Yard Sale Deals: Clothes & Shoes

Some of the coordinating items we picked up at a local yard sale! I was thrilled at the neat people I met during some of my yard sale adventures. One yard sale I went to this summer had twin girls that were a year older then my girls. The best part about shopping at their yard sale is I was able to stock up on some coordinating clothes for the girls from sweaters to jeans, shirts, skirts, boots, and even clogs!
I purchase 63 pieces (including shoes) for $12.00 making them approximately 19 cents each. The red clogs are super cute too, we’ll see how well the girls like them! These items are perfect for the upcoming school year and are in good condition.
The day I went to this yard sale was overcast and raining until after 7 am that morning. Half of the places I went to never even brought out their items so it was a slower day. The yard sale where these items were discovered was just starting and it was after 10:30 am on Saturday. They were just pulling out their items and setting up. I am glad that we took a few moments to check this one out, it really was a great way for me to stock up on clothing for the girls.
Blockbuster Express: Coupon Codes for FREE DVD Rentals
Are you looking for a fun way to relax with your family this week or over the weekend? Blockbuster Express has FREE rental codes available right now:
- Code – 33TTDR8
- Code – 23PGAR7
- Code – 52KRVF7
- Code – 48RMAQ5
- Code – 79AGSF6
- Code – 48TPLD5
- Code – 26MMKC3
- Code – 99JMMF9
The above Coupon Codes are good through midnight Friday, September 16, 2011.
- Code – 73PGAR8
- Code – 27KRVF6
- Code – 54RMAQ6
- Code – 36MMKC4
- Code – 39CHAH2
The above Coupon Codes are good through midnight Monday, September 19, 2011.
The coupon codes can be used to get DVDs from your nearest Blockbuster Express kiosk. Some codes may only work online so make sure to reserve your rental before picking it up. A credit card required to rent. The codes are valid on $1 movies not on Blu-rays or new releases. Make sure to return you DVD on time to avoid paying any late fees.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of September 14 – 20, 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
Ground Hamburger (80% Lean) – $2.49 per lb
Fresh Chicken Leg Quarters – $0.79 per lb
Sugardale Smoked, Stadium, or Cheddar Brats (14 oz) – $1.99
Holten Beef Patties (24 oz) – $1.99
Farmington Pork Sausage (16 oz) – $1.99
Oscar Mayer Ready to Serve Bacon (2.1 oz) – $2.49
Use $0.55/1 coupon booklet from Kraft Food & Family (found at Food Lion & BiLo) Expires 12/31/11
$1.94 each after couponPick 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
Buyers Best Crinkle Cut French Fries (32 oz) – $0.99
McClary’s Cheese Singles (10.7 oz) – $0.99
Bright & Early Orange and Grape Drinks – $1.00
Morning Delight Cinnamon Rolls with Icing – $1.69
Coburn Farms Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (12 oz) – $2.99
Produce
Jumbo Vine Ripe Tomatoes – $0.99 per lb
Gala Apples (3 lbs) – $2.49
Cucumbers – $0.50
Cabbage – $0.39
Cantaloupes – $1.49
Navel Oranges (3 lbs) – $2.99
Caeser Salad Kit (5.6 oz) – $2.49
Household
Angel Fresh Dryer Sheets – $0.99
Glo Classic Dish Liquid (25 oz) – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Bath Tissue (4 count) – $0.89
Save A Lot Today Liquid Laundry Detergent (45.4 oz) – $1.99
Save A Lot Today Soap Scum Remover (32 oz) – $1.00
Save A Lot Today All Purpose Pine Cleaner (32 oz) – $1.00
Save A Lot Today All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach (32 oz) – $1.00
Grocery
Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce (25.6 oz) – $0.88
Mantia’s Spaghetti or Elbow Macaroni Noodles – $0.99
Green Giant Vegetables (14 to 15 oz) – $0.59
Andy Capp Fries – $0.69
Tony’s Mega Pouch (Pepperoni Pizza or Egg & Bacon) – $0.79
Arizona Drinks (23 oz) – $0.79
Bisquick Shake & Pour (5.1 oz) – $0.99
Diane’s Garden Tomato Sauce (8 oz) – $0.29
Kurtz Ketchup – $0.89
Kurtz Wing Sauce – $1.39
Marcum Chicken Coating Mix – $0.99
Marcum Seasoned Bread Crumbs (11 oz) – $0.99
O Days Mac & Cheese – $0.39
Potatoes on the Side Scallop or Au Gratin – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries – $0.99
McDaniel’s Enhanced Coffee Creamer (16 oz) – $1.79
Mantia’s Crispy Crust Pizza Mix – $0.49
Mantia’s Pizza Sauce (14 oz) – $0.99
Wylwood Mushroom Pieces and Stems – $0.59
Bell’s Sliced Ripe Olives – $0.79
Sugardale Sliced Pepperoni (8 oz) – $1.99
Grissom’s Garlic Bread Sticks (12 oz) – $1.99
Cloverhill Strawberry Cheese Claw (4.25 oz) – $0.59
Mrs. Freshley’s Buddy Bars or Oatmeal Creme Pies (8 count) – $1.00
Health & Beauty
Being Well Allergy Tablets (30 Count) – $2.49
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.
Gift for the Teacher on the First Day of School

