Life in the Fullest

Fr ee shampoo at CVS

2010-04-05T09:03:00.002-04:00

Remember the full-sized Pantene sample available through Vocalpoint a few weeks ago? It came with (3) $2/1 coupons. That particular kind of shampoo is part of the Pantene deal at CVS this week ($2.99 for 1, get $1 ECB). After coupons/ECB, the shampoo is free and you can do this deal 3 times.

Giveaway

2010-03-20T11:02:00.002-04:00

I have a great new giveaway!

Recently Yoplait yoghurt and My Blog Spark sent my family a gift pack containing a coupon four a free four-pack of Yoplait Yoplus yoghurt, an insulated lunch bag, a lunch container with utensils to go with the bag, and a pedometer. If you work outside the home, or have children in school, the lunch kit makes it very easy to take a healthy, nutritious lunch from home rather than buying lunch out.

My Blog Spark and Yoplait have generously offered to send one of my readers an identical gift pack. To win, leave a comment telling me if you have ever tried Yoplus yoghurt and how it compares to other yoghurts. (We tried the strawberry and absolutely loved it.) One winner will be chosen at random Monday, March 29th.

Pet Freebies: Beneful and Halo

2010-03-03T10:50:00.000-05:00

Pet Freebies: Beneful and Halo
I don't have a dog (my cats would never tolerate one!), but if you do have one, you can sign up to get a free sample of dog treats and 2 free cans of dog food! Thanks to Common Sense with Money for this find.

2010-03-01T08:02:00.002-05:00

Just a note---Smartsource.com and Coupons.com have already reset their coupons for the month.

Awesome General Mills Deal at Cub Foods

2010-03-01T07:55:00.002-05:00

If you live near a Cub Foods, there's an awesome deal starting today on General Mills products. Select items are 4/$8 but when you buy 4 you get $4 taken off at the register, so it comes out to 4/$4. Even better, there are coupons available for some of these items.

Participating items include: Cheerios, Multigrain Cheerios (there were printables available last month), Cinnamon Chex (printables are available on Smartsource.com, Coupons.com and last Sunday's Smartsource insert---$0.75/1), Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Kix, Reese's Puffs (printables are available on Smartsource.com and Coupons.com---$0.55/1), Chocolate Chex, Cocoa Puffs Combos and all varieties of Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks.

Some Cub Foods will double coupons. If yours does, you could buy the Cinnamon Chex and the Reese's Puffs, and after the sale/coupons you get them free. If yours does not double, they still come out to $0.25-$0.40 a box. Not a bad deal!!

Giveaway Winner

2010-02-22T07:56:00.001-05:00

The winner of the Pillsbury sweet rolls gift pack is Anita. You should have received an e-mail from me; if not, please leave a comment and I will resend it! Congratulations !

New High Value Land O’Frost Lunchmeat Coupon

2010-02-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

New High Value Land O’Frost Lunchmeat Coupon

Thanks to Common Sense with Money for this coupon find----$2/1 Land o'Frost lunchmeat. The one-pound packages happen to be on sale this week at Meijer for $3 each---with the coupon, that's only $1!!

Sugar Cookies (Great-Grandma's recipe)

2010-02-17T11:11:00.002-05:00

3 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 t vanilla or almond flavoring

Sift dry ingredients. Add shortening. Mix with fork. Add unbeaten eggs and flavoring. Roll and cut. (Note: You may need to chill the dough before you attempt to roll it---the recipe does not specify this, but the dough is a bit soft.)

375 degrees for 8 minutes

Giveaway

2010-02-15T09:40:00.002-05:00

My family loves fresh, warm sweet rolls, but my past attempts to make them have met mostly with failure. Usually what I do is buy a couple of tubes of the refrigerated cinnamon rolls, pop them in the oven and watch the children devour them!

When My Blog Spark contacted me and asked if they could send my family a coupon for a free tube of Pillsbury orange sweet rolls, I was more than happy to say yes. We love the Pillsbury brand (they taste great and I love collecting those Box Tops that they have on the Grands rolls and biscuits). I had seen the orange variety but never bought them, and decided this would be a good opportunity to try them. It turns out, they are wonderful!

My Blog Spark and Pillsbury have offered to send one lucky reader a fun gift pack including a coupon for a free tube of Pillsbury sweet rolls, and a cute little photo album. To enter, leave a comment telling me what is your favorite childhood breakfast memory. For instance, I remember when we would visit my grandparents on their farm in Indiana, my grandpa would prepare these huge, homemade pancakes! They were so good.

The giveaway will end on Monday, 2/22/2010. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen.

I did not receive compensation for this giveaway. Pillsbury and My Blog Spark did provide my family with an identical gift pack to the one being offered: a photo album and a coupon for the free product.

Free breakfast sausage at Meijer

2010-02-08T10:38:00.002-05:00

If you live near a Meijer, the Johnsonville breakfast sausage (patties or links) are on sale for $2 each. Use a $1/1 Meijer mealbox coupon and a $0.55/1 newspaper insert coupon (which will double to $1) to get them for free.

Free Cat’s Pride Litter Product Coupon

2010-02-02T14:59:00.000-05:00

Free Cat’s Pride Litter Product Coupon

Thanks to Common Sense with Money for this find!! You can sign up with Catster and receive in the mail a coupon for a free Cat's Pride litter. I've never tried that particular litter, but my overgrown kittens do go through it rather quickly so this will be great!

2010-02-01T10:55:00.004-05:00

Early this morning, my 92-year-old grandmother died. I thought it appropriate to write a few words about the person she was before dementia took her away from us.

Grandma was born in 1917 to a railroad worker and the busiest homemaker that ever lived on this planet!! She had one brother, ten years younger (who also suffers from some kind of dementia). She was a highly intelligent woman and an accomplished (amateur) musician, playing piano, organ and saxophone. In 1937 she married my grandfather, and they were married until his death 5 years ago.

They lived on a farm in northern Indiana. That place is where my siblings and I spent some of the most fun times we had as a child. Grandpa would give us tractor rides, we would hunt through the barns for Grandma's barn cats and their kittens, or explore the house---my grandparents kept everything. They had my mother's and her siblings' old toys, their prom dresses from the 1960s, and some clothes of Grandma's probably from the 1930s.

Grandma wasn't the stereotypical grandmother---her house was always a mess (much like my own), she didn't smother you with hugs (but it was clear from her actions that she loved us), and she was never in the kitchen cooking yummy treats (she hated to cook and was terrible at it, but she would always keep packages of cookies or bags of candy around to treat us with). However, she was a very kind person and we loved visiting her and Grandpa.

They were total opposites. Grandma was a quiet person who loved music and books; Grandpa was as ornery as the day is long (in a good way). Still, they made their marriage work for over 60 years. Marriage vows were taken seriously by that generation.

