Samples and Freebies

Requested:

U by Kotex.
Bounty Sample (you need to be a member of Sam's Club for this offer)

Received:

Orville Redenbacher Cheese Popcorn sample and coupon
Pretzel M&Ms - facebook sample
Abuelita (hot chocolate) sample and coupon

CVS Deals - 4/26

Well, I learned some things since I posted my scenarios.

First, the DVD coupon that I was wishing I had print is now available again, it must have been reset. You can go here to get this coupon for a BOGO Kodak Picture Maker DVD. You can couple this with the BOGO sale for two free DVDs.

Second, the 2oz tubes of CVS Sunscreen, which retail for $2.19 each at my store, are working for the CVS sunscreen deal this week. This deal is a moneymaker.

While at the store, I picked up a few deals as well.

2 - Oral B Toothbrushes
1 - Colgate Pro
2 - CVS 2oz Sunscreen tubes
2 - CVS Chewable Vitamin C

-$2.99 Oral B BOGO Mfg coupon
-$2 Oral B Mfg coupon
-$1 Colgate Mfg coupon
-$1 CVS skincare CRT

Paid with $9.99 in ECBs and $4.86 OOP ($4.16 + tax). Earned $2, $2 and $5 ECBs.

Mango Blueberry Crisp

I am a big fan of fruit desserts. Some of my favorites included Apple Dumplings (with nice cold milk poured over top of the hot dumpling - yum!), Apple Crisp and Apple Pie with a crumble top, Peach Pie, Strawberry Pie, Strawberry Rhubarb cake or pie (Grandma made the best), and the list goes on. I'm not sure I've met many fruit desserts that I didn't like.

Now that I am older, I have had a lot more varieties of fruit than I did when I was a kid. I think it is part of the "shrinking" of the world and the ability to get fresh fruit year round that has created this opportunity for me. One of my new favorites is Mango. They have a unique and sweet flavor that I really enjoy.

At work, we celebrate birthdays and holidays with a Goodie Day. I always like to make something to bring in. A few times ago, I had forgotten but knew that I had some frozen fruit that I could use. I decided that I wanted to make something with some mango that I had on hand. I did a search for mango and found sweet breads and crisps. The idea of a mango crisp intrigued me, so I narrowed my search to Mango Crisp. I found a few variations - some with just mango, some with bananas, some with blueberries, some with peaches. I decided that I would make one with blueberries. I took my basic apple crisp recipe and amped it up with some added oats (the crisp portion of my apple crisp doesn't use oats, just flour and sugar) and some ginger and nutmeg for a more earthy contrast to the sweet mango.

Mango-Blueberry Crisp

Ingredients
3 c chopped mangoes
2 c blueberries
1/4 c flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg

Topping
1 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine blueberries and mango. Add the flour, sugar and spices and toss everything together. Place in a glass baking dish.

In a separate bowl, crumble together the ingredients for the topping and sprinkle over the mango-blueberry mixture.

Cook for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!!

I used frozen fruit, but I'm guessing you could also do with fresh fruit. You might not need as much flour mixed with the fruit if you use fresh. You can adjust the nutmeg and ginger level to meet your family's taste.

For more fruit recipes, check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life As Mom.

This recipe shared at The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

31¢ Scoop Night - Baskin Robbins

Wednesday, April 28th from 5 pm to 10 pm, stop by your local Baskin Robbins for 31¢ scoop night. The night is to honor America's Firefighters and benefits the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

The Baskin Robbins Community Foundation is donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation™ (NFFF). In addition, at some locations you will be able to make a donation to local fire charities.

You can learn more and find a location here. As always, it is probably a good idea to call ahead and confirm that your location is participating.

Hormel & Dinty Moore Prize Pack Winner

Congratulations to DebbieLynne! She is the winner of the Hormel & Dinty Moore prize pack giveaway on A Busy Mom of Two.

An e-mail will be sent to the winner. Thanks everyone for participating and be sure to check out my other giveaways.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

3
Timestamp: 2010-04-28 09:29:08 UTC

Wonder Hanger

One of my challenges as I have lost weight is finding clothes in my closet that fit. When it comes to pants, it really is hit or miss. For whatever reason, they must have all been varying degrees of tightness when I was larger. Since they don't all fit, I have been having a wonderful time shopping for a smaller size that fits me and (hopefully) flatters the new smaller me. The problem is that my closet has been growing increasingly more stuffed. Most of my shirts, suits and slacks that I wore before I still have - I can't really go out and buy a whole new wardrobe (although does What Not to Wear take self-nominations? I'm sure I look "great" in my oversized clothing) - but now, I have begun to add to it smaller clothes. As I continue to shop, my closet is reaching capacity.



A few weeks ago, I was contacted about checking out Wonder Hangers. You know you've seen the infomercial - "triple your closet space". I am always a little skeptical about products on infomercials (although that is how P90X is sold and I LOVE IT!), so I thought it would be a great opportunity to give it a try.

"The Wonder Hanger® is an affordable tool that's great for any Spring Cleaning features. This cascading clothes organizer increases closet space by enabling you to stack clothes vertically. Each Wonder Hanger holds 5 wood, metal or plastic hangers. There are 8 hangers to a package – enough to hang 40 garments. The open-mouth design allows you to easily add or remove your jackets, skirts, pants and shirts. Supporting up to 20 pounds, it can hold up to 5 heavy winter jackets.

You can use it to group complete outfits or similar items, organize by color or season, and hang handbags or belts. It retails for $9.99 and can be purchased at major retail chains including Walmart, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and CVS and online at www.buywonderhanger.com."

Price online is $9.99 plus P&H (Buy one, get one free; just pay extra P&H)

You can watch a video here.

Let me start first by sharing my concerns with the product, none of which are insurmountable, just things that I hadn't really considered that upon use I felt obligated to share.

If your closet is stuffed, you can't just decide to add a few of these to closet. First, you must remove things from your closet. The hangar, when connected on both ends to the closet rod, takes up more space than the five hangers that it holds. Not a big deal - it's probably best to start an organization project by cleaning out your closet and getting rid of what you don't wear.

The hangers may very well triple your closet space, but you can't use all of the new found space. Again, in order to get most things back off of the hanger, you need to reconnect the second end. The item on the top and bottom (or left and right depending on your perspective) you can easily remove without reconnecting, but the others are sort of held in place by the clothes around them. Again, this a bad news/good news thing - you can fit more in your closet, just not a full 3x as much.

It only works on full height closet racks. This one is probably pretty obvious but I had never considered it before trying them. With many master closets and even some other bedroom closets, to maximize space, many people have one section that is full length and one section that has a top and bottom rack. With the top and bottom rack, there just isn't the space needed to accommodate the "drop" when you disconnect the one end and collapse the hanger. The good news is you are already getting more use for your space with the double racks, but you can't increase it with the Wonder Hanger.

That being said, it really does work. You can hang your clothes on it and disconnect the one end and store more stuff in less space. I think that for me, the most effective use of these hangers will be to tuck my out of season clothes off to the side and create more space for the items that I am currently wearing. This will allow me to increase the total amount that I can store in my closet. I suspect that allowing my clothes to be looser in my closet will also help minimize wrinkling. Shoving them in like I have been lately, has made for more ironing than normal.

The ad on TV seems to illustrate with thin blouses, but I even used it for the kids coats:
I will note that when using the hanger for bulkier clothes, like coats, the hanger does take up more space as it hangs at a greater angle than it does with thinner clothes, like blouses, where it can hang closer to vertical.

Giveaway
Would you like to give Wonder Hangers a try for free?

Courtesy of Wonder Hanger and MamaBzz, I have the opportunity to give away a pack of Wonder Hangers to one A Busy Mom of Two reader.

How to enter: Leave a comment sharing what your closet organization challenge is.

Additional Entries - Please leave a separate comment for each addition entry!:
1. Subscribe to A Busy Mom of Two via RSS or email.
2. Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. This entry can be done daily.
3. Blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.
4. Promote this giveaway another way, like Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know how you promoted this giveaway.
5. Add my button to your blog. (It’s on my sidebar to the right.) Leave a comment letting me know that you added it (or that it was already there!)

This contest will remain open until May 18th at 6 pm. Winner will be selected using random.org. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. I did receive one box of 8 Wonder Hangers, courtesy of Wonder Hanger through MamaBzz, in order that I might try the product and share my experiences.

