Moneyhood

Free LEGO event at Toys R Us

2012-02-02T13:14:00.002-05:00

Stop by Toys R Us this Saturday from noon to 2pm and your little one can create a complimentary Alex Lemonade Stand to take home. This stand is part of the new LEGO Friends collection. My daughter loves LEGOs and I love getting things for free - win, win!

Plus, for each stand built, The Lego Group will donate $1.00 to the Alex Lemonade Stand Fund. Alex's Lemonade Stand states they are fighting cancer, one cup at a time.

Ages 5 and up and a limit of one per child.

Thanks For the Mommas!

What is your why?

2012-02-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

My goal is to start posting at the bare minimum once a week. So I thought I would start by telling you about my new business venture.

I recently became a consultant for Thirty-One. I love the products and I love the support I receive as a consultant from the home office and from my director and the rest of our team.

Part of what they ask at Thirty-One is what is your why, or why do you want to sell Thirty-One. Maybe it's financial freedom, setting your own hours, or getting cute stuff! This questions really applies to anyone. Why do you have a second job? Why do you keep a job you hate? Why do you work 60 hours a week (Mom)? Why do you clip coupons? We all have different reasons why we do what we do. I think it's good to revisit from time to time to evaluate. I used to think I stayed at my full-time job because we needed the money to put our babies in preschool but could I have stayed at home? That's something I'm evaluating right now. My daughter starts kindergarten in the fall. I would love to be home when she gets off the bus or walk to the school to pick her up in the afternoon. The other day my daughter was talking to me but she said Ms. Cynthia (her preschool teacher) instead of Mom. Yes, it's a small thing but it broke my heart a little. So, I joined Thirty-One's team so that I can make a little money on the side and maybe stay at home.

Part of my evaluation has involved some budgeting (my husband hates it), menu planning and rethinking what I've always done, been told or assumed. Examples: I don't need to have the latest phone or go out to dinner twice a week (I don't really like to cook). My phone is great and dinner at home is a lot more fun (plus, I can eat in my PJs if I want). Other things are harder - cutting back on presents at Christmas or on birthdays or just saying no.

So, I thought it would be nice to let you see my progress on getting there! I wish I could give you a list of what I'll talk about but I am not that type of person!

Meat & Produce Comparison Chart

2011-12-07T16:09:00.002-05:00

I am almost as sporadic about grocery shopping as I am about posting :) So that means I hardly ever know if something is a great price unless it's free. I thought it would be handy for me each week to pick my two most costly categories and price compare advertised prices from my local Bottom Dollar, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Farm Fresh and Kroger. This list is in no way complete but I hope it helps with these two categories. Please let me know if you know the price of any meat or produce that I've left out.

Meat & Produce List (pdf)

Go green with tea (Gaggle of Chicks)

2011-06-28T14:23:00.001-04:00

Get 84% off Organic Matcha Tea on Gaggle of Chicks today. The deal is a starter kit that contains 80 grams of Organic Ceremonial Matcha Green Tea, 30 grams of our Organic Matcha Chai Spice