Shop Rite deals 3/1- 3/7

No more dollar days, but there are a few deals on cleaning products this week. Here are the best things I see:

Lysol cleaning products deal: Buy 5, get a 5.00 catalina

Best deal:

4 lysol bowl cleaners- 1.99 each or 7.96 total
1 glass plus cleaner- on sale 1.67

4 .75/1 coupons for lysol bowl cleaners from 1/4SS doubled- 6.00 off
(there are also coupons for lysol products in the 2/8SS...the ones from 1/4SS expire on the 2nd!)
1 .50/1 coupon for glass plus from 2/8SS doubled- 1.00 off
Total OOP: .96 and get a 5.00 catalina back! 4.04 Money maker!

Buy sure deodorant for 1.99, get a 1.00 catalina
use the .75/1 coupon coming out on 3/1, and get the deodorant for .49! .51 money maker!

Buy one pack(14 to 24ct)Shop Rite maxi pads at .99, get a .99 catalina
(great item if you want to "roll" your catalinas from last week's deals)

Other deals:
red, green or black seedless grapes- .99/lb(rock bottom again!)
chicken leg quarters- .59/lb(rock bottom again! probably the last week, so stock up!)
bottom round roast- 1.99/lb(not rock bottom, but good deal)
Breyers ice cream- 1.99
stouffer's mac and cheese- .88(limit 4)
colgate toothpaste(regular, tartar control, baking soda, or white mint)- 1.25
use .75/1 coupon from 2/22SS doubled- FREE
ortega taco shells- 2 for 3.00
use .75/2 coupon from 1/18SS doubled- 1.50 for 2 boxes, or .75 each

4 day price break(wednesday to saturday only)
80% lean ground beef- 1.69/lb (rock bottom! stock up!)
2lb bag frozen tilapia fillet- 5.99(or 2.99 a pound...good price)
sunlight liquid dish detergent- .77
use .25/1 coupon from 9/21SS or 2/22SS doubled- .27 a bottle
shop rite shredded cheese(8oz package)- .99(limit 4 PER VARIETY! stock up!)
progresso vegetable classics soup- .99
use 1.10/1 printable- FREE
use .50/2 coupon from 2/8GM doubled- .49(when you buy 2)

Frugal Kitchen Island...indeed!

I was on the wonderful food blog, the Kitchn, from Apartment therapy, and look what I found! Can you see what the island is made out of? Frugal indeed!



hmmm...where can I find free shopping carts? :op

Quotable Wednesday

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."

- Frederick Douglass



Hang in there, America! Progress is coming!

Blog Spotlight- A Simple Walk

This week's blog spotlight is on a wonderful blog from yet another blogger mom with many talents.

Kate at A Simple Walk provides posts that are a pleasure to read. You find yourself giggling, cooing, and wholeheartedly agreeing with everything she posts. One of her most recent posts, entitled Toy, Toys, Toys, got me nodding my head while reading it. This is something I have been struggling with in our household, so it was a God-Send to see another mom tackle the toy overflow.

Kate is also a great cook! Check out her cooking blog, Cooking During Stolen Moments. Wonderful recipes and very inventive! Kate, thanks for following my blog and I really appreciate your outlook on life.

8 things I learned on my anniversary vacation

Hubby and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary yesterday and he whisked me away to the W hotel in New York City. It was fantastic and I learned a few things on our trip:

1. If he's offering to plan a surprise vacation, just let him do it. Asking about details and packing snacks for the room will just anger him.

2. Terry Cloth robes in a room are a gift from heaven...

3. No matter how hard you try, if you have OCD you'll end up cleaning your hotel room. It's sad, but true.

4. Pepsi has a line called "Pepsi natural." All natural ingredients...in pepsi...What?! Too bad it was about 8 dollars from the mini-fridge.

5. New York City tap water is the best tasting water in the country. Period.

6. Asian noodles made fresh at a hole-in-the-wall Chinese food restaurant produce a party in your mouth. For less than 4 bucks a plate. Was I dreaming?

7. Drunk people trying to get coffee at a Starbucks in times square is pure comedy. Pure comedy, indeed.

8. Real love is when he buys you "dirty water dogs" and krispy creme donuts for your lunch the second day of your trip. The inside of my stomach's itchy....

Meal Plan Monday!