Cascadian Farms

Our grocery store used to offer a bag credit for every reusable bag that we used. When they did this, I started small purchasing one bag and over time, purchased additional bags and now I have a collection of reusable bags. The program paid for the bags over time. Now, they have focused their "green" dollars for a different program, but they still encourage the use of reusable bags - there are signs posted in their parking lot and as you enter the store, reminding you to grab your reusable bag. I now have a collection of bags though and by using them at the grocery store each week, I help reduce waste, by not using paper or plastic. In addition, when I use them at CVS and Target, not only do I reduce waste, but I also save money with the Green Bag Tag at CVS and with the bag credit at Target. Over time, this one small act that helps reduce waste, has saved me a good amount of money as well. Another green change that we recently made is the switch to cloth napkins. Small changes can make the difference - both to the environment and to your wallet.

Last week, marked the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Cascadian Farm wants you to join the celebration by pledging to follow a few eco-friendly tips on Facebook. Choose from eight different pledges, ranging from reusing clothes to reducing your speed while driving on the highway, and find the one that fits your lifestyle. For each person that signs a pledge now through May 31, 2010, Cascadian Farm will donate $1, up to $40,000, to the Organic Farming Research Foundation, which fosters the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. I pledged to be a food planner — “more than 25% of prepared food is thrown away in the U.S.”. Crazy — and unfortunately I can say that I’ve had to throw things away before due to expiration. What will you pledge?

Dedicated to organic goodness since 1972, Cascadian Farm products are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers or genetically engineered ingredients. We really enjoy their cereal and granola bars. I like that they have some unique varieties - like Vanilla Almond Crunch Cereal and the Blueberry Pomegranate Chewy Granola Bars. This week, my kids have been enjoying the Cinnamon Crunch Cereal.

Another thing I like is that I usually have a coupon for their products. In fact, you can visit CascadianFarm.com to learn more and download a $1.00/1 printable coupon.

Giveaway

Courtesy of Cascadian Farms and MyBlogSpark, I have the opportunity to give away one Live Green Together Prize Pack which includes: Cascadian Farm cereals and granola bars - Fruitful O’s cereal, Cinnamon Crunch cereal, Chocolate Chip Chewy granola bars, Dark Chocolate Almond Granola, Dark Chocolate Almond granola bars, Oats & Honey granola, and an eco-friendly grocery bag.

How to enter: Leave a comment sharing what step(s) you have or plan to take to live greener.

Additional Entries - Please leave a separate comment for each addition entry!:
1. Take the Live Green Together Pledge on Cascadian Farm’s Facebook page . Leave a comment sharing which of the 8 pledges you chose.
2. Subscribe to A Busy Mom of Two via RSS or email.
3. Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. This entry can be done daily.
4. Blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.
5. Promote this giveaway another way, like Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know how you promoted this giveaway.
6. Add my button to your blog. (It’s on my sidebar to the right.)

This contest will remain open until May 10th at 6 pm. Winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. In addition to a Live Green Together Prize Pack for the giveaway, I received a Live Green Together Prize Pack to try for the purposes of sharing my experience.

CVS Scenarios - week of 4/25

There are a handful of deals that I would like to take advantage of this week at CVS. I just wish I had learned of and printed this coupon for a BOGO Kodak Picture Maker DVD, when there were still prints available. I love them and if I had gotten two, they could have been great Mother's Day gifts. They are still on sale BOGO, so if you want them, the price isn't too bad, free just would have been better.

Transaction #1

2 - Oral B Toothbrush

-$2 Oral B Mfg coupon
-$2.99 Oral B BOGO Mfg coupon

Total $.99 OOP, earn $2 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Colgate Pro

-$1 Colgate Pro Clinical Toothpaste IP or mfg coupon

Total $2.99. Pay with $2 ECBs and $.99 OOP. Earn $2 ECBs.

Transaction #3
2 - Softsoap/Irish Spring Body Wash

-$.50 Irish Spring Mfg coupon
-$.75 Softsoap IP

Total $4.73. Pay with $2 ECBs from Transaction #2 and $2.73 OOP. Earn $4 ECBs.

Transaction #4
2 - CVS Sunblock (@4.99)
2 - Hershey Singles

-$1 CVS Skincare CRT
-BOGO Hershey mfg coupon

Total $8.98. Pay with $4 ECBs and $4.98 OOP. Earn $5 ECBs.

For more deals and scenarios, check out Money Saving Mom, Deal Seeking Mom and the "Cent"sible Sawyer.

CVS $5 Challenge

Transaction #1
2 - Softsoap/Irish Spring Body Wash
2 - Hershey Singles

-$.50 Irish Spring Mfg coupon
-$.75 Softsoap IP
-BOGO Hershey Mfg coupon

Total $4.73. Earn $4 ECBs.

Transaction #2

2 - Oral B Toothbrush
1 - Colgate Pro

-$2 Oral B Mfg coupon
-$2.99 Oral B BOGO Mfg coupon
-$1 Colgate Pro Clinical Toothpaste IP or mfg coupon

Total $3.98. Pay with $4 ECBs adjusted down to $3.98. Earn $2 and $2 ECBs.

Total OOP $4.73 with $4 ECBs to roll. For more $5 Scenarios, check out the CVS $5 Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

What a crazy weekend. It's not so much that we did much of anything, but did lots of everything. Between the raindrops we got our share of playing outside. We visited with friends. We shopped.

I made it to the grocery for my regular shopping trip on Saturday this weekend. I was happy to save 61% on my groceries this week, with an out of pocket total of $24. The person who assisted me also mentioned that the store will fill requests on products to carry, so I asked about the Jennie-O Turkey, so that I could use my prize locally.

This week, as you can guess, there is turkey in our menu plan. I made up the meatballs from my spaghetti and meatballs recipe using ground turkey for the lasagna that we are having tomorrow. They crumbled a little bit as I was stirring early on, the turkey meatballs seemed to be softer. The turkey tenderloin that we had on Sunday night was tasty.

Sunday
cereal
leftovers
Turkey Tenderloin - savory

Monday
Leftovers

Tuesday
Lasagna with Turkey meatballs

Wednesday
Cheeseburgers and Turkey Franks

Thursday
leftovers

Friday
Rattlesnake Pasta

Saturday
Pizza

Weekdays breakfast is at daycare for my daughter, the rest of us eat cold cereal, frozen waffles, oatmeal, toast or whatever strikes our fancy. Lunch we pack, usually leftovers for me.

Check out other menu plans for the week at Menu Plan Monday at I'm An Organizing Junkie.

CVS Deals - 4/23

I finally made it to CVS this week, but mostly picked up items that I had rain checks for.

2 - Pantene Detangler Spray
1 - Dove Conditioner
5 - Absolutely Divine Milk Chocolate Butter Cookies (2pack)
1 - CVS Single Roll Paper towel
1 - CVS Antibacterial Wipes

-$3 $3/2 Pantene Haircare mfg coupon
-$1 $1/2 Absolutely Divine CRT
-$1 CVS Paper Product CRT
-$1 CVS Skincare CRT

Paid with $8 ECB and $1.24 OOP ($.65 + $.69 tax). Earned $1, $5, $1 and $1 ECB.

They were still out of the Dial Bodywash that was on deal last week, so I will watch for it to get back in stock.

For more deals, check out Super Savings Saturday and Shopping Superstars.

Guess What...

A while back, I did a post here sharing with you a new site that was being launched called Wellness Daily. This online community is a collection of the latest news, healthy living blogs, expert opinions, recipes, and videos on topics from weight loss to mental well-being. At the time, you could register on Wellness Daily to get a rebate form for a free product. In addition, to help spread the word about the site, they ran a Twitter giveaway. To enter, you simply had to copy and paste a Tweet and send it.

Guess who won? I did! I won that Twitter Contest. The prize for is $750 for a gym membership and coupons for a year's supply of Jennie-O Turkey. I was shocked that I won. In fact, when they contacted me, I asked if I had actually won THE prize, thinking maybe it was some other prize. It was such a simple giveaway to enter and there had to be thousands of entries, I just couldn't believe that I was lucky enough to win.

When I found out that I won, one of the first things I did was check out their website for a list of products. I was amazed at the number of items that Jennie-O offered. I also was glad to see recipes available on their website, including recipes from the Biggest Loser. I figure I can substitute turkey in a number of my recipes, but also think it will be a great opportunity to explore some new recipes.

