Custom-Made BCowan Bags Giveaway - and the winnner is...

Congratulations to Tiffany! Her entry was selected as the winner of the custom-made bag from BCowan Bags. An e-mail will be sent to the winner.

Don't forget, that through July 28th, BCowan Bags is extending a discount on their bags to readers of A Busy Mom of Two. You can read more about the discount offer and how to get it here.

Thanks everyone for entering.


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

56

Timestamp: 2011-06-29 10:30:51 UTC

To The Top Tuesday Blog Hop

I'm participating in the To The Top Tuesday Blog Hop. Join in on the fun. Link up and find some new blogs. Be sure to follow!

Mamavation Monday

It was a good week. I essentially ate my way through Boston last week, but by staying active and making time for a nearly 4 mile walk each day, I was able to minimize the impact of this culinary adventure. That being said, I was up slightly for the week, but increased consumption of food and wine on my part, will cause that.

First, let me start by saying that Boston is a great city to be active in. I took a walk each morning along the Charles River. Not only did they have nice walking/biking/blading paths, complete with center lines, but there were a number of pedestrian bridges to cross over roadways. In addition, there were kayaks and crew teams on the water every morning. I was actually amazed the first morning when I went out at 5 am, to see so many people. Normally, when I walk in my neighborhood, I see no one. There was a great route that I could take that was just about four miles round trip. I had decent weather, although the last day it did start to rain around mile marker 3.

Second, let me say that there is some good food in Boston. On Monday night, we ate in the Italian district at a place called Dolce Vita Ristorante - I had the scallops, which were so tender and flavorful. Of course, I accompanied it with some pasta, bread and wine! Then, we made stop at Mike's for cannoli. I think it might have been my first cannoli, but it was yummy! I didn't actually eat it all that first night - finishing it the following night. The next day we enjoyed the Cheesecake Factory - we wound up sharing a lot of different appetizers and of course, cheesecake. I didn't eat a "regular" dinner, having consumed more than my fair share of appetizers. The next day, we snacked our way through the day. I tried a Lobster Roll (not as good as it sounded), some Tuna Tartar, some New England Clam Chowder (I was in New England after all!) at Finz in Salem. Then, we tried the pizza and wings at Prince Pizza. Dinner that night was sushi at Douzo. I really felt full after my adventures. I also tried Pinot Noir on this trip, I think I could add it to my list of wines I enjoy.

Now that I am back, I need to buckle down. Continue with my daily walk. Resume portion control and tracking - I did it informally in Boston, but the reality is that after a few glasses of wine, I had more than consumed my weekly PointsPlus values.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. The sponsor this week is EatSmart Products. They ask: How have you recently stepped up to support someone in your life? I would have to say that as some of my friends have dealt with life issues and challenges, I have been there for them when they needed me, but also respected them and gave them space.

No compensation was received for this post. By participating in the blogging carnival, I am entering to win a Kitchen Scale from EatSmart Products.

BCowan Bags - Special Offer (and bonus entry opportunity)

The group over at BCowan Bags has graciously extended a special discount offer to A Busy Mom of Two readers. Normally, their bags retail for $120, but as a reader of A Busy Mom of Two, you can order a custom-made bag for only $75 delivered! This offer is valid until July 28th.

To take part in this special offer, when you are placing your order let them know that you heard about them through A Busy Mom of Two. They will contact you about payment once they get your order.

This is a great deal on a great bag. Remember, they will make the bag to reflect you and your interests. Check out their photo gallery to see samples of some bags that they have made for others.

In addition to considering one for yourself, consider also that they make great gifts for people in your life. A new mom. A teacher. A dancer. A knitter. The bag is really so versatile.

To sweeten the deal, if you purchase before the end of tomorrow (6/28), leave a comment on this post letting me know that you ordered a bag and I will add 3 bonus entries to the giveaway for one BCowan Bag.

Menu Plan Monday

We had a busy weekend with a garage sale, baseball tournaments and shopping. I am looking forward to a return to routine this week. We are now done with baseball, and sports camps aside, should be done with sports until August now. I did my weekly grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon, after all of our other errands.

Sunday
Hamburgers on the Grill

Monday
Chicken Gravy over Biscuits

Tuesday
Penne Rustica

Wednesday
Leftovers

Thursday
Homemade Pizza

Friday
TBD

Saturday
picnic

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school the kids will have pancakes or french toast. Lunch is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers for everyone.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

CVS Scenarios - week of 6/26

I didn't make it to CVS last week. It was just a really busy week and when I thought about going, I just didn't have the energy to get up and go.

If you are on the market for cans of soda, it looks like all of the drugstores have the same deal this week on Pepsi 12pks @ 5/$13. At CVS, it is an instant savings, wyb 4, you get the 5th free. In addition, they have the 7up 12pks as part of their Gas Card promotion at a cost of 3/$10.

Transaction #1
1 - RepHresh Tampons

- $1 RepHresh IP

Total $5.79 OOP, get $6.79 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Tums
1 - Bandaid
1 - Speedstick

-$1 Tums IP
-$.50 Bandaid mfg coupon
-$.50 Speedstick IP

Total $7.00, pay with $6.79 ECB and $.21 OOP. Earn $1, $1 and $1 ECB.

Transaction #3
4 - Fuze
1 - Vitamin Water

-$1 $1/2 Fuze mfg coupon
-$1 $1/2 Fuze mfg coupon

Total $3, pay with $3 ECBs and $0 OOP. Earn $2 ECBs.

Transaction #4
1 - Colgate Toothpaste

-$1 Colgate Mfg coupon

Total $1.87, pay with $2 ECBs, adjusted down to $1.87 and $0 OOP. Earn $1 ECB.

Total OOP for the day is $6, with $1 ECB to roll, for $23.66 in product. A savings of about 75%.

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

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck review

Set in the late 1800s, The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo is a little bit period piece, a little bit love story. The story opens with Charlotte about to make her unofficial debut into proper society escorted by none other than "Buffalo Bill" a friend of the family. It is at this event that she first meets Alex Hambly and he rescues her.

The book shares the story of Charlotte, her coming of age, her desire to be an educated woman and her need to hold a position of importance in her family's business. Her dad does not believe she is ready for any of this and doesn't agree that she needs to get a college degree. She is used to getting her way and isn't ready to take no for an answer. She is a spunky and spirited young woman, who seems to have a knack for causing trouble for herself and others.

Along the way, she continues to find herself crossing paths with Viscount Alex Hambly. We see him rescue her, ask her to stay away, lose a race, nearly get arrested and more when they cross paths. As the story progresses, he learns that his family property is not secure and that they are in financial trouble.

Finally, her father strikes an agreement with her and Alex, that has them both getting something that they want, in exchange for something that neither of them believes that they want. Charlotte gets to go to school, Alex can save his family from financial ruin, but for this they agree to marry one another in four years, when her education is complete.

The book crosses the sea, set in both London and in Colorado. Watching the interaction of Charlotte and Alex reminded me a little of the relationship between Kate and Doug in the movie The Cutting Edge. At first, neither seems to be interested in the other, but then as they spend time together, Alex starts to realize that he has feelings for her.

