Care Bucks are given by CVS when you buy certain items. Just like Register Rewards, these can be used on any products in the store. However, they are printed at the bottom of your receipt, not on a seperate piece of paper. Many people never bother to look at their receipts and just toss them. Money down the drain! Check your receipts. Cut off the ECBs and keep them with your CVS card.
  

Look around as you leave:

• Most grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. have a rack near the front door that says, "Take one, FREE!" It is full of real estate magazines, city guides, and other area-specific resources. These will often have related coupons inside. If you have the time, take a moment to check them out!

Now, those of you who can't coupon because you can't or don't want to get the Sunday paper or pay for the coupons... can you handle this? No upfront costs, no extra trips to get a paper, and hardly any clipping. All it requires is paying attention when you're at the store and organizing the coupons you find. Now, go scour your store for savings!

Grocery Deals (3/18-3/24)

This is one of those weeks where I will be buying staples only. My ads (Kroger and Schnucks) start Wednesday and run until Tuesday, and I will only list the deals I intend to buy myself. Check the ads for your region to be sure these deals are in your area.

Kroger
Mega Sale again this week, same items. The ad lists different ones than last week, but they were still on sale last week if you were looking. I pretty much stocked up on what I wanted last week, so I doubt I can come up with 10 Mega Sale items so I can get my $5 off.

Other good deals that are not part of the Mega Sale:

• Kroger Milk or OJ, all varieties, 1/2 gallon, $1.29 each (That's $2.58, which is a great price for whole milk. I can't wait until I can switch DS to the less expensive milk!)
• Sanderson Farms family pack split chicken breasts, $0.97/lb (We've really enjoyed these whenever we get them. The flavor is great, and there's a LOT of meat on there!)
  

Schnucks
The drive is not worth the few items I would get this week. I'd get some Kellogg's cereal, but that's it.

Hope that helps someone out there. Now go get your own shopping list done!

Fire Drills

Stressful situations will always come up, but what about the ones that are preventable?

- In the process of taking out a colander, DH knocks over the precarious tower of tupperware. Lids and bowls (thousands of them?) clatter onto the floor, and before we are able to gather them, the children and the dogs (lured by the noise) run through, scattering them hither and yon. Looks like we're washing more dishes.

- DS asks to watch a different Veggie Tales DVD. I search through the "Children's DVD" bin to no avail. With trepidation, I glance at the less-than-steady stack of loose DVDs, CDs, computer back-ups, and blank CDs. I attempt to divert him, "How about Mickey Mouse?" But his heart is set on Jr. Asparagus. I carefully flip through the stack, hoping to find the DVD before all the disks end up on the floor. Meanwhile, little brother has taken the dogs' water into the laundry room and soaked the clothes in the "clean" basket. Yes, the basket has been sitting there for several days, and we've been digging through it to find socks and kitchen towels, but now I was going to have to wash it all over again.

- I go to Kroger to take advantage of the Mega Sale. Coupon binder, sale paper, shopping list, price list, and pen in hand, I go in knowing I'm prepared. Without kids, I am able to make the most of my time and money. Eighty-three dollars later, I head out to to my car with my over-flowing buggy. I open my trunk and freeze. My trunk is already full! I can't fit a cart-load of groceries in there with the booster seat, unused shopping bags, emergency blankets and clothes, the extra diaper bag and snacks, the "out and about" toy bag, the Easter baskets that mom bought for the boys... I won't go on, but it just wasn't happening. I had to load the groceries (a good bit of it was raw meat) into the back seat and into the boys' carseats. Ugh. Thankfully, nothing leaked!

- I open the fridge to get out a tortilla. We keep the opened packages in a bin with the cheese and lunchmeat. I couldn't see any, so I pulled out the bin and put it on the counter top. As I started removing bread, jelly, and grapes, I realized why I couldn't see the tortillas. Eventually, I found 3, yes THREE, open packages of tortillas. And I had been about to open another since I couldn't find any.

Kitchen cabinets, entertainment center, laundry room, car, fridge - these, along with several other areas, are on my weekly list of "hot spots." I'm the type of person who forgets to take care of things until the situation is desperate. Six years ago, a friend pointed me to FlyLady, and it has helped me so much. Though I'm not an active FlyBaby anymore, I still continue to use some of her methods. I have a list of daily, weekly, and monthly "chores" posted on my fridge. I use the timer for most everything, including my frequent organizational "fire drills". I try to make sure that my sink and counter tops, if not shiny, are at least free of dirty dishes and dish towels. Using a list helps me stay on top of things so that I don't have stressful, preventable situations come up... at least, not very often. I don't always get to everything (the four examples from the top all happened in the last week!) but every bit helps. What are your "hot spots"? How do they interrupt your life, your time with your family, and your relationship with God? What would it take to turn your hot spots into useable areas of peace?