We did not realize the extent of her decline until my grandfather fell ill and could no longer care for them both. After his death, my mother and her siblings appropriately decided it would be in Grandma's best interest to move away from the farm up in Indiana (none of our family lives close to there anymore) and closer to us, into a retirement home for seniors. It soon became obvious that something more was wrong than mere forgetfulness caused by old age.

Within a couple of years, it became necessary that she move to the assisted living part of the retirement home. She declined to the point where she often did not recognize the children she had raised, or her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She stopped writing in her diaries, a lifelong habit she had learned from her own mother. When she suffered a serious fall, it was time to move to a nursing home. Her decline was very rapid after that.

Grandma died peacefully in her sleep, February 1rst. She will be missed by all who knew her, and most definitely my children will be missing their Great-Grandma.

Giveaway winner

2010-01-30T08:39:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Miller Racing Family for winning the Old El Paso gift pack giveaway. You should have received an e-mail telling you where to send your contact information. I will need this by 02/01/10. If you did not receive the e-mail, please leave a comment on the blog.

Cheeseburger Pie

2010-01-29T10:11:00.004-05:00

This is a good, quick main dish and it doesn't cost a lot. This quantity is for one pie (4-6 servings)

Ingredients:
1 prepared pie crust (you can make your own; I use Pillsbury)
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
salt and pepper, to taste

Topping: 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk, 1 cup grated cheese

Mix the beef/turkey with the tomato sauce and bread crumbs. Spoon into pie crust. Mix together the topping ingredients and spread over the pie. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes.

The nice thing about this dish is, most of the ingredients are on sale this week at Kroger or Meijer. The cheese and ground beef is on sale at Kroger; if you choose to use ground turkey Meijer is selling the one-pound rolls this week for $1 each. I got my pie crust from Kroger back when they had that great deal before the holidays---I bought several boxes and froze them. Those of my children that tried this dish really liked it; the others made themselves Easy Mac (also bought on sale this week!).

Game Day Gift Pack Giveaway!!

2010-01-27T15:12:00.004-05:00

Well---the big Game Day is almost here!! My teenaged son and I are so excited to be cheering on the New Orleans Saints in their first ever Superbowl appearance in just a couple of weeks! (Of course, the Colts are a pretty awesome team too!!)

Just in time for the Superbowl, My Blog Spark and Old El Paso sent my family a really cool gift pack to help us in our game day celebration. It has 2 cans of Old El Paso chiles, a football-shaped ceramic serving platter, football-themed napkins, football-shaped disposable plates, and a football-shaped table runner. I plan to use the Old El Paso chiles to make enchiladas. We mix them with shredded chicken and cheese, roll them in tortillas, add sauce and bake. The chiles give a nice flavor to the enchiladas.

My Blog Spark and Old El Paso generously have offered to send one of my readers an identical gift pack. To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me what is your favorite dish made with Old El Paso chiles. This giveaway will end at midnight on Friday, 01/29/10 and the winner will be drawn at random.

The gift pack was provided to me free of charge by My Blog Spark and Old El Paso. I did not receive any compensation for this giveaway.

Lentil-Beef Chili

2010-01-27T12:10:00.003-05:00

This is a good way to stretch ground beef if you do not have enough to go around---but this is still a really, really good chili and I think it tastes better than just beef chili.

Brown 1 pound (or less, if your family is smaller and you do not want leftovers) ground beef with a chopped up onion. Diced garlic is good also. Drain this, then add a can or two of chopped tomatoes, a packet of chili seasoning, and enough water to make it the consistency that you like. Let this simmer while you cook the lentils. Put a cup of dried brown lentils in a pot, cover with plenty of water, and bring to the boil. Boil them until tender (about 30 minutes---there is no need to presoak the lentils). When they are done, drain them and add them to the chili. Let this simmer for a bit to blend the flavors.

Serve in bowls. You can top with any of the following---oyster crackers, shredded cheddar, sour cream. It tastes even better if you refrigerate overnight and serve the next day.

La Victoria Salsa---Free at Kroger w/coupons/sale

2010-01-27T12:07:00.002-05:00

If you still have the $4 off 2 La Victoria printables that were available a while back, now would be a good time to use them. The 16-oz salsas are part of the Buy 10, get $5 off sale at Kroger. When you buy 10 items the salsas come out to $1.49 each. The cashier will have to adjust the coupon down to $3 (unless your Kroger is nicer than mine and gives you overage).

Kroger sale!!

2010-01-26T14:00:00.002-05:00

If you plan to take advantage of the Buy 10 participating items, Get $5 off your order sale at Kroger, there is a really good deal if you still have any of the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter $1/1 coupons. (I had five laying around and was hoping for a sale!) This product is part of the sale and the price comes to $0.99 when you buy 10 items...but with the coupon, it is FREE!!!! I did not see it listed in the Kroger ad but it is on signs in the stores and also those sale brochures at the front of the store.

We Found Out What's Wrong

2010-01-20T07:35:00.002-05:00

Our pediatrician's office called yesterday evening with the results of my nine-year-old's blood tests. Unfortunately, they did find something---but it isn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

It seems that within the past month, my daughter had strep. She never had any symptoms of it, so she was not treated (nor tested). Untreated strep, however, can do bad things to the body---really bad things. It can spread to different organs in your body and cause serious issues. Luckily, hopefully, we caught this before it had a chance to really spread and she is being treated for it.

The ironic thing is, I knew strep can do this and every time the children have any of the symptoms (sore throat, headache, stomache ache, fever), I have them tested. She had no symptoms at all of it this time (her sister, however, did have strep in December). It's rather frightening to think one could have a potentially serious disease and not know it until AFTER it starts causing problems!

Our doctor will recheck her for the joint pain, but likely she will be fine. I praise God that we found out what the issue is and that it's treatable. Some of the other things they were testing her for (such as leukemia) I couldn't bear to even consider! I want to thank everyone who was praying for her---words can't even express how much I appreciate those prayers!

Huge Tylenol Recall

2010-01-18T09:53:00.000-05:00

Huge Tylenol Recall
Check this post at Common Sense with Money. I would check your cupboards for any of these items!

2010-01-18T09:38:00.003-05:00

We had a doctor's appointment for my 9-year-old Friday to try to figure out why she has the joint pain. The doctor said it could be a lot of things, ranging from growing pains, to juvenile arthritis, to some other things. We had to go have some blood tests so now I guess we wait to see if anything shows up in them. She said it could even be some kind of virus she is having a hard time getting rid of. My kids have been passing different things back and forth between them basically since late November! The current thing is a flu-like illness some of them have.

I want to thank everyone who has been praying for her. I really, really appreciate it!