Over the summer we picked up goodies for the teacher. Items we packed in the goodie bag for the girls school teacher. We did get a list of items that she requested for the classroom and added a few more to fill up the bag. The girls had a lot of fun picking out the items and packing it up.
- 2 boxes of Kleenex
- 1 bag Animal Eraser
- 1 Notepad
- 1 pack of 3 reptile Sticky Notes
- 2 packs 8×10 Filler Paper
- 18 Glue Sticks
- 2 bottles Germx
- 1 box 24 Crayons
- 1 package Fall “Reward Sheets”
- 1 package “Certificate of Recognition” Sheets
- 1 bag Candy Bracelets, Rings, and Lipsticks
- 2 boxes of pencils
- 2 pencil containers
- 2 Spiral Notebooks
- 2 Capsule Animals
- 1 Mini Story Book
- 5 Clip Bracelets “Kids Doing Good”
- 4 Sandal Notepads
- 1 package Highlighters
- 1 box Paperclips
- 1 package “Great Work” Certificates
- 1 package “Star Student” Certificates
- 1 package “No Homework” Certificates
- 1 package “Free Time” Certificates
- 1 package “Note From Your Teacher” Rocket Postcards
- 1 box Bandaids

Teacher goodie bag ready for the first day of school. 
Rocket Postcards for the teacher! You can probably guess which one of the girls picked out this goodie to put in the bag. They were very excited to put together items for the teacher.

Teachers goodie bag The teachers goodie bag was ready and packed on the first day of school complete with a note from us.
Thankfully most of the items we found on clearance over the summer, from the Dollar Tree, or had in our stockpile from shopping at a variety of stores. So far the only item(s) that we have seen come back home from the goodie bag has been two band aids from Karlie’s nose dive on the playground the first week of school. Luckily it was just a surface wound. The teacher already sent us a note thanking us for the items, which was really nice too. Did you send your teacher any goodies? If you did what did you put in the bag or box?
Living Social: $20 Gift Card to Whole Foods Market for $10!
Living Social currently has a great Nationwide Deal!
$20 Gift Card to Whole Foods for $10
Details of the Gift Card:
- Purchase a $20 virtual Gift Card voucher to Whole Foods for only $10
- Whole Foods is donating 5% of all sales to Charity
- Print your virtual Gift Card or show them the email on your phone and you’ll get your $20 credit at checkout
- Gift Card vouchers can be redeemed in any Whole Foods store
- Limit 1 voucher per person.
How to get your Gift Card:
- Sign up or login into your Living Social account
- Available in Select Cities (if not showing up in your current location Go to Greenville, SC or Boston)
- Purchase the Whole Foods $20 gift voucher for $10
- Your virtual gift card voucher will be pending in your account until September 14, 2011
- The virtual gift card voucher will expire on 12/13/11
Raising Multiples: First School Day of First Grade!
The girls recently started school, their first day of first grade went really well. After a wonderful summer together of traveling and memories we were getting them ready for school They were excited to go to school to learn and see their friends but also told me that they would miss their time at home, (aw….such sweethearts)! Here’s a few snapshots from their first day of school.