The book was very enjoyable and I read it over the course of three days. As with many books, as I read more, I wanted to keep reading more. I found myself laughing aloud as I was reading the story, as the author shared the antics that Charlotte was up to. I found myself wooed by the sweetness and handsomeness of Alex.

The book is fairly well written, but there were a few things that seemed confusing to me and/or felt unanswered relative to the history of the relationship between the Hambly family and the Beck family and the story behind Charlotte's mother. Reading the back of the book, I learned that this is the third book in the Women of the West series and now, I'm wondering if these stories would have been clearer to me if I had read the first two books. Still, even without understanding these two things, I don't feel like it "hurt" the story that I read - it just might have been more complete with this background.

I enjoyed the historic setting of the book. To me, there is something neat about looking into the lives of people in a time unlike our own and realizing the similarities. Two of my favorite series as a child were set in a historic time frame - The Little House on the Prairie series and the Anne of Green Gables series.

The book was a quick and easy read. It was the first that I read by Kathleen Y'Barbo and based on this experience, I would like to check out more books by her.

No compensation was received for this post. I received a complimentary copy of this book through Blogging for Books, that I might read it and share my perspective.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:
Everything was no longer available when I tried to request samples this week.

Received:
Gillette Fusion ProGlide

Birthday Cake Round-up

It's that time of the year again. Time to share the birthday cakes that I have made, and follow the links on Life As Mom to get inspiration for this year's cakes. I really enjoy making cakes for my kids. I have such fun coming up with the idea and executing on the theme. Normally, I know the theme well in advance, but this year seems to be an exception, the kids have had a few ideas, but I'm not sure that we have decided on a final theme for either one yet.

We had some good birthday themes this past year. My son chose Phineas and Ferb. I had a lot of fun recreating their images in fondant on top of a sheet cake. I think I did a pretty good job!

Phineas and Ferb Cake:


My daughter wanted a princess theme. Last year was Abby Caddaby and we did a Magic Wand cake, so this year for princess, we decided (by we, I mean I) to go with a Doll Cake. I found a "dressed" ballerina Barbie that allowed me to focus on the dress. I wrapped a bowl cake in a fondant and added some flowers to the skirt. Again, I got lots of happy smiles from my daughter, meaning this was a successful cake.

Princess Doll Cake:

Abby Caddaby Magic Wand Cake:


Some past favorites can be found below:

Dueling Light Saber Cake:

Outer Space Cake (or should I say cakes):

Elephants cake (big cake/smash cake):

Wiggles Big Red Car Cake:

Blue's Clues Cake:

Airplane Cake:

Cars - Lightnin' McQueen cake:




You can see all of my birthday cake posts here):
, or click on the link by the image to learn more about how I made some of these cakes.
This post shared at the Ultimate Recipe Swap Birthday Cake Roundup.

Saving Money at Theme Parks

I enjoy going to a theme park. This past weekend, we had a chance to go to Cedar Point and everyone had a blast. Of course, one of the big challenges can be going to a theme park on a budget. You don't go all the time, but you don't want to break the bank when you go either. But, you can balance a good time with not overspending.

Tickets: Typically there are discounts available on tickets. From my experience, there are usually local stores that will offer the tickets to the theme parks when you purchase from them. There typically is a special rate available to AAA members. Sometimes you can find package deals that will help save you money on admission and more. I know that during the summer, we see admission offers on cans of soda. Don't be afraid to ask the park if there is a discount.

Souvenirs: Either set a limit or agree to no souvenirs. If your children are like mine, they will see a hundred things that they have to have if we wander anywhere near a gift store. Generally, we don't buy souvenirs at an amusement park, but when we go to Disney this summer, we likely will allow them to get something, but plan on setting a limit.

Food: Food and drink can be one of the more expensive portions of the day. We generally eat an early lunch outside of the park before we arrive. An alternate is to pack a picnic style lunch and eat in the parking lot before you go in. You could also consider a picnic dinner, some parks even have picnic groves where you can leave your picnic basket and return later to enjoy your packed meal. Check your park's policy, many will allow you to bring in small snack items. When I had a stroller it was easy, this year I carried a "mom" bag and used it to hold a refillable water bottle and a handful of granola bars and crackers for snacking. Consider taking other durable snacks, like dried fruit, raisins, or even apples. Also, check out meal offers that are available on their website before you go. Sometimes you can buy as part of your ticket package or can print a coupon to get a good deal. When dining at the park, consider buying a whole pizza and sharing - this is generally a better value and often they have it paired with sides or beverages as part of a meal offer. Consider an all-you-can-eat place. Their costs are higher, but if you can eat one meal instead of two you could save money. Also, consider if you can wait until the park closes to have dinner. Not always an option, but it could save you money if a snack can hold you over until then.

Going to a theme park can be fun on a budget, you just sometimes have to plan ahead.

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday.

Mamavation Monday

Well, it was a good week, or at least not a bad week. With last weekend having the baby shower and then a night out, I had spent most of the prior week's Weekly PointsPlus Values and this week's Weekly PointsPlus Values in a matter of two days. It took me much of the week to "recover" from the splurge. The good news is that I did fully recover, although it was tough some days with so few weekly PointsPlus values to go around.

I did an excellent job getting up every morning last week to walk. I would walk three miles and then come home and did strength training on two days and abs on another day. Thursday and Friday, I walked alone and well, I got a late start, so I just didn't have the time to do the abs and the strength training ai had planned.

All in all it was a good week. This coming week is frought with challenges and it will take everything I've got to just maintain. I hope I can find the energy to workout and the will-power to not completely overdue it on eating.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider and have received access to tools to help me on my weight loss journey. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.'

Menu Plan Monday

We had a fun, yet busy weekend. Fortunately, Friday night I had stopped at the grocery for some deals on produce, because I didn't get the chance to get back out as planned on Sunday. Saturday we spent the day up at Cedar Point. The kids had a great time, but it was a really late night for us. Sunday we celebrated Father's Day with a free meal for my husband at Spaghetti Warehouse, followed by an Akron Aeros game. Sunday evening, when I had hoped to run out for a few items, we had some pretty strong storms and I decided not to run out.

We have another busy week, so easy meals is the theme for us once again. We ate out last Friday, so we will have the meal I planned for last Friday this week.

Sunday
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Spaghetti Warehouse
leftovers

Monday
Pasta

Tuesday
Dinner at our favorite local Mexican restaurant

Wednesday
Pizza

Thursday
Breakfast for Dinner

Friday
Tilapia Vera Cruz

Saturday
Burgers and Hot Dogs on the grill

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school the kids will have pancakes or french toast. Lunch is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers for everyone.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

Walgreens Scenarios - week of 6/19

I'm not loving the deals at Walgreens this week. I do though, like that they have some household stuff on deal, as I am fairly well stocked on health, beauty and personal care items right now and anything more than free makes me question the need to pick up the deal.

Transaction #1
1 - Gillette Fusion Razor

-$4 Gillette Mfg coupon

Total $5.89, earn $5 RR.

Transaction #2
1 - Wisk Detergent
1 - Royal Gelatin

-$2 Wisk mfg coupon

-$5 RR

Total $.18 OOP, earn $1 RR.

Transaction #3
1 - Lysol All Purpose Spray
1 - Royal Gelatin

-$1 Lysol IP (looks like they may have changed their offer?)