Meijer: Free Breakstone Cottage Cheese

2010-01-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

Meijer: Free Breakstone Cottage Cheese

If you live near a Meijer, here is a great deal and you don't even need any coupons! Buy 5 of the Breakstone's cottage cheese doubles for $1 each and get a catalina for $5! Thanks to Common Sense with Money for this find. I plan to go later today after my daughter's doctor appointment and hope they are not sold out of these!

2010-01-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

If you are a member of Kraft First Taste, check your account. You may have a coupon for a free frozen pizza. Some people are getting free coupons and some are getting $1.25/1 coupons. If you aren't a member, you can register at kraftfirsttaste.com.

Prayer request

2010-01-14T06:58:00.001-05:00

I would really appreciate the prayers of everyone. I am going to have to take my nine-year-old daughter to the doctor to be checked out. She keeps getting some pretty serious joint pain and a kind of weird-looking rash on her hands right around the knuckles. I am rather worried and hope it isn't anything serious but the pain in her ankles was so bad last night she was crying pretty hard.

Bible in 90 Days challenge

2010-01-11T13:11:00.002-05:00

I am trying to catch up to everyone else in the Bible in 90 Days challenge! I didn't start until January 6th because of illness in our family but I intend to read enough extra that I catch up at least by the end!

I was rather sad when I finished Genesis because the very last part---the story of Joseph---is my absolute favourite in the entire Bible. I was sad to leave it behind (I may just have to go back and re-read it!). My study Bible has a little challenge that looks like fun: List all the similarities you can find between Joseph and Jesus. It says that there are over sixty of them! One thing I learned that I never really took note of before, even though I have read Joseph's story many times---after Joseph's father died, Joseph had his body embalmed, and the same was done for Joseph after he died. They apparently were mummified according to the Egyptian tradition. Genesis even lists the number of days of mourning and it matches up perfectly with what we know the Egyptians to have practiced. This is further proof that Genesis was written by someone quite familiar with the practices of the time (namely, Moses, who was raised in that culture) and not hundreds or thousands of years later. The detail in the Bible is pretty incredible.

Exodus was interesting---I had read parts of it but not the entire thing in order, all the way through. What really struck me was how much the Israelites complained---even after seeing first-hand all of God's miracles, all of his provision---still they complained. It's a good reminder to try to always be thankful for what God has provided and not to focus on what we DON'T have.

FREE MILK and a chance to WIN FREE MILK for a year!

2010-01-11T13:10:00.000-05:00

FREE MILK and a chance to WIN FREE MILK for a year!

Here's a pretty good deal! You can enter to win free milk for a year. If you don't win, but you're one of the first 125,000 to enter, you can print out a coupon for a free 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk WYB 2 gallons of white milk.

Deals at Cub Foods and Meijer

2010-01-11T12:26:00.003-05:00

If you plan to shop at Cub Foods or Meijer this week, there are some nice deals to be found. Cub Foods has Pillsbury flour on sale for $0.99, limit 5. They also have select General Mills cereals and Nature Valley granola bars at $2 each, and when you buy 10 you get $4 off your order instantly at checkout. There are printables available for the granola bars, and some Cubs do double coupons. I like to have granola bars on hand for after-school snacks. They come home from school acting as if they haven't eaten all day, and granola bars at least are a fairly healthy snack.

Meijer has one of their 10 for $10, get the 11th free promotions going on. There is a catalina promotion: Buy 3 Betty Crocker frostings (which are part of the 10/$10 promo) or cake mixes, get a $2 cat ONYO. (Note: Cake mixes include the boxed mixes, not the warm delights bowl mixes). There is also a Unilever promotion: Buy $10 worth of selected products, get a $3 catalina ONYO. It includes Skippy peanut butter, which is on sale for $1.69. There is a $1/2 Meijer mealbox coupon. Dannon yoghurts are also $0.40 this week and you can use $1/10 from the Sunday paper last week or $1/6 Light and Fit (coupons.com) paired with $1/4 mealbox coupons. I got 12 yoghurts for free using these coupons.

2010-01-07T09:13:00.002-05:00

Don't forget about the Bible in 90 Days challenge!! Because of illness and other stressful happenings I started it late and am playing catch-up but this is going to be an awesome, amazing experience to actually read the entire Bible through in just 90 days.

You don't need to have one of the special Bibles to take part in this. I counted the number of pages in my preferred version and figured out I need to read 22 pages a day to accomplish this. It's very do-able and I would encourage anyone who hasn't yet decided to take part to go ahead and do it!

Meijer catalina deal on Yoplait yoghurt

2010-01-07T09:10:00.001-05:00

There's a pretty awesome deal at Meijer right now on Yoplait yoghurt. They are priced at 10 for $4, and when you buy 20 you get a $2 catalina. There are also printables available---$1/8 and $0.50/6 (which would double to $1). Use 1 of the $1/8 and 2 of the $0.50/6 and you get some really cheap yoghurt!

Starkist coupon

2010-01-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Hip2Save for this find! Go to Save-A-Lot.com and click on the coupon tab in the upper right corner. You can print out a Buy 2, Get 1 free solid white tuna can coupon. This is a manufacturer's coupon, not a store coupon, and it does not have a store logo on it, so you could use it anywhere you find a good price.

2010-01-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

There's a $1/1 Trix cereal coupon on Pillsbury.com which would pair nicely with the Meijer General Mills cereal sale. Although Trix is not on sale for $2.50 (as are some of the cereal brands), Meijer's regular price for the smaller sized Trix is $2.39. After the coupon/$4 off WYB 4 promo, it comes out to $0.39/box.

Printable Coupons: Cheerios, Wonka Candy, Palermo’s Pizza and More

2009-12-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

Printable Coupons: Cheerios, Wonka Candy, Palermo’s Pizza and More
There are some great new coupons available including a high-value Honey Nut Cheerios coupon. Now we just need to hope for a nice sale!

Coupon Insert Preview – 12/20

2009-12-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

Coupon Insert Preview – 12/20
If you buy a copy (or several) of the Sunday paper for the coupons, I wouldn't bother this weekend (or next). It looks as if because of the holidays, there won't be any inserts.

Bible in 90 Days ~ Will You Read with Me?

2009-12-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

Bible in 90 Days ~ Will You Read with Me?

Have you ever read through the entire Bible? How about in 90 days? I'm afraid I'd have to answer no to both of those questions. I've read the entire New Testament, but not the entire Bible. Here's a link to a challenge to read through the Bible in 90 days. If you don't have the Bible that is mentioned, but it can be purchased on Amazon.com for $14.99. Or, you could do what one of the reviews on Amazon suggested---take your Bible, divide the number of pages by 90 and that would tell you how many pages you need to read each day.

Win free eyeglasses for your family!

2009-12-17T11:05:00.001-05:00

Below you will find a link to a contest that you can enter to win free eyeglasses for your family. As if free eyeglasses aren't enough, this company makes them using environmentally-friendly methods.
You can read about how they do it at www.airwear.com.