I still have to figure out what to do with the gym membership. For the past 8 years, we have belonged to our local community center, which featured an indoor and outdoor pool, aerobics - both land and water, basketball/volleyball, weight room and more. Unfortunately, on May 31st, they are closing. They are rebuilding, but won't be open for two or so years. So, I will have to see if there is another gym around to join - or maybe I invest in a home gym.

As for the turkey, I knew some local grocers carried it. I have been buying the Turkey Roasts for a while now. Unfortunately, as I learned, most local stores carry one or two items only. I did find out through some calling that the Super Kmart (about 35 minutes away) carries much of the line. The other night, my daughter and I made a run to the Super Kmart while my son was at soccer practice. We picked up 15 packages of turkey products (I had to be cognizant of freezer space) and are trying 11 different items - ground turkey (93% lean), breakfast sausage patties, breakfast sausage links, breakfast lovers sausage links, bratwursts, 3 flavors of their turkey breast tenderloins - savory, lemon garlic and teriyaki sesame and ginger, turkey franks, and 2 So Easy Entrees - Turkey Parmesan and Turkey with Gravy. I had hoped to find their unseasoned breast meat, but I didn't see it at the store - I will have to ask about this one. I got everything for just $6.02 after coupons. Not bad for the main course for 15 meals (plus leftover lunches).

So, you will notice that my weekly meal plans will be including some new things and some new recipes. Of course, I will still make many family favorites, substituting turkey where I can.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:

Nothing? That seems odd, but I guess that I really haven't been online much this week.

Received:
Tropical Chewy Lemonheads sample
Dove Men+Care Bodywash sample

Moving to Cloth

For months now, I have been reading posts about people that have eliminated the use of paper towels and napkins from their homes. I didn't think it was something that we could do, but I did believe we could certainly reduce our reliance on paper in the kitchen areas.

I brought the idea of moving to cloth napkins up to my husband. He was not convinced that it was a good idea. He wasn't convinced that it would save us that much. First, we would have to purchase the cloth napkins. Second, he was concerned that it would create a lot of extra laundry and that there wouldn't be napkins available because they would be in the wash.

I thought it was possible and figured the best way to find out was to jump in with both feet, so I started scanning post holiday clearance sales for beige cloth napkins. I was only able to come up with 4 napkins, which would not be enough. Then when my husband was shopping the local Kmart that is going out of business, he was able to pick up a total of 8 more napkins.

I washed them up and put them in our napkin holder. I had to fold them in thirds and thirds so that they would fit. There are still paper napkins underneath, just in case we need them, but we have been using just (mostly) the cloth napkins for almost two months now. It really has been easy. My husband still isn't a big fan, but he uses them. Since I already do laundry almost daily, there really hasn't been a time where we were without napkins and since they are small and most days we only have one meal a day at home, it really hasn't increased the amount of laundry that we do. The 12 napkins that we have is working fine for us, but I will watch for clearance deals and maybe pick up a few more.

It has been a small step, but a good one for saving money and the environment. Next step, try to start using old washcloths for cleaning and dusting. I think that will be a harder one for me to fully sell - my husband uses paper towels to clean everything (love that he cleans!), but I grew up using dust cloths and wash cloths for cleaning.

This post shared at Frugal Friday.

Organically Grown

I recently was introduced to Organically Grown. What is Organically Grown, you ask? They are an on-line boutique that offers high-quality organic products that range from apparel to home decor to personal care items. All of their clothing is made from organic cotton, which is grown by safe, pesticide-free methods from plants that are not genetically modified. They support the organic farming community and organizations worldwide that are committed to a green, sustainable environment. In addition, all of their children's clothing is safe, stylish, and affordable. Most items are priced from $12-$38. (In addition to the clothing, be sure to check out their Safari and Garden Grown Nursery Collections - they are so cute!)

Organically Grown recently added Organic Toddler Clothing to their collection and were kind enough to send me an outfit from their collection to review. The collection is comprised of adorable two-piece outfits for boys and girls in sizes 12-24 months, and 2T-4T. Each outfit features a cute and eco friendly slogan on the t-shirt.
The outfit that I received has a soft, pastel yellow shirt with a pink quilted butterfly applique that says "Pretty Natural". The shirt is tag free, which I really like because tags in shirts frequently irritate my daughter's neck. The matching shorts are a pink the color of the butterfly applique and feature an elastic waist. The quality of construction appears to be very nice. My daughter loves the outfit - I will say, she is a typical girl and loves to get new clothes. She also loves mail, so to have a new outfit arrive by mail, made it a special treat for her. She likes the butterfly and can't wait for shorts weather so that she can wear it.

In addition to their new toddler collection, they also have an Infant Collection! According to Organically Grown, some of their best sellers include three-piece sets with baby gowns, body suits, jackets, pants, blankets and hats, all on padded hangers and priced between $12-38.


Why organic, you ask? Organically Grown's perspective on this question is: "As the awareness of the effect that pesticides and toxins have on the environment and individual health grows, more and more families are realizing the importance of choosing organic products. Making this choice is not only good for our earth; it is good for all of us. With your help, organic textile production will increase, becoming more of a standard in the clothing industry."

Organic cotton has all the high quality, soft and cuddly texture of cotton with none of the harsh chemicals to irritate your child’s skin. "With products by ORGANICALLY GROWN, there is no need to compromise between your budget and your conscience. As well as being ECO-FRIENDLY, our clothes are AFFORDABLE and STYLISH."

Be sure to check out their website and store. You can also friend Organically Grown on Facebook.

No compensation was received for this post. Organically Grown did provide one outfit for my daughter, so that I could share my experience.

Fruit2O Essentials Winner

Congratulations to Christie! She is the winner of the Fruit2O Essentials giveaway on A Busy Mom of Two.

An e-mail will be sent to Christie.

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out the current giveaways.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

6
Timestamp: 2010-04-22 10:47:55 UTC

Simply Go-Gurt

I like to provide an assortment of healthy snack options for my kids. I have been very fortunate that my kids love fruits and vegetables, but they also like treats. Yogurt is one of those treats - something that they enjoy that I can feel good about giving them. Recently, we had a chance to try Simply… Go-Gurt. It is made from "simple ingredients and contains no high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors or flavors. Each convenient portable yogurt tube contains a good source of calcium and vitamin D. Simply stated, Simply… Go-Gurt is a good-for-you, low fat yogurt snack that you can feel good about giving to your kids". New Simply… Go-Gurt is available in two flavors, Strawberry and Mixed Berry.

At our house, we like to enjoy our Go-Gurt two ways - refrigerated and frozen. One advantage of frozen is that the yogurt is less messy - trust me, my three year old is able to squeeze juice boxes/pouches and tube yogurt in just the right way to create a mess - when it is frozen, this doesn't happen. When we freeze it, the kids think of it as a popsicle - only it is one that is packed with more nutrients than the standard popsicle. Freezing them also makes them very easy to pack in my son's lunch or for his school day snack. By lunch or snack time, the yogurt is not fully frozen, but it is still cold and allows him a treat at school. I also like to freeze them and pack them in the cooler for road trips. It gives us an easy to consume snack on the road.



The link above is loaded with great tips and 30 free coupons. The first 30 readers who click on the “Try It Free” tab will receive a coupon for a free package of Simply…Go-Gurt!* Once the 30 coupons are claimed, you will still be able to print a coupon to save $1.10 off Simply... Go-Gurt.

*This coupon offer for free Simply… Go-Gurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee.

Giveaway

Courtesy of Go-Gurt and MyBlogSpark, I have the opportunity to offer one A Busy Mom of Two reader a Go-Gurt “Simplify Your Life” prize pack that includes a pocket Etch a Sketch, weekly planner and a seat back organizer.

To enter, leave a comment sharing your child's favorite wholesome snack foods.

For Additional Entries (Leave a Separate Comment for each extra entry):
1. Subscribe to A Busy Mom of Two by e-mail or RSS feed (on my sidebar near the top). Leave me a comment letting me know that you subscribe. If you are already a subscriber, let me know that too - this isn't just for new subscribers.
2. Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your Tweet. This entry may be completed once each day.
3. Blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.
4. Promote this giveaway another way, like Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know how you promoted this giveaway.
5. Leave a comment on another post. Then leave a comment here, letting me know.