This should be a great cooking week! The pantry and fridge are full, and I'm making lemon pound cake this week! Yummy yum yum....I loves pound cake. Here's what I'm making:

Monday: Mexican Lasagna(similar to this recipe, but using lasagna noodles this time)
Tuesday: Happy National Pancake Day! Pancakes with scrambled eggs and turkey kielbasa
Wednesday: Slow cooker beef roast with corn casserole and box car potatoes
Thursday: Shrimp scampi with side salad and raspberry vinaigrette.
Friday: Pizza pizza! Tomato and mushroom pizza, to be exact
Saturday: roast beef and noodles with carrot ribbons
Sunday: leftovers

Bread of the week: wheat sandwich rolls
Dessert of the week: Lemon pound cake with french vanilla ice cream(drool...)
Soup of the week: vegetable soup with potato dumplings(froze half of this recipe)

Shop Rite deals 2/22 -2/28

Dollar days again! Here are a few scenarios for some of the best deals that you may want to replicate:

Unilever deal: Buy 9 get 5.00 OYNO and a free bag
6 lipton recipe secrets(get 2 different flavors, 3 of each)- on sale 1.00- 6.00 total
3 ragu pasta sauces- on sale 3 for 4.00- 4.00

coupons to use:
3 .75/2 lipton recipe secrets coupons from 1/18RP doubled
1 .75/2 ragu pasta sauce coupon from 1/18RP doubled

Total OOP: 4.00
1.00 Money Maker after 5.00 catalina!

EXTRA! EXTRA!
Just got back from the store, and I received at 2.00 catalina that said "compliments of ragu"! That makes this deal a 3.00 money maker!

Welch's deal: Buy 6 get 5.00 OYNO and a free bag
6 strawberry or raspberry squeezable jam- on sale 2 for 5.00(must buy 2)- 15.00 total
*you can get all six of one flavor, if you like. This offer is limit 4 offers, or 8 bottles

coupons to use:
6 1.00/1 welch's squeezable jam, jelly or spread from 1/4SS

Total OOP: 9.00
4.00 or .66 each after 5.00 catalina. Good price if you need jam and want to stock up

Goodlife pet food: Buy 4 get 3.00 OYNO and free bag
4 goodlife cat treats- on sale 2.00 each- 8.00 total

coupons to use:
1.00/1 goodlife cat treats from 1/4RP

Total OOP: 4.00
1.00 for all 4, or .25 each, after 3.00 catalina!


Other coupon deals:
nabisco ritz crackers- on sale 1.99 each
2.00/2 nabisco cracker coupon from 1/25SS- .99 each when you buy 2

bic comfort 3 disposable razors- on sale 2.99
2.00/1 comfort 3 disposables coupon from 1/18SS- .99 each

st. ives body wash- 1.99
2.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

robitussin 4oz bottles- on sale 2.99 and get 1.00 catalina back
2.00/1 printable coupon- FREE after coupon and catalina

over the moon milk(half gallon)- on sale 1.89
1.50/2 coupon from 1/11SS- 1.14 per half gallon, or 2.28 for a gallon of milk!

Non-coupon deals:
shop rite brand large eggs- .99 a dozen(rock bottom)
farm flavor apple juice- .99 a bottle(rock bottom)
sliced mushrooms- .99/8oz package(rock bottom price)
boneless beef chuck roast- 2.09/lb(good deal! not rock bottom, though)
shop rite 2% gallon milk- 2.49

Friday Funny- Doritos commercial

I can't stop watching this video. It was my favorite commercial during the super bowl. Hilarious!

Toys R Us gift card winner!

Well, that was a nice little contest! I loved the responses you all left. Bought back memories of some of my favorite games. Operation? Monopoly? What? Classic!

If I had my way and 15 bucks to waste, I'd get another Nintendo DS game. Probably a word search or crossword one. Or a sudoku one. I heart sudoku.

And speaking of sudoku, random.com picked at number. One lowly number. And the winner actually mentioned sudoku in her post! Weird!

The 96th comment and the winner is....

Lisa B from Living Easy! Lisa a great hound buddy of mine and I am a fan of her blog, as well. Congrats Lisa!

Please respond to the e-mail I send to you by 12:18am Sunday morning EST.

Thanks you all for entering! March is right around the corner and yet another giveaway is brewing. That's a hint, by the way ;o)

10 Non-frugal reasons it's great to cook your own meals

1. If it's made at home, then the dessert is automatically less calories. Right?

2. No matter how good or bad it is, you are guaranteed a kiss from Hubby(or little one, or furrybaby, etc) just for trying.

3. Snacking while cooking is encouraged!

4. You have the chance to learn to make your favorite restaurant meal...and continue to make it....whenever you have the craving!

