What to Expect when you're LOSING YOUR MIND

Coupon Sunday part 2

2011-01-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

Target
Kashi Cereal $2.99
If you are a VocalPoint member you can use the $3/1 coupon they recently sent to get a free box

Reach Dental Floss $0.97
Use $1/1 from here or here
Total: Free

GE Reveal 4pk lightbulbs $2.54
Use $1.50/1 store coupon from here
Use $1/1 coupon from 1/9 SS
Total: $0.04

Hartz Crunch 'n Clean cat treats $1.49
Use $1.50/1 from 1/9 SS
Total: Free

Iams Proactive Health 24pk can food is supposed to be on sale for $3.50

Thanks Hip2Save

Copps
USDA Choice Black Angus Beef Boneless Chuck Roast $2.99
Buy 3.5lbs or more, get: 5lbs Russet Potatoes, 1lb carrots, and celery

Prego Italian Sauce $1.50
Use $1/3 from 1/2 SS, doubled
Total: $0.83 each

Pace Salsa or Picante 15oz 2/$4
Use $0.60/2 from 12/26SS, doubled
Total: $1.40 each

New York Texas Toast 2/$5
Use $0.40/1 from 12/26 SS, doubled
Total: $1.70

Quaker Deelio: 5/$10 and get a free 59oz Tropicana Orange juice WYB 5
Print as many as possible $1/1 Quaker coupons from here (multiple computers)
If you can print 5 and double them, you'll get 5 free Quaker Instant Oatmeals or Old Fashioned Oats AND the free carton of orange juice!
(I think I'll be making a lot of Oatmeal cookies for a while...)

Another Deelio:
Buy:
5 single boxes of Scotties Facial Tissue $1 each=$5
2 boxes Kelloggs Special K cereal $2.99 each=$5.98
Use $1/5 Scotties coupon from 1/9 RP, doubled
Use $1/2 Special K coupon from 1/2 RP, doubled
Use $3/10 participating products in-ad store coupon
Total: $3.98 for everything!

Coupon Sunday part 1

2011-01-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

CVS
Spend $25 on Kleenex, Cottonelle, or Scott products=$10ECB
Buy 42ct Cottonelle Wipes $2
Buy Scott Megaroll Paper Towels 10pk $10
Buy Kleenex 110 sheet 3pk $3
Use 2 $1/1 Scott coupons from here
Use $0.50/1 Kleenex coupon from here
Pay $22.50
Get $10ECB
Total: $12.50

Hershey's Drops or Reeses Mini Cups $1.59=$1.59ECB
Total: Free

Snickers $0.89=$0.89ECB
Total: Free

Buy:
2 IZZE 4 packs $2.99 each=$5.98
1 Starbucks Frappucino 4 pack $4.99
3 bags of Doritos or Lays $2.50 each=$7.50
2 Pepsi 2 liters $1 each=$2
Use
2 $1/1 IZZE coupons from here
$1/1 Starbucks coupon from 11/21 SS
Pay $17.47
Get $10ECB
Total: $7.47

Walgreens
BIC Triumph pens $1.99
Use $2/1 from 1/9SS
Total: Free

Colgate toothpaste $1
There may be a $1/1 in the 1/2 SS?
Total: Free

Reach Total Care Floss $1.99 with in-ad coupon
Use $2/1 from 10/10 RP
Total: Free

Stayfree maxi pads 28-48ct $6.49 ech
Use BOGO coupon from 1/9SS (deducts $6)
Use $1/1 coupon from here (they might give you a hard time, explain it's for the one you are getting free)
Use the $3/1 in-ad coupon (deducts $6)
Total: 2 for free

Twinlab Max Dots Resveratol Dietary Supplement tablets 60ct $9.99
Use $10 off coupon from the January coupon booklet in the front of the store
Total: Free

Thanks Hip2Save

Walgreens: FREE breathe-right strips (moneymaker)

2011-01-05T06:32:00.000-08:00

Maddie and I have both been sick this week, so the only coupon shopping I've been able to do has been at Walgreens, while picking up medicine.

I did this transaction yesterday:
Buy Children's Oscillococcinum Homeopathic Flu Medicine $8.99=$8.99RR
Use $2/1 from here
Total: $6.99
Get back a $9 RR
Total: Free with $2 Moneymaker
Plus I also had a Catalina coupon print out for a FREE 10-12ct box of breathe-right strips.

Just what I needed to sleep with this nasty cold!

Coupon Sunday part 2

2011-01-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

Copps
Roundy's Milk $1.98 with in-ad coupon

Skinny Cow Ice cream Treats $3.99
Use $1/1 from Jan. All You, doubled
Total: $1.99

Weight Watchers Ice Cream Treats 2/$6
Use $1/1 from Jan Weight Watchers magazine, doubled
Total: $1

Juicy Juice Sparkling beverage 4 pack 2/$5
Use $1/1 from here, doubled
Total: $0.50

Coffeemate Creamer 3/$4.98
Use $1/1 from here, doubled
Total: Free

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes and/or cleaners 2/$3
Use $1/2 from 12/5 SS, doubled
Total:$0.50 each

Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaners 4/$5
use $1/2 from 12/5 SS, doubled
Total: $0.25 each

Hunts Diced Tomatoes 10/$10
Use $1/3 from Jan All You, doubled
Total: $0.33 each

Rotel Dice tomatoes 10/$10
Use B3G1 from Jan All You
Total: $0.75 each

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta 10/$10
Use $1/2 from here, doubled
Total: 2 for free

Festival
Lean Cuisines $1.49 each
Use $1/3 From Jan. All You
Total: $1.15 each

Festival Wheat Bread $0.68 with in-ad coupon

Coupon Sunday part 1

2011-01-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Walgreens
Spend $20 on Nestle products, Get $5 RR
Buy 4 Stouffers Easy Express Skillet Meals 2/$8
Buy 4 Coffeemate Creamers 16oz BOGO at $2.49
Use 4 $1/1 Stouffers coupons from here
Use 4 $1/1 Coffemate coupons from here
Pay $12.98
Get $5 RR
Total: $1 each

Spend $10 on Advil, Get $3 RR
Buy 4 Advil 20-24ct, $3 each
Use 4 $2/1 from here or 12/12 RP
Pay $4
Get $3 RR
Total: $0.25 each

Children's Oscillococcinum Homeopathic Flu Medicine $8.99=$8.99 RR
Use $2/1 from here
Pay $6.99
Get $8.99 RR
Total: Free with $2 Moneymaker

Electrosol 20 pack $3.49=$1.50 RR
Use $2.25/1 coupon from 1/2 inserts
Pay $1.24
Get $1.50 RR
Total: Free with moneymaker

Motts 100% Apple Juice $1.79 with in-ad coupon

Hunts Tomato sauce $0.33 with in-ad coupon (great filler!)

Airwick i-Motion or Freshmatic 50% off (reg $7.99)
$3.99 after sale
Use $4/1 from here
Total: Free

Huggies Jumbo Pack $6.99
Use $2.50/1 from here
Total: $4.49

Papermate mechanical pencils 5 pack $0.19 with in-ad coupon (great filler!)

CVS
Spend $20 on Excedrin products, Get $10 ECB
Start in price at $4.79
Buy 4 and use 4 free product coupons previously available by mail on Coupons.com
Total: Free with $10 moneymaker
There's also a $2.50/1 coupon in the 12/5 SS

Quaker quick oats 18oz $1.69
Use $1/1 from 1/2 RP
Total: $0.69

Target
Oscar Mayer Lunchables $1
Use $1/2 coupon from here
Total: $0.50 each

Jell-O Refrigerated pudding 6 packs $2.49
Use B3G1 from here
and 2 $1/2 from here
Total: $1.37 each

Goodlife Recipe cat food 3.5oz $0.79
Use $1.50/1 from here or in 1/2RP
Total: Free

Thanks Hip2Save

Long Time No Update

2011-01-01T18:25:00.001-08:00

I guess one of my New Years resolutions will be to get my butt in gear blogging more often.

The holidays were crazy. I spent every spare second getting ready, and I was still a hot mess on the actual holiday days. Any blog I would have attempted to publish from 12/15 to yesterday would have looked something like this: SDKjkhDJIdikjhd--Because that's what my brain felt like. As a child of divorced parents, I have a lot of family, and I love each and every one of them to pieces, but this does mean I have TONS of stops to make when the holidays roll around.

Lots of family also means Maddie gets SPOILED! I could probably open a children's' museum in my house with all the toys she received. She also now has enough clothes to wear a new, highly fashionable (in the toddler world) outfit every day for probably the rest of her life. Yesterday I got her all dressed up in one of her adorable little dresses and oohed and ahhed over her cuteness for so long that I ended up running late. I threw some jeans and a sweatshirt on myself and we ran to Macy's to pick up a few things. We ended up in the elevator with a sparkly, fancy looking elderly woman who looked at Maddie, glanced up at me, smiled, and asked "how do you like being a nanny?"

So, I guess I need to either start dressing Maddie down, or start dressing myself up, because pretty soon I'm going to end up with strange rich ladies slipping me their phone numbers.

And, in other news, Maddie is now WALKING. And she's doing it like a champ. You never would guess that she ever had a delay. I couldn't be more proud of her. We're still working on the whole eating thing, but now that she's walking it feels like at least half of the huge worry burden has been lifted from my shoulders.

I can't wait to see what the new year will bring, and I promise to start giving more regular updates, and to continue with Coupon Sunday starting tomorrow. I hope everyone who reads this had an amazing holiday season!

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-12-13T19:22:00.000-08:00

Copps
Philadelphia Cream Cheese 8oz $0.98 with in-ad coupon
Use $1/2 from here doubled
Total: 2 for free

Cuties Clementines 3lb bag $2.78 with in-ad coupon
Use $0.55/1 from here doubled
Total: $1.68

Wheat Thins $1.78 with in-ad coupon
Use$1/2 from 11/14 SS, doubled
Total: $0.78 each

Kelloggs cereal and Keebler crackers $1.68 WYB 8
Use $1/3 cereal from 11/14RP, doubled
Use $1/2 Keebler crackers from 11/14RP, doubled
Use $1.50/3 Kelloggs cereal from 11/14 RP
Total: $0.99/box

Betty Crocker mashed potatoes 10/$10
Use $0.50/2 from 12/5 GM doubled
Total: $0.50 each

Betty Crocker 17.5oz cookie mix $1.50
Use $0.40 from 12/5 GM doubled
Total: $0.70

Betty Crocker box muffin mix $2
Use $0.50/1 from 12/5 GM doubled
Total: $1

Target
Oscar Mayer Lunchables $1.27
Use $1/1 from here
Total: $0.27

Kraft shredded cheese $2
Use $1/2 from here
and $1/2 from here
Total: $1 each

Suave Naturals 15oz shampoo/conditioner $0.97
Use $1/1 from here
Total: Free

Buy 5 Glade Holiday items, get $5 giftcard
Buy 5 @ $2.50 each
Use 5 $1/1 coupons from 12/5 SS or here or here
Pay $7.50
Get $5 giftcard
Total: $0.50 each

Thanks Hip2Save for Target deals

Coupon Sunday part 1

2010-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

Walgreens
Spend $25=$5 RR
$50=$10RR
$75=$15 RR
$100=$20 RR

Activ-On Joint and Muscle Pain Relief 2oz $7.99=$7.99RR
Total: Free

Goody Bobby Pin slides, Barettes 6-12 pack or Ouchless elastics 17 pack $2=$2RR
Total: Free

Kraft Miracle Whip or Mayo $2.49
Use $0.50/1 from 11/14SS
Total: $1.99

Neutrogena cosmetics B1G1 50% off
Buy 2 nourishing eyeliners
Pay $12.74 with sale
Use 2 $3/1 Neutrogena coupons from Nov. and Dec. All You magazines
Use $2/1 store coupon in Bright and Beautiful book located at the cosmetics counter
Total: $1.37 each

L'oreal cosmetics B1G1 50% off
Buy 2 Double Extend Mascara with Lash Boosting Serum
Pay $19.49 with sale
Use 2 $3/1 from here
Use $3/1 store coupon from Bright and Beautiful book
Pay $7.49
Get $5 RR (for spending $25)
Total: $1.25 each

Thanks Hip2Save

CVS
Snickers Nutcracker singles 2/$1
Buy 4 for $2
Use $2/3 from 12/5RP
Total: 4 for free

Axe Gift set $9.99=$2ECB
Use $3/1 from 12/12RP
Pay: $6.99
Get $2 ECB
Total: $4.99

Thanks Hip2Save

Let the Christmas tasks begin!

2010-12-08T18:54:00.001-08:00

Maddie spent the day at Grandma's today while I wrapped ALL the presents. It took all day. Two rolls of wrapping paper later, my entire living room was full of shiny gifts. TIP: Look through all your magazines for $5 off $5 purchase Hallmark coupons. They are in a whole bunch of December magazine issues, and each one will score you two free rolls of Christmas paper.

Now that wrapping is checked off the list, I'm tackling the Christmas cards. I'm a huge Shutterfly fan, and am very impressed that there are tons of gorgeous photo cards you can order for less than $1 per card. Plus, they offer free shipping on orders over $50.

We're doing two batches of Christmas cards this year: One for Hubby's business clients, and one for our personal friends and family. I've been having a lot of fun looking at all the options they have. I still haven't made up my mind, but here are samples of a few of my top picks so far

This Friday is picture day. We're doing department store pictures, and also having some taken by my wonderful mother, who does professional photography. We'll probably make our final card decisions once we get a good look at the pictures.

While I'm going at it creating cards, I think I'll make one of these adorable calendars too. I can't think of a better way to document this past year, and I know I'll love seeing a new picture of Maddie on my fridge each month.

I'm already getting excited to start creating 2nd birthday invites this spring. We'll see if I can wait that long. Patience really isn't my thing.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, I was provided free photo cards in exchange for sharing my plans and experiences with you.

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-12-06T19:26:00.000-08:00

Copps
Deans Dip 8oz 10/$10
Use $1/1 coupon, emailed to you when you sign up here, no doubling needed
Total: Free

Muir Glen organic tomatoes $1.69
Use $1/2 coupon from here
Total: $0.69 each

McCormick Spices 50% off, priced as low as $0.48
Use $0.25/2 Spice and $0.25/2 gravy coupons from 11/7RP, doubled
Total: Maybe free?

Birdseye Freshlike vegetables 2/$4
Use $0.75/2 from unknown insert, doubled
Total: $1.25 each

Progresso Soups 4/$5
Use $1/4 from 12/5 GM, doubled
Total: $0.60 each

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest or Smart Taste $0.98
Use $1/2 Smart Taste AND $1/2 Healthy Harvest from here, both doubled
Total: FOUR boxes of pasta for FREE!

Festival
Sargento shredded cheese 3/$5
Buy 2 and use $0.50/2 from 11/14 SS
Total: $1.42 each

Hormel Refrigerated Entree $4.48
Use $0.75/1 from 11/4 SS
Total: $3.73

FREE 5lb bag Kitchen Kleen Russet potatoes with $5 non-coupon purchase

FREE 16oz Flavorite Sour Cream with $5 non-coupon purchase

Target
Weight Watchers Smart Ones BOGO at $1.80 each
Buy 10
Total $14.40
Use $4/10 from here
and use $4/10 from here
Total: $0.64 each--Just in time as I've re-committed myself to Weight Watchers as of last week.

Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese 8oz $1.19
Use $0.50/2 from here
and $1/2 from here
Total: $0.44 each

7th Generation cleaning products $2.49
Use $1/1 from here
and $1/1 from here
Total: $0.49--This made my day! I love their products!

Holiday napkins/plates/cups $1.50
Use $2/3 Holiday paper party items coupon from here
Total: $0.83 each

Hasboro Hungry Hungry Hippos travel game $4.99 (may be in stocking stuffer area)
Use $5/1 from here
Total: Free

Thanks Hip2Save for the Target deals

Coupon Sunday part 1

2010-12-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

Walgreens
There's a RR promotion going on this week based on the total amount you spend:
$25=$5RR
$50=$10RR
$75=$15RR
$100=$20RR

Buy 6 Snickers Nutcracker Singles 3/$1
Pay $2
Use $2/3 Snickers coupon from 12/5 RP
Total: Free

Glade Plug Ins Scented Oil refill $2.99
Use $2/1 coupon from Sept. All You Magazine
Total: $0.99
Get $1 RR
Total: Free

Hallmark Cards:
Buy 2=$2 RR
Buy 6=$5 RR
If you can find $1 ones they should be free!

Thanks Hip2Save

CVS
See if the coupon printer is spitting out $2.50/1 Planters nuts coupons. If so, get the Planters Flavor Grove almonds, on sale for $2.50, free

Coke 12 Packs 3/$11
Get $3 ECB
Total: $2.67 each

Tressemme products: Spend $10 get $5 ECB

Motrin PM 20ct $5.99
Use $2/1 from 11/21SS
pay $3.99
Get $3ECB
Total: $0.99

Clean and Clear Daily Pore Cleanser $2.99 ($2 off sale)
Use $2/1 from here
Total: $0.99

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes 35ct BOGO @$3.69
Use 2 $1/1 from 11/7 SS
Total: $0.85 each

Thanks Hip2Save

I'll be back tomorrow with my local grocery store deals, as well as Target deals!

We have first steps!

2010-12-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

For the past couple weeks, I'd been able to get a single step here or there out of Maddie. Today, during her physical therapy session, she took five! She was so proud of herself and we were so proud of her. Our therapist thinks it'll only be a matter of weeks before she's straight up walking. I can't wait!

Here she is, strutting her stuff

Yeah, she has her holidays a little mixed up. She actually seems to think the pumpkin is her purse, and she puts all her must-haves inside and totes them around the house. Usually her nuk and the TV remote can be found inside. Here's what I found in it today:

We all know that every woman needs some blocks and a CBKM in her classy pumpkin handbag!

Tasty Tuesday

2010-11-30T18:40:00.000-08:00

Use up those Thanksgiving leftovers!

I made my first ever Thanksgiving turkey this year, and it was great. I brined it in saltwater overnight, brushed it with melted butter, sprinkled with herbs and pepper, and roasted. Mmm!

Since we're just a tiny little family, we ended up with tons of leftovers. One can only subsist on turkey sandwiches for so long, so I made this dinner to get rid of the last of the leftovers:

3 cups shredded cooked turkey
3 cups cooked egg noodles
3tbsp minced onion
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups gravy

Throw all of this in a skillet, and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Coupon Sunday part 1

2010-11-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

Walgreens
Time to use up all those Black Friday RRs!

Votive Candles $0.19=$3/$15 purchase coupon printed at checkout 11/29 ONLY!

Gorton’s Shrimp Bowl 10.5 oz 2/$5
Use the $0.50/1 coupon found here
Total: $2

Domino sugar 1 lb $0.89 with in ad coupon
Use the $0.35/1 coupon found here
Total: $0.54

Domino sugar confectioners or light brown 1 lb $0.69 with in ad coupon
Use the $0.35/1 coupon found here
Total: $0.34

Breathe Right Advanced 2 pack trial size $0.49 with in ad coupon
Use the $1.50/1 12 ct or smaller coupon from the 10/17 RP
Total: Free

Neoteric Cream Healing 4 oz $7.99
Submit the $7.99 Mail-in Rebate printed at checkout
Total: Free

Nestle Holiday Candy 9.2 or 11 oz 2/$5
Use the $1/2 Walgreens coupon from the December coupon booklet at front of store
Total: $2 each

Thanks Hip2Save

CVS
Old Spice Fresh Collection Deodorant $4 = $4 Ecb (limit 1)
Total: Free

7Up, Canada Dry, A&W, or Sunkist 12 oz cans 12 pk 3/$11 = $3 Ecb (limit 1)
Pay $11
Get back $3 Ecb
Total: $2.66 each

Thanks Hip2Save

Thankful

2010-11-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

I know it's a day late, but I had a phenomenal Thanksgiving. I ate and ate and ate. Due to the generosity of family, we were fed all day. So, I'm holding off until Sunday to make our own turkey dinner.

I'm so Thankful for my family, my home, my health, my husband...

and especially the fact that I get to hear giggles and babbles every day from this precious little person:

Black Friday Confessions

2010-11-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

1. If you bring your infant or toddler shopping at 2am to a store that is notorious for Black Friday stampedes and fights, I judge you. Extra judging goes out to the ones who wait in lines outside, in sub-zero temps with nothing but a blanket thrown over their baby's infant seat.

2. There's nothing wrong with exercising your right to price-match and use coupons, even if the guy in line behind you throws a fit because he has to wait an extra two minutes. If he's out shopping on Black Friday, we all know that waiting will not kill him.

3. I got a spice rack I didn't pay for because the tired, frazzled cashier did not scan it correctly. Being equally tired and frazzled myself, I didn't realize this until I had trekked back across the frozen and packed parking lot to my car. I chose to not make the hike back and wait in line again to have them fix the mistake. I'm now indebted to the Karma Gods.

4. I think carts should be removed from stores on Black Friday and people should only be allowed to buy what they can carry. Items would stick around longer, people would only buy what they REALLY want, and I wouldn't have bruises all over my feet and knees from being rammed by carts.

5. Sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together. When you see the last of a coveted item (i.e. play kitchen) you waited hours to get being snatched up seconds before you can get to it, you will undoubtedly feel very frustrated. But, there could very well be an even BETTER kitchen at the next store that only costs $20 more, does much cooler stuff--and comes with more accessories.

6. I'm kind of a one-woman wolf pack when it comes to Black Friday shopping. I like to fly solo. I love my friends, and enjoy shopping with them any other day of the year. When the crowds are this heavy though, it is so much easier to move around by yourself, and you can have all the ads, store maps, and lists you want without someone else thinking you are crazy.

Black Friday Craziness

2010-11-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

I don't drink coffee. It kind of grosses me out, actually. But I'm going to plug my nose and suck some down this Thursday night/Friday morning, because that's pretty much the only way I'll survive this renegade shopping binge.

We're going to start with the drugstores, first thing Thursday morning. I'm not giving myself a set time, just as soon as I get up and out the door. I've found that, even though they give away tons of free stuff, the inventory at drugstores tends to stick around for a while, since no one really thinks of drugstores as optimum Black Friday destinations.

Walgreens
Colgate Total Advanced or Enamel Strength toothpaste 4 oz $2.99 = $2.99 RR
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 9/12 SS
Pay $1.99
Get back $2.99 RR
Total: Free with $1 Moneymaker

Crest 3D white vivid toothpaste 4 oz $2.99 = $2.99 RR
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 10/31 PG
Pay $1.99
Get back $2.99 RR
Total: Free with $1 Moneymaker

Old Spice Fresh 4 oz $3.99 = $3.99 RR
Total: Free

Bic Soleil Bella or Flex4 disposable razors 3 pk $2.99 = $2 RR
Use the $2/1 coupon found in the October issue of All You or found here
Pay $0.99
Get Back $2 RR
Total: Free with $1 Moneymaker

Gillette Fusion Proseries Skin Care 1.7-5 oz $5.49 = $5.49 RR
Total: Free

Nivea for Men shave gel 7 oz $2.99 = $2.99 RR
Total: Free

Herbal Essences hair care 5.7-12 oz $2.49 = $1.50 RR
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 11/14 RP or use the $2/1 coupon found in the 10/31 PG
Pay as low as $0.49-$1.49
Get Back a $1.50 RR
Total: Free, or $1 Moneymaker

Just for Men 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner 8 oz $4.99 = $4.99 RR
Total: Free

Scunci Elastics $1.99 = $1.99 RR
Total: Free

Advil PM 4 ct $0.99 = $0.99 RR
Total: Free

Thermacare Heat Wraps trial size, neck, shoulder, and wrist $2.49 = $2.49 RR
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 9/26 RP or found here
Pay $1.49
Get back a $2.49 RR
Total: Free with $1 moneymaker

Theater Pack Candy 2.54-7.8 oz 2/$1
Use the $0.99/3 Walgreens coupon from the December coupon booklet at front of store
Total: $0.17 each

Planters NUT-rition 9.25 or 9.75 oz, Cashews 9.75 oz, or Mixed 10 oz $3.49
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Pay $2.49
Submit for the $3.49 Mail-in Rebate printed out at checkout
Total: Free with $1 Moneymaker

Sylvania Coffee Maker $7.99 (reg price $12.99)
Submit for the $3 Mail-in Rebate printed out at checkout
Total: $4.99

Previously viewed movies $2.50 each

"As Seen on TV" stuff BOGO (Thurs only)

Toys 50% off (Thurs only)

Thanks Hip2Save for coupon matchups

CVS
Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste 6oz $3.99 = $3.99 Ecb (limit 2)
Use the $0.75/1 coupon from the October issue of All You
Total: Free with $0.75 moneymaker

Old Spice Fresh Collection or Gillette Odor Shield deodorant 2.6 oz $4 = $4 Ecb (limit 1)
Use the $2/1 Gillette deodorant coupon from the 10/31 PG
Total: Free with $2 moneymaker

Advil Pm 4ct $0.99 = $0.99 Ecb (limit 1)
Total: Free

Excedrin PM or Extra Strength 8 ct $0.99 = $0.99 Ecb (limit 1)
Total: Free

Essence of Beauty Warm & Cozy Robe $4.99

BOGO Toys

Thanks Hip2Save for coupon matchups

My next stop will be Toys R Us. They open at 10pm Thursday night. I'm going to head over there as soon as I get Maddie in bed for the night. My main goal is to get:

Little Tikes Gourmet Prep n Serve Kitchen $59.99 (regularly about $100 at most places)

I'd also like to get:

Thomas and Friends Early Engineers Roundabout Station $12.49
Use $10.00/1 Early Engineers coupon from Nov. Parenting or Family Fun magazines
Total: $2.49

DVDs from $3.99

Imaginarium 150 piece wooden block set $14.99

Just Like Home 120 piece play food set $9.99

Just Like Home deluxe shopping cart $8.99

Sweeten the deals further:
There's a $10/$100 store coupon in the big holiday toy catalog
They are giving away a free coloring book and crayons with every purchase.

From there, I'm heading down the street to Walmart to wait, and wait, and wait until 5am, with hopes of getting this:

eMachines 15.6in Laptop $198

Other things I'd like from Walmart:

DVDs from $1.96

Dickies Mens Thermal Fleece Jackets $12

Mainstays Microfiber sheet set $7

Towels $1.33

Holiday Time 5 piece jar candle giftsets $5

12 opening collage and 10 piece frame set $7 each

Sweeten the deals further:
Walmart will price-match their competitors' Black Friday ads. So, if I missed out on anything at TRU, I plan to try to snag it from Walmart, and I also might try to get some of the things on my list from Target, since I won't be able to make it there until after opening, and many things might be gone by then.

