March 2011
thursday shopping 3-31-11 (& weekly shopping linky)
You know you are old when a.) on your birthday you can’t actually remember how old you are, b.) no one else can either, and c.) your idea of a kickin’ good time is scoring some great deals at the grocery store. I’m pretty sure both Winn-Dixie and Publix held their fabulous sales this week just in honor of my (33rd, for the record) birthday today because I gotta tell ya, my shopping trips rocked today! It made me almost as happy as these flamingos on my lawn this morning: Aren’t they funny? (Thanks again Rachel & Fred!) Here is what I got: At Winn-Dixie I spent $6.31 for $107.68 ... read more
princess world (& disney’s tangled giveaway)
Okay, so I know technically I am still on my little LWSL vacation, but I’m starting to miss you all. So I thought today I would do something just for fun. I don’t know how it is where you are, but here in the girly world, I have one very excited Princess. If you know any little girls between the ages of 3 and 12, you may already know that today is the official release of Disney’s Tangled on DVD. We can’t wait to watch it. Doesn’t it look good? (Even Snow White is excited!) And now here’s the really good news. One lucky reader will win their very own ... read more
thursday shopping 3-24-11 (& weekly shopping linky)
I want to thank you for your kind words and supportive comments on Monday’s post. More than one made me a little teary, and it was nice to feel “normal.” My little self-imposed LWSL vacation has been very productive so far–my bills are paid, laundry pile is way down, amends have been made (and flowers sent, albeit a few days late), coupons have been reorganized–and 4 days in I am starting to feel my mojo coming back. And in the spirit of happy mojo, I am excited to announce that the winner of the Qubie Coupon Organization System Giveaway is….. Krista (#104) Krista wrote: “I use an accordion style file ... read more
sunday shopping 3-20-11
I have a few confessions to make. The past month or so has been more than a little crazy for me. I am still so very excited about my new sister coupon matchup site, SavingWellSpendingLess.com, but setting up a new website is a lot of work. Especially when my primary job is being a mom and wife. I have spent almost every spare moment for the last 5 weeks working on SWSL, which has left little-to-no time for all the other essential things in my life, things like my friends, family, hobbies, spending quality time with my kids and husband, and keeping on top of the never-ending pile of laundry, ... read more
stockpile meals: easy sunday pot roast
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “you really expect me to try a pot roast recipe from a vegetarian?” Well rest assured that this recipe is largely Husband created and 100% Husband approved. In fact, for this particular pot roast, he even did all the leg work. I don’t cook a lot of meat, not because I’m opposed to it, but because it is very difficult to cook something you don’t eat. Ever. I have been a vegetarian my entire adult life. Even as a kid I didn’t like the taste and texture, so I would avoid eating it whenever possible. I honestly have absolutely no idea what it ... read more
thursday shopping 3-17-11 (& weekly shopping linky)
I’m sure I’ve mentioned my love of coffee. I don’t know if I’ve emphasized just how much I love coffee. I dream about it. I crave it. I drink it all day long. I’m from the Pacific Northwest, where the coffee flows like water, and I have literally been drinking the stuff since I was 6 years old. (And for the record, it does NOT stunt your growth!) I am addicted to my Kerurig coffee machine. You never see coffee on my shopping results because I order my coffee K-cups through Suscribe and Save on Amazon.com. I pay about $0.40 per cup. It is in no way cost effective, especially ... read more
our garden (& gardening linky)
2 weekends ago we planted our first-ever vegetable garden. It was a big moment for Husband and I. We have literally been talking about it for years. Princess was pretty excited too. The fact that she is sitting in dirt (in a dress, of course) is a sign of just how into it she was. The girl does not do dirt. Trouble was far more interested in throwing rocks into the canal. We have absolutely no idea what we are doing. I mean NONE. Every plant I have ever had has died. Quickly. My thumbs are as brown as they come. So husband is in charge of keeping things alive. ... read more
Party DiY: How to Make a Fabric Table Runner