5. You'll finally learn the difference between baking soda and baking powder.

6. Desserts 5 nights in a row can be deemed a "culinary experiment." So what if you had a craving for a different cookie every night?

7. You'll learn how to use every spice on your spice rack. Yes, even the mustard seeds and cardamom.

8. Your spatula would miss you if you didn't.

9. Remember play dough? Well, now you can cook something similar and turn it into bread! Thank you kindergarten.

10. It's a stress-reliever. After you stop burning stuff, that is.

*picture provided by Steve Wampler on Flickr

Quotable Wednesday

“The noblest of all dogs is the hot dog. It feeds the hand that bites it.”

- Laurence J. Peter

Blog Spotlight- Life, Love and Layouts

Attention all of you scrapbookers(or wanna-be scrapbookers)! This is the blog for you!

This week I'm featuring a wonderful blog called Life, Love and Layouts by Babykitty. Boy is she talented and Such a quirky, fun mom. Babykitty is a SAHM of 3 (and 3 furbabies) from Wisconsin.

Check out this post of a layout she did for her sweet furbaby that recently passed. Adorable and melancholy at the same time.

And, so far, my favorite post this little quip about what goes through the mind of a son. I feel ya, sister!

Besides all of that, any blogger that chooses a Hello Kitty picture as their profile picture has got 2 thumbs up from me. Thanks for the support, Babykitty!

This is how you work the catalina deals!

I had a fabulous trip to Shop Rite yesterday! For you Shop Rite shoppers, I took advantage of the few dollar days sales they have this week, and then turned around and used those "store dollars" to buy my fruits, veggies and meats. They are having a great sale on meat this week, with 3 out of the 4 good sales being our rock bottom prices. Here's how I worked the deals:

4 8-packs of bounty basic paper towels- on sale 5.00 each
(needed to buy 4 to get he 5.00 catalina)
10 cans of chef boyardee beef ravioli- on sale 10 for 8.00(must buy 10)
(I needed 10 anyway to get the 3.00 catalina)
3 bags goodlife cat food- on sale 5.00 each
1 bag goodlife cat treats- on sale 2.00 each
(needed 4 of these items to get my 3.00 catalina)
1 box crunch & munch- on sale 1.25
1 3lb bag yellow onions- 1.99

coupons used:
store coupon for 1.00 off bag of onions
3 .35/3 coupons doubled for chef boyardee products
3 3.00/1 coupons for goodlife pet food
1 .50/1 coupon doubled for goodlife cat treats
1 .35/1 coupon doubled for crunch & munch
4 1.00/1 coupons for bounty products
1 5.00 catalina from last week
1 1.00 catalina from last week

Total OOP(with tax): 25.69 Savings: 33.76 or 57% and I got 11.00 in catalinas to use on my next trip.

Second trip:
3.05 pounds of ground beef- on sale 1.69/lb- 5.15
2.39 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts- on sale 1.69/lb- 4.03
6.87 pounds of perdue whole roaster- on sale .49/lb w/ store coupon- 3.36
2.38 pounds green seedless grapes- on sale .99/lb- 2.35
1.5 pounds of roma tomatoes- on sale .99/lb- 1.48
1 head of lettuce- .99
1/2 gallon whole milk- 1.99
4 bags goodlife cat treats- on sale 2.00 each
1 tub store brand margarine- on sale 1.49 w/ store coupon
gold medal bread flour- 2.99
3 re-usable bags- .88 each- store coupon for 3 FREE bags- FREE!

coupons used:
4 1.00/1 coupons for goodlife cat treats
3.00 catalina
3.00 catalina
5.00 catalina
.15 re-usable bag credit

Total OOP: 16.83 Savings: 20.56 or 55%! Plus, I got back another 3.00 catalina to either use for next week or continue to roll on the cat food sale this week. Also pictured are my CVS hounds which I ended up paying 0.00 OOP for! Such a great sunday :o)

Meal Plan Monday!

Now I'm back into the groove and this week should be a breeze! I'm looking to use up some of our ground beef this week and make broccoli soup, so those 2 things will be included in the menu. Also, Hubby and I are celebrating our 4th Wedding Anniversary on Friday, so I'll plan a meal for that day(pizza!) but we may not actually have it. Supposedly, he's got a surprise for me that day. I hope there are new shoes involved. I heart new shoes.
Edit: yay! Finally got it out of Hubby what we are doing on Friday, so no homemade pizza for us. We're off the New York City, baby!