My next stop will be Target. They open at 4, but I imagine it will be more like 7 or 8 by the time I get there. Here's what I'll be looking for:

DVDs from $1.99

Play Dough 24 Pack $5.94

Disney Princess My First Baby Doll $4.99

Chefmate Sandwich Maker $3

Remington 1in print hair straightener $14

Flannel sheet set $13.99 any size

Towels $1.49

Fleece sleep pants $5

Sweeten the deals further:
Get a $10 giftcard for every $100 spent

My last stop will be the mall, where I will mostly browse. Some highlights:

Kohls: 50% off toys
Old Navy: $15 jeans
Yankee Candle: B2G2 Coupon $10/$25 Coupon
Bath and Body Works: Free item with $10 purchase coupon

Coupon Sunday

2010-11-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

I'm going to do a shortened coupon Sunday this week. No grocery shopping, because with the holiday this week I simply won't have time. I will, however do a Black Friday post. Stay tuned for that tomorrow!

Walgreens
Colgate Pro Clinical Toothpaste 4 oz $3.49 = $2.50 RR
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: Free

Tic Tac 1 oz $0.99 with in ad coupon
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 10/3 RP
Total: Free

Nabisco cookies or crackers 4-8 oz $0.99 with in ad coupon
Buy 1 5.5 oz or larger package
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 11/14 SS
Total: Free

Wonderful Pistachios 16 oz $4.49
Use the $1/1 coupon found here Or in the 11/21 SS
use the $0.50/1 Walgreens coupon found in the December coupon booklet in front of store
Total: $2.99
I love me some pistachios!

Buy 1 package of Hall Refresh 20 ct $2.29
Use the $1/1 coupon from the November issue of All You
use the $1/1 in ad coupon
Total: $0.29

Viva paper towels 6 rolls $5.99
Use the $0.75/1 coupon from the October issue of All You
Use the $1/1 Walgreens coupon found in the December Coupon Booklet at front of store
Total: $4.24

Thanks Hip2Save

Target
Dozen eggs $0.99
Use the $0.55/2 coupon found here
Total: $0.72 each

Kraft Cheese, Block or Shredded 6-8 oz $1.80
Use the $1/2 Target store coupon found here
Use 2 $0.75/1 Kraft Natural Cheese Shreds manufacturer's coupon found here
Total: $0.55 each

Doritos 11.5-14.5 oz 2/$4
Use the $1/1 Frito-Lay Target coupon found here
Total: $1

Skippy Peanut Butter 16.3 oz Jar $1.85
Use the $0.75/2 Target store coupon found here
Use 2 $0.40/1 coupons found here
Total: $1.08 each

Keebler/Cream Cheese Deal
Buy 2 Keebler Townhouse or Club crackers $2.50 each = $5
Buy 2 Cream Cheese blocks $1.19 each = $2.38
Total = $7.38
Use 2 $1/1 Cream Cheese 8 oz+ Keebler Town House or Club Crackers Target coupon here
Use the $1/2 Keebler coupon found here or in the 11/14 RP
Total: $4.38 for everthing

NYC Color Select Cosmetic Products $1.72
Use the $2/2 coupon from the All You December
Total: $0.72 each

Hasbro Cuponk Game $7
Use the $5/1 Cuponk Game Target coupon found here
Total: $2

Fisher-Price Little People Airport $19.99
Use the $5/1 Fisher-Price Toy $19.99+ Target in ad Coupon
Total: $14.99

Thanks Hip2Save

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-11-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's so late this week!

Target
Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix 2 oz $1.11
Use the $0.60/2 coupon from the 11/14 RP
Total: $0.81 each

Knorr Vegetable Dip Mix 1.4 oz Packet $1.11
Use the $0.50/2 coupon from the 11/14 RP
Total: $0.86 each

Kraft Shredded or Block Cheese 6-8 oz $1.80
Use the $1/2 Kraft Shredded or Block Cheese Target coupon found here
Total: $1.30 each

Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese 8 oz Brick $1.19
Use the $0.50/2 Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese Target coupon found here
Total: $0.94 each

Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Milk Chocolate Flavor 10 ct $0.99
Use the $0.50/2 coupon from the 10/3 or 11/14 SS
Total: $0.74 each

Kraft Marshmallows $0.96
Use the $0.50/2 Target store coupon found here
Total: $0.71 each

Air Wick 40 Hour Candle Cherry Tart or Warming Spice $2.99 (These were NOT priced correctly at my store, I only saw the reduced price when I did a price check on a Cherry Tart candle)
Use the $3/1 coupon from the 11/14 SS
Total: Free

The Lady Bug Game $9
Use the 50% off The Ladybug game Target coupon found here or in the toy catalog they mailed out
Total: $4.50

Thanks Hip2Save

Copps
Wheat Thins 5/$10
Use $1/2 from 11/14 RP, doubled
Total: $1 each

Sargento shredded Cheese 3/$6
Use $0.50/2 from 11/14 SS, doubled
Total: $1.50 each

OnCor Family Entree 5/$10
Use $0.40/1 from 10/10 SS, doubled
Total: $1.20

Frigo String Cheese 2/$7
Use $1/1 from 10/10 SS, doubled
Total: $1.50

No Yolks $1.50
Use $50/1 from 10/10 SS, doubled
Total: $0.50

Eight O Clock Coffee 11-12oz $3.99
Use $1/1 from 11/3 SS, doubled
Total: $1.99

Carnation Evaporated Milk 10/$10
Use $0.50/2 from 11/14 RP or 9/26 SS or here, doubled
Total: $0.50 each

Dole Mandarin Oranges 10/$10
Use $0.50/2 from sept. All You Magazine, doubled
Total: $0.50 each

Turkey 'n Stuffing dealio:
Buy 4 Stovetop stuffing 10/$10
Buy 1 10blb Butterball Turkey at $0.99/lb=$10
Use 2 $1/2 Stovetop coupons from here, doubled=FREE stuffing
Use $4 off Butterball Turkey WYB 4 Stovetop coupon from 11/7 SS
Total: $6 for a turkey and four boxes of stuffing!

Coupon Sunday part 1

2010-11-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

Walgreens
Dr. Pepper, 7 Up, A&W, Sunkist, Canada dry, or Hawaiian punch 12 pks 4/$11 = $2 RR
Pay $11
Get back a $2 RR
Total: $2.25 each

Welch’s Sparkling Grape juice 25.4 oz 2/$6
Use the $1/2 coupon found in the November coupon booklet at the front of the store
use the $2/2 coupon found here
Total: $1.50 each

French’s French fried onions 2.8 oz $0.99 with in ad coupon
Use the $0.50/1 coupon found in 9/12 SS (exp. 11/15) or found here or here
Total: $0.49

Swanson’s chicken broth 14 oz 2/$1 with in ad coupon
Use the $0.75/5 coupon found in 11/7 SS
Total: $0.35 each

Crest 3D White whitestrips 20-56 pk $10 off with in ad coupon
Buy 20 ct $29.99
Use the $7/1 coupon found in 11/14 RP
Plus, use the $10 off in ad coupon
Total: $12.99

Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Pro power toothbrush Buy 1 at $8.49 get 1 Free
Use 2 $2/1 coupons found here or from the 8/22 SS
Total: $2.25 each

Tums 25-200 ct $3 off in-ad coupon
Buy 1 Tums 60 to 96 ct $4.49
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
use the $3 off in ad coupon
Total: $0.49

Ecotrin low strength 45 ct $1.99 with in ad coupon
Use the $2/1 coupon found in 10/10 RP or found here
Total: Free

Gain dish liquid 11 oz $0.89 with in ad coupon
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 10/10 PG or 10/31 PG
Total: Free

Pop-open laundry hamper $1.99 with in ad coupon

Scotch transparent tape $0.49 with in ad coupon

CVS
Herbal Essences $2.99 = $2 Ecb (limit 1)
Use the $2/1 Clairol Family coupon from the 10/31 PG
Pay $0.99
Get back a $2 Ecb
Total: Free with $1 moneymaker

Aussie or Herbal Essences $2.99 = $2 Ecb (limit 1)
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 11/14 RP
Pay $1.99
Get back a $2 Ecb
Total: Free

Spend $10 on Select Lipton, Hellmann’s, Ragu and Skippy items = $3 Ecb (limit 1)
Buy 2 Hellmann’s mayonnaise 22-30 oz 2/$6
Buy 3 Skippy peanut butter 15-16.3 oz 3/$5
Use the $0.60/2 Hellmann’s coupon from the 11/14 RP
use the $0.75/2 Skippy coupon from the 11/14 RP
Pay $9.65
Get back a $3 Ecb
Total: $1.33 each

Fiber One chewy bars 5 ct $3.99 = $3 Ecb (limit 1)
Use the $0.50/1 coupon found here or here
Pay $3.49
Get back $3 Ecb
Total: $0.49

Oral-B vitality floss action toothbrush $23 = $13 Ecb (limit 2)
Use the $10/1 coupon found in 11/14 RP
Pay $13
Get back a $13 Ecb
Total: Free

Thanks Hip2Save

Tasty Wednesday

2010-11-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

It's Hubby's birthday today! I asked him what he wanted for dinner out of anything in the world, and he chose these ribs:

2lbs ribs (I used boneless)
1tsp Lowry's Seasoning
1tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 cup Ketchup
2tbsp packed dark brown sugar
2 big dashes of Worstechire sauce
2 big dashes of soy sauce

Combine seasonings and rub on ribs. Cook ribs in crock pot (sprayed with non-stick) on low for 6 to 8 hours until done. Remove ribs, drain fat from crock pot. Whisk together remaining ingredients to make sauce. Brush sauce on ribs, and place them back in the crock pot. Cook on high for 30 more minutes.

The ribs were amazing as always, but Hubby's birthday cake was quite pathetic. It turned into a crumbly blob of cake chunks and frosting. It just wouldn't hold together when I was trying to layer and frost it. I should post a picture, but I'm too embarassed. Let's just say I'm a much better cook than I am a baker. And, whoever says you can substitute applesauce if you're short on eggs is full of it.

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-11-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

Copps
Dreamfields Low Carb Pasta $1.66
Use $1/1 coupon from here, doubled
Total: Free

Welch's Essentials Juice 64oz $2/5
Use $1/1 from 10/31 SS, doubled
Total: $0.50

Romano's Macaroni Grill Dinner Kit $3.50
Use $0.75/1 from 9/12 GM, doubled
Total $2

Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kit $3.50
Use $0.75/1 from 9/12 GM, doubled
Total $2

Good Earth Dinner Kit $3.50
Use $1/1 from 9/12 GM, doubled
Total $1.50

Get $5 off with purchase of select products
Deal Scenario:
Buy:
Folgers Coffee 8oz $3.49
Crisco Cooking Oil $2.99
Crisco Olive Oil $4.99
2 Smuckers Jelly $5.58
2 Hungry Jack Instant Mashed Potatoes $2
Pillsbury Brownie Mix $1
Total: $20.05
Use:
$1/1 Folgers from 11/7 RP, doubled
$0.55/1 Crisco from 11/7 RP, doubled
$1/1 Crisco Olive Oil from here doubled
$0.55/2 Smuckers from 11/7 RP, doubled
$1/2 Hungry Jack from 11/7 RP, doubled
$0.40/1 Pillsbury brownie mix from 11/7 RP
Pay: $11.45
Get back $5 toward next Copps purchase
Total: $6.45 for everything. $0.81 per item!

Carmex Lip Balm 10/$10
Use $0.30/1 from 11/7 SS, doubled
Total: $0.30

Coupon Sunday part 1

2010-11-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

CVS
Spend $15 on select Lysol or Finish products = $5 Ecb (limit 2)
Buy 2 Lysol Neutra Air aerosol cans 10 oz 2/$5
Buy 2 Lysol disinfecting sprays 12.5 oz 2/$8
Buy 1 Finish jet dry rinse 8.45 oz $3
Total = $16
Use 2 $1.50/1 Lysol Neutra Air coupons found in 10/17 SS
Use 2 $1/1 Lysol coupons found here (click on “Special Offers” tab)
Use the $1/1 Finish coupon found here
Pay $10
Get back $5 Ecb
Total: $1 each

Spend $10 on select Glade products priced at 2/$5 = $3 Ecb (limit 2)
Buy 3 Glade Essential Oil Candles $2/$5 = $7.50
Buy 1 Glade Scented Oil Candle holder $2.50
Total = $10
Use the $3/3 Glade coupon found here
use the $1/1 Glade holder coupon from the 11/7 SS
Pay $6
Get back a $3 Ecb
Total: $0.75 each

Xtra 2X laundry detergent 28 loads $1.49
Buy 2 laundry detergents $1.49 each
Use the $1/2 coupon found in 10/17 SS
Total: $0.99 each

Gain dish washing liquid 11 oz $0.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found in 10/10 or 10/31 PG
Total: Free

Walgreens
Glade Plugins scented oil refills $2.99 = $1 RR
Use the $2/1 coupon found in All You Magazine Sept issue
Pay $0.99
Get back $1RR
Total: Free

Buy $15 in select Garnier Products = $5 RR
Buy 3 packages of Garnier HerbaShine Hair Color $5.99 each = $17.97
Use 3 $3/1 coupons from the 9/12 RP or found here
Pay $8.97
Get back a $5 RR
Total: $1.32 each

RevitaLens Multi-purpose Solution 2pk 2oz each $3.99 = $3.99 RR
Total: Free

Carnation evaporated milk 12 oz $0.99 with in ad coupon
Use the $0.50/2 coupon found in 9/26 SS or found here
Total: $0.74 each

Libby’s canned Pumpkin 15 oz $0.99 with in ad coupon
Use the $1/2 Libby’s fruit coupon from the 8/29 RP or 8/29 issue of Parade mag. or found here
Total: $0.49 per can

Dean’s French Onion dip 12 oz with in ad coupon $0.99
Use the $1/2 coupon found here
Total: $0.49 each

Domino Sugar 4 lbs with in ad coupon $1.89
Use the $0.50/2 coupon found in 10/17 RP
Total: $1.64 each

Reach Dental Care Floss 55 yards or Crystal Clean Toothbrush $0.99 with in ad coupon
Use the $1/1 coupon found here or here or in the 1/3, 3/7, 5/16 or 10/10 RP
Total: Free

Target
Campbell’s Condensed Great for Cooking Soups $0.75
Use the $1.50/3 coupon found here
Total: $0.25 per can

Nabisco Wheat Thins $2
Use the $1/2 Nabisco crackers Target store coupon found here
Plus, stack with 2 $1/1 coupons found here (scroll down– below Stix coupon)
Total: $0.50 per box

Buy 3 TGI Friday’s Skillet Meals on sale buy 2 at $5.99 get one FREE
Total = $11.98
Use the $4/2 Target store coupon found here
Plus, stack with 3 $2/1 coupons from the 9/26 SS or new coupon from the 11/7 SS
Total: $0.66 each

Gas-X Chewables Extra Strength 18 ct box $3.99
Use the $3/1 Target store coupon found here
Plus, use the $1/1 coupon from the 11/7 SS
Total: Free

Prevacid 14 ct $10.49
Use the $5/1 Prevacid Target coupon found here (states $1 but prints a $5 coupon )
Plus, stack with the $4/1 coupon found here (use zip code 90210)
Total: $1.49

Buy 5 Select Glade Holiday Air Care items = $5 Target gift card
Buy 5 Glade Glass Candle Holders on a price cut for $2.50 each (valid thru 11/27)
Use 5 $1/1 coupons from the 11/7 SS Or you could use 2 $1/1 coupons from the 11/7 SS and a $3/3 coupon found here
Pay $7.50
Get back a $5 Target gift card
Total: $0.50 each

Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners 4 ct box $1.92
Use the $1/1 coupon found here or from the 11/7 SS
Total: $0.92

Thanks Hip2Save

Makeup for 82 Cents. Deal Scenario and Reviews.

2010-11-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite coupon deals this week is at Walgreens. All Wet 'n Wild cosmetics are 50 percent off, plus there are $5 off $20 Wet 'n Wild coupons in both the October and November issues of All You magazine. That's right...this week at Walgreens you can get $40 worth of Wet 'n Wild cosmetics for $10.

To be honest, I haven't used Wet 'n Wild cosmetics since I was in middle school. It's a budget brand and I'm kind of a recovering makeup snob. Before I got married, I wouldn't use anything that wasn't from a department store or Sephora. Now that I share a household with two other people, we (unfortunately) really can't devote 15 percent of the household budget to decorating my face, so I've slowly begun to embrace drugstore makeup. But, we're talking baby steps. Wet 'n Wild is kind of a giant leap. Still, for this kind of deal, I decided now is the time to put my big girl undies on and jump into the deep end.

Off I went to Walgreens and, a whole $11.49 later, here's what I came home with:

That's right--all of that for $11.49. That's $0.82/item!

But, is it decent makeup? Is it actually worth $0.82, or will it make me look like I did the last time I used it in 1997? I don't want to have to start curling my bangs and wearing scrunchies again...

The only way to answer these questions was to try it out. So, I piled it all on my face, over-zealous grandma-style. My conclusions might be useful for readers who are thinking of partaking in this deal:

Product #1: Coloricon Brow and Eye Liner in Taupe: This pencil is VERY faint, and wipes off easily. It doesn't show up at all on my eyelids or brows. Is it worth $0.82? No

Product #2: Dual Pencil Sharpener: It sharpened my shoddy taupe Coloricon pencil right up. All my pencils from other brands worked well with it too. Is it worth $0.82? Yes

Product #3: Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer in Natural: This is one of two Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizers. I have olive skin that tends to be pale in winter and tan in summer, so I change makeup shades often. Even without any recent sun exposure this color was a little light and chalky. Texture was perfect though, not oily like some other cheap tinted moisturizers. I think I'll use this in the dead of pale season. Is it worth $0.82? Yes

Product #4: Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer in Sun Kissed: I think this color should actually be the "natural" and something a little darker should be the "sun kissed." This color blends well with my skin tone right now, but will probably be too light in the middle of summer. Putting this on again, I must reiterate that I LOVE the texture of these lotions. Just as good as something you'd pay $30 for. Is it worth $0.82? Yes

Product #5: Coverall Stick in Medium: This is not packaged well. The stick of product wiggles around in the tube, and the tip presses up against the cap. Dislike. As far as the actual product goes...it's OK. Not pigmented enough to hide my dark circles, although it does help them look less noticeable and it completely covered a couple minor blemishes. I'll use it, but will still miss my Bobbi Brown concealer. Is it worth $0.82? Barely

Product #6: Coloricon Eyeshadow Palette in Vanity: There are six eyeshadows in this palette. Three are matte and three are shimmery. It's a nice mix of taupes, browns, and golds. I love that you can get a daytime look and a night time look with one palette. The shadows themselves are high quality. The colors are well-pigmented and complimentary. Even the applicators are impressive. There's a sponge and a small brush. I didn't need to use separate brushes at all, the ones that came in the palette were perfect. Is it worth $0.82? Definitely

Product #7: Coloricon Eyeshadow Palette in Greed: This is the exact same as the Vanity palette, except with different colors. Greed has the same mix of three mattes and three shimmers. The colors are matte and shimmery black, gray-blue and pinky-beige. The combos look beautiful together. This palette could easily be re-packaged and sold for big bucks at a department store. Is it worth $0.82? Definitely

Product #8: Eyeshadow Applicators: A set of four sponge eyeshadow applicators. They are the same ones that are in the palettes. They work perfectly, and I'll probably use them in some of my other eyeshadow kits that didn't come with applicators. Is it worth $0.82? Yes

Product #9: Idoleyes Eyeliner in Midnight Black: This is one of the eyeliners that has the automatic twist-up liner on one end and the smudger on the other. I've never understood what people do with those smudgers. I look like I was in a fistfight every time I try to use them to create a smokey eye. And the smudger on this eyeliner is really annoying because the cap keeps falling off. The cap for the actual liner is stubbornly sticky, so I keep tugging on it -- causing the cap on the smudger at the other end to fall off. Yuck. The liner tip is also too thick for my taste. Is it worth $0.82? No

Product #10 Megachrome Eyeliner: I can't find a color on here, but it's a navy blue. Very pretty color that shows up well, and really makes brown eyes pop. It's sharpenable, so the tip can be made nice and thin. Like the sub-par taupe eyeliner, it is easily wiped off. I'll still use this one though, because the color is so pretty. I'll just have to be very careful not to touch my eyes. Is it worth $0.82? Yes

Product #11 Natural Wear Mineral Foundation in Light: I've never really understood what is so great about mineral makeup. I've tried the scarily expensive (but always raved about) Bare Escentuals, and I was disappointed. All it did was make my skin look shiny. I was intrigued looking at Wet 'n Wild's version though, because the powder didn't look shiny to me. But, I was wrong, it still made my face look like a disco ball. And the brush it came with shedded its bristles on my face and scratched me. I'll use this when I'm having a good skin day and only want some added glow, but I'd never use it as a primary foundation. The amount you get in the container is o small, but a little goes a long way. I like the concept of the packaging, with the brush encased underneath the powder, but since the brush is a dud, it's actually a waste of a good idea. Is it worth $0.82? Barely

Product #12: Ultimate Minerals Bronzer in Amber Glow: More shiny minerals, but I think a glowy look is ok in a bronzer, since it acts as kind of a highlighter. The color in this is REALLY pigmented. I used just a dusting, and it was too much. The color is not orange, like some low-priced bronzers tend to be. It's actually a very genuine out-in-the-sun color. But, it's kind of the color you are when you get a little too much sun, and your skin is in that gray area between tan and burn. It's a very rosy-bronze look. Pretty for some occasions, but not appropriate for others. Is it worth $0.82? Yes

Product #13: Coloricon Blusher in Pearlescent Pink: My go-to blush is NARS Orgasm Blush. I LOVE it. It's $20, which is ridiculous, but I've only had to buy it once and that was five years ago. It's SO well pigmented, and a little goes such a long way, that the last blush I bought has been with me forever. But, it's almost gone. I can see that metal spot on the bottom of the compact growing bigger and bigger. When I saw this Pearlescent Pink blush, I thought it looked a lot like Orgasm. How cool would it be if i could find an $0.82 replacement for the Blush that Makes All Other Blushes Cower in Fear? I knew it was a long shot, but I did end up being kind of impressed with the Wet 'n Wild blush. Like Orgasm, it's very well pigmented. When used with the brush in the compact, it looks like war-paint. When used with a separate, good-quality blush brush, it looks like a beautiful healthy glow. I put Pearlescent Pink on one cheek and Orgasm on the other, and they actually did look similar. Hubby couldn't tell the difference. I kind of could, but I have a well-trained eye, having faithfully used Orgasm for half a decade. Right now, I think I may replace my beloved Orgasm with this, and spend that extra $19 on something more important. But, I could very well change my mind once that day comes when there's no longer any powder in that little black compact. Is it worth $0.82? Definitely

I've concluded that Wet 'N Wild has come a long way, and this deal at Walgreens is well worth jumping on. I recommend sticking with eyeshadows and blushes, and you should be happy with your products.

Coupon Sunday

2010-10-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

CVS
Sunkist 12 oz cans 12 pk 3/$11 = $3 Ecb (limit 1)
Use $0.50/1 coupons on the boxes
Pay $9.50
Get back $3 Ecb
Total: $2.17 each

Oral-B pulsar, CrossAction, stages Battery Power toothbrush $4.99 = $2 Ecb (limit 2)
Use the $3/1 coupon from the 10/31 PG
Pay $1.99
Get back a $2 Ecb
Total: Free

Buy Olay Body Wash $7
Buy 1 Travel size Secret Deodorant $1
Total = $8
Use the $5/1 Select Olay product with Secret purchase coupon from the 10/31 PG
Pay $3
Get back a $3 Ecb
Total: Both free

Olay Pro-X exfoliating cleanser 6 oz $10 = $5 Ecb (limit 1)
Use the $2/1 coupon from the 9/26 PG (expires 10/31)
Pay $8
Get back $5 Ecb
Total: $3

Spend $25 on Select P&G products = $16 instant savings on Toy Story 3 DVD
Buy:
Charmin bonus 16 pk (+ 4 double rolls free) $9.97
Bounty paper towels reg rolls 8 pk $6.97
4 Puffs reg or plus lotion 60-108 ct tissue $0.97 each = $5.82
Buy 5 Dawn 9.5-10.3 dish soap $0.97 = $2.91
Total now = $25.67
Use the $0.25/1 Charmin coupon from the 10/10 PG (or, if you're lucky, you may have a $1/1 couon which was in boxes of Pampers diapers
Use the $0.50/1 Bounty coupon from the 10/31 PG
Use $0.25 off 3 Puffs singles coupon from the 9/26 PG (Exp. 10/31!)
Use the $0.25/1 Puffs singles from the 10/31 PG (you can also try to get more of these if you're to late for the coupon expiring 10/31)
Use 5 $0.25/1 Dawn coupons from the 9/26 PG (Exp. 10/31! There are also more of these in the PG Home made simple booklets )
Pay: As low as $22.42
Get back $16 off coupon for Toy Story 3 DVD
Toy Story 3 DVD is $19.99 and gets released Tuesday. You will pay $3.99 after coupon
Total: As low as $26.41 for everything, including the Toy Story 3 DVD
AND there's a $5 rebate you can score here when you purchase the Toy Story 3 DVD AND 3 select Campbell’s or SpaghettiOs products.
**Even if you only have a few, or none, of the coupons above--this is still a pretty good deal

Walgreens
Campbell’s chicken noodle or tomato soup 10.75 oz $0.50
Use the $0.25/4 coupon from the 9/12 or 10/3 SS
Total: $0.44 per can

Hunt’s Tomato sauce 8 oz 3/$1 with in ad coupon
Total: $0.33 each

Wet n Wild cometics 50% off
Buy $20 worth of Wet n Wild cosmeticsMinus 50% off sale = $10
Use the $5/1 coupon when you spend $10 on Wet n Wilds cosmetics found in the September issue of All You magazine
Total: $5

Ricola drops 19-24 ct $0.99
Buy 2 bags of Ricola drops $0.99 each = $1.98
Use the $1/2 coupon found in 10/17 SS
Plus, use the $0.50/1 Walgreens coupons from the November coupon booklet at the front of the store (will deduct $1)
Total: 2 for free

Copps
Buy one Cooks Portion Ham $2.29/lb
Get free:
3lb frozen turkey breast
1 pack Bagels Forever Bagels
1 6oz box Armour Sizzle and Serve Breakfast links
1 Roundy's Orange Juice concentrate

Oscar Mayer Franks 2/$3
Use $1/2 from 9/26 SS, doubled
Total: $0.50 each

La Choy Creations $2.50
Use $1.50/1 from Nov. All You Magazine
Pay $1
Submit for rebate using form in All You Magazine
Total: Free with $1.50 Moneymaker (you can also opt to get 5 $1/1 La Choy coupons instead of the cash rebate)

Healthy Choice lunch steamers $1.88
Use $1/1 coupon from Oct. All You, doubled
Total: Free

Festival
Not much going on this week, but there are in-ad coupons for Flavorite generics, so it's a great time to stock up on those.

Target
Olay Beauty Bar (Single Bar) $0.97
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 10/31 PG
Total: Free

Buy 2 Select P&G items = $5 Target gift card
Buy 2 Olay Refreshing Toners $2.84 each
Pay $5.68
Get back a $5 Target gift card
Total: $0.34 each, no coupons necessary!

