Huggies Pull-ups Potty Training Kit Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Rachel (and her son)! She is the winner of the Huggies Pull-ups Potty Training Kit giveaway.

An e-mail will be sent to the winner.

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out the Kung Zhu Hamster (Zhu Zhu pets) and accessory giveaway and the Tyson Grilled and Ready giveaway.

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18
Timestamp: 2010-06-30 02:33:41 UTC

Rainy Day Entertainment

When my kids complained one day a few years ago of being bored, I built them a fort. I can remember building forts with my brothers as a child. The forts were never super fancy, built out of blankets and cushions, but they were special because they were a space all our own. I figured it would be something that my kids would also enjoy, so I used several afghans and throws to construct a fort in the open space between our sofa and our recliner. Then, to create a more roomy fort, I added the easel and a kitchen chair to help expand the covered area.

It was an instant hit. There is something so magical about a fort. Suddenly the same books and games and toys that we have are more interesting, because they can be played with inside the fort, a space all their own - where Mom and Dad can't come in.

They will move stacks of books and games into their fort after it is built. Some are for playing and others are for constructing internal "walls" to divide their space. They also like to take in flashlights to help light the darkened play area and blankets and pillows for pretending it is nap and bedtime (the same two that dont' want to take a nap or go to bed). It is fun to be outside the fort listening to their conversations. It is great to hear their imagination hard at work during their play.

I frequently have to repair the fort as they bump into the 'roof' and it gapes or falls. Despite building it in the same area each time, the fort is never quite the same. Each time though, it is sure to please and entertain.

At the end of the day, or before we head out for errands, we tear down the fort - they get so upset, as if we can't just rebuild it the next day or later when we are ready to play again.

When we visit my parent's house, my mom builds a fort using her dining room table with the chairs pulled out and covering it with a couple of afghans - giving them a large fort area with a secure roof. They each take their own flashlight and create a play area all their own.

We tend to build forts when it rains or snows and to bridge the mid-day in summer, when it is too hot and the sun too intense to spend the time outside. It is easy and cheap entertainment for the kids and brings back memories of my childhood.

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

BOGO - Bowling at AMF

I'll apologize in advance that I saved this link and didn't note what blog I had seen it on - the link is an affiliate link, so I feel I should give credit but find myself unable to.

Sign up here and you can get a second game free when you purchase one at participating AMF bowling alleys.

Bowling is a favorite activity at our house. It has become a tradition on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and on New Year's Eve. In addition, we love to bowl throughout the year.

Menu Plan Monday

I made a quick trip to pick up some deals for the week at Giant Eagle. I debated the Giant Eagle ice cream, which is on sale and I have a $1 coupon for. I think I might head back before the end of the sale - it's hard to pass up 1.5qt for $1.25 OOP. I can always hang onto in the deep freeze for the upcoming birthdays at the end of summer. I picked up some Marlin for dinner tonight - I wanted to grill. Of course, we had a few lines of nasty storms blow through - so I had to sneak in the grilling. I did okay overall on groceries, saving 42%. I opted not to use my 13% in foodperks today, as I feel I need to let it build up a little more and use it for a larger shopping trip.

This week, as you can guess, there is once again turkey in our menu plan. The cheeseburgers on Monday, turkey in the meatballs on Thursday, and to make the Sloppy Joes for the community picnic.

Sunday
cereal
Macaroni and Cheese
Grilled Marlin and Cole Slaw

Monday
Cheeseburgers

Tuesday
Homemade Pizza

Wednesday
Eating Out

Thursday
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
TBD

Saturday
cereal
Sloppy Joes and more at community picnic
Hot Dogs and Burgers at picnic

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 6/27

There are a handful of deals that I hope to stop into CVS to pick up this week. I missed going back at the end of last week to pick things up, so my goal this week is to not procrastinate - especially since there is a busy holiday weekend next week.

Transaction #1
4 - Aveeno Shampoo/Conditioner

-$1.50 Aveeno IP
-$1.50 Aveeno IP
-$1.50 Aveeno IP
-$1.50 Aveeno IP

Total $19.96. Submit for $10 rebate and earn $10 ECBs (like getting them free after rebate and ECB).

Transaction #2
1 - Kodak Picture Movie DVD

Total $9.99, pay with $10 ECB adjusted down. Earn $9.99 ECB.

Transaction #3
2 - John Frieda Shampoo/Conditioner
2 - Speedstick Deodorant

-$3 John Frieda Mfg coupon
-$3 John Frieda Mfg coupon

Total $10, pay with $9.99 ECB and $.01 OOP. Earn $3 and $3 ECBs.

Transaction #4
1 - Tums
2 - M&Ms
2 - CVS 2oz Sunblock
2 - Kellogg's Cereals

-$1 Tums IP
-$1.50 Tums CRT
-$.89 Free Pretzel M&Ms mfg coupon
-$1 CVS Suncare CRT
-$1 CVS Suncare CRT
-$1 $1/2 Kellogg's mfg coupon

Total $6.29, pay with the $6 ECBs from Transaction #3 and $.29 OOP. Earn $1 and $1 ECB.

Total $20.26 OOP with $1 ECB to roll and a $10 rebate to submit.

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

CVS $5 Challenge

Transaction #1

2 - John Frieda Shampoo/Conditioner

-$3 John Frieda mfg coupon
-$3 John Frieda mfg coupon

Total $4 OOP, earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Tums
4 - M&Ms
2 - CVS 2oz Sunblock

-$1 Tums IP
-$1.50 Tums CRT
-$.89 Free Pretzel M&Ms mfg coupon
-$1 CVS Suncare CRT
-$1 CVS Suncare CRT

Total $3.18, pay with $3 ECB and $.18 OOP. Earn $1 ECB.

Total OOP $4.18, with $1 ECB to roll.

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

Banquet Fruit Pie Sampling at Walmart

New from Banquet are Banquet Fruit Pies. These pies come in 7 oz. single servings featuring three All-American fruit varieties – apple, peach and cherry berry – so everyone can enjoy their favorite fruit taste. Each pie has a half serving of real fruit inside a golden, flaky pastry shell that bakes up fresh and hot from your oven or microwave in just minutes.

Select Walmarts are offering in-store demonstrations this weekend – June 26 and 27 – with free samples of the pies topped with Reddi-Wip! Check with your local Walmart to see if a demo is taking place in your store.

Look for Banquet Fruit Pies in freezer section next to other Banquet meals and pot pies. Suggested retail price for one fruit pie is between $0.68 and $1.00.

You can find a coupon here for $.35 on your next Banquet Fruit Pie purchase and $1 on your next Reddi-Whip purchase.

CVS Deals - 6/25

I made a quick stop at CVS today after a work outing. I wanted to see about picking up some of the Arizona Iced Tea cans that were on sale this week. My husband drinks them and they are a pretty good price. I was a little disappointed to find that they only had them refrigerated - not sure it is like other drinks and get skunky when cold and set back on shelf and then re-refrigerated. So, I could only get a few for the refrigerator, until I checked how much space we had. I was also disappointed that some coupons I had set aside earlier to use with some rainchecks had expired.

2 - Arizona Iced Tea
2 - Power Bar
1 - Colgate Toothpaste

-$1 Colgate mfg coupon

Total $5.54, paid with $5 ECBs and $.54 OOP. Earned $2 and $1.98 ECBs. I might check another store tomorrow to see if they have any on shelf and not refrigerated.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:
Beech-Nut Next Steps Kit
Old Wisconsin Meat Stick - Beef or Turkey

Received:
Nothing - could that really be.

Toys 'R Us Grand Openings - 6/25

As I mentioned in this post, I have partnered with Toys 'R Us to share about the upcoming Grand Opening/Re-Opening events across the country.

This weekend, June 25 - 27, there is one store that will be having their Grand Opening/Re-Opening events.

Lexington, KY

Remember the first 100 shoppers on Friday morning (@ 9:30 am) of the Grand Opening/Re-Opening weekend will receive a gift bag valued at $100. You can head to the Grand Opening/Re-Opening site to print off your 'secret coupon' which could be good for 15%, 20% or 50% off any single item - your discount can be revealed when you shop on Grand Opening/Re-Opening Weekend.

No compensation was received for this post.

JCPenney - Clearance Finds

On Sunday, between seeing Toy Story 3 and dinner at the Macaroni Grill, we made a stop at JCPenney. They seem to have a lot of great stuff on clearance right now. I am always looking for new clothes to refresh my work wardrobe and I like to buy next season for the kids when it is cheap.