First day of School lunches are packed and ready to go! This year we are packing lunches every day except Fridays, which is pizza or special lunch day. They were very excited about picking out and making food to pack in their lunches. I was impressed at how well they adjusted and how much initiative they took cleaning out their bags every day. The girls received their lunch bags from some great friends, they came in handy last year and again this year.

Brina's lunch Brina is our loves flowers, pink, orange, and anything girly so this is perfect for her. One of the concerns Moms with Twins, Triplets or higher multiples is making sure to develop their individuality. The girls were THRILLED to have different lunch boxes with their names on it.

Karlie's lunch One of Karlie’s favorite colors is black (she has loved space and planets for years)! These thoughtful gifts came from a good friend with triplets who has been a huge encouragement to me since she found out I was pregnant with the girls.

Notes we put into their school lunch on the first day of first grade! The girls see some of the “notes” that I send in Daddy’s lunch and always enjoy it when they get one as well. As a special surprise occasionally I will stick in a note to them. They both thanked us for their first lunch box “love note” of the school year!

Brina and Karlie ready for their first day of 1st grade! You would think that at this age it would be easy to get two kids to smile at the camera, ha! They were so worried that my taking pictures would make them late the first day of school. Don’t worry we made it with plenty of time to spare!

Brina's ready! Brina’s comment on the way to school this year was “”We will make some good friends today and have fun talking to our friends from last year!” Glad she is excited about seeing friends and making new ones.

Karlie's super excited to go to first grade! Karlie’s comment on the way to school this year was “So how many days until Summer break”! We had been counting down until the first day of school. She had such a fun summer together I think she was ready to start counting down until next summer.

Our notes to our sweet girls at breakfast! On their breakfast plates we wrote each of them a note to read while we were cooking breakfast.

Notes to our girls on the first day of school! They love getting notes and special days should be celebrated!

Hello cutie pies, your note from Mom and Dad on your first day of First Grade! Our first day of school note was M&M’s. The comment I got from them was “Silly Mommy” but they smiled reading the letter we wrote to them.

Love making our girls smile. The first day of first grade is a great day to celebrate! Life is short and my babies are growing up quickly. I want our girls to know how much we love them. These notes only take a few moments to write but can be a tremendous encouragement to them especially as they walk into a new classroom on the first day of school.

On the way to school! All buckled in and ready for school. Yes, I took the picture at a stoplight not while driving.

Beautiful first day of first grade for the girls! I was thankful to see the sun shining, a gorgeous blue sky, white puffy clouds and beautiful leafy trees on the way to school. We truly have much to appreciate in life.

Walking behind their teacher on their way to first grade, my babies are growing up! My big girls walking to their class by themselves, no assistance necessary from their Mommy.