Suave Naturals 15 oz Shampoo & Conditioner $0.97
Use the $0.75/1 Target Mobile Coupon
Total: $0.22

Select Friskies Party Mix $1.34 (price cut thru 11/13)
Use 2 $1/1 coupons from the 9/12 RP or 8/22 SS
Plus, stack with the $1/2 Target store coupon found here
Total: 2 for free

Toy Story Deal Scenario:Buy Toy Story 3 Blu-ray Combo Pack $24.99
Buy 3 SPaghettiOs $0.89 each = $2.67
Total = $27.66
Use the $8/1 Toy Story 3 Blu-Ray Combo Pack coupon found here
Use the $1/3 Campbell’s Condeensed Kids Soup or SPaghettiOs coupon found here
Pay $18.66
Submit for the $5 Campbell’s/Toy Story rebate found here
Total: $13.66 for all the above
**Or, if you are doing the CVS DVD-only deal, you can just get the Spaghetti-os from Target to get your rebate.

Thanks Hip2Save for CVS, Walgreens, and Target deals

Where has the time gone?

2010-10-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

My baby is officially sixteen months old. She really is a baby no longer.

Good friends of ours welcomed their beautiful new baby girl into the world today. We visited them in the hospital, and holding that newborn really drove home the fact that I no longer have a cuddly infant. Instead, I have a naughty, stubborn, adorably lovable toddler. My little girl can't sit still long enough for hugs, but she does liberally dole out kisses. She is insanely curious and will try to haul away anything, anywhere that isn't bolted to the floor.

My daughter is smart. She can show us her nose, toes, mouth, hair, and belly. She can point out Sesame Street characters in a book by name. She babbles nonstop--her own unique mixture of real and pretend words. Her communication skills are evolving to include hand gestures and facial expressions. I no longer find myself wondering "what does she want?" she knows how to tell me, and I know her well enough to listen.

What a difference a year makes.

Maddie--a couple weeks before Halloween 2009

Compliant, complacent, helpless blob. I could dress her up in anything, haul her around anywhere, pose her with whatever, and there wasn't much she could do about it.

Maddie--a couple weeks before Halloween 2010

I just wanted to get a picture of her in front of the darn scarecrow with a measuring stick that said "How Tall this Fall", but she had other plans and was all about trying to climb on hay bales and splash in water puddles. When I finally got her to stand still for a second, Hubby snapped the picture without 90% of the scarecrow in it. *sigh*. I'll have to put my scarecrow picture dreams on hold until next year.

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-10-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Copps
USDA Choice Black Angus Chuck Roast $2.99/lb
Buy 3lbs or more, get 1lb Carrots, Celery, and 3lbs Yellow Onions

Fun Size M&Ms $1.98
Use $1/3 fun size candy from 10/10 RP, doubled
Total: $1.33 each

Hormel Fully Cooked Entrees $4.99
Use $1/1 coupon from here doubled
Total: $2.99

Rhodes heat and serve rolls $2.39
Use $1/1 from 10/24 SS, doubled
Total: $0.39

Buitoni Frozen Meal for Two $6.99
Use $1/1 from 9/19 RP, doubled
Total: $4.99

Yoplait Fiber One multipacks BOGO at $2.69
Use $0.50/a from 10/3 GM, doubled
Total: $0.85 each

YoPlus Multipacks $1.50
Use $0.50/1 from 10/3 GM, doubled
Total: $0.50

Buy:
2 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers 5/$11
1 Marie Callender's Fresh Mixer $2.99
2 Kids Cuisines 4/$7
1 Marie Callender's Frozen Meals 4/$10
2 Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa 4/$5
Total: $15.85
Use:
$1/2 Healthy Choice Steamers from Oct All You, doubled
$1/1 Fresh Mixers coupon from Oct All You, doubled
$1/2 Kid Cuisine from Oct All You, doubled
$1/1 Fresh Flavor Steamers from Oct All You, doubled
$0.50/2 Swiss Miss from 10/3 SS, doubled
Pay $6.85
Get back $5 credit toward your next shopping order
Total: $1.85 for everything

Festival
Hershey's Snack Size Candy $1.98 with in-ad coupon
Use $1/2 from 9/26RP
Total: $1.48 each

Arm and Hammer Laundry Detergent $1.68 with in-ad coupon
Use $1/2 from here
Total: $1.18 each

Coupon Sunday part 1

2010-10-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

CVS is really lacking for deals this week. They really don't have anything right now that's worth a trip over there. Hopefully next week will be better.

Walgreens
Huggies Pull-Ups or Diapers jumbo pk. $7.99 = $1 RR
Use the $2.50/1 Little Mover/Little Snugglers coupon found here
Total: $4.49

Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste 6 oz. $3.49 = $3.49 RR
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 10/10 SS or found here
Total: Free with $1 moneymaker

Contact Cold & Flu 28 ct. $6 = $6 RR
Use the $2/1 coupon found here
Total: Free with $2 moneymaker

Trident Xtra Care or Layers Gum $0.99 with in-ad coupon
Use the $0.75/1 coupon found here
Total: $0.24

Mentos Gum 15 piece $0.99 with in-ad coupon
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 10/3 SS
Total: Free

Gatorade 32 oz. or Propel 24 oz. 5/$5 with in-ad coupon
Use the Buy 1 Get 1 Free Propel coupon found here
Total: $0.50 each

Resolve Carpet Cleaner 22 oz. Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Buy 2 Triple Action Spot Carpet Cleaner $6.99 each
Use 2 $1.50/1 coupons found here
Total: $2 each

Target
Buy 2 Stouffer’s Easy Express Skillet Meals 25oz $3.59 each = FREE 1.5 qt of Edy’s/Dreyer’s Ice Cream
Buy 4 Skillet Meals $3.59 each = $14.36
Buy 2 Edy’s/Dreyer’s 1.5 qt Ice Cream
Use 4 $1/1 Stouffers Skillet Entrees coupons here or here (login and set your dinner goals)
Plus, use the $1/2 Edy’s/Dreyer’s coupon from the October issue of All You.
Total: $9.36--$1.56 each

Coffee-Mate 16 oz (select varieties) 2/$3
Use the $1.50/1 coupon found here
Total: Free

Kikkomans Naturally Brewed Regular or Less Sodium Soy Sauce 10 oz $1.42
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: $0.42!
*There is also a buy one get one free coupon available here. Your Target may or may not let you stack it with the other coupon and get 2 for $0.42. It's worth a shot!

Kraft Parmesan Shredded Cheese or Kraft Cheese Blocks or Shreds 7-8 oz $2
Use 2 $0.50/1 Kraft Parmesan Cheese (Shredded or Grated)
use the $1/2 Kraft Shredded or Block Cheese 7 or 8 oz Target store coupon found here
Plus, use the $1/2 Kraft Cheese coupon from the 9/26 SS
Total: $1 each

Simply Apple Juice 59 oz $2.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: $1.99

Lysol Neutra Air Fabric Mist 17 oz $2.50
Use the $1/1 Target store coupon found here
Plus, stack with the $1/1 coupon from the 10/17 SS or found here
Total: $0.50

GE Reveal Light Bulbs 4 pk $2
Use 2 $1.50/1 Target store coupons found here
Plus, stack with the $1/2 coupon from the 10/3 SS
Total: 2 packages for free

Thanks Hip2Save

It's Football Night!

2010-10-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

Due to a certain little ballgame taking place a couple blocks down the road, I'll be delaying Coupon Sunday this week. Let's hope a certain pervy QB (HINT: #4...inches!) gets his butt handed to him tonight!

Drugstore Shoppers do it better Part 2

2010-10-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Click here for part 1

CVS
CVS shopping is pretty much the same as Walgreens shopping, except better. All the little kinks and annoyances with Walgreens' system are eliminated in CVS' system.

As with Walgreens, CVS allows combinations of manufacturer coupons, store coupons, and "CVS Money", which they call Extra Care Bucks, or ECBs. CVS advertises which items generate ECBs in their weekly ad. There is huge freebie potential with ECBs. For example, if you find an item that costs two dollars, generates a $1 ECB, and you have a $0.50/1 manufacturer coupon and a $0.50/1 store coupon, you have essentially scored a freebie. You will pay $1 for it, and get $1 back in ECBs.

CVS is much more lax than Walgreens when it comes to restrictions on ECBs. Instead of treating them like coupons, they treat them as cash. So you can use as many as you want, and you don't have to worry about purchasing as many items as ECBs. The only restriction is that you can't get "change" back. If the value of your ECB exceeds the value of your purchase, you forfeit the balance. Also, there are a few items you cannot purchase with ECBs, like tobacco or postage stamps. You CAN roll ECBs, but only up to a pre-determined limit on each item. If the item says limit two, then you can buy it once, get an ECB, use your ECB to buy it again, and get another ECB. If it says limit one, the ECB does not roll for that item. Item limits are printed in the ad, and usually listed on the products' price tag.

In order to earn ECBs you must sign up for an ECB card at the front register or on CVS' website. In addition to earning ECBs by buying selected products, you also will get a percentage of your purchases back in ECBs every quarter.

CVS' store coupons are not as plentiful as Walgreens' are. They have some on their website, and you can also get some from the "Magic Coupon Machine" in the stores. The "Magic Coupon Machine" is a printer where you scan your ECB card and you get back store coupons. You can't select which coupons you want, the computer decides for you. Some coupons will be for specific products, some will be money off purchases of a certain amount, and sometimes you'll even get some random ECBs. I recommend keeping your stash of manufacturer coupons close by when you go to CVS, because you never know what you'll get out of the machine, and store coupons can be stacked with manufacturer coupons.

CVS is my favorite drugstore because their ECB system is so easy to understand, and I never get hassled about combining coupons with ECBs and scoring some great deals. I often do a second transaction in order to use my ECBs on products I otherwise would have had to pay out of pocket for. I only do this if the registers are slow, and the cashiers at CVS are always really nice about it. Most of the cashiers at my local CVS are couponers too, and they know all about scoring great deals at their store. If you ever get confused while you're there, just ask them. Some store employees seem to get really offended when you use coupons and promotions to get deep discounts, but every CVS employee I've ever come across has always been impressed and friendly.

$215 worth of Murad stuff for $12? Yes Please!

2010-10-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I read in Good Housekeeping magazine that there's a special promotion going on for Dr. Murad's new book, The Water Secret. If you buy the book from an online retailer before Oct 31 and forward your emailed receipt to Murad, they will send you a mystery bag that is supposedly filled with $200 worth of both full and sample sized Murad products. Sounds great, but I was skeptical about what would actually be in the gift bag, or if it would actually come since the small print said "while supplies last". In the name of experimentation, I gave it a try. Wow, am I ever glad I did!

My gift bag came today, and in it, I found this:

Full-size Sleep Reform Serum that retails for $97!!

And this:

Full-size Skin Perfecting lotion that retails for $33!

And this:Full-size Oil Free Sunblock SPF 30, that retails for $31

I also received two .125oz samples from the Murad Professionals line--The Daily Eyelift, and Immuno Skin Age Inhibitor. Apparently, only dermatologists have access to these, since only black-market type websites offer them for sale. Pricing seems to be at $125-$150 for an ounce of the Age Inhibitor, and $70-$100 for the Eye Lift. I also received a .8oz sample of Firm and Tone Serum, which normally goes for $77 per 6.75oz tube.

And...

How freakin' cute is this?

This lip gloss is half the size of the full-size one, and the full-size retails for $17.

So, definitely at least $200 worth of product here, and well worth the book purchase price. The book itself isn't bad. It's basically a diet/wellness plan. It's pretty strict, something I'll probably never have the willpower to stick with, but there are some great tips and recipes in it.

I can't guarantee that you will get the same gift bag (or any gift bag at all) if you try this deal out, but if the book is something you'd enjoy anyway, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. You could always return the book if you don't end up getting a gift bag.

I recommend going through Borders because they do free site-to store shipping (Waldenbooks is one of their stores), so for me, that's really close. The book is $15.16, but if you order before Oct. 23 you can get 25% off using code BTP5707C, so you will only pay $11.37.

Once you place your order, forward your email confirmation to TheWaterSecretGift@murad.com. If you did site to store shipping, make sure to include your home address in your email. They'll send you a confirmation that they received your email right away, then another confirmation in a few days saying that you are eligible to receive the gift.

If anyone decides to give this a try, let me know what you end up getting!

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-10-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Copps
Stouffers Meals or French Bread Pizza 5/$10
Use $1/1 coupon from here (sign up), doubled
Total: Free

Starkist Yellowfin and Albacore tuna 3/$3.99
Use the $0.75/1 coupons found in various magazines, doubled
Total: Free

Bush's Grillin Beans $1.79
Use $1/1 from 10/3 SS, doubled (if the variety listed on coupon is part of the sale)
Total: Free

Welch's Healthy Start 2/,$6
Use $1/1 from here, doubled
Total: $1

Heinz Product Deal (this should work, as long as the cashier allows the in-ad manu coupon to be combined with other manu coupons. I've been able to do this at Copps before...)
Buy 5 Weight Watchers Smart ones frozen meals--$10
Buy 3 Heinz Homestyle Gravy--$3 total
Total: $13
Use $1/5 WW coupon from here, doubled
Use $1/3 Homestyle Gravy coupon from here, doubled
Stack with $4/7 in-ad coupon
Total: $5, $0.83/item

Festival
Coffemate Creamer $0.98
Use $1.50/1 coupon from here
Total: free

Hormel Entrees $3.33 (These are actually really good! I got the Italian Pot Roast kind, heated it, shredded it, and made it into sandwiches with sourdough bread and melted mozzeralla. Yum!)
Use $1/1 from here
Total: $2.33

Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist $1.98 with in-ad coupon

Weight Watchers Smart Ones 6/$6 with in-ad coupon
Use $2/6 coupon from WW Magazine
Total: $0.67 each

Target
California Pizza Kitchen Singles $2.04 (I'm not sure if they have these at our non-super Targets, but I sure am going to look!)
Use the $2/1 coupon found here (upper right corner)
Total: $0.04

Alexia Sweet Potato Fries 15 oz Pkg $1.99 (again, not sure if the non-supers have these)
Use the $1/1 coupon from the November issue of All You
Total: $0.99

Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Lunchmeat 7 – 9 oz $2.79
Use the $1/2 Target coupon found here
stack with the $1/2 coupon from the 9/26 SS or found here
Total: $1.79 each

Betty Crocker Catalina Deal (Catalinas are the coupons that print out from the little printer when you check out)
Buy 4 Betty Crocker Frosting $1.22 each
Buy 4 Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix $0.92 each
Total = $8.56
Use 4 $0.75/2 Betty Crocker Cake Mix & Frosting coupons from the 10/3 General Mills insert or found here and/or here
Pay $5.56
Get back a $3 Catalina coupon
Total: $0.32 each

Buy 2 Curel Ultra Healing Lotion 6 oz $3.79 each
Total = $7.58
Use two $1/1 Curel Target Coupons found here
stack with 2 $1/1 coupons from here
Pay $3.58
Get back a $5 Target gift card
Total, Free with moneymaker

Coupon Sunday part 1

2010-10-17T19:16:00.001-07:00

CVS
Buy 1 Neutrogena Triple Moisture split end mender 3oz $7.49 = $7.49 Ecb (limit 1)
Total: Free

Schick Hydro 3 or 5 Cartridges 4 ct. or Razor 1 ct. $8.99 = $5 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use the $4/1 razor coupon from the 10/3 SS
Total: Free

AZO Maximum Strength Itch Relief Cream 1 oz or wipes 12 ct $6.99 = $5 Ecb (Limit 5)
Use the $2/1 AZO Itch Relief Maximum Strength coupon found here(Print 5!)
Pay $4.99
Get back a $5 Ecb
Total: Free

Mentos Gum 15 piece Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Use 2 $1/1 coupons from the 10/3 SS
Total: Two for free

Glade Relaxing Moments Spray 9.7 oz. 2/$5
Use the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon from the 9/26 SS
Use the $1/1 coupon from the All You Magazine September issue or found here
Use 2 $1/1 CVS in-store coupons found here
Total: Free with overage--Not sure if all cashiers will allow the $ off coupon stacked with the BOGO

Walgreens
Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment .21 oz $2.59 = $2.59 RR
Total: Free

Mucinex Nasal Spray .75 oz $7.99 = $7.99 RR
Total: Free

Coffee-Mate liquid Creamer 16 oz Buy 1 at $2.69 get 1 FREE
Use 2 $1.50/1 coupons found here
Total: 2 for free

Capri Sun 10 packs 2/$4
Use the $1/2 coupon from the Sept. issue of Parenting the Early Years or Family Fun Mag.
Plus, use the $1/2 Walgreens coupon from the October coupon booklet in front of store
Total: $1 per 10 pack

Nivea For Men body wash 16.9 oz 2/$5
Use the $3/1 coupon from the 10/17 RP
Total: Free

Brita 3 pk replacement filters, pitcher 48 oz, or faucet mount refill $14.99
Use the $5/1 coupon found here (take Pledge– right hand side)
Total: $9.99

Glade scented oil candles glass holder or 4 pk refills or candles 2 or 4 oz 2/$6
Buy 2 Glade 4oz jar candles
Use the buy one get one free coupon from the 9/26 SS
Plus, stack with the $2/2 Walgreens coupon from the October coupon booklet in front of store
Total: $0.50 per candle

Triaminic Cold, Cough or Allergy relief 14 pk or 4 oz $4.99 = FREE Redbox rental code (will print out at checkout)
Buy 1 Triaminic Cold or Cough $4.99
Buy 1 Nivea Lip Care (FREE with coupon below)
Use the FREE Nivea Lip care with Triaminic purchase coupon from the 10/17 SS
Plus, use the $1/1 Triaminic coupon found here
Total: $3.99 for the Triaminic, Nivea Lip care product & Redbox rental

Ricola Cough Drops 19 to 24 ct $1
Buy 2 bags for $2 total
Use the $1/2 coupon from the 10/17 SS
Plus, stack with the $0.50/1 Walgreens coupon from the October coupon booklet in front of store (will deduct $1)
Total: 2 for free

Thanks Hip2Save

I'm still alive!

2010-10-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

I realize I've been shamefully neglecting my blog for the past few days. The main reason is because I just found out that I made it into the second application phase to be a Panelist for the Walt Disney World Moms Panel. This is huge for me! I love Disney, and I love writing, and this is the perfect opportunity for me to combine the two and get some professional experience (and brain-exercise) while staying home with Maddie. Best of all, I'd get to write about Disney, and help people plan their trips! There would also be at least one free Disney trip coming my way if I make it.

I'm not getting my hopes up too high, because it's a long shot. I'm talking, like, getting-on-The Real World odds. The Moms Panel accepts applications once per year, and this year they received 20,000 applications. The good news is that they've since narrowed that number down to between 200-500 applicants, and I'm still in the running! The bad news is that the rumor mill says they will end with only 10 new Panelists. There are still two more elimination rounds to go.

So, I've spent the past couple days writing an essay, filming a video, and preparing a sample trip-planning document. I sent it all off last night, and now I wait. I should be hearing back around the end of the month about whether I get to move on to the phone interview round or not. I know the odds are against me, but I'm glad to be able to keep the dream alive for at least a couple more weeks.

In other news, Maddie is moving right along in PT. She is now climbing the stairs, cruising like a pro, and walking while we hold her hands. I couldn't be more proud of her, and her therapist is very impressed with her progress. She's into everything, and I can hardly keep up with her, but I'm still thrilled with her being so active.

Life is good!

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-10-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Festival
Fun Sized Butterfingers 12oz bag $1.68 with in-ad coupon
stack with $1/2 Butterfingers coupon from 10/3 RP
Total: $1.18 each

Totinos Party Pizza $0.88
Use $0.50/3
from 8.29 GM
Total: 0.71 each

Gallon of milk $0.98 with in-ad coupon

Target
The Goodlife Recipe Food for Cats assorted varieties 3.5 oz $0.69
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 9/19 RP or 10/10 RP or found here
Total: Free

Oreo Cookies 16.6 oz $2.50
Use the $1/2 Target store coupon found here
stack with the $1/2 coupon from the 9/26 SS
Total: $1.50 per package

Hershey Special Dark Kisses 12 oz $2.39
Use the $1/1 Target store coupon found here
stack with the $1/1 coupon from the 9/19 SS
Total: $0.39

Ortega Taco Seasoning Packets $0.69
Use the $1/2 Ortega Products Coupon found here
Total: $0.19 per packet

Reach Dental Floss $0.97
Use the $1/1 coupon found here or here or in the 1/3 or 10/10 RP
Total: Free

Thanks Hip2Save for the Target deals

Coupon Sunday Part 1

2010-10-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

CVS
Quaker Quick Oats, Instant Oatmeal or Granola Bars 2/$5 = $2 Ecb (Limit 2)
Use 2 $2/1 coupons found here
Total: both Free with $1 moneymaker

Colgate Total Advanced or Enamel Strength Toothpaste 4 oz. $2.99 = $2.99 ECB
Use the $0.75/1 Total coupon from the All You Magazine September issue or here
Total: Free with $0.75 moneymaker

AZO Maximum Strength Itch Relief Cream 1 oz or wipes 12 ct $6.99=$5 Ecb (Limit 5)
Use the $2/1 AZO Itch Relief Maximum Strength coupon found here(You should be able to print and use 5!)
Pay $4.99
Get back a $5 Ecb
Total: Free

Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets 20 ct. Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Buy 2 Complete Laundry Sheets 20 ct. $7.99 each
Use 2 $3/1 coupons from the 10/10 RP
Total: $1 each

Walgreens
Halls Refresh Lemon Raspberry Drops 20 ct $1 = $1 RR
Use the $0.75/1 coupon from the September or October issue of All You
Total: Free with $0.75 Moneymaker

Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste 4.2 oz or Oral-B Advantage 1-2-3 Toothbrush $2.49 = $1.50 RR
Use the $1/1 Crest Pro-Health coupon from the 9/26 PG
Total: Free

Huggies Jumbo Pack Diapers or Pull-Ups $8.99 = $2 RR
Use the $2.50/1 coupon found here or here
Total: $4.49

Buy 2 Reach Total Care + Whitening toothbrush $4.49 each
Use the buy one get one free coupon from the 10/10 RP
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 5/16 or 3/7 RP or found here
Plus, use the $2/1 in ad Walgreens coupon
Total: Free, with overage

Renuzit Adjustables 7.5oz 2/$3
Buy 6 for a total of $9
Use the buy 3 get 3 FREE coupon from the 10/10 RP (will deduct $4.50)
Plus, use the in ad coupon which will make each Renuzit ONLY $0.89 (will deduct $3.66)
Total: $0.14 each

Copps

They are doubling 10 coupons per transaction this Wednesday. Booyah!

Oreos 2/$6
Use $1/2 from 9/26 SS, doubled
Total $2 each

Arm and Hammer laundry detergent $3.68
Use $1/2 from 8/22 SS or here, doubled
Total: $2.68 each

Oscar Mayer Carving Board lunchmeat 2/$7
Use $1/1 from here or here, doubled
Total: $1.50

Tyson Anytizers strips, nuggets, tenders, or patties 2/$6
Use $1.50/1 from here
Total: $1.50

Yoplait Delights 2/$4
Use 0.50/1 from 10/3 GM or here, doubled
Total: $1

La Choy Creations 2/$5
Use $1.50/1 from 10/3 SS
Total: $1

Old Orchard 64oz juice $2.29
Use $0.50/1 from here, doubled
Total: $1.29

Starburst or Skittles bags $1.78
Use $1/2 from 10/10 RP, doubled
Total: $0.78 each

Mentos gum 15-piece 10/$10
There are 2 $1/1 coupons in the 10/3 SS
Total: 2 for free, no doubling needed

Buy $10 worth of select products, get a free bag of Nestle or Wonka fun size candy
Deal Scenarios:

1:
Buy 2 30 packs of Nestle Pure Life .5L bottles $11
Buy 2 Hot Pockets Sideshots 1.66 each
Use $1/2 Nestle Pure Life coupon from here, doubled
Use 2 $1/1 Facebook Hotpocket coupons ("Like" Hotpockets to print the coupon, hit your back button to print a second one), each doubled
Total: $9 for two 30 packs of water, two boxes of Hotpockets, and a bag of candy

2:
Buy 4 64oz Juicy Juice, or Juice Boxes $2.69 each
Use $2/4 products coupon from here
Total: $8.76 for all the juice, plus the bag of candy

GM Deal:
Buy the following:
6 boxes of Hamburger Helper $1 each
2 Betty Crocker boxed potatoes $1 each
2 packages Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough $5 total
2 packages Simply regrigerated cookie dough $5 total
1 package Sweet Moments $2.50
1 bag Chex Mix $2
2 tubes Pillsbury breadsticks $1.66 each
Total: $25.82
Use:
2 $0.75/3 Hamburger Helper from 10/3 GM or here, doubled
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Potatoes from 10/3 GM, doubled
$1/2 refrigerated cookie dough from 10/3 GM, doubled
$0.55/1 Simply Cookie dough from 10/3 GM, doubled
$0.55/1 Simply cookie dough from here
$1/1 Sweet Moments from here, doubled
$0.50/1 Chex Mix from here , doubled
$0.40/2 Pillsbury breadsticks from here, doubled
Pay: 13.82
Get back $10 off credit on your next shopping order, plus a free gallon of milk
Total: $3.82 for everything, plus the free milk!

Stay tuned for Festival and Target tomorrow!

Thanks Hip2Save for the drugstore deals

Drugstore shoppers do it better

2010-10-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Part 1
If you read my Coupon Sunday posts, you know that I do a lot of shopping at drugstores. I once thought that drugstores were overpriced, and that the only reason to buy food or household goods from them was if I was there picking up meds and too sick to go anywhere else. But, it turns out that each drugstore has a little game, and if you play it the right way, you can save much more than you could ever imagine saving at any grocery store or supercenter.

Now, the drugstores make their promotional programs confusing on purpose. If everyone understood them 100%, Walgreens and CVS would never be able to keep product on their shelves, because everyone would be snatching it all up for free.

Allow me to explain how each store operates their crazy little program, and how you can get tons of stuff for free once you start working the system a little bit.

I'm going to be doing this post in two parts, one for Walgreens and one for CVS. Today we'll be talking Walgreens. Stay tuned for CVS, coming your way early this week.

Walgreens:
There are three major ways to save at Walgreens: store coupons, booklet coupons, and Register Rewards (RRs). If you combine a few of these methods with a manufacturer coupon or two, you are going to come out really far ahead. Store coupons are found in Walgreens' weekly ad. Booklet coupons are found in front of the stores, in a booklet that changes monthly. You can always stack store coupons with manufacturer coupons, as well as booklet coupons with manufacture coupons. Some stores will even let you create the trifecta of awesomeness: Store coupon, booklet coupon, and manufacturer coupon all for one product! Whether or not all three are allowed tends to vary by store.