-$1 RR

Total $1.18 OOP, earn $1 RR.

Transaction #4
3 - cans Hunt's Tomato Sauce (w/ in ad coupon)

-$1 RR

Total $0 OOP.

For the trip, the total OOP is $7.25 for $21.25 in product at sale price. A savings of about 65%.

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

Walgreens $5 Challenge
Transaction #1
1 - Wisk Detergent

-$2 Wisk mfg coupon

Total $4.99 OOP, earn $1 RR.

Transaction #2
3 - cans Hunt's Tomato Sauce (w/ in ad coupon)

-$1 RR

Total $0 OOP.

Total OOP for the trip is $4.99, for $7.99 in product, a savings of just under 40%. You could insert another transaction between these two and get the Lysol and one gelatin and your OOP would go up to $6.17, but you would then have $11.17 in product, a savings of about 45%.

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

CVS Scenarios - week of 6/19

I have a pretty busy week, but hope to make it to CVS to take advantage of at least the couple of free after ECB deals this week.

Transaction #1
Transaction #1
1 - Hershey Bliss candy

-$1 Hershey Bliss mfg coupon

Total $4.99 OOP, earn $5.99 ECBs.

Transaction #2
2 - Power Bar Protein Bites
1 - Colgate Toothbrush
1 - CheezIt Crackers
1 - caramel

-2.49 BOGO Power Bar Protein Bites mfg coupon
-$1 Colgate mfg coupon
-$.70 CheezIt IP (hoping they carry Colby!)

Total $5.91, pay with $5.99 ECBs adjusted down. Earn $2.49 and $2 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Irish Spring Body Wash
1 - CheezIt Crackers
1 - Caramel

-$.70 CheezIt IP (hoping they carry Colby!)

Total $4.42, pay with $2 and $2.49 ECBs adjusted down and $0 OOP. Earn $2 and $2 ECBs.

Total OOP $4.99 with $4 ECBs to roll, for about $21 in product. A savings of about 80%

I might also look for the Renpure Organics with a hang tag for Try Me Free, if I find some then I will also look to add it into my plan.

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

Happy Father's Day!

Wishing a Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads and Grandpas.

Buehler's Deals - 6/17

On Friday, we decided to change up our dinner plans and pick up the remaining Book It! Personal Pan Pizzas from Pizza Hut for dinner. Since I was heading to that side of town, I decided to make a quick trip to Buehler's and happened onto a 1 day produce sale. I got some great deals!

2 - Our Family Apple Juice
1 - Our Family Bleach
2 - Our Family Block Cheese, 8 oz
1 - 2# bag of Baby Carrots
2 - pints of Blueberries
1 - Cucumber
2 - Kiwi Fruits
1 - Cantaloupe
1 - 8# bag of Russet Potatoes
1 - 5# bag of Vidalia Onions
1 - Seedless Watermelon
1 - 3pk Stoplight Peppers

-$.50 Our Family Bleach IP
-$.50 doubled
-$.30 Our Family Apple Juice IP
-$.30 doubled
-$.30 Our Family Apple Juice IP
-$.30 doubled
-$1 Our Family Block or shredded cheese IP
-$1 Our Family Block or shredded cheese IP

Total $21.38 with a savings of $22.50 or 51%! I love it - normally produce is not on such a significant sale, but on many things I saved just under 50% off of regular price.

This post shared at Super Savings Saturday.

CVS Deals - 6/17

Today at lunch, I made a quick walk to CVS to pick up a Father's Day card and to pick up another $.99 Pepsi 12-pk. My friend had received the coupon (unlike me) and wasn't planning to get the deal. She offered to allow me to use her card and coupon to pick it up. So I did! The only thing I question is my decision to walk to CVS when I was purchasing a 12-pk. I had to shift it a few times on the walk back, so as not to lean too far to the one side!

1 - Pepsi 12-pk

$.99 + tax = $1.06 OOP.

I used my own card for the Father's Day card and earned $1 ECB for using my Green Bag Tag.

Samples and Freebies

Nothing!

I open a new post each week so that I as I receive samples in the mail and request samples and other freebies online I can record them. Then, I come in on Friday and hit the publish button. When I popped in today, I was very surprised to see it completely blank.

Hopefully, there will be some activity next week!

Have a great weekend.

Here, Home, Hope winner

Congratulations to SAHMwife! They were selected as the winner of the Here, Home, Hope book giveaway hosted by A Busy Mom of Two.

An e-mail will be sent to the winner.

Be sure to check out my giveaway for the versatile, custom-made BCowan Bags.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

27

Timestamp: 2011-06-17 02:14:42 UTC

CVS Deals - 6/15

So, after seeing all of the buzz about the $.99 coupon for Pepsi 12pk at CVS, I decided it was well worth a trip to CVS. When I got there, I scanned my card but didn't get one. I asked the clerk and manager at the check-out if anyone had been getting the coupons and they said that the e-mail that they had received was that it was for select customers, but they would honor the offer. I grabbed a 12pk of Pepsi and one of Mountain Dew, as I wasn't sure if it was for only Pepsi and Diet Pepsi or if it was for any Pepsi product. They told me any, so I went with Mountain Dew because they didn't have any Caffeine Free Pepsi or Diet Pepsi at my store. I also got a rain check for the Zyrtec that was out.

1 - 12pk Mountain Dew

Total $.99 OOP.

Mommy Bag! - BCowan Bags Review and Giveaway

When I was younger, my goal always seemed to be avoiding carrying a bag of any sort. If I didn't need to carry my purse, I would skip it.

That all changed when I became a mom. No surprise, I found myself carrying a diaper bag everywhere. The first bag we had was big and bulky and awkward to carry around - but it had everything! Then, we found a smaller bag that still allowed us to carry everything we needed and was a lot less unwieldy.

Then, my kids grew up and I no longer needed to carry a diaper bag, but there were still times when we would go somewhere and need to bring things with us - change of clothes, pajamas, towels, sunscreen, snacks, etc. I'm still not one to carry a large purse, so I needed something else that would allow me to take along the extra stuff but not be too bulky. I tried a few bags, but none of them were quite what I was looking for.

Then, I found it...a custom bag from BCowan Bags. What I like best is the versatility of the bag. They suggest this versatility as they describe possible uses on their site, such as diaper bag, knitting bag, travel bag, dance bag or other.

The bag is custom made - during the ordering process, they ask questions to help customize the bag for you! They ask about what type of bag you are looking for. They ask about what kind of look you want for your bag allowing you to list colors, patterns, boy/girl/unisex bag. Then they ask more about the future owner, requesting fun facts about the person for whom the bag is being bought for including hobbies and interests. Because the bag is custom made, it does take a few weeks to get your bag. But to me, it was worth the wait!

The bag that I received was made with bright colored fabric - a large portion of the bag is yellow (one of my favorite colors), but it also has pink, orange, green and more. The bag is soft, fully made of what I would describe as loosely quilted fabric. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, but the outside panels are sort of lightly padded. The interior is split into three sections, but the middle panels do not connect to the bottom of the bag. (this could allow for the insertion of a changing pad or a stabilizer across the bottom of the bag if you wanted.) Inside the sections, there are five pockets. There are four external pockets that are about 1/2 the height of the bag - three are on the sides and are 1/3 the length (consistent with the inner divider locations). The handle for the bag was made with some of the materials in the bag and is a long handle that runs through the bag, providing a slight cinch on the edges if the pockets are not full. According to the website, the dimensions of the bag are 15w x 7d x 10h. With it's soft construction, it is easy to fold up to tuck aside while storing.

