Deals & Giveaways
CONGRATULATIONS to Our Staples Gift Card Winner!!!
The name has been drawn for the giveaway!
CONGRATULATIONS to Adriana
for winning a
$10 Staples Gift Card!
Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!
An email has been sent to you with more information*
Enjoy Your Supplies
Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway!!!
*Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced. Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.
Summer Activities – A Hammock Full of Memories
Swinging and relaxing for a few minutes in the Hammock! A few months ago for Mother’s Day Jake gave me a hammock! It wasn’t until this Summer that I realized how much the gift meant to me. As a family we have spent some wonderful time together talking, laughing, reading, and just relaxing together in the hammock. Jake hung the hammock in the shady part of our yard near the jungle gym, swimming pool, and where I can see the majority of the yard, house and driveway.
Karlie hanging out with us on the hammock! Once Karlie was done swimming she ran inside the house to change so she could have some relaxing time on the hammock with Mom and Dad. I cannot count the number of times she has fallen asleep on the hammock as we enjoy time together.
Brina loving the extra time talking and relaxing with Mom, Dad and Karlie. The girls love getting a chance to swing on the hammock with Mom and Dad. They have a blast talking about anything and everything. It is a great location to have some heart to heart as well as reminisce about all the fun memories we have together as a family.
Skipper, our faithful guard dog while the family enjoys time on the hammock. After Skipper has made a complete loop around the entire property she will settle down at a spot right next to the hammock. She occasionally will look at us but for the most part she is checking out all the activity in the woods and creek area. Although she has never been on the hammock she seems to enjoy it when the entire family is outside nearby.
A moment of rest. Every once in awhile when we are on the hammock the girls will fall asleep. It is such a great place to spend a few moments together. Life has a way of getting so busy that we need some time to stop, focus on each family member, enjoy being outside and relax.
A peaceful view of nature! This is the view looking up from the hammock. You can enjoy the beautiful trees, baby blue sky, and white puffy clouds floating by. Just looking up and watching the leaves rustle in the breeze and the clouds drifting by makes the time relaxing even better.
I have gone out many times over the last few months to relax, read, think, pray, do my devotions, write, brain storm, or hang out with Jake and / or the girls. I am thankful for a thoughtful husband who gave me a gift that not only helps me relax but to slow down and enjoy a few precious moments with him and the girls. Our hammock is so much more then just a hammock it is full of relaxing moments sharing memories together as a family. Sometimes it is the simple things in life that make the most treasured memories for our children. I am already looking forward to watching the leaves change colors as we move closer to the Fall season.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of August 31 – September 6, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You do not need any coupons to get the Save A Lot Today prices. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Sugardale Shank Portion Bone In Ham – $1.29 per lb
Pork Country Style Ribs – $2.99 per lb
Fresh Split Chicken Breast – $0.99 per lb
Beef Country Style Ribs – $3.99 per lb
Sugardale Super Dogs (5 lbs) – $4.99
Ground Beef (3 lbs or 5 lbs) – $1.99 per lb
Sugardale Bone In Center Sliced Ham – $2.99 per lb
Sugardale Sliced Bacon – $1.99
Farmington Roll Pork Sausage – $1.99
Holten Quarter Pound Beef Patties (2 lbs) – $3.99
Schooner Cod, Pollock, Tilapia Fillets – $2.99
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Fast Fixin Breaded Chicken (31 to 43 oz) – $3.99
Tombstone Pizza – $2.50
Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 8/14 Smart Source (Expires 9/17/11)
Use $1.50/3 printable coupon from Nestle Family
As low as $1.50 each after couponTotino’s Pizza Roll (40 count / 19.8 oz) – $2.50
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
Use $0.40/2 printable coupon from Coupon Web
Use $0.40/2 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
Use $0.60/3 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
As low as $2.00 each after couponSnack-A-Tizers Pepperoni Pizza Bagels – $4.99
Peak’s Pick Orange Juice – $3.99
Morning Delight Sausage Breakfast Bowl – $1.99
Mantia’s Deep Dish Mini Pizza’s – $3.99
White Castle Cheeseburgers – $3.99
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/28 Smart Source (Expires 11/26/11)