Monday: Roasted lemon chicken with broccoli and mashed potatoes(extra potatoes will be used to make gnocchi!)
Tuesday:Hamburg steak and gravy with white rice and mixed veggies
Wednesday: homemade gnocchi in a spinach cream sauce served with a side salad(we keep skipping this meal! Gotta make it this week)
Thursday: Chicken fried rice
Friday: Anniversary Day! Hubby and I are off to NYC to walk the streets and enjoy papaya hot dogs and sandwiches at Carnegie deli!
Saturday: Spice rubbed whiting with rice and veggie medley
Sunday:Leftovers Night

Soup of the week: Cream of Broccoli soup
Bread of the week: Honey Wheat
Dessert of the week: lemon chess pie(we are loving this dessert now!)

Shop Rite deals 2/15 to 2/21

Dollar Days are starting again! If you are an A&P/Superfresh shopper, you'll recognize dollar days as being close to bonus bucks. It's the same premise. Here are the deals that I see worth mentioning, followed by scenarios:

Buy 10 nestle products, get 5.00 back plus a free re-usable bag

Best deal:
4 Juicy Juice 8 packs- 2.00 each
4 Juicy Juice 64oz bottles- 2.50 each
2 nestle big bar candies- 1.00 each

8 .75/1 juicy juice product coupons from 1/4SS doubled-

Total OOP: 8.00
3.00 total after 5.00 catalina and coupons!

Buy 4 select P&G products, get 5.00 back plus a free re-usable bag

Best deal:
4 bounty basic 8-packs - 5.00 each(must buy 2 at a time)

4 1.00/1 bounty products coupons from 2/8PG- 4.00

Total OOP: 16.00
11.00 total after 5.00 catalina and coupons. That's .34 a roll! Great deal if you need paper towels.

Buy 4 Good Life products, get 3.00 back plus a free re-usable bag

Best deal:
4 goodlife cat treats- 2.00 each

4 .50/1 goodlife cat treats coupon from 1/4RP doubled- 4.00

Total OOP: 4.00
1.00 total after 3.00 catalina and coupons! Hopefully this catalina will "roll" and we can stockpile treats and cat food here!

Buy 10 Con Agra items, get 3.00 back plus a free re-usable bag

Best deal:
10 chef boyardee cans or micro meals- on sale 10 for 8.00

3 .35/3 chef boyardee products coupon from 1/4SS doubled- 2.10

Total OOP: 5.90
2.90 total after 3.00 catalina and coupons. That's .29 a can...not bad if your family enjoys these yucky things(Hubby loves 'em, of course).


Other great sales:
80% lean ground beef- 1.69 a pound(rock bottom)
perdue boneless chicken breast- 1.69 a pound(new rock bottom)
perdue chicken leg quarters- .59 a pound(rock bottom contd from last week!)
Green or Red seedless grapes- .99 a pound(rock bottom)
fresh plum tomatoes- .99 a pound

The best scenario for this is to do all of the dollar days deals you want to do, then turn around and use the catalinas to get the meat and produce(especially the ones at rock bottom prices) for this week. Next week should have better dollar days sales, so if you don't need any meat, fruit or veggies this week, then save those catalinas!

Toys R Us gift card giveaway!

Ok, because I'm bored and because today is Friday the 13th, and because the stimulus package has been passed and because tomorrow is valentine's day, I'm gonna do a giveaway.

Really, it's because I'm bored today and feel like treating my buddies! So, you ready buddies?

I'm giving away a 15.00 Toys R' Us gift card to one lucky reader. To enter, all you have to do is answer one question:

What would you buy YOURSELF at Toys R' Us? Not your kids....not your Hubby...not your grandbabies...YOU! Are you a board game fanatic? Or would you use it towards a Wii, PS3 or X-Box 360 game? Are jacks your favorite? Maybe Uno is the game you rock at every family get-together? I'm just curious :o)

Please remember to leave your e-mail address in your comment as well. If I can't contact you, how will I be able to tell you that you won? Hmmmm?

And for all of you lovelies that are visiting from Deal Seeking Mom and Money Saving Mom, I do giveaways a few times a month on here, so if you want to be one of the firsts to know about them, become one of my loyal followers! Join the party at the upper right hand corner.

Contest will end next Thursday, February 19th at 11:59pm.


Love ya'll and Good Luck!

Quotable Wednesday- Love Edition

Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.

- James Baldwin

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

- Maya Angelou

Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.