I have used the bag for a number of different things since receiving it. I love all of the little pockets inside and out - it really makes it easy to have things organized and separated and makes things easy to find.

When our friends were having a picnic and planning to have the kids play in the sprinkler, I used the bag to pack up the kids towels, the bag of chips, the bowl of dip, the sunscreen, the kids change of clothes (for after swimming). It was the perfect bag to tuck everything in for our walk over.

On Saturday mornings this spring, we found ourselves leaving around 9:30 am to go to two soccer games and then coming home around 3 pm after baseball. As such, we needed to have lunch on the go. I packed the bag up with sandwiches, pretzels, cookies, apples, drinks, sun screen, napkins, my wallet (no purse!) and maybe a little more. All the internal sections allowed me to keep from crushing the sandwiches and the pretzels. All the little pockets gave me places to tuck things in too!

The other day, when my daughter and I decided to walk to my son's All-Star Game, it was a great bag to pack in a few essentials for easier carrying. I tucked in my wallet, my book (in case there was free time before the game started), yogurt, water, granola bars, sun screen. It wasn't very full, but with the soft construction, it easily "collapsed" around my stuff and closed off the bag for the walk.

Since it is fully a fabric construction, it can be washed in the washing machine. That's great when you find yourself at a muddy soccer game!

This bag has been a great addition to my busy life and I would recommend it to you. Whether you are looking for a knitting bag, a teacher bag, a reading bag, a picnic bag, a travel bag, a mommy bag, a diaper bag - this bag can work for you.

You can purchase the bag directly through BCowan Bags.

Giveaway!
Courtesy of BCowan Bags, I have the opportunity to have one A Busy Mom of Two reader win a custom made BCowan Bag.

To enter: Leave a comment sharing who the bag would be for and what the use would be.

Additional Entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

Follow ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter.

Follow BCowanBags on Twitter.

Tweet about this giveaway. You may complete this entry once per day. (You may use the following or write your own: Enter to win a versatile, custom-made bag from @BCowanBags, hosted by @ABusyMomofTwo. Ends 6/28. http://bit.ly/mruAIx)

Like BCowan Bags on Facebook.

Follow A Busy Mom of Two. Subscribe to updates in your feed reader or in e-mail. Leave me a comment letting me know that you signed up, or that you already subscribe.

Share this giveaway with friends - on your blog, on Facebook or by posting it on a giveaway link-up. Leave me a comment letting me know how you shared or leave a link to the giveaway link-up. You may have one additional entry for each give-away linky that you submit it on.

Leave a comment with a link to your blog where you have either my button or have a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll.

Giveaway will remain open until June 28th at 6 pm. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

UPDATE: Don't forget to see here how you can save almost 40% on the purchase of a bag and get bonus entries for the giveaway.

No compensation was received for this post. I received a custom made bag from BCowan Bags and they are also providing one bag for the giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mamavation Monday

Yeah! I lost weight this week! I was so worried about the work dinners and catered lunches, but I did a great job exercising control. I focused on balancing what was on my plate and even skipped dessert the one evening. I did my best to estimate my portions and track my eating and my activity on eTools. By staying on top of it, using my mobile phone, I was better able to manage what I chose to eat at dinner and know if there was "room" for dessert in my daily and weekly Points Plus values.

I felt so good about myself on Sunday morning when I checked and I was down, but then...I went to a baby shower and so when I did my "official" Monday morning weigh in, I was flat...I was so bummed. I know that part of it was salt, I could feel it in my fingers, especially when I was walking. A dinner out last night with my friend probably didn't move me back to where I was on Sunday, but I have faith that I can get back to where I was and resume movement in the right direction.

As an aside, dinner was wonderful. We started with house nachos (why, I don't know except for they sounded awesome - nachos, asiago cream sauce, kalamata olives, diced tomatoes, scallions, artichoke hearts and chicken), and then split a carved turkey, brie, caramelized onions, and bacon croissant and a shrimp fettuccine with an asiago cream sauce. We skipped dessert. Food is such a sensuous experience and I firmly believe that you should be able to enjoy it - as long as you keep it in balance. Certainly eating that way every night simply would not work.

But, I digress.

The really positive story for me is the working out. I have been getting up each morning to work out. I have been meeting my friend a few mornings to walk and have been doing it on my own the other mornings. Yesterday, I did a shortened walk (about 3 miles) and then came home and did P90X Chest and Back. I had to shorten it, only going through about 1 1/4 rounds of the workout...but it was a good balance. I might need to shorten a little more to allow me to do the full P90X routine on the days that I walk alone. I think that if I can stick with the walking and still doing some P90X strength training that I will start to see a real difference. I know that I feel so much better on those days that I walk outside - the fresh air makes it even better than the feeling I get with just working out.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. The event is sponsored by Together Counts this week and the question is: How often do you and your family eat meals together and get active together? My answer: We eat together almost daily. There are a few exceptions, but I sit down and plan out our menu plan around our activities. On days when we have evening events, we choose meals that will be easy to get on the table, either before or after. I prep many of my meals the night before (like last night, after I got home from dinner out with my friend, I made Eggplant Parmesan that my husband will stick in the oven so that it is ready to eat when I walk in the door with the kids tonight). We stay active by walking and playing outside. The kids love to walk with me and I think it is a great way to up my activity level while spending time with them.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider and have received tools to help me towards my weight loss goals. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.' This Mamavation Monday post is sponsored by Together Counts and I’m writing this to be entered into a Qlip Any-where Pedometer giveaway hosted by Mamavation.

$20 Chili's Gift Card Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Tamara B! She was selected as the winner of the $20 Chili's Gift Card Giveaway hosted by A Busy Mom of Two.

An e-mail will be sent to the winner.

Thank you everyone for entering and be sure to check out my current giveawhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifays.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

79

Timestamp: 2011-06-13 21:46:42 UTC

Menu Plan Monday

It was a good, but busy weekend. Our Saturday was once again sports filled. My son had a baseball game in the morning and my daughter had a soccer game. Then, Saturday evening we had the All Star Game. The team my son was on won the All Star game. Sunday I had a baby shower in the afternoon and snuck in a quick trip to the grocery store. Much of what I needed for the week, I had on hand but needed some fruits and veggies.

Sunday
Cereal
Sandwiches
Tacos

Monday
local favorite Mexican

Tuesday
Egg Plant Parmesan

Wednesday
Skyline Chili

Thursday
BLT

Friday
Tilapia Vera Cruz

Saturday
cereal
sandwiches
Picnic dinner

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school the kids will have pancakes or french toast. Lunch is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers for everyone.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

$20 Chili's Gift Card Giveaway

Don't miss out on your chance to win a $20 Gift Card to Chili's.

The giveaway ends tonight!

You can enter here.

