Huggies High Value Diaper Coupon

Right now, if you Like Huggies Diapers on Facebook, you can either print a $2 coupon or you can share it with 3 friends and print a $3.50 coupon. I actually just shared it to Facebook and it provided me with the $3.50 coupon. The coupon expires two weeks from print date.

Olive Garden Trip to Italy Sweepstakes (and a giveaway)

I love to cook and bake. If time and money were no factor, I would love to go to Culinary School. I'm not sure when I first started to love baking and cooking, but it is something that I honestly enjoy. Maybe it is a little bit of Grandma shining through. I can remember nights spent at her house and I would wake to the sound of Grandma humming in the kitchen. She was a great cook and baker - everything from Chicken Noodle Soup, to Goulash, to Seedless German Rye, to Apple Strudel, to Strawberry Rhubarb cake - she made it all.

Home Ec in Junior High School was my first real opportunity to spend time in the kitchen. Then, as I got older, I would help Mom out by getting dinner started. I can still remember the first time she asked me to help her get started by browning ground meat for dinner and she would finish the meal when she got home. I put it in the pan and it started to brown, a few minutes later, I decided I was done. When she came home, she explained to me that the meat should all be brown, not pink as my browned ground meat was.

In college, when I was working as a co-op and living on my own in unfamiliar cities, I took quite a few cooking/baking courses offered at local school and grocers. It was not only fun to learn new things, it was a great way to entertain myself and not just sit around my apartment.

I still try to take classes here or there that are offered locally. Right now, Olive Garden has a sweepstakes going on with a grand prize that I would love to win! They are giving away a Trip to Italy and interactive classes from the Culinary Institute of Tuscany's Master Italian Chef, Paola Lafata. First, let me say that an eight-day trip to Italy with my husband would be a wonderful getaway - like a second honeymoon. But, add cooking classes to that and it becomes even better!

Now through May 9th, 2011, Olive Garden is offering Italian food lovers the experience of a lifetime: an eight-day immersion into Italian cuisine and culture and an insider’s look at the Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute of Tuscany.

The sweepstakes will reward four grand-prize winners with an eight-day guided trip for two, including visits to some of Italy’s most popular cities and interactive classes from the Culinary Institute of Tuscany’s Master Italian Chef, Paolo Lafata. Also, 600 first prize winners will receive a $20 Olive Garden gift card to be used towards a genuine Italian dining experience at their local Olive Garden. Your readers can enter at www.olivegardentriptoitaly.com.

Giveaway
Thanks to Olive Garden, I have the opportunity to giveaway a $25 Olive Garden Gift Card to one A Busy Mom of Two reader.

To enter: Leave a comment sharing what your favorite item is at Olive Garden?

Additional Entries (leave a comment for each additional entry)

Follow A Busy Mom of Two on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. This can be once daily, please be sure to leave a link to the tweet in your comment.

Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post

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Add my button to your sidebar or my blog to blog roll. Leave a link letting me know where you added it.

Giveaway will remain open until April 14th at 6pm and is open to US residents. 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.

As a side note, I think that Olive Garden must have a very effective slogan and ad campaign, because each time I write Olive Garden or read it, my brain finishes it with: "when you're here, you're family." Of course, my husband thinks I'm an advertisers dream, as I sing along to not only the music but also to all of the ads on the radio. The funny thing is that half the time, I don't realize that I am doing it. And, there are still songs from ads floating around in my head from my childhood - places that were local to where I grew up and maybe even some that aren't in business anymore.

No compensation was received for this post. Olive Garden provided me with a $25 gift card for myself and one to use as a giveaway.

Spring Break and Travel Memories

Spring Break is fast approaching at our house. We don't have any super grand plans, but we do have a couple of ideas on things to do. Unfortunately, I can't take many days off, because I have some training I need to do for work. But, with the time I do have off, we want to make the most of our Spring Break. We are planning to take one afternoon and head to the movies. The kids would like to see the latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie. We likely will couple that with a special meal out. Then, on another day, my sister-in-law, nieces and my mom are planning to visit. We will spend part of the day playing with my nieces and then when they head off to a friend's house, we will fill our afternoon with play. Hopefully, it will be nice enough to head to the park for part of the afternoon.

Someday, I would like to consider taking a getaway vacation on spring break. We had talked about using this year's spring break to make the much anticipated first trip to Disney World. Unfortunately, my husband's spring break at college didn't align with my son's spring break - so one of them was going to miss classes. Then, as we talked to others, we decided that it might be rather busy this time of the year (not that it isn't always busy, but figured spring break time could be busier than normal) and decided that it would be a better idea to wait until later in the year to go to Disney World.

When I was a child, I don't know for sure what we did most years on spring break, but I am sure that we enjoyed them since it was a break from routine. We did a couple of getaway vacations that stick out in my mind as more memorable than the other years. I remember that my Sophomore year we went to Disney World (although, as I type that, I find myself wondering, was that on Spring Break or in the summer? - guess I am getting old and not remembering like I once did). One of my memories from that trip was being worried about losing a contact while riding on Space Mountain, so I rode the ride with my eyes closed.

Then, my senior year of high school, we flew out to Arizona for the week of spring break. We drove in a big circle around the state, taking in many sites like the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest and even found a few off-the-beaten-path places to check out. I remember eating some of the best Mexican food on that trip. Of course, back then, there weren't many Mexican restaurants in Ohio. Now, we live in a town where the local Mexican restaurant is owned by some men that moved here from Mexico, so maybe the Mexican in Arizona wouldn't be that much better. (Total tangent, I know!)

A lot has changed travel though from when I was a kid. I feel like air travel has gotten a little more challenging for a family (and car travel a little easier - I couldn't watch shows in the car). Not only are there increased security requirements for air travel and the resulting longer waits to go through security, but things that used to just come with your flight are no longer included - things like checking a bag, blankets and pillows, meals.


On my most recent business trip, for the first time I experienced check luggage fees. I guess I had always managed to have a short enough trip that I could pack everything that I needed in my carry-on bag. I generally packed all those pouch samples that I get from the shampoo/conditioner and body wash companies, so that I don't have to fill my quart size bag with the larger travel size bottles. As a result, I was generally able to pack all of my liquids easily in that one quart size bag that you can carry on. This trip was a week long and because of the agenda for the meetings, I needed more outfits and multiple shoes to make it through the week. I paid one from home, when I printed my boarding pass and the return flight one at the airport when I checked the bag.

Also, on that same trip, my travel days happened to fall such that I flew down in February and back in March. Conveniently enough, the airline decided to stop offering complimentary in-flight snacks effective March 1. So, on the way there, I could have my little cookie (love those things) or the pretzels or the nuts - whatever the option was, but on the return flight they were no longer available, not even to purchase. They had snack packs to purchase, but you couldn't even purchase the cookie or pretzels - they simply weren't an option. Instead if you needed a snack, you had to purchase a snack pack which came with more food than a person needed and at quite a premium. I guess on a positive note, the snack packs could feed a few people, as long as everyone agreed on what part of the snack they wanted.

There are ways to save fortunately. I know that I generally bring a granola bar in my purse when I travel, in case I don't have time to catch a meal. Going forward, I will definitely make sure that I have a couple of munchies available in my carry-on and if I travel with kids, I will make sure that I have a number of kid friendly snacks. This way, I won't have to purchase a snack on the plane.

One way to "save" on checked baggage fees this spring is to participate in the IHG Check if Free promotion. Intercontinental Hotels Group is running a deal through April 30th, where they will give you a $100 Visa Check Card if you book a weekend stay at any of their hotels worldwide. You can read more about it on their press release . You can read the full terms on their website, but note that you need to pay for your room with your Visa card and submit a rebate form, along with your receipt for your checked baggage fee to get your $100 Visa Check Card.



Another way to potentially save is to simply drive. Of course, there are trade-offs of spending hours driving to your destination, but remember life is also about the journey, not just the destination. When I was younger, we did most of our vacationing by car. I think that Disney World during my sophomore year of college might have been my first flight (of course, now I'm wondering if we drove on that trip to Disney World and Arizona was my first flight. I know that I flew to Disney in college for sure).

Every year, the family would pile in the car and drive to Myrtle Beach. I'm not sure exactly how long that drive was, I just know that my parents would do part of it at night to make it easier on them and us. I can remember the thrill as we would enter each new state. I can remember the excitement of going through the tunnels in the mountains - in fact, if we were driving through at night, my parents would wake us up so that we wouldn't miss them. I remember the vacation where my brother got the chicken pox. I rode home between two car seats in our friend's car, so as to limit my exposure to the chicken pox. I still got them, but it was a memorable trip regardless. When I was younger, my family also did trips where we flew to our destination and then drove miles to experience the area - like our trip to Arizona and our trip to Europe.