The giveaway will remain open until May 3rd at 6 pm. Winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post and all opinions expressed are strictly my own. I did receive a coupon for a free pack of Simply... Go-Gurt and a Simplify Your Life prize pack courtesy of Go-Gurt through MyBlogSpark. In addition, they provided the prize pack for this giveaway.

Traveling with Kids

When I was a child, we would take a vacation to Myrtle Beach every summer. It was about a 12 hour drive (of course, I'm not sure if that was with stops or before stops). That is a long drive for anyone. My parents helped the drive feel shorter (and helped us get there in time to check in) by leaving at 3 am. We would climb into the back of the car and sleep for the first part of the trip. Once we were up, My parents made sure we had ways to be entertained - we filled our drive with the license plate game, auto bingo, coloring, and homework (we went in the fall). I might not have always enjoyed the long drive, but I was a good traveler. We drove everywhere. Even when we flew somewhere, we drove once we were there. When we took a summer vacation to Arizona, we flew into one city and then drove throughout the state to see all that Arizona had to offer. When we took a summer vacation to Europe, we flew into Germany and from there, drove to Austria and France. For my brothers and I, driving for vacation was just the way it was.

When I started my own family, desire to see family drove the need for the kids to become great car travelers from a very early age. I know people that feel that traveling by car with kids is not an option - that their kids can't or won't make the trip. Many of them accommodate by not traveling or by driving at night. I don't want to not travel and I don't want to be any more exhausted upon arrival, so I knew that my kids would just have to learn to travel. With a little bit of practice, they are now good travelers.

Like my parents, I do my best to make the trip as easy for them as possible and provide lots of entertainment for them. When we are making a shorter 3 or 4 hour trip, timing of departure is a little bit less critical and frequently we will drive it straight through, but when we make a 6 or 8 hour trip, we schedule our departure to align with our desired first stop. Typically, we like to get half way or a bit further before our first stop. This is reasonable because the kids can make the 3 or 4 hour trip with no stops. We make the first stop a stop for lunch or dinner and of course, a bathroom break. Then, usually a couple of hours later it is time to stop again for a bathroom break. This approach helps in a few ways - it breaks up the trip into manageable chunks and by pushing the first stop out to 3 or 4 hours, it helps to minimize the number of stops needed, keeping the trip length from growing too much as a result of stops.

As for backseat entertainment, my kids sure have a lot of options that I did not have as a child. We have a rear seat entertainment system in our car, which allows the kids to watch movies or episodes on DVD or listen to their own music when we travel. We only use this when we are making a real trip. For local travel, even trips that are an hour we don't watch shows - which makes it a treat to them on longer trips. Watching movies and shows really can keep them entertained for large chunks of time, helping the trip feel faster for them. Of course, my three year old usually loses interest before the movie is over - so the episodes work better for her. My son will also bring along his DS to play when his sister has selected the movie (play it on the trip, but not while we are visiting - those are the rules). Much like when I was a kids, we bring along games and books to play on the trip as well. In addition to the coloring books that we pack, we keep a stack of notebooks tucked between the kids seats that they can use to draw or write. Last year before our vacation, we picked up some extreme dot to dot and travel activity books for my son to work on during the trip. Reading is a popular activity as well. This is a great opportunity to sit and listen to the three year old "read" her books to her dolly. Then, there is always napping. The kids though are getting older and sleeping in the car happens less often than it used to.

We also pack the car with snacks and beverages. We bring a mix of snacks - not only for the drive, but for the destination too. I try to stick with snacks that we can put into a little bowl with a lid. This way, the kids can keep the snack in their cup holder and nibble at it as they please. Some snacks that work well for this are raisins, Cheerios or other cereal, Goldfish, and Cheez-Its. I also will sometimes pack fruit and yogurt - but those are usually consumed at a stop, rather than in the car. For the beverages, we used to use sippy cups, but now that the kids are older, I have a set of Take'n Toss straw cups that allow me to give them juice or water for the drive without having to worry about significant spillage. Generally, we don't allow them to have soda, but sometimes as a treat we will. I learned however on our recent trip home from Niagara Falls that 7Up will bubble up through the straw if you drink it in just the right way. My daughter's drink was spouting everywhere, but my son's was not. Eventually, I had my daughter pull the straw above the drink before she put it in her cup holder to stop the spouting.

For the most part, I don't hear much "are we there yet" from the backseat. I think the key is to break up the monotony of the trip. We do this by breaking up the trip in manageable chunks with the way we plan stops. We have different entertainment options that allow the kids to break up the trip with a variety of activities. Having snacks and drinks on hand allows us to keep on driving, even when hunger and thirst arise. Traveling by car with the kids, works for me.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday. She has a great post on Organizing your Life, which I know I could use a little more of.

SeeHere Pages in Stages Scrapbook Winner!

Congratulations to Tracey! She is the winner of the free 8x8 Pages in Stages Scrapbook from SeeHere.com.

An e-mail will be sent to the winner.

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out the other giveaways.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

2
Timestamp: 2010-04-20 22:07:40 UTC

Shredded Chicken Tacos

My husband loves Taco Bell, yet he never seems to like tacos at home. He always seems a little disappointed on taco night. I love tacos at home. It was always one of my favorite nights as a kid and still is. There is something about the balance of the hot and cold toppings, the smoothness of the sour cream, the saltiness of the cheese and the spice of the sauce, that I just find tantalizing and addictive. After I started to make Chipotle Chicken (a knock off of #54 from our local Mexican), I would make that for him and chicken tacos for the rest of us, so that I could enjoy taco night. Then, a few months ago, we were at my brother's house for my niece's birthday and it was taco night. My sister-in-law had made the chicken meat in a slow cooker and my husband commented on how he liked it that way. So, when I started going through recipes a few weeks back and found a recipe for shredded chicken tacos, I knew that I had to try them.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

2# chicken breasts
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning

Place all ingredients together in a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 - 7 hours. Shred the chicken, using two forks, in the crock pot. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes to allow the juices to be absorbed into the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a bowl to serve.

Take it from me, if you don't move the chicken first, the tacos will be really wet and drip all over your hands as you eat - moving it lets you have streams instead of rivers dripping down your hands. I found that we had a lot left and was able to freeze portions for two additional meals from the one cooking. I did add back a little bit of the juice from the crock pot before freezing so that I could reheat it on the stove and not worry about scorching the chicken.

The good news for me is that my husband enjoyed the tacos and now I think I can add it back to the menu plan a little more often.

Have you tried a new recipe lately?

Menu Plan Monday

As I mentioned, we were traveling this weekend, so I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store over the weekend, but I decided with the day off that it would be best to go today. I half-heartedly penciled together a meal plan and headed off to the grocery to pick up the gaps I knew of and to get some fresh fruit and vegetables. I was happy to see some different fruit on sale. Mangoes, Strawberries, Blackberries and Pineapple were all on sale this week, I love fresh fruit.

Since I planned on the fly, there aren't really any new menu items this week but there are a few we have tried recently.

At our house, the focus is on dinners. I tend to only list the main course and any standard side we have with it. We do still have vegetables and/or fruit with each of our dinners, I just don't always call them out.

Sunday
Continental Breakfast
Pizza
Fast Food (we were driving home, it was late)

Monday
Shredded Chicken Tacos

Tuesday
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wednesday
Grilled Chicken

Thursday
Parmesan Fettuccine

Friday
Roasted Shrimp with Tomatoes

Saturday
Cereal
Sandwiches
Cheeseburgers

Weekdays breakfast is at daycare for my daughter, the rest of us eat cold cereal, frozen waffles, oatmeal, toast or whatever strikes our fancy. Lunch we pack, usually leftovers for me.

Check out other menu plans for the week at Menu Plan Monday at I'm An Organizing Junkie.

Where to begin...

I sit here feeling like I have so many things that I want to say and to share, and for some reason, I can't seem to find a starting point. I find myself jumbling all of my posts into one and that makes no sense.

Life has been very busy and very fun lately. This weekend, we had the opportunity to get away for a little mini-vacation with the kids. We headed to Canada to visit Niagara Falls. It was their first trip out of the country. I plan to share more about our trip as part of some this week's posts, so more to come.