Walgreens Scenarios - week of 6/12

There are a handful of things that seem to be a good deal at Walgreens. I have some errands to run, and if they happen to take me past Walgreens, I will likely stop in to pick some of these deals up. Of course, if my luck holds true to recent visits, they will be out of everything anyway!

Transaction #1
2 - Angel Soft 12 Double Rolls
2 - Purex Detergents

-$.50 Angel Soft mfg coupon
-$.50 Angel Soft mfg coupon
-$1 Purex mfg coupon
-$1 Purex mfg coupon

Total $14 OOP, earn $4 RR.

Transaction #2
1 - Bayer Advanced
1 - Colgate Toothbrush
1 - Blistex for Men

-$2 Bayer mfg coupon
-$.75 Colgate toothbrush mfg coupon

-$4 RR

Total $1.24 OOP, earn $1, $2 and $2 RR.

Transaction #3
2 - Puffs Tissues
2 - Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner (w/ in ad coupon)
3 - Nestle Crunch

-$1 $1/2 Lysol TB IP
-$.39 Nestle B2G1 IP

-$1 RR
-$2 RR
-$2 RR

Total $.77 OOP. Earn $1 RR.

Transaction #4
2 - Kraft Mac'n Cheese (w/ in ad coupon)

-$1 RR

Total $.38 OOP.

For the trip, the total OOP would be $16.39 for $33.53 in product, 51% off.

Walgreens $5 Challenge
If you don't need the toilet paper, or you don't think it is that great of a deal, you can shuffle things around and decrease your out of pocket.

Transaction #1
1 - Bayer Advanced
1 - Colgate Toothbrush

-$2 Bayer mfg coupon
-$.75 Colgate toothbrush mfg coupon

Total $3.24 OOP, earn $1 and $2 RR.

Transaction #2
1 - Blistex for Men

-$2 RR

Total $0 OOP. Earn $2 RR.

Transaction #3
2 - Puffs Tissues

-$2 RR
-$1 RR

Total $0 OOP. Earn $1 RR.

Transaction #4
2 - Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner (w/ in ad coupon)

-$1 $1/2 Lysol TB IP

-$1 RR

Total $.99 OOP.

Total $4.23 OOP for this set of transactions for $13.98 in product, a savings of 70%.

Of course, you could add back in the Mac'n Cheese or the Nestle Bars, but they would just be straight out of pocket at this point.

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

CVS Scenarios - week of 6/12

I had a pretty good week at CVS last week, getting a great deal on diapers, haircare and more. This week, there are a few new deals that are free or near free.

Transaction #1
1 - Zyrtec

-$2 Zyrtec IP

Total $3.99 OOP, earn $5.99 ECB.

Transaction #2
1 - Motrin PM
1 - Schick Hydro

-$1 Motrin PM mfg coupon
-$4 Shick Hydro mfg coupon

Total $7, pay with $5.99 ECBs and $1.01 OOP. Earn $3 and $4 ECBs.

Transaction #3
1 - Bayer Advanced
2 - John Frieda Hair Products

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

Total $7, pay with $3 and $4 ECBs. Earn $1 and $3 ECBs.

If you stop here, your total OOP for the day would be $5, with $4 ECBs to roll, for about $31 in product at sale prices. For more $5 Scenarios, check out the CVS $5 Challenge.

Now, you could elect to pick up a few more things depending on your needs:

1 - Covergirl ShadowBlast
1 - Covergirl Lip Perfection

-$5 $5/2 Covergirl mfg couponhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Total $10, pay with $4 ECBs and $6 OOP, earn $3 ECBs.

or

3 - A&W/7-up/Sunkist 12-pks

Total $10, pay with $4 ECBs and $6 OOP, earn $3 ECBs.

Either way, your total OOP increases to $11, with $3 ECBs to roll, for either $46 or $41 worth of product at sale prices.

I probably will also take a look at my coupons and the prices to see if I can make a deal out of the $3/$10 First Aid CRT that they are advertising that everyone will get this week.

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

Here, Home, Hope - Review and Giveaway

What happens when you find yourself more focused on helping your friends and others than focusing on yourself? What happens when your kids start to grow up and they don't rely on you the same way?

Both of these questions came to mind while I was reading Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda. The story follows "one woman's courageous journey through midlife crisis and personal reinvention."
Kelly Mills Johnson is thirty-nine years old and as they are each summer, her kids are away at summer camp. A combination of her age (and those of her children) and a recent cancer scare has her using this time to contemplate on her life. As she thinks about things, she finds many things that she wants to change in her life and she starts to write Post-It notes with Things to Change (T2C). Some of them are straight-forward, like T2C #17: Learn Yoga and some require a lot of effort like T2C #4: Don't compare yourself to others.

"Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her ordinary middle-American existence and her neighbors’ seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding but exhausting. Meanwhile, Kelly’s own passions lie wasted. She eyes with envy the lives of her two best friends, Kathryn and Charlotte, both beautiful, successful businesswomen who seem to have it all. Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan."

The story-telling was wonderful. I found myself laughing and crying as I read the book. The chapters were the perfect length for me to continuously justify just one more chapter before I ___. (you can fill in the blank with just about anything - go to sleep, switch the laundry, do the dishes) In addition, I found myself really connecting with Kelly. I see in her things that I see in me. I feel like I am someone that puts every one's needs in front of mine. (In my opinion), I am a good listener and someone that my friends can and do turn to in their time of need, but am not sure that I would do a good job of turning to someone. As Kelly spoke of her ritual of avoiding being noticed/recognized when visiting a psychologist, I could see myself acting in a similar fashion - okay with seeking help, but not wanting everyone to know it. I have my own collection of T2C, but I have to remind myself to put my needs first. Maybe writing them down and posting them around the house would help me. Like eating right and working out...I can do it and I can succeed, as long as I don't let "life" get in the way of achieving my goals of a healthier life and smaller clothes.

You'll have to read the story for yourself to find out what she learns along her journey to reinvent herself, sharing the outcome of the story just wouldn't be fair to you!

Want to learn more about both the book and Kaira Rouda? You can find a video trailer for the book here. You can find Kaira on her website, on Twitter and on Facebook. She seems to be very accessible - she is in the midst of a book tour and even offers to Skype into your book club meeting, if she is available.

Giveaway!
One A Busy Mom of Two reader has the chance to receive an autographed, copy of Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda.

To enter, leave a comment with an answer to this question: Who is your favorite author?

Additional Entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

• Follow @ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter.

• Follow @KairaRouda on Twitter.

• Tweet about this giveaway. You may complete this entry once per day. (You may use the following or write your own: Enter to win an autographed copy of Here, Home, Hope by @KairaRouda. Hosted by @ABusyMomofTwo, ends 6/16 #giveaway http://bit.ly/jiWV3l)

• Follow A Busy Mom of Two. Subscribe to updates in your feed reader or in e-mail. Leave me a comment letting me know that you signed up, or that you already subscribe.

• Share this giveaway with friends - on your blog, on Facebook or by e-mail or by posting it on a giveaway link-up. Leave me a comment letting me know how you shared or leave a link to the giveaway link-up. You may have one additional entry for each give-away linky that you submit it on.

• Leave a comment with a link to your blog where you have either my button or have a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll.

Giveaway will remain open until June 16th at 6 pm. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

I received no compensation for this post. I received a copy of Here, Home, Hope through One2One to read and review. In addition, they are providing the book for the giveaway.