I was able to get 3 pairs of shorts, 4 summer shirts and a pair of tennis shoes for my daughter, 3 shirts and 1 pants/shorts/shirt pajama set for my son, and 2 blouses, 1 sweater and 1 pair of slacks for me. There weren't any bonus coupons (I asked if there were any I might have missed), but I was still able to get all of this for only $117 plus tax. I saved $214, meaning I had gotten $331 worth of clothes and shoes for only $117, about 65% savings. I feel pretty good about that. The sad thing is the most expensive thing I purchased was the Spiderman Pajama set for $17.49.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Caller ID and kids

We never had caller ID until we converted our land line to a cell line and started using XLink (read more here). It was one of those services that I never felt was worth the cost that the telephone company charged. Plus, then you had to have either a phone that had caller id or get a separate display - both which were added costs above the phones we already had.

Now, with the XLink and the phones that we purchased to get one base and several handset extensions, we have caller ID and the phone even speaks the name to us. It displays all phone numbers, but only gives a name if we have programmed the phone number and name into the phone. (It's funny to listen to it pronounce some names. We had to spell my mom's name wrong to get it to say it correctly.)

I never really appreciated this service until recently. My son as a rule doesn't answer the phone. It's just one of those things that we had never encouraged. Now, when it rings and he hears that is me or one of his Grandparents he will answer the phone. I like not having to worry that he is answering every call that comes in (when we are not in the house or busy doing something keeping us from the phone), but like knowing that if I am out and calling and my husband can't answer the phone that he will answer. That way I can still get my message home without having to leave a message on a machine and wonder if they got the message.

Having "partial" Caller ID works for me.

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday.

Tyson Grilled and Ready

We use chicken for a lot of meals at our house. When I am grilling chicken breasts, it is not uncommon for me to grill extra for the next night's meal. Sometimes though, weather is just not on my side. We have a George Foreman grill, but we bought it years ago before the trays were removable and it is a pain to clean so I am lazy and just don't use it. So, I have occasionally purchased the refrigerated pre-cooked chicken breasts for use in salads and pasta dishes to save some time (and effort). For me, the challenge with the refrigerated product can sometimes be using it before it expires - menus change and items get lost in my refrigerator, only to surface a week after the usage date.

I recently was contacted about trying Tyson Grilled & Ready refrigerated and frozen products. Knowing the luck I have had with not always getting to use the refrigerated product, I decided to try the frozen chicken. My husband picked it up for me and grabbed a bag of the Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast.

We tried it for the first time this week (he picked it up weeks ago, I just never got a chance to use it. See what I mean!). I liked that the bag is a resealable bag, allowing me to use as little or as much as I need and to set the rest back in the freezer for future use. In addition, there is a bag inside of the bag, which I have to believe would help it stay fresher longer before opening. I was glad to find that I could pull out just a few pieces, they weren't all frozen together.

The preparation was simple. You can warm it in the microwave, but 3 to 5 minutes in a skillet is all the prep time needed for this already cooked chicken. From my perspective, you could warm it in a skillet and add to your recipe or even just add it right from the freezer into the pan with the rest of your ingredients.

The chicken was juicy and flavorful. I liked that it was available in a plain grilled/oven roasted variety with just simple seasonings. The fact that is was plain allows it be very versatile and to work in recipes, on salads, in pasta and more.

I like to use diced chicken with pasta. One way I prep it is to simply add the already cooked, diced chicken to a skillet with fresh diced tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes work out of season) and some Italian seasoning. Toss it with some angel hair pasta for a quick, light and flavorful dish. It's also an easy thing to add to some linguine and Alfredo sauce for another easy meal option.

In addition to the Oven Roasted Diced Chicken variety that my husband picked up for us to try, the Grilled and Ready line is available as Chicken Breast Fillets, Chicken Strips, Southwest Chicken Strips, Fajita Chicken Strips and even Seasoned Beef Strips. The products, other than the breast fillets which are only available frozen, are available either frozen or refrigerated.

The Whole Breast Fillets are their newest addition to the line and I plan to try them next. They are fully-cooked, lean, boneless, skinless recipe-ready chicken breasts - the perfect protein for any entrée, salad or sandwich. I like that they are 98% fat free and contain no preservatives. I'm thinking that the Whole Breast Fillets, which also can be microwaved, would be a great option for packing an easy to prepare, lean protein in my lunch.

Giveaway
Would you like to try some? In addition to the coupons that Tyson provided for me to try the Grilled and Ready product line, I received coupons to share with readers. Two (2) A Busy Mom of Two readers will each win one coupon for one FREE Tyson Grilled and Ready product.

How to enter: Leave a comment sharing what dish you would use the Grilled and Ready Chicken (or beef) in.

Bonus Entries:
Additional entries:
· Follow @ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter. Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (this can be done daily)
· Follow this blog or sign up to receive e-mail updates (upper side bar). Leave a comment letting me know that you follow or subscribe (or if you already are a subscriber).
· Include my button on your side bar or a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll. Leave a comment with a link to your site.
· Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook.
· Write a post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post.

Giveaway will remain open until July 7th at 6pm. Winners will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winners will be contacted by e-mail (please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or clearly visible on your profile or blog) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. A coupon for a free bag was provided by Tyson, so that I might try the product and share my experience. In addition, coupons were provided for a giveaway.

Mamavation Monday

I am starting to feel like I write the same post every Monday. Another week, still on my plateau. I always feel like I know the reason for the plateau, but it still is a plateau - even some progress would make me feel good.

This week, it was eating away from home all weekend that made for a plateau - I legitimately think I could have had a loss if not for the weekend. Friday night, my husband had seen rice or something in a magazine and got a hankering for Japanese steak house food, so we decided to pull our dinner plans and head out for dinner to a local Japanese steak house. Saturday we spent the day at Cedar Point. We started with a quick lunch at Wendy's on the way into the park and then ate dinner at the park (at least there was lots of walking and we drank lots of water to stay hydrated on a very hot day!). Sunday was Father's Day and my husband wanted some pasta, so we planned dinner at the Macaroni Grill, but before that we took in a matinee show of Toy Story 3, which included soda and popcorn. Any one of these on their own would have been manageable and not enough to impede progress, but filling a weekend with this much eating away from home was asking for a gain or a plateau - I guess in reflection, I am glad it was not a gain.

It's time to move off of this plateau. I am determined that by the end of summer, I will lose the remaining weight that I have wanted to lose. This morning, I kicked off my third time for P90X. That will take 90 days or 13 weeks for me to complete. I hope that by continuing to follow Weight Watchers and working out daily in P90X fashion that I will be successful in my goal of losing 13# by the end of summer. I know that I will need to try to fit in more walks at lunch to help ensure my success.

Just about 1# per week is what it will take for me to reach my goal. I think know I can do it. I will continue to post about my progress here to help keep myself accountable. I will continue to attend Weight Watchers with my friends which will also help me stay focused (I want to share in their successes and have my own). I will use the eTools tracker to help me keep track of what I am eating. With all these tools in place - I can lose!

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

Menu Plan Monday

No trips to the grocery store this weekend. I think that I will likely make a quick trip to the store tonight to pick up some essentials like milk, fruits and vegetables. I guess if I see some deals in the ad, I might do some more shopping, but it's not in the plans currently. Of course, the fact that I am "making up" my menu as I type this doesn't help. I'm certain that more than one thing will move on the menu this week as a result.

This week, as you can guess, there is once again turkey in our menu plan. The sloppy joes were made with ground turkey, turkey roast on Friday and turkey burgers for the cheeseburgers on Saturday.

Sunday
cereal
yogurt, granola and fruit
Dinner at Macaroni Grill for Father's Day

Monday
Pasta with Chicken

Tuesday
Sloppy Joes (froze them last week because we didn't eat them.)

Wednesday
breakfast for dinner

Thursday
Chicken Patty Sandwiches

Friday
Turkey Roast

Saturday
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.

Balance Benders

My son loves puzzles and workbooks. We have math workbooks and reading workbooks. We have word searches and mazes. We have workbooks of every variety. He will sit for hours and work through the puzzles and the workbooks. When he was younger, he wanted to do my Sudoku puzzles. We sought long and hard and eventually found a Sudoku puzzle book for kids. He loves it. He is still working towards understanding the predictive nature of solving the puzzles and frequently comes to me for assistance, but I'm happy that he is not deterred by the challenge and continues to work through the puzzles.

When I first learned of Balance Benders from The Critical Thinking Company, I thought this was something he would really enjoy. It pulls on his love of math and his love of problem solving. Balance Benders are "Logic and Algebraic Reasoning Puzzles". It takes a collection of shapes on either side of a balance beam that is either in balance or off to one side. Then, it asks the child to circle the three answers that will always be true. The answers that they are selecting from are a series of greater than, less than and equality statements using the shapes on the scale.