It was a nice break from the ordinary, but as with all breaks I am home now and overwhelmed with the things that need to be done. We had planned a longer trip and so, I had today off, which was a great way to at least get partially caught up. I was able to take care of some things that I might not have gotten to otherwise. One thing that I did today, because the kids were playing outside and I didn't want to be inside was turn over my garden. I still have a few weeks before threat of frost is gone, but my garden is ready when the weather is.

I do have a lot of posts to get caught up on. I do intend to menu plan this week - it was such a struggle last week to figure out each day what we were eating that day. I have really grown to like menu planning. We sometimes shuffle dinner plans around, but at least I have a pretty good idea of the week ahead of time and know that I have the ingredients that I need to prepare the meals. I'm not sure I will get a chance to post the drugstore deals, but I do hope to get out and pick some stuff up and maybe even use a few of the rain checks I have been accumulating.

Earth Day is later this week (I've been hearing this week called Earth Week). I hope to include discussions about Earth Week this week in my posts. Having just been to Niagara Falls it really makes you appreciate just how beautiful the Earth is and how important it is to protect it and preserve it for those that will come after us. There are a number of stores and brands that are doing special events as part of Earth Day. Saving in Akron has a great post of those offers here. In addition, with Earth Day’s 40th anniversary on April 22nd fast approaching, Cascadian Farm wants you to join the celebration by pledging to follow a few eco-friendly tips on Facebook. Choose from eight different pledges, ranging from reusing clothes to reducing your speed while driving on the highway, and find the one that fits your lifestyle. For each person that signs a pledge now through May 31, 2010, Cascadian Farm will donate $1, up to $40,000, to the Organic Farming Research Foundation, which fosters the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. I've been making some changes to be a little more less wasteful and more eco-friendly at home and I will share some of those things with you later this week.

I have a few more giveaways that I need to post this week and I still need to share about the giveaway that I won through a Twitter contest. Soccer and Baseball practice start up for us this week. Between the kids' activities and school, work, blogging and the rest of life, it should be a pretty busy week around here.

So, how have you been?

Hormel & Dinty Moore

Do you know who is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year?

From food to flight, 1935 was a year for legends: Monopoly debuted. Elvis Presley was born. And two iconic cans appeared on store shelves: Dinty Moore® products and Hormel® chili.

When I think of Hormel and Dinty Moore, I think of comfort food. Chili, Beef Stew, Chicken and Dumplings. Yum!

I think one of my favorite items is their Chicken and Dumplings. I like that it is available in a convenient, single-serve, microwave container - which allows me an option to have some nice warm comfort food at work for lunch. I pack that, along with two slices of white bread (whole grain, of course) and a small amount of butter.

One of my favorite dips for tortilla chips is their Chili Cheese Dip. I love that their Chili is available without beans (I'm not a bean eater!). The directions for the recipe are for preparing it on the stove top, but I tend to make it in a small crock-pot when I make it - I find that it works better for parties and carry-ins.

Chili Cheese Dip

1 (15-ounce) can Hormel® Chili No Beans
1 (16-ounce) package pasteurized prepared Cheddar cheese product, cut into cubes

Directions
In large saucepan, combine chili and cheese. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted and chili mixture is hot and bubbly. Serve with corn chips.

Another recipe that the company shared with me was featured on a 1976 label. It is called Cowboy Stew (also called Beef Stew Bonanza)

1 (40-ounce) can Dinty Moore® beef stew
3 (15-ounce) cans Hormel® chili with beans

In large pot over medium heat, combine stew and chili. Heat just until boiling, stirring occasionally. Serves 10.

I think it sounds very interesting, but I would want to make it using the chili without the beans.

You can find these and many more recipes at HormelRecipes.com

Giveaway

In order to celebrate their 75th Anniversary, Hormel and Dinty Moore has generously provided a prize package featuring product and a 75th anniversary t-shirt for one A Busy Mom of Two reader.

The prize pack includes:
· Dinty Moore®/Hormel® Chili 75th anniversary t-shirt
· 1 can Dinty Moore® Hearty Meals® beef stew
· 1 can Hormel® Chili no beans
· 1 can Hormel® Chili Master™ chili

Mandatory entry:
What is your favorite Dinty Moore® or Hormel® chili product and/or your favorite way to prepare it?

Bonus entries:
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet.
- Blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.
- Share about this giveaway on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you shared.

This giveaway will close on Tuesday, April 27th at 6 pm. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. In addition to the prize package for the giveaway, I was provided with one prize package for my family to enjoy.

SeeHere Pages in Stages Scrapbook

I am really excited about the possibility of digital scrapbooking. I wrote a post a while back asking for input on different online options for scrapbooking. After that post, I started to do a little more exploring. One of the things that was a concern for me with online scrapbooking, where I would print one book for a given period or event, was having to wait until all the pictures were laid out and the pages complete to have a book. Another thing that worried me, was how to include ticket stubs, programs, postcards, pictures that I didn't have digitally and other miscellaneous souvenirs that I could include in my paper books.

So, you can imagine that my curiosity was piqued when I learned that SeeHere.com is now offering a post bound scrapbook option, called Pages In Stages. You start with a post bound scrapbook and a set number of pages. You can then add your own pages at home or you can go back on the site and create additional pages to add to your book over time. This option could resolve both of my concerns with online scrapbooking.

We used SeeHere.com for our Christmas cards this year and I have to say that overall we were pleased with the functionality of the site, the ease of manipulating the card, the quick customer service and the quality of the product that we received.

If you are loading single pictures, they have a simple upload process. If you want to load a group of pictures, it is best if you download their upload tool - it just is much quicker and easier than doing each one individually.

You can select your page layouts (0 - 6 or 9 pictures/page are options) or use an auto layout feature where it automatically lays out the pictures in your album. Once the pages are set up, you can edit and manipulate the pictures on them - resize, move, and rotate them. I do like that you can use a layout and leave picture(s) blank - this allows you to really customize the page to the layout and pictures that you want.

I really like the text editing tool that they use. The text is in a large box, making it easy to read what you are typing and easily proofread what you have typed. You can easily adjust the color, the font style and the size.

They offer a number of backgrounds - both single colors and designs. They offer a number of frames/effects for your pictures - one that makes it look like your picture was cut out in a puzzle shape - very cute. You can also add decorations (think stickers) to your pages to further accent them.

I decided to do a book for a mini-vacation that we took. I haven't yet finished my book (I've been busy remember?)

Would you like to try it out? Right now, they are offering 50% off photobooks and free shipping. This offer runs through Tuesday and is their Mother's Day deal.

Giveaway!

Courtesy of SeeHere.com, I have the opportunity to giveaway a coupon code for one 8x8 SeeHere.com Pages-in-Stages Scrapbook to one lucky reader (does not include shipping, you will have to pay shipping, the coupon code is only good until 4/30/10).

How to Enter:

Mandatory entry:
What theme will you use for your 8x8 Pages In Stages Scrapbook and who will it be for?

Bonus entries:
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet.
- Blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.
- Share about this giveaway on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you shared.


This giveaway will close on Tuesday, April 20th at 6 pm. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. In addition to the coupon code for the giveaway, I was provided with one coupon code for a free 8x8 Pages In Stages photobook for myself to try the service and share my experience.

CVS-ing

I've made a few trips to CVS over the past couple of weeks, but all that I have to show for my visits are a pack of gum and a stack of rain checks.

It's seems strange to me, after weeks of one or more visits per week to have a few weeks in a row where I essentially have purchased nothing. Things just seem to be really busy around here and I haven't had time to run over at lunch or in the evening. And, then, by the end of the week when I do get there, everything is gone.

I have a rain check for 2 Pantene Detangler Sprays, that after coupon and ECB will cost me $.49 each. I have a rain check for the Dove Shampoo/Conditioner which is free after ECB (this one surprised me the most, the whole Dove section was bare!). I have a rain check for a Dial Nutriskin Bodywash, which will be free after coupon and ECB.

As far as purchases, I bought a pack of Stride gum last week for $.49 and earned $.99 in ECBs - a whopping $.50 moneymaker!

Have you had better luck at CVS? I sure hope so!

Samples and Freebies

Requested:
Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner with fiber
EAS Myoplex Chocolate Energy Drink (printable coupon for free sample)
Aveeno Nourish + sample
Stayfree Sample

Received:

Puffs Plus to Go and coupons (VocalPoint)
Kotex samples and coupons

Happy Tax Day!