Meal Planning (3/16-3/22)

The first half of last week was miserable, at least the meals were. I was stressed, I didn't have the ingredients I wanted, and the food we ended up eating was not the most healthy. Yes, I reminded myself why meal planning is so important for me. So I'm starting off with a plan this week. I feel more at peace already.

Monday 2/23
Lunch: Corn dogs
Supper: Mini Pizzas

Tuesday 2/24
Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich
Supper: Layered Meatball Casserole

Wednesday 2/25
Lunch: Grilled Cheese sandwich
Supper: Chicken nuggets

Thursday 2/26
Lunch: Hotdogs & Mac-n-cheese
Supper: Beef Stew

Friday 2/27
Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas
Supper: Pork Riblettes (cooked by DH)

Saturday 2/28
Lunch: Soup & Sandwiches
Supper: Swedish Meatballs

Sunday 2/29
Lunch: Totino's Pizza Rolls
Supper: Breakfast for supper

Sunday Sales (3/15)

The deals aren't as great as last week, but there are a few things I'm planning on getting. Check out the links on my blog for some great sites that list even more deals. What I'm doing is listing the deals I am considering snagging for myself. *Note - My grocery store ads run from Wednesday-Tuesday, so I will post my grocery lists on Wednesday.


CVS (You've got to have a CVS card to get the deals)
Dry Idea Deodorant (earn $1.01) It's on sale for $2.99 - receive $2 ECB (limit 1.) Use the $2/1 printable coupon HERE to earn $1.01.

Colgate Max White Toothbrush or Toothpaste (earn $0.75) It's on sale for $2.99 - receive $2.99 ECB (limit 1.) Use a $0.75/1 coupon from the 2/22 coupon insert to earn $0.75.

Irish Spring Body Wash (earn $0.50) Sunday - Tuesday ONLY. It's on sale for $4.99 - receive $4.99 ECB (limit 1.) Use the $0.50/1 from Sunday's paper to earn $0.50.

Tropicana OJ, 64 oz ($1.60 or $2.00 each) It's on sale for $3 - spend $15 and you get $5 ECB (limit 1.) Buy 5 and use 2 of the $1/2 coupon from the 1/4 insert to make them $1.60 each. Even if you don't have the coupons, you can still buy 5 to make them $2.00 each, which is still in my "buy" range for good OJ.

Purex, 32 loads ($2.64 each) It's on sale for $2.99 each (limit 4.) There's a coupon in this week's paper for $0.35/1 to make them $2.64. I'm hoping they have the HE detergent!


Walgreens
Sunmaid Raisins, 18 oz. ($1.99) Use the in-ad coupon to make it $1.99 each. Not a super deal since there's no coupon out there, but it's still $0.11/ounce, which puts in in my "buy" range.

Walgreens diapers or training pants, jumbo package (2/$9.00) I've been pleased with these diapers. I'm still using my brand-name diapers at night, but these work great for day-time!


Cheap Chocolate Alert!!
If you like Cadbury Eggs, this is the deal for you. CVS has them 2/$1. If you spend $15, you get $5 ECB. So, if you buy 30 Cadbury Eggs, you're essentially getting them for $0.33 each. If you're lucky, there are some tearpad coupons out there for $0.50/2 that would make a phenomenal deal. FYI, I hear that Cadbury Eggs freeze well.

All the trees of the forest will sing for joy!

How is it that a tree in my own backyard has captured my attention, and I can't get it off my mind? How is it that I have failed to notice this tree for the past month? How is it that I've shown my son all the beautiful trees, explained that the tree knows that spring is coming and is growing new leaves, pointed out the blooms that will become fruit? And here is all the beauty and joy in my own backyard. Praise the father of all creation, for he is generous... and patient.

"Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come in to his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns."
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
they will sing before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his truth." - Psalm 96

A Prayer Cheat Sheet

I believe that prayer is important, and I'm trying to remember to do it more often. One of the areas that I'm focusing on is praying for my husband and my children. If they are truly priorities in my life, than I should show that through my prayers for them. My verbal creativity dwindles away when I'm at the feet of God, and I end up praying daily for the same things. Important, yes, but I KNOW there's more that I'd like to say, but I can't think of it. I've recently realized I can make a "prayer cheat sheet" to help me stay focused while praying and ensure that my prayers aren't stagnant. In my research, I found a few helpful resources that may benefit someone else out there. Enjoy!

Pray Big Prayers for Your Marriage
Praying for Your Husband
A Month of Praying for Your Wife
A Parent's Prayer Calendar
12 Ways to Pray for Your Child's Future Mate

Making the Most of the Sunday Paper

As I've mentioned before, I'm a couponer. Though I do print coupons from the internet, order them from eBay, load them onto my Kroger card, clip them from magazines, and pick them up when I'm out and about, my primary source is the Sunday paper. If you want to take full advantage of the really great grocery deals, you buy your products in quantity, and it helps if you have multiples of each coupon.

Finding the best newspaper.
Not all papers carry coupons. Some areas have only one newspaper available to them which carries coupons. Some areas have a few to choose from. And couponers from some regions have to try to get papers from large, neighboring cities in order to find any coupons at all. You can look on each coupon company's website to see which papers have coupons in your area. Proctor & Gamble has a coupon book that comes out only once a month. For this reason, many couponers will purchase several papers on P&G days since there will be no more P&G coupons for another month. (By the way, this Sunday is the day that P&G is putting out their book for April!) Red Plum/Valassis has started mailing their inserts in some regions (like mine, unfortunately,) but there are a lot of newspapers that are still carrying it. Check the list and see if there is one in your area. SmartSource is the most commonly found insert, and occasionally has a dual issue, where there are TWO (2!) different coupon booklets in the same newspaper, in addition to the P&G and RP that would usually be there. That's another Sunday that it's beneficial to get several newspapers. The next SS dual issue is scheduled for April 5.

Where to get your paper
Once you determine which newspaper(s) to get, you have several options on where to get that paper.

1. Subscribe for at-home delivery. Most newspapers have a lower rate for Sunday-only delivery. This saves gas and you can often find deals to make this cheaper than buying them individually at the store. I use my home-delivered paper to determine whether or not the coupons are good enough for me to go out and buy more copies.
2. Gas stations, grocery stores, and drug stores often carry the Sunday paper. Price-check these, though. In many cities you can find different prices on the same paper. I know in some areas you can get the Sunday paper at the Dollar Store for $1! However, these papers are not guaranteed to have coupons in them, so look through each paper BEFORE buying it to make sure they are there.
3. Sunday night can be a great time to go hunting for extra papers. Many stores or gas stations will sell you the papers/inserts for a reduced price, or even give them to you for free. Be sure to get them before pick-up on Monday morning, though.
4. Your family and friends may get the paper and not use the coupons. It never hurts to ask. It can be especially helpful if they live in a different region from you, because their coupons will probably be a little different than the ones from your paper, so you get more variety and a better chance to get some of those high-value coupons!
   
5. Recycling bins can be a great source for coupon inserts. There are so many people out there who just toss the inserts out with the paper because they think (as I did) that coupons are more trouble than they're worth. Though I think going through people's trash is too gross to even consider, the paper-only recycling bins can provide a clean source of free inserts.
6. Many public libraries have a coupon-trading bin located somewhere near the door or the newspaper shelf. Ask at your local library. It's a great chance to drop off some coupons you have but don't need (Rid-X Septic Cleaner?) and swap them for ones you do need (Huggies!)
7. Ebay is a great source if you're looking for one particular coupon. For example, a few months back there was a coupon out for $1/1 Juicy Juice. Even though I dilute the juice in our house to about 1/4 juice, 3/4 water, we still go through the juice! When I found out that coupon was available somewhere, I went on ebay, searched, found, and bought a set of 20 for $7. And yes, $7 was worth it when Kroger had a sale and I was able to buy 20 bottles of Juicy Juice for $0.99 each!
   
8. If you'd rather purchase 5 coupons (instead of ebay's 20-coupon set) try a coupon-clipping service. You can order however many coupons you want and the clipping fee is minimal. Check out Coupons & Things by Dede, The Coupon Master, The Coupon Clippers, CentsOff, or Coupon Clipping Crew.
9. Join a coupon train! Check out A Full Cup, Hot Coupon World, or Coupon Mom to sign up for a train. An envelope of coupons will be sent to you. You take out the ones you want, replace those with ones from your collection that you don't want, and send the envelope on to the next person.
10. Finally you can trade coupons with people from A Full Cup, Hot Coupon World, or Coupon Mom. It's like Christmas when you get an envelope in the mail full of coupons that you know you will use!
    