As he started into the Beginning Book (Grades 2 - 6), the first few balances were easy for him to resolve. As we moved back into the book, it presented some new concepts which we talked through. It was great to see him start to learn the concepts and see that light go on in his eyes and hear it in the more involved questions that he asked.

As a mom, I love that he sees these types of puzzle books as fun. I think it is important that a child can learn things through fun. As a puzzle enthusiast, I think it is great to see the love of puzzles starting to blossom in my child.

These workbooks cost only $9.99 per level. You can also check out some other great learning puzzles from the Critical Thinking Company. Click here to print out some free activities for your children (and see a sample of the types of activities in different books available from the Critical Thinking Company):


You can follow the Critical Thinking Company on Twitter or Like them on Facebook.

Want to win some free product from Critical Thinking? You can enter their new Critical Thinking Moments Video Contest for a chance to win a year's supply of educational product (a $500 value). You can learn more about the contest here. You can also nominate the person that inspired your love of thinking and problem solving as part of their Critical Thinking Heroes Award Program. If the person that you nominates wins, they will receive a commemorative award and a $500 gift card to the Critical Thinking Co. You can learn more and get the form to nominate your candidate here.

No compensation was received for this post. This is a Mama Buzz review. The Balance Benders book was provided by the Critical Thinking Company, so that I could experience it with my child and share my thoughts.

CVS Scenarios - week of 6/20

There are some pretty good deals at CVS this week, not necessarily free, but if you use the items they are pretty good deals. I just wish I had some $/$$ coupons. Maybe I will get lucky and the coupon machine will spit one out this week or I'll get an e-mail one from CVS (that hasn't happened in forever!).

Transaction #1
4 - Olay Total Effects Body Wash

-$4 Olay Total Effects Body Wash mfg coupon
-$4 Olay Total Effects Body Wash mfg coupon
-$4 Olay Total Effects Body Wash mfg coupon
-$4 Olay Total Effects Body Wash mfg coupon

Total $12 OOP, earn $5.

Transaction #2
2 - Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner

-$1 Pantene mfg coupon (from Parade a few weeks ago)
-$1 Pantene mfg coupon (from Parade a few weeks ago)

Total $4.97, pay with $5 ECB adjusted down to $4.97. Earn $2 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - CVS Ibuprofen

Total $3.99, pay with $2 ECBs and $1.99 OOP. Earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #4
1 - Colgate TP
1 - Power Bar

-$1 Colgate TP mfg coupon

Total $2.98, pay with $3 ECB adjusted down to $2.98. Earn $2 and $.99 ECBs.

Transaction #5
1 - Colgate TP
1 - Power Bar

-$1 Colgate TP mfg coupon

Total $2.98, pay with $2 and $.99 ECB adjusted down to $2.98. Earn $2 and $.99 ECBs.

Total OOP of $13.99 with $2.99 in ECBs remaining for $46.92 in product at sale price. If you consider ECBs, it's like you saved $77%.

If you use diapers, the Huggies boxes are on sale for $19.99 with $10 ECB. Pair this with the $3 coupon on Coupons.com for a great price on diapers. There also is a $3 Huggies CRT that has been printing.

For more deals and scenarios, check out Deal Seeking Mom and Money Saving Mom. This post also shared at Cha Ching Queen link-up.

CVS $5 Challenge

Transaction #1
1 - CVS Ibuprofen

Total $3.99 OOP, earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Colgate TP
1 - Power Bar

-$1 Colgate TP mfg coupon

Total $2.98, pay with $3 ECB adjusted down to $2.98. Earn $2 and $.99 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Colgate TP
1 - Power Bar

-$1 Colgate TP mfg coupon

Total $2.98, pay with $2 and $.99 ECB adjusted down to $2.98. Earn $2 and $.99 ECBs.

Total OOP is $3.99 with $2.99 in ECBs remaining for $12 in product at sale price. If you consider the ECBs, it's like you saved 92%!

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

Happy Father's Day

I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you that are Fathers or Father figures a Happy Father's Day!

Have a Great Day!

CVS Deals - 6/18

I had great intentions this week. I was going to Rite Aid to take advantage of their three day sales. I was going to CVS to get a few deals. In the end, I was so busy, I never got a chance. Knowing my schedule for tomorrow, I decided to stop by CVS quickly and just do a quick exchange (turns out the replacement was less on shelf than the original item) and get the Gillette Body Wash deal after work today.

2 - Gillette Body Wash
1 - Speed Stick Deodorant

-1 Speed Stick Pro Clean
-$4 BOGO Gillette Body Wash mfg coupon

Total $3.54 OOP (I had left my ECBs at home, but didn't want to miss out on better than free body wash), earned $8 ECBs.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Samples and Freebies

Requested

Bodycology Sample
Samples from True Citrus
DaVinci Pasta, have to become a fan on Facebook and send an e-mail to request sample
Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce
Dove Damage Therapy Shampoo/Conditioner sample (through Costco, no member number required)

Received:
Pantene Sample from VocalPoint
Olay Total Effects Body Wash
Playtex Gentle Glide and coupon
Nature's Bounty Pedometer and coupons

Toys 'R Us Grand Openings - 6/18

Sorry for the late notice, this is today!

As I mentioned in this post, I have partnered with Toys 'R Us to share about the upcoming Grand Opening/Re-Opening events across the country.

This weekend, June 18 - 20, there are two stores that will be having their Grand Opening/Re-Opening events.

Riverview, IL
Kenwood, OH

Remember the first 100 shoppers on Friday (this) morning (9:30 am) of the Grand Opening/Re-Opening weekend will receive a gift bag valued at $100. You can head to the Grand Opening/Re-Opening site to print off your 'secret coupon' which could be good for 15%, 20% or 50% off any single item - your discount can be revealed when you shop on Grand Opening/Re-Opening Weekend.

No compensation was received for this post.

Kung Zhu

As a mom, there are just some toys that I would never think to pick up off the shelf at the store. It's not that there is anything wrong with a toy, it's just that sometimes I wonder would my kids actually like that or play with that? One such toy is the new Kung Zhu line from Zhu Zhu pets. If I had seen it on shelf, I'm not sure I would have picked it out. My kids are lucky though that through MomSelect, I recently had the opportunity to check out Kung Zhu Pets. They LOVE them.

What are Kung Zhu Pets?

"With eight original characters split into two battling groups called Special Forces and Ninja Warriors, Kung Zhu Pet owners will have the thrill of training each character to transform fighting, battling warriors. While these Kung Zhu hamsters may start of as "cute" and "mild-mannered" once they are sent into their main training grounds, smart chip technology will actually allow you to hear a distinct personality transformation of fighting ninja and warriors."

Deck your Special Forces or Ninja pet in their armor and they are ready to achieve their goal of "justice in the zhu-niverse".

We came home from school one afternoon last week to a large box sitting in the kitchen. They were excited and couldn't wait to know what was inside. When I opened it, they immediately started pulling things out and wanting to know if we could open them.

I allowed them to each select a hamster and a set of battle armor for their hamster. These Kung Zhu pets are very similar to regular Zhu Zhu pets, but they have some special features that make them even more fun. They can be played with in "discover" mode like the original Zhu Zhu pets, in which they just tool around, making cute noises and bumping into things, or in "battle" mode where they make cute little warrior noises and do some special tricks (spins, wheelies, etc). Their armor set comes with a shield that has a track to run them across to "charge up their armor". Even before we opened anything else, the kids were having fun with their Kung Zhu hamsters.

After getting our hamsters out, suited up and running, we finally opened and set up a Battle Arena, where the two hamsters can duel it out a couple at a time, pushing each other around, doing spins, and trying to "win" by knocking the other Zhu Zhu over. We set up a Ninja training set and a Special Forces training set on either side of the arena. There also were some battle accessories for the arena (or for use on their own). We built and connected all of the pieces. The hamsters were ready for battle. (We only connected one training set to each side and added two battle accessories, but there are all kinds of accessories that you can hook onto the battle arena to make it more intricate and fun, too!)

The kids were a bit disappointed that when the hamsters were wearing their armor that they couldn't fit through the training set. This did seem somewhat odd, since the training sets attach to the "tunnels" leading to the battle arena. The kids quickly got over this and just let their hamsters train and upon reaching the battle arena, they would pick them up and pop on their armor. The battle accessories and the armor both have some "action" pieces that when bumped into fire or drop or swing a weapon into the arena. Of course, mostly these just serve as obstacles to the hamsters, leading to one or the other to flip over and "lose". That's okay, once they lose the kids switch sides and let their hamsters run on the other training set and return to battle again.