Are you looking for some deals today? It seems that once again, many restaurants are offering specials and free deals in honor of tax day.

You can read about a few here at Nation's Restaurant News. Their list includes a free taco at Taco Del Mar, a meal deal for $10.40 at McCormick and Schmick's and others.

If you are looking for a good list, check out this post at Deal Seeking Mom - it is the most extensive list I have seen in one post. I think the 15% discount at PF Chang's is the one that is the one I am most interested in, but know I won't make it there.

Some of the deals require coupons, others do not. As always, I recommend confirming participation by your local stores.

Ginger Salad Dressing

The first time my cousin and her husband suggested a Japanese Steakhouse for dinner, my husband was convinced that he just wouldn't like it. We did him to go that night, which was good for him, since he learned that he really liked the food.

When we lived in Pittsburgh, we had a favorite steakhouse. When we moved to Ohio, we found that we like (and well it's in the Entertainment Book, which helps keep the price reasonable), although I don't think it is as good as the one in Pittsburgh and they don't serve the Japanese Noodles (bean sprouts) as part of the meal. The kids do like that every meal comes with sherbet and a fortune cookie though.

As I've mentioned before, I like to recreate restaurant meals at home, as a way to save money and generally make the meal healthier. Fried rice and hibachi style steak, chicken and shrimp (minus the flambe - I'm not that adventurous) were relatively easy to recreate, but it took me a little while to find it, but I eventually found a recipe for that Ginger Salad Dressing - that was one of my favorite parts of the meal.

Ginger Salad Dressing
1/2 c minced onion
1/2 c peanut oil
1/3 c rice vinegar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger root
2 tbsp minced celery
2 tbsp ketchup
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is well-pureed.

Serve over iceberg lettuce and carrot matchsticks. (here at our current restaurant, they also have a slice of cucumber and a section of orange)

Looking for more uses for Root Vegetables (like Ginger), then head over to Life As Mom for this week's Ultimate Recipe Swap Root Vegetable Edition or check out my recipe for Sweet Potatoes and Homemade Hash Browns.

This recipe shared at the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Water! Water! Water!

One of the things that I have always known (at least I don't recall not knowing it), is how important hydration is for you. Especially, when you are trying to lose weight and when you are maintaining an active life and working out.

You know, one struggle that many people have is that they sometimes mistake thirst for hunger. I know, it sounds crazy, but it is true. I once was told that if you are trying to lose weight and you feel like you are constantly hungry, try drinking a glass of water when you feel hungry, wait 1/2 an hour and if you are still hungry, then you likely do need to eat, but if the hunger goes away, it likely was dehydration. I'm not sure of the science behind this, but I do know that there have been times where a glass of water has helped me no longer feel hungry. (Here is a mention of this on LiveStrong)

As a member of Weight Watchers, I know that they have made changes over time to what counts towards your 8 glasses of water a day, but the reality to me is that even if I can count milk, juice, coffee or whatever as part of my water, but I still have to count those points. So, I have a tendency to rely on good old water to fulfill a majority of my glasses of water each day.

Experience has showed me that when I am drinking my water, I have more success in my weight loss. I strive hard to drink the 8 glasses a day. I love water. I can drink it straight from the faucet, it doesn't need to be ice cold or anything. But, as with many things, variety is the spice of life and without it, things get old. I do need to mix it up occasionally to help maintain that target of 8 glasses per day.

But, there are times where I really want some flavor. I kind of like having something fruity to drink with my breakfast and I need a flavored beverage with pizza and with popcorn. I used to have a glass of orange juice to start my day and a can of soda every time I had pizza and popcorn. I'm not a big fan of alternative sweeteners for my soda (perhaps they are better with some of the new sweetener options out there, but from my childhood I just remember the terrible after taste that diet/low calorie sodas had) and have always been a full calorie soda drinker. Being on a weight loss journey, this simply doesn't work for me (although, an occasional splurge does happen - at 3 points, it's not awful but certainly not something worth it on a regular basis).

I have found alternatives that have helped me. A while back I started using many of the different drink sticks to help me flavor my water. They work really well and I keep a few in my purse just in case. My challenge here is that I have really only found two flavors that I like and well, honestly, I feel like sometimes I need a little variety in my life.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try Fruit2O Essentials. "Fruit2O Essentials is a simple, refreshing beverage choice that promotes a healthy lifestyle because it combines several nutrients found in two servings of fruit, with the hydrating benefits of zero calorie water." Fruit2O Essentials come in six different flavors - Cranberry Raspberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Peach Mango, Citrus, Blueberry Pomegranate, and Cherry Acai. Each variety has it's own set of vitamins and minerals. I like that it is ready to serve and that it is fortified with nutrients and fiber (1 g per serving) that I need in my diet.

Would you like to learn more? You can check out the Fruit2O Essentials webpage or become a fan of Fruit2O on Facebook to find tips, share small changes that have made a big impact on your health and to learn more about upcoming tours and product coupons. Fruit2O Essentials are available as single bottles and as 15-packs at club stores.



Would you like to try Fruit2O Essentials? Courtesy of Fruit2O and MomSelect, I have the opportunity to giveaway a one month supply of Fruit2O Essentials to one reader of A Busy Mom of Two.

How to enter: Leave a comment sharing a small change that you are making to live a healthier life.

The giveaway will remain open until April 21st at 6pm. The winner will be selected using a random number generator and once posted, will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. It helps if you leave an e-mail (or include it in your profile), so that I can send you a notification in addition to simply posting it on A Busy Mom of Two.

Getting my recommended daily water intake, mixing it up with variety in water flavor, works for me on my weight loss journey. This post was shared at Works For Me Wednesday.

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with bottles of Fruit2O Essentials to try so that I could share my experience, courtesy of MomSelect and Fruit2O.

Hi! It's Me!

I'm still here. I had the opportunity to enjoy a nice long weekend visiting with family. The kids and I took a roadtrip and now we are back. The challenge of course is that with us being gone, I didn't do the things I normally do (like meal planning) and now I am trying to catch up. That is the hardest thing about enjoying some time away, I always feel like I have twice as much to do when I get back - as I am doing what I need to do on those days, plus all of the stuff that I missed while I was away. The same thing happens at work. Makes the rest you enjoy that much more important, because you have to work twice as hard when your back.

I really need to sit down and review my ads and clip coupons. I know that there are a few deals out there that I would like to take advantage of. I saw a couple of CVS free after coupon and ECB deals when I glanced through the ad.

I definitely need to finish the week's meal plan and get to the grocery if need be (I stopped yesterday, but just for milk). Last night's dinner was chosen by my daughter on the way home from school - she wanted to have chicken nuggets and lucky for her, I just happened to have some that we had ordered from Schwann's a while back. Now, I'm stuck facing another day with no idea about what to have for dinner.

I have about 3000 things I want to post about and I hope to get back up in motion this week and get a number of them posted. I have some reviews and giveaways, some special offers, some new recipes to share (asparagus guacamole is one of them), some exciting news about a prize I won through Twitter and many of my regular posts that I want to write, if only I could find the time.

Plus, there are so many things I need to read, like the series that Crystal is doing on clutter and decluttering: Clear Out the Clutter Challenge. I think I could benefit from this series, as much as I try to declutter my life and my house, I think there is still plenty of room for improvement. In addition, there are of course a lot of new freebies out there that I need to track down and request.

Now, I'm off to do my morning exercise and get ready for the day. Hope yours is a great one.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Smooth Start
Chavrie Goat Cheese
U by Kotex


Received:
Nothing

Dill Weed Dip

One of my favorite dips is Dill Weed Dip. My mom always made it with Pumpernickel Bread - hollowing out a round loaf to hold the dip and cutting up another loaf for dipping. This is a dip that gets better if you can make it the night before, but is still good even if you make it up right before you need it. It's also very easy to resize, with a 1:1 ratio on Mayonnaise and Sour Cream. Of course, to make it healthier, I tend to use the less fat Mayo and Sour Cream.

I use this dip for everything - pumpernickel bread, vegetables, chips.

1 pint Sour Cream
1 pint Mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp Beau Monde Seasonings
1 1/2 tsp Dill Weed
1 tsp Parsley Flakes
1 tsp fresh onion, finely chopped

Mix ingredients, refrigerate until ready to serve.