I hope this helps you open your eyes to different ways to get the newspaper coupons you want. Next Thursday we'll explore how to make the best use of in-store coupons.

A Matter of Priorities

Just under a year ago, my family went through a period of great change. After six years of teaching, I was in my first year of being a stay-at-home-mom. DH was living in another state while training for a new job. I was essentially a single parent, though close friends and family were no more than 3 minutes away. In a matter of months, we would be moving away, but DH's company had not yet decided where. In preparation for the move, I stepped down from my position as church choir director, losing my main creative outlet. Eventually, I realized that I had let myself become so bogged down by stress, loneliness, and fear that I had lost sight of what was truly important.

As I sat in a pew at our new church, waiting for VBS to start, I asked myself what was truly important. What were my priorities? I pulled out my new toy (a Blackberry curve) and started my memo - Priorities. I won't go into the sub-sections, but I determined that there were five primary areas of focus for me: God, my children, my husband, my self, and my duty of making our house a home. The first 3 are obvious priorities. I nearly didn't write myself in, but realized that if I were not physically healthy and emotionally involved, I couldn't focus on any other priorities. And then, if the last isn't in place, ain't none of us healthy or happy! Yes, I have other priorities (my parents, DH's parents, my sister and her family, our dogs, our friends, my love of organization, my love of music, etc.) but when it comes down to it, I am ultimately responsible for those 5 things.

That memo has been saved on my Blackberry for nine months now. At the time, it gave me focus for dealing with the changes (and also a chance to practice my texting skills!) But how many times have I looked at that list since? Four, maybe five times. Have I used that list in my life? Not really. If I were using that list to determine my actions, should I leave the laundry piled up in the laundry room and sit the boys in front of the TV so I can spend all morning on Facebook and surfing the 'net? Nope. Has it happened? Oh, yeah. Should I forego spending some quality time with DH so that I can watch a chick flick? Probably not. Has it happened? Unfortunately, yes. Would I spend an entire evening at Wal-Mart, just walking around, so I can get away and out of the house, then maintain that I don't have time to read the Bible? Most definitely not. Has it happened? More than I'd like to admit.

So hopefully next time I have to decide whether I should go to bed at a decent hour or reorganize the pantry, I will remember my priorities and get some sleep! It's time to live out my true priorities, and not my selfish indulgences.

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." - Phillippians 4:8

Meal Planning (3/11-3/15)

So this is what happens when you (by "you," I mean "I) don't meal plan. For three days now, we've had bologna sandwiches, chicken tenders, and cottage cheese. I've GOT to get back on track!

Thursday 2/26
Lunch: Hotdogs & Mac-n-cheese
Supper: Crock Pot Chicken

Friday 2/27
Lunch: Leftover Smorgasbord
Supper: Breakfast for Supper (cooked by DH)

Saturday 2/28
Lunch: Chili-dog Casserole
Supper: Tacos

Sunday 2/29
Lunch: Totino's Pizza Rolls
Supper: Mini Pizzas

Now maybe my eldest won't yell, "I don't want supper! I want a snack!" Or maybe he still will. After all, he is three!

Grocery Deals (3/11-3/17)

I'm really excited about this week's grocery store ads! My ads (Kroger and Schnucks) start Wednesday and run until Tuesday, so I will list the deals I intend to snag for myself. Check the ads for your region to be sure these deals are in your area.

Kroger
Mega Sale again this week, but they've added better items, in my opinion. Buy 10 participating items, and receive $5 off at check-out. I will be getting:

• Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes, $0.99 after discount (there are Home Mailers and printable coupons out there to get these for around $0.50 each)
• Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, $1.49 after discount (lots of coupons available)
• Kellogg's Cereal, $1.99 after discount (lots of insert and printable coupons available)
• Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars, $1.99 after discount
• Stouffer's Lean Cuisine or Red Box Entrees (5.25-21oz pkg,) $1.49 after discount
• Purex Detergent (24-32 load liquid,) $2.49 after discount (use the $0.35/1 from the 3/8 coupon insert to get them for $1.79 each!
• Quaker Quakes, $0.55 after discount (use the $1/1 from the 1/18 insert to get overage

I noticed some others while I was there Tuesday afternoon, but don't remember the exacts, but there is pasta that's $0.49/lb after the Mega Sale. Land O'Lakes Butter is also on sale, though the exact varieties and prices have been forgotten. Sargento cheese is also a Mega Sale item.