No compensation was received for this post. Information about the promotion were provided by IHG. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mamavation Monday

Well, last week was a better week. I feel like I am starting to get back on track.

Today, there was a birthday at work, which means all sorts of goodies are generally brought in. I did a very good job of not eating the goodies. I did have a little bit of the apple crisp that I made, but it was a reasonable portion and the primary ingredient was apples. I know that the cooking makes it no longer a Zero PointsPlus value, but I had less than one apple and the amount of butter/sugar/flour mixture was small enough that overall the treat was not too bad at only 3 PointsPlus value.

I also successfully avoided the community candy jar - which is always so tempting to me. That was a good step in the right direction.

I have started to exercise in the morning again. It feels good. I'm not back into P90X just yet. I have been doing the Leslie Sansone Walk At Home Walk Eat Lose! 21-day Challenge workout. It is a pretty good little walk so far.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. The sponsor is Earth Footwear and the question of the week is: Where will your feet take you this year? Any plans for a big hike, race, or just a lot of walking? I think the most walking that I will do (aside from my daily walking) will be when we make our family vacation to Disney later this year.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider for the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program and have received complimentary online access to Weight Watchers, an IPad with the Weight Watchers Kitchen Companion App downloaded, a Flip Camera and other tools to help me on my weight loss journey, using Weight Watchers. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.' This Mamavation Monday post is sponsored by Earth Footwear and by posting, I am entering a giveaway for a pair of shoes from Earth Footwear.

Win & Give campaign

My son is a second grader this year and is preparing to make his First Communion. They have a number of activities that they have been doing this year as they prepare for their First Communion. One activity they have been assigned is to complete extra chores to earn some extra money. As a class, they will collect this money and use it to help provide food to those that do not have enough to eat. He has come home a few times with questions, such as do you think that we could feed someone with just a few dollars and then usually has some sort of trivia about what can be done with seemingly so little. I think that it is good that he is gaining an awareness now of how he can help others and make a difference for other children. And, also he is learning that you don't have to do something big to make a difference, even the little things can help.

Did you know that 83 percent of kids believe that they can help children in other countries in addition to people in their own communities? That’s according to the "Kids' Altruism Indicator," conducted in partnership with Parenting magazine.

Now through May, the “Win & Give” campaign provides as easy way for kids to give back. Kids in the U.S. have an opportunity to instantly win a laptop from specially-marked packages of Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks. For each laptop won, Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks will donate a laptop to a child in Africa. It’s that simple.

I like to keep fruit snacks on hand. They are an easy snack that I can keep in my purse for those times where the kids need a snack while we are out. In fact, I picked up a specially marked box of Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks this weekend. I was hopeful to find an instant win certificate inside, but there wasn't one. You have a chance to win an XO Laptop not only by buying specially marked boxes, but also by entering this giveaway!

Giveaway
To enter, please share in the form below how you and/or your child give back. You may chose to do your entry in the form of a video or by simply writing your story. If you choose to enter with a video, simply upload your video to a site where I can view it and leave a link to the video in the form.

CONTEST HAS ENDED.

The most compelling story, as judged by me and my assistants (I couldn't make this decision without some input from those around me), will win an XO Laptop and a variety pack of Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks.

Some info:

The official rules of the Win & Give campaign can be found here. The Win & Give campaign runs through May 31st, 2011.

The giveaway is open only to residents of the US.

Winner will be responsible for any taxes associated with the prize.

You can learn more about the XO laptop on their website one.laptop.org.

Learn more about the Win & Give Campaign and get a 50₵/2 coupon for Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, on the Win & Give Campaign page for moms. As a note, Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks will donate $1 to One Laptop Per Child toward laptops for kids in Africa for each of these coupon redeemed.

Entries for the giveaway will be accepted until April 18th. At that time, I will review all submissions and make the decision on the most compelling story shared. The decision will be final.

No compensation was received for this post, but I will receive a box of assorted Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks. Information about the Win & Give campaign was shared with me by Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks and they are providing the prize pack for one reader who is making a difference by giving back. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Menu Plan Monday

It was a reasonably quiet weekend. Saturday was a little busy, with Futsal and a birthday party.

I headed to the grocery store on Sunday. It started out seeming like a small trip and turned progressively bigger. My favorite deal was a cereal deal. Giant Eagle had many Kellogg's cereals on deal of 4/$10 and get a free gallon of milk instantly. Well, I bought my cereal and my milk. I had 2 of the $1 on Mini Wheats Touch of Fruit and a $1/2 Kellogg's mfg coupon and I got my milk for free. Then, after I paid, the Catalina machine printed out a coupon for a free gallon of milk from Kellogg's. So, in the end for $7, I will have gotten 4 boxes of cereal and 2 gallons of milk. Since I buy the milk anyways, it was sort of like getting 4 boxes of cereal for under $2.

Sunday
cereal
pizza
Chicken Gravy over biscuits

Monday
Pizza

Tuesday
Potato Soup and sandwiches

Wednesday
Chicken Alfredo

Thursday
Juicy Roast Beef Sandwiches (new recipe)

Friday
Tilapia Vera Cruz (new recipe)

Saturday
TBD

Weekday breakfasts are generally cereal for everyone, but my daughter eats at school and does have a hot breakfast a few days. Lunch is either packed or bought in the cafeteria, for me and my son. My husband eats leftovers or microwave meals most days.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

CVS Scenarios - week of 3/27

I felt like I got some really great deals last week at CVS. This week, there are definitely some deals available, I'm just not sure which ones I will ultimately pursue.

Transaction #1
4 - Pledge Multisurface (I'm assuming this variety is included - it just gives a size listing in the ad)

-$3 BOGO Pledge mfg coupon
-$3 BOGO Pledge mfg coupon

Total $6 OOP, earn $4 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Physician's Formula Naturals Mascara

-$5 Physician's Formula mfg coupon

Total $4.99, pay with $4 ECB and $.99 OOP. Earn $7 ECBs.

Transaction #3
2 - Lady Speedstick with Stainguard
1 - Skintimate

-$.75 Lady Speedstick IP
-$.75 Lady Speedstick IP
-$.55 Skintimate mfg coupon

Total $6.94, pay with $7 ECB adjusted down. Earn $3 and $2.50 ECBs.

Transaction #4
2 - Bandaids
3 - First Aid Kits

-$1.50/2 Johnson and Johnson First Aid
-$.50 Bandaid mfg coupon
-$.50 Bandaid mfg coupon

Total $7.68, pay with $5.50 ECBs and $2.18 OOP. Earn $5 ECBs.

Transaction #5
1 - Colgate Toothpaste
1 - Colgate Toothpaste
1 - Halls Cough Drop

-$1 Colgate mfg coupon
-$1 Colgate mfg coupon
-$.75 Halls mfg coupon

Total $5.10, pay with $5 ECB and $.10 OOP. Earn $4 and $1 ECB.

Total OOP of $9.27, with $5 in ECBs to roll, for about $49 in product. A savings of about 83%.

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

CVS $5 Challenge
Transaction #1
1 - Physician's Formula Naturals Mascara

-$5 Physician's Formula mfg coupon

Total $4.99 OOP. Earn $7 ECBs.

Transaction #2
2 - Lady Speedstick with Stainguard
1 - Skintimate

-$.75 Lady Speedstick IP
-$.75 Lady Speedstick IP
-$.55 Skintimate mfg coupon

Total $6.94, pay with $7 ECB adjusted down. Earn $3 and $2.50 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Colgate Toothpaste
1 - Colgate Toothpaste
1 - Halls Cough Drop
1 - Arizona Iced Tea

-$1 Colgate mfg coupon
-$1 Colgate mfg coupon
-$.75 Halls mfg coupon

Total $5.76, pay with $5.50 in ECBs and $.26 OOP. Earn $4 and $1 ECB.

Total OOP of $5.25, with $4 and $1 ECBs to roll, for $27.41 in product. A savings of 84%.

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

Yoplait Kids - Free 4 pack offer!

The first 20 readers to click below will have the opportunity to sign-up to receive a coupon for a free 4 pack of Yoplait Kids yogurt.

Don't worry if you aren't one of the first 20, you can still get coupons, product information, wholesome snacking tips and exclusive video content from moms and kids who love Yoplait Kids yogurt by clicking below.



No compensation was received for this post. Yoplait provided me with this opportunity, information and product samples/coupons through MyBlogSpark

CVS Deals - 3/25

I headed to CVS again on Friday to pick up some of the deals that I didn't grab earlier in the week. When I checked out, I got a coupon for $5 on $15, so when my second transaction didn't work out as planned and I had to grab an extra item, I decided to grab a few. Unfortunately, I went back three times and then, out of desperation added a pack of gum. It was crazy being unprepared like that.