You save a ton just by stacking these coupons with sales, but your savings gets all the more better once RRs come into play. Walgreens will offer RRs on select items, some changing every week, and some changing every month. The weekly ads highlight where the register rewards can be found at any given time. When you purchase a product with a RR, you will be given a certificate at checkout which is essentially a coupon for the dollar value of the RR, to be used at Walgreens on whatever you like. Only a few things are excluded, like tobacco and postage stamps.

RRs vary in amount, and sometimes are equal to as much as the cost of the product. Often, after the product price is brought down with coupons, you can earn more in RRs than you spent. I consider this a "moneymaker". You aren't pocketing cash, but who can't find something they need to buy at Walgreens?

Since RRs are not used like cash, there are some restrictions that, like with any other coupon, might throw off your savings if you aren't careful. Some things to remember when using RRs:

You CAN stack RRs with manufacturers coupons, store coupons, and booklet coupons--as well as with any combination of manufacturers coupons and store coupons.
You must have at least as many items as non-store coupons, and RRs count as non-store coupons. So, if you are using a manufacturer coupon and a RR on one item, you must purchase at least one other item without any coupons. $0.30 Caramels by the checkout make great filler!
You typically cannot roll register rewards. You can't buy, say, a tube of toothpaste and get a $1 RR, and then use that $1 RR to purchase another tube of the same toothpaste and get yet another $1 RR. The RRs won't print if an identical RR is scanned in the transaction.

Walgreens shopping starts to really pay off once you get in the habit of shopping with RRs. When you first start out, you will pay some money out of pocket, but then you will get back some RRs. Use these the following week to do more coupon shopping, and get back RRs. Pretty soon you will notice that the amount you're paying in "real" money is getting smaller, and you are able to do much of your shopping with RRs. Then you feel like you are spending Monopoly money, and shopping becomes amazing and fun. Try it! I promise if you are patient and well-researched, you will start to come out ahead very quickly.

No, your toddler isn't too young to go to Disney World

2010-10-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

A lot of people are really shocked that we took Maddie to Disney World for a week last month. She was fourteen months old. A good opportunity came up to travel with family (aka, HELP), so we jumped on it, knowing a trip with built-in babysitters may not ever happen again.

Based on the reactions I was getting from people we discussed our trip plans with, I was preparing myself for the worst: meltdowns, earaches on the plane, sleepless nights, food refusal, sunburn, dehydration, over-tiredness, fear of giant fuzzy characters, etc. But, guess what? None of that happened! Ok, there may have been a few minor meltdowns, but that was it!

Here are some tips for doing a vacation at Disney (or somewhere similar), with a young child, and living to tell about it.

1. Your child will not remember the trip--but that's ok! Probably the most common response I got when I told people I was taking Maddie to Disney World was, "But she won't remember it!". And it's true--there is no way she'll remember a week of her life at 14 months old, even if it was spent in the happiest place on Earth. But we will remember it. And when we take her back there as a child, a teenager, and even an adult, we will have stories to tell her about her first trip back when she was a baby. When we walk through the World Showcase in Epcot we will be able to point out the spot where she looked at the ducks and said "duck" for the first time. When we eat at Le Cellier we will be able to tell her about how she conked out fast asleep in her high chair with her head on the table, clutching a toy Mickey in her hand. When we walk by the giant Lady and the Tramp statues at the Pop Century resort we will be able to tell her about how she became infatuated with Lady after seeing the statue, and how we searched everywhere for a stuffed Lady to give her. And, if she is still regularly sleeping with her stuffed Lady, she'll then know how that attachment began. When you take a trip with a young child, you shouldn't think of it as an experience that she will necessarily remember, but one that will live on in her imagination through stories, memories, and photos.

Keep your routine: It was very tempting to let the routine slide, since we were on vacation and everything. We wanted to be able to get up early, and stay up late in order to get all our sightseeing in. But, we didn't. Yes, it was a pain to be restricted to a schedule, but we still made sure that Maddie was in bed by 9 and up at 7. We were also very careful to keep meal times as close as possible to what she was used to. We were rewarded with a generally happy child, and we didn't have to get her re-adjusted when we got home.

Bring the big stroller: I can see how a small umbrella stroller would be more convenient for a child who is a very experienced walker and only needs the stroller sometimes when she gets tired. They are easy to fold up and get on buses, and they maneuver well in crowds. In our case, however, we were happy that we decided to lug around the big stroller. A child as young as Maddie requires a lot of stuff: juice, milk, snacks, spoons, bibs, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, etc. The storage bin at the bottom of her stroller was a great place for all her gear, as well as our camera, phones, money, and stuff we bought while out and about. Maddie was comfortable in the stroller, and was able to stay in it for a while without getting antsy. It reclined when she wanted to nap, and had a shade to block the sun. Yes, it was a little harder to lift up and down, and find room for in the crowds, but the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.

Get one of these:

See the fan contraption mounted on her stroller? Disney sells them for $20. You can get similar ones at a slightly lower cost from Walmart during the summer months. The Disney one was great quality--we used and abused it and it is still as good as new. The fan is foam, so it's safe, and a water bottle is attached for misting. It kept all of us nice and cool, and nipped most heat-related meltdowns in the bud.

Try all the attractions you can: There really are only a handful of attractions at Disney World that aren't suitable for all ages. Infants and toddlers can go on any ride which does not have a height restriction. So, as long as it isn't a roller coaster, or some other type of intense ride, your child can experience it. We were kind of surprised with some of the things Maddie found exciting. She loved pretty much all the shows, even though I was hesitant to bring her to them for fear of her melting down and distracting other guests. I quickly learned that it's best to just try everything. Cast members are great about helping you to the exit if you need it--but honestly, I never once had to duck out of an attraction with a crying child. She was fascinated with every show, ride, and exhibit. If you don't want to miss out on the height-restricted rides, ask the cast member at the ride entrance about doing a Baby Swap. Half of your group goes on the ride while the other half waits with the baby. Then, when the first group is finished, they wait with the baby, and the second group gets to skip the line and walk right on the ride.

Keep the fun going at meal time: The few meltdowns Maddie had were almost exclusively at mealtimes. I think she had so much fun at the parks, that taking breaks to sit in restaurants seemed boring in comparison. Her meltdowns were greatly reduced when we ate at restaurants which also provided entertainment. For Maddie, the best entertainment is any type of song and dance, or any type of live animals. Her favorite restaurants were Ohana (singing and dancing), and The Coral Reef (live fish). We also did a princess breakfast, but I think she's a little too young to understand that the princesses are cooler than regular, ordinary people. If I were to do the trip again, I'd select character meals with animal characters, and I'd consider doing a dinner show.

Maddie had a great time at Disney World, and we're glad she got the opportunity to go at this age. It's an added bonus that she flies, stays, and plays free, but I also think she learned a lot and had a great time.

Coupon Sunday Cont'd--Grocery Stores

2010-10-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

Copps
Kelloggs/Keebler deal--buy 6 regular priced Kelloggs cereals, Fiber Plus bars, Poptarts, or Keebler cookies. Get $10 instant rebate at checkout, plus a coupon for a free gallon of milk. I have no idea what the regular pricing is, but as an educated guess I'm going to say it will average to about $3 per product. Remember there could be some give or take here.
Use $1/2 Keebler Cookies from 9/12 SS, doubled
Use $1/2 Frosted Mini Wheats from 9/12 SS, doubled
Use 2 $1/1 Frosted Mini Wheats from here, doubled
Total: Free. Plus a gallon of milk!

Gallon of milk: $1.98 with in-ad coupon

Nestle Tollhouse Refrigerated Cookie Dough $2.50
Use $1/1 from 10/3 RP, doubled
Total: $0.50

Maxwell House 34oz coffee $7.99
Use $1/1 from 9/26 SS, doubled
Total: $5.99--Not amazing, but this is the only coffee hubby will drink, so I try to stock up when it's reasonable.

Buitoni Filled Pastas 2/$6=Free sauce
Use $1/2 from 9/26 SS, doubled
Total: $2 each, plus a free sauce

Awesome Hormel/Chi-Chi's Moneymaker scenario:
Buy:
2 cans Hormel Chili Master Chili 2/$4
2 jars Chi-Chis Salsa 2/$4
2 Chi-Chis Fiesta Plates meals 2/$4
Total: $12
Use:
2 $0.75/1 Chili Master coupons from here , doubled
1 $1/2 salsa coupon from here, doubled
2 $1/1 Fiesta Plates coupons from here, doubled
Pay: $3
Get back a $5 credit to use on your next shopping trip!
Total: All of it free, plus $2 moneymaker!

Nivea Lipcare $0.99
Use the $2/2 coupon found here or here or $1/1 from the October/September issue of All You mag. or from the 10/3 RP
Total: Free, no doubling needed. This same deal is available at Walgreens, but it makes great filler at Copps.

Pillsbury Sweet Moments 2/$5
Use $1/1 from here doubled
Total: $0.50

Festival
Campbell's Chunky Soup $0.98 with in-ad coupon (limit 4)
Use $2/4 coupon from here
Total: $0.48 each

Generics Coupons--What I think is worth buying:
Tuna cans $0.48 limit 4
Cream Cheese packages 0.88 limit 2
Texas Toast $0.98

Coupon Sunday part 1--Target and Drugstores

2010-10-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

Target
Market Pantry Hotdog buns $0.89
Use the $0.50/1 Market Pantry bread 20 or 24oz. Target store coupon found here
Total: $0.39

Oscar Mayer Lunchables 4.15-4.50 oz $1
Use the $1/2 Target store coupon found here
Total: $0.50 each

Buy 5 Mott’s Apple Sauce and/or juice $1.67-$1.75 each
Pay $8.75
Get back a $5 Target gift card
Total: $0.75 each

Glade Tough Odor Solutions Carpet & Room $1.99
Use the $1/1 Glade Tough Odor Solutions item Target Coupons found here
Plus, use the new $1/1 coupon found here
Total: FREE

Walgreens
Crest Toothpaste 6.4oz or Oral-B Indicator Toothbrush $1.99 = $1 RRUse the $0.50/1
Crest coupon from the 9/26 PG
Total: $0.50

Quaker Rice Snacks 3.3 oz $0.99
Use the $1/2 coupon found here (click on the yellow circle– lower right hand corner)
Total: $0.49 per bag

Nabisco Wheat Thins (Small box) $0.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here (Click on the “Coupon” tab– below Stix coupon)
Total: FREE

Buy 1 Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara $7.79
Minus 50% off sale = $3.90
Use the $3/1 coupon found in the October issue of All You mag.
Total: $0.90

Buy L’Oreal Skin Expertise Skin Genesis Complexion Equalizer– on sale for $14.99
Use the $8/1 Walgreens coupon from the October Coupon Bookletat the front of the store
Plus, stack with the $1/1 coupon from the 7/11 RP or the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: $5.99

Nivea Lip Care $1
Use the $2/2 coupon found here or here or from the October/September issue of All You mag. or from the 10/3 RP
Total: FREE

CVS
Revlon Nail products $3.99 = $3 Ecb (Limit 6)
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 9/12 SS
Total: FREE

Adult Robistussin DM To Go 2 doses $0.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here (no size restriction!)
Total: FREE

Thanks Hip2Save

Coupon Sunday is coming

2010-10-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

We had internet connection issues yesterday, so I'll be working on Coupon Sunday...err...Monday today--probably in little bits at a time.

The picture that will be shown to ALL Maddie's boyfriends:

2010-09-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you're probably thinking, "What, did M run out of money and start dressing her kid in her old clothes from the early '90s? And is her kid throwing up gang signs, or jazzercising?"

The hand gesture, I have no explanation for...except that Elmo was on, so it was Dance Party time. The shorts, however, are actually her newest therapy tool. They're called hip-helpers. Besides being obviously kick-ass looking, they have an added benefit of forcing her little hips together. When she's wearing these bad boys, she can't do the splits and must figure out new (correct) ways of getting around.

Today was day one of hip-helper use, and she's already crawling (the NORMAL way!) when she has them on, and going from laying to sitting without doing the splits both when she has them on AND has them off!

And...ready for this? Maddie is pulling up to stand! She stays really wide-legged when she doesn't have the hip helpers on, and once she started rocking the spandex she couldn't figure out how to get herself up for a while. But, by the end of the day, she was pulling up with the hip-helpers on! She still keeps her knees spread further apart than I would like to see, but she is definitely making progress!

So, today we are happy, and actually have faith that she may be on the right track toward walking sometime within the outskirts of the "normal" timeframe. Yesterday, though, we were in full-on panic mode.

Maddie had her 15 month checkup yesterday. Another doctor visit=another thing for me to freak out over. Her doctor watched her pull up to stand in her weird, spread-legged way and suddenly seemed very concerned. She excused herself from the room. I knew that couldn't be a good sign. When she came back, she said that she could see in Maddie's chart that we've already done x-rays on her hips (well DUH, I only just about had a heart attack from the stress of the whole Hip Dysplasia scare), and they were normal. Then she said that maybe we should discuss some other testing...

ME: Like...what kind of testing

DOC: Well, do you or your husband have any family history of muscular diseases?

ME: Like, muscular dystrophy?

DOC: Yes.

ME: No...you think she has muscular dystrophy?

DOC: No, most kids with dystrophy actually walk at the normal time and then have issues later, but it does affect some kids differently, so it wouldn't hurt to rule it out...

ME: Ok...

DOC: She's in PT, right?

ME: Yes.

DOC: Well, we could wait until she's walking, hopefully by her 18 month appointment, and then go from there if you want.

ME: Um, no, now you've got me worried. What kind of test do you want to do?

The doctor explained that when muscles are deteriorating they release an enzyme into the blood. A blood test can check the levels of this enzyme, and rule out muscular dystrophy and certain metabolic diseases. I asked her if we could just do the test now, otherwise I would surely be a basket-case for the next three months. So, they pricked Maddie's finger, drew three vials of blood, and said they'd get back to me the next day.

I really, really, really, REALLY hate how medical offices make you wait so long for test results. You'd think it wouldn't take more than an hour at the most to look for a stupid enzyme in a little vial of blood, yet they can't just hand over the results as soon as they finish the test? I get it that the lab acts as a middleman and can't directly talk to the patients, but I sure wish some kind-hearted lab tech would, like, sneak into the breakroom with the "your test results are GOOD" list and call everyone on it and just say "Don't Worry". Wishful thinking.

Anyway, I spent the next 24 hours stressing, crying, and Googling. It was very similar to the hip dysplasia fiasco, except worse, because everything I read about muscular dystrophy in such a young child was extremely doom and gloom.

Finally, at 11:30 this morning, my phone rang and my caller ID showed the doctor's office. As my mind processed this, it told me:
Shit! When the Hip Dysplasia test came back normal they didn't even bother to call you! You had to call them after you didn't hear back all day! This can't be good!
I answered the phone and managed to squeak out a "hello" into the receiver.
I heard, "Hi, is this Violet's mom?"
OK, maybe they have the wrong person and Violet is the one with a bad test. Not that that's good...I truly do hope that Violet is OK, but, dear God, please just don't let my baby have muscular dystrophy!
"Um, no, this is Madeleine's mom."
"Oh, this is Madeleine's mom?"
"yes..."
"Hmm...Madeleine...." I heard her flip through some papers, "Oh! Here it is. This is Becky, by the way, with Dr. L's office---"
That's where my mind cut her off:
Becky! Yes! Becky is the one I want to talk to! Becky is also the one who gave me the test result for Maddie's hip X-ray, after I had to call and ask what was up. I guess Becky is a little flaky, but as long as she's the one calling me, and not the Doctor, I know that hearing from Becky is a good thing! After all, if a test came back with the words "Muscular Dystrophy" stamped all over it, Becky would not be the one they'd have call. And whoever did call certainly wouldn't be mixing Maddie up with Violet. I mean, what are the odds they both tested positive for muscular dystrophy in the same day?? This is a good call! Yesssss!!!

Sure enough, my homegirl Becky came through for me. She said that Maddie's bloodwork came back completely normal, and the Doctor would like us to do nothing more than continue with therapy as usual. We are in the clear, and muscular dystrophy will not be something my daughter needs to worry about.

Thank you Becky!!!

By the way, I think Becky probably has the best job ever. Imagine being paid to call people who WANT to talk to you, and give them happy news. I'm sure Becky does other, less glamorous things, but imagine if that was all she did all day? Sign me up for that gig! Maybe there should be a "Good news giver" position that could outsource to doctors' offices and sweepstakes companies and just do nothing but call and spread happiness to people all day. Can you imagine a job like that? You'd never want to leave work at night!

Anyway, another fear crossed off the list, and lots of good progress with the sexy spandex shorts. Yes, Ice Cube, I can't believe, today was a good day!

Tasty Tuesday: The one where I make a pie and only mess it up a little

2010-09-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Maddie and I went to a local orchard last week and picked a TON of apples. Always the ambitious one, I thought it would be a great idea to make a nice, big apple pie from scratch. I have a lot to learn about pie baking. Last fall I had kind of a dummy moment when I decided to bake a pumpkin pie--and I used Jack O Lantern pumpkins! I had no idea that there are special "pie pumpkins" you are supposed to use, and for a long time I couldn't figure out why on earth my pie was so stringy and watery. Oops.

So, I spent all day today attempting to make a non-disgusting apple pie, with the help of Martha Stewart. Yes, it took all day. Peeling and coring a million apples is quite the ordeal when you also have a toddler to take care of.

Here are my apples:

Martha calls for fourteen of them. I laid them out all nice and pretty, but before I could start slicing and dicing, I needed to make the crust.

I have no pictures of the actual crust-making process. Let's just say the food processor totally got the best of me, and I'd probably still be scraping dough out of the crevices of my camera if I would have had it in the room. But, eventually I ended up with some crust, which I divided in two (one chunk slightly smaller than the other), flattened, covered in wax paper, and refrigerated.

Martha's crust recipe calls for 3 3/4 cup flour, 11/2tsp salt, 11/2tsp sugar, and three sticks of cold butter, cut into little pieces. You put all of this in the food processor, pulse for about 10 seconds until grainy-looking, then pour in ice water while pulsing until it just begins to look dough-y.

Once you have the crust all flattened out and wrapped, it has to chill in the fridge for at least an hour

I put my crusts under the bag of remaining apples to get them nice and flat.

Once the dough has been chilled, sprinkle some flour on and roll each piece out.

The smaller piece gets fitted into a deep-dish pie pan.

Then wrap it in plastic wrap and put it back in the fridge. The big piece gets put on a cookie sheet, wrapped in plastic wrap, and also placed in the fridge.

Now it's time to conquer the apples. You'll need and apple corer, a peeler, and a sharp knife.

I cored each apple, peeled each chunk, cut the chunks into smaller chunks, and tossed them in a big bowl

After each apple, I squeezed some lemon juice into the bowl and tossed the apples around in it.

The lemon juice is Martha's advice for avoiding browning. It was much needed for me, since the whole process of coring and peeling took, oh, probably about 10 million years. I had to take three childcare breaks, so those apples sat for quite a while. By the time all the apples were processed, I seriously was so sick of playing with apples. My fingers were pickled, bits of apple peel were everywhere. It was horrible. I may have even eaten the last apple instead of processing it.

Here's my bowl of apples after I was FINALLY done

Next step is to combine 1/2 cup flour, a cup of sugar, and 2tsp ground cinnamon in a small bowl

And toss the mixture with the apples

Then the apples get poured into the crusted pie pan

NOTE: Here is where I messed up! Do not do this:

I plopped the big piece of crust on top and sealed it along the rim. Then I glanced at the recipe and realized I missed a very important step. 3tbsp of cold butter were supposed to have been cut up and scattered on top of the apples before the top crust was put on! Swear words were uttered. I thought about skipping the butter and making this a healthy pie, but deep down, I knew what I really had to do. If the butter goes down, we all go down. So...

I peeled the top crust back off, as carefully as possible, then I applied the butter

I threw in a little extra butter. 'Cause I deserve it!

Then I did my best to get the crust back on

Martha recommends crimping the edges. This made me laugh out loud and think she must be smoking crack, and clearly not trying to bake pies while parenting a small child. My edges remained un-crimped.

After cutting a few vent holes in the crust, I made an egg-wash by combining an egg yolk with three tbsps of water. Then I brushed it onto the pie

And sprinkled some sugar over the crust

The pie is now ready to go into a 450 degree oven. Martha recommends putting the pie-pan on your cookie sheet to catch any dripping juice

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 45 minutes

I think all that crust manipulating might have made mine a little too soft, because it kind of dripped and crumbled at the edges in the oven

And here's the finished product...

Not the prettiest pie in the world, but it tasted AMAZING, so whatevs.

Two years ago today...

2010-09-27T17:59:00.001-07:00

After a lot of tears, laughs, and a minor Unity Candle malfunction...WE GOT HITCHED!

It's been an amazing journey, and it's only just begun!

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-09-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

FAQ

FYI if you are trying to get the free rechargeable toothbrush from CVS (or any other deal) and they are out of stock, I've heard you can get a raincheck. Apparently they will honor all coupons even if they expire by the time the product comes in, and they will manually print the ECBs. Good to know!

Copps
Back down to 5 double coupons/transaction this week. Double-day is Wednesday, as always. Still a $25 minimum purchase (pre-coupon), and coupon values can not exceed $1.

Tide Detergent 50oz $5.99
Use $1/1 from 8/29 or 9/26 PG, doubled
Total: $3.99

Oscar Mayer smoked turkey, ham, or chicken 2/$5
Use $1/1 coupon from here, doubled
Total: $0.50

Minute Rice $1.66 each
Use $0.50/1 coupon from 9/26 SS, doubled
Total: $0.66

Birdseye Steamfresh frozen veggies 4/$5
Use $1/3 coupon from 9/26 SS, doubled
Total: $0.58 each

Earth's Best /organic mini-waffles 2/$5
Use $1/2 coupon from here, doubled
Total: $1.50 each

Campbell's Soups 10/$10
Use $1.50/3 coupon from here
Total: $0.50 each

Pringles Super Stack $1.59
Use $1/4 from 9/26 PG, doubled
Total: $1.09 each

Philadelphia Cream Cheese 2/$3
Use $1/2 coupon previously available at Copps in Pepperidge Farm booklet, doubled
Total: $0.50 each

Oscar Mayer Franks 2/$3
Use $1/2 coupon from 9/19 SS, doubled
Total: $0.50 each

Kraft Singles $2/4
Use $1/2 from 9/26 SS, doubled
Total: $1 each

Kraft Miracle Whip or Mayo 2/$6
Use $1/2 from 9/26 SS, doubled
Total: $2 each

Festival
Klement's Summer Sausage $4.99
Use $0.60/1 coupon from 8/22 SS (expires 9/30)
Total: $4.30

Kraft shredded cheese 2/$1.98 with in-ad coupon
stack with $5/5 here
Total: ?? Maybe a cool cashier would give you 5 for free, but the store coupon technically says limit 2, and I don't know how much they charge regularly. Should be a pretty good deal either way though. I'm going to try this one out ASAP and report back

Garden of Eatin tortilla chips $1.88
Use $1 an Organic foods purchase of $1.50 or more (in-ad)
Total: $0.88

OR

Sno Pac Organic Vegetables $1.69
Use $1/Organic Foods coupon
Total: $0.69

Target
Market Pantry Frozen Veggies $0.99
Use the $1/1 Archer Farms or Market Pantry Frozen food item Target Mobile Coupon
Total: Free

Reach Dental Floss $0.97
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: Free

Use 3 $0.75/1 Target store coupons found here
Plus, use the $2.50/3 Huggies Wipes 64 ct or Larger coupon found here (make sure this coupon rings up at the correct amount, there have been issues with it)
Total: $0.41 each

Pledge 18 ct Lemon Wipes $2.94
Use the $2/2 Pledge Cleaning Items Target store coupon found here
Plus, use the $2/2 coupon from the 9/26 SS
Total: $0.94 each

Glade Tough Odor Solutions Carpet & Room $1.99
Use the $1/1 Glade Tough Odor Solutions item Target Coupons found here
Plus, use the new $1/1 coupon found here
Total: Free

Shout Trigger 22 oz $2.24
Use the $1/1 Shout Laundry Stain Remover Target store coupon found here
Plus, use the $0.55/1 coupon from the 9/26 SS
Total: $0.69

Thanks Hip2Save for the Target Deals

Coupon Sunday part 1

2010-09-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm posting drugstore deals ASAP today, because there are some great deals, and drugstores always have limited supply. You'll want to run out and snag these ASAP, because the best ones will probably be gone tomorrow. Particularly, the free Oral B Vitality Rechargeable Toothbrush from CVS. Those suckers are expensive, so this is a great opportunity to get one for free after ECBs. I got to CVS on the west side of Green Bay at 10am, and there were already only two left. So, hopefully someone lucks out and gets the last one...or maybe there are more at the east side location?

I'll post grocery store and Target deals tonight.

CVS
Buy 2 Febreze Set & Refresh Air Fresheners on sale $2.99 each
Buy 1 Fabric Refresher 27 oz. on sale $4.99
Total $10.97
Use 2 $1/1 Set & Refresh coupons from the 8/29 PG
Use the $1/1 Fabric Refresher coupon from the 8/29 PG or 9/26 PG
Pay $7.97
Get back a $3 Ecb
Total: $4.97 for everything

Oral-B Vitality Rechargeable Toothbrush $23 = $13 Ecb (Limit 2)
Use the $10/1 coupon from the 9/26 PG
Total: FREE
^^ Hello AMAZING deal! I think I'll be heading to CVS right away in the morning to snag this!

Aveeno Baby products 2/$8 = $2 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use 2 $1/1 Aveeno coupons from the 9/26 RP or found here
Total: $2 each

Maxwell House Coffee 11-11.5 oz. 2/$6
Use the $1/1 coupons from the 9/26 SS
Total: $2 each
This is the ONLY brand Hubby will drink, so when I can find a reasonable price on it, I stock up!

Swiffer Wet Jet Cleaner 1.25 liter $3.99
Use the $0.50/1 refill coupon from the 8/29 PG (expires 9/30!) or 9/26 PG
Total: $3.49

Dawn Hand Renewal Dish Soap: $0.96
Use $1/1 coupon from PG Home Made Simple booklet
Total: Free

Walgreens
Fullbar Fit Appetite Control Bar $1.99 = $1.99 RR

Dr. Pepper, 7-Up, A&W, Sunkist, Canada Dry, or Hawaiian Punch 12 packs 4/$11 = $2 RR
Total: $2.25 each

Vicks Synex VaporSpray or 12 hour Ultra Fine Mist .5 oz $6 = $2 RR
Use the $4/1 Synex coupon from the 9/26 PG
Pay $2
Get back a $2 Ecb
Total: Free

Hyland’s Cold ‘n Cough for Kids 4 oz $4.99 = $4.99 RR
Use the $1.50/1 coupon found here (Scroll down and check the box to select this coupon. Keep refreshing the page if you don’t see the coupon. The coupon link will be sent to you via email)
Total: Free with $1.50 moneymaker

Domino Sugar 4 lbs $1.99 with in ad coupon
Use the $0.35/1 coupon found here
Total: $1.64

Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Saved Meat 9 oz 2/$5
Use the $1/2 coupon found or from the 9/26 SS
here
Total: $2

Kraft Homestyle Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese 12.6 oz $1.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: $0.99

Hunt’s Tomatoes Sauce 8 oz cans 3/$1 with in ad coupon

OxiClean Max Force Power Paks 10 pack 2/$5
Use the $$2/1 coupon found here
Total: $0.50

Thanks Hip2save

Tasty Not-Tuesday

2010-09-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

I know, it's Wednesday. But I'm still going to post a recipe because I had a good one, and didn't get any time to blog yesterday.