$3.49 each after couponWylwood Mixed Vegetables – $1.19
Wylwood Potato Puffs – $1.89
Produce
Red, White or Black Grapes – $0.99 per lb
Peaches, Plums or Nectarines – $0.99 per lb
Tomatoes (6 pack) – $1.99
Ginger Gold 0r Paula Red Apples (3 lbs) – $2.49
Household
Wrightware Foam Plates – $1.19
Luster Facial Tissue (160 count) – $0.99
Grocery
Malt-O-Meal Cereal (Coco Dyno Bites or Frosted Flakes) – $1.88
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Malt-O-Meal
$1.50 each after couponMaxwell House Wake Up Roast Coffee (11.5 oz) – $2.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon booklet from Kraft Food & Family (found at Food Lion & BiLo) Expires 12/31/11
$1.99 each after couponSo Cheezy Family Size Shells & Cheddar (24 oz) – $1.99
Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail (64 oz) – $1.88
Campbell’s Chunky Soup – $1.50
Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 8/14 Smart Source (Expires 9/25/11)
Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 8/14 Smart Source (Expires 9/25/11)
As low as $1.25 each after couponMaruchan Ramon Noodle Cups – $1.88
Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce – $0.99
Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding Cups – $0.99
Long Grain White Rice – $1.69
Wescott Canola Cooking Spray – $1.49
Ginger Evans Deluxe Fudge Brownies – $1.49
J Higgs Potato Chips – $1.19
J Higgs Microwave Popcorn – $1.79
LeCour’s Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – $2.39
J Higgs Oyster Crackers – $1.19
Morning Delight Buttermilk Pancake Mix – $1.59
Morning Delight Syrup – $1.49
McDaniel’s Enhance Coffee Creamer – $1.69
Morning Delight Toaster Pastriess – $1.89
Mountain Holler Avalanche Soda – $0.75
Splash Out Juice Drink Boxes (8 Pack) – $1.49
Ginger Evans Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffin Mix – $0.79
Spam (12 oz) – $2.49
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats – $2.19
Use $0.50/1 coupon from tearpad (Expires 12/31/11) (May be doubled up to $1.00 at some stores)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 8/7 Red Plum (Expires 10/2/11)
As low as $1.19 each after couponLittle Hug Assorted Fruit Drinks (160 oz) – $2.99
Baby
Being Well Baby Tickles Diapers (Size 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) – $5.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
We are back from traveling this week and super excited about having guests. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles, BiLo, and Walmart Ingles Groceries:
- $15.80 at Ingles for 1 loaf Laura Lynn Bread, 1 container Yogurt, 1 bag of Banana’s, 2 bags fresh Spinach, 2 bags Fresh Coleslaw, 1 container fresh Lettuce, 1 package Ground Hamburger, 1 head Cauliflower, 1 container fresh Strawberries, 1 container fresh Beans, and 1 bag Shredded Lettuce (all the items were marked down on clearance for $0.50 to $0.99 or on sale plus I used a couple coupons from the yogurt boxes)
BiLo Groceries:
- $4.48 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Milk and 1 box of PopTarts. (I brought a reusable bag today so I was able to get a 5 cent discount at BiLo).
Walmart Groceries:
- $21.11 at Walmart for 1 container Vanilla Ice Cream, 1 bag of Hashbrowns, 1 bag English Muffins, 1 bag Mozzarella String Cheese, 1 bag Cheese Twist Sticks, 1 container Sour Cream, 2 containers Whipped Topping, 1 bag Bagels, Oscar Mayer Chicken Combo, Oscar Mayer Combos, 1 box Butter, and 1 bag Potatoes (the Oscar Mayer Combos were free with coupon).
This week I spent $41.39 on groceries. Even though I was over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items on clearance plus I had a little extra left over from last week. I am excited to have my parents, grandparents, and brother visiting this week. I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget for the week.
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Family Recipe: Scotch Shortbread
Jake’s Grandma makes awesome Shortbread cookies. These are a staple in our household especially around the Holidays, however, they are perfect any time of the year. My husband REALLY enjoys these cookies so they are fun to make at our house as a special treat for him.
Scotch Shortbread:
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2/3 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Confectioners’ Sugar
Sift flour, measure, add salt and sift again. Cream butter, gradually add confections’ sugar and continue to beat until light. Combine the dry ingredients and creamed mixture until blended thoroughly. Pat the dough into an ungreased 9 inch pie plate. Flute the edges with fingers, prick the surface all over with fork. Or use an 8×8 inch pan and mark into square or oblongs before baking. Bake in a moderate oven 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. You can also do a variety of shapes with cookie cutters as well.