I've never tried these glasses, but I entered the contest! Five of the eight of us wear eyeglasses and we could certainly make use of these!

Airwear Lighter. Safer. Greener. Contest

2009-12-17T11:04:00.001-05:00

Meijer deals

2009-12-07T13:28:00.001-05:00

Meijer has the 1-lb frozen rolls of ground turkey as part of the 10/$10 sale. Also, if you are in need of socks or undergarments, if you buy 3 Hanes brand you get $10 off your order instantly.

2009-12-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

This is an update on the INternational Delight coffee creamers post---they definitely ARE made by White Wave Foods. I don't know how long the catalina deal is good for, but if you have the 2 coupons---or even 1---it's a money-maker at Meijer.

International Delight Coffee Creamers---free!!!!!!

2009-12-04T14:44:00.002-05:00

If you got the free coffee creamer coupons from Facebook, be advised that you can print 2 of them by hitting the coupon tab a second time. If you have a Meijer nearby, these may be a money-maker. I bought 2 of these, some eggs and some non-grocery items and received a $2 catalina from White Wave Foods.

If you plan to get these free at Meijer, check the label and see if they are made by White Wave Foods. If they are, pick up two and it's a money-maker!

2009-12-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

Amazon.com has the Green String 1.3 MP digital digital camera priced at $13.99 (reg. $39.99) plus free shipping! This is a great camera for a child and it holds up to 100 pictures!

Thanks, Coupon Gal for this find! I ordered one for my daughter's upcoming 9th birthday.

Deal Alert!!

2009-11-30T20:38:00.001-05:00

I don't know if this is chain-wide, but my Meijer has the refrigerated bottles of Coffee-mate coffee creamer for $0.99.

2009-11-30T14:35:00.006-05:00

My 92-year-old grandmother is having to move from her assisted living facility into a nursing home because she needs more help taking care of herself than the assisted living facility can give her. We moved some of her stuff out of her apartment into my mom's house and on Thanksgiving we decided to bring out a box of old photos and letters to look through them. One thing I found really hit home and I thought would be a good thing to mention, this being the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. It really made me think.

My grandmother has in her possession a number of photos, letters, and so on that belonged to her mother, who was born in 1894. We were enjoying looking at old photos of my great-Grandmother and her husband---we found a photo from 1912 when she was a schoolteacher, her wedding photo, some photos of my grandmother when she was very young, etc.--- when we came across some letters and newspaper articles.

One of the letters was written from my great-Grandmother's brother to my great-Grandmother and her family. It was dated mid- September 1918 and he was in France working as a mechanic for the US armed forces, during World War I. The letter itself was rather mundane; he mentioned things he had been doing and asked about a family reunion that had taken place. I read the letter, set it aside, and started looking through the other things.

A few minutes later, I found his obituary. It seems that he fell ill with "neuritis" and was in hospital for 2 weeks; he died on October 16, 1918---just about a month after he wrote the letter. I have no idea what neuritis is; perhaps it's one of those diseases that are treatable nowadays. I could not help but wonder how long mail would have taken in 1918 to go from France to the U.S. Possibly my great-Grandmother received his letter right around the time she learned of his death---that might explain why she kept the letter (and why my Grandmother did as well). But what really struck me was here was a young, apparently healthy man writing an upbeat, normal letter to his sister and her family. He had no way of knowing that within a month of writing that letter, he would be dead. None of us have any way of knowing how much time we---or those we love---have here on earth. It is a very sobering thought, and it should make us treasure every moment we do have with our families. Because the truth of the matter is, we don't know how long we will have them with us. I am thankful and so grateful to God for every day I do have with my family.

2009-11-30T14:32:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! Did you snag any great Black Friday deals? Not me! I had no desire to go out in the early morning hours and face a crowd of people! I spent the day at home. It was my fifth child's 7th birthday so we spent the day celebrating that.

Free Gift Certificates from Restaurant.com

2009-11-28T15:33:00.000-05:00

Free Gift Certificates from Restaurant.com
Thanks, Common Sense with Money! Restaurant.com is making it possible for you to give---absolutely FREE---$10 gift certificates for up to 30 of your friends per day!

Or, if you want to buy gift certificates for yourself, you can purchase them for 80% off when you use the code SAVE at checkout.

more markdowns from Amazon.com

2009-11-21T09:08:00.002-05:00

Are you in need of an "expensive" gift for a lady? Amazon.com has quite a lot of their jewelry on markdown up to 70%. Just go on their website, go to the jewelry section, and click on the On Sale Now tab in the upper right-hand corner. There are pearl necklace/earrings/bracelet sets for $9.99, sterling silver rings for under $10---and of course jewelry for much more. The pearl sets would make a nice gift for someone's mother or grandmother. I found a couple of really cute silver rings for my daughters.

The only thing you want to watch is that since many of the items are sold by outside vendors, shipping charges do apply. The ones I looked at were very reasonable, though, and at least one vendor (Peora) offers free shipping anywhere in the U.S.

Amazon: Corelle Dinnerware for Four $18

2009-11-20T14:50:00.000-05:00

Amazon: Corelle Dinnerware for Four $18

Thanks to Common Sense with Money for this find. Amazon has sets of dishes marked down to $18, not a bad price for service for four.

Amazon: Over Twenty Five Magazine Subscriptions for $5 Only

2009-11-16T10:52:00.000-05:00

Amazon: Over Twenty Five Magazine Subscriptions for $5 Only

Thanks to Common Sense with Money for this find! Magazine subscriptions would make a nice Christmas gift for someone on your list. It's even better when you can get them at such an amazing price!

Catalina deal at Meijer

2009-11-16T06:38:00.001-05:00

There is some kind of catalina deal at Meijer on the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. I bought four packages of the baking sticks and two of the tubs, and received (4) $2 catalinas. Considering that it is on sale and there are coupons available, this makes a good deal even better.

2009-11-15T12:58:00.001-05:00

If you live near a GFS, they have an awesome deal on turkey. Spend $15 and you get a turkey for $0.39/lb.

Tuesday Printable Coupon Highlights

2009-11-12T14:42:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Printable Coupon Highlights
Andrea at Pueblo Penny Pincher has compiled a nice list of printable coupons.

2009-11-12T14:02:00.002-05:00

I went to Walmart today to see if they were participating in the $20 Thanksgiving dinner specials. The least expensive turkeys I could find were Honeysuckle White for $0.60/lb (which is still cheaper than Kroger's and Cub's advertised deals last week). They have select cans of Green Giant vegetables on sale for $0.50/can. (I am not a huge fan of canned vegetables but I like to stock a winter pantry just in case I can't get to the store---either because of snow or illnesses.) Bagged potatoes are cheaper at Kroger, but they do have the Welch's sparkling grape juices for $2.97 (there were $2/1 printables available). I do think with the turkey even at $0.60/lb (which is cheaper than chicken ever goes around here!) you could put together a dinner for 8 for $20 or less, especially if you are willing to maybe make a dessert or two from scratch. Or, you could get one of the frozen pies they had on sale for a little over $3. I plan to make my own. I'm going to try making my own yeast rolls this year---hope they don't come out like rocks!