So, I gained some weight on vacation. Thankfully, it wasn't the full eight pounds that my scale originally told me I gained. After replacing the batteries in the scale, it now consistently says I'm three pounds above my pre-Disney weight. Three pounds are much easier to lose than eight, but it still won't be easy. Remember, I'm 5'3. Every pound is a victory when you're short.

This is a Weight Watchers recipe, and it really is a good one. My favorite thing about it is that it's a TON of food. This recipe makes a big, overflowing skillet of goodness, and you can eat 1/4 of it for only 8 Points. I was actually full when I finished it. That's saying a lot, since I'm still weaning myself off Disney-sized portions. If you are a pasta/seafood lover like me, and are trying to lose weight, print this off right now and add it to your recipe box!

4 cups hot, cooked penne pasta
1tbsp margarine
1 onion, chopped
11/4lb peeled, de-veined, uncooked shrimp
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups sliced mushrooms (the original recipe calls for fresh, but I used canned and it was still good)
Juice squeezed from 1 large lemon
1tbsp fresh ground pepper
sprinkling of Parmesan cheese

Melt margarine in skillet. Saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir in shrimp and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp is firm and pink. Stir in lemon juice and pepper. Serve immediately over pasta, sprinkle with cheese.

Coupon Sunday part 2

2010-09-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Copps
Copps is doing double double coupons this Wednesday. That means, instead of just five coupons, you can double ten. There's still a $25 minumum purchase required (before coupons), and coupons must have a value of $1 or less.

I'm taking advantage of the ten doubles being allowed, and am collecting all the Ronzoni Smart Taste $1/1 coupons I can find in various magazines. When doubled, you can use these to get free pasta, based on Copps' regular price. I've found these coupons in the August Rachael Ray magazine, and the August Disney Family Fun magazine.

USDA Choice Black Angus Boneless Chuck Roast $2.99/lb
Buy 3.5 or more lbs and get a free bag of Wisconsin Russet potoatoes, 1lb bag carrots, and celery

GM Cereal Deal (It's baaaack!)
This is such a good deal!
Buy 6 GM cereals (the basic ones are $2.99)
Use 2 $1/2 from here (doubled. they should double them even though they say "do not double")
Use 2 $0.55/1 from here (doubled)
Total: $12.84
Get an instant $10 off at checkout
pay only $2.84
Then get a coupon for a free gallon of milk
Based on the cost of the milk, you're essentially getting 6 boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk for free!

Jack's Pizza 4/$8.88
Buy three
Use $1/3 coupon from 8/22 SS (doubled)
Total: $1.55 each

Edy's Ice Cream 3/$9.99
Buy 1
Use $1/1 from Sept. All You magazine, doubled
Total: $1.33

Marzetti's Carmel Dip 2/$5
Buy 1
Use 1/1 from 9/19 SS, doubled
Total: $0.50

Buy 2 Land O' Lakes butter, get a coupon for a free dozen eggs

Romano's Macaroni Grill dinner kits $3.69
Use $0.75/1 coupon from 8/28 GM, doubled
Total: $2.19

Progresso Soups 4/$5
Use $0.50/2 coupon from most recent Weight Watchers magazine (or 8/28 SS), doubled
Total $0.75 each

Nestle Chocolate Chips 2/$5
Use $0.55/1 coupon from Sept All You, doubled
Total: $1.40

Betty Crocker Supreme brownie or lemon bar mix 4/$9
Use $0.75/2 coupon from GM insert, doubled
Total: $1.50 each

Fuze or Gold Peak Tea 10/$10
Use $3/10 coupon in-ad
$0.70 each

Festival

Build your own pizza in-ad coupons:
Fresh pizza dough--$0.98 limit 4
Flavorite mushrooms--$0.38/can limit 4
Dei Fratelli pizza sauce--$0.88/can limit 2
Crystal Farms shredded cheese--$1.48 limit 3
Their pizza dough is so yummy! I love it when they offer this deal!

EL Fudge Cookies 2/$4
Use $1/1 coupon from 9/19 RP
$1.50 each

Man-Cold/Baby-Cold

2010-09-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

My husband is normally a pretty tough guy. His job is a very physical one, and he braves all elements, comes home cut, calloused, and dirty--just to go out and do it again the next morning. He's a trooper, and he really does work so hard. That said, I'm always amazed at how a mild illness like a cold can reduce him to a sickly mess. When Hubby has a cold, he isn't just feeling crappy, he is DYING.

He started coming down with cold symptoms this weekend. I could tell when he didn't get out of bed until 10 O'clock. When he did wake up, he dragged himself into the kitchen and said "I'm ssssoooo SICK, pleeease make me breakfast before I ddddiiiiieeee!!!". After he'd had his breakfast he collapsed back in bed for the entire day. Whenever he'd manage to tumble out of bed, he'd stomp around the house, sniffling and rambling about how "the end is near" for him.

I've talked to a lot of other women who can tell similar stories about their husbands. I guess there is something about guys where they just aren't able to function through sickness the way us women are able to. Maybe it goes back to the caveman times when men could take a day off from hunting if they didn't feel well, but women still had to tough it out, since children don't take care of themselves.

So, all along I've thought that the elusive "Man-Cold" is just a guy thing. Men get the same cold we women get, they just can't deal with it with as much grace as we do.

Of course, Hubby's cold made its rounds through our house. I caught it yesterday, and Maddie came down with it last night. She woke up at 11pm (just as I was trying to finish Coupon Sunday), SCREAMING her head off. I really thought something horrible had happened to her, and ran into her room as quickly as I could. She was fine, just a little sniffly, but the screaming continued. I did everything I could--fed her, cuddled her, gave her ibuprofen, sprayed saline mist in her nose. None of it worked and the hysterical screaming continued for several hours. I was at my wits end and seriously considering taking her into the ER. I decided to take her temperature first. Based on how she was acting and the fact that she was sweating up a storm, I thought her temp would be off the charts. It was 97.9. NO WAY. With the way she was melting down, she had to have a fever. I tried another thermometer. Still 97.9. Hmmm. I left her in her crib for a while, but the screaming just intensified. Soon, she was so unhinged that I could hear her gasping between screams. I took her into bed with me, but the screaming continued. This went on ALL NIGHT, while I was fighting off The Cold myself. Hubby slept right through it all, lord knows how since it was so loud, but I think he took some cold medicine.

By morning, I was starting to think that it must take more than a cold to make Maddie have an episode like that. I was starting to wonder about ear infections. She still didn't have a fever, but the one other time she had an ear infection she didn't have a fever either. So, off to the Doctor we went. I handed over my $30 co-pay, certain my child must have a a parade of infectious bugs invading her ears, only to hear that she looks like the epitome of good health. Nothing was wrong with her except a very mild cold.

Seriously.

She gets her drama from her daddy.

Coupon Sunday Part 1

2010-09-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

I know I told you just a little while ago I was going to hold off on Coupon Sunday until tomorrow, but I've got a non-sleeping baby in my arms, so I figured I might as well post what I have done so far, which is everything except Copps and Festival. I'll post part 2 tomorrow. Hopefully it will be during the day...I'm anticipating an actual nap tomorrow, since Maddie's going on hour two of being awake in the middle of the night. *sigh*. I guess I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead.

And I don't know what is up with the spacing with the Target deals. I can't seem to get them single spaced for some reason. If I figure it out when I have a clearer head tomorrow I'll fix it then. Until that happens, I apologize for how weird this post looks.

Coupon Sunday FAQ
Walgreens, CVS, and Target deals brought to you by Hip2Save

Walgreens
ThermaCare HeatWrap Single Neck, Shoulder or Wrist $2.49
Use the $1/1 coupon found here (scroll down to the bottom left)
Get $1.50 Register Reward
Total: Free

Trident 18 piece Gum $0.79 with in-ad coupon
Buy 2 Trident $1.58 total
Use the $1/2 coupon found here
Use the $1/2 coupon from the September Coupon Booklet located in the front of the store
Total: 2 for free + overage

Reach Floss 55 yds. or Prevent Toothbrush $0.99 with in-ad coupon
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 3/7 RP, 5/16 RP or found here
Total: Free
**Make sure to hand over the in ad coupon last and the $1/1 coupon shouldn’t beep
**Do this one a few times if you have multiple coupons

Maybelline Cosmetics 40% Off
Buy 1 Shine Sensational Lip Gloss $5.99 (should ring up $3.59)
Use the $2/1 coupon from the 9/12 RP or found here
Total: $1.59

L’Oreal Root Rescue or Preference Hair Color $6.99 with in-ad coupon
Use the $3/1 from the 8/15 RP
Total: $3.99

Ajax Cleanser 14 oz 2/$1 with in-ad coupon
Use the $0.50/1 or $1/2 coupons from the 5/23 or 8/15 SS
Total: Free

Gain or Joy Dish Liquid $0.89 with in-ad coupon
Use the $1/1 Gain coupon from the 8/29 PG
Total: Free

Angel Soft Bathroom Tissue 12 double rolls $5.49
Use the $0.50/1 coupon found here
Total: $4.99

CVS
There's a $4/$20 coupon you can print when you register your Extra Care Card Online and sign up for CVS email offers. They'll send it to your email, and you can use it on top of all these other deals.

Quaker Quick Oats 18 oz., Instant Oatmeal or Granola Bars 8-10 ct. 2/$5 = $2 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use 2 $1/1 oats or oatmeal coupons from the 8/29 RP, 9/12 RP or found here
Total: $0.50 each

Revlon Super Lustrous $6.99 = $5 Ecb (Limit 6)
Use the $2/1 Super Lustrous coupon found here
Total: Free

Right Guard Sport, Total Defense or Dry Idea 2-4 oz. $2.99 = $2 Ecb (Limit 3)
Use the $1.50/1 Total Defense coupon found here(or use the $3/2 coupon found here)
Pay $1.49
Get back a $2 Ecb
Total: Free with $0.50 moneymaker

Edge Infused 7 oz. or Schick Hydro Shave Gel 8.4 oz. $2.79 = $1.80 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use the $1/1 Schick Hydro coupon from the 8/8 SS
Pay $1.79
Get back a $1.80 Ecb
Total: Free

Filippo Berio Olive Oil 16.9-17 oz. $3.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here or here
Total: $2.99

Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Cat Litter 14 lbs. $5.99
Use the $3/1 coupon from the All You Magazine September issue
Total: $2.99

Target:

Tums, 3 roll 24 ct $1.92

Use the $1/1 Target store coupon found here

stack with the $1/1 coupon found here

Total: Free with overage

Glade Sense & Spray Starter Kit, select varieties $5.04

Use the $3/1 Target regional coupon from the 9/12 SS

stack with the $3/1 coupon from the 8/22 SS or September issue of All You

Total: Free plus overage

I've got a sick kiddo...

2010-09-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Poor thing is burning up, sniffly, and does not want to go to sleep. I got about halfway done with Coupon Sunday when she started waking up crying. So, I'm going to have to postpone Coupon Sunday until tomorrow night. Sorry.

How to get free stuff

2010-09-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

It's time for a Disney-post break, so we're gonna talk deals tonight.

If you read my Couponing posts on Sundays, or follow any couponing blogs, you know that you can sometimes get things for free using coupons. There are other ways to get freebies, no coupons required. These are some of my favorites:

House Party: I can not emphasize enough how awesome this program is. They list a bunch of party themes (all sponsored by different companies), you apply to the ones you like, and if you're selected they send you a bunch of free stuff--gifts for yourself as well as everything you need to throw a party and give out goodies to all your friends. Some of the parties are hard to get accepted to, but your odds are much better than most contests. I've only been a member for a year and I've already gotten a Digiorno party (free pizzas, breadsticks, games, apron, and pizza cutter), a Gerber party (free decorations, coupons, toddler snacks, milk boxes, formula. and diaper bags), and Febreze party (free air fresheners, reed diffusers, coupons, and recipes). I just recently got chosen to host a Fisher Price party, which is the best one I've seen yet. They sent me over $150 worth of Fisher Price toys for Maddie to keep after sharing them with her friends during a playdate. I also got a toy to give to each of the kids invited, and a giftbag for the moms with coupons, product guides, and a diaper sample. They even threw in a free pack of diapers for Maddie, and replacement batteries for all the toys. All this just for filling out a five minute application and inviting some friends over!
Getting on stores' mailing lists: When they ask for my address, I don't tell them to leave me alone, I give it to them! Not only do they usually send coupons, they often send freebies as well. I haven't bought myself any underwear since I was 18. This isn't because I don't wear any, it's because I get enough free undies cards from Victoria's Secret to score a brand new pair every couple months. They're totally cool with me walking in there, buying nothing, getting my free undies, and peacing out. It's amazing!
Sweepstakes: Hip2save does a great job of posting about contests which are instant-win and generate a lot of winners per day. These contests aren't the ones that give out a million dollars or a new car--you're going to be winning items of smaller value, but you do have a good shot at actually winning. I won $60 in Chili's giftcards a few months ago. I've also won a few free jars of salsa, some free Sobe, a free Diet Coke, a free pair of Dockers for Hubby, and a free Barbie purse and jewelry set for Maddie.
Facebook Giveaways: "Like" your favorite brands, and keep a lookout on couponing sites for announcements of good freebies. I got a brand new MP3 player from a Facebook giveaway. I've also gotten free dish soap, fabric refresher, V8, and snacks.
Promotional Giveaways: Companies will often just give stuff away. You usually have to be quick to sign up before inventory is depleted, but if you keep on top of it, you'll start to see your mailbox filled with freebies every day. I've gotten everything from earplugs to journals to business cards to knitting yarn to makeup to jewelery to food. And that's not even close to the tip of the iceberg! I once got a huge Glade gift basket filled with cleaning supplies, candles, and ziplock bags. I've also gotten magazine subscriptions to OK, Parents, Woman's Day, Maxim, Family Circle, Kiwi, Redbook, and Weight Watchers--without paying a cent. Hip2save does a great job of notifying readers of good freebies in time to sign up.
Brands' Consumer Clubs: Some examples of consumer clubs would be Vocalpoint (Procter and Gamble) and Kraft First Taste. These are forums where fans of the company can register, and the company will periodically send out freebies to be reviewed. I've gotten diapers, wrinkle release, laundry detergent, and coupons for free groceries.
Swagbucks: Another amazing program! All you do is sign up, and use a search engine (the same as Google). Every time you do a search you are eligible to get credited a certain number of "bucks". You can download a toolbar that keeps a running tally of your bucks, and gives you the search engine on your screen whenever you need it. You can trade your bucks in for Amazon giftcards, and other prizes. If you're a Google addict like me, you might as well get paid for doing your searches!
Cashback programs: Do you do lots of shopping online? If so (or even if you only do a little), there are websites where you sign up, locate a link for the store you want to shop at, click on it, go to the stores' website, do your purchase as usual, and then get a certain percentage of your purchase back. The percentages range from 1% to 40%. They pay out via paypal or a paper check. You can use the same discounts and promotional codes you otherwise would have used. If you're going to buy something online, you might as well get free money back. The sites I use are Ebates and Shop At Home. Between these two sites I'm ALWAYS able to find any store I want to shop at. Best of all, each site gives you a $5 bonus on your first payment just for signing up. If you combine that bonus with your cashback credit, and a good promotion code, there a quite a few things you can buy online for free! These sites are also great for big purchases. I bought our airline tickets through Hotwire.com and went through Shop At Home. I had a $5 promotion code, plus my cashback totalled $36. If this would have been my first purchase I also would have gotten my bonus $5. So, that's a whole $46 in my pocket just for buying the tickets I needed to buy anyway!

Never pay for what you can easily get free. Words to live by!

Vacay Recap

2010-09-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

I love Disney World. I truly do. I can't imagine a better vacation destination. I loved Disney World when I was a child, I loved it as a young adult, as a newlywed, and now I can say that I also loved it as a mom. There are no words to describe the feeling that swept over me each time I saw my daughter's eyes light up and hands start clapping when she saw something she liked--and she sure did like a lot of things!

Disney brought out a part of Maddie I've only seen glimpses of at home. The moments of pure joy and excitement that usually come out when she sees Elmo somewhere, or a favorite song comes on...those moments were prolonged at Disney World. She was surrounded by sights and sounds that excited her, so she was always animated, cheerful, and giggly. Her vocabulary blossomed during our trip, and she strung her first set of words together to say "What's that??!", which she continued to say, over and over again, while pointing at anything and everything that looked interesting to her. This included, but was not limited to: ducks, characters, Mickey ice cream, other various food items, plants, giant dog sculptures, swimming pools, random people, bugs, and lights.

Of course, all this excitement would frequently boil over into tiredness and crankiness. Whining and crying at home is one thing, but when it happens in 95 degree heat amid crowds of pushing/shoving/sweating people it starts to border on unbearable. Thankfully, I had a nice tag-team of family standing by to help out whenever I got to the point of hysteria. Between myself, Hubby, my mom and stepdad, and my aunt and uncle we were able to handle all meltdowns very efficiently.

In order to keep Maddie in the best mood possible, we were careful to respect her schedule. We gave her plenty of fluids, and all of her meals and sleeps at the normal times (we were lucky to jump an hour ahead time-zone-wise, so we could stay out a little later than usual without her knowing the difference). Staying on-property was helpful in that we were able to easily get back and forth to the hotel room when needed.

We stayed at the Pop Century Resort. It was affordable, clean, and the nostalgic themes were kind of cool. Maddie loved the giant sculptures of Disney movie animals scattered amongst the grounds. Since we've been home she's been looking around the streets of Green Bay seeming confused as to where the building-sized dogs and mice are.

The staff at the Pop Century were nice enough to give us a free refrigerator for our room to keep Maddie's milk in. They scored major points with me for that, because I was expecting to have to either pay to rent a fridge, or be constantly buying little cartons of milk. Oh, and whole milk was also available by the half-gallon at their food court (another pleasant surprise) and it wasn't too expensive. I could also buy those little jugs of it in the parks and it counted as a snack credit on the dining plan.

Yes, you read that last paragraph correctly, we were on the dining plan. And yes, we made good use of it, and ate a LOT. Way more than we should have. I'm still trying to convince myself that my cheap and unpredictable scale has finally bit the big one, and that I didn't REALLY gain 8 pounds in one week. I mean, c'mon. There's just no way. Yes I ate at seven different sit-down restaurants and had dessert at each and every one. But it was all free, and therefore should not count. Plus, I walked, ran, climbed, lifted, pushed, and sweated all day. So, if my scale doesn't get with the program tomorrow morning after a battery change, I will try stepping on a different one, and if it still says I gained 8 pounds I will commence freak-out mode and start to seriously research that diet where you consume nothing but lemon juice and cayenne pepper for ten days.

The restaurants we went to were all amazing. I'm going to do a separate post later about the dining plan, where I'll explain how we got to eat for free at all these restaurants, how much we saved, and how amazing the food was. Tonight, however, I'm just going to list the restaurants in order of most amazing to least amazing (with the least amazing still beating more than 90% of restaurants in my home town), with a little blurb about each one:

O'hana: A Hawaiian themed restaurant at the Polynesian resort. They do a family-style meal with all you can eat bread, salad, lo mein, chicken wings, potstickers, and skewers of different types of grilled meat and shrimp. Then you get coconut bread pudding for dessert. Hubby and I went to this restaurant twice when I was interning, once on our honeymoon, and then on this trip. We love this restaurant! But if I really did gain 8 pounds, this is where I'm placing most of the blame.
Le Cellier: A higher-end steakhouse in the Canadian pavilion at Epcot. My family members all raved about the fillet Mignon. I had prime rib, which was also very good.
Wolfgang Puck: At Downtown Disney. I had some amazing halibut with key lime pie for dessert. Mmmm! Just don't order the steak. My mom had to send hers back because the cut of meat was very tough. She loved the chicken she ended up getting instead though!
Coral Reef: This is a restaurant in Epcot that is positioned under-water in their giant fish-tank. Maddie LOVED the view of all the fish swimming around. I think this was her favorite restaurant. I had New York strip which was yummy.
Chef du France: In the French pavilion at Epcot. Very good food. Excellent creme brulee for dessert.
Aksherus Princess breakfast: In the Norway pavilion at Epcot. Buffet style with hot and cold items. I found a lot to eat, but was kind of weirded out by the thought of fish for breakfast. I skipped that part of the buffet. The princesses were fun, but I don't think Maddie was quite old enough to be into them yet.

We went to all four main parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Hubby and I also went to the Typhoon Lagoon water park. Here's a little blurb on each of these parks:

Magic Kingdom: Maddie loved everything in Fantasyland, especially the carousel (go figure, the one thing she can ride on ANYWHERE). The Country Bear Jamboree show was also a huge hit. The grown-ups loved Space Mountain and Splash Mountain, as well as the Dole Whip (pineapple float) you can get in Adventureland. You might think ice cream in pineapple juice sounds strange, but seriously, try it once and you will be hooked.
Epcot: Maddie really liked the Living with the Land ride, because she saw two of her favorite things, plants and fish. She also loved all the very friendly ducks hanging out in the World Showcase. Finding Nemo was probably her favorite. I liked Test Track and Soarin. Hubby really liked Ellen's Energy Adventure.
Hollywood Studios: Maddie enjoyed Playhouse Disney, but got kind of frustrated that she was sitting on the floor, but not allowed to scoot around. It would have been better if there were actual seats so she wouldn't have been tempted, and to save the adults' backs. She LOVED the Beauty and the Beast show...she danced right along with the cast. I also was very impressed with Beauty and the Beast, but Tower of Terror always has been, and still is, my favorite ride. Hubby really liked Toy Story Mania.
Animal Kingdom: Maddie liked pretty much everything she was able to go on here. She was amazed by all the animals. I think the Safari ride was her favorite. All the adults were very impressed with Expedition Everest.
Typhoon Lagoon: We are used to BIG waterparks, since the biggest one in the country is only a couple hours away from us. Typhoon Lagoon is tiny in comparison, but, it is much cleaner than what we are used to. The theming is also very well done, and the overall effect is a lot prettier than the water park by us, where all the slides are just kind of there. A word of warning: when you go to this park, beware of the wave pool! It's the scariest attraction in the entire park, and I would say probably in all of Disney. The pool sits still and peaceful looking, and then without warning, a GIANT wave comes at you. This wave will knock you over, push you back, and dunk you no matter where you are in the pool. I'm used to wave pools that let out continuous, smaller waves. This one is very different, and can be pretty darn frightening if you aren't sure what to expect.

Overall, it was a great trip. I was sad to leave, and I know Maddie was too. I'm going to be doing a few more posts, one with detailed tips about the dining plan, and the other with tips for travelling to Disney with a very young child, so make sure to keep checking back!

Tasty Tuesday

2010-09-14T18:24:00.001-07:00

First, I'm just going to say that our vacation was great! We all loved it. I have a few Disney-related posts cooked up and will be publishing the first one tomorrow, so don't forget to check it out!

Today I'm going to post a recipe I got from Disney World when we went on our honeymoon two years ago. It's from Tony's Town Square restaurant, and it's for the BEST salad dressing ever! I loved it so much that I asked the waiter for it, and he gave it to me on a laminated index card. I was so impressed!

I was not a happy camper on this trip though, when we went to Tony's and they didn't give us any salad. I guess they've cut it from the menu. Lame. Good thing I know how to make it myself at home! It's actually really easy, and if you get a good deal on olive oil it isn't too expensive.

This recipe makes one quart, which is a LOT of dressing. It keeps for a long time in the fridge, but sometimes I still cut the recipe in half, especially when I don't have a ton of olive oil lying around.

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp garlic, chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
3 tbsp pimientos, diced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Blend it all well in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Keep refrigerated in a sealed glass or plastic container.

This is great on any type of salad, but I love it over mixed greens with mushrooms, tomatoes, and parmesean cheese.

I had so much anticipation built up for this salad that I might have to whip some up tonight.

Aaaand...we're off!

2010-09-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

Happiest Place on Earth, here we come! Let's hope Maddie loves it as much as we do!

I'm not bringing my computer with me, so this blog will not be updated until early next week. At that time I'll be resuming Tasty Tuesday and doing a small series of Disney-related posts (in addition to the usual posts and updates throughout the week). Coupon Sunday will resume the following Sunday.

Now let the vacation officially begin!!

Elmo strikes again

2010-09-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Remember when I posted about how Elmo will need to file a restraining order against Maddie if Sesame Street Live comes to our town this year? Well, guess what? Sesame Street Live is COMING IN NOVEMBER! And we are now the proud owners of tickets. So, watch out, Elmo. 'Cause there is a wild little blond who likes to sleep with your DVD case and chew on locks of your fur, and in just a few short months she will be in the same room as you!

Can't you just see the crazy in her eyes?

I do not hold myself accountable for Maddie's actions on the day she gets to see the real-life Elmo. If anything, it's Elmo's own fault for doing whatever it is he does that makes kids so obsessed with him. It certainly isn't my choice to spend a small fortune on Elmo stuff...so now it's payback time. For two hours, Elmo will be able to see for himself the screeching monster he created.

Speaking of spending a fortune on Elmo stuff...step one of vacation prep did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. I went to Walmart to get all of Maddie's vacation necessities: Food, juice, disposable bibs, and a toy to play with on the plane. A couple very wise moms have told me that the toy a child brings on a plane should be a new one they've never played with before, so they get the maximum amount of pleasure out of it. Makes sense, but I unfortunately forgot to ask my mom mentors how they go about buying a new toy with child in tow, and still keep that toy "new". As soon as we approached the "Elmo Aisle", Maddie knew exactly where we were headed and her eyes, ears, and grabbing hands perked up.

Once we were in the aisle, surrounded by Elmo paraphernalia, she was ready to grab and cling to any object held remotely close to the cart. I spotted the perfect plane toy, but the only way I could get it into the back of the cart without being seen was to distract Maddie with a different toy. So, I found the cheapest Elmo toy I could find--a rubber ball for $3, and handed it to Maddie who squealed with delight. I snuck the plane toy into the cart underneath the disposable bibs as she was hugging the ball and covering it in kisses. There was no way to put back the "distraction ball", since it was covered in slobber, so I wrote the $3 off as a loss, and she is now playing with it gleefully in the living room. When I clean up tonight it will be thrown in with the rest of the huge pile of Elmo gear in this house. I guess it's a small price to pay for a scream-free shopping trip and flight. The Parenting Police could probably point out a million reasons why this tactic was wrong, and why I am raising a spoiled beast, but oh well. We should end up with a quiet plane ride, and the Elmo "distraction/slobber" ball is actually kind of fun.