This recipe makes enough for two loaves of Pumpernickel Bread.

For more spice recipes, check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap Herb and Spice Edition.

Safeway Gift Card Winner

The winner of the Safeway Gift Card is Tracey.

An e-mail has been sent to the winner.

Thanks everyone for entering.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

32
Timestamp: 2010-04-07 22:45:49 UTC

Coupons

I think I have always been a couponer. I imagine it is because when I was a child, my mom was a couponer and a refunder. It was something that I always knew. It used to be that I clipped only a few coupons and kept them all in one envelope. As my life changed - school housing, apartment, house and single, married, mother - I started to clip more coupons. I needed a better system for organizing my coupons.

I started with a check file. They generally have twelve or thirteen pockets (corresponding to either the months or the alphabet, or customized with stickers) which allowed me what felt like ample categories when I started. I built the categories based on my product usage. As I have expanded my couponing, I now find myself with two files - one for my health and beauty items (which were all in one pocket before!) and one for the grocery items. I found this split to work for me because I generally only need coupons from the one file for my CVS and Walgreens adventures. The other file is used whether I am at the grocery or a supercenter.

With time, the categories that I have used to file coupons has evolved. Many of them were combined in the original file, which also at one point included a category for baby, now they have their own compartments.

Currently, the tabs that work for me are as follows:

Health and Beauty:
Hair
Body
Face
Eyes
Shaving
Deodorant
Teeth
Feminine Care
First Aid
Medicine
Nutra/Vitamins
Other


Grocery:
Bread/Cereal/Breakfast
Freezer
Deli/Dairy
Meat
Pasta/Sauce/Canned Vegetables
Sweets/Snacks/Crackers
Seasonings/Condiments
Fruits/Vegetables/Beverages
Paper/Plastic
Detergents
Cleaning
Other - Cat/Batteries/etc.

I have tried other ways to organize over the years. I tried not cutting them, but found that for me it was harder to find them when they were unclipped. Plus, it seemed bulky and difficult to work with in store.

I used to find coupons as I went at the store. Now, I generally plan my grocery store trip, pulling coupons for things that are on deal or that I know I need for the week. I sort my coupon in the order that I will use them and tuck them in an envelope. As I shop, I pull out the coupons that I use (I don't always use them all) and set them in a separate pile so I don't forget to redeem them. I still bring my coupon files along, because there are often other deals that I find while at the store and want to be prepared.

I have been asked if I clip every coupon. The answer is no. I clip coupons for the categories that I buy. I clip for many brands within those categories, but not all. I love a good deal, but I am also a brand loyalist on many things - ketchup, mayonnaise, amongst other things. As a result, if there is a brand or a category that I don't buy, I either don't clip it or if I know a friend that uses it, I clip it for them.

I have been asked how I keep my file free of expired products. I typically will go through the file every week or two and pull out any coupons that are expired or will expire that week. This allows me to use coupons that I have that haven't been on a deal but are worth using for an item that I use.

When it comes to coupons, this is what works for me.

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday.

Garlic Lemon Chicken

So, Monday night we tried out a new recipe, only I'm pretty sure I might have made this one before. Either way, it's a keeper. The sauce is flavorful, yet light. I have had other lemon chicken dishes that feel so heavy, but this one did not. I actually doubled up the sauce portion of the recipe and before pouring it over my chicken, I tossed some pasta in it. I then put the pasta back into it's own dish and added some Parmesan cheese and served this on the side. I also cut my chicken into tenderloins, so it cooked a little quicker too.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper

Lightly coat the chicken with flour and season with salt and pepper. Fry in hot oil for about 5 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan.

Sauce:
1/2 c chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp butter

Add all to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over chicken.

Have you tried a new recipe lately? Share a link in the comments.

This post shared at the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Fat Burnin' Friday - the Monday edition

Well, with a nice long weekend to spend with my family, somehow posting about nothing just didn't take priority.

I am officially reaching the point of frustration. I have been on this plateau for so long, that it is affecting some of my choices. I have started to develop a "I'm not losing anyway, so if I can enjoy that and not gain - what have I lost" attitude. The answer in my head is nothing, which is bad. It means that I don't think anything of having a second glass of wine or grabbing a second cookie. I used to do really good at allowing myself a small treat, but keeping portions within reason. Now, I can't seem to find the point in doing that.

Clearly, I need to get refocused. I need to start seeing things move in the right direction. I need to be vigilant about working out - which seems to have been my one constant through this plateau, I have gotten up each morning I was home and exercised. I need to start making better food choices and ensuring I have proper portions for those choices. I need to start tracking everything again. I know that it can all work, if I remain focused.

I need to look for support from fellow Weight Watchers and use their success to help remotivate me.

I want to have a post that is full of excitement at finally breaking through, I'm tired of this frustration.

This post shared on Mamavation Monday.

Menu Plan Monday

It was a busy weekend. Friday, we enjoyed the nice weather and the day off, by packing a picnic and heading to the local park with friends. It was a nice way to spend the day. Saturday, I squeezed in my grocery shopping to pick up things we needed for the week and for Easter dinner - did really good, as I had $10 in Catalinas to spend - saving about 50% on my bill. Sunday was just a nice family day.

This week, I am trying two new recipes, the first is the Lemon Garlic Chicken and the second is for the chicken meat for the chicken tacos.

At our house, the focus is on dinners. I tend to only list the main course and any standard side we have with it. We do still have vegetables and/or fruit with each of our dinners, I just don't always call them out.

Sunday
Cinnamon Rolls
Macaroni and Cheese
Turkey Roast/Ham

Monday
Lemon Garlic Chicken

Tuesday
Cheeseburgers on the grill - need to fill the tank first!

Wednesday
Breakfast for dinner

Thursday
Chicken Tacos

Friday
Dinner out

Saturday
Cereal
Sandwiches
TBD

Weekdays breakfast is at daycare for my daughter, the rest of us eat cold cereal, frozen waffles, oatmeal, toast or whatever strikes our fancy. Lunch we pack, usually leftovers for me.

Check out other menu plans for the week at Menu Plan Monday at I'm An Organizing Junkie.

CVS Scenarios - week of 4/4

There are a ton of ECB offers this week at CVS. Not many are free or near free, but there are quite a few of them out there. This would be a great week to walk in and have the coupon machine print off a $/$$ coupon. If that happens, I will group these all together.

Transaction #1
1 - Stride Gum
2 - Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner

-$.50 Stride Gum mfg coupon
-$3 $3/2 Pantene mfg coupon

Total $3.47 OOP, earn $2 and $.99 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Pantene Styler
1 - Softsoap Bodywash

-$1 Pantene styler mfg coupon
-$1 Softsoap Bodywash mfg coupon

Total $5.48, pay with $2.99 ECBs from Transaction #1 and $2.49 OOP, earn $1 and $2 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Listerine Smart Rinse
1 - Colgate Total

-$1 Smart Rinse mfg coupon
-$.75 Colgate mfg coupon

Total $5.23, pay with $3 ECBs from Transaction #2 and $2.28 OOP. Earn $1 and $2 ECBs.

Transaction #4
1 - Speedstick Stainguard

-$.50 Speedstick mfg coupon

Total $2.99, pay with $3 ECBs from Transaction #3, adjusted down. Earn $2 ECBs.

Some other scenarios to consider:

Baby Deal:
1 - Pampers Cruisers Box
2 - Johnsons Shampoo

-$1.50 Pampers mfg couon
-$4.50 Pampers box CRT
-$1 Johnsons baby mfg coupon
-$1 Johnsons baby mfg coupon

Total $17.97, earn $10 ECBs.

Squeakquel Deal:
4 - Always pads
1 - Squeakquel DVD

-$5.49 Always BOGO mfg coupon
-$5.49 Always BOGO mfg coupon

Total after DVD savings is $15.97.

For more deals and scenarios, check out Deal Seeking Mom, Money Saving Mom and the "Cent"sible Sawyer.

CVS $5 Challenge

Transaction #1
1 - Stride Gum
2 - Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner

-$.50 Stride Gum mfg coupon
-$3 $3/2 Pantene mfg coupon

Total $3.47 OOP, earn $2 and $.99 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Colgate Total

-$.75 Colgate mfg coupon

Total $2.24. Pay with $2 ECB and $.24 OOP. Earn $2 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Speedstick Stainguard

-$.50 Speedstick mfg coupon

Total $2.99. Pay with $2 and $.99 ECBs. Earn $2 ECBs.