Samples and Freebies

Requested:
Tub O'Towels sample
Dentek Easy Brush


Received:
$5 Iams coupon from Walmart
Gold Bond Ultimate Deep Moisture Body Wash sample and coupon
EAS Free Sample coupon

Growing Your Own Food

When it comes to freshness, there is nothing better than eating a tomato fresh from the garden. Something about the warmth of freshly picked tomato, just really makes the flavor burst in your mouth. I think that this is probably my key driver in planting a garden. There is no other way to experience this taste explosion (although, I had fried green tomatoes for the first time last night and aside from the added fat and calories of breading and frying, they did deliver on that warm tomato, burst of flavor that I love about fresh picked tomatoes.)

Every spring, the kids and I head out and pick up vegetable plants. We never start from seeds, although I suppose that we could. We plant many of the same vegetables each year, but sometimes we throw in a few new things. The kids really enjoy helping me prep and plant the garden, and they love to eat the vegetables that we plant. The same kids that complain about tomatoes in dishes, will eat them fresh from the vine - go figure! Gardens can expand the food experience for children. There is something about growing your own vegetables in a garden that leads kids to want to eat those vegetables.

This year, we have a few new vegetables and a few that we haven't planted in a while. We have 3 cherry/grape tomato plants, 3 regular tomato plants, 40 - 50 onions, 3 bell pepper plants (red and yellow), 2 hot peppers, 1 eggplant, 1 cucumber (I like to plant them in pairs, but there was only one left) and Romaine lettuce. Lettuce is a new adventure for me. We will see how that one turns out.
(anyone know what's going on with this onion? I've never seen this before - should I cut this off?)

It is a small garden, but with the options I had for putting in a garden, it is really the best we could do. Someday, I would like to have a larger one. I want to have a row of strawberries, maybe some potato plants, and maybe even some puhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifmpkins. For now, we enjoy what we grow and pick up the other stuff at local farmer's markets.

Watching a garden grow is a great lesson in life cycle for children. They get to see the seeds sprout and start to grow (well, if you use seeds, that is). They get to see the fruits/vegetables develop and watch them grow and ripen. They get to pick the fruits/vegetables when they are ripe and experience fresh, homegrown vegetables. They get to see the plants die off as the frost hits and watch us turn them under to fertilize the ground. They learn about how it takes water and sunshine for a garden to grow.

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 works for my family.

This post shared at Works For Me Wednesday.

CVS Deals - 6/6

I headed out to CVS Monday at lunch. I wanted to walk somewhere, but my regular walking partner was out of town and it was a bit warm to be motivated to walk too far on my own. So, I chose CVS as my destination. They were completely out of the Excedrin and were unable to offer a rain check, as it is not a normally carried item. I might check elsewhere for them, but won't lose any sleep if I don't get out to find them.

1 - Crest ProHealth Rinse
1 - Oral B Pulsar
1 - Huggies Jumbo Pack
2 - John Frieda Full Repair Treatment/Styler
1 - Colgate Max Fresh

-$2 Crest mfg coupon
-$3 Oral B mfg coupon
-$3 Huggies IP
-$5 John Frieda Full Repair Treatment/Styler mfg coupon
-$5 John Frieda Full Repair Treatment/Styler mfg coupon
-$1 Colgate mfg coupon

Paid with $11.99 in ECBs and $1.29, plus $1.90 in tax, OOP. Earned $2, $2, $3, $3, and $2.50 ECBs.

First, for those that know me, the diapers are not for me, they are for a shower gift. Second, if I had paid closer attention, I could have paid $1 less OOP if I had used my ECBs in a different order, but I had a $4 ECB at the end and couldn't use it.

I increased my ECBs by $.50 and spent $3.19 cash in the process. Considering all that I got, I feel pretty good about a net cost of $2.59, including the tax.

Mamavation Monday

Today (yesterday now, actually), I resume (I was going to say restart, but I'm not starting over, I'm simply picking up where I left off) with vigor my dedication to becoming healthier and more fit by watching what I eat and exercising.

Recently, life had gotten in the way of me remembering to spend time and focus on myself. I had become lazy about measuring and tracking food, I had become more liberal in dining out, I had become more willing to skip my morning workout than just do the portion I could fit into the time I had available - but no more!

I am important (at the very least, to me I am). I am allowed to have time for myself, to focus on my needs.

I now have a walking partner - we walk together, but not really with each other. She listens to an iPod, I get lost in my own thoughts. We are meeting three days a week at 5 am to do a twice through circuit of our neighborhood - yesterday, we skipped a few cul-de-sacs, but we still walked 3.6 miles in just under an hour. Not bad for day one. I'd like to add back in the cul-de-sacs and get about 4 miles in - preferably in under an hour as well. Sure, I could just as easily walk on my own, but when I am meeting someone, there is no "just one more snooze" option. I don't want to mess up someone else' schedule because I'm feeling a little lazy. On the alternating days, I will do my DVDs to focus on my major muscle groups.

I'm still walking at lunch, when possible. Of course, with as warm as it is, I can't always maintain a good pace - after all, I have to work with others all afternoon and don't want to be offensive. The important thing is that I am moving.

I resumed tracking my food intake yesterday as well. I know what I am supposed to eat, I just had lost focus and wasn't always making the right food choices. Now, I am refocusing on the right choice. I will face two of my biggest challenges this week - catered work lunches and dining out for work. I will have to remain strong in my resolve to eat healthy. I will choose the best option for me.

I'm ready for the new week and the challenges that lie ahead. How about you?

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. This week, it is sponsored by Omron Healthcare. The question this week is: What gaps in your nutrition knowledge do you want to fill? That is a tough question. I guess I would like to better understand what nutrients support what health improvements. Everyone knows that Oatmeal is good for your heart, but what are other super foods that are an important part of your regular diet.

This post is sponsored by Omron Healthcare and I’m writing this to be entered into a Omron Go Smart Pedometer giveaway hosted by Mamavation.

Chili's Giveaway

I corrected the issue on the Chili's giveaway link, so please try again.

Click here to be redirected to the Chili's $20 Gift Card Giveaway.

Menu Plan Monday

Anymore, weekends feel like they are just too fast! We had a busy sports-filled weekend yet again. I did manage to sneak in a small trip to the grocery store to get some essentials for this week. I had hoped to make it over to some of the drugstores, but never got there.

Sunday we were out later than expected running errands, so we switched up some plans and ate out instead.

Sunday
Chili's (click here to enter to win a $20 Gift Card)

Monday
Pasta

Tuesday
Chicken Fingers and Tater Tots

Wednesday
dinner out at our favorite local Mexican restaurant

Thursdayhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Pizza

Friday
Chicken with Creamy Dijon Herb Sauce (new recipe) and Sliced Baked Potatoes

Saturday
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs on the Grill

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school the kids will have pancakes or french toast. Lunch is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers for everyone.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

Good Things Come in 3’s Event - a Giveaway!

Sunday, we were out running errands and everyone was starting to get a little bit hungry. Rather than grabbing a snack so close to dinner or ending our errands early, we decided that we would stay out for dinner. So, we headed over to Chili's for an early dinner.