- James Baldwin

Look, in my opinion the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what-have-you. The right person is still going to think the sun shines out of your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with.

-From the movie, Juno


I have to say, the last quote is now my all time favorite. That's love, indeed.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day on Saturday!

Blog Spotlight- It's Good to be Queen

It's time for another edition of the Blog Spotlight! This week's blog is:

It's Good to be Queen by one of my readers, Bobbi Jo.

I have to say, I love her blog(s)! She is a fellow homemaker, a loving wife, a Mama of 5, and a wonderful grandmama. On It's Good to be Queen, she chronicles her family's everyday life, participates in Menu Plan Mondays, Homemaker Mondays(which I am totally starting!) and Whatcha working on Wednesdays.

And guess what? She has 2, yes 2, more awesome blogs. Check out Inside Bobbi Jo's Kitchen and The Health Habit.

Thanks for following my blog, Bobbi Jo, and keep up the wonderful posts. You've got a new fan right here!

Random Stockpile picture- Shampoo

Isn't this sickening? All this shampoo for two adult heads in this house. But I can't help it....it was free and free is for me! Wanna know what's even more sickening? This was taken a few weeks ago. I've given some away and added even more since then. *Sigh* It's a sickness, I know. But it doesn't got to waste.

My biggest use for the extra shampoo that we accumulate, besides sharing it with friends and family, is to fill up our hand soap dispensers! We used to be softsoap snobs here, and I would spend an arm and a leg at the warehouse club in our area to get the big bottles. Thank the Lord I wised up! My favorite shampoo to use in this aspect is the kiddie shampoos like the l'oreal one right there in the front. They always have a fun, whimsical smell and tend to be a cool color as well. Because they are meant to be used on the sensitive heads of children, they are also mild enough to get your hands clean without stripping them.

My second favorite use? A Woolite replacement for washing my "unmentionables." I don't wash those, ahem, items in the washing machine because, well, my mama told me not to (would you want to have those washed next to dirt covered t-shirts or sweaty gym socks?) so I still oblige. Plus, they last longer when you take care of them. Shampoo is gentle enough to keep the delicate fabrics vibrant but tough enough to get them squeaky clean.

So, if you see a break down of a recent shopping excursion where I've gotten quite a few bottles of shampoo, don't judge. Just have pity on me....lots and lots of pity. :o)

Meal Plan Monday!

Because I was down at the base yesterday, I am yet again behind! Here's the final product:

Monday: crockpot Beef vegetable soup with no-knead rolls
Tuesday: almond crusted chicken with brown butter rice and braised carrots
Wednesday: smoked turkey and bean soup
Thursday: breakfast for dinner- pancakes, turkey bacon, grits and scrambled eggs
Friday: pizza day!
Saturday: valentines day! Pan seared steak with roasted potatoes and side salad
Sunday: leftovers night

Bread of the week: no-knead rolls
Dessert of the week: cheesecake and grapefruit curd
Soup of the week: beef veggie soup and smoked turkey bean soup(from Monday and Wednesday's dinner)

Homemade fish sticks

Yes, I know this recipe is a day late, but I've been busy, ok? Really, not all that busy, but as you read this, I am off to serve my country down at my base. So, as of right now, at this moment, I am busy. Hold me! Anywhoo, here is my all time favorite homemade fish stick recipe. The best part is that is so easy! One of my favorite tricks is to use crumbs from potato and tortilla chips and cheese crackers. After the big super bowl deals and parties last weekend, I'm sure some of you have some crumbs to spare. Look at that picture up there. See how the fish sticks are kind of orange in color? Yeah, that's cheese crackers. A-yum! Ok, here's the recipe:

1 lb whitefish, thawed(we use whiting or tilapia...use what ya got!)
2 large eggs
3 cups crumbs(bread, chips, crackers or even rice krispies)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of paprika
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of old bay or seafood seasoning(optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray(or coat with oil)
Grab 2 plates.
On one plate, place flour, salt, paprika and garlic powder. Blend together.
On second plate, beat together eggs and seafood seasoning.
Put your crumbs on a big piece of wax paper(or you can use another plate).
Slice fish in 1-inch wide strips. Put each strip in the flour mixture first and completely cover.
Place in egg mixture next and make sure all of the flour is covered.
Then, place in crumbs and completely coat.
Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, flipping them over 6 minutes into cooking.

This is soooooo goood! I got the original recipe from the now defunct Quick and Simple Magazine and I had to change it a bit to make it my own. You can easily double the recipe, and freeze half of them for another dinner, once they are completely cooled.