Sorry...

2010-08-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

Due to Vacation Prep commencing this week, with the actual vacation following, there will be no Coupon Sunday for the next two weeks. I have empty suitcases and laundry calling my name, so this week will be a very limited blogging week, and there probably won't be much blogging at all the week after. I will, however, be working on a big post (or series of posts) about surviving Disney with a young toddler, so stay tuned!

PT Week 2: Done!

2010-08-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

We've only had two physical therapy sessions now, and Maddie has already gone from jello legs to this:

...Not bad :) As you can see, Punky the kitty, Mr. Horse, and Baby Elmo all give their approval!

It sure isn't easy though. The therapy sessions wear her out and by the end of them she is really crabby. I also have to make sure I incorporate her exercises into regular play time. So, our play time isn't really innocent and carefree anymore. I have to always be thinking about ways to sneak the exercises in...popping her up on her knees when she starts scooting, putting toys she's interested in out of her reach so she gets up and kneels, adjusting her sitting positions from straddling to side-sitting, etc. Sometimes I kind of feel like a drill sergeant, so I've been making a point to give her some "free" play time every day, both independent and with me, where she can do whatever she wants and I won't try to interfere. It's hard to hold back from correcting habits I've been told are bad, but I don't want to her to associate the good habits with forcefulness and discomfort.

It's still hard to tell if she will walk by 18 months, which is considered the end of the normal range. If she keeps chugging along at the rate she is, though, I think we definitely have a chance!

Fatty McFatterson

2010-08-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

I gained exactly fifty pounds during my pregnancy. That's, like, almost an Olsen twin. I tried not to set any ridiculous goals for losing all that weight right away. I'm not a celebrity, I don't have a nutritionist or a trainer--there's no way I was going to be taking exclusive bikini photos six weeks post-partum. So I set the very reasonable goal of being back to pre-pregnancy weight by the time Maddie was nine months old. It took me nine months to put it on, so it should take nine months to take it off too, right?

Oh, I so wish that getting it off was as easy as putting it on. But, the truth is that putting it on was awesome and getting it off sucked. And it still sucks. Yes, Maddie is now 14 months old and I'm STILL working on getting the pregnancy weight off.

Now, I will say that I am close. As of today's date I am six pounds away. I know some people who can lose or gain six pounds overnight. They are probably rolling their eyes at me right now and saying I should just go pee and step on the scale again. They also aren't 5'3. When you're fun-sized like I am, every pound counts. I gain a pound and suddenly none of my pants button. I lose a pound and I'm ready to start buying shorts again.

I've been going to Weight Watchers since Maddie was twelve weeks old. Weight Watchers has worked for me before. I'm a Lifetime Member. I give Weight Watchers all the credit for me being a size four on my wedding day. I know the program well and I know I have the ability to stick with it. What I don't know is why it worked SO quickly pre-baby, and why it's taking FOREVER post-baby. Well, maybe I shouldn't play dumb, I do have a few theories as to why the Weight Watchers "lifestyle change" takes soooo much longer to become habit for moms:

I'm pretty sure your metabolism slows down once you've had a baby
Sleep deprivation leads to "sleep eating", i.e. you wake up in the morning and find three Twinkie wrappers next to your bed with no idea how they got there.
You can't pay attention or participate during the meetings when you are chasing after a toddler who thinks it's a good idea to put her boogers in the other members' purses
Carrying a child around all day builds muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat.
Tracking meals and points becomes impossible when your child bursts into fist-pounding tantrums at the sight of a pen or pencil she isn't allowed to play with.

In spite of all the challenges, I am losing the weight. A year ago at this time I was up twenty pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. Today that number is down to six. So, the scale is moving in the right direction. It's just doing so verrrrrryyyy sloooooooowly.

Just to keep things fresh and keep me from going crazy, giving up, and eating a loaf of bread with a side of cheesecake, I'm setting myself a final, home-stretch mini-goal. Our two year wedding anniversary is September 27th. I'd LOVE to weigh what I did at our wedding (which is also pre-pregnancy weight) on our anniversary.

This is a lofty goal. I have a little more than a month to lose six pounds. Most people would say that is do-able, but like I said before, I take longer to lose weight than most normal people. AND, I happen to have a huge obstacle coming up: Disney. Two weeks from now. Free Dining Plan. Pineapple Floats. Stuffed French Toast. Mickey Ice Cream Bars. Oh My.

It's gonna be tough. It will take focus and sacrifice. But I will do it. ...Hopefully!

Tasty Tuesday

2010-08-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

Every time I make chili I end up with a ton of unused stuff. I usually buy ground beef in three-pound packages, since that's the best deal at my store, so after using two pounds for chili I end up with a pound that's kind of lonely and begging to be used up. I also like to stir some elbow-mac in my chili. Only about a cup (cooked) is needed, but I'm OCD about open packages of stuff sitting in my pantry, so I like to cook the whole package.

I came up with this easy casserole recipe all by myself, as a perfect solution for using up all the post-chili tidbits.

2 1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
1lb ground beef
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can sliced mushroom pieces
big spoonful of sour cream
handful of shredded mozzarella
handful of shredded Parmesan (or sprinkling of the canned Parmesan)
handful of either breadcrumbs or crushed French's Fried Onions (I went with the French's)seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 350. Brown beef if it isn't browned already (if it's leftover and already browned just put it in the pan and warm up over medium heat). Sprinkle some seasoning salt over it as you heat it. Add soup and mushroom pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sour cream and cook for another minute. Combine this mixture with elbow mac in a 13x9 inch baking pan and flatten with a spoon. Combine cheeses and crumbs in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 30 minutes

In the fall and winter I love to spend a cold Sunday making chili, then make this casserole for a quick and easy dinner on Monday.

Coupon Sunday

2010-08-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

CVS
Blink Gel Tears 0.34 oz. $7.99
Use the $1.50/1 coupon found here
Get $7.99 in ECB
Total: Free with $1.50 moneymaker

Swedish Fish or Sour Patch 14-16 oz. Buy 1 at $3.29, Get 1 Free
Buy 6 Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kids
Use the $4/6 coupon from the 8/8 SS
Total: $0.98 each
These will be great to smuggle into the movie theatre!

Walgreens
Clean & Clear or Neutrogena Cleansing Devices or Acne Kits 20% Off, Free Neutrogena Lip Gloss
Buy 1 Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Control Kit $19.99 (should ring up $16)
Buy 1 Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Gloss $8.99 (free with promotion)
Use the $5/1 coupon found here (click on “Special Savings” on the right hand side)
Use the $3/1 Neutrogena Cosmetics coupon from the September issue of All You
Total: $8 for everything

Copps
I only shop at Copps on Wednesdays because it is Double Coupon Day. As far as I know, Copps is the only store in my area that doubles coupons. I can get at least a few things for free every week, so it is always worth the visit. There are some restricitons to Double Coupon Day. First of all, you can only double 5 coupons per transaction. The value of each coupon being doubled can't exceed $1, and it can't say "do not double", it also has to be a manufacturer coupon, not a store coupon (although you can combine a store coupon with a doubled manufacturer coupon for the same product). The final restriction is that you need to spend at least $25 BEFORE coupons. This seems like a lot, but really isn't, since you get to figure in the amount covered by the coupons. If you double five $1 coupons for five products and get them all free, you only need $15 more of "filler". Copps' base prices tend to run a little high, so when looking for filler I try to find sales, or I get burgers from their meat counter since they're Hubby's favorite. Their milk and eggs are also pretty reasonable.

USDA Choice Black Angus Beef Boneless Chuck Roast $2.99/lb
Buy at least 3lbs and get the following for free:
5lb bag Wisconsin Russet Potatoes
1lb Roundys fresh carrots
California Celery

Keebler Cookies $2.79
Use $1/2 coupon from 8/15 RP, doubled
Total: $1.79 each

General Mills Cereal: Buy 6, get $10 off plus free milk and eggs
Buy 6 of the cheapest cereals (I think the basic ones like plain Cheerios are $2.99)
Use $1/3 GM Cereal coupon from 8/8 GM insert, doubled
Use $0.75/1 Cheerios coupon from Pampers mailing, doubled
Use $1/2 GM Cereal coupon from here (double if you can, but sometimes this one prints up as "Do not double", and I've never gotten a clear answer as to whether or not Copps overrides that. So, your total might be $1 off, depending on if you get this one doubled or not)
Total: $12.44
Get instant $10 rebate at checkout
Pay: ONLY $2.44 (or $3.44 if you can't get that coupons.com coupon doubled)
Get back coupons for a free gallon of milk and free dozen eggs
Considering milk costs around $2.50ish and eggs are about $1.80ish, you're getting a moneymaker of at least $1-2, plus all that cereal!

Ball Park Beef or Cheese Franks $3.50
Use $0.75/1 coupon from 6/27 RP, doubled
Total: $2

Nabisco Snak-Saks 5.52-12oz $1.25 each
Use $0.75/2 (4.86oz or bigger) coupon from 7/11 RP, doubled
Total: $0.50 each

La Croix Sparkling Water 12 pack $3.79
Use $1.25/1 coupon which was previously available here (it's gone now)
Total: $2.54

Pop Secret Popcorn $1.50
Use $1/2 coupon from here doubled
Total: $0.50 each

Kimberly Clark Deal:
2 Jumbo pack Huggies Pure and Natural $8.48 each
1 8 roll pack of Scott toilet paper $5.98
Use:
2 $2.50/1 Huggies Pure and Natural from here (will need two computers)
1 $1/1 8 pack Scott toilet paper from unknown insert, doubled
Pay: $15.94
Get back $5 credit toward next shopping trip, plus a free box of Kleenex
Total: $10.94 for 2 packs of diapers, 8 rolls of toilet paper, and a box of Kleenex

Smuckers Preserves and Jif Peanut Butter 2/$4
Buy one of each and use the $1/2 Manufacturer coupon in the Copps ad, doubled
Total: $1 each

Yoplait Delights 2/$4
Use $0.50/1 coupon from 8/8 GM, doubled
Total: $1

Campbells Select Harvest Cans $1.66
Use $1/1 coupon from here doubled
Total: Free

Era 50oz Detergent $3.79
Use $1/1 coupon from 8/22 SS doubled
Total: $1.79

Lean Cuisine Market Creations $2.50
Use $1/2 coupon from Aug. All You, doubled
Total: $1.50 each

Wanchai Ferry frozen entree $5
Use $1.50/1 coupon from here
Total: $3.50

Festival
Wonder Bread $0.98 with in-ad coupon

Dole Bananas $0.28/lb with in-ad coupon

Morning Glory Chocolate Milk $0.88 with in-ad coupon

Fresh White Bread $0.98 with in-ad coupon

Banquet Brown and Serve sausages $0.78 with coupon here

Uncle Ben's Rice Mix $1.39
Use $0.75/1 coupon from 8/15 SS
Total: $0.64

Target
Market Pantry Bread $0.89 – $1.09
Use the $0.50/1 Market Pantry bread Target coupon found here
Total: as low as $0.39

Kraft Cheese Block or Shredded 7 or 8 oz $2
Look for $1/1 peelie coupons found on the products
Total: $1

Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaners and sprays $1.49
Use the $0.75/1 coupon from the 8/8 SS
Total: $0.74

Thanks to Hip2Save for help with Walgreens, CVS, and Target deals

Here's where I spill my embarrasing confessions

2010-08-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

Maddie completely dominated her first day of physical therapy. After doing a few exercises she was pulling up on me, and standing while holding the furniture for a few seconds at a time. I was so proud of her!

The worrying has been getting to me again for the past few days. I've been letting my mind (and Google) wander to subjects like Cerebral Palsy, wheelchairs, leg deformities, and genetic conditions. Although I think I'll always worry just a bit until she finally gets walking (and then I'll come up with something else to worry about), I did get some reassurance from the physical therapist which made me feel a little better. I asked her straight out if she thinks Maddie's issues are similar to the children she works with who have other things going on. I also asked her, if she were in my place, would she be trying to get neurological or genetic testing done? She said that she really doesn't think Maddie has any issues besides a gross motor delay, and that it is actually much more common for kids to have delays like hers than I would think.

By the end of the appointment I was feeling positive, and confident that Maddie will get the hang of this whole walking thing relatively soon. I do wonder where all the other kids with gross motor delays are though, if there supposedly are so many of them. All my mom friends are amazing, and Maddie loves playing with their kiddos, but it seems like all the children she knows--even the younger ones--are (adorable) future tri-athletes who can literally run laps around her. I'm glad she doesn't know how to feel awkward yet, but I feel like some people judge me as a mom when they see Maddie--like they think I must keep her in a cage all day while I watch Maury and smoke Pall Malls. Ridiculous, I know, and I'm kind of embarrassed admitting these feelings.

Here's an even more embarrassing confession: Sometimes, if I'm in a public place and I see a really dysfunctional family that's, you know, hitting each other, swearing, spitting, sporting matching mullets and ripped T-shirts, etc. and they set their 12-15 month old kid down and he starts walking...I want to cry. I feel like I must be on a level of parenting that's off-the-charts-bad if these people can get their kid to walk and I can't. How horrible, judge-y and nonsensical is that? I'm not saying I'm proud of it.

Anyway, I'm going to stop now before this post becomes full-fledged whining. I know I have no right to whine since my daughter is healthy, and this motor delay is just a little hiccup.

One day I hope I can look back and tease Maddie about how she had the goofiest crawl that made everyone side-eye her. Soon I will probably be laughing about how she drove me to the brink of sanity with worry. I also plan to save the Boot-Scoot-Boogie video to show to future boyfriends.

Maddie's celebrity crush

2010-08-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

What is it about this goofy red monster that causes kids to become completely unhinged?

Maddie knows very well who Elmo is, and whenever she sees him it's time for a dance party and loud screeching. If she were ten years older, you'd think she ran into Justin Bieber or something.

Earlier this week we were in Target and we walked by a display of Elmo books. Seconds later, the entire store heard Maddie shriek "AHHHMO AHHHMO AHHHMO!!!!!" in a decibel normally reserved dog whistles. Needless to say, we left Target that day with a brand new Elmo book, which Maddie carried around all day and slept with.

Yes, Maddie actually can say "Elmo (AHHMO)" now. It's her 5th consistent word, following "Mama", "Dada", "Angelica" and "Kitty". Embarrassingly, "Elmo" is the word she typically uses most often. She knows she gets to watch Elmo on Sesame Street in the morning, and she knows that he comes on after breakfast, so as soon as she's done eating she scoots over to the TV, points at it, and demands AHHMO until it starts. Then it's dance party time. She usually gets bored with Sesame Street about 10 minutes into it and goes off to play with her toys. A half hour later, the Elmo's World segment comes on, and she's back to the TV and rarin' to go.

She also has a Sesame Street DVD with Elmo on it that she carries around and treats like her most prized possession. She can point to and identify Elmo in any of the scenes pictured on the back of the DVD case. If it's a weekend, or she's missed out on her Sesame Street time for some other reason, she knows and will hand her DVD over to me, waiting for me to put it in so she can rock out to "The Ants Go Marching" and "If You're Happy and You Know It".

I'm soooo hoping that Sesame Street Live comes to our area again soon. I don't think she'd be able to contain herself if she got to see a real-life Elmo. He'd be leaving our town with a restraining order.

Tasty Tuesday

2010-08-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

I know it's still the middle of summer, but we've been enjoying a nice cool-down lately. I normally love warm weather, however, even I was getting sick off 100 degree, humid days. Now that August is on the downhill slide, Fall will be here before we know it. I got all of Maddie's Fall and Winter clothes washed and hung up this week. In honor of the impending season change, I decided to whip out the spices and make a batch of chili. Yeah, it's still a little warm for chili, but we have air conditioning, so it's all good!

There's kind of an interesting story behind this recipe:

Hubby bought the house we live in with his ex, and he kept it when they split up. After I moved in I discovered a recipe for chili scribbled on a piece of paper and shoved in the back of a kitchen drawer. The title on the paper claimed to be the secret recipe from a very famous local chili place. The first time I followed the recipe step by step, and--sure enough--the end result tasted EXACTLY the same as the restaurant's. I'm thinking Hubby's ex must have snagged it from somewhere and accidently lost it in the back of the drawer. Over the past couple years I've changed parts of the recipe around in order to make it my own and, in my opinion, make it even better than the original. Enjoy!

2lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 square unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3tbsp chili powder
21/2tbsp paprika
1tbsp salt
1tbsp cumin
1tbsp garlic powder
1tbsp white pepper
1tbsp black pepper
1 can salsa
1 cup beef stock
11/2 cup water

Brown beef and onion in a large pot. Once browned, add chocolate and stir until melted and coated. Reduce heat to medium. Add seasonings one at a time in order, stirring frequently. Add salsa, stir. Add beef stock and water, stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer about an hour, or until you get your desired consistency. Top each bowl with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Make sure you also serve it with cooked, buttered elbow noodles. 'Cause that's how we roll in Wisconsin.

mmmmmm!

Coupon "Sunday": Part Deaux

2010-08-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

Copps
*Note: This week you can earn a coupon for $10/$25 purchase at Younkers with each $50 you spend at Copps. I'm not sure if this is before coupons or not, but if it is I think I'll be scoring me at least one of them.

I only shop at Copps on Wednesdays because it is Double Coupon Day. As far as I know, Copps is the only store in my area that doubles coupons. I can get at least a few things for free every week, so it is always worth the visit. There are some restricitons to Double Coupon Day. First of all, you can only double 5 coupons per transaction. The value of each coupon being doubled can't exceed $1, and it can't say "do not double", it also has to be a manufacturer coupon, not a store coupon (although you can combine a store coupon with a doubled manufacturer coupon for the same product). The final restriction is that you need to spend at least $25 BEFORE coupons. This seems like a lot, but really isn't, since you get to figure in the amount covered by the coupons. If you double five $1 coupons for five products and get them all free, you only need $15 more of "filler". Copps' base prices tend to run a little high, so when looking for filler I try to find sales, or I get burgers from their meat counter since they're Hubby's favorite. Their milk and eggs are also pretty reasonable.

Campbells Tomato and Chicken Noodle Soups 2/$1
Use $0.50/2 coupon from here (the "great for cooking" one should work on these) doubled
Total: two for free

Jose Ole Mini Tacos BOGO
Use 2 $1/1 coupons from here
Double them both and this should make for some pretty cheap mini-tacos!

Totino's Pizza Rolls $1.25 each
Use $0.40/2 coupon from 8/8 SS, doubled
Total: $0.85 each

Frigo String Cheese 2/$6
Use $1/1 coupon from here doubled
Total: $1

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis $2.29
Use $0.75/1 from 8/8 GM insert
Total: $0.79

Pillsbury Sweet Moments 2/$5
Use $1/1 coupon from here, doubled
Total: $0.50

Powerade 10/$10
Use $3/10 coupon in-ad
Total: $0.70 each

Cheer Laundry Detergent $4.99
Use $1/1 from P&G mailer, doubled
Total: $2.99

Festival
Smart Ones 6/$10
Use $1/5 from here
Total: $1.47 each

Hunts/Chef Boyardee products $10/10
Buy any combination of 10 which includes at least 3 Chef Boyardee products
Use $2/10 Con Agra products in-ad coupon
Use $0.35/3 Chef Boyardee coupon from 8/15 SS
Total: $0.77 each

Nabiscon Chips Ahoy Cookies $1.68 with in-ad coupon
Use $0.75/2 from 8/15 SS
Total: $1.31 each

Kemps Chocolate Milk $0.88 with in-ad coupon

Kemps Sour Cream $0.78 with in-ad coupon

Target
Cesar Dog Treats $2.99
Use the $1/1 Target store Cesar Coupon from the 5/23 RP
Use the $2/1 Cesar Coupon from the 8/8 RP
Total: Free

Campbell’s Select Harvest Microwaveable Bowls $1.50 or cans $1.54
Use the $1/1 coupon here (scroll down)
stack with the $0.50/1 Target store coupon here
Total: Free bowls or $0.04 cans

Chef Boyardee Microwaveables $0.80 or Chef Boyardee Ravioli $0.99
Use the $1/1 Target store coupon here
Total: Free

Wonka Exceptionals Bars $2.29
Use the $1/1 Target store coupon found here
stack with the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: $0.29

Fruit 2O Essentials 18 oz $0.89
Use the $1/2 Fruit20 Essentials coupon found here
Total: $0.39 each

Bic Wite Out Correction Fluid $1.27 (Regular Price)
use 2 $1/1 Target store coupons found here
stack with the $1/2 coupon from here or here
Total: Two for free plus overage

Bic Stic Grip 7 ct Easy Glide Ball Point Pens $0.99
Buy 2 packs and use 2 $1/1 Target store coupons found here
stack with the $1/2 coupon from the 8/1 SS or here or here
Total: two free with $1 moneymaker

Post-It Sticky Notes $1
Use the $1/1 PDF coupon here
Total: Free

Dora Pirate DVD $5
Use the $3/1 Dora DVD coupon found here
Total: $2

Thanks Hip2Save for the Target deals!

Coupon Sunday--Part 1

2010-08-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get back on track with the blog this week, but I'm still just a bit behind with life being as chaotic as it has been. So, this week only, I'm doing coupon Sunday in two parts. Tonight you will get Walgreens and CVS (the best ones to get to early in the week, because they tend to run out of stuff quickly), and tomorrow night I will post Target, Copps, and Festival. The bad news: Waiting longer to see the deals. The good news: Coupon Sunday AND Coupon Monday this week.

Coupon Sunday FAQ

Walgreens and CVS deals brought to you in part by Hip2Save

Walgreens
Lindsay Olives 5-6 oz. $0.99 with in-ad coupon
Use the $1/2 coupon from the 4/18 RP or found here
Total: $0.49 each

Twizzlers 11-16 oz. 3/$4
Use the $1/3 coupon from the 6/27 SS
Total: $1 each

Campbell’s Soup Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken 10.75 oz. $0.79 with in-ad coupon
Use the $0.50/2 coupon found here
Total: $0.54 each

Stride 14 piece or Trident 18 piece Gum Buy 1 at $1.29, Get 1 Free with in-ad coupon
Use the buy one get one free coupon from the 5/16 SS
Total: 2 packs Free

Buy 2 Right Guard deodorants– on sale buy one at $2.99 get one Free
Use 2 $1.50/1 coupons found here (must “like” on facebook)
Total: Both free

Buy 2 Boogie Wipes– on sale buy one at $3.99 get one 50% off
Use 2 $1/1 coupons found here
Total: $1.99 each

Pilot Frixion Erasable Gel Pens 2 pk. $1.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Use the $1/1 coupon from the August coupon booklet (at the front of the store)
Total: Free

Schick Hydro 3 or 5 Blade Razor System or Cartridges $7.99 = $2 RR
Use the $5/1 razor coupon from the 8/8 SS
Pay $2.99
Get back a $2 RR
Submit for the “Try A New Schick Hydro Razor Free” rebate and get back $7.99
Total: Free with $7 Moneymaker

CVS
Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets 20 ct. $5.99 = $2 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use the $3/1 coupon from the 8/15 RP
Total: $0.99

Zegerid OTC 14 ct. $9.99 = $7 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use the $4/1 coupon from the All You Magazine August issue
Total: Free with $1 moneymaker

Blink Tears 0.5 oz. $7.99 = $7.99 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use the $1.50/1 coupon found here or here
Total: Free with $1.50 moneymaker

Filippo Berio Olive Oil 16.9-17 oz. $3.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here or here
Total: $2.99

Sobe Lifewater 20 oz. Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Use the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon found here
Total: 2 for FREE

Friskies Cat Food 5.5 oz. cans 2/$0.88
Use the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon from the 8/1 RP
Total: $0.22 each

We have an evaluation...

2010-08-13T07:25:00.001-07:00

Maddie's Birth to Three evaluation went pretty much the way I expected it to. They observed her playing with her toys and scooting around, asked me some questions, and determined that she has close to a 50% gross motor delay.

The good news we received is that all her other skills are perfect. The therapist seemed very impressed with Maddie's fine motor and social skills. She said that normally a gross motor delay will cause a lag in other areas, since the baby will be working so hard to catch up in gross motor they don't have the energy to focus on anything else. So, the fact that Maddie is doing so well with all her other skills proves that she is very adaptable and should do well in therapy.

Maddie is also going to be receiving speech therapy. Anyone who knows her probably just dropped their jaw reading that! She's very vocal, says a few words, and babbles pretty much non-stop--really doesn't have any obvious need for speech therapy. But, speech therapists are also trained in feeding issues. The physical therapist thinks Maddie's feeding issues are related to her gross motor delay--kind of going back to the whole "working so hard to catch up that other areas get forgotten" type of thing. So, hopefully with a little extra help from a speech therapist she will be eating normal foods before too long.

No one really seems to know how Maddie's gross motor skills got so far behind. The physical therapist was quick to blame back-sleeping. Maddie sleeps on her back, and always has. She refuses to sleep on her tummy, and has hated tummy playtime since day one. I never thought her sleeping on her back was anything to worry about. I actually thought it was a good thing, since I was scared to death of SIDS, and everything I had ever read or been told said that the best prevention tactic was to put her to sleep on her back. Her hatred of tummy playtime did concern me though. I gave her tummy time every day, but it was always a screamfest. She just did not like being on her tummy. I tried toys, mats, mirrors, everything, and that never changed. The therapist thinks she still has that aversion to being on her tummy, and has adapted her "crawling" movement to stay more upright (i.e, the Boot-Scoot Boogie). This, in turn, has caused her legs to not be used the right way in which to get the proper muscle strength for walking.

Our next step is going to be therapy sessions twice a week. Physical one day and speech the other. It doesn't seem like we will need speech therapy for very long--just enough to get Maddie to figure out eating harder foods. Physical therapy will probably last a bit longer. I'm hoping to have Maddie walking by the time she's 18 months (4.5 months from now). It's hard to say right now if that is realistic or not, it depends how she adapts to therapy. It's a great sign that she's progressing (even if it's slowly) on her own, and has adapted her other skills on her own. The bad sign is that she is so stubborn. If she doesn't like what she has to do in therapy, it might be very hard to get her to cooperate.

And so, the journey begins...The official Day 1 of therapy starts next Thursday. Stay tuned...

That's, like, 1 cent per diaper!

2010-08-11T11:25:00.001-07:00

Wow, I just scored a box of 176 Pampers Baby Dry diapers--for only $2.44 shipped to my door! How jealous are you?? Well, you don't have to be jealous at all, because I'm going to tell you how to do it. Thanks to Hip2Save for being awesome as always and helping me out with this one.

You will need one copy of each of the following magazines:
Parents August Issue
Parents September Issue
Parenting August Issue

Each magazine should have an orange coupon inside for 20% off an Amazon.com diaper order. If you are buying the magazines from a store, check and make sure some stealer hasn't already removed the coupon. These are becoming a hot commodity!

When you look at the code on each of your three coupons, one should start with an A, one with an X, and one with a W. These can all be stacked together on one transaction!

Note: If you don't have the magazines, people are selling the codes on Ebay, but you'll want to make sure you get three codes that each begin with a different letter (A, X, and W) so they are stackable.