As a mom, I really like the variety offered on the Pepper Pal kid's menu. They offer eleven main dishes and eleven side dishes. That means that there are 121 combinations possible! Now that is what I call choice. Plus, all of the kid's meals include a beverage.

The kids quickly decided on pizza with cinnamon apples and a hamburger with mandarin oranges from the kid's menu. Of course, it can never be that easy, so when my son ordered his pizza, suddenly my daughter changed her mind and ordered a pizza. (Then, five minutes later she complained, that she wanted a hamburger. When the pizza arrived, she happily consumed it.)

My husband quickly settled on the Monterey Chicken, his favorite dish at Chili's.

I, on the other hand, was torn, I couldn't decide what to get at first, but then, I decided to get many flavors all on one dish, by trying their Triple Dipper appetizer as my dinner.

There were a number of familiar appetizer favorites to choose from, and a few new items. I decided to go with the new Memphis Barbeque Skins with sour cream, the new Honey-Chipotle Shrimp with ranch and the Big Mouth Bites with ranch. I considered doing the Boneless Buffalo Wings, but decided to stick with some new things instead.

If you aren't familiar, the Memphis Barbeque Skins feature potato skins loaded with pulled pork, cheese and Chili's classic BBQ sauce. The Honey-Chipotle Shrimp is a battered shrimp topped with a sweet and spicy, honey-chipotle barbeque sauce. The Big Mouth Bites are mini-hamburgers, complete with applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, sauteed onions and ranch dressing.


I loved that I could enjoy so many flavors on one dish. I had never had ranch dressing with hamburgers before and I must say, I rather liked it. I think that I might have to consider making that a regular condiment when we serve burgers at home too. The honey-chipotle barbeque sauce was delicious, but I don't know that I have ever had shrimp with barbeque sauce and it was an unusual experience for me.

Right now, Chili's is having the Shout Out to Eat Out Triple Dipper sweepstakes. You can enter to win a $20 Chili's Gift Card Daily Prize or a $333 Grand Prize, by creating your own terrific trio by uploading a photo of your face into one of their terrific trio images. A winner will be drawn randomly every day from May 1, 2011 until June 30, 2011. You can find all of the terms and conditions for the sweepstakes on their site.

Giveaway!
I’m having my own Good Thing Comes in Three’s Triple Dipper Giveaway Sponsored by Chili’s & 2wired2tired.com and one lucky A Busy Mom of Two reader will win a $20 Gift Card to Chili's.

To enter: Head over to this form and enter 'A Busy Mom of Two' as the name of the blog hosting the giveaway. Then come back here and leave a comment that you have completed the form.

Additional Entries

1. Leave a comment, sharing your 3 favorite foods you would like to have all on 1 plate.

2. "Like" Chili's on Facebook

3. Follow @Chilis & @Shoutout2eatout on Twitter. Leave a comment with your Twitter name.

4. Create your terrific trio located on http://www.shoutouttoeatout.com/ and then come back here and leave a comment with the URL link to your terrific trio.

5. Opt-In to Chili's email club here http://bit.ly/m6HYef (You'll receive a free appetizer certificate too!)

6. Tweet the following and then come back and leave a comment with a link to your tweet:

"At @Chilis Good Things Come In 3's! Check out @2Wired2Tired http://bit.ly/linkyrave for 200 chances to win in the #tripledipper linky rave!”

7. Write a post on your blog about your 3 favorite foods you would like to have all on 1 plate and mention the Shoutout2eatout.com promotion. Then leave a comment with the URL link to your post. Be sure to link back to this giveaway on A Busy Mom of Two!

8. Subscribe to A Busy Mom of Two (or if you already do, thank you!). Leave a comment letting me know you subscribe.

9. Follow @ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter and tweet the following:
"Enter to win a $20 Gift Card to @Chilis as part of the Good Things Come in 3's event. @ABusyMomofTwo http://bit.ly/iGbvaF #tripledipper"
*This tweet may be done once per day, leave a separate comment for each.*

10. Follow A Busy Mom of Two on Google Friend Connect (on sidebar) - leave a comment with your username.

The giveaway ends 6/12. 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.

After completing these entries, be sure to hop over to 2 Wired 2 Tired (click on button below), to enter to win a gift card from other participating bloggers.



No compensation was received for this post. I received a complimentary $20 Chili's gift card, so that I could experience the Triple Dipper and share about it. All opinions expressed are my own.

CVS Scenarios - week of 6/5

There seem to be a number of free or near free items available at CVS this week. There are a number of other deals too!

Transaction #1
1 - Oral B Pulsar
1 - Colgate Toothpaste

-$3 Oral B Pulsar mfg coupon
-$1 Colgate Toothpaste mfg coupon

Total $4.79 OOP, earn $3 and $2 ECBs.

Transaction #2
1 - Crest Pro Health Rinse
1 - Excedrin
2 - John Frieda Full Repair Stylers
2 - Vitamin Water

-$2 Crest Pro Health Rinse mfg coupon
-$5 John Frieda Full Repair mfg coupon
-$5 John Frieda Full Repair mfg coupon

Total $5.49. Pay with $5 ECBs from Transaction #1 and $.49 OOP. Earn $2.50, $3 and $.99 ECBs. This deal sounds good, I'm hopeful that since the John Frieda Repair is pictured with the $5 items and because the coupon includes stylers, that I will find this in store - great moneymaker.

Transaction #3
3 - Vitamin Water

Total $3, pay with $3 ECB. Earn $2 ECBs.

Total for the visit would be $5.28 OOP, with $5.49 in ECBs to earn...making the visit a net "profit" of $.21 in ECBs, and taking home almost $30 in product too!

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

If you use diapers, you can also get a jumbo pack of Huggies for $3.99 after ECBs.

Huggies - $8.99

-$3 Huggies IP

Total $5.99, get back $2 ECBs.

Kung Fu Panda Prize Pack Winner

Congratulations to Jessica T. She was selected as the winner of the Kung Fu Panda Prize pack, hosted by A Busy Mom of Two.

Thanks everyone for entering. Watch for some new giveaways later this week.


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

38

Timestamp: 2011-06-04 19:17:30 UTC

Samples & Freebies

Requested:

ob sample

Received:
3 x Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo & Conditioner sample (I don't remember requesting three times, but they all showed up on the same day.)

Johnsonville Italian Sausage

Sausage is one of those things that we don't have very often at my house. My husband isn't a big fan and only in the right mood will eat it, so I tend to reserve it for days when the kids and I are having dinner without him for one reason or another.

Sausage to me is something that I can remember eating as a child and it brings back memories for me. I can remember my mom cooking it up in a skillet and serving it with hash browns. I can remember ordering it on pizza when I was in college - it was a nice, fine crumble. I love having sausage links at breakfast, especially with pancakes, when they get a little bit of syrup on them. I prefer links to patties. A grilled sausage, especially if you sauteed some onions to go with it, is great with a little bit of mustard on a hot dog roll. When I make my own spaghetti sauce, sometimes I like to mix a little bit of sausage into the ground meat I am using for a little more depth of flavor.