Wholley fruits and veggies, Batman!

and soup....and juice...

Stop and Shop was lovely today. Lots of freebies and it's all stuff that's good for you! Check out what I got:

2 cans del monte no salt added veggies- 1.00 each
2 coupons for .75/1 doubled up to 1.00- 2 FREE!

2 bottles ocean spray grapefruit juice- 2 for 4.00
2 coupons for 1.00/1 ocean spray juice- 1.00 each

1 5lb bag ocean spray grapefruits- FREE!
You get a bag free when you buy any 2 ocean spray juices

4 del monte fruit naturals cups- 1.00 each
2 coupons for 1.00/2- .50 each

2 cans campbells select harvest soup- 2 for 5.00
2 coupons for free can of any select harvest soup- 2 FREE!

8 bags green giant frozen veggies- 1.00 each
8 .50/1 coupons doubled- 8 FREE VEGGIES!

.10 re-usable bag credit

Total OOP: 4.40 Savings: 34.14 or 89%
Total amount of free items: 13

Shop Rite deals 2/8 to 2/14

These are the best deals I see this week:

NEW DEAL!- Always infinity pads- 4.99
Buy one get a catalina for 5.00 off your next order. FREE after catalina! If you have any catalina coupons for always products(have been printing for a while and printed during the stayfree deal two weeks ago), then this can be a 3.01 moneymaker!

Chicken leg quarters- .59/lb(rock bottom price)

Shady Brook Farms hotel style turkey breast- .99/lb

sliced mushrooms(8oz pkg)- 1.50 each

eggland's best dozen eggs- 1.49(limit 4)
.35/1 coupon from 11/9SS or 1/11SS doubled- .79 each

4 day price break(wed to sat.): starkist tuna(2.6oz pouch or 5oz can)- .88 each
Buy 2 get 1 Free coupon from 1/4RP- .58 each
many non-insert coupons out for this

ocean spray grapefruit juice- 1.69
1.00/1 coupon from 1/11RP- .69 each

fuze drinks- 1.00 each
.25/1 coupon from 1/4SS doubled- .50 each

martinson ground coffee- 2.49
1.00/1 coupon from 11/2/RP- 1.49 each

hungry jack pancake mix- 1.99
1.00/2 coupon from 1/11RP- 1.49 each wyb 2

del monte canned veggies- .99 each
.75/1 printable coupon doubled up to .99- FREE(if sale includes 50% salt veggies)

butterball turkey bacon- 1.49
1.00/1 printable coupon- .49

sargento shredded cheese- 1.69
.50/2 coupon from 1/25SS doubled- 1.19 each wyb 2

speed stick and lady speed stick- .99
.75/2 coupon from 2/1SS doubled- .24 each wyb 2

If I missed anything, please leave a comment to let me know and I'll add it to the list. Thanks shoppers!

Stop and Shop Deals 2/6-2/12

There are actually some good deals this week at Stop and Shop! Here are a few I found:

FREE bag of grapefruits when you buy 2 bottles of ocean spray grapefruit juice
use 1.00/1 off grapefruit juice coupon from 1/11RP- get all 3 for 2.00

peaches, plums or nectarines- .99 a pound(best price so far this season)

knorr rice or pasta sides- 1.00 each
use .75/2 coupon from 1/18RP doubled- .25 each

del monte fruit naturals- 1.00 each
1.00/2 coupon from a january parade magazine(don't remember which one)- .50 each

del monte canned veggies- 1.00 each
.30/1 printable coupon doubled- .40 each(if 50% salt cans are included)
.70/1 printable coupon doubled- FREE, if 50% salt cans are included(possible overage)

chef boyardee canned pasta- 1.00 each
.35/3 coupon from 1/4SS doubled- .76 each(wyb 3)

green giant steamers- 1.00 each
.50/1 coupon from 1/4GM doubled- FREE veggies!

Fuze drinks- 1.25 each
.25/1 coupon from 1/4SS doubled- .75 each

If you Shoppers have found some other deals that I didn't catch, please leave a comment and let me know. Happy hounding!

A frugal Spa Day...at home!

With the beginning of a new year, everyone has many(or few) goals and resolutions that they intend to keep throughout the next 12 months. Whether it's to lose weight, give to charity, stop smoking, save more money, etc., it's always something to better themselves or their environment. But, what about your environment at home? Better yet, what about YOU? No one ever says that their resolution is to pamper themselves 50% more than they did the last year. And why not? Mostly, because it costs to pamper. Or so we think.