Maybe it’s because my birthday is in March that I’ve got parties on the brain. Last week I shared how to make paper garlands, a DiY project I did for my dear friend’s daisy-themed 40th birthday party. This week I am going to show you how to make the fabric table runners we used to decorate the tables. This is a very easy project but you will need a sewing machine, as well as thread, iron & ironing board (starch helps too), and a length of fabric at least 20 inches longer than the length of the table you want to make the runner for. What I love about this ... read more
sunday shopping 3-13-11
Another lovely but busy Sunday once again left me little time for shopping yesterday, but I didn’t want to miss out on all the freebies & moneymakers at CVS by saving my trip for later in the week. I decided to make a quick trip last night after the girls were in bed. I also stopped by Publix for some more cheap veggies and another gas card (LOVE that deal!) I was back in less than an hour with lots to show for my effort (including a few humorous items at CVS)! Here is what I got: At Publix I spent $5.84 for $68.21 worth of groceries, a savings ... read more
Grilled Pizza with Feta & Caramelized Onion {Recipe}
I don’t know how the weather is where you are, but here in Florida it has been just beautiful. It makes me want to be outside as much as possible, which means for us, grilling season has begun. If you’ve never tried grilled pizza, you are really missing out. It is delicious! It is probably one of our favorite meals, since it is rare to find one that we can ALL agree on! One of the nicest things about homemade pizza is that everyone can have exactly what they like. I love mine with feta and caramelized onions, while the girls prefer cheese and olives. Husband would’ve liked some pepperoni ... read more
thursday shopping 3-10-11 (& weekly shopping linky)
My shopping trips were pretty much complete chaos this week. After spending all of my spare time this week holed up in my computer corner working on my new coupon matchup website (which, I am excited to tell you, is almost ready to go!), I decided to make a quick run to Winn-Dixie yesterday afternoon to grab some of the week’s hot deals there. Unfortunately for me, all the deals I wanted to get were contingent on using the Winn-Dixie Spring Forward to Great Savings booklet that came out a few weeks ago, the one I neglected to get, and the one that is now NOWHERE to be found! Ugh. ... read more
Coupons 101: Binders vs. Filing for Coupon Organization
I really don’t like spending a lot of time messing with my coupons. There are too many other things to do! If you’ve read my Beginner’s Guide to Coupons or watched this video on quick & easy coupon organization, you know that I have always been a proponent of using a filing method for organizing your coupons. Instead of clipping and sorting all your coupons each week, you simply file the entire insert by date and only clip the ones you need after you make your shopping list. It is straightforward and easy to maintain, and it works great. But it’s not perfect. I often miss out on unadvertised deals ... read more
Party DiY: How to Make a Paper Garland
Last week I shared this daisy-themed 40th birthday party. In order to keep the party budget in check, I did a lot of DiY projects. The great thing about DiY party decor is that it often turns out looking so much better than something you just pick up at the party store. To be fair, there is slightly more effort involved, but there is something so satisfying about making things yourself. I love how these paper garlands turned out. Not only do they add the perfect pop of party cheer, they were super easy, took only about 15 minutes each to make, are available in colors and patterns to match ... read more
sunday shopping 3-6-11
We had another very busy weekend & once again I decided to skip Walgreens. The only thing I really want there this week is some sale-priced Starbucks DoubleShots (mmmmmmmm…..), but I guess I should’ve tried a little harder because this morning I realized that my $2 Register Reward from 2 weeks ago expired yesterday. Sigh. I guess those are the breaks! (And that is why I don’t calculate my RRs/ECBs into my savings until I redeem them!) I did manage to make a quick stop at CVS for some cheap milk & got a happy little bonus when the coupon machine printed out a a $5 off Revlon eye shadow ... read more
Vegetarian Moussaka {Recipe}
I adore Greek food and all things Mediterranean, but until I decided to make this recipe the other day, I had never eaten Moussaka. The traditional recipe for this eggplant dish is made with meat sauce, and it never occurred to me to try it without. But the trick to stockpile cooking is to make do with what you have on hand, and what I had on hand was 3 eggplants I had picked up at at the farmer’s market last weekend that were on the verge of going bad. I had to make something, and fast. So I made Moussaka, vegetarian style. I loosely followed a recipe I found ... read more