Generally, I am not a big fan of "fighting" or "battle" toys, but this one features cute hamsters and really makes the kids giggle - so it feels less violent than a "battle toy" sounds. In addition, the arena and the accessories can really start to take up a lot of space. We are fortunately enough to have a basement, but we first set it up in our family room which quickly was overrun in Kung Zhu. Once we moved it to the basement, there was plenty of room.

I have been impressed by the amount of time the kids spend playing with the Kung Zhu pets. Most of the time, hasn't even been in battle. As they were downstairs playing, my son came up and asked if he could recycle the boxes that the pets and toys had come in. Recycling makes sense to me, so I said sure. Turns out he meant reuse. They took to opening boxes and using the cardboard inside to create houses for their Kung Zhu hamsters. It was really great to see them spend time playing and being creative together. To me, a toy that inspires them to be creative is a good thing. Of course, all of their play has not been without squabbles. They both want to use the same set of armor - it fires off missiles when it gets bumped and my daughter struggles with letting her brother's Kung Zhu train on "her" training set (the one she helped me open and set up), but they have worked through both and now take turns.

Overall I would give these pets a great review...my kids have enjoyed playing with them all weekend! I love that you can play with just the pets alone or add in any number of accessories to mix it up.

Giveaway:

Kung Zhu giveaway! Thanks to MomSelect, I have a HUGE package of Kung Zhu fun to give to one lucky reader. Here is what the winner will get:

Two Kung Zhu pets
Two Sets of Kung Zhu armor
One Battle Arena
Three Accessories

To enter - check out the Kung Zhu hamster bios (here) and then leave a comment sharing which Kung Zhu hamster you could best relate to.

Additional entries:
· Follow @ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter. Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (this can be done daily)
· Follow this blog or sign up to receive e-mail updates (upper side bar). Leave a comment letting me know that you follow or subscribe (or if you already have been).
· Include my button on your side bar or a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll. Leave a comment with a link to your site.
· Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook.
· Write a post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post.

Giveaway will remain open until July 5th at 6pm. Winner will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (Please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or clearly visible on your profile or blog) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. I did receive through Mom Select a pair of Kung Zhu hamsters, armor, battle arena and some accessories for my family, that we could play with them and share our experience. In addition, a set was provided for a giveaway.

P90X

About two and a half years ago a friend of mine at work started doing P90X. I never thought of her as big or needing to lose weight, but it was amazing to see her transformation. She got so toned and thin (again, she never was big in my opinion, but she looked AMAZING! after doing the P90X). After about a year of watching, I asked her if I could borrow some of the workouts to check them out. I had heard that they were intense and wanted to learn, could I really do this. She brought in one disc for me to try but mentioned that there was a coworker who had a set that she wasn't currently using it.

I tried the first work out she gave me and really liked it. I asked my other coworker if I could borrow her discs for a while to try it before I made an investment. I decided to go with the Classic workout, which included one workout per day, with a rest or stretch on the 7th day. If you aren't familiar with P90X, the premise is muscle confusion. You alternate between days of cardio and strength training and there are three phases across the 90 days. For the first three weeks, you complete the workouts of Phase 1 with the fourth week being recovery with some workouts from the first phase and some others. For weeks five through seven, you completed the workouts of Phase 2 - two of the strength training workouts change and week eight is a recovery week again. Then, weeks nine through twelve are alternating the week from Phase 1 and the week from Phase 2. Week thirteen is a recovery week. I know that the workout rotation is by design to help you get the most out of it, but for me the rotation is key to my continued completion of the program too. I like the variety in the workouts and the fact that each day is different, but overtime you are doing the same workouts and can get better at them.

I would be lying if I said that it was an easy workout, after the 50 - 60 minute workouts, you can definitely feel it. If you really "Bring It" as Tony Horton says, you can get a serious workout. If you are a beginner, he tells you to "Modify, Modify, Modify". I can definitely say that I have gotten better at the workouts and really have come to enjoy them. Early on I would modify and could only do half of some of the exercises/moves, now I can get though most workouts. I did have two challenges - I don't have a pull-up bar. We tried to get one for the doorway in our basement, but it is wider than a standard doorway. I have improvised, either using free weights to simulate the movement or more often, substituting back exercises from the other routines when the group was doing pull-ups or chin-ups. I couldn't do the yoga workout - it is 1 1/2 hours long and I am doing the workout before I get ready for work. I can manage the extra hour in the morning, but 1 1/2 hours is too much. I also don't workout on the weekend. It is too hard for me to find the time in the morning and because I don't want to have to go to bed early, I don't think I could get up at 5 am to workout. As a result, I simply left out the Yoga and used the 7th day to rest, in effect, giving myself a five day workout.

I have just completed my second full time through the P90X routines. I had started it twice before but one time illness got me off track and one time falling and tearing up my leg sidetracked me. It is amazing to see the progress. Not only did I lose weight, but even when I stopped losing weight (right about the start of round two) I continued to lose some inches with toning. I can also tell a difference in how I workout. I stared with only a set of 4# weights and now have moved up to 5# and 8# for some moves. I would like to pick up a set of 10# weights before the next round. On the strength training, you have the option of 8-10 reps for size or 12-15 for lean muscle. I, not wanting a body builder shape, have elected to go the route of lean. With more reps, you also don't need as much weight. With P90X, even before you can see it on the scale or how your clothes fit, you get quick feedback the following day when you can feel it in your muscles - you know that you have done something because you can feel the tenderness.

Now that I am between sessions, I am working on the Yoga. I have gotten a set of instructional DVDs from the library and have been doing those, as well as doing 1/2 at a time of the P90X Yoga DVD. Let me tell you, I always thought Yoga was about calm and centering, I never really understood is a full blown workout. I am sweating after I do the P90X Yoga and can definitely feel it the following day.

The other nice thing about P90X is that although there is an inital investment to purchase the DVDs (you can find used copies - I've seen them both online and at local video exchange stores) and weights, once you have made the purchase there is no ongoing cost for the workout. Unlike a class or a gym membership, you can continue to exercise for months and years to come without the ongoing class fees or membership costs. This makes P90X a long term frugal workout option for me.

P90X works for me. I love it.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

Mamavation Monday

Alas, my journey continues...I am happy to say that though I had a slight gain last week, this week I was successfully able to lose it. I am convinced (or at least trying to convince myself) that the tide has turned, that I am back on track for success and the loss of this remaining 13+ pounds that I have a desire to lose.

I can't say that I ate that much better this week than I have been, but I did get back to measuring and tracking better - which I know is a big help to me. I've started using the eTools more consistently on WeightWatchers.com. They made some programming adjustments and I must say that I like them. They weren't anything major, but now when I click on add food, my cursor is in the box and I don't have to click into the box to enter the food I want to search for. It may sound strange, but this was always a concern to me. I still can't save a work out that isn't in there as a favorite - I can create a food and save it, shouldn't I be able to create a work out and save it?

As for exercise, I am between P90X sessions, but am focusing on Yoga. I have picked up some of the Yoga DVDs that some readers recommended a while back and am doing those and the P90X Yoga DVD as well. I must say that Yoga is much more of a workout than I was thinking it would be. I always thought of it as postures and positions. I thought of it as a soothing, calming type of exercise. I seriously sweat when I do yoga and I can definitely feel it in some of my muscles the next day...I know that I am getting a good workout. I have learned that I am not balanced, I am hoping that with practicing yoga that I can get there. I think I will restart P90X next week or the week after, depending on how the yoga is going. The one DVD set that I have is 3 DVDs each with a 20 minute workout, they might become the evening set - P90X in the morning and yoga 3 nights a week. I think that could work for me.

Here's looking to a successful week!

Kroger $30 Gift Card winner

Congratulations to Kathy! She is the winner of the $30 Kroger Gift Card giveaway hosted by A Busy Mom of Two.

An e-mail has been sent to the winner. Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out my other giveaway.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

22
Timestamp: 2010-06-15 02:33:48 UTC

Ritz Crackerfuls

I like to snack, it's no secret. One of my favorite snacks is crackers and cheese. It is something that we cut up and nibble on in the evenings, over a glass of wine and with friends. There is something about the salt and creaminess of cheese and the crunch of a cracker that I find appealing. I have an addiction to chocolate, but I like variety in my snacking, frequently opting for more savory snacks, like cheese.