Photo by Angela Anderson Cobb
Craft Activities: Time to Paint
The girls enjoy summer and all the fun activities that come along with it! One of the activities they insisted on doing regularly was painting. They have a blast doing it and I like that it helps them work on their hand eye coordination as well as creativity.
Karlie concentrating on her painting project! Karlie had so much fun coloring her craft that she used up almost all the paint that came with it. She was really good about rinsing out her brush!
Brina carefully painting her craft! She wanted the picture to be perfect! Brina had fun painting her pretty picture.
I am thrilled to see how much the girls enjoy crafts. It is neat seeing them take time to be creative, neat, and make the craft extra special. They are even getting better about not making such a huge mess (which is nice for Mommy too). My babies are growing up so quickly. I am thankful for our time together this summer and will be sad to see them go back to school soon.
Delicious Butterfly – White Chocolate Raspberry Pretzels
White Chocolate Raspberry Butterfly Pretzel As a special treat a this summer the girls picked out these White Chocolate Raspberry flavored Pretzels to share when they were on sale. They were delicious! As they were snacking on the goodies the Brina pulled out this one, the butterfly. They were super excited that there was a butterfly in their container of goodies. The butterfly came complete with “beautiful wings”. They told me that they next time with make chocolate pretzels they were going to make a lot of butterflies! Even a butterfly pretzel can be a true source of enjoyment for the kids. It is the little blessings that come in small packages that bring smiles.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of August 24 – 30, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You do not need any coupons to get the Save A Lot Today prices. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Chicken & Thighs (5 lbs) – $3.95
Sugardale Bratwurst (Smoked, Stadium, or Cheddar) 14 oz – $1.99
Holten Extra Value Beef Patties (24 oz) – $1.99
Schooner Salad Shrimp or Imitation Crab – $1.00
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Oscar Mayer Lunchables (9.7 to 10.8 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/2 peelie coupon (Expires 9/30/11)
$1.49 each after couponReser’s Macaroni or Potato Salad – $1.00
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web – No longer available (thanks David)!
Free after each couponMr P’s Pepperoni or Supreme Pizza (6.5 oz) – $0.69
Party Treat Vanilla Sandwiches (4 count) – $1.00
Dannon NutriDay Yogurt (4 Count – 16 oz) – $1.00
Coburn Farms Yogurt (6 oz) – $0.39
Creamy Whip Whipped Topping – $0.95
Coburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.49
Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls (15 count) – $0.99
Produce
Peaches, Plums or Nectarines – $0.79 per lb
Bartlett Pears – $0.79 per lb
Roma Tomatoes – $0.79 per lb
Jumbo Sweet Onions – $0.79 per lb
Mini Carrots (1 lb bag) – $1.00
Household
Save A Lot Today Bath Tissue (4 rolls) – $0.89
Save A Lot Today Laundry Detergent (45.4 oz) – $1.99
Grocery
JJ’s Snack Pies (Apple / Cherry) 4 oz – $0.33
Bugles (6 to 7.5 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 7/10 Smart Source (Expires 9/3/11)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 7/10 Smart Source (Expires 9/3/11)
$0.50 each after couponMini Moon Pies (7.2 oz) – $1.00
Betty Crocker Bon Appetite (2.3 to 2.8 oz) – $1.00
Gatorade (Orange, Lemon Lime, or Fruit Punch) 32 oz – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00
Nesquik Chocolate or Strawberry Milk (16 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 6/5 Red Plum (Expires 8/28/11)
$0.50 each after couponDuncan Hines Cupcakes, Brownies or Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix – $1.00
Use B2G1 coupon from insert 6/5 Smart Source (Expires 9/5/11)
$0.66 after each couponSave A Lot Brand Soda (2 liter) – $0.75
Lecour’s Cream Between Sandwich Cookies – $1.69
Shelby Grove Fruit Cups (4 count) – $1.79
J Higgs Corn or BBQ Corn Chips (10 to 12 oz) – $1.35
Mantia’s Pasta Sauce (24 oz) – $1.23
Mantia’s Spaghetti Noodles (16 oz) – $0.99
Del Pino’s Canned Pasta with Meat – $0.73
Senora Verde Taco Shells – $0.99
Senora Verde Mild Taco Sauce (16 oz) – $1.99
Marcum’s Taco Seasoning – $0.39
Senora Verde Refried Beans – $0.79
Kool Aid Bursts (6 pack) – $0.99
Island Orchard 100% Juice Mini Drink Boxes – $0.99
Arizona Iced Tea with Lemon Flavor – $0.79
Mrs. Freshley’s Swiss Rolls or Honey Buns – $1.00