Transaction #1
1 - Allegra 5ct
6 - Cottonelle Wipes Refills

-$2 Allegra IP
-$1 $1/2 Cottonelle Wipes IP
-$1 $1/2 Cottonelle Wipes IP
-$1 $1/2 Cottonelle Wipes IP

Paid with $10 ECB adjusted down to $9.99 and $0.94 tax.

Transaction #2
12 - Cottonelle wipes refills
1 - M&M Speckled Eggs
1 - Clorox wipes
1 - Benefiber chewables
1 - Stride gum

-$5 $5/$15 CRT
-$1 $1/2 Cottonelle Wipes IP
-$1 $1/2 Cottonelle Wipes IP
-$1 $1/2 Cottonelle Wipes IP
-$.75 Clorox Wipes mfg coupon
-$3 Benefiber CRT
-$2 Benefiber mfg coupon

Paid with $6.99 ECB and $1.20 OOP ($.75 plus tax of $.48).

In the end, I spent $.75 + $1.42 in tax, plus a decline of $5 ECBs for all of this stuff!

CVS Deals - 3/23

I made a quick stop to CVS on Wednesday at lunch time. It was a nice day and I wanted to get out for a walk. I picked up some things that sounded like a good deal, but now I have my self second guessing. I paid more than I normally do for shampoo/conditioner, but it is Nexxus, so does that still make it a good deal?

Transaction #1
1 - Allegra Allergy
1 - Nexxus Conditioner
1 - Caramel (filler)

-$2 Allegra IP
-$3 Nexxus mfg coupon

Paid with $10 and $3 in ECBs and $1.23 OOP ($.11 + $1.12 tax). Earned $6.99 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Nexxus shampoo

-$3 Nexxus mfg coupon

Paid with $6.99 ECBs and $1.16 OOP ($.50 + $.66 tax). Earned $10 ECBs.

Why are the Nexxus conditioners so much smaller than their shampoos? Am I the only one that uses conditioner faster than shampoo?

Freebies and Samples

Requested
Power Bar Protein Plus Bites sample
Dove Men+Care sample
Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - click on Uncle Ben's offer and fill out the form
Suave 1 Free Product - I took the quiz and unlocked more, but by the time I played, the other prizes were unavailable.
Suave Professional Full Size Styling Prouct (Facebook)

Received
The Pocket Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States

Tangled Deals

The Disney movie Tangled is scheduled for release next Tuesday. As with many Disney movies lately, there seem to be a number of offers available.

You can go to Disney Movie Rewards to get a coupon for $5 off the Tangled 4-disc BluRay Combo Pack. If you are a new member, you can also use the bonus code that prints with the coupon to get 25 Bonus Points.

Right now when you get your haircut at Cost Cutters and purchase Disney's Tangled on BluRay Combo Pack or DVD, you'll receive a $5 rebate by mail offer. Offer expires May 31. Check their website for a Cost Cutters location near you. We don't have one, so I won't be participating in this one.

Success Rice is offering a $5 rebate when you purchase Tangled on DVD or BluRay and 2 packages of Success Rice. This offer expires June 30th. There was a Success Rice coupon in the April issue of All You.

Beer Bread

I enjoy bread. In fact, I enjoy it too much. A few weeks ago, I shared with you the recipe that I have been using for homemade white bread. It is dangerous, when I have it around, I want to eat it not only at my meals, but as a snack too.

After reading a post on Beer Bread at Sweet and Savory by Sarah, I'm finding myself in the mood for some beer bread. She made her bread using All Purpose and Wheat bread, along with leavening agents. I like the idea of whole wheat flour, but like the quickness of preparing the beer bread from the recipe that I have which uses self-rising flour.

One thing that I enjoy about beer bread is how different the bread can be depending on the beer you use. You can use a beer like Honey Brown for a sweeter taste, or a stout for a nuttier taste. I have tried it with light beers and dark beers, and each offers its own unique taste.

Beer Bread
1 12 fl oz can or bottle of beer
3 c self-rising flour
3 tbsp white sugar

Grease a loaf pan.

Mix together sugar and flour. Add beer and continue to mix, first using a wooden spoon and then your hands. Batter will be sticky. Pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes. The top will be crunchy and the insides will be soft.

This post shared at the Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Hoover SteamVac

A few years ago, we made a decision that we would purchase a steam cleaner. We had two young kids and a cat, so it seemed like a reasonable investment to us. We did our standard Consumer Reports and online research before heading to the store. In the end, we selected the Hoover SteamVac TurboPower 5200. (sounds cool doesn't it!)

When we first bought it, we cleaned the whole house over the course of a weekend. Since that time, we have used it a few times each year. It has worked well for us and saved us money over having to hire someone to come in and clean our carpets. Being able to clean our own carpets has also been more convenient. We don't have to coordinate for someone to be home for the carpet cleaners to come and we have the option to clean one room or many. We also can use it to "spot" clean if a mess is made (although, since it's easiest to measure the solution when you fill the tank, we tend to do the room, not just a spot).

Two weeks ago, when I went down to the basement to get some wrapping paper for the present we were giving to my niece at her birthday party that day and found the basement flooding, our Hoover SteamVac came in very handy and according to the guys from the service company that came to dry out the basement, likely helped us save the carpeting and the walls from damage that would require replacement or repair. You see, shortly after making the call to the plumber, to address the sump pump that wasn't working, we decided that we could use our steam cleaner to extract water from our carpets. It was amazing how quickly the tank on the SteamVac would be filled with water. We started by dumping the tank and then decided using a bucket would allow us to empty the tank multiple times before making a trip to dump the water. We worked at drying our basement one bucket full at a time. We made countless trips up and down the stairs to dump that water in the utility sink in our laundry room. (I'll admit it, we continued to bring it upstairs even after the sump pump was functioning...until we suddenly came to realize that we could just dump it in the now working sump.) After a few hours, we decided that we weren't going to win the battle on our own. We called our insurance company and then a couple of groups that specialize in cleaning up flooded basements. There was a lot of flooding in Ohio and we were told that they weren't sure how long it would take for a team to come to our house. So, we continued to extract water until the service group arrived to take care of the water. We were a little afraid not to, we were pretty certain that no new water was coming in, but we still found that when we weren't working on an area, the carpet would get progressively wetter as the water wicked its way up from the pad.

When the service team arrived, they used their own heavy duty extraction equipment and then, they pulled back the carpeting and placed fans between the carpeting and the pad to dry the carpet and the padding. They also placed a couple of dehumidifiers in the basement. When the left, the sound in the basement was crazy. There were something like 6 fans and 2 dehumidifiers running. When we were upstairs in our bedroom, it was sort of a white noise, but on the main floor it was loud. Within a few days, they were able to remove all of the fans and dehumidifiers returning a few days later to restretch and secure the carpeting.

We learned, after the fact, that all of the effort that we put in not only helped us save the basement from further damage, but we got a bit of sweat equity applied to our deductible for our insurance which saved us money on the claim too!

Happily, our basement is back in order and we lost nothing more than the box for my bread maker and a couple of rugs that we had set out to form a walkway to our deep freeze (for those times when I go to the basement in socks or bare feet).

I know that I am glad that we made that investment a few years ago in the Hoover SteamVac and used it to help us try to dry out our basement. It might not be the intended use, but it worked for me! This post shared at Frugal Friday.

I received no compensation for this post (however, if Hoover wants to give us a new steam cleaner to replace the one that we "abused" by using it try to dry out the basement, I would be fine with that!).

Plain Wisdom

When I first selected Plain Wisdom as my next book to read, I think that I was expecting it to be more of a story. Not necessarily a work of fiction, but still more of a tale of the friendship that developed between Cindy Woodsmall and Miriam Flaud, the two authors, one being a best-selling author and the other her Amish friend.

Instead, what I found was a collection of events - little tales and tidbits of stories - from their lives that were sometimes touching, sometimes funny, sometimes inspirational and sometimes thought-provoking. The common thread was that despite the completely different lifestyles of these two women, they have a lot in common. Not in the actual experiences themselves, but in the lessons learned and things they discovered about themselves through these experiences. The short stories, for the most part were paired - one from each woman, under a "chapter" name and a text from the Bible. Mixed into these short stories, were other "chapters" that were a glimpse into Amish families, traditions and homes. These sections were written from Cindy Woodsmall's perspective and shared things she has learned from her Amish friend. These sections are done with respect for the Amish and don't reveal too much. Also, sprinkled through out the story are a number of delicious sounding recipes, some of which I am very curious to try.