Once you have your codes:

Go to Amazon coupon page and refresh until you find the one for $1.50 off any box of Pampers. Click on it. Then when it shows you what products are eligible, click on the Pampers Baby Dry in the size you want. The size 4s are on sale for $39.49
Add to your cart and click on the option to use "Subscribe and Save" This will take another 30% off your order and give you free shipping, bringing your total down to $26.14 (By signing up for Subscribe and Save you are agreeing to let them charge your card once every week, month, or six months, and send you out a new box. You are not under any obligation to keep Subscribe and Save, and can cancel any time at no cost to you--and you still keep the discount).

Before you complete your order, you will see a place for promo codes. Enter each of your three codes, one at a time. Each one will take off $7.90. So, your total comes to $2.44 for all those diapers, including shipping!!! The order processing is quick, too. I ordered this morning and have already gotten an email saying that my order shipped.

Act fast, because I have a feeling that once Amazon catches on to all these people getting such cheap diapers, they might change the way their system is processing the codes!

Wheeew

2010-08-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief today!

After staring at my phone all day waiting to hear back from the doctor, I finally called her office at about 3:30. I got a call back saying that Maddie's hip x-rays show two perfect little hips! She won't be needing any braces, surgeries, or body casts.

Finally after nearly four full days of agony my head could stop spinning, my heart could stop pounding, and I could focus on day-to-day life instead of obsessively googling about dislocated hips. I was able to go into Maddie's closet again! Last Thursday I had gone to Once Upon a Child and found the most gorgeous, classic, Ralph Lauren Christmas dress for Maddie (and thanks to Once Upon a Child being awesome, I snagged it for less than what a new dress from Walmart would have cost!). Seriously it's an amazing dress--too pretty to be tucked away until Christmas, so I hung it up in her closet. Well, then we had our scary doctor visit on Friday, and I knew that if she needed a cast (or even a brace), there wasn't much chance of her being able to wear a size 18 month dress for Christmas. So all weekend, I avoided her closet for fear of completely melting down. Of course, a dress was far at the bottom of my list of what is most important, but I knew that seeing it would remind me of what the near future might be like for all of us.

I know that Hip Dysplasia wouldn't have been the end of the world. It isn't a death-sentence diagnosis, or anything like that. Even if Maddie would have had it bad and needed surgery and the cast, we would have gotten through it. It sure would have been hard though. I still tear up thinking about having to take my little girl into the operating room where she would go to sleep and then wake up essentially paralyzed from the chest down. I can't imagine the toll it would have taken on all of us--Maddie especially--but the amount of extra care needed for the cast would have been overwhelming for me and Hubby too. I also don't even want to think about trying to figure out how to take a child in a body cast places, or keep them entertained, or refrain from punching people in the face when they ask what's wrong with your kid. We would have had to get her a new car seat, new stroller, new high chair, bigger clothes. All these expenses would have forced us to cancel our vacation. It would have been a nightmare. I learned about all these issues from researching blogs and message boards with information documented by Hip Dysplasia parents. I have tons of respect for these families. The kids are such troopers, and the parents sacrifice so much to make sure their children have pain-free lives.

The plan for Maddie as of right now is just to have her Physical Therapy evaluation on Thursday. The doctor doesn't think she needs to even see the Orthopedist unless her Physical Therapist recommends it. As for blogging this week, I'm still going to be on a little bit of a break and just stick with Maddie updates. I didn't get much house stuff done with Hubby being gone, and then being busy with doctor appointments and researching all weekend. I really need to catch up, so couponing and cooking are going to be kept to a minimum this week. We should all be back to normal next week though.

Thanks to everyone who gave us encouraging words for Maddie. We sure do appreciate that you were thinkng about her!

A Scary Update

2010-08-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be taking somewhat of a blogging break this week.

We found out that Maddie might have Hip Dysplasia. I took her in to the doctor for an unrelated office visit, and the doctor noticed how flexible she is and decided to check her hips a little closer. After some time spent tugging and twisting at her legs, we heard a click in her left hip. Our doctor decided to get some x-rays done.

I had never heard of Hip Dysplasia before (except, maybe that dogs get it sometimes) and asked my doctor for more information. She explained that it is an issue children are born with where their hip sockets aren't deep enough and the hip becomes easily dislocated. She also said that if Maddie has it we would have to see an Orthopedist to get it corrected, and she would most likely have to wear a brace for a few months. She reassured me that if Maddie does have Hip Dysplasia it was caught early and would be easy to treat.

Scary. But I knew I could deal with it if it meant getting Maddie walking like normal.

We did the x-rays and were told that the Radiologist would take a look and we'd hear back Monday.

As soon as I got home I quickly consulted Dr. Google. What I found scared me to death. It turns out that my doctor was probably wrong when she said we "caught it early". Most cases of Hip Dysplasia are actually caught when babies are just a few days old. They wear a harness for a few weeks and then they are cured. For children over a year old things get much more complicated. Most of what I've read says that kids Maddie's age need hip surgery and...a BODY CAST for up to 3 months.

I'm absolutely sick thinking about my poor little girl having surgery (and I guess sometimes multiple surgeries are needed) and then being stuck in a body cast for months. I'm trying to keep the thoughts out of my head and to stay positive, but I can't stop stressing about what we might be up against.

I know there are much worse things that kids deal with. If Maddie needs surgeries and body casts we will be grateful that we are able to get her issues addressed and that she is still healthy. But right now I'm going to kind of wallow in my worries, continue researching, and hope that Maddie's hips are OK, and if they aren't that there are some non-invasive solutions that might work for her.

The little glimmer of hope I keep thinking about was when Maddie's doctor took the x-ray pictures and looked at them. She looked for a long time, held them up to the light, and said "well, even if the Radiologist doesn't see anything wrong, I think I'll still have you talk to the Orthopedist just to make sure." I'm interpreting this to mean that she didn't see any glaring problems on Maddie's x-rays. I should have asked her to clarify and to give me more information, but at the time I didn't think Hip Dysplasia was that big of a deal, and I was more focused on calming down my crying baby.

I'll continue to post updates when we know more, but for this week, Coupon Sunday and Tasty Tuesday will be on hold.

Please keep Maddie in your thoughts, and if you are a religious person please send God, Buddah, Allah, or whomever a little prayer for her.

They see me rollin...

2010-08-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

I heard back from the Birth to Three program today and made an appointment for Maddie's evaluation. It will be on August 12th. Of course, today is also the day she decided to start crawling. She's not very good at it yet...she mostly does her Boot-Scoot Boogie, and occasionally gets going quick and pops up on her knees. Then she crawls forward once or twice before splitting her legs out and going back to butt-scooting.

She was at the park today with one of her friends who is about six months older than she is. You could tell that she was watching this little girl run around, and she really wanted to move too. She was trying so hard. I think this may have helped inspire her to give crawling a try, since she started working on it the minute we got home.

I'm not sure if she'll be eligible for Birth to Three, since she's moving around so well now. I still kind of hope she's accepted. I know I shouldn't hope for my daughter to need therapy, but I do think she should be more on track to start walking. If it took her almost 14 months to crawl, who knows how long walking might take without some professional help. I was a late walker, and it impacted me my whole life. I hated gym class, never played any sports, and to this day I'm still uncoordinated and clumsy. I'll do anything I can to make sure Maddie doesn't have to go through any of that.

No matter what happens, I'll be happy to have gotten a professional opinion. I'm nervous about what they will say, but hope they understand that I really am doing all I can for her, and her delays aren't the result of me being a neglectful mom. I hate always having to explain myself. Whenever someone asks me if she's walking yet I always find myself saying something like "no, but we are working on crawling and standing against the furniture, and she really likes to scoot around, I think she'll be walking soon". I feel like if I give a simple "no" the person I'm talking to will conclude that I am negligent and feel sorry for my poor, gimpy kid.

I guess all kids eventually have something going on that they aren't perfect at. I'm sure other parents get the same feelings of guilt and being judged too.

So, I've decided that the evaluation next week will be just that--an evaluation. It's nothing earth-shattering and I'm not going to stress about it. Instead I will focus on the adorable and perfect things my daughter does do well. She sings, dances, plays hide and seek, gives hugs and kisses, feeds her food to people, pets the cats, and babbles up a storm. She is perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about her.

Ooooh we're half way there...

2010-08-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know much, but one thing I do know is that there is a special place in heaven reserved for single moms. How do they manage to parent by themselves day after day? I can't even make it a week without chaos erupting. Luckily, Maddie has some amazing grandparents who have been coming to my rescue.

And, can I just emphasize how much Maddie LOVES her grandparents? She has three sets, and she already knows they are the ones who will spoil her. You should see her turn on the charm when she catches a glimpse of them. Such a smart girl.

I'm very thankful for Maddie's grandparents, as well as other family this week. When things go wrong, it is so much easier to deal with and keep a clear head if you have another adult there with you. I truly believe that having a small child to care for turns your brain into mush. There are so many things always spinning in the back of your mind about care, feeding, schedules, worries, hopes, etc. that your mind can never really focus 100% on anything else. Most of the time, two mushy brains come pretty close to equaling one normal brain. But when your other half isn't around, and a situation comes up that requires clear thinking, you can be in big trouble without some help.

On Monday morning I was woken up early by the deafening sound of smoke detectors going off in my house. Once my half-asleep self snapped out of it and figured out what was going on, I followed my first instinct to investigate. First I peeked into Maddie's room, then glanced across the hall where I could see the entire first floor. No fire or smoke. I ran to the stairs and looked down. No fire or smoke there either. At this point Maddie woke up and I could hear her start to cry. My mushy brain told me to do something to stop the noise and make her stop crying. I ran around the house hitting the buttons on all the smoke detectors. The alarms continued to shriek through my house until I pressed the button on the one downstairs. Ahh, quiet. I headed back upstairs to comfort Maddie.

As soon as my foot hit the top step, I heard the bullhorns start sounding again. WTF! Why would the alarms be going off again when there is clearly no fire? I ran back down and hit the button on the downstairs alarm once again. Silence. I stood in the quiet and tried to figure out what was happening. I assumed the alarm probably broke or something. I mean, it wasn't like it was a carbon monoxide detector--or was it? I thought I had heard somewhere that a lot of them detect both now. Hmmm.

At that moment the piercing beeping piped up once again. I decided that it wouldn't hurt to call the fire department, get their opinion, and see if they had any advice on what to do with my possessed smoke detector. I grabbed Maddie and the phone book and headed out to make the call in the slightly quieter garage.

The non-emergency fire department number got me a voice recording saying they wouldn't be in until 9, and I should call 911 if I had an emergency. Now this was where another adult to talk to would have been really helpful. If my smoke detector was indeed a carbon monoxide detector too, then yes, it was an emergency. But if it wasn't, I didn't want to be calling in a false alarm just because I had a bum smoke detector. I thought about my cats still inside, and about how I really didn't feel comfortable taking Maddie back in without getting an OK from someone who knew what they were talking about. I decided to err on the side of caution and call 911. To my surprise the 911 operator seemed very concerned. She told me to keep a far distance from the house, not go back in for anything, and that she'd send me some help. At that point I really did want to go in--first priority being to get my cats, and a distant second priority being to change out of my hideous granny PJs. If I didn't have Maddie I probably would have ran back in quick, but I couldn't put her at risk by taking her in or leaving her alone outside. So there I was, stuck out on the lawn, waiting and worrying.

A cop, a truck full of firemen (of course there HAD to be multiple young, male firemen since I was wearing my gross PJs and all), and a utility company guy all spent various parts of the morning running in and out of my house--rescuing my cats, detecting a gas leak, trying unsuccessfully to get my smoke detectors to stop buzzing, and finding the gas leak. Once the leak was uncovered I was instructed to get a plumber to fix it ASAP, since it was coming from our water heater. Good thing I happen to be married to my very own plumber--oh, wait, he's gone, remember? Thankfully his wonderful cousin/partner (no, not that kind, Sickos) came over and saved the day. He also tried to help me get the smoke detectors to shut up, but that was a lost cause. I ended up having to take the batteries out and run to Target to buy cheapie smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. These are now hanging from pictures in my hallway. Classy. I just don't have the time or energy to actually mount them on the ceiling, plus hubby may be able to do something to revive the ones already installed once he gets home. Huge thanks goes out to my mom and stepdad for coming over, making sure that the new detectors would indeed work, and reassuring me that my house does not still smell like gas, and will not blow up.

Here's hoping the rest of the week goes smoothly! Only three more days to go!

Boot Scoot Boogie

2010-08-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

You all aren't going to believe the day I've had. I don't have the energy at this time to go into too much detail, but I will say this:

At 6:30am I could be found outside on my lawn wearing the ugliest, old-granny nightie I own, holding Maddie, and watching a truck full of fire men run into my house. We're all ok, but you can imagine that right now all I want to do is catch up on some sleep.

I'll go into greater detail about today's adventures in a future post. For now I will leave you with this video of Maddie performing her latest trick--a little move I like to call the Boot Scoot Boogie. I love how my little girl never fails to crack me up even on the worst of days. I hope she makes all of you smile too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4klmZabnas

Coupon Sunday

2010-08-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

New to Coupon Sunday? Check out the FAQ

Thanks Hip2Save for the national deals

Walgreens
Buy 2 Benadryl Ultratab Tablets 48 ct. $8.49 Total = $16.98
Use the $4/2 coupon found here
Use the $3/1 coupon from the August Coupon booklet (will deduct $6)
Use the $3/1 in-ad coupon (will deduct $6)
Total: $0.98 for both

Crayola Crayons 24 pk. $1 = $1 RRFinal Cost FREE!

Alive! Energy Multivitamins 50 ct. $10 = $10 RRUse the $1/1 coupon found here (lower right corner)Final Cost FREE + a $1 moneymaker!

Children’s Advil Infant Drops 0.5 oz. or Liquid 4 oz. $2 Off with in-ad coupon
Buy 1 Advil Liquid $6.99
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 6/13 RP, the All You Magazine August issue or found here
Use the $2/1 in-ad coupon
Total: $3.99 ~I'm gonna stock up on this one. I can never find good deals on infant medication

Visine Eye Drops 0.5 oz. $2 Off with in-ad coupon
Buy 1 Original Eye Drops $3.99
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 6/13 RP or found here or here
Use the $2/1 coupon from the August Coupon booklet
Use the $2/1 in-ad coupon
Total: Free with $1 moneymaker

Johnson & Johnson All-Purpose First Aid Kit $5 Off with in-ad coupon
Buy 1 First Aid Kit $17.99
Use the $5/1 coupon from the August Coupon booklet
Use the $5/1 in-ad coupon
Total: $7.99

Bayer AM Aspirin 50 ct. $2 Off
Buy 1 Bayer AM $6.99 (based on on-line price; should ring up $4.99)
Use the $2/1 coupon from the 8/1 RP
Use the $3/1 coupon from the August Coupon booklet
Total: Free

Penway #2 Pencils 10 pk. $0.09

Jumbo Crayons 8 pk. $0.19 with in-ad coupon

Crayola Washable Markers Classic 8 pk. or Super Tips 20 pk. $3
Submit for the Crayola $3 mail-in rebate (form should be given at the register)
Total: Free

CVS
Buy 8 Fuze drinks 4/$5
Use 8 $0.75/1 tearpad coupons
Pay $4
Get back a $5Ecb
Total: All free plus $1 moneymaker ~I don't know if the tearpad coupons are at our local CVS, but I'll post an update when I find out. Without the coupons you will pay $0.63/drink

Sobe Lifewater select varieties 20 oz. Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Use the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon found here or here
Total: Free

Target
Simply Lemonade or Limeade $1.99
Use the $1/1 Target coupon found here
Total: $0.99

Oscar Mayer Lunchables $1.25
Use the $0.50/1 Target store coupon found here
Total: $0.75

Chef Boyardee Microwaveables $0.80 (Price Cut thru 8/28) OR Chef Boyardee Ravioli $0.99
Use the $1/1 Target store coupon found here
Total: Free

Juicy Juice 8 ct Boxes $2.29
Buy two 8 packs for a total of $4.58
Use 2 $1/1 Target store coupons found here
Stack with the $1/2 coupon found here
Total: $0.79 per 8-pack

Buy one Venus Embrace Razor $8.99
Buy one Venus Cartridges (4 pk) $14.49
Buy one Olay Total Effects Body Wash $5.79
Buy one Single Bar of Olay Soap $0.97
Total = $30.24
Use the $2/1 Venus coupon from the 8/1 PG
Use the $5 off Gillette Venus Embrace AND Cartridges Target Regional coupon from the 6/27 Insert
Use FREE Olay body wash with one Venus Cartridge purchase from the 8/1 PG (will deduct $5.79)
Pay $17.45
Get back a $5 Target gift card
Plus, submit for the the $10 rebate when you spend $30 on select products.
Total: $2.45 for everything

Copps
I only shop at Copps on Wednesdays because it is Double Coupon Day. As far as I know, Copps is the only store in my area that doubles coupons. I can get at least a few things for free every week, so it is always worth the visit. There are some restricitons to Double Coupon Day. First of all, you can only double 5 coupons per transaction. The value of each coupon being doubled can't exceed $1, and it can't say "do not double", it also has to be a manufacturer coupon, not a store coupon (although you can combine a store coupon with a doubled manufacturer coupon for the same product). The final restriction is that you need to spend at least $25 BEFORE coupons. This seems like a lot, but really isn't, since you get to figure in the amount covered by the coupons. If you double five $1 coupons for five products and get them all free, you only need $15 more of "filler". Copps' base prices tend to run a little high, so when looking for filler I try to find sales, or I get burgers from their meat counter since they're Hubby's favorite. Their milk and eggs are also pretty reasonable.

I recommend this as a first transaction:
7 Kelloggs Cereals: 2 must be Special K, 2 must be Frosted Mini Wheats, and the remaining three can be any combination of Special K, Frosted Mini Wheats, or Frosted Flakes
4 Packages Poptarts
Total: $27.50
Use:
$1/3 Kelloggs Cereals from 8/1 RP
2 $1/2 Pop-Tarts coupons from 7/11 RP
$1/2 Special K Cereal from 7/11 RP
$1/2 Frosted Mini Wheats from 7/11 RP
All doubled
Pay $17.50
Get $10 credit back to use on a future shopping trip
Total: $7.50 for 7 cereals and 4 packages of poptart
Use your credit to do the rest of your shopping

Unilever deal scenario:
Buy 2 Ragu pasta sauces 2/$4
Buy 1 Dove Haircare 2/$7
Buy 7 Slim Fast single bars 10/$10
Total: $14.50
Use $1/2 Ragu from 8/1 RP doubled
Use $1/1 Dove haircare from 8/1 RP, doubled
Pay: $10.50
Get $5 in credit for use on a future purchase

Ball Park Franks 2/$5
Use $0.75/1 from 8/1 RP, doubled
Total: $1

Wishbone Salad dressing, BOGO
Use $1.50/2 from 8/1 RP
Total: $0.75 each.
You can also try to use the Free bagged salad when you buy 2 Wishbone dressings in the Copps ad. It's a manufacturer coupon, so technically you can't stack it with the $1.50 coupon, but if you have a cool cashier you might be able to get away with it.

...To be continued tomorrow with Festival deals. It's getting late and I'm too sleepy to continue :-)

It's gonna get a little political in here...

2010-07-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

I majored in Political Science and Communication. Talking politics is pretty knee-jerk for me. I do it--a lot. Some people don't think it's appropriate at times, and for the purposes of this blog I don't plan on doing it very often. But sometimes an issue comes up that gets me thinking, and when that happens, you can bet that it will be mentioned on here.

Don't like it? Then don't read it ;-). I do promise to try my best to be fair though, and respectful comments are certainly welcome.

I read and watched a lot of coverage today about a House vote on a bill which would have provided free healthcare to first responders at Ground Zero. Many of these people inhaled dangerous toxins, and are still dealing with high medical bills. The vote failed. Crazy, right? I mean, who would vote against giving healthcare to the heroes of 9/11?

Both parties seem to be blaming each other. The Republicans are on their big "down with illegals" kick and decided that they wouldn't support the bill unless there was an amendment excluding first responders who also happened to be illegal aliens. The Democrats saw visions of unhappy Hispanic voters running for the hills, and decided there was no way they could allow that amendment to happen. So they pushed a vote with no amendments, which required a two-thirds majority. They didn't get enough votes to pass the bill.

There are You-Tube videos all over the place of each side presenting their case. Conservative bloggers are all in uproar claiming that Dems tried to sneak "amnesty" into the bill. Dems are accusing Republicans of using the illegal immigrant issue as a way to delay an unpopular no-vote on a bill they didn't like to begin with.

The question I have, that no one else seems to be asking, is this: Why are there injured 9/11 first responders who are also illegal immigrants?

I guess there can't be too many of them. Undocumented workers would probably have a hard time getting jobs with the fire and police departments.

Who are these "illegal" heroes? Volunteers? Bystanders? Sooo...let me just get this straight: There are people in this country who decided--out of the compassion in their hearts--to risk their lives, run into crumbling towers, and rescue endangered Americans--but we don't think they deserve to be citizens?

I have to wonder if some of these people weren't illegal immigrants in 2001, but are now because of what they went through. Maybe some of them were students or on other types of visas which have since expired. Some responders might be stuck here illegally because they are waiting on treatment, or the cost of their medical bills makes it impossible for them to get back to their native countries. I'm not speculating that this is the case for all of them, but I do think there are a lot of reasons why a 9/11 hero might be considered an "illegal alien". Some of them may just want to get healthy and go home. But I'm sure there are others who would love to be able to stay in our country without fear of persecution.

Green Card applicants are asked to explain what skills and assets they will bring to the country. People like doctors and rich investors can usually get residency and citizenship fairly easily. If you ask me, though, I'd much rather have 9/11 heroes as my fellow citizens. Anyone who would not hesitate to run into my burning house and rescue my family is welcome to be my neighbor any day.

Why isn't there legislation being introduced to grant these good people permanent residency with paths to citizenship? Then we could commence with making sure all first responders receive adequate healthcare. Of course staunch conservatives are opposed to any kind of amnesty for illegals (not to mention any type of free healthcare for anyone), but I would think that in this case, even the most hardcore among them would be willing to consider a few exceptions. Yes, I know that Glenn Beck has publicly stated that he "hates" 9/11 victims. But these are the heroes we're talking about! Can't ole GB and his buddies dig real hard, find their hearts, and throw these guys a little bit of compassion?

All injured heroes, illegal or not, deserve better. They deserve their place in our country, and they deserve treatment for the medical problems that have resulted from their actions. Hopefully Congress stops playing games and starts coming through for them.

I can do this!

2010-07-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

Well, starting tomorrow I will officially be a single mom. Just for one week though--Hubby is going on a fishing trip. Still, it will be the longest time I've been completely on my own taking care of Maddie. Seven full days and nights of non-stop parenting--the fun parts, along with the difficult parts.

And there's been lots more of both fun and difficulty in our house lately. Maddie has suddenly gotten VERY good at butt-scooting (her current preferred method of movement). She'll be at one end of the room, I'll glance away for a second, and then there she will be on the other side of the room, chugging along with her little arms propelling her bum across the floor. She also destroys everything in her path. Books and DVDs get pulled from shelves and hurled across the room. Shoes get yanked out of closets and dragged into different rooms. A plastic Alligator bath toy which had been housed in the tub was found in a bathroom drawer along with my car keys.

We had to give up on trying to keep pace with her, and institute a containment system. The baby gate is now up and functioning. Maddie is fascinated by it. She likes to butt-scoot right up to it, stick her legs through the slats, grip the bars, and stare through longingly like she's in jail, peering out over the free world from the top of the stairs. So freakin cute!

Our poor cats hate the baby gate. Their litter box is on the other side of it, down in the basement, so they have to jump over it while it's in use. I'm not sure how it's going to work out. We're monitoring the situation right now, and if there are any accidents we will have to make some changes, but we're hoping everyone gets used to this crazy new barrier pretty soon.

So, with the house as chaotic as it is right now, I'm hoping to get through the week without picking up any heavy drinking or smoking habits. Keep me in your thoughts, please. Donations of wine and company will be graciously accepted.

A not-so-typical argument for natural birth

2010-07-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not a "crunchy" mama by any means. I use disposable diapers. When breastfeeding didn't work out I formula-fed without guilt. My child is vaccinated. While I'm careful about junk food, my family doesn't eat 100% organic. I clean with chemicals when necessary for disinfection. Yeah, I would say that as mamas go, I'm more or less of the "creamy" persuasion.

Still, I think if I ever have another child (and that's a somewhat big "if" at this point), I'd try for a natural birth. Not because I think epidurals are harmful--if I bought into that theory I certainly wouldn't have have had one (or, actually, three) with Maddie. I'd like to go natural because, when I look back on it, I really don't think the pain and frustration associated with the epidural were worth it.

Before I had Maddie, I was certain that I would have a medicated birth. I even skipped the whole pain-management session of birthing class, since I knew that my only pain-management would be of the drug variety.

But on the day I gave birth, I discovered a deep, dark secret that nobody ever tells new moms: Sometimes the epidural doesn't work.

I was at 4cm when I was admitted, and my contractions weren't bad at all. I could feel them, but they weren't painful. Even at 6cm I was handling things pretty well on my own, but they offered the epi to me, and I figured I might as well get it before the pain got worse. Let me tell you, that thing hurt. Even though they put numbing medicine on me, I still felt every inch of the needle in my back. And the first time the Doctor put it in he did it wrong and had to start over. Wonderful. Needle went in again. This time he informed me that my spine is a little crooked and he didn't know if he could get it in. He said he would try one more time. FML. The third time we were good to go. Or so I thought. The contractions started getting intense, and I could still feel them. After a while half my body went numb, but I could still feel every bit of the contractions on the other half. Not cool.

They had me lay on my side, I guess to get the epidural medicine flowing evenly. It didn't work, so the Doctor tried to re-do it. Another horrible poke, and still, I felt the contractions throughout half of my body. At this point the Doctor was ready to throw in the towel. But I was getting pretty well pissed off. If I endured all these needle pokes, I damn well better not be feeling contractions! That's what the deal is supposed to be, right?? Despite a little verbal abuse, the Doctor convinced me to try Demerol instead. Big mistake. I now had half of my body numb, the other half painfully contracting, and I was completely exhausted. The Demerol did nothing but make me tired. I asked (or maybe it was more like begged) the Doctor to try the epidural one more time. I was 8cm by then, and the Doctor tried to convince me that the pain would "only get better" from there. I wasn't buying it. He gave in and tried the epidural one more time. And it worked! I felt great and got to take a half-hour nap before it was time to push.

After she was born, though, I started getting uncontrollable shivers from all the medicine in my system. I also couldn't move my legs, which made me kind of uncomfortable and claustrophobic.

If you would have asked me then if all the trouble I went through was worth it, I probably would have said yes. It was only an hour of pain relief, but that hour was such a good one. Looking back now though, I don't know if I'd put myself through the needle pokes, fights with the Doctor, and intense side-effects again.