Other good deals that are not part of the Mega Sale:

• Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream, $1.99 for a 48-56 oz pkg
• White Seedless Grapes, $0.99/lb
• Kroger Large or Ex-large eggs, $1.25/dozen

Schnucks
There's a great Meat Sale! It's freezer stocking time.

• Bone-in Cook's Shank Portion Ham, $0.87/lb
• Natural Bone-in Fresh Split Chicken Breasts, $0.87/lb
• Fresh Pork Butt Roast (whole or sliced into steaks,) $0.87/lb
• Oscar Mayer Lunchables, $0.87 (Home Mailers have had $1/3 coupons in them to make this a great last-minute lunch idea)
• Bone-in Cook's Butt Portion Ham, $1.19/lb

While you're there picking up some meat, check out the sugar:

• Domino Sugar (4 lb,) $2 (coupons from Good Housekeeping or All You Magazine make these even better!)

Hope that helps someone out there. Now go get your shopping list done!

A Breath of Fresh Air

I don't know about you, but we've been having some springtime weather around here. The birds are singing, the flowers blooming, and the trees are budding. It's beautiful outside... and stuffy inside. When DH told me that he had turned the air conditioner on for a few hours, I asked why he didn't just open the windows. Then I realized that the more pertinent question is why haven't I opened the windows? Here I am trying to keep our house feeling like a home, a place where you can feel at peace, a place where love grows, but I've ignored one of the basics: the air we breathe. When I raised the blinds and let the sunshine in, we all smiled a little brighter. When I opened the windows, and the sounds of the birds in the trees drifted in with the cool morning air, the sounds of the boys playing grew sweeter.

Then I began brainstorming about other ways to "open the windows." Today, I'll be pulling out some of my favorite CDs (Stephen Curtis Chapman, Rich Mullins, Creed, etc.) to put back into the rotation. Yes, "Toddler Tunes" is great, but who's to say the boys and I wouldn't enjoy "King of the Jungle" too? I can check out some new devotionals, books, movies, or CDs at the library. Or maybe we could have a swap with some friends and share. And the board games that we put away when our eldest began to crawl... who says we can't come up with some toddler-friendly, educational version of scrabble? Let's mix it up a bit, try something new, and find a greater joy in the gifts God has bestowed upon us.

Sunday's Sales! (3/8)

Check out the links on my blog for some great sites that list even more deals. What I'm doing is listing the deals I am considering snagging for myself. *Note - My grocery store ads run from Wednesday-Tuesday, so I will post my grocery lists on Wednesday.


CVS (You've got to have a CVS card to get the deals)
Crest Pro-Health 4.2 oz (FREE) It's on sale for $2.99 - receive $2 ECB (limit 1.) Use a $1/1 coupon from the 2/8 coupon insert to make it FREE.

Garnier Fructis Hair Care (pay $2 for 3 bottles) It's on sale 3/$10 - receive $5 ECB (limit 1.) Buy 3, and use 3 $1/1 coupons from the 1/4 or 2/8 coupon inserts to make the total $7.

General Mills Cereal (3 boxes for $2.75-$4 depending on your coupons.) It's on sale for 3/$10 - receive $5 ECB (limit 1.) There are a few possiblities here. Buy 3, and use $1/3 from the 2/8 or 3/8 coupon insert to make them $9 - $5(ECB) = 3 boxes for $4. OR there are several printable coupons out there to get these for as cheap as 3 boxes for $2.75.

Herbal Essence (pay $0.76 for 2 bottles) It's on sale for $2.88 - receive $1 ECB (limit 6 over the month.) Buy 2 and use the $3/2 coupon from the 2/8 insert.

Palmolive ($0.49 or FREE) It's on sale for $1.49 - receive $1 ECB (limit 2.) That's $0.49 for the bottle OR if you have the $0.50/1 coupons from the home mailer, they're free!

Secret Flawless Deodorant ($0.99) It's on sale for $3.99 - receive $1 ECB (limit 1.) Use the $2/1 coupon from the 2/22 insert for a final total of $0.99.

Renuzit TriScents Starter Kit ($0.99) It's on sale for $4.99. Use the $4/1 coupon from the 2/22 insert to make it $0.99. There is no limit to this deal, so if you have a lot of coupons, you can get several!