Having read some of the Amish fiction that Cindy Woodsmall has written, I recognized parts of some stories that Miriam Flaud shared from those books. She told the tale of her son being unable to find his dress pants. She of course worries that he has outgrown his latest pair and is with out pants that fit. She has him look in other closets in search a pair that fits, "at least well enough for today" and look in the mending pile, thinking maybe they needed a button. A few minutes later he casually comes walking outside, wearing a shirt and vest, dress shoes, black socks and suspenders, but no pants. She notes how she commented that he forgot his hat and the family breaks out in laughter, turning what could have ruined their day out into a light-hearted tale that they remember still. There was a similar tale shared in The Bridge to Peace by Cindy Woodsmall.

The book was good. I enjoyed reading it. The thing is, now that I am done, I am done. Unlike a story where you follow the development of the storyline and get to the end, wanting or needing to know more, this collection of tales left me with simply a sense of it's done. I enjoyed spending the time with the two women and getting to know more about them and what their experiences have taught them. There were experiences and lessons that I could relate to, but I don't feel that I really took any great learnings from the book. I liked how it was arranged into a number of short chapters, making it quick and easy to read. Even if I only had 5 minutes, I felt like I could pick it up and read a couple of chapters.

No compensation was received for this post. As a member of Blogging for Books, I had the opportunity to receive a free copy of this book for the purposes of sharing a review with my readers. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Mamavation Monday

Lately, I seem to be suffering from a deplorable lack of motivation. It doesn't seem to be any one thing and it hasn't completely derailed me (perhaps that is part of the reason it is perpetuated), but I find myself with a rather blah attitude on the eating and exercising front. The good news is that I am ready to start fresh...tomorrow. I know, I should do it today, but that just isn't going to happen.

A little bit of back story....

As I mentioned, it hasn't been any one thing that seems to have me feeling unmotivated, but rather a series of things, that together have gotten me completely off sync.

My week away - I did really good that week maintaining a focus on exercising. I got up each morning and walked. One day, we walked over 5 miles. We even walked home after some evening activities - driven more so by our desire to avoid the questionable cab than a desire to exercise at 10 pm. Unfortunately, try as I might, the eating thing just got out of control. I had two snacks a day, and reasonably healthy at that - cheese, cut veggies, fresh fruit. Now, normally, this might be considered a good thing, except, I didn't change the way I was eating at the meals and there was a dessert with each meal. Of course, we can't forget cocktail hour - I didn't have much, but even a glass of wine a day is more than I would normally consume. In then end, my calorie consumption was up and when I returned home, my one foot was sore.

My flooded basement - My bad eating was perpetuated that following weekend by a flooded basement. Since we were preoccupied with rescuing the basement and since there were no meals planned (we were supposed to have been at my brother's house for my niece's birthday that afternoon/evening), we ate not the best meals and I brilliantly added soda to each of my meals, which was regular full calorie soda, since I can't drink the diet stuff. The secondary effect of a flooded basement was the loss of my workout area where I do many of my workouts since we had everything torn apart for a solid week. That whole next week, after a week away with increased eating and a bad food habit weekend, I found myself craving snacks at random times - even if I wasn't hungry, I wanted the flavor.

Daylight savings - My foot was feeling better, my basement was back together and my alarm was set for 5 am on Monday so that I could resume my workout routine. Only thing is, on Monday, when my alarm went off, the clock said 5 am, but my body said 4 am. I hit snooze and rolled over. Not a good way to start the week! Then, a week of early morning meetings left me with not a full hour to work out. When I was in the routine, I was very good at adapting and just shortening my work out to fit the time that I had. Somehow, having been off routine for a couple of weeks made it easy for me to excuse myself from exercise because I didn't have a full hour.

Swimming Lessons - For the most recent session of swim lessons, we had to change nights. That night now coincides with when I should be at my Weight Watchers meetings. I am still monitoring what I eat, but somehow between the week away (where I failed to track!) and the inability to attend my regular meeting, I have stopped tracking everything. I have the good habits still around, but without tracking, I tend to forget about the little nibbles that happen.

As a result, I have lost some of the weight that I gained that week away, but it has been a really slow process. I am confident (Sound of Music song playing in my head) that when I return to exercising and tracking what I eat that the weight will continue to come off at a better pace.

I recently received the Walk Eat Lose! 21-Day Challenge! DVD set from Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home Series. I am thinking that since I am completely out of habit, that I will start with that and then work in some of the strength training from P90X. Eventually, I'd like to get back to full rotation on all of my DVDs, but you have to start somewhere.

I logged back onto Weight Watchers eTools and fully intend to start tracking again. The awareness created in tracking will help me to continue to make smart food choices and to have more willpower against the nibbles that put me over the top.

Yesterday was the first day of spring, I'd like to be well on my way to my goal when summer arrives.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. The weekly blogging carnival is sponsored by Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn. The question is: Are you a sweet or savory snacker? What do you look for in a healthy snack? My answer, unfortunately, is Yes. I am both. It can become a challenge as I enjoy both sweet and savory snacks and sometimes I find that if I eat one, I "need" the other. When it comes to a healthy snack, one that is full of flavor and texture generally goes the furthest in making me feel satisfied.


No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider for the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program and have received complimentary online access to Weight Watchers, an IPad with the Weight Watchers Kitchen Companion App downloaded, a Flip Camera and other tools to help me on my weight loss journey, using Weight Watchers. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.' This Mamavation Monday post is sponsored by Orville Rednbacher's Gourment Popping Corn and by participating in the blogging carnival, I'm entering to win a an Orville Redenbacher’s Very Important Blogger (VIB) Gift Basket which includes popcorn, exercise kit including clip n step meter, exercise bands, healthy recipe mix-ins, yoga kit with yoga mat, blocks, strap, and beginner DVD ($100 value).

Walgreens Scenarios - week of 3/20

I have had a few weeks in a row where I have made it to Walgreens to pick up the weekly deals. I think there is an outside chance that this week I might make it by a Walgreens, here are my thoughts on the deals I might do.

Transaction #1
4 - Ensure (I use them as my protein shake when I work out)

-$6.99 B3G1 IP
-$3 Ensure mfg coupon (does Walgreens let you use coupons on the ones you buy?)

Total $17.97, earn $7 RR.

Transaction #2
1 - Almay make-up item @$10.99 w/ 30% off sale would be $7.69
1 - Method Hand soap
1 - Reese's Egg

-$2 Walgreens coupon (coupon booklet)
-$2 Almay mfg coupon

-$7 RR from Transaction #1

Total $0.18 OOP, earn $5 and $2 RR.

Transaction #3
1 - Theraflu
1 - Plackers Flossers
4 - Reach Crystal Clean Dental Care (with in ad coupon)
1 - Arm & Hammer Deodorant (with in ad coupon)
1 - Reese's Egg

-$2 Theraflu IP
-$1.50 $1.50/2 Reach mfg coupon
-$1.50 $1.50/2 Reach mfg coupon

-$5 RR
-$2 RR

Total $.44 OOP, earn $1, $2 and $4 RR.

Transaction #4 (I think I will repeat most of #2, since I have two Almay coupons)
1 - Almay make-up item @$10.99 w/ 30% off sale would be $7.69
1 - Method Hand soap
2 - Cadbury Egg

-$2 Walgreens coupon (coupon booklet)
-$2 Almay mfg coupon

-$4 RR from Transaction #3
-$2 RR from Transaction #3
-$1 RR from Transaction #3

Total $0.68 OOP, earn $5 and $2 RR.

Transaction #5 (not sure what the cost will be on this one)
1 - Gillette Deodorant
2 - Gillette Body wash
1 - Old Spice Deodorant
1 - Old Spice Body wash

-$? BOGO Gillette Body Wash wyb Deodorant mfg coupon
-$? BOGO Old Spice Body Wash wyb Deodorant mfg coupon

-$5 RR from Transaction #4
-$2 RR from Transaction #4

Total OOP? I am hoping that I will get the full price one for free with my coupon. The Gillette Deodorant doesn't appear to be part of the BOGO50% sale, so I threw in a second body wash. If it is included by shelf tag, then I will simply not get the second body wash. If I assume a $4.50 shelf price, then my OOP for this transaction is $2. If I don't need the second body wash, then I would back fill with some CheezIts or Macaroni & Cheese.

With my assumption on Transaction #5, my total OOP is $21.27 for $87.76 in product, a savings of 76%.

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

Walgreens $5 Challenge
Transaction #1
1 - Almay make-up item @$10.99 w/ 30% off sale would be $7.69

-$2 Walgreens coupon (coupon booklet)
-$2 Almay mfg coupon

Total $3.69 OOP, earn $5 RR.

Transaction #2
1 - Method Hand Soap
1 - Plackers Flossers
1 - Laffy Taffy (easy 10cent filler!)

-$5 RR from Transaction #1

Total $0.09 OOP, earn $2 and $2 RR.