Austin Crackers – $1.19
Crispeez Rice Cakes – $1.25
Gourmet Select Onion Rings (5 oz) – $0.95
Bumble Bee Tuna Salad Kits – $1.29
Ravello Microwave Mac & Cheese Cups – $0.75
Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Assorted Sandwich Creme Cookies – $1.19
Save A Lot Today Apple Juice Cocktail – $1.29
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
We were back to traveling again for part of the week so it was more of a challenge getting the grocery shopping trip into the schedule. It was our last family trip before the kids go back to school which included some work, exploring the area and going to the beach. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and BiLo Ingles Groceries:
- $13.37 at Ingles for 4 boxes Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt (4 count each), 4 boxes Danimals Yogurt Strawberry / Vanilla / Peach (6 count each), 1 Broccoflower (part Broccoli and part Cauliflower), 2 bags of Sugar Snow Peas, 1 container of Grapefruit Juice, 2 bags Broccoli Coleslaw and 2 chunky mild Guacamole Dips. (all the items were marked down on clearance for $0.50 to $0.99 or on sale plus I used a couple coupons from the yogurt boxes)
BiLo Groceries:
- $3.52 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Milk. (BiLo has the best prices in our area for milk, plus if you bring your own bag they will give you 5 cents off per bag you use, of course I forgot my bag in the van when I ran into get the milk real quick).
This week I spent $16.89 on groceries. Even though I was under my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items on clearance plus I will have a little extra left over for upcoming weeks. I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget for the week even though we will have out of town guests staying with us for a few days.
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Craft Activities: Silly Yard Animals
During the summer I came up with a variety of fun activities for the girls to enjoy. As I was going through the craft cabinet I pulled out google eyes, fuzzy sticks, pom poms, and glue! A lot of fun crafty ideas can happen with all these great items but I had a specific purpose in mind – Rock Animals! Rock Animals are always a huge hit and can occupy the girls for hours. Here is how to much Rock and other Nature Animals!
Step 1
Items for the craft – Google Eyes, Fuzzy Sticks, Pom Poms, Scissors and Glue
We are ready to get creative with Fuzzy Sticks, Glue, Google Eyes, and Pom Poms! Step 2
Have each child gather a pile of rocks, sticks, leaves, sea shells and other items from the yard. The kids are usually so excited to get started this step only takes a few minutes!
Karlie gathered some rocks, sticks and leaves to make into fun animals! Step 3
Once they have a pile of goodies from the yard help get them started on making their “animals”. I make sure the glue is ready to go, the craft is going smoothly, and answer any last minute questions before giving them the freedom to be creative!
Brina creating her leaf animal. Step 4
Let the kids imaginations go wild creating their own animals! Here are a few of the creations our girls came up with during their craft time!
Karlie made a rock replica of Daddy (love the green glasses)! I was thrilled to see them come up with “glasses” for their animals especially since our entire family (including the kids) wear glasses!
Brina's silly stick animal. Brina found several sticks and had a blast creating animals out of them!
Karlie's "scary" shark animal. She started out making the three eyed alien from “Toy Story” but decided it looked more like a shark, one of her favorite animals (she has been fascinated by sharks since she was 3 years old).
Brina found a brick in the rock garden and made a happy brick animal out of it (with glasses as well). I was excited to see them find and create a variety of different yard objects.
Cute rock with pretty purple hair. They found the various objects and were able to create the animals on their own. Although we went through A LOT of glue, so make sure to have plenty on hand! The rock animal craft kept our girls entertained for hours! It was so much fun checking out all their neat animals and hearing their stories behind each one. They left several of their treasures on the front porch to show their friends, family and neighbors. Skipper decided the pom poms were too irresistible and managed to remove a few from their animals so the girls spent the next day patching a few of their rock animals. The girls had a blast and it only cost me a couple dollars for all the supplies!