I recently had the opportunity to try Johnsonville Sausage and share it with my friends, through SheSpeaks. They sent along this recipe book and I must say that my mouth waters, just looking at the pictures. I think I would like to try their Spicy Sausage Queso. They show it paired with garlic toast, but I think I would stick with tortilla chips. A tasty and seemingly quick to prepare recipe is for Italian Sausage & Pepper Medley (according to their website, this meal only costs $2.11/serving). Sliced sausage, paired with tri-color peppers, onion and tomatoes.

We kept it simple when we had the sausage, grilling it up and sharing with friends at our Memorial Day picnic. That first bite when the juices of the sausage explode into your mouth is so flavorful. I had mine with just a bit of Stadium Mustard. I think that is a taste that says summer.

I also saw that they are launching a line of Chicken Sausage. The varieties for the Chicken Sausage are Apple, Chipotle Monterey Jack Cheese and Three Cheese Italian Style. I didn't see these at my store, but I will definitely keep an eye out. I really enjoy Chicken Apple Sausage and can't wait to try theirs. If you want to try it, grab the coupon here to save some money on the Chicken Sausage.

No compensation was received for this post. I received coupons to try Johnsonville Sausage for free, as well as coupons to share with friends and family, through my participation in SheSpeaks.

CVS Deals - 6/1

I headed by CVS on Wednesday to pick up the Revlon deal. I picked up a couple of other things while I was there.

1 - Revlon Color Stay Lip Gloss
1 - Crystal Light drink stick
1 - pkg Gummy Bears (couldn't resist)

-$6 Revlon CRT
-$2 Revlon mfg coupon
-$1 Crystal Light CRT

Paid with $2 and $1 ECB and $.67 tax OOP. Earned $4 and $1 ECB. I should have skipped the gummy bears, but sometimes they just sound so good!

When the Soul Mends

I recently finished reading When the Soul Mends, by Cindy Woodsmall. As seems to be my trend lately, I have been choosing books that are second and third in a series. This book is the third book in the Sisters of the Quilt series. The fortunate thing is that the author does a fine job of making sure that you get enough of the back story, that you are not lost even if you haven't read the earlier books. She even starts the book with a cast of characters from the earlier books, along with a little back ground on each.

This story meets up with Hannah (Lapp) Lawson as she makes her first trip home to Owl's Perch, Pennsylvania. The home that she fled in disgrace two and a half years ago. Hannah is from an Old Order Amish family, but has been living more like an "Englisher" for the past couple of years - first with her shunned aunt and then in the cottage behind her boyfriend's house.

As the story opens, we learn that her sister has reached out to her, as a good friend of hers has had a bad accident. As the story unfolds, the reader gets to learn more about Hannah and her life. Family issues cause her to return to Owl's Perch a few more times and as she spends more time there, she comes to recognize how she has changed and how much Owl's Perch and it's residents mean to her.
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Cindy Woodsmall does a great job sharing the story of her Old Order Amish and Mennonite characters in this book (and the others that I have read!). Part of her "secret" to really knowing about the Amish is that she has a friend that is Amish that helps her with details and with whom she visits regularly and experiences facets of Amish life.

I enjoyed this book and think I might have to go back and read the first two books in this series, even though I already know what happens in the third book.

No compensation was received for this post. I received a complimentary copy of When the Soul Mends through Blogging For Books.

CVS Deals - 5/30

Before the picnic that we hosted on Monday, I made a quick trip to CVS. I actually made a trip to the grocery store for some sugar, so that I could make some KoolAid, but since CVS was next door, decided to stop in. I did better than I thought I was going to, so that is a good thing.

2 - M&M Mini Tubes
4 - Hershey's Drops/Pieces
2 - Oral B Toothbrushes
2 - Stride Gum (rain check from last week's sale)
1 - Preparation H Totables
1 - Green Bag Tag

-$.25 $.25/2 M&M Singles CRT
-$2 Hershey's Drops/Pieces mfg coupon
-$2 Hershey's Drops/Pieces mfg coupon
-$2 Hershey's Drops/Pieces CRT
-$2 Hershey's Drops/Pieces CRT
-$1.50 $1.50/2 Oral B mfg coupon
-$1 $1/2 Stride Gum mfg coupon
-$2 Preparation H IP
-$.99 FREE CVS Green Bag CRT

-$5 ECB
-$3 ECB

Paid $.20 plus $.43 tax OOP. Earned $3.99, $3, $1, $2 and $1 ECB. I wound up "making" a $2.99 profit in ECB (started with $8, ended with $10.99). I know that $2 came from the Preparation H (which I bought simply to "make" money) and $1 from the candy deal with the Hershey's Drops/Pieces.

I got one of those $6 Revlon CRTs, so I should be able to pair that with the $2 Revlon mfg coupon for a small moneymaker scenario. Guess I will have to stop back at CVS again this week.

Menu Plan Monday er, Wednesday?

I love long weekends. I enjoy having the time to spend with my family and with friends. Overall, it was a fun-filled and yet still productive weekend at my house. The challenge I face is that because I tend to take it easy on long weekends, I feel like I am behind the 8-ball the rest of the week.

I didn't really make a grocery store trip...although, I think between my husband and I we were at a store that sells groceries at least 4 times over the weekend. I had to stop on Friday to get ingredients for the dinner party we went to on Saturday night. It is Wednesday, and I feel reasonably confident on what we will have for dinner for at least the first half of the week (never mind that it is because we have already eaten most of that food!)

Sunday
Apple Cinnamon Rolls (carryover of the Iron Chef Dinner Party Theme on Saturday, which I will share with you soon; in addition, I will share this recipe)
Leftovers from Iron Chef Dinner Party
Pulled Pork/Hot Dogs at picnic

Monday
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Johnsonville Sausages, Cheddarwursts and Dogs
Johnsonville Sausages, Cheddarwursts and Dogs (we had a bit of a running picnic - we shared each meal with a different family)

Tuesday
Chicken Patty Sandwiches

Wednesday
Pasta

Thursday
Pizza

Friday
Cajun Jambalaya Pasta

Saturday
Hamburgers on the Grill

Breakfast is cereal or oatmeal each morning, although sometimes at school the kids will have pancakes or french toast. Lunch is typically sandwiches, frozen meals or leftovers for everyone.

This post shared at Menu Plan Monday.

Making Breakfast Sandwiches

I really enjoy eating breakfast sandwiches. For a long time, I would only have them when I was eating out. Then one day, it dawned on me how easy they would be to make at home.

I found that I could use my bowls to microwave the egg to get the perfect round shape that I needed for fitting on my English Muffin or Bagel.

After having had them at home a few times, I realized that this was also an easy item to pack for lunch. I am always looking for variety in my lunches and breakfast sandwiches certainly fit that bill.

To make my breakfast sandwich, I put a little bit of butter in my bowl (makes the egg come out easier and provides a nice flavor). I crack my egg into the bowl and use a fork to puncture the yolk and the white both, to help keep it from exploding. I start by microwaving for 45 seconds. Then I check it to see if it is done, and cook longer if needed.

I toast my English muffin or my bagel.

Then, I stack the bottom of the English muffin or bagel with the egg and then a slice of American cheese. Add the top of the muffin/bagel. The heat from the muffin and the egg cause the cheese to just barely melt - making it perfect.

Sometimes, I will also add bacon or ham to my sandwich.

Making breakfast sandwiches at home or at work for lunch, works for me!

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.