Transaction #3
1 - Almay make-up item @$10.99 w/ 30% off sale would be $7.69
1 - Cadbury Egg

-$2 Walgreens coupon (coupon booklet)
-$2 Almay mfg coupon

-$2 RR from Transaction #2
-$2 RR from Transaction #2

Total $0.19 OOP, earn $5 RR.

Transaction #4
1 - Method Hand Soap
1 - Theraflu

-$2 Theraflu mfg coupon

-$5 RR from Transaction #3

Total $.98 OOP, earn $2 and $1 RR.

Transaction #5
1 - Old Spice Body Wash
1 - Old Spice Deodorant
1 - Macaroni & Cheese (with in ad coupon)
1 - Laffy Taffy

-$4.50 BOGO Old Spice Body Wash wyb Deodorant (see assumption above)

-$2 RR from Transaction #4
-$1 RR from Transaction #4

Total $.04 OOP.

For the trip, the total OOP is $4.99 for $38.74 in product at sale prices, a savings of 87%.

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

Menu Plan Monday

What a weekend! We bought a car today. My husband went in on earlier this week to select a car, negotiate and sign a deal. I even stopped in and signed the loan application. All of this, in hopes that when it came time to pick up the car that it would be a quick and painless process. You know, it still took almost 3 hours from when we arrived to when we left to pick up the car today. After arriving, there was about an hour that felt like nothing happened. Then, there was about 1/2 hour when we went out to the car, that we hadn't seen yet. Then, there was an hour signing everything. Then, another 1/2 hour to pay the deposit and get a quick review of the car and features. Wow! The kids were very well behaved and we went out to dinner to celebrate (and because we were all a little worn out).

After dinner, we made a quick stop at the grocery store for the things that we were making this week. Of all things, they were sold out of hamburger buns! So, I readjusted the sequence of dinners, to allow us a few days to get back to the store.

Sunday
cereal
leftovers
dinner out at our favorite local Mexican

Monday
Pizza

Tuesday
Chicken Romano (new recipe) and Parmesan Bread sticks (they were a hit last time - I will try to post the recipe later this week)

Wednesday
Skyline Chili

Thursday
Pork Tenderloin sandwiches and fries

Friday
Tilapia Vera Cruz (new recipe)

Saturday
TBD

Weekday breakfasts are generally cereal for everyone, but my daughter eats at school and does have a hot breakfast a few days. Lunch is either packed or bought in the cafeteria, for me and my son. My husband eats leftovers or microwave meals most days.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

CVS Scenarios - week of 3/20

There seem to be a lot of ECB deals at CVS this week. Not many result in free or near free product, but you can still get some good deals on things that you use.

Transaction #1
1 - Allegra Allergy

-$2 Allegra mfg coupon

Total $4.99, earn $6.99 ECBs.

Transaction #2
2 - Nexxus Color Assure Shampoo/Conditioner

-$3 Nexxus mfg coupon (from samples)
-$3 Nexxus mfg coupon

Total $13.98, pay with $6.99 ECB and $6.99 OOP. Earn $10 ECBs.

Transaction #3
4 - Triscuits
4 - Honest Tea
1 - Planters Peanuts
1 - Coke 2L
1 - Crest Toothpaste

-$4 4x$1 Triscuit IP (will need a second computer)
-$2 4x$.50 Honest Tea IP (will need a second computer)
-$.50 Planters mfg coupon
-$1 Crest mfg coupon

Total $10.99, pay with $10 ECBs and $.99 OOP. Earn $5 and $2.50 ECBs.

Transaction #4
4 - Cottonelle Wipes
4 - Kleenex Tissues
1 - Clorox Wipes
1 - Clorox Spray

-$1 $1/2 Cottonelle Wipes IP
-$1 $1/2 Cottonelle Wipes IP
-$.50 $.50/3 Kleenex mfg coupon
-$1 $1/2 Clorox mfg coupon

Total $15.14, pay with $5 and $2.50 ECBs and $7.64 OOP. Earn $5 ECBs.

Total OOP for the day is $20.61 with $5 ECBs to roll for $64.10 in product at sale prices, a savings of 70%.

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

CVS $5 Challenge
Transaction #1
1 - Allegra Allergy

-$2 Allegra mfg coupon

Total $4.99, earn $6.99 ECBs.

Transaction #2
2 - Colgate Toothbrush
1 - Crest Toothpaste

-$.75 Colgate mfg coupon
-$.75 Colgate mfg coupon
-$1 Crest mfg coupon

Total $6.97, pay with $6.99 ECB adjusted down. Earn $4 and $2.50 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Shick Quattro
1 - Xtra detergent

-$4 Shick mfg coupon

Total $6.78, pay with $4 and $2.50 ECBs and $.28 OOP. Earn $4 ECBs.

Total OOP of $5.27, with $4 ECBs to roll, for $27.24 in product at sale prices, a savings of 83%.

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

CVS Deals - 3/15

This week I bought a lot of paper products. We should be good on paper goods for a while. I seem to have lost my picture...but you can imagine what paper towels and toilet paper look like!

1 - Charmin wipes
1 - Charmin Ultra 16 ct
1 - Bounty Extra Soft 12 ct

-$6.38 25% off your order CRT
-$.25 Bounty mfg coupon
-$.25 Charmin mfg coupon
-$.50 Charmin wipes mfg coupon

Paid with $10 ECBs and $9.32 OOP ($8.12 plus tax). Earned $10 ECBs.

I had planned to pick up more stuff, but they were out of the few things I looked for. I didn't have my full set of coupons with me and I was pressed for time, so I figured it was good to save the $6.38 that I did and be done.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Walmart Deals - 3/19

Having read online about the AllYou Gift with Purchase offer for Cottonelle, Kelloggs Frosted Flakes and Zicam, I decided it was a good time to stock on toilet paper. I was originally going to do two of the toilet paper, but felt that the wording was a little unclear and felt it would be better to get two different items.

1 - Cottonelle Ultra (price matched at $6.49, shelf $6.97)
1 - Kelloggs Frosted Flakes Family Size (shelf $3.50)
1 - Crescent roll (not pictured and not part of the offer, but part of lunch!)

-$.50 Cottonelle mfg coupon
-$1 Kelloggs IP

Total $10.97 with tax. Will submit for the $10 Walmart gift card. Effectively, the toilet paper and the cereal will be free and the crescent rolls really cheap at $0.97.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Imagination Movers Live! Winner

Congratulations to Judy S, the winner of the four tickets to the Imagination Movers Live! in Akron.

Thanks everyone for entering.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

16
Timestamp: 2011-03-19 18:33:41 UTC

Samples and Freebies

Requested
Purex Complete with Zout - choose sample or $1 coupon
U by Kotex (Sam's Club)
Kotex sample (survey required)
Mini Wheats Touch of Fruit (VocalPoint)
Temtations by Jello (First Taste)
Chef of the Future spice sample
Shout Color Catcher sample
Parent's Magazine - 7 free issues
Parenting School Years - 1 free issue

Received
Miracle Whip sample

Walgreens Deals - 3/17

Once again this week, I had the opportunity to make a stop at Walgreens.


Transaction #1
1 - Clearasil Daily Face Wash
2 - Right Guard Deodorant

-$1 Clearasil mfg coupon
-$4.49 BOGO Right Guard

Total $3.33, earn $2 RR.

Transaction #2
2 - Cottonelle Travel Wipes

-$2 RR

Total $.53, earn $1.50 RR.

Transaction #3
3 - Arizona Iced Tea

-$1.50 RR

Total $.10.

For the day, I spent $3.96 OOP for $20.91 in product, a savings of 81%. I was a little disappointed to find that many of the items at my store were more expensive than in other areas, based on some of the deals that I had seen online. I decided to still do the deals, but if I lived elsewhere, I would have spent $1.20 less.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

May the Luck of the Irish be your's today.

CSN Stores Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Gina @ the Crave to Save! She was selected as the winner of the $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores.

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out my current giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

62
Timestamp: 2011-03-17 02:08:58 UTC

Disney's Imagination Movers Live! In a Big Warehouse Tour

My kids are so excited (okay, maybe my daughter is a little more excited than my son), the Imagination Movers are coming to the Akron Civic Theater for two shows on Friday, March 25th. In fact, we were at the Akron Civic Theater last weekend for the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet performance of Madeline at the Circus and when we walked in, there was a large stand-up of the Imagination Movers in the theater with show information. My daughter posed with the stand-up to get a picture.

We went and saw the Imagination Movers about 15 months ago on their last tour and it was an amazing experience. When the theater went dark and the announcer was introducing them, even I got the chills. In no time, the kids were up and dancing in the aisles - it was their first "concert" experience and based on their smiles and the amount that they talked about the show afterwards, I would say that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Their live show, at least last time we saw them, was structured very similar to their television show - they sang, they solved a problem and had a good time.