Corn Chowder

2009-11-12T13:50:00.004-05:00

This is the kind of soup I like---easy to make with what you have on hand, and good!

2 cans broth (I usually use chicken)
2 cans whole kernel corn
1 onion, cut fine
2-3 cups diced potatoes
2 cans evaporated milk
1/2 stick butter or its equivalent in margarine (about 4T)
salt and pepper to taste

In large pot, combine first four ingredients. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in evaporated milk and butter, season with salt and pepper.

My grandmother used to make this. She always used the canned milk but you could probably use fresh if you wanted. If you have some leftover cooked chicken you could probably dice it and add that. I have seen several recipes for Chinese-style corn chowder and they usually include chicken. You might even use green onions rather than the plain white, if you wanted. You can use a little cornstarch to thicken it if you want.

Coupon Insert Preview – 11/15

2009-11-12T09:14:00.000-05:00

Coupon Insert Preview – 11/15

Looks like there will be some pretty good coupons in this Sunday's insert! Click the above link to preview them, as well as to find out how to obtain the Redplum insert by mail if your paper does not carry it. I think my favorite coupon will be the B1G1 candy coupon! I like to use full-sized candy bars for stocking stuffers.

2009-11-11T11:25:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day in three weeks that I have NO children home from school sick! LOL, probably by next week we'll start another cycle of illness. I am hoping to go later this week and see if my local Walmart is participating in the inexpensive Thanksgiving dinner. I like to buy extra turkeys this time of year and freeze them for Christmas, New Year's, Easter, birthdays, and sometimes for a special dinner---just because!! I've found if I buy a smaller turkey, then we don't have leftovers for weeks on end!

I had to take the 10-year-old to the eye doctor and we found out she needs glasses. This is very difficult to handle for a girl who is beginning to take an interest in her appearance. We did pick out a really cute pair, but she isn't looking forward to their coming in. After the appointment, I took her out to lunch, just her and me. I wish we could do it more often (spending time alone with her, not picking out eyeglasses!). They grow so fast and she's at the age where the next thing you know, she'll be a teenager!

All I can say is---between Urgent Care visits, doctor's visits, emergency dentist visits with tooth-pulling, and eye exams with having to buy glasses---right now I am very thankful we have health insurance! My heart goes out to those who through job loss, cutbacks at work, or whatever reason, are trying to get by without health insurance.

Target: Free Fancy Feast Appetizers and Weekly deals

2009-11-09T19:43:00.000-05:00

Target: Free Fancy Feast Appetizers and Weekly deals
If you have a cat, he/she will thank Common Sense with Money for this find---free Fancy Feast at Target! I think I will pass on the deal---I bought Fancy Feast for my cats and the little beasts loved it so much that anytime I even looked at the cabinet where it was kept, they turned into nagging, whining little creatures wanting their treats!! (It's hard to take cat nagging at 6 AM when you're trying to get your children up and ready for school.) But, if you do buy the stuff, why not get it free?

$20 Thanksgiving dinner

2009-11-09T10:09:00.001-05:00

Hip 2 Save and several other sites are reporting that Walmart has the following deal---a $20 Thanksgiving dinner (that you cook yourself)!!

For $20, you get: a 12-lb Jennie-O Turkey (at $0.40/lb), 3 cans of Green Giant vegetables, 2 cans Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, 3 boxes Stove Top stuffing, 1 5-lb bag potatoes, one 12-ct package Sarah Lee dinner rolls, and one 22-oz pumpkin roll cake.

You may want to double-check with your Walmart to be certain they are participating---it is reported that the deal is nationwide, but some people are saying their Walmarts do not know about it. If your Walmart IS participating, this is a pretty awesome deal!! It's enough for eight and with the baking deals this time of year, you could add a few extra desserts for not much more money.

2009-11-07T12:07:00.002-05:00

I haven't been posting much at all lately because I've had sick kids! None of them have caught the swine flu (yet) but it seems they've caught everything else that's been going around---one gets it, passes it on to the next, and so forth; by the time the last one gets over it, someone else gets something else and the cycle starts again.

In addition to that, I had to rush the four-year-old to the dentist because I was brushing his teeth and noticed part of one tooth was discolored. I thought he had gotten something on it but it wouldn't come off, so I looked more closely and realized that very high up on the gum he was getting an abcess!! It looked just awful so I hurried him to the dentist. They said that there was a huge abcess under the gum that was beginning to go through the skin. It wasn't a cavity---he must have fallen and damaged the tooth. They had to pull it. He was a brave little fellow about the entire situation.

I'm telling you this for your own information---if you have small children, and they fall and hurt their mouths, even if it doesn't seem all that serious, keep a close eye on them. The dentist told me this probably happened a while ago and that children commonly do not complain about tooth pain. I had never heard of such a thing! I am glad we caught it when we did, before the infection spread and turned serious. It was bad enough they had to give him antibiotic, which they don't normally do for children, according to our dentist.

Printable Coupon: Save $1 off Scotties Facial Tissue

2009-11-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

Printable Coupon: Save $1 off Scotties Facial Tissue

Thanks to Common Sense with Money for this find. Please note, if you leave the box that asks if you are a regular Scotts user checked yes, you get a $0.50 coupon. Change it to no and it pulls up the $1/1 coupon.

apple cream pie

2009-10-31T12:04:00.003-04:00

1 unbaked pie crust

2-3 cups chopped apples
2/3 cup sugar
2 T flour
1 cup sour cream
1 t vanilla
pinch of salt
1 egg

Mix together the sugar, flour, and salt, then add the cream, vanilla, and 1 egg. Mix until smooth. Mix in the apples, pour into pie shell, top with a crumb topping (1/3 C sugar, 1/3 C flour, 1/2 C butter). Bake at 425 for about 25 minutes. This pie is REALLY good (not to mention easy)!!!!

How do you handle Halloween?

2009-10-29T13:15:00.003-04:00

Here's a topic I thought might be good for discussion: If you have (or had) children of the age to trick-or-treat, how do you handle Halloween? Do you allow them to trick-or-treat?

It was never an issue with my older children---we lived in Los Angeles at the time, and for safety reasons I and many parents chose not to participate in trick-or-treating. We attended a very large church that had a huge Harvest party, so the questions never came up.

However, my younger children are now asking why they cannot trick or treat. I feel that as a Christian it is one of those issues of conscience that aren't clearly spelled out in the Bible, and one must decide for oneself, but my concerns with the safety issue remain and I do not feel I can allow them to trick or treat. Unfortunately, Harvest parties do not seem to be very common where we now live and the younger ones are wondering why I don't allow them to trick-or-treat.