Last year, I asked my readers what they did to pamper themselves while on a budget and I loved the few answers I did get. You see, for one year of my short life, I used to be a spa/pamper junkie. Once a year I'd get the massage, once a month it was the pedicure, and once every 2 weeks it was the eyebrow waxing and manicure. Lots of money wasted....for a very high maintenance mama/wife/model/airman.

Once I realized I totally needed to get out of my "princess mentality", I found new ways to pamper myself right at home. And today, I want to share a few of my secrets with you! Some you may know, some you may not, but I believe we all need to feel re-energized, especially when we are walking down our frugal roads. Saving money can be exhausting, sometimes!

1. Become a fan of Olive oil
This is my all-time favorite trick. Ever wonder why Italian women have such beautiful, shiny hair, and lovely olive-toned skin? Well, it's genetics first, but it is most definitely olive oil second. We've all learned how important, health-wise, it is to ingest olive oil, but using it straight on your hair and body is just as effective. Something I learned from an Italian model friend: once every 2 months, after you bathe before hitting the sack, rub down your whole body with 1/4 cup of plain old olive oil. This includes your face. I know, I know, but trust me, it works! Give it a few minutes to soak in, put on some old pajamas and say goodnight. Doing this once every few months will help to keep your skin soft enough to absorb any lotion you use, and you won't have to lotion up so much, especially in the winter. We find ourselves using more and more lotion in the winter, but following this trick will keep your lotion bill down to a minimum. You may even be able to get through the winter using only one bottle!
My favorite trick with olive oil from the past year: putting it straight in my hair. Because I have kinky, fizzy, dry hair, I need to deep condition it pretty much every time I wash it. Olive oil is all natural and does wonders compared to the pricey deep conditioners in stores, that are full of items(like alcohol) that are just not good for my coif.
Another olive oil trick is to rub some right on your cuticles! This is a great trick for all the cooks out there. Every time you roast a chicken, rub some olive oil(or canola or veggie oil) right on your cuticles and hands first. Then proceed to dress your bird. While you are getting your dinner ready for the oven, the oil will be penetrating your skin, making it silky-smooth. BONUS: using kosher salt on that bird, too? Rub that in the skin to get rid of winter scales on your hands. An inexpensive salt scrub!

2. Take care of your tootsies....with vinegar!
Now my long-time readers know how much I love vinegar. It has been a life-saver for this frugal mama. But a recent post on Frugal Dad got me to use it in a new way. When I soak my feet for my homemade pedicure, I pour 1/2 a cup of white vinegar into the warm water. I was pleasantly surprised at the reaction my tootsies had to it. It was like I had dropped an alka-seltzer tablet into the water! I could feel the tingle all over my foot. The gross part? That "tingle" was actually the vinegar attacking the dry skin on my feet. The great part? It got rid of all of it! All I had to do when I was done was dry my feet with a small towel and all that nasty dry skin came right off. An olive oil rub down and painting of toes put the finishing touches on my at-home pedicure, and I was set for another month.

3. Take a bath...milk or red wine necessary!
I do love a good bath. A nice long one with the door locked and maybe some candles lit. Ahhh...relaxation. Well, if you add in some milk or red wine to the mix, then it's a real party. No, I don't mean drinking them, I mean putting them in the bath. I am a lover of the milk bath, but if you are a wine drinker, red wine is full of tannins....those tannins do wonders for our skin and keeps you looking young. Wait, don't Italians drink a good amount of red wine? Hmmmm....interesting. Anywhoo, either the milk or the red wine are wonderful for skin. Just a half cup of either would be perfect. Follow it up with trick #1, and you are in business, baby!

4. Use those old t-shirts for salon hair
This is a tip I learned from my hair stylist when I complained to him that I just couldn't get my hair to stop frizzing, no matter how many different products I used. He told me it wasn't the products, but the way we women dry our hair after we wash it. Guess what? Those small, little towels they use at the salons are specifically made for hair. So, our bath towels just won't do the trick. What's the best option for us at home? Our old t-shirts! T-shirts are made to have a minimum amount of static and are actually pretty good at absorbing liquid. When drying your hair, make sure to pat it dry, instead of rubbing the follicles. The rubbing also contributes to static and frizz(think of when you rub a balloon on your sweater and hang it on a wall). You'll be surprised at the difference this will make, especially in the winter.