I have shared before about the Imagination Movers and how much I enjoy their show and their music. I like that they work their way through a problem solution - I think it is a great way to show kids that sometimes (in the case of the Movers, most of the time) the first solution you come up with may not be the right one and you need to try again to solve the problem. Their songs are catchy tunes that I frequently find myself singing along too. In fact, I have, in a state of distraction, found myself a few miles down the road from dropping the kids off at school, still singing along to the Movers, not having changed back to "my" music. They have a number of songs that I enjoy, and I'm not sure that I could come up with just one. I would say my daughter's favorite right now is First Day of School and my son's is Playing Catch.

Disney's Imagination Movers Live! In a Big Warehouse Tour with special guest Choo Choo Soul.
Akron Civic Theatre
2 Shows on March 25th at 4pm and 7pm
You can purchase tickets for the show at the Akron Civic Theater here.

Giveaway!
I have the opportunity to giveaway a family four pack of tickets to the 4 pm show on Friday, March 25th, courtesy of the Akron Civic Theater.

To enter: Leave a comment sharing which Imagination Mover is your child's favorite.

Additional Entries:

Share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. Come back and leave a comment telling us how you shared, be sure to include a link.

Leave a comment sharing which Imagination Mover song is your favorite.

The giveaway will remain open until Saturday, March 19th at 2 pm! The winner will be selected using a random number generator and will be contacted by e-mail (please be sure to leave an e-mail) and will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. My family purchased our own tickets for the show that we are attending. The Akron Civic Theater team provided a four pack of tickets for this giveaway.

Menu Plan Monday

It was a pretty fun and busy weekend, but I did manage to make a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up some of their 2-day seafood sale deals including Tilapia and Shrimp and a quick trip to Sam's Club where I picked up the Parmesan cheese we stopped for, but also some excellent strawberries and blueberries and some assorted bars (NutriGrain, Quaker, etc.) for snacks. I probably will make a mid-week trip to pick up some milk and any ingredients that I am missing.

Last week, there was some sort of a disconnect between my menu and my shopping. I had planned for tacos and for skillet lasagne, but failed to pick up lettuce or tomatoes for the tacos and failed to get the ricotta cheese for the lasagne. I'm not sure why, but we wound up doing some last minute improv to pull together dinner.

Sunday
cereal
lunch out with friends
leftover Roasted Shrimp and Tomatoes, bruschetta-style

Monday
Pizza

Tuesday
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Wednesday
Chicken Romano (new recipe of the week)

Thursday
Penne Cardinale

Friday
Tilapia and Rice Pilaf (ideas on preparation?)

Saturday
cereal
sandwiches
Out with friends

During the week, breakfast is generally cereal for everyone. My daughter is provided lunch at school, my son either buys the hot lunch or packs, I typically pack leftovers and my husband does leftovers or frozen meals.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

CVS Scenarios - week of 3/13

I hope to make it to CVS this week to take advantage of a few of the deals.

Transaction #1
1 - Theraflu Trial Size
1 - Herbal Essence Conditioner
1 - Herbal Essence Styler

-$2 Theraflu IP
-$2.98 Aussie BOGO Styler mfg coupon

Total $1.97 OOP, earn $2 and $.99 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Dial Nutriskin Lotion

-$1 Dial Nutriskin mfg coupon

Total $3.99, pay with $2.99 ECBs and $1 OOP. Earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Crest Toothpaste
1 - Irish Spring Body Wash

-$1 Crest mfg coupon
-$1 Irish Spring Body Wash mfg coupon

Total $4.98, pay with $3 ECBs and $1.98 OOP. Earn $2.50 and $2 ECBs.

Total OOP of $4.95 with $4.50 in ECBs to roll, for $18.92 in product. A savings of 79%.

For more deals, check out Money Saving Mom and Deal Seeking Mom. For more $5 Scenarios, check out the CVS $5 Challenge.

CVS Deals

I actually made a couple of stops at CVS this week. I had fully intended to return again on Saturday, but a busy schedule caused time to get away from me and I didn't make it back.

Trip #1

1 - NestEggs
1 - Cadbury Egg

-$2 Free Candy Facebook offer
-$.55 NestEggs IP (coupons.com)

Total $.45 OOP.

Trip #2, two transactions

3 - Benefiber Sticks
3 - Mini-Robin Eggs
1 - Chicks and Bunnies Marshmallows

-$3 Benefiber CRT
-$3 Benefiber CRT
-$7 $7/2 Benefiber IP (no longer available)
-$3 Benefiber IP (no longer available)
-$1 $1/3 Mini-Robin Eggs

Paid with $9 ECBs and $3.46 OOP. Earned $10 and $3 ECBs. At the end of the day, I had a "profit" of $.54 for the trip.

Trip #3

3 - Benefiber Sticks

-$7 $7/2 Benefiber IP
-$3 Benefiber IP

Paid $12.47 OOP, earned $10 ECBs. I had borrowed a friend's card to do this transaction, because they weren't doing the Benefiber deal. I wish I had looked at my receipt closer before doing this. It turns out that the limit likely was more than one for the Benefiber deal. I was going to go back and test it on Saturday, but like I said, ran out of time.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Yoplait Kids Yogurt Prize Pack Winner!

Congratulations to Eloise! She was selected as the winner of the Yoplait Kids Yogurt Prize Pack giveaway.

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check out the other current giveaways on A Busy Mom of Two.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

26
Timestamp: 2011-03-12 12:36:12 UTC

Freebies and Samples

Requested:
Target Beauty Bag with coupons


Received:
Cheez-Its - Romano, Asiago and Colby - Facebook offer
Spring into Savings Coupon booklet
Pampers Village coupon booklet
FitMe by Maybelline sample and coupon (it actually has a sample of all the shades of foundation so you can find the right shade for your skin)
Solgar Whey to Go Protein Powder

Moolala Daily Deal - 80% off at Mixbook!

I was waiting for a deal like this. I used Mixbook for my annual scrapbook last year and am working on my 2010 book currently. I was excited to see that today's daily deal at Moolala was for 80% off at Mixbook.

You can get $10 for $50 Worth of Photo Books, Announcements, Baby Books, and More from Mixbook
.

Looks like today's deal is good all weekend! Be sure to check it out.

SpellQuizzer Software

My kids think it is strange when I tell them that when I was growing up we didn't have a computer. When I was in junior high, I took a "programming" class on an old Apple computer and in 8th grade math, we used a TRS80 to do some math work. I was a senior in high school when my dad got a used computer from work. I don't remember it having much more than word processing on it and that was what I used to type my senior term paper. I didn't learn to type until I took typing class in high school - we didn't have a typewriter, so there wasn't much need to know before then.

Having access to a computer offers a lot of different learning opportunities for children. There are educational games, software and websites. When they ask questions that we don't know the answer to, we can quickly get some information on line - and we both learn in the process.

Recently, I had the opportunity to download and review a copy of SpellQuizzer spelling software. SpellQuizzer is a spelling program that you can use on your home computer to help your child practice his spelling skills. With SpellQuizzer, you create spelling lists by typing in the list of words that your child is learning. Then, you use a microphone to record the word. Newer laptops comes with a built-in microphone, but the computer that the kids use doesn't have one, so we had to dig up a microphone.
My son's teacher typically sends home six spelling lists at a time, so we were able to create several spelling lists at once. When he wants to quiz himself, my son is able to open up the program and select which list he wants to try. The list can come up in the order you typed or you can check a box to have it randomized. For each word, the program will play your recording and then your child types in the word. Once they are done typing, they select the check spelling button and the program will let them know if it is right or wrong (along with the correct spelling) and then move on. At the end, it gives them a chance to try the words that they missed again.

Overall, I really like the program. I like that I can create my own custom spelling lists. Once you have added a word to a list, it is added to the database and then you can create new lists by selecting any of the words from the database. This is great for those mid-year or end of year cumulative tests and to just keep them practicing on the words that are more challenging.

My son, who is learning to type at 7 (like I said I was 16 or 17 when I took typing in high school), used the program to create his own list of words - a list of words that all can be spelled on the home row. This was actually a very beneficial and creative exercise from my perspective. First, he was using the letters to try to create words - I love Scrabble and other word play games. Plus, he was using the software to learn more than it was designed for, which was very creative on his part. I certainly wouldn't have thought of it.

Some other facts about the program:
- There are several free downloadable spelling lists for SpellQuizzer on their web site at http://www.spellquizzer.com/Spelling-Lists.htm. These lists include pre-made sound recordings.
- There is a page on the site specifically directed toward homeschoolers: http://www.spellquizzer.com/Spelling-Software-For-Homeschoolers.htm.
- SpellQuizzer's built-in spellchecker recognizes both US and UK English spellings. The spellchecker warns the user when creating a spelling list if they enter a word that appears to be spelled incorrectly. Because of this safeguard it's reasonably safe to let children create their own spelling lists guided by the curriculum they are working on.