So I am curious as to how others handle this. If you are a parent, do you/did you allow your kids to trick-or-treat? Why or why not? If you are not a parent, would you?

My current method of handling it is to buy them candy myself, tell them I don't feel it is safe to go around begging candy from strangers, and hope they let the matter drop. (On a side note, their father is very much against Halloween.)

I would love to read any comments anyone would care to leave, both for and against!!!

2009-10-27T10:09:00.002-04:00

It looks as if the $2/1 candy coupons on Coupons.com have been reset. I was able to print another 2 copies of each.

Restaurant.com 80% off sale

2009-10-26T13:29:00.001-04:00

Restaurant.com is offering certificates at 80% off when you use the code TREATS at checkout.

Potato Leek soup

2009-10-26T13:26:00.002-04:00

This one is great for those chilly Fall days!

4 good-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 leek, washed well and chopped (discard green part)
chicken broth to cover the potatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the potatoes and leeks in the broth until the potatoes are tender. Take a potato masher and mash them enough so that they are mashed up but still a little chunky. Add just enough milk or cream to make the soup look like a cream soup and heat gently.

2009-10-20T18:43:00.000-04:00

Restaurant.com has 70% off on their gift cards, use code PUMPKIN at checkout. Plus, according to the e-mail they sent me, get a free $10 gift from Lobstergram (no idea what that is!!!!) with every order.

Swine Flu information

2009-10-20T13:10:00.002-04:00

Web MD has some very interesting information on the Swine Flu and the vaccine in its Cold and Flu section. Under the article entitled "Is the Swine Flu vaccine safe?" you can find a link to each of the vaccine makers' list of ingredients, if you care to know what is in the vaccine. There is also an article about the increase in deaths of children/teens (some of them previously healthy) from this disease.

I had not made up my mind about the vaccine, but I tended to be more opposed to it than not. After reading the second article, I am rethinking my position. I will have to decide soon, though, because my childrens' schools plan to administer the vaccine in early November.

If anyone has any more information on the topic, I would greatly appreciate it. Some of what you find on the Internet is biased either against or towards it. It can be difficult to sift through all that and find unbiased, factual information.

Update on Kroger Deal

2009-10-20T12:27:00.003-04:00

If you plan on doing the $4 off Nature Valley deal at Kroger (buy four NV granola bars or Fiber One bars) be advised that the Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters are part of the deal. I could not find them listed anywhere in the ad but there were shelf signs, and sure enough the deal worked. There are $1/1 printables and e-coupons currently available as well as $1.60/1 printables that were available, if anyone is still holding them for a sale. The price of the clusters minus the $4 for the deal is $1.50, so combined with coupons it is $0.50 to free!!!!

I did the deal twice (you can do it twice per transaction), buying 5 granola clusters and 3 granola bars, 10 Birds' Eye veggies at 4 for $5, 8 packages of Kroger cheese at 4 for $5, 2 pouches of Starkist tuna, 1 Alouette Brie cheese, and one 24-pack of Kroger String Cheese. After Kroger Plus savings and coupons, I spent $22.09 and saved $65.11!!

When I think back to the days when I believed couponing did not make that big of a difference on your grocery bill, I have to laugh.

Starkist pouch product coupon

2009-10-19T15:11:00.000-04:00

Coupons.com has a $0.50/1 Starkist tuna pouch coupon! Love those tuna coupons---these pouches are staples in my daughters' lunchboxes. They love tuna---to the dismay of their classmates.

If your store doubles, this would mean free/very cheap tuna.

2009-10-19T07:35:00.001-04:00

Old Navy is offering an online discount: Save 15% on $75, 20% on $100 and 25% on $125. Enter code SAVE123 at checkout. Their prices are for the most part reasonable, especially on childrens' outerwear.

2009-10-13T10:49:00.003-04:00

"God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Messiah died for us." (Rms 5:8)
"He died for our sins and rose again to make us right with God." (Rms 4:25)
"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son." (Jn 5:22)

Sin separates us from God but the Messiah came to bridge the gap between man and God by means of his death on the Cross. When He rose from the dead, He gained complete and total victory over death and it is through His death and resurrection that we gain eternal life.

Jn 5:22 is especially interesting. It is not God the Father who does the judging. Rather, it is God the Son (Messiah Jesus) who is the one that grants forgiveness and does the judging. That is why it is so necessary to study His Word and to obey it---if we love Him, we will do as He says.

Prevent Childhood Influenza: Seasonal Flu Vaccine Recommendations, Influenza Vaccination Resources

2009-10-13T09:35:00.002-04:00

Prevent Childhood Influenza: Seasonal Flu Vaccine Recommendations, Influenza Vaccination Resources

Posted using ShareThis

This is a link to an e-mail I received that I found rather interesting. My family normally does get the seasonal flu vaccine and we are planning to do so again this year. (I have not made a decision about the H1N1 vaccine, though.) Of course each family must make their own decision---we have not gotten the vaccine some years and not gotten the flu, have gotten the vaccine and gotten no flu or a mild case, and one year (the first year that we got the vaccine, in 2003) we got the vaccine, every one of my children got very bad cases of the flu, the youngest at the time (who was 1) got pneumonia as a complication, then I got the flu and had a miscarriage besides! (Though probably not because of the flu) So, it's no guarantee that you won't get the flu even if you do get the vaccine, but from our experience, most years we get a mild case if at all. (2003 was the exception, it was also that year the flu was very serious and children were dying from it.) If you aren't yet sure, you might want to check out the link and see if it's helpful.

Free Music Download: The Best of the Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe

2009-10-12T20:53:00.000-04:00

Free Music Download: The Best of the Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe

Thanks to Common Sense With Money for this---Amazon.com is offering a free music download!

2009-10-12T13:33:00.003-04:00

There is a very interesting set of articles on ankerberg.org (which is John Ankerberg's site). Back in the 80's (yes, some of us remember the 80's!) he, along with John Weldon and Walter Kaiser, published a book called The Case for Jesus the Messiah: Incredible prophecies that prove God exists. This book examined the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah and proved that they were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

It was through that book that I came to faith in Christ. It is a very valuable book to read if you are searching for the truth, if you want to be able to explain why Jesus fulfills the Biblical requirements to be the Messiah, or if you want to strengthen your faith. Faith in Christ is not a blind faith---the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah are many, some are quite specific and, taken together, they all point to Jesus.

The book had gone out of print, but now you can obtain each article from the website. If you do not wish to purchase, or wish to see them before purchase, you can read a summary of them first or even get them as a PDF.