Walgreens
Glade Scented Oil Sense and Spray Starter Kit. (FREE) It's on sale for $7.99. Buy 2, and use 2 coupons: the BOGO Printable on the Glade website and the $4/each coupon from the Walgreens Easysaver catalog.

Glade Lasting Impressions. (FREE) It's on sale for $7.99. Buy 2, and use 2 coupons: the BOGO Printable on the Glade website and the $4/each coupon from the Walgreens Easysaver catalog.

Garnier Fructis Hair Care (FREE) It's on sale for $2.99. Use the $2/1 coupon from the Walgreens Easysaver catalog (found at the entrance of the store) and a $1/1 coupon from the 1/4 or 2/8 coupon insert. Get as many as you can with your $1/1 coupons!

Right Guard or Dry Idea Deodorant (FREE) It's on sale for $2.99 - $2 RR. Use the $1/1 from the 2/8 coupon insert to make it FREE!

Butterball Chicken Broth. ($0.69 each OR $0.13 each) This sounds a bit complex, but it's a really good deal. There is a Walgreens rebate for $5 when you buy $10 in select Conagra products. You buy 9 cans of Butterball chicken broth for $10.71. Use the in-ad coupon for the broth to bring your total to $6.21 for 9 cans. Then, at the end of the month, you can submit your receipt (by snail-mail or online) to get $5 back! So essentially, you've purchased 9 cans of broth for $1.21 - that's $0.13 each!

Smart Balance Butter Spread ($0.99) It's on sale 2/$2.99. Use the $1/2 coupon from the 2/1 coupon insert to make them $0.99 each! Once again, the only limit is the number of $1/2 coupons you have.

Gillette Fusion Gamer ($0.99) It's on sale for $8.99 - $4 RR. Use the $4/1 coupon from the 2/8 insert to make it $0.99.

And now, the most exciting deal of the week!
Huggies (3 packs of diapers for $2 plus a $2.25 rebate, 5 packs of Wipes earn you $5 RR, and lots of other possible money-saving combinations!) - Get $10 RR when you buy select Kimberly Clark products (Huggies, Kotex, Kleenex, Cottonelle, etc.) Jumbo packs of diapers or Pull-ups are $10 and Wipes are $6. See Thrifty Mama's blog for a more detailed explanation, links to printable coupons, and possible scenarios!


Cheap Chocolate Alert!!
Hope you stocked up last week, because this week's chocolate deals leave a lot to be desired. Palmer Easter Candy is on sale at Walgreens for $0.39 with their in-ad coupon. Mars singles are on sale at CVS 2/$1. Neither is a great deal, and certainly not a good price to stock up, but if you need chocolate, they're the best out there this week.

Grocery Deals (3/4-3/10)

My grocery store ads (Kroger and Schnucks) start Wednesday and run until Tuesday, so I will list the deals I intend to snag for myself. Check the ads for your region to be sure these deals are in your area.

Kroger
Mega Sale this week. Buy 10 participating items, and receive $5 off at check-out. I will be getting:

• Armour Meatballs, $1.99 after discount (use $0.55/1 from the 1/11 insert or last Sunday's coupon for free pasta)
• Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, $1.49 after discount (lots of coupons available)

Other good deals that are not part of the Mega Sale:

• Kroger Moist & Tender Boston Butt Pork roast, $1.17/lb
• Private Selection Butter Basted Bone-in turkey Breast, $1.17/lb
  
• Hormel Seasoned Pork Tenderloins or Filets (18.4oz - 1.7lb pkg), $4.99 (use $1/1 from the 2/8 coupon insert)
  
• Pride of the Farm seasoned ground turkey, $1/lb
  
• Tropicana OJ, $2.39 (use $1/2 from the 1/4 coupon insert)
• Hamburger Helper, $1 each (lots of coupons available)
• Black Seedless Grapes, $0.99/lb
• Sara Lee Classic White Bread, $1 each
• Arm & Hammer Detergent, $3.99 (printable coupons available)
  

Schnucks
There's a great 10/$10 sale. Combined with double coupons (up to $0.60), there are some great deals.