A few months ago, I happened upon Ritz Crackerfuls. I liked the idea that it was made with real cheese and 6g of whole grains per serving and that they were individually wrapped. I figured it would make a quick and easy snack option for me to take to work to help me bridge the time between lunch and dinner and provide a variation from the granola bar type snacks that I typically turn too. I picked up a box to have on hand for a quick snack option.

I didn't try them right away, but then one day when I went on a field trip with my son, I found myself with nothing to pack and grabbed one to throw in my lunch. I enjoyed it. It seems so much more grown up than Ritz Bits and has a better flavor than the typical cheese on cracker snacks found in vending machines. Since first trying them, I have kept Ritz Crackerfuls on hand as an option to pack for my lunch or grab for a quick snack. They come in Garlic Herb, Four Cheese, Classic Cheddar and the newest Cheddar Cheese & Bacon.

When I was contacted about trying the new Cheddar Cheese & Bacon variety, I was excited to give them a try. Everything is better with bacon, right? I packed one for my lunch the other day. I was glad to find that while it had a nice smokey flavor and you knew it was Cheddar Cheese and Bacon, it wasn't an overwhelming smokey or bacon flavor. I think I still prefer the Four Cheese and Garlic Herb varieties, but was not disappointed by the Cheddar Cheese & Bacon.

For me, Ritz Crackerfuls make a nice snack with only 130 Calories per serving and with the whole grains, it also provides 3g of Dietary Fiber per serving. For me, it means that it is an easy, and tasty snack (or lunch component) for only 3 Points. Having snacks on hand that have a known Points value make snacking much easier for me - no counting, measuring or other challenges. Besides packing crackers and cheese to snack on at work is not as easy as grabbing this filled cracker snack.

Have you tried the new Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Crackerfuls? You can try them for less by downloading a coupon for $1 Off Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Crackerfuls from the Ritz Crackers Facebook Fan Page. The coupon is available until August 31, 2010 or until there have been just over 33k prints.

No compensation was provided for this post. I did receive from Nabisco, through One2One Network, a box of Ritz Crackerfuls Cheddar Cheese & Bacon, as well as a box of Cheddar Cheese, so that I could try the product and share my experience. In addition, by posting about my experience, I am entering a drawing for a chance to win a gift card.

Menu Plan Monday

I did lots of shopping this weekend (you can read all about it here) and saved 83% on groceries and more. It is a busy evening activity week again this week with some baseball games, meetings and time out with friends.

This week, as you can guess, there is once again turkey in our menu plan. There is turkey in the tacos, turkey breast for the Chipotle Chicken (guess it isn't really Chipotle Chicken then, is it?), ground turkey in the sloppy joes and of course the turkey roast on Friday.

Sunday
cereal
leftovers
Tacos

Monday
Chipotle Chicken

Tuesday
Popcorn Shrimp

Wednesday
leftovers (or breakfast for dinner if we don't have leftovers)

Thursday
Sloppy Joes (or may go easy with Manwich)

Friday
Turkey Roast

Saturday
Chicken and Hot Dogs

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.

Walgreens Scenarios - week of 6/13

There are some good deals this week at Walgreens. I have read that at some stores, the Nivea is ringing up BOGO. I'm not sure how you can verify it other than just trying it.

Transaction #1
1 - Nivea Men's Body Wash

-$3 Nivea Men's mfg coupon

Total $2.99 OOP, earn $5.99 RR.

Transaction #2
2 - Hellman's Mayonnaise
2 - Ragu Sauces
1 - PF Changs Meal

-$1 $1/2 Hellman's IP
-$1 $1/2 Ragu mfg coupon

Total $13.99. Pay with $5.99 RR and $8 OOP. Earn $5 RR.

Transaction #3
1 - Nivea Men's Body Wash
1 - Schick Hydro
1 - Nestle Crunch

-$3 Nivea Men's mfg coupon
-$5 Schick Hydro mfg coupon

Total $6.37. Pay with $5 RR and $1.37 OOP. Earn $5.99 and $4 RR.

Transaction #4
1 - Gillette Fusion ProGlide
2 - Windex Cleaner
1 - Nestle Crunch

-$4 Gillette Fusion mfg coupon
-$1 $1/2 Windex mfg coupon

Total $10.28. Pay with $5.99 RR and $4 RR and $.29 OOP. Earn $5 and $1 RR.

Transaction #5
1 - Nivea Men's Body Wash
1 - ob
2 - Morton Salt

-$3 Nivea Men's mfg coupon
-$1 ob mfg coupon

Total $6.98. Pay with $6 RR and $.98 OOP. Earn $5.99 RR.

Total $13.63 OOP for $58.61 in product at sales price, with $5.99 RR remaining.

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

Walgreens $5 Challenge
Transaction #1
1 - Nivea Men's Body Wash

-$3 Nivea Men's mfg coupon

Total $2.99 OOP, earn $5.99 RR.

Transaction #2
1 - Gillette Fusion ProGlide
1 - Nestle Crunch

-$4 Gillette Fusion mfg coupon

Total $6.28. Pay with $5.99 RR and $.29 OOP. Earn $5 RR.

Transaction #3
1 - Nivea Men's Body Wash
1 - Schick Hydro
1 - Nestle Crunch

-$3 Nivea Men's mfg coupon
-$5 Schick Hydro mfg coupon

Total $6.37. Pay with $5 RR and $1.37 OOP. Earn $5.99 and $4 RR.

Total $4.65 OOP for $30.64 in product at sale prices, with $9.99 in RR remaining.

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

CVS Scenarios - week of 6/13

There are a number of free/near free deals this week at CVS. I have read that the Gillette/Old Spice offer has a limit of two, if that is the case, then it is a moneymaker. I am going to assume for these scenarios that it is not a limit of two, because that could change at some point or could be regional.

Transaction #1
1 - Schick Hydro 3 or 5 razor or refill
2 - CVS 2oz Sunscreen Tubes

-$5 Shick Hydro mfg coupon
-$2 CVS Sunscreen CRT
-$2 CVS Sunscreen CRT

Total $4.47, earn $4 ECBs.

Transaction #2
2 - John Frieda Root Awakening

-$3 John Frieda mfg coupon
-$3 John Frieda mfg coupon

Total $4, pay with $4 ECB from Transaction #1. Earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Covergirl Wetslicks AmazeMints

-$2 Covergirl Mfg coupon (I think this was from a BzzCampaign)

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

Transaction #4
2 - Gillette Body wash

-$4 BOGO Gillette Body wash mfg coupon

Total $4, pay with $3 ECB and $1 OOP. Earn $4 ECBs (or perhaps $8).

Transaction #5
1 - Colgate ProClinical
1 - Gillette Fusion ProGlide

-$1 Colgate ProClinical mfg coupon
-$4 Gillette Fusion mfg coupon

Total $8.96, pay with $4 ECB (or perhaps $8) and $4.96 (or perhaps $.96) OOP. Earn $2 and $5 ECBs.

Total OOP $10.43 (or perhaps $6.43) for $50.42 in product at sale price, a savings of 80% (or perhaps 87%). With $7 ECBs remaining to roll for next week.

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

CVS $5 Challenge
Transaction #1
2 - Old Spice Body Wash

-$4 BOGO Old Spice Mfg coupon

Total $4 OOP, earn $4.

Transaction #2
2 - John Frieda Root Awakening

-$3 John Frieda Root Awakening mfg coupon
-$3 John Frieda Root Awakening mfg coupon

Total $4, pay with $4 ECB from Transaction #1. Earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Colgate ProClinical
2 - CVS Suncare 2oz Tubes

-$1 Colgate ProClinical mfg coupon
-$2 CVS Suncare CRT
-$2 CVS Suncare CRT

Total $3.49, pay with $3 ECB and $.49 OOP. Earn $2 ECBs.

Total OOP $4.49 for $26.49 in product at sale prices, a savings of 83%. And, you have $2 ECBs to roll. Of course, if the Old Spice is limit of 2, you will want to combine Transaction 2 and 3 and throw in a snack to use your $8 ECBs.

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

Retail Therapy

I'm not sure what it was about today, but I did a lot of shopping. Some with the whole family, some with just my daughter and some on my own.

We started our trip at Kohl's. We had a $10 on $10 coupon that a friend had given us and a 20% off catalog. We wound up with a pair of shoes and a shirt for my son, a dress and a pair of shorts for my daughter, and 4 shirts for my husband.

We made a few other stops, including lunch at Steak 'n Shake, where we spent only $13.50, because the kids eat free on the weekend.

CVS
After dropping off my husband and son, my daughter and I headed to CVS.