Blog Tour, Product/Book Name: SpellQuizzer.

Price: $29.95.

Put out by: TedCo Software.

You can check out a video demonstration of the software here.

You can like SpellQuizzer on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. http://www.facebook.com/SpellQuizzer

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are my own. I did receive a complimentary copy of the software for our use and writing this review, through my relationship with MamaBzz.

Walgreens Deals - 3/8

Yesterday, I had the chance to be near a Walgreens, so I decided to stop in. The Pediacare that they had was Acetaminophen, so I decided to pick up one bottle. The price was over $7, so it wasn't free like I had hoped it might be - but pretty close none the less. Here is what I got:

Transaction #1
1 - Always Maxi

-$2 Always mfg coupon

Total $.99 (plus tax of $.19) OOP. Earned $2 RR.

Transaction #2
2 - Febreeze Set and Refresh
2 - Febreeze Air Effects
1 - Laffy Taffy (10cent candy by register - great filler)

-$1 Febreeze Set and Refresh mfg coupon
-$1 Febreeze Set and Refresh mfg coupon
-$1 Febreeze Air Effects mfg coupon
-$1 Febreeze Air Effects mfg coupon

-$2 RR from Transaction #1

Total $4.10 (plus tax of $.65) OOP. Earned $3 RR.

Transaction #3
1 - Always Liner
1 - Anderson's Pretzels
1 - Laffy Taffy

-$1 Always mfg coupon

-$3 RR

Total $.09 (plus tax of $.19) OOP. Earned $2 RR.

Transaction #4
1 - Pediacare Children's (w/ in ad coupon)
1 - Wrigley Orbit Gum (w/ in ad coupon)
1 - Quaker Quakes Caramel

-$2 Pediacare mfg coupon

-$2 RR

Total $.18 (plus tax of $.16) OOP.

For the day, I spent a total of $5.36, plus $1.19 in tax (a total of $6.55) and saved $30.34 based on the savings reported on my reciept. A savings of about 85%.

Bedtime Music

When I was expecting and as a young parent, I read and was told that establishing a consistent bedtime routine was key. It helps babies and children know what to expect next. So, we set out to do just that. We had bath and books and singing and many of the standards. It worked well for us. The kids each easily fell into the practice of going to sleep at 8 pm. Now, by no means is bedtime always easy at my house. Some nights, my kids are the best stallers with more needs than you can imagine - I need a drink of water, I need to tell you something, I need a hug (you can't say no to that one!), I need to potty, I need to be covered up, and so on.

One of the things that we bought each time we had a baby was a CD Clock Radio for their bedroom. We had gotten a free CD at one of our hospital classes that was filled with classical music (I had heard that listening to classical music boosts brain power, but understand now that there is question on the actual "Mozart effect"). We would use the snooze function, along with the repeat function, to provide 90 minutes of soothing music for the babies at naptime and bedtime.

I figured that there were two benefits, it contributed to the consistency of our routine and the music would help block out other noises in the house, making it easier for the babies (children) to sleep. The nice thing playing it on snooze was that it didn't run all night and when they would wake and return to sleep at night so that they also knew how to fall asleep without the assistance of music.

For over 7 years, my son listened to the same disc every night and since we had somehow received two from the hospital, my duaghter has listened to the same disc for over 4 years. My son's CD player stopped working this year and now he goes to bed without music. For me, this was a bit of a challenge to accept, as if by him no longer having (needing) the music at bedtime, he is growing up. Despite that, I definitely feel that playing that same CD every night has worked well for us and helped establish bedtime routine.

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday.

The Key to the Kingdom

I have always enjoyed Disney. I have always enjoyed reading (at least I don't recall a time when I didn't like to read). So, when I was given the opportunity to read and review the new book by Jeff Dixon, The Key to the Kingdom, I was intrigued.

The book is essentially a mystery. The main character, Grayson Hawkes meets with a friend late one evening and he shares some information about the history of Walt Disney and Walt Disney World and gives him a gift and his first clue. The story follows Hawk through Walt Disney World as he tries to understand what his friend told him before disappearing and works his way through a series of clues looking for the answer.

I expected there to be some double meaning in the title of the book, as Hawk also does happen to be the pastor at the Celebration Community Church. There are some mentions of discussion of religion and some portions of the story take place within the church, but it certainly is not a focus of the story as I thought it might be. I am okay with that, just surprised.

The book is told through the use of a narrator, who has insight on the thoughts and actions of Hawk, with dialogue driving much of the story. The book jumps right in and starts the story. There is only minimal character development in the book, but it feels okay. The story focuses more on the progression of the solving of the clues, providing some character detail in the process. The pace of the story is quick and is broken down into many short chapters (which for my just one more chapter approach to reading at bedtime, makes it a lot easier to talk myself into one more chapter). The style of the writing is very different from other books that I have been reading lately, it seemed less "deep", probably becuase of the minimal character development and the short chapters breaking it up. Still, with the pace of the book, it works.

As I read (and having read the disclaimer at the start of the book), I found myself wondering how much is real and how much is fiction, in terms of the history, the trivia and the locations within the park. Based on some information on the book's website, there is at least a portion that is real. Reading the book certainly has me looking forward to my trip to Disney, I want to look for some of the sites that are referenced and see for myself what references are real.

Details:


The Key to the Kingdom, Jeff Dixon

Put out by: Bring It On Communications!

You can purchase the book through Deep River Books, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers.

You can Like Key to the Kingdom by Jeff Dixon on Facebook, and http://twitter.com/deepriverbookson Twitter.

No compensation was received for this post. The book was provided to me by Bring It On Communication through my relationship with MamaBzz. All opinions expressed are entirely my own

Mamavation Monday

I almost didn't write this post this week - I had a rough week and hate to sound like I am full of excuses. But, it was a ROUGH week. As I mentioned last week, my week was full of business meetings. This lead to breakfast, lunch and dinner being somewhat out of my control. Sure, I did my best to fill my breakfast with zero PointsPlus value fruit and some yogurt and things that felt like they were healthy. I did my best to fill my plate with salad and vegetables before adding the main course. I also joined co-workers for a morning walk - we did over 5 miles the one morning. But, this effort only served to minimize the GAIN this past week. Why? Because there were mid-morning snack breaks and mid-afternoon snack breaks, dessert options at lunch and dinner, cocktails and appetizers every evening.

And, then, there was my weekend. We were supposed to have spent Saturday with my brother's family celebrating my niece's birthday - instead, we were busy saving our basement from the flooding caused by a failed sump pump (more to come on this). This led to me trying to prepare quick lunches and dinners - frozen pizza and chicken fingers. I had a can of soda at each meal (I drink a can about once a month or every other month - not regularly by any means and certainly not twice in the same day). Then, as we started to see the light at the end of the tunnel (and help arrived) - we decided to entertain some friends - which meant wine and snacks (and good company!). The wine and snacks were like the perfect cap to a challenging week.

On a positive note, I have returned to regular eating. This is helping. I feel better and am losing the temporary weight gain from last week.

Of course, I am not exercising. At some point last week, I did something to my foot. Based on my Internet search, I think it likely is Peroneal Tendinitis - the recommendation is rest and stretching. I'll give it a few days and if it isn't better I will seek the advice of my doctor - but in the meantime, I am trying to take it easy and allow it to heal so I don't make it worse.

Here's to a better week!

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

Menu Plan Monday

What a weekend!

On Sunday, I made a trip to the grocery store to get some items for this week's menu. I didn't get much from a stock up perspective, because I can't really get to my deep freeze or my storage cabinets in my basement...but that's another story.

This week we return to trying new recipes from the many that I have clipped over the years. If they go over well, I will share them with you.

Sunday
cereal
sandwiches
Chipotle Chicken/Chicken Tacos

Monday
Pizza

Tuesday
Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Tenders (new recipe)

Wednesday
Breakfast for dinner

Thursday
Chicken Marsala Florentine (new recipe)

Friday
Roasted Shrimp with Tomatoes

Saturday
Skillet Lasagna (new recipe)

Most days, it is cereal for breakfast for everyone. As for lunch, my son will either buy or pack, based on the menu for that day. I tend to pack. My husband will do a bit of both.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

Walgreens Scenarios - week of 3/6

This week, my plans will put me in close proximity to Walgreens and I am considering stopping in. Here are my thoughts on a few deals. (update: I messed up the quantity needed for the first transaction in my scenarios. I have updated - the changes are in bold)

Transaction #1
2 - Febreeze Set & Refresh
2 - Febreeze Air Effects

-$1 Set & Refresh mfg coupon
-$1 Set & Refresh mfg coupon
-$1 Air Effects mfg coupon
-$1 Air Effects mfg coupon

Total $6 OOP, earn $3 RR.