• Progresso Vegetable Classics (lots of coupons available)
  
• Knorr Rice or Pasta Sides (use coupons from 1/18)
  
• Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
• Birds Eye Freshlike or Steamfresh frozen veggies
• Oscar Mayer Turkey Bologna (16 oz package)
• Rice or Pasta Roni (use coupons from 1/18)

Other good deals that are not part of the 10 for $10 sale:

• General Mills, Honey Bunches of Oats, Quaker, Life, or Cap'n Crunch cereal, $2 each (lots of coupons available)
  
• Pillsbury Rolls or Bread, 3 for $6 (in-store coupon for $2 off when you buy 3, plus lots of other coupons available)

Hope that helps someone out there. Wow, it's such a relief to have your shopping list done! I highly recommend it.

Counting my blessings

I am so thankful to be past the baby stage. I love, love, love my full-night's sleep, and I love, love, love having children that can (to some degree) let me know what is wrong. Toddlers can be such a blessing. God uses bad times to remind us of our blessings.

Last night was a bad time. My 21-month-old son woke up crying, and after a few moments, I realized he wasn't going to roll over and fall back asleep. It sounded like an "I lost my teddy" cry, so I was just going to search the floor by his bed, put it in his hand, pat his back, and go back to bed. Nope. When I opened the door to his room, the smell overwhelmed me. He had thrown up. I had this fleeting thought that I should close the door and keep him quarantined to keep any stomach bug from infecting the rest of us, then I wondered if I could get through the clean-up without getting sick myself! Knowing my responsibility had to be stronger than my revulsion, I turned on the light and went in to survey the damage. Yes, teddy was nearly invisible, "bee-ket" was in bad shape, and my son was covered head-to-toe. Ugh. Time to yell into the baby monitor to wake up DH. Together we were able to get DS back to bed as quickly and calmly as possible.

Yes, last night was a bad time. But today, DS is running, jumping, and laughing with his brother. Yesterday he was running, jumping, and laughing with his brother. Was he sick? Did he eat something that didn't agree with him? Did he get choked on something? The mystery remains. But instead of lamenting over the bookcase that he just emptied out on the floor, today I am able to rejoice that he is feeling well enough to make a horrific mess. Yes, God most certainly does use bad times to remind us of our blessings.

The 17th Century Dishwasher

Dishwasher, be not proud, though some have called thee
Useful and helpful, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou "washest", though water dost flow,
Are washed not, poore saucers, still besmirched with debris.

I can't take it anymore! We are renting a house, and though it's been a wonderful place for us, the ancient appliances are less than satisfactory. We finally discussed it with our landlord, who is letting us replace one appliance at a time. We are taking a portion of our rent money to buy the replacements, so he has upgrades on his property, but is still making some money, and we have better appliances to use, but don't have to shell out a ton of extra money.

Though DH wanted the oven/stove to be replaced first, I insisted that the dishwasher was more important. (We have a toaster oven and microwave as alternatives to the oven, but only the sink as a substitute for the dishwasher!) I'm usually the one emptying out the dishwasher, thus I've been rewashing the dishes that didn't quite get clean. Finally, DH agreed that the dishwasher could be first. We ordered it on President's Day (appliance sales!) but it's not supposed to be delivered for another week or so. I wasn't feeling well yesterday, and DH was banging around in the kitchen like he was angry. I went in to see what was wrong, and he was standing at the sink washing the dishes as he took them from the dishwasher, barely holding in his temper. "I'm having to wash all of the dishes again! The dishwasher isn't even cleaning them!" Yep. Glad it's not just me!

So now we're using paper plates (leftover from Christmas 2003) whenever we're eating anything that is remotely messy. We're trying to remember to rinse our dishes with hot water... but not run the water long because that's money down the drain! It's hard to not eat out when you don't want to deal with the clean-up! We're trying to wait patiently until our new, working dishwasher is delivered.

A mother is slave to washer, dryer, vacuum, freezer,
And does with husband, pets, and children dwell,
And sickness, or fears keep her from sleepe as well,
All more vital far, than thee; why dost thou tease her?
One short week more, thy last cycle run,
And soiled dishes shall be no more;
Dishwasher, thou shalt be gone.

Meal Planning (3/2-3/8)

I am a very beginner cook, but I feel that I've come a long way toward feeding my family well. We're using healthier ingredients, fewer convenience foods, rarely go out to eat, eating fruits and vegetables as snacks and sides, all on a reduced budget. Meal planning works for me!

Monday 2/23
Lunch: Corn dogs
Supper: Out to eat! (We've got family passing through and they wanted to meet us for supper.)

Tuesday 2/24
Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich
Supper: Layered Meatball Casserole

Wednesday 2/25
Lunch: Grilled Cheese sandwich
Supper: Chicken nuggets

Thursday 2/26
Lunch: Hotdogs & Mac-n-cheese
Supper: Garbanzos in Coconut Milk

Friday 2/27
Lunch: Leftover Smorgasbord
Supper: Country-Style Riblettes (cooked by DH)

Saturday 2/28
Lunch: Meatball biscuits and Progresso soup
Supper: Chicken Fajitas

Sunday 2/29
Lunch: Totino's Pizza Rolls
Supper: Breakfast for supper (cooked by DH)

Sunday's Sales! (3/1)

Once again, I'm not going to post every deal out there. (See the links on my blog for some great ones that do.) What I'm doing is listing the stores I will visit, the coupons I plan to use, and my final OOP (out of pocket.) By using coupons and matching them with sales, you are serving your family. By sharing and donating extra items you can get free or very cheap, you are serving others. By giving praise to the One who provides these opportunities, you are serving God. *Note - My grocery store ads run from Wednesday-Tuesday, so I will post my grocery lists on Wednesday.


CVS (You've got to have a CVS card to get the deals)
Carnation Instant Breakfast (earn $1.00 or $0.75) It's on sale for $4.99 (limit 1.) Use a $1/1 coupon from the blinkie machines at the grocery store (or there's one in the January All You Magazine for $0.75/1) and pay $3.99 for the box. When you check out, you will get an ECB (CVS coupon) for $4.99 to use on your next purchase. So, you've made $1.00!

Gillette Fusion Gamer razor (earn $0.01) It's on sale for $7.99 (limit 1.) Use the $4/1 coupon from the 2/8 Proctor & Gamble coupon insert and pay $3.99 for the razor. When you check out, you will get an ECB (CVS coupon) for $4 to use on your next purchase. So, you've made $0.01!


Walgreens
Blink Tears Eye Drops (earn $1.50) It's on sale for $7.99 (limit 1). Use the $1.50/1 printable coupon HERE and pay $6.49 for the eyedrops. When you check out, you will get a RR (Walgreen's coupon) for $7.99 to use on your next purchase. So, you've made $1.50!

Colgate Max Fresh or Max White toothpaste (earn $1.00) It's on sale for $3.49 (limit 1). Use the $1/1 coupon from the 2/22 coupon insert and pay $2.49 for the toothpaste. When you check out, you will get a RR (Walgreen's coupon) for $3.59 to use on your next purchase. So, you've made $1.00!

Vaseline Intensive Care Rescue Lotion (earn $0.31) It's on sale for $2.69 (25% off regular price). Use the $1/1 couon from the 1/18 insert and pay $1.69 for the lotion. When you check out, you will get a RR (Walgreen's coupon) for $2.00 to use on your next purchase. So, you've made $0.31!

Nabisco Ritz Crackers (FREE) They're on sale 2/$1.99. Use the $2/2 coupon from the 1/25 coupon insert to make them FREE!

Reach toothbrushes (FREE) There's an in-ad coupon that makes them $0.99 each (limit 3). Use the $1/1 coupon from the 2/8 coupon insert to make them FREE!

Revlon products are BOGO (buy one, get one free.) There are lots of coupons out there so you can get some free or cheap make-up!

Walgreens Brand Jumbo pack of diapers or training pants are on sale 2/$9. That's $4.50 a pack, so not a bad price at all! No coupons that I know of, however.

Baby Care deal. Walgreens baby formula is on sale for $2 off. Johnson's and Desitin products are 25% off. If you buy $25 or more of these products (before coupons) then when you check out you will get a RR for $10 off your next purchase. I don't know the original prices of the items, but there is the potential for some good buys, here, especially if you've got good coupons!


Cheap Chocolate Alert!!
Hershey's singles are on sale at CVS 2/$1. Use the 1/25 Hershey's BOGO coupon or the 1/4 Reece's Whipps $1/2 coupon and you've got FREE chocolate!

Nestle singles are also on sale at CVS 2/$1. There aren't any coupons available. However, if you feel up to stocking up on chocolate for Easter or a rainy day, they are running a deal that if you spend $15, you get an ECB for $7 off your next purchase. This isn't for Nestle singles only, but multi-packs, ice cream, and Easter candy too. But since I'm talking about singles, with this deal you can get 30 chocolate bars for $8. That's $0.27 each, and that's cheap chocolate. I'll probably take advantage of this and get some Easter candy for the boys and some candy for me!