4 - Glade Sense and Spray refill
2 - Coppertone Spray Sunscreen

-$1/2 Glade Sense and Spray refill mfg coupon
-$1/2 Glade Sense and Spray refill mfg coupon
-$3 $3/$15 Suncare CRT
-$1 Coppertone IP
-$1 Coppertone IP

Paid with $21 in ECBs (including a $5 ECB I had gotten for completing a CVS advisor survey) and $5.14 OOP ($1.66 was tax). I earned $5 and $10 ECBs. Of course, I came home and found a $2 Coppertone IP that I had printed earlier and didn't find when I was looking. Oh well!

Rite Aid

Our next stop was Rite Aid. Luckily before leaving, I had checked out the video value coupons and watched the one for Clearasil and I got a $3 coupon.

1 - Lubriderm (had to get the big one, not free but still a good price)
1 - Clearasil Foaming Face Wash
1 - Rite Aid Kids Toothbrush, 2 pack
1 - Jergens Natural Glow Lotion
1 - Blink Tears

-$5 $5/$25 Rite Aid coupon
-$3 Lubriderm in ad coupon
-$2 Lubriderm IP
-$3 Clearasil Video Value coupon
-$1 Clearasil mfg coupon
-$2 Jergens Natural Glow mfg coupon
-$2 Blink Tears IP

Total $9.86 ($1.21 was tax). I will submit for the $7.99 Blink SCR at the end of the month, for a net cost of $1.87 for everything.

K-Mart

Next we drove to Kmart to take advantage of the Super Double Coupons and to get some Turkey! Unfortunately, I failed to read some coupons and had to put some stuff back because they were do not double and without doubling, it just didn't make sense. Also, the chest freezer where the Jennie-O Turkey is normally sold was completely empty. I asked about the unseasoned breast meat and the worker couldn't find any. He was able to find me some of the ground turkey, so I picked up some of that as well as a few other things.
(dairy and frozen were already put away)

10 - Jennie-O turkey items - ground, tenderloin, bacon, deli and So Easy meal
1 - Jergens Natural Glow facial moisturizer
1 - Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer
1 - Secret Deodorant
1 - Whiskas Cat Food
2 - Fancy Feast Appetizer
1 - Arm & Hammer Detergent
1 - Ziploc Vacuum Bags
2 - Gushers
1 - Taco Bell Sauce
1 - Taco Bell Taco Seasoning
2 - Ritz Bitz
1 - Digiorno Deep Dish
1 - Red Baron Deep Dish
1 - Tornados
1 - Loaf Wonder Whole Grain White

Total $33.43, paid on a gift card I had received for free. Saved $68.79 (or about 70%).

We stopped home to drop off all of our frozen items and headed out to pick up pizza for dinner (not a stellar eating day, but it was easy!) and a quick stop at a grocery store.

Acme
Acme frequently features 2 day sales on the weekend. This weekend, they were having a special on Capri Sun 2/$3, since we like to freeze these and tuck them in our bag when we go to the park or a game, I couldn't pass up this sale. They also have their Berry Bonanza going on with all the berries at $1.48/pkg.

2 - Capri Sun (10pk)
5 - packs of assorted Berries
4 - bananas
1 - gallon milk
1 - 12pk Sunkist
1 - Powerade

Total $16.27 OOP.

After the kids were in bed and I realized that it was a day later than I thought, I headed out to use some coupons that were going to expire today.

Target
Target didn't have the wipes I was looking for, but I had some Target coupons that were expiring, so I picked up some deals.

2 - kids Band Aids
2 - kids Nexcare Bandages
1 - Neosporin to Go
1 - First Aid Bag (free with 3 first aid items)
2 - Bottles of Water
1 - Hamper
1 - Wet Ones

-$.75 Target Band Aid coupon
-$.75 Target Band Aid coupon
-$1 BandAid Mfg coupon
-$.50 Band Aid Mfg coupon
-$.50 Target Nexcare coupon
-$.50 Target Nexcare coupon
-$1 Nexcare mfg coupon
-$1 Nexcare mfg coupon
-$.50 Neosporin mfg coupon
-$.50 Target Wet Ones coupon

Total 19.27 ($10 was the hamper), paid on two free gift cards. I'll also submit the BandAid/Neosporin for a free first aid kit (with $15 in coupons).

Giant Eagle

I headed to Giant Eagle to pick up some groceries, after all of the shopping today, I didn't want to think about going out tomorrow. I picked up yogurt for me (3 Greek yogurts) and for the kids (2 - 6pk Trix), burrito and soft taco shells, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, pablano peppers, and grapes, wipes, Snuggle dryer sheets, 2 tubes kids toothpaste, My total was $17.97 with a savings of $15.46 or 46% savings. I put $7.30 on a gift card and the remaining $10.67 OOP.

Walmart

Since I couldn't find the Huggies Pull-ups wipes anywhere and my coupons expired today, I headed out to Walmart before going home.

4 - Huggies Pull-Ups Wipes
3 - Pampers Wipes (for a friend)
1 - Welch's White Grape Juice
2 - Silly Bandz (some other brand, but those shaped rubber bands)
1 - Johnson's Safety Swabs

-$4 4x$1 Pull-Ups Wipes mfg coupon
-$6 3x$2 Pampers Wipes mfg coupon
-$1 Welch's 100% Juice IP
-$1 Johnson's Baby product mfg coupon

Total $8.14 OOP.

It was a busy day for me. Aside from Kohl's and lunch, I spent $50.08 OOP (plus $60 on gift cards) for everything and saved $181.12 with coupons and sales. Not too bad. So, for only $50.08 cash OOP, I got $291.20 worth of product (83% savings). I will also be submitting for a $7.99 SCR and a free first aid kit with $15 in coupons, further increasing my savings.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

CVS Deals - 6/11

I stopped at another CVS to pick up some deal, unfortunately they were out of the Glade Sense and Spray and the Embrace Razors. They did have the Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cups.

2 - Skinny Cow Cups

-$1 Skinny Cow IP (through Facebook)
-$1 Skinny Cow IP

$0.00 OOP and earned a $1 ECB (green bag tag).

I like ice cream, and most of the flavors are only 2 Points for the whole cup - which helps because measuring ice cream to determine serving size is not easy but I still want ice cream.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:

Bounty Sample (no membership number required)
all Oxi Active sample
eos Shave Cream sample

Received:
Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor and coupons
Special K Protein Meal Bar and coupons
6 free product coupons from Kraft First Taste
Free Kraft Explosion Mac n Cheese coupon (from Facebook)

CVS Deals - 6/10

I headed over to CVS today for a quick trip (and to see if I got one of those $2 ECB or $3 / $15 that everyone has been getting on their receipt). I didn't pick up any ECB deals - I honestly never sat down and planned (part of why I didn't post) with being out of town on Sunday. I think I might go back and do the Coppertone deal, if I can find some coupons. I got a $3/$15 sun care CRT. I also would like to go back for more Skinny Cow - I only had one coupon with me.

Transaction #1
2 - Gold Emblem Gummy Bear single
1 - Dove Promises Caramel
1 - Skinny Cow (Caramel Cone)
2 - Ice Breakers Gum

-$1 $1/2 Gold Emblem Snack CRT
-$2 Any Dove candy CRT
-$1 Skinny Cow IP (can get if you Like them on Facebook, were others, but they are all gone now)
-$1.29 BOGO Ice Breakers Gum CRT

Total $1.27 OOP.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Toys 'R Us Openings - weekend of June 11 - 13

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I have partnered with Toys 'R Us to share about the upcoming Grand Opening/Re-Opening events across the country.

This weekend, June 11 - 13, there are three stores that will be having their Grand Opening/Re-Opening events.

Parma, Ohio
Chapel Hill, Ohio
Downers Grove, Illinois

Remember the first 100 shoppers on Friday morning of the Grand Opening/Re-Opening weekend will receive a gift bag valued at $100. You can head to the Grand Opening/Re-Opening site to print off your 'secret coupon' which could be good for 15%, 20% or 50% off any single item - your discount can be revealed when you shop on Grand Opening/Re-Opening Weekend.

No compensation was received for this post.

Growing Your Own Vegetables

I just love having a garden. I can remember my parents having a garden when I was a child. They planted potatoes, tomatoes, onions and more. I can remember one year that we planted some melons and the neighbor boys picked some and buried them in the sandbox while we were out of town on vacation. I can remember eating lots of tomatoes. When we moved and had a larger garden, I remember having strawberries in the garden as well and even some corn. I remember my grandparents' gardens - and eating and bringing home fresh vegetables and fruit. I remember my Grandma humming while she worked in her garden. I remember lots of delicious food from those gardens - fresh green beans and ham, rhubarb cake, zucchini bread, fried zucchini, tomato slices, strawberry pies, cucumber slices, cucumber salad and more.