2009-10-12T10:12:00.001-04:00

Said by my four-year-old to Kitty #2, who was on top of the hamster's cage and ready to try to bat the little critter: "Bad Kitty! If you kill that hamster, you'll go to Kitty Jail!"

LOL, if there were such a place, Kitty and Kitty #2 would have been there long ago!

2009-10-12T08:04:00.003-04:00

Restaurant.com is having another 80% off sale on gift certificates. Enter code FOUR at checkout.
This is good through today, 10/12/09.

2009-10-12T07:38:00.001-04:00

Allyou.com has some great coupons including $1/2 Ronzoni Smart Taste and B1G1 Pounce cat treats.

Facebook Herbal Essences coupon reset

2009-10-09T07:27:00.002-04:00

Moneysaving Mom reported that the widely-anticipated free Herbal Essences coupon that had been offered through their Facebook page has been reset and is now working properly. I tried it and as of 6:50 this morning, was still able to get through. They are going through with the original plan to give out a certain number of coupons over several days' time.

2009-10-08T20:09:00.001-04:00

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life." (John 6:47)

Anne Frank video

2009-10-08T11:44:00.004-04:00

I could not get this to link, but it would be well worth your time to take a few seconds to do the following: Go onto Youtube's website, and in the search box, enter Anne Frank: the only existing film images. It will bring up a short video taken in July 1941 of Anne Frank's neighbor leaving her apartment building with her new husband (they just got married). Nine seconds into the film, Anne Frank can be clearly seen leaning out of the upstairs window (where she lived) to watch.

It is my understanding that this film (taken after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, but a year before the family went into hiding) was given to her father and ended up in the possession of a Dutch museum which decided to post this on Youtube for everyone to watch. It's very sad because in the couple of seconds she can be seen, she looks like a normal, young teenaged girl happy to be watching her newly married neighbor---but we all know what happened to the family soon thereafter.

I hope the world NEVER forgets what happened to Anne Frank. Every one of us should praise God every day that we are free to live and worship as we choose, but we should never take that freedom for granted.

(The Anne Frank House website (annefrank.org) also has this video available to view.)

Wendy's Halloween coupon booklets

2009-10-07T13:12:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Katie at Cincinnati Cents for this info---Wendy's has available a booklet of 10 coupons, each of which is good for a 6-oz frosty, costing $1. This would be a nice alternative to candy to pass out on Halloween (or for childrens' Halloween parties at school).

2009-10-06T13:35:00.009-04:00

I was looking in the cupboards today for a snack to give my four-year-old, hoping to find something fairly healthy to hold him over until dinner tonight. I asked him, "Would you like some peanut butter crackers?"

"No," was his response. "I'm a vegetarian."

Vegetarian? He clearly doesn't understand that concept. "Vegetarians eat peanut butter," I told him.

"No they don't," said he. "It's disgusting."

Now, I KNOW where he learned THAT word. It's my 12-year-old's response to anything green on his plate.

I just kind of shook my head. What was I thinking, offering peanut butter to a four-year-old "vegetarian"? I found some fruit snacks and tossed him a packet. "Here, eat these."

He took all the fruit snacks out of the packet and, being a four-year-old, had to inspect the shapes and sort them by color before he would actually eat any of them. Soon I found that the green ones had been pushed in front of me. "What's this?" I asked.

"I don't like the green ones. I'm a vegetarian."

I tried explaining what the word vegetarian actually means, and that most vegetarians actually eat a great many green things. Of course, he's four years old. His only response to that was, "Green things are yucky."

"All right," I asked. "So what can the little vegetarian eat?"

"Rice Krispies treats," was the immediate response. "With peanut butter on them."

"What?!" I tried not to laugh. "That's disgusting. I thought vegetarians couldn't eat peanut butter."

"They can eat it on Rice Krispies treats," he said.

I don't know where he comes up with these things. We sometimes do have Rice Krispies treats, but never with peanut butter on them. Chocolate, yes. Peanut butter, no.

"Can I have some tuna?" he asked.

I knew what would happen with the tuna. He wouldn't eat it---he hates tuna. He would "accidentally" drop it on the floor, conveniently in front of the cats. They love tuna more than anything, and my children know this. The cats, of course, take full advantage of that fact.

"No, you can't have tuna," I said. "Just eat your fruit snacks."

He went back to playing with his fruit snacks. He's four years old. Anyone who's ever had a small child must know that fruit snacks make great little toys.

I started looking for something to make for supper tonight. I've been ill lately and so have some of the children, so planning ahead for supper has not been a priority these days. I've just been fixing whatever I can find that I have on hand.

"So what sounds good for supper?" I asked. "What can vegetarians eat for supper?"

"Rice and meat and bacon," he said.

I suppose that answer makes perfect sense to a four-year-old.

Printable Coupons: Starkist, Pop Secret and Playskool

2009-10-06T10:44:00.000-04:00

Printable Coupons: Starkist, Pop Secret and Playskool

Here's the link to the toy coupons (sorry, I forgot to add it the first time! I'm a little distracted this morning---the cats are being really bratty and bothering our new little hamster every time I turn my back. They're worse than children!!!!).

Thanks, COmmon Sense with Money! (Note: The Starkist coupon may be zip-code specific---I couldn't find it---hope you can!!)

More great toy coupons

2009-10-06T10:38:00.000-04:00

If you want more of the great toy coupons that were available, go to Playskool.com and you should be able to print off two more copies of each. I'm hoping for a really awesome sale---these would make great toys to donate to a women's shelter or a toy drive.

Donate Expired Coupons to Military Families Overseas

2009-10-06T10:05:00.001-04:00

Donate Expired Coupons to Military Families Overseas

If you are like me, you probably have more than a few coupons sitting around that either are expired or that you will never use. Here is something worthwhile to do with them: Toni at The Happy Housewife will assign you a military family overseas that you can send these coupons to. Prices in commissaries overseas are higher than here in the States, but they can use both newspaper coupons and IPs and they accept expired coupons (up to 3 months expired). I would encourage everyone to click on the link above and sign up to start sending your unused coupons to a military family overseas. (Postage for military overseas addresses is the same as postage here at home, by the way.)

This is a great way to help other people and it will only cost you the postage. I know I have a lot of diaper/baby food/formula/dog food coupons that we will never use, among other things. They can't take store-specific coupons (such as Target), but they can use manufacturer's coupons for basically anything else a grocery store sells. I was so excited to learn they take IPs. Sometimes I print a coupon but never get the chance to use it---at least this way I won't feel it is such a waste of ink and paper.

So please, sign up to do this and encourage your family and friends to do the same!!!!!

Free Sample Oregon Chai Latte

2009-10-04T22:08:00.000-04:00

Free Sample Oregon Chai Latte

Thanks to Common Sense With Money for this find. I've never tried this particular brand, but chai is very, very good. The sample should arrive in 2-4 weeks.