Transaction #2
2 - Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste
1 - Orbit Gum (use in ad coupon)

-$1 Colgate Toothpaste mfg coupon
-$1 Colgate Toothpaste mfg coupon

Total 3.69, pay with $3 RR and $.69 OOP. Earn $2 RR.

Transaction #3
1 - Always DriLiners
1 - Orbit Gum (use in ad coupon)

-$1 Always mfg coupon (from sample pack)

Total $2.68, pay with $2 RR and $.68 OOP. Earn $2 RR.

Total OOP of $7.37, with $2 RR to roll, for $14.37 in product.

For more Walgreens deals and scenarios, check out Money Saving Mom and Deal Seeking Mom. Find more $5 scenarios at the Walgreens $5 Challenge.


Some other things that I am considering:
I have read that with the $5 off Pediacare coupon and some coupons that are out there, you can get some free or near free. I need to see what the deal is before I decide.

I am intrigued by the Coca-Cola/Hershey's/Planters offer for spend $15 and get $15 in coupons. What are the coupons? Would I use them?

CVS Scenarios - week of 3/6

I am excited to see some different deals this week at CVS. There are a few things that don't have ECBs that I plan to pick up because the sales are better than the standard sale prices at the grocery. I wish I were lucky like others and got CRTs and/or e-mails for $/$$ coupons. Maybe CVS will have a Facebook or Twitter offer this week?

Transaction #1
1 - Blink Tears
1 - Revlon Lipstick

-$4 Blink Tears peelie
-$3 Revlon CRT
-$1 Revlon mfg coupon

Total $6.38 OOP, earn $4 and $4 ECBs.

Transaction #2
3 - Benefiber Flavor Sticks

-$3 Benefiber CRT
-$7 $7/2 Benefiber IP (coupons.com)
-$3 Benefiber IP (coupons.com)

Total $10.07, pay with $8 ECBs and $2.07 OOP. Earn $10 ECBs.

Transaction #4
2 - John Frieda Shampoo/Conditioner
1 - SweetTart Chicks and Ducks

-$2 John Frieda mfg coupon
-$2 John Frieda mfg coupon

Total $10.49, pay with $10 ECB and $.49 OOP. Earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #5
3 - Robin Eggs
3 - Cadbury Eggs/Singles

-$1 $1/3 Robin Eggs mfg coupon

Total $6.50, pay with $3 ECB and $3.50 OOP. Earn $3 ECBs.

Transaction #6
2 - Dole Fruit Cups

-$.50 $.50/2 Dole Fruit Cup mfg coupon

Total $2.83, pay with $3 ECB adjusted down (or add a filler).

Total OOP for the day is $12.44 for $62.77 in product at sale prices, a savings of 80%.

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

CVS $5 Challenge
Transaction #1
1 - Blink Tears

-$4 Blink Tears peelie

Total $3.89 OOP, earn $4 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Revlon Lipstick
1 - Cadbury Egg

-$3 Revlon CRT
-$1 Revlon mfg coupon

Total $3.99, pay with $4 ECB adjusted down. Earn $4 ECBs.

Transaction #3
3 - Dole Fruit Cups

-$.50 $.50/2 Dole Fruit Cup mfg coupon

Total $4.50, pay with $4 ECB and $.50 OOP.

Total OOP of $4.39 for $20.88 in product at sale prices, a savings of 79%.

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

CVS Deals -- 3/4

Best laid plans and all, I didn't make it to CVS until Friday. Of course, they were out of everything! Okay, not everything, but I did get a rain check for the ProHealth Rinse, the Glide Floss, and the Kashi Cereal. Hopefully, it will be back in stock when I go next week.

Transaction #1
2 - Dove Shampoo/Conditioner
1 - Dove Deodorant
1 - Vaseline Lotion
1 - Oral B Cross Action Power

-$1 Dove Shampoo/Conditioner mfg coupon
-$1 Dove Shampoo/Conditioner mfg coupon
-$2 Dove Deodorant mfg coupon
-$5.79 FREE Vaseline mfg coupon
-$3 Oral B Cross Action Power mfg coupon

Paid with $7.74 in ECBs and $2.10 ($.76, plus $1.34 tax) OOP. Earned $1 (green bag tag), $5 and $3 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Oral B Cross Action Power

-$3 Oral B Cross Action Power mfg coupon

Paid with $3 ECB and $.38 tax OOP. Earned $3 ECB.

I spent $.76 plus $1.72 in tax OOP and increased my ECBs by $1.26. Which makes sense, I expected my net cost for the Dove/Vaseline deal to be $.50 plus tax and the Oral B to be free other than tax.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Body Wash - text BODY to 467467 to receive a free sample
Eucerin Daily Skin Balance

Received:
Nothing? slow mail week I guess.

Chick-fil--A Free Waffle Fries today!

Head to any Chick-fil-A location today (Friday, March 4th) between 2 and 4 p.m. and mention the their Free FryDay promotion and you’ll get a free medium order of Waffle Fries.

You can find more info on their Facebook Event Page. No purchase is necessary.

I would check with your location, as it does specify "Participating Locations", which would suggest that not all of the locations may be participating.

Moolala Daily Deal Site

Did you see that the newest daily deal site is now live? Moolala started posting deals this week.

I've mentioned Moolala before, but in case you missed it, here it is again:

What makes them different? They are using their marketing dollars to reward you! Every time that you buy a deal or someone that you referred (and their referrals, and their referrals and their referrals) purchases any deal, you get 2% of the purchase price of that deal added to your account. You can use that money to purchase deals for yourself or simply cash out.

You can learn more and sign up for MooLaLa here.

Chicken Cutlets & Sliced Baked Potatoes

Last week, we tried a couple of new recipes that I had clipped and accumulated. Of all that we tried, the favorite meal was the Chicken Cutlet and Sliced Baked Potato, which I served with a slice of Homemade Bread. Both were easy enough to prepare, but the Sliced Baked Potato takes an hour to bake, so you need to start it first.

Sliced Baked Potato
4 potatoes, similar size
1 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
2-3 tsp dried herbs (can substitute fresh - I used parsley)
1 1/2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese

Wash potatoes. Cut potatoes into thin slices but not all the way through. Put potatoes in a baking dish and fan the slices slightly. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle on herbs. Bake at 425 for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to 425 oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.

You could substitute or add other cheeses depending on what you are preparing it with. We had it with chicken cutlets that also had Parmesan cheese, so it was a good fit.

Chicken Cutlets

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 c bread crumbs
1/3 c Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
dash of salt and pepper
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 c flour
oil for cooking

Rinse and dry chicken. Using a mallet, pound to 1/3" thickness. Bread the cutlets by placing them in flour, egg mixture and then bread crumb mixture. Add oil to skillet and heat for a couple of minutes. Then, add cutlets. Cook on each side for 3 minutes, until juices run clear. Serve.

The cutlets would be good to use for Chicken Parmesan. I would place in a baking dish and top each cutlet with a little bit of sauce and some mozzarella and bake until the cheese is melted. Serve with a side of pasta.

This post shared at the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Cupcake Carrier

When it comes to kitchen gadgets, I love them all. Okay, maybe not all, but I do find some things to be very clever and very useful.

For years, I was on the market for a cupcake carrier. I had just been using large plastic containers to hold them, but they always seemed to get squished if I took them anywhere and they were hard to get out without making a mess by touching the other cupcakes.

After some looking, I found one online at Crate and Barrel, but the shipping was more than I wanted to pay. I kept putting it on my Christmas list, but never got it. I always had good intentions to get to a store, but never seemed to be near one or only was near one when I had no time. So, after a couple of years of wanting something, I bought myself another cupcake carrier. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it would hold 24 mini-cupcakes, 12 regular cupcakes or a 9x13 cake and allow me to transport them more easily, so it certainly met part of my needs.

I was happy to have a cupcake carrier, but still, I thought about the cupcake carrier from Crate and Barrel whenever I had to take more than 12 cupcakes with me somewhere.

Well, about a month ago, while participating in a work function, I found myself right by a Crate and Barrel. I had to stop in. Sure enough, they had the cupcake carrier that I had been wanting. I, of course, bought it. I have already used it a couple of times and I love it!

What makes it better than most, in my opinion, is the fact that you can carry 24 cupcakes in it. When I make cupcakes, I tend to use a boxed cake mix, which makes 24 cupcakes. (of course, for my son's half birthday last week, I had to make it into 27 cupcakes and make them fit on the carrier) It is so nice to have a carrier that fits them.




This is one cupcake carrier that works for me!