As a mom, a garden can serve so many purposes.

There is just something so delicious about eating produce right from your own garden. I'm not sure what it is, but they are always sweeter and more flavorful. Perhaps it is knowing that you grew that fruit/vegetable, or perhaps it is just because it is so much more fresh than what you can pick up at the store. In my opinion, tomatoes are best served, slightly warmed from the sun with a quick rinse to knock off any dirt. Not only that, but it is a very economical way to enjoy lots of fresh vegetables. When you consider the costs of seeds/plants and the amount of fruits/vegetables that they will produce, there is no doubt that it is cheaper than buying that amount of fruit at the store. It is a great way to save money.

The kids simply love the garden. All spring they have been asking about when we can plant the garden. This of course has led to an opportunity for them to learn as discussions about frost and why we have to wait to plant a garden ensued.
It helps kids learn about plants and growing. My son even brought home a bean plant that they had started as a seed (unfortunately, we didn't replant it quick enough and it doesn't appear that it will survive - so I guess that was a lesson too!). They learn about how it takes water and sunshine for a garden to grow.

It also inspires the kids to eat the vegetables and expand their food experiences. There is something about growing your own vegetables in a garden that leads kids to want to eat those vegetables. Even my son who will sometimes pick through a dish at dinner leaving behind any tomato chunks, can barely take the time to clean a tomato fresh from the garden before eating it. Onions, peppers and cucumbers are the other vegetables that we are growing in our garden this year. Not as much of a culinary adventure as last year when we had eggplant and zucchini, but I got it in late and selection was limited when I picked up my plants. It's not large (I would love a bigger garden), but it provides us with fresh produce that we can pick for dinner.

Growing my own garden works for me. A garden is a great learning opportunity for children and a frugal way to enjoy fresh produce in the summer, and beyond if you can/freeze the vegetables.

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

Huggies Pull-Ups

When both of my kids were potty training, we relied on Huggies Pull-ups to help us through the transition. We liked how they could easily be pulled up and down for the kids when they used the potty, but we really liked that the sides on the Pull-ups opened to allow for easy clean-up when accidents did occur. Trust me, if you ever changed a training pant that didn't have easy open sides, it is a challenge. A wet training pant can be pulled down for changing, a dirty one not so much. I also liked the easy open side when I found myself changing the child in a public restroom, where I didn't want to have to remove their shoes and pants to put on a new training pant - with the easy open sides, I could open it and place it on the standing child in a stall.

Pull-Ups has some exciting new offers for potty training Moms this summer – they now have training pants with kid’s favorite Disney characters from Toy Story 3 and The Princess & The Frog! I know that my kids were always worried about getting their favorite characters "wet" and having to throw it away. So not only did they look forward to being big enough to wear the Pull-ups, but it also inspired them to try their hardest to keep them dry.

You can find more information about Pull-Ups on Facebook or at www.pull-ups.com.

Giveaway
Pull-Ups has generously provided me with one Potty Training Kit for my family and one to give away to one A Busy Mom of Two reader. The Potty Training Kit includes a $50 AMEX gift card (so you can stock up on new Pull-Ups – while supplies last – and everything else you need to get started), a Big Kid Central Potty Training Success DVD (with techniques, tips, songs and games to help you and your child succeed), two coupons for FREE Pull-Ups, the Toy Story 2 DVD and the The Princess & The Frog DVD.

To enter - leave a comment sharing who in your life (can be anyone - child, family, friend, neighbor) is Potty Training and which new Pull-Ups design will make them excited to be Potty Training.

Additional entries:
· Follow @PullUpsBigKid and @ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter. Tweet about this giveaway, including @PullUpsBigKid and @ABusyMomofTwo in your tweet. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (this can be done daily)
· Tweet your child’s favorite Toy Story character to @PullUps and @ABusyMomofTwo. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet.
· Like @Disney on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know that you did.
· Like @TS3 on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know that you did.
· Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook.

Giveaway will remain open until June 28th at 6pm. Winner will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (please be sure to leave one) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. Pull-Ups® training pants provided me with product coupons to try out the new Learning Designs Pull-Ups® with Toy Story 3/Princess and the Frog characters. The opinions in this post are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards Pull-Ups® products.

Toys 'R Us Mom Promotion

Toys “R” Us is inviting Moms (and Dads, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Friends) to join the I want to be a Toys R Us Mom Promotion!

They are opening over 50 new stores nationwide June through October 2010; from New York to California and Texas to Washington and want you to join the party!

I have partnered with Toys 'R Us to keep you posted on the upcoming Grand Opening/Re-Opening Weekends in your area. You can locate a Grand Opening or Re-Opening near you by clicking on www.iwanttobeatoysrusmom.com. While there, download your ‘secret coupon’ (could be up 15%, 20% or 50% off any single item) and redeem it on the Grand Opening/Re-Opening Weekend to reveal your shopping discount. Note, according to the terms, there will be up to a total of 2001 'secret coupon' per Grand Opening/Re-Opening Weekend (1,000 each for 15% and 20% and 1 for 50%). So, you might want to "look ahead" and print your coupon while they are still available for your nearest store.

In addition to the coupons, the first 100 people though the door Friday morning of opening weekend will receive a free gift bag valued at over $100!

No compensation was received for this post.

Mamavation Monday - or Tuesday in this case

Well, I continue to plateau. I went to my Weight Watchers meeting last night and yet again, I find myself at essentially the same place that I have been for months. This week was actually two weeks because of a Monday meeting and Memorial Day Holiday - my two biggest challenges the past two weeks were Memorial Day and a family wedding. I didn't do terrible at either, I ate reasonably and drank little. I don't think they were much of a set back, but I think though that I have some theories on what is not helping me in my effort right now.

I'm a stress eater. Life has been high stress lately, especially at work, as such, I find myself snacking at random times, not because I am hungry, but because I am stressed and it is my natural response. Unfortunately, this habit of eating is becoming, well a habit, even on days where it is calm, I still find myself eating out of habit. I need to break this cycle - or at least bring in a big crunchy bag of carrots, so that I am eating more healthy when I stress, instead of just eating whatever I can locate. (We talked about eating by the clock last night at Weight Watchers - an interesting conversation that really showed me that my stress eating might have become habit eating - something I hadn't thought of)

I need to get back to a regular sleep schedule. When I stay up later than planned, it does two things - it leads to more eating and less exercising. More eating - this is really a combination of eating later at night because I am still up and need some fuel to keep going (why this makes more sense at the time than going to bed escapes me) and eating the next day to keep me going. I saw this first hand on my road trip this weekend. I was tired and so I had a can of soda with caffeine driving to my destination and on my return trip. Did I mention I don't drink diet, can't stand the case. This means that over the weekend, I started out with about 400 extra calories. Well, I also nibbled on food while driving because keeping my mouth busy and getting some sugar was another way to keep me from being tired while I drove. The candy that I ate certainly was another few hundred calories. The less exercising is a result of hitting snooze in the morning. For months I got up right at 4:45, lately it has been drifting back to 5:10, leaving me with less time in the morning and the same amount to get done. What do I cut? Exercise. Thankfully, I still exercise, even if I know I can't do the full DVD, but certainly cutting exercise is not supporting my weight loss cause.

The worst part of it all is realizing the next time I weigh myself and the needle hasn't moved that if only I hadn't done x, y or z, that I probably would have lost. After all, if I could eat and drink and not lose, if I had kept to a more normal Points range, wouldn't I have likely lost?

The good thing is now that I have friends that attend with me, I am motivated to continue to attend my Weight Watchers meetings, even though I am on a plateau.

I still have 13-ish pounds to go. I would like to be half way there by the 4th of July.

Ughhh! I'm experiencing Internet connectivity issues. I hope to be back online tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a great night.

Menu Plan Monday

What a busy weekend! My daughter and I left town for the weekend to go to a family wedding, that she was a flower girl in. It was a great time. I had planned to do some grocery shopping before heading home, but got a call in the morning that my son was sick, so I skipped that part of my trip to head home. He is doing better now, which is good - who wants to start summer being sick? Since, I didn't do any grocery shopping this weekend and we are rather busy with sports and evenings with friends this week, the menu is very basic using a lot of pre-prepped options from the freezer.