School day is done, they love riding home on the bus. Thankful for their time to learn. Praying that their first grade year is a positive experience packed full of great educational fun.
Song: “Stained Glass Masquerade” by Casting Crowns
Last week was a mixed of emotions….. One dear friend from church who had been battling cancer, lived a great life, and was an inspiration to many went home to be with her Savior. Another friend and business acquaintance who we hadn’t seen for several months took his own life which came as a complete surprise to our family. We received news about a couple other friends going through some tough times as well. The girls went back to school, work was busy, and many other activities filled the week.
As I was enjoying some quiet time today I decided to look through my journal of ideas, specifically the list of songs that caught my attention. When I came upon “Stained Glass Masquerade” by Casting Crowns I paused…..and thought about all the events throughout the week. How many of us live in some form of masquerade, we each have our own weaknesses yet we think it is not acceptable to discuss those fears and failures with others. When we look around us at our friends or acquaintances in church and in other areas of our lives everyone else seems to have their lives perfectly put together. How often do we chose to not reach out to someone because we are afraid of what they will think of us or how they will react when we can see that they are struggling?
Take a moment today to search your heart, confess your weaknesses to God and live the life that is meant for you. Find a prayer partner, or two, that you can be open and honest with and pray earnestly for each other. No one person can fill a void in your heart or life except Christ, however, having friends praying alongside you increases your chance of success and brings a lot of encouragement along the hills and valleys in each others journeys.
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
I am starting to get into a new rhythm for the month of September now that school is going full swing. It has been been a couple weeks of adjusting to new schedules and activities, but thankfully everyone seems to be doing really well. As I was looking over the schedule and trying to come up with ways to make it more efficient I realized that it was necessary to make my dinner menu official. I have always had a general patterned I followed and backup meals prepared just in case it was “one of those days” but recently I caught myself standing in front of my open pantry at 5:34 PM trying to decide what to make for dinner. As I reviewed my week I decided in order to make the evening go smoothly for the entire family I must plan our dinner ahead of time.Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): Lasagna, Salad (Lettuce from Garden & using Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Kit for toppings), Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Garlic Butter Grouper Fillets, Steamed Cauliflower, Broccoli & Rice Au Gratin
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Italian Herb Chicken, Roasted Parmesan Potatoes, Broccoli Coleslaw
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Garden Vegetable Pasta, Fruit Salad
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Work Party, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I intend to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef entree, Tuesday a seafood or pork entree and so forth). When I have guidelines in place it makes it much easier to follow and get the tasks done. It is my goal at least, at the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
I look forward to seeing how the set weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
CVS: Spent $0.32 and Got $1 ECB’s Back

CVS Clearance Deals I have taken a few weeks off from shopping at CVS. Our family stockpile of items from the CVS deals over the last few months was enough for our family so I thought it would be to take a good break. Plus the break allowed me to spend a little extra time with my family prior to the girls going back to school. I did drop into CVS over the weekend since I had some ECBs about ready to expire and found some great clearance items at 90% off. I was able to get the items for $0.32 including tax and received $1.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase. Here is what I purchased this week.
- 2 – Hot Pink Shoes
- 3 – Women’s Flip Flops
- 2 – Kid’s Flip Flops
- 1 – package Rocket Balloons
- 1 – package FREE Carefree Pads
- 1 – FREE Dove Candy Bar
Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $3.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
- Used $4.00 CVS ECB’s
I received $1.00 ECB’s back today:
- $1.00 ECB’s for Carefree Products
Today I was able to save $47.22 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.
When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club). As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS. Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase. You can pick and chose what is best for your family.
I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week! For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week! Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household. In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.
Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Agriculture (Week 15 & 16)
I took a take a couple weeks off since our family schedule was so busy and we had out of town guests staying with us I forgot to get a picture snapped before eating the goodies. It is week fifteen and sixteen receiving fresh produce from our CSA! Our family has been enjoying a half of share of fresh produce, local honey, eggs and more from a local farm.Week 15 & 16 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!

Fresh goodies from our Local CSA Farm! Items in our Basket this Week:
- 1 bag Red & Green Okra
- 1 bag Green, Yellow & Purple Beans
- 2 Green Pepper
- 1 Red and Green Pepper
- 2 Red Tomatoes
- 1 Orange Tomato
- 1 Cucumber
- 2 Summer Squash
- 2 Zucchini
- 1 bundle Radishes
- 1 Dozen Fresh Eggs
I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week! Anyone have a great recipes for Radishes? Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes, keep them coming!!! The CSA’s are gearing up to do their Fall Harvest soon, if you want to get involved this is a great time to contact them.
To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Farms