Meijer ad

2009-10-04T10:41:00.002-04:00

This week's Meijer ad may not be the BEST week for coupon matchups, but they're having a pretty awesome 10/$10 get the 11th free sale on some of the Meijer brands. Included in this sale, among other items, are the Meijer-brand fruit snacks (great for lunchboxes) and my all-time favorite, the 1-lb rolls of frozen ground turkey. With the sale, these come out to $0.90/lb. I use them in place of ground meat for almost everything. In this case, there's no guilt in being cheap because the ground turkey isn't just cheaper than ground beef, it's also lower in fat than ground beef. Ground turkey makes a pretty amazing spaghetti sauce, chili, sloppy joe's and tacos. I very rarely buy ground beef anymore---I stock up when this is on sale and use this instead. Since it takes at least 2 lbs (more like 3 if we're having tacos) of ground meat to feed a family the size of mine, this comes out quite a bit cheaper than using ground beef (and it's healthier, but we just won't tell them that).

2009-10-03T13:43:00.002-04:00

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Eph. 2:4-9)

I am so glad it is by grace I am saved! If it were dependent upon my own efforts and "good" works, I could never attain salvation. Praise God, though, Jesus has already paid the price on the Cross and now I am freed from the power of sin and death, free to love and serve Him.

SheSpeaks program

2009-10-02T17:03:00.000-04:00

If you haven't yet registered for She Speaks, I would give it a try. I registered a couple of months ago and kind of forgot about it, but recently they have made me two offers---a shopper's survey (the reward is a $10 Starbucks gift card---can't pass that one up) and an Alouette cheese program (they send you a coupon for a free cheese and some other $1-off coupons) to try the cheese and give them your opinions. Go to shespeaks.com and sign up, then wait for some offers! It's a great way to try new things.

CVS: Free Neosporin Lip Balm

2009-10-02T17:01:00.000-04:00

CVS: Free Neosporin Lip Balm

Thanks to Common Sense with Money for this link to $3/1 coupon for Neosporin lip balm. When you combine this with the $2.50 clip-free CVS coupon, you get the lip balm free!

2009-10-02T11:42:00.000-04:00

If you are a coffee lover, don't forget the Starbucks taste challenge---Via coffee (which is an instant coffee) vs. my all-time favorite, Pike Place Roast. You'll get a coupon for a free tall brewed coffee if you participate. I probably won't be going because cold and flu season has begun at our house already---I have one ill, another looking as if he's getting it also, and four more who undoubtedly will get it too! So I guess I'll sit this one out, but have fun at the taste test!!

2009-10-02T11:27:00.000-04:00

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

My study Bible has an interesting note on this verse: the word "looking" in verse 2 comes from the Greek aphorao. Apo means away from, and horao means to see. It means setting one's undivided attention on an object---in this context, it means having eyes for no-one but Jesus. I love the last part of the passage---Jesus not only is the author of our faith, but also its completion. There is nothing more that needs to be done---He paid the price IN FULL for our salvation through His death on the Cross, and the sacrifice which brings us salvation is completed. Nothing we do can ever bring us closer to salvation, because it has already been bought and paid in full by Jesus Himself. We need only accept His gift of salvation. I would say He is more than worthy of our undivided attention!!

Starbucks Via Challenge / Free Coffee and Coupon

2009-09-30T13:41:00.000-04:00

Starbucks Via Challenge / Free Coffee and Coupon

Thanks to The Happy Housewife for this find! From October2-5 you can go into Starbucks and taste Starbucks Via coffee next to Pike Place roast and try to guess which is which. Not only that, but you get a coupon besides!

A Starbucks taste test? Now, that's my kind of challenge!!

Burger King and Wendy’s: Trick or Treat Coupon Booklets

2009-09-29T14:45:00.000-04:00

Burger King and Wendy’s: Trick or Treat Coupon Booklets

Looking for something to pass out on Halloween other than candy? Check with your local Burger King or Wendy's and see if they're offering these coupon booklets. MacDonald's is supposed to have one as well, and don't forget that Frische's offers a coupon booklet with 8 coupons, each good for a free kid's meal. Each of these booklets costs $1.

BlackFinn Restaurants: Free $25 gift card

2009-09-28T15:12:00.000-04:00

BlackFinn Restaurants: Free $25 gift card

Here's a link to a $25 restaurant gift card if you live near a Black Finn Restaurant. Thanks, Common Sense With Money!

Free Lysol sprays at Meijer

2009-09-28T12:32:00.000-04:00

If you are planning to do the following deal to get free Lysol Neutra-Air sprays at Meijer: Sale price 2/$3, use (2) $1/1 and (1) mealbox coupon---please note that the double packs (the 2-for-1 packs) are also included in the sale price and work for this deal! So, rather than getting 2 free sprays using the coupons I mentioned, you get 4!!!!

Mycokerewards.com coupon for free 12-pack

2009-09-27T07:07:00.000-04:00

For a limited time, if you have 240 points collected at mycokerewards.com, you can get a coupon for a free 12-pack of Coke!! I have nowhere near that much, but if you've been saving up for something good, now might be a good time to redeem your points.

Printable Coupons: Cheerios, Bagel Bites, Pedialyte and More

2009-09-27T06:43:00.000-04:00

Printable Coupons: Cheerios, Bagel Bites, Pedialyte and More

Thanks, Common Sense With Money! Here are some great high-value printables. Can I just say, FINALLY another $1/1 Cheerios! It's the only kind of cereal one of my boys will eat!

Kids eat free!!

2009-09-25T14:12:00.000-04:00

Have you checked out Mykidseatfree.com? You enter your state and then the city you want to search, and it pulls up a list of restaurant that offer free deals for kids. This would be a valuable site for anyone with children or grandchildren (or nieces, nephews, etc.). The nice thing is if you are going on vacation you could find out ahead of time where your family could eat inexpensively.

It's Hip to Save!: FREE Sample: Kotex Overnight Pads (New Link)!

2009-09-25T14:09:00.000-04:00

It's Hip to Save!: FREE Sample: Kotex Overnight Pads (New Link)!

Thanks to Hip2Save for this find! Here's a new link for a sample of Kotex Overnight pads. The nice thing about these is they often come with a high-dollar coupon that comes in handy when Walgreens or CVS runs a deal on these items.

Walmart” Free Honey Bunches of Oats

2009-09-24T09:44:00.000-04:00

Walmart” Free Honey Bunches of Oats

Thanks, Common Sense with Money! Here's a link to a $2/1 coupon for Honey Bunches of Oats. Although Walmart's prices vary by region, many people are saying their Walmart has the cereal marked down to $2 a box. Even if yours doesn't, you likely could get it very cheap.

2009-09-23T13:36:00.000-04:00

"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Heb. 1:3)

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Col. 1:15-17)

I believe I posted both of these verses before but they are just so powerful I had to post them again!!