This week, as you can guess, there is once again turkey in our menu plan. There is ground turkey in the lasagna and the meatballs and we will include turkey sausage with the Pierogi. The cheeseburgers next weekend will be turkey burgers. I did speak to the nearest Super K and they were going to order in some of the unseasoned breast meat; unfortunately, they said it will be $6.99 (and my "free" coupons are only $3 off). Now, all I need to do is call to confirm and make the drive up there, before my $5 off of $25 coupon expires.

Sunday
cereal
sandwiches
Leftovers

Monday
Lasagna (made with meatballs)

Tuesday
leftovers

Wednesday
Pierogi and sausage

Thursday
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Cajun Jambalaya

Saturday
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.

CVS Deals - 6/4

I headed back to CVS on Friday before heading out of town to pick up the Charmin/Bounty/Puffs deal. At first, I was disappointed because I found that there were no Puffs on shelf, but the manager told me they were also located back by the pharmacy.

1 - Bounty Extra Soft 12 rolls
1 - Charmin Ultra Soft 16 rolls
3 - Puffs Tissues

-$1 Puffs Tissues mfg coupon
-$.50 Puffs Tissues mfg coupon
-$.50 Puffs Tissues mfg coupon

Paid with $22 ECBs and $2.70 OOP, earned $10 ECBs.

I was a little bummed that my toilet paper and paper towel coupons were expired, it would have been nice to have those to reduce OOP. But, still not a bad deal, considering that I have done a few money making deals recently.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

CVS Deals - 6/3

I headed out to CVS this week with the intent of doing the Charmin/Bounty/Puffs deal, but couldn't find my coupons. While there, I picked up a couple of things.

2 - Old Spice Body Wash
1 - Old Spice Deodorant
2 - Ice Breakers
2 - Gold Emblem Gummy Bear (clearanced single serve packs)

-$4 BOGO Old Spice Body Wash mfg coupon
-$2.99 BOGO Old Spice Deodorant wyb Body Wash mfg coupon
-$1 $1/2 Gold Emblem Snacks CRT
-$1.29 BOGO Ice Breakers CRT

Paid with $3 ECBs and $3.05 OOP, earned $8 and $1 ECB.

Now, if only I can locate my Puffs coupons, I will get the Charmin/Bounty/Puffs deal.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:
Gillette Fusion ProGlide
Purina One Cat or Dog Food - we have a cat, I chose that one
Cottonelle sample

Received:
John Frieda Root Awakening Sample and coupon
Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Sample and coupon
Old Spice Odor Blocker Body Wash
Secret Clinical Strength
Dove Damage Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner sample

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

A few years ago a friend brought a salad to a cookout that we had. It was so simple and yet so wonderful. It was spinach with feta, bacon, pecans (which I skipped) with this homemade dressing with poppy seeds. There is something about the combination of flavors and textures that I just find irresistible. I reached out to her shortly after that picnic and requested the recipe for the dressing. Years later, that salad is one of my favorites and guests to my picnics and dinner parties will attest to the fact that I serve it at most events we host.

Spinach
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Bacon, fried and crumbled
Pecans or Walnuts, chopped and browned

Dressing:
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 small onion, grated
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 c olive oil

Some notes:
- the dressing recipe I got from my friend called for 3/4 c sugar - seemed like a lot to me so I reduced it. You might like a more or less sweet dressing, so adjust to your preference
- I never measure the olive oil, I put everything in my cruet and shake it and then fill it close to the top with olive oil. I would guess I use slightly less than 1 cup.

You can find more recipes that use nuts and seeds (this used both!) at the Ultimate Recipe Swap, Nuts and Seeds Edition. This recipe shared at The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Ultrabuilt Play Systems

A few weeks ago I shared about how we made the decision on what play system we wanted to get for the kids. We have now had our play system for a couple of weeks and are pleased with the decision that we made.

As you may recall, we selected the Ultrabuilt Play System for our children. We liked the modularity and the ability to configure it to what works best for our family. We also liked many of the design features, including the swing beam that is rated for 1000 pounds.


Rather than building it ourselves, we elected to have the team from Ultrabuilt install our play system. The pieces for the play system come partially assembled (rails are built, etc) and I think that we probably could have built it ourselves, but watching our children anxiously await the completion of the play set, it was good that we opted to have them build it. We were at least able to keep them occupied while it was built, if we were building it, it would have been very difficult for us to keep them occupied and I think there would have been a lot of frazzled nerves and flaring tempers before construction was complete. In addition, since our yard has a slight slope, it was nice having them install it. They were experienced and were able to balance between digging out some dirt and shimming one side to make sure that we had a level installation for the forts and didn't lose anything on the angle of the slides. They adjusted the swing beam to ensure it was level as well. I'm not saying we couldn't have figured it out, but their experience made it quick and easy for them to get a level installation. The team of four installed the play set in about 4 hours. For my husband and I to have done it on our own, certainly it could have turned into a multi-day installation. But, again, it was nice that we had the option to pay for installation or to install it ourselves.

The kids were ready to play as soon as it as the installation was complete. They both really are enjoying climbing, sliding and swinging. My daughter, who struggled with navigating the rock wall at the sales lot, quickly mastered the rock wall and now is a pro. I still have trouble convincing her that flip flops are not designed for climbing a rock wall and that she should be wearing tennis shoes when she climbs, so we have had a few slips, but nothing more than a scraped belly.


Both kids are becoming better at swinging too. Of course, with the higher swing bar, they can go higher, so even though they can now both pump and maintain a swing, they still want me to push so that they can go higher. My daughter has also decided that swinging on her belly is another great way to swing. She walks forward with the swing at her chest and then lifts her legs and swings back.

I really love that I can swing. When I get a break from pushing, it is fun to climb on a swing and feel the wind in my hair. It used to be that I had to go to the park if I wanted to swing and I always had to watch, so I wasn't taking a swing away from a child. I really must say that having a swing beam that supports 1000 pounds is a huge selling feature of the Ultrabuilt Play System from my perspective. I love that I can act like a kid again. Yesterday, my daughter was swinging on her swing and I decided to swing on the trapeze bar. Of course it is set to a height for the kids, so I couldn't swing hanging from my arms because my knees were on the ground, but I was able to hold the handles and pull my legs in and swing them up over top of the bar. My daughter thought it was funny to see Mommy swinging upside down. It was a blast (and reminded me just how much upper body strength it takes to get yourself up on a trapeze bar). I didn't go so far as to pull myself up to sitting on the bar, I'm not sure I could do it without some added strength training!

One accessory that we added to our play system was a picnic table (courtesy of Ultrabuilt) and it has been a huge hit. I had always wanted to get the kids a picnic table, but never knew where we would keep it. Now that we have a picnic table her size, my daughter can't get enough of eating there. We used it Memorial Day weekend for a picnic we hosted, giving the kids their own place to eat. This was a nice change, since they always ate at the table on our deck at recent picnics. My daughter has also dined alone at her picnic table during regular meals and has shared snacks with the neighbors at the table. What's nice too, is that with it positioned below the tower, there is a good amount of shade for the table area and the kids will sit down and visit there when they need a break.


I love having the play system in our yard. Not only does it allow the kids to get out and play while I prepare dinner (couldn't do a trip to the park in that time), but it also has resulted in the kids and their friends playing more in our yard. I like having the ability to look out my window or sit on my deck and watch them play with their friends - no need to worry abut what they might be up to at the neighbor's or three doors down. It is entertaining to listen to some of their pretend play too. One frequent start to their tale is "let's say that you didn't see me here and you climbed up the tower and..." - it is great to know that they are exercising their mind and their body while having fun.

After installation, we noticed some concerns with a few of the steps on our ladder and we had questions about some cracks in the posts. A quick call to the company and things were resolved. They sent us two new steps to replace the ones that had issues. This excellent response time is a sign of quality customer service to me. As to the cracks we saw in the posts, we learned that these were due to dry checking and were assured that this is normal for the treated lumber and not a structural concern. Again, an informed team that is aware of what is normal and what to worry about is an important part of customer service, especially for a product like a play system that is an investment.

If you are considering getting a play system for your family, I highly recommend checking out Ultrabuilt. You can visit their website to explore the many options they have - they seem to have a set for every budget and yard size, from a simple swing set with slide to the "Space Station Ultrabuilt" a play system with everything. Discover the accessories that you can add to make your play system all your own - from picnic tables to forts to monkey bars. You can design your own system online and submit it for a quote by your local dealer. You can even print it out to plan how it would fit in your yard. A visit to your local dealer is a great opportunity to observe your kids at play and help you make decisions on what accessories will get the most use.

No compensation was received for this post. The opinions expressed are strictly my own. Ultrabuilt did provide as an addition to the play system that we purchased, the picnic table accessory, so that we could further experience their product line and share our experiences.