Transaction #4
1 - Pantene Styler

-$1 Pantene styler mfg coupon

Total $1.99. Pay with $2 ECBs, adjusted down. Earn $1 ECBs.

Total OOP $3.71 with $1 ECB to roll for $16.45 in merchandise at sale prices, a savings of 78%.

For more $5 Scenarios, check out the CVS $5 Challenge.

Walgreens Scenarios - week of 4/4

There are a few good deals at Walgreens this week that have me interested in making a trip. Here is my thought for some scenarios"

Transaction #1
3 - Garnier Shampoos
3 - Garnier Conditioners

-$6 6x$1 Garnier IP (need access to 3 computers)

Total $14 OOP, earn $10 RR.

Transaction #2
1 - Cascade
1 - Downy Liquid
1 - Tide Stain Release
1 - U by Kotex
1 - Pilot Erasable Frixion

-$.50 Cascade mfg coupon
-$1 Downy mfg coupon
-$1.50 Tide Stain Release mfg coupon (from Gymboree mailer)
-$1 Kotex mfg coupon

Total $11.55, pay with $10 RR and $1.55 OOP. Earn $2 and $2.50 RR.

Transaction #3
1 - Dawn ($.99 w/ in ad coupon)
1 - Crest Glide Floss
2 - Oral B CrossAction
1 - Pilot Erasable Frixion

-$.50 Dawn mfg coupon
-$.75 Crest Glide mfg coupon
-$2 Oral B mfg coupon
-$2 Oral B mfg coupon

Total $4.93, pay with $2 and $2.50 RR and $.43 OOP. Earn $3 RR.

Transaction #4
2 - Tropicana

-$1 $1/2 Tropicana mfg coupon

Total $5. Pay with $3 RR and $2 OOP. Earn $1 RR.

Total OOP for the trip is $17.98, for about $52 in product at sale price, or about 66% savings.

For more deals and scenarios, check out Money Saving Mom and Deal Seeking Mom.

Walgreens $5 Challenge

Transaction #1
1 - Crest Glide Floss
2 - Oral B CrossAction

-$.75 Crest Glide mfg coupon
-$2 Oral B mfg coupon
-$2 Oral B mfg coupon

Total $4.25 OOP, earn $3 RR.

Transaction #2
1 - Dawn ($.99 w/ in ad coupon)
1 - U by Kotex
1 - Pilot Erasable Frixion

-$.50 Dawn mfg coupon
-$1 Kotex mfg coupon

Total $3.17. Pay with $3 RR and $.17 OOP. Earn $2.50 RR.

Total OOP $4.42 with $2.50 in RR to use or roll to next week.

For more $5 Scenarios, check out the Walgreens $5 Challenge.

Happy Easter!

I hope you all have a Happy Easter.

Exergen Temporal Scanner Thermometer

The first winner selected did not get back to me, so I have selected a new winner!

Congratulations to Jamie! Jamie is now the winner of the Exergen Temporal Scanner Thermometer.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

11
Timestamp: 2010-04-03 02:46:43 UTC

CVS Deals - 3/30

I headed out to CVS early this week, because I had a raincheck that I had coupons for and they expired at the end of the month. I didn't have much time, so I didn't look at other deals, figuring I could come back later in the week to do those deals.

4 - Ensure High Protein Shakes
2 - Stayfree
4 - Carefree
1 - Coastal Rain Conditioner

-$4.99 Ensure B3G1 IP
-$3 Ensure mfg coupon
-$1.85 Ensure IP
-$1.85 Ensure IP
-$4 $4/2 Stayfree CRT
-$2 Stayfree mfg coupon
-$1 Stayfree mfg coupon
-$3.99 Carefree BOGO mfg coupon
-$3.99 Carefree BOGO mfg coupon
-$4 $4/2 Carefree CRT
-$1 CVS Hair Care CRT

Paid with $3 ECB and $8.02 OOP ($9.41 with tax). I earned $8 ECBs (4 x $2 Carefree/Stayfree deal). I feel pretty good about this. When you consider that the Ensure was $8.27 after coupons, I paid $1.39 in tax and $2.75 in ECBs toward the Stayfree/Carefree and earned $8 ECBs. Making that part of my deal a $3.86 moneymaker.

Genaurdi's Deals - 3/29

I have some catching up to do, I have a lot of things I want to post and I feel like they are just accumulating. Last weekend we took a trip to visit with friends and family. While there, I took the opportunity to spend the $50 gift card that I had received a while back from MyBlogSpark and Safeway (you can enter to win one here). I new that Moms Need to Know covered Genaurdi's so I started by reviewing her post of the weekly deals. I came to the conclusion that when it came to non-perishables, their ad was not very deep. On Monday morning, I headed out with only a vague plan - get some "special" cereals that aren't often on deal and pick up the Pepsi product 12pk deal (Buy 2 @4.99, get 3 free). Unfortunately, Genaurdi's had not updated their website and I found myself in front of a closed store. I knew there was another one only a few miles away, but now there was added driving to do and more time to get to the store.

Once I finally arrived at the store, it was pouring and I had to take a wet cart in with me - never ideal when you are buying things like cereal. I was disappointed to learn that they do not carry Post Banana Nut Crunch, one of my husbands favorite cereals, so I had to improvise and started adding things like oatmeal (BOGO sale) and snacks to the cart in place of the Banana Nut Crunch on my list. I kept a running tally of purchase minus coupons in my head and when I knew I was in the mid-$40s, I headed up to the checkout, not wanting to have been a victim of too much rounding.

Transaction #1
5 - asstd Mountain Dew 12pks
2 - Goldfish snacks
2 - Nestle Toll House Morsels
4 - Kashi Honey Sunshine
1 - Kashi Blueberry Clusters
2 - Frosted Mini Wheat Littl Bites
4 - Nature Valley Nut Clusters
2 - Quaker Instant Oatmeal
1 - Kellogg Yogo's
1 - Planter's Nut-rition Bars
4 - Sobe Lifewater

-$.75 Goldfish Crackers doubled to $1.50
-$.75 Goldfish Crackers doubled to $1.50
-$.75 Nestle Morsels doubled to $1.50
-$.75 Nestle Morsels doubled to $1.50
-$1.50 Kashi cereal
-$1.50 Kashi cereal
-$1.50 Kashi cereal
-$1.50 Kashi cereal
-$1 Kashi cereal
-$1.50 Frosted Mini Wheats (on 2)
-$.40 Nut Clusters doubled to $.80
-$.40 Nut Clusters doubled to $.80
-$1 Nut Clusters
-$1 Nut Clusters
-$1 Quaker Oatmeal
-$1 Quaker Oatmeal
-$.75 Kellogg's Fruit Snack doubled to $1.50
-$1 Planter's Nut-rition
-$1.59 BOGO Sobe Lifewater
-$1.59 BOGO Sobe Lifewater

Total $45.00 on Genaurdi's (Safeway) gift card. For some reason, perhaps when she scanned the frequent shopper card, the Sobe Lifewater didn't show up as the $.88 sale price when the computer looked up the value of the free item, so I got them for $.08 each. I did love that the computer did the BOGO coupons, no cashier having to scan back through your whole transaction to find it.

Since I was a few dollars short of using my gift card, I headed back into the store to get some items. I picked up candy, they had the Hershey's on buy 3 get 3 sale and Nestle on buy 2 get 2 sale. I grabbed soap as a filler figuring we could always use that.

Transaction #2
1 - Trident Layers
3 - Reese's Bars
3 - KitKat Bars
4 - Nestle Crunch Bars
3 - Dial Liquid Hand Soaps

-$.75 Trident Layers coupon doubled to $1.49
-$.55 Reese's coupon doubled to $.99
-$.55 Reese's coupon doubled to $.99
-$.99 Nestle BOGO coupon

Total $5.00 on Genaurdi's gift card.

I by some crazy coincidence spent exactly $50.00 at Genaurdi's. I don't think I could do that again if I tried!

The total savings for this trip (according to my receipts) was $68.53 or 58%. So, I got $118.53 of groceries for only $50, well free really, it was a free giftcard that I spent.