5. Let your pasta water do double duty...
Or boiling potato water. Don't let all that steam go to waste! While your yummies are boiling, run to the bathroom and wash and moisturize your face. Turn off your pot a few minutes from being done, and place your face indirectly over the pot for those last few mintues of cooking. The rising steam will open those pores and help that moisturizer get in there! Who needs an expensive facial, when you can just do this a few times a week. Can you believe some people pay hundreds of dollars to have this done?

6. Wear gloves(and socks) to bed
This is a tried, but true trick that has been seen in many Womens magazines. I remember one time, my dad came to my room to wish me good night, saw the gloves on my hands and laughed all the way to his room. I didn't care...I wanted soft hands, so I slathered them in vaseline, covered them with my winter gloves, and went to bed. Nowadays, I don't do the glove trick, but I do take advantage of my many pairs of socks. I rub down my feet with lotion and cover them with fluffy socks before bed. This helps those home pedicures last as long as they can. Plus, a good foot massage before bed ain't bad, either. You'll wake up to soft, silky skin with minimum effort and no money wasted. A win-win situation.

Want to use some of your own home items for pampering? Check out these posts!

Homemade wax(body sugaring)
Face scrub as a spa treatment

Now I turn it to you! Do any of you use these tips? Do you have any budget-friendly ways that you pamper yourself?

Quotable Wednesday

"You can’t change what you won’t acknowledge"

- Dr. Phil

Blog Spotlight- Hounding with Frugalsuz

This week's blog is one of my absolute favorites, and not because she's one of my "internet buddies" and is a fellow Jersey girl. It's because she really knows how to find those deals! I'm talking about hounding with Frugalsuz. If you aren't one of the thousands that have visited her blog, well, shame shame on you! The Suz points out the best deals for Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid BEFORE the sales start! She also keeps a running list of the current rebates that are available online. With every sale round-up, she's even nice enough to point out when these products are on sale at the participating drug stores. Ain't she as sweet as sugar?

Besides the deals, Suz posts her financial goals on the regular, along with pictures of her current low OOP trips, random thoughts, random pictures, and many things that will make you giggle.

BONUS: check out her ever-rotating list of "songs to hound by." Great picks to get you motivated!

Now, off you go to check it out. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Meal Plan Monday!

I am so late getting this up! With the big dinner party/cookie swap on saturday and the super bowl party yesterday(yay steelers!), I am so behind on the blog! First and foremost, I gotta get this meal plan up.

This week, the make ahead mashed potatoes will be the star! I'm going to make them today and we'll continue them as our starchy side dish throughout the week. Because my military weekend is this week, I'll have to cook everyday this week, so there will be enough leftovers for the boys to eat. Lucky for them, tiring for the Mama. Here's what I have in mind:

Monday: Chicken and gravy poured over corn and mashed potatoes
Tuesday: Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and garlicky chopped spinach
Wednesday: Homemade potato gnocchi in a cream spinach sauce
Thursday: Homemade fish sticks(new recipe friday!) with potatoes and mixed veggies
Friday: (homemade)Pizza Day!
Saturday and Sunday: Boys are on their own! Mama's off to serve her country!

Dessert of the week: Leftover cookies from cookie swap: greek powdered cookies, chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia cookies, sugar cookies, and quick-mix chocolate cookies
Bread of the week: hmmmm....none! Hubby's tired of sandwiches :o)
Soup of the week: french onion soup(leftover from last week)

Yay for Shop Rite!

I did an awesome trip today at Shop Rite and I just had to share. Look at what I got:


2 lays chips- 1.99 each
1 gallon 2% milk- 2.69
5lb bag white potatoes- 2.99- store coupon for 1.00 off- 1.99
2 sucrets cough drops- 1.49 each- 2 coupons for 1.50/1- FREE
3 packs bic twin select 10-ct- on sale 1.64- 3 coupons for 2.00/1- FREE(no overage)
3 tubes colgate- on sale .99- 3 coupons for .50/1 doubled- FREE
5 canisters quaker grits(4 instant, one old fashioned)- .99 each- store coupon for 3.00/5 quaker products- .40 each
5 boxes electrasol tabs- on sale 2.89- 5 coupons for 2.50/1- .39 each
8 boxes quaker true delights- on sale 1.99- 8 coupons for 1.00/1- .99 each
.20 bag credit

Total OOP: 21.74 Savings: 61.02 or 74%. I decided to get everything I had coupons for and a few things we needed(milk). The chips I needed for my second pepsi rebate. It's nice to be done with grocery shopping for the whole week.