I think if there's ever a baby number two, I'll at least take the pain-management classes and prepare myself for a natural birth. That way, even if I do break down and wind up with the epi, I'll still be ready in case the epi decides to fail me once again.

Gosh, I re-read this and it makes it all sound horrible. I promise it is SOOO worth it in the end!

Tasty Tuesday

2010-07-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

This meal is ALL mine! Hubby hates it, but I told him that was too bad, it's going on the list anyway.

Hubby doesn't like pasta. I know, what a goon! I could eat pasta every meal of every day. If I was on death row I'd ask for a giant bowl of pasta. With garlic. And artichoke hearts. This meal has all three! So maybe if I'm ever on death row, I'll just ask for this.

The recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, with a couple little tweaks:

1lb spaghetti, cooked
2tbsp olive oil
2tbsp butter
3 cloves minced garlic
One small onion, diced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup heavy cream (I subbed whole milk, but it was a little watery, next time I'll go for the cream)
1/4 cup chicken broth
splash of white wine
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh grated parmsean

Melt olive oil and butter together. Saute onions and garlic for two minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in chicken broth and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle drained pasta with parmesean cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss. Serve with sauce scooped over the top.

Mmmm pure pasta heaven!

I guess Monday is Good Deals Part Two day

2010-07-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

If you're lucky you can get an even better deal on Kashi bars than what I posted about yesterday At my local store, the Cranberry Walnut flavored TLC bars have $1/1 peelie coupons on the boxes. Buy three (or six) and use one (or two) B2G1 coupons from here. Total: $0.67 per box! Now, Cranberry Walnut is good, but it is nothing compared to Dark Chocolate Coconut. I had to get at least a few boxes of those. So here's what I did:
Bought 6 boxes (two of them were Cranberry Walnut, the rest were whatever tickled my fancy)
Used the 2 peelie $1/1coupons, plus 2 $1.50/2 coupons from here, plus 2 B2G1s from here
Total: $0.83 per box
$0.16/box is a small price to pay to enjoy the luciousness that is Dark Chocolate Coconut. Get to your Target fast though, because there weren't many Cranberry Walnut boxes with the peelies left at the store I went to.

While you're at Target, you can snag a couple boxes of Bagel Bites for pennies:
Use the $1/1 Target store coupon from here
and the $1/1 coupon from here
Total: $0.24/ box (regular price $2.24)
Hit your back button on each of these coupons to print two.

You can also get free Chef Boyardee stuff from Target. They are priced between $0.80 and $0.99 and there is a $1/1 coupon from here

AND, if Target deals haven't been quite good enough to you, you can also score some cheap juice boxes!
Buy two Juicy Juice 8 packs for a total of $4.58
Use 2 $1/1 Target store coupons here
Use the $1/2 coupon here
Total: $0.79 per pack
Hubby is excited to bring these to work with him. I think he's going to look kind of funny sitting at his job sites sipping on a tiny pink juice box.

While we're on the subject of getting something for nothing, I'm going to encourage all of you to "like" Heinz Ketchup on Facebook, and play the game on their page called Ode To Awesome. They are giving away 157 $30 e-giftcards to Chili's every day until August 1st. The giftcards are amazingly easy to win. I won one on my first try. Hubby won one the third day he tried. That's $60 in free food for us in one week without really having to make much of an effort. We normally never win anything, so I think this game must not be that well-known yet and is pretty easy to win.

Thanks to Hip2Save for the help with these deals.

Coupon Sunday

2010-07-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

New to Coupon Sunday? Check out the FAQ

Walgreens and CVS deals are from Hip2Save

Walgreens
Austin Crackers 8 pk., Keebler Cookies 5.25-5.5 oz. or Cheez-its 4.5 oz. 5/$5
Buy 5 packages of any variety of above items
Get back a $2 RR
Total: $0.60 each

Twizzlers 11-16 oz. 2/$3
$2 RR
Total: $0.50 each

Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding 4 pk. $1
Use the $1/3 coupon from the All You Magazine June issue
Total: $0.67 each

Lindsay Olives 5-6 oz. $0.99 with in-ad coupon
Use the $1/2 coupon from here
Total: $0.49

Aleve Pain Relief 200 ct. $4 Off with in-ad coupon
Buy Aleve 200 ct. $14.99 (based on on-line price)
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 5/2 SS or found here
Use the $4/1 in-ad coupon
Total: $9.99

L’Oreal Preference Hair Color 2/$13 with in-ad coupon
Use 2 $2/1 coupons from the 6/6 RP or found here
Total: $4.50 each

Pilot Easytouch Pens $0.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: Free

Duracell Coppertop Batteries AA, AAA 4pk., C,D 2 pk., 9-Volt single $2.99 with in-ad coupon
Use the $0.50/1 coupon from the 7/4 PG
Total: $2.49

CVS
Almay One Coat Dial Up Mascara $6.99 = $2 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 7/25 SS or found here
Total: $3.99

Arm & Hammer Liquid Detergent 32 loads 2/$7 = $2 Ecb (Limit 2)
Use the $1/2 coupon found here
Total: $2 each

Filippo Berio Olive Oil 16.9-17 oz. $3.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here or here
Total: $2.99

Minute Rice Instant White Rice 14 oz. $1.99
Use the $0.50/1 coupon found here
Total: $1.49

Copps
I only shop at Copps on Wednesdays because it is Double Coupon Day. As far as I know, Copps is the only store in my area that doubles coupons. I can get at least a few things for free every week, so it is always worth the visit. There are some restricitons to Double Coupon Day. First of all, you can only double 5 coupons per transaction. The value of each coupon being doubled can't exceed $1, and it can't say "do not double", it also has to be a manufacturer coupon, not a store coupon (although you can combine a store coupon with a doubled manufacturer coupon for the same product). The final restriction is that you need to spend at least $25 BEFORE coupons. This seems like a lot, but really isn't, since you get to figure in the amount covered by the coupons. If you double five $1 coupons for five products and get them all free, you only need $15 more of "filler". Copps' base prices tend to run a little high, so when looking for filler I try to find sales, or I get burgers from their meat counter since they're Hubby's favorite. Their milk and eggs are also pretty reasonable.

Dozen Eggs $0.79 with in-ad coupon

Tombstone Pizza 4/$12 and get a free gallon of milk when you buy 4
Supposedly you can print a $2/1 coupon if you like them on Facebook. Some people are claiming they are having trouble printing them, and I haven't tried yet, so I don't know. If you are able to print this, try hitting your back button and/or using multiple computers to get four coupons
Total: If you're able to print four coupons, $1 each, plus a free gallon of milk

Farmland Bacon 2/$7
Use $1/2 from 6/27 SS, doubled
Total: $2.50 each

Smuckers Ice Cream Toppings $1.99
Use $1/2 coupon from 5/16RP, doubled
Total: $0.99 each

Yoplait Frozen Smoothies 2/$5
Use $1/1 coupon from here, doubled
Total: $0.50

Horizon Organic Single-Serve milk 10/$10
Use $1/3 coupon from the FREE lunch boxes posted about here, doubled
Total: $0.33 each

Kemps Yogurt Parfaits or Ice Cream Singles 10/$10
Use $1/3 coupon from 8/25 SS, doubled
Total: $0.33 each

Krunchers Chips 2/$6
Use $1/1 from 4/16 SS, doubled
Total: $1

Powerade 8 pack $3.99
Use $1/1 multipack coupon from August All You Magazine, doubled
Total: $1.99, or $0.25 per Powerade

Festival:
Gallon of milk $1.48 with in-ad coupon

Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie Mix 2/$4.50
Use $0.75/2 coupon from here
Total: $1.88 per box

Target
Buy 6 boxes of Kashi TLC bars
Use 2 B2G1 store coupons from here
stack with 3 $1.50/2 coupons found here
Total: $1.15 per box

Wonka Exceptionals bar $2
Use $1/1 from here
Stack with $1/1 store coupon from here

Weight Watchers Smart Ones $1.80
Use $5/10 coupon from here
Total: $1.30 each

Maddie's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2010-07-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

We put her in her kiddie pool. There were tears.

Everything started out ok when she was safe in her chair...

Even with just a little bit of water, she was not a happy camper!

Not even Daddy could make it better.

"Let's never do that again, Penguin!"

Taking matters into my own hands

2010-07-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Doctors aren't always right. Sometimes I wish they were. I wish it were easy to shrug my shoulders and say "no big deal" when my daughter is left sitting by herself at the park while all her friends run and climb around. But I just can't do it. My gut is telling me that there is something abnormal about Maddie's physical development.

It only takes a quick glance at a child development book to know that a thirteen-month-old should be crawling well, trying to walk, and feeding herself. Maddie's doctor claims she is just exercising her strong will and doing things on her own schedule. In a way, this explanation makes sense. I could have told you that Maddie is a stubborn child starting when she was two days old and still refusing to breastfeed. There was nothing I could do then to force her to latch, and there's nothing I can do now to force her to stop scooting around on her butt and start moving like a big girl. It will take time. Like my Momma says, she's not going to be army-crawling to school when she's twelve and packing Gerber jars in her lunch box. She WILL learn to walk and eat real food some day.

But what if that day comes late and leaves her left behind on more advanced skills? What if she can't be on any sports teams and she gets made fun of in gym class? What if she she's not getting proper nutrition from just eating baby food? These what-ifs have been running through my head for the past month, and I've decided that I can't stand by, knowing that my gut feeling says something is wrong, and not do everything in my power to get her some help.

This is why I called and got Maddie set up to be screened to see if she's a good candidate for physical and/or occupational therapy.

We had the screening this morning. A coordinator for our county's Birth to Three program came to our house and observed Maddie. She thinks therapy will help her. She will be following up to schedule an evaluation with a team of therapists in order to build a customized plan for Maddie.

The Birth to Three program sounds like it is going to be a lifesaver for us. It is also known as Early Intervention. There are similar types of programs set up in every state. In Wisconsin, each county administers the benefit. Every child age 0-3 is eligible to receive in-home treatment at little or no cost to the family. The treatment involves different types of therapies for children with diagnosed conditions, or who have significant delays in one or more areas of development.

Before doing online research about physical therapy, I had no idea that Birth to Three existed. I had been scared to look into physical therapy because I assumed the cost would be astronomical. Would I have to go back to work to afford it? How would I juggle work, parenting, therapy, exercises, and assessments? The thought of it overwhelmed me and made me want to just trust our pediatrician and not worry about it. But then I decided that I have to put my daughter's well-being first. If she needs therapy then we have to make sure she gets it and that we do whatever is necessary to make it happen.

One of the best things I leaned today is that we can afford therapy through Birth to Three. We aren't eligible to get it for free, but the monthly amount we will have to pay is low enough to be worked into our budget without much of a lifestyle change. And it covers any and all therapy Maddie will need.

I'm excited to move on to the next step and hopefully get Maddie walking and eating in the next few months. The coordinator I spoke with today thinks it can happen. Maddie's speech, social skills, intellect, and fine motor skills (besides eating) are all exceptional. With a little extra focus on her gross motor skills and eating, she should hopefully be completely caught up with her peers in the next six months.

This whole experience has given me so much respect for special-needs kids and their parents. I know a small developmental delay isn't really "special needs", but I now understand how hurtful it can be to have your child be different and left out. Thank God Maddie isn't old enough yet to comprehend that feeling, and hopefully by the time she is she'll be all caught up and no one will ever know she had a delay. But I understand wanting to smack the face off of anyone who says "why isn't your kid doing __?" "Shouldn't your kid be __ by now?" "Your kid isn't __ yet? Oohh..". If anyone has said these things to me, yes, I did want to smack your face off. Sorry. No hard feelings.

I know there are much worse conditions my daughter could have. There are kids in the world dealing with Cancer, Autism, AIDS, etc. There are probably thousands of things Maddie could have that would be worse than a developmental delay or two. I'm thankful every day that she is healthy. I'm also thankful to live in a country with the resources available to address the minor issues she does have without putting us in the poor-house.

I hope that fifteen years from now my daughter will be active, playing sports if she wants to, and fitting in with her friends. Once that happens I will know that there was a good reason for all the worry, research, and phone calls I've done in the past few months, as well as all the hard work we are going to be starting in therapy soon.

Tasty Tuesday

2010-07-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've heard wonderful things about an infamous meal called Salsa Chicken. I've also found countless ways to make it. The recipe I found that sounded the yummiest came from this blog with favorite recipes submitted by an online community of moms.

Salsa Chicken did indeed live up to its reputation. This recipe made a TON. In two days Hubby and I ate it for dinner and lunch, went through a whole package of tortillas, and there was still a bunch left! As a little snack today I tried serving some over tortilla chips. Um...YUM! For tomorrow's dinner I'm going to scoop the rest of the chicken over the rest of the chips and top with shredded cheese, onions, black olives, and sour cream. It's going to be a big old gooey stack of nacho goodness and I absolutely cannot wait. Yes, this is going on day three of eating nothing but Salsa chicken, and I still am excited for more!!

5 grilled chicken boobs
1 packet taco seasoning
1 24oz jar salsa (spicier the better I say)
1 can Campbells Fiesta Cheese soup

Put chicken in the crockpot and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Pour in soup and salsa. Cook on high for four hours. Open pot, shred chicken, and stir. Re-cover and cook another 1/2 hour. Serve in tortillas or over chips with taco fixings.

Coupon Sunday Correction

2010-07-19T19:27:00.001-07:00

Sorry guys. It looks like the Copps cereal deal isn't quite as good as I thought. Someone let me know that Coupons.com made all their GM coupons say "Do Not Double". Bummer. If you are lucky enough to have the Pampers Cheerios coupons, you can still double those though. So if you use the two $0.75/1 Cheerios coupons doubled, plus the $0.55/1 Cheerios, $0.75/1 Kix, and $1/2 GM cereal coupons from Coupons.com you'll actually be looking at a total of about $3-$4 (depending on which exact cereals you get) for six cereals and a gallon of milk. Still a great deal, but you can't get them close to free anymore like you used to be able to. Sorry!

My day just got 10x better

2010-07-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

I went to Target today to score some ten-cent bags of pens and to look for new Fall sneakers and boots for Maddie. I'm still shocked at what I found amid the $15-$20 regular-price toddler shoes.

Check this out:

Yes Sirs and Ma'ms, those are brand new, Size 5 Disney princess sneakers on clearance for $3.74. Regular price was $15.99. I did a little dance in the aisle, I was so happy.

I also used the extra savings in the sneakers budget to splurge a bit and max out the boots budget.

Check out these cute little kicks:

$14.99, regular price. Not an amazing deal, but reasonable for suede Oshkosh B'Gosh boots that should last into Winter. And did I mention they're frickin adorable?? 'Cause they are!

So I came in $10 under-budget, and I get to cross "Fall shoes and boots for Maddie" off my list of things to buy. And I learned a new lesson about always looking for hidden clearance finds mixed in with regular-priced stuff. Go Me!!

Coupon Sunday

2010-07-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

New to Coupon Sunday? Check out the FAQ

Walgreens and CVS deals are from Hip2Save

Walgreens:
Buy 2 Dr. Scholl’s for Her Rough Skin Eraser Creams $6.99 each
Total = $13.98
Use the $5/1 coupon from the July Coupon book (will deduct $10. You can find this book at the front of the stores)
Pay $3.98
Get back a $5RR
Total: Free with $1 Moneymaker

Colgate Total Advanced Clean Paste or Gel or Advanced Whitening Paste $3.49
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 7/11 SS
Get $3.49 RR
Total: Free with $1 moneymaker

Crest 3D White Whitestrips 28-56 pk. $10 Off with in-ad coupon
Use the $10/1 coupon from the 6/27 RP
Use the $10/1 in-ad coupon
Total: Rumored to be $17.40 (regular price $37.40)

Pilot G2 Pens 2 pk. $1.19
Use the $1/1 coupon from the July Coupon Booklet
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Total: Free

CVS
Maxwell House Coffee 11-11.5 oz. Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Buy 2 Breakfast Blend Ground Coffees $4.79 each
Use the $1/2 coupon from the 5/16 SS
Total: $1.90 each!

Buy two CVS pantiliners 2/$1 = $1 Ecb (limit 3)
Total: Free

Huggies Jumbo Pack Diapers, Pull-Ups, GoodNites or Overnights $8.99 = $3 Ecb (Limit 1)
Use the $1.50/1 Diapers or Overnights coupon from the 7/11 SS
Total: $4.49

Target:
Bic Ballpoint Pens, 10 ct $0.60
Use $1.00/2 – Bic Stationery Items, Target coupon – (target.com
Total: $0.10 each

Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh Lunchmeat Select Varieties, 7-9 oz. $2.79$1.00/1 – Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Lunchmeat – (kraftbrands.
Total: $1.79

Copps:
I only shop at Copps on Wednesdays because it is Double Coupon Day. As far as I know, Copps is the only store in my area that doubles coupons. I can get at least a few things for free every week, so it is always worth the visit. There are some restricitons to Double Coupon Day. First of all, you can only double 5 coupons per transaction. The value of each coupon being doubled can't exceed $1, and it can't say "do not double", it also has to be a manufacturer coupon, not a store coupon (although you can combine a store coupon with a doubled manufacturer coupon for the same product). The final restriction is that you need to spend at least $25 BEFORE coupons. This seems like a lot, but really isn't, since you get to figure in the amount covered by the coupons. If you double five $1 coupons for five products and get them all free, you only need $15 more of "filler". Copps' base prices tend to run a little high, so when looking for filler I try to find sales, or I get burgers from their meat counter since they're Hubby's favorite. Their milk and eggs are also pretty reasonable.

General Mills Cereal Deal:
Buy 6 boxes of GM cereal, get $10 instant rebate at checkout, and a coupon for a free gallon of milk.
You can kind of play around with this deal to pick and choose the cereals you like. There are coupons here for $1/2 GM cereal, $0.60/1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch, $0.55/1 Cheerios, $0.75/1 Kix, $0.75/1 Total. I also have two current coupons for $0.75/1 Cheerios that I got in the mail from Pampers. I suggest using coupons for the more "basic" cereals, which cost $2.99 at Copps. Here's what I'm going to do:
Buy 3 Cheerios
Buy 1 Kix
Buy 2 of whatever else I decide I want at the time
Use 2 $0.75/1 Cheerios coupons I got in the mail
Use the coupons.com coupons for Kix, Cheerios, and $1/2 GM Cereal
All coupons doubled= $7.60
You will get $10 off at checkout
Total: About $0.50-$1 (depending on which cereals you get) for all six cereals, plus you get a coupon for a free gallon of milk! *HINT* Do this transaction first, along with a few necessary grocery items to get your pre-coupon total over $25 (you only need to buy like $7 worth of other groceries). You will max out your amount of coupons you can double in this transaction. But then you can go back, get your free milk, and get five more double coupon deals in another transaction.

Claussen Pickles: 2/$6
Use $0.55/1 from 6/20 SS, doubled
Total: $1.90

Haagen Daaz Ice Cream 2/$7
Use $1/1 coupon from July All You Magazine, doubled
Total: $1.50

Lean Cuisine Market Creations 4/$10
Use $1/2 coupon from July All You Magazine, doubled
Total: $1.50 each

El Montery Tornados 5/$11
Use $1/1 from 7/18 SS, doubled
Total: $0.20

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk 2/$4
Use $1/1 coupon from 5/23 SS, doubled
Total: Free

Red Gold canned tomatoes: 10/$10
Use $0.75/1 coupon from here (must register), doubled
Total: $0.50 each

Welch's Grape Juice 2/$6
Use $0/75/1 coupon from7/18 SS, doubled
Total: $1.50

Fuze 6 Pack $4.99
Use $2/1 coupon in-ad
Total: $2.99

Festival:
Morning glory Chocolate Milk $0.48
Use internet-only coupon from here

Juicy Juice 64oz $1.98
Use $1/2 coupon from here
$1.48 each

I'm a human teething ring

2010-07-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Picture me sitting on the couch with Maddie standing on my lap, facing me, and happily showing off her new hugging and kissing skills. She gives a looong, snuggly hug, then a slobbery kiss. Her kisses actually involve her opening up her mouth and head-butting her face into mine--very wet and slimy, but also very adorable.

Anyway, she was alternating hugs and kisses. She went in for a kiss, plopped her wide-open, wet mouth on my chin, and...BIT me! HARD. I mean, really hard...as in, there was blood. And screaming--from both of us.

I feel horrible that the natural response to a chunk of flesh being gnawed off my chin was to let out a scream that our whole block probably heard. Of course, it scared Maddie to death and made her cry, leaving me to to hug and comfort her as blood dribbled down my neck. Once she was calmed down I got myself cleaned up, and then immediately made it my mission to thwart any trauma that may have left her uncomfortable with the thought of kissing Mom. I stood her back up on my lap and told her it was ok, I like kisses and I won't scream like that anymore. Well, she took me to task on that, and quickly plopped her mouth on the non-mangled side of my chin and bit down. I screamed again, she cried again.

At least if we keep up this whole kissing=biting, screaming, and being scared thing we may be able to get through her teen years without any boyfriends.

Vacay

2010-07-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

In less than two months we are taking our first official family vacation. Yep, we are bringing our one year old to Disney World. No we are not insane. Well, maybe just a little bit.

It's going to be hot and humid. And mark my words, there will be tantrums. But it's the happiest place on earth...what could possibly go wrong?

I've read and listened to a lot of debates about when the appropriate age for a child's first Disney trip is. Almost everyone says a one year old is too young. But, whatever, I still think she's going to enjoy it. She loves characters, rides, and being around other children. I guess by the time we get back I'll know if it really was a crazy idea to take her at this age or not.

Hubby and I have both been to Disney World multiple times. I think this will help us manage with Maddie a little easier. We won't be stressed trying to see everything, because there isn't anything there that we haven't already seen...except the water parks, but we are reserving a day for that and having family watch Maddie. Which brings me to our next Meltdown Defense Barrier: My Family. They are coming with us and will be there to help distract Maddie when she gets cranky, and take over if the crankiness overpowers us.

So the plan is to enjoy a crowd-free park during hurricane season, cross our fingers that a hurricane doesn't actually make an appearance, and try our best to relax and enjoy our trip. We'll stuff ourselves with food, since we got the free dining plan. We'll also take plenty of breaks for naps, cooling off, and pool-lounging.

I'm looking forward to it. Disney World and I go way back. My family started taking me on vacations there because it was what they had done as kids. When I became an adult I started some Disney traditions of my own:

Surprising Disney Fact #1: I used to work there. I was twenty-two years old. I lived with five roomates ( and a couple extra "honorary" ones who always hung out in our apartment) in Orlando for a semester and worked as a ticket taker/parade-rules-enforcer at the Magic Kingdom. Disney World was where I had some of the craziest times of my college days. It's also where I discovered that working outside in 100 degree Florida humidity while wearing polyester pants and a vest totally sucks. The good times outweighed the bad though!

Aahh, memories

Surprising Disney Fact #2: We went on our honeymoon there. Hubby and I were dating while I was working in Florida. He came down to visit twice, and we did the Disney thing, but never got much time at the parks. Work got in the way, and socializing with friends and roomates always held priority over sightseeing. So, for our honeymoon we decided to go back to Disney World, just the two of us. That way we'd have time to do all the cutesy stuff like wear bride and groom Mickey ears and have a meal in the big castle.

Who on earth were these young, good-looking people??

Interestingly, the above two pictures were taken in 2006 and 2008. Now it's 2010 and we are going to have some new pictures and memories in the same place. It's kind of like Disney is seeing us go from college kids to newlyweds to a young family. I'm really excited to get the 2010 "Maddie's First Vacation" photos added to our albums. I know it's going to be a great time!

Tasty Tuesday

2010-07-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

I've looked over our meal plan list so far and realized that a lot of it is not very healthy. I made it my goal this week to come up with some less artery-clogging options. This is easier said than done, since my husband refuses to eat any food that has ever touched a vegetable. He also thinks organic beef tastes "funny", and that chicken is not consumable unless it is fried. In the four years I've known him, I've never once seen him eat a fruit, besides watermelon.

So of course, every time I try to sneak in a healthy meal, I hear "don't put this on the list". I'm tempted to buy that Deceptively Delicious book, not for use in tricking picky children (although it probably will be needed for that purpose eventually) but to trick a picky husband.

Anyway, I did manage to get two reasonably healthy meals approved to go on the list this week. It wasn't an easy task. But if Hubby likes them, you know they are good. And, as a bonus, not all that bad for you.

Lemon Pepper Chicken
Four boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded
Lemon-pepper seasoning to taste
1 tbsp Olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Splash of lemon juice

Sprinkle seasoning over both sides of chicken breasts. Spray each side of chicken directly with cooking spray. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for about 8 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set on a plate and keep warm. Pour broth, vinegar, and lemon juice into skillet. Simmer for three minutes, stirring occasionally to scrape bits off skillet. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle more lemon-pepper seasoning to taste over chicken.

This chicken is amazing with brown rice and broccoli!

Tuna Melts
4 slices sourdough bread
2 cans tuna
2tbsp lite mayo
1tbsp Dijon or deli mustard
1tsp lemon juice
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 can chopped black olives
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Combine tuna, mayo, mustard, juice, artichokes, olives, and salt/pepper. Lightly toast bread. Spread tuna mixture evenly onto two slices of bread. Place the two slices on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through with cheese melted. Top with remaining two slices of bread to make two sandwiches.

Coupon Update

2010-07-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

I went to Target today and there were a few things different at our local store than what is going on nationally:

Tide Stain Release 10 Packs are not available, so you can't get them for $0.49. However, the small Tide Stain Release liquid bottle is only $3.99, so you can use the same two coupons from the 6/6 PG (Target and manufacturer) to get it for $1.50.
Johnson and Johnson First Aid bags are not $0.99 at our local store. They are $4.69. I still got one for free though. I printed two $3/2 coupons from here (just hit the back button and resresh right after the first one prints). I bought four small packages of J&J First Aid Gauze. They were $1.59 each. So I paid $0.36 for the three packages of gauze, plus I got a free First Aid bag for purchasing at least three of the selected J&J First Aid items. I actually like that better than just getting three free bags, since Hubby hurts himself at work a lot and we go through gauze pretty fast.
I did not find any C9 Champion men's shirts on clearance for $4.59 at the Target I went to (Green Bay west). I did find a cute women's C9 Workout tank top for $6.49, so $1.49 after using the coupon from here. But I took the last one, so if you're local you might want to check the east side. I also found men's C9 socks regularly priced at $5.99, so just $0.99 after the coupon.
I found a few of the women's Merona tops priced at $2.50, or $0.50 after the coupon from here. There were probably about five smalls, in blue, yellow, and purple. The blue and yellow had flowered print, the purple had a geometric print. I took the last small purple top. There were also a couple extra large yellow and blue tops, and I found one yellow one left in large. No mediums.
No clearance Sharpie highlighters to be found.

I left there with two jars of Gerber stage 3 (price cut for $0.67), a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, two women's tops, four packs of gauze, a first aid bag, and a bottle of Tide Stain Release for $9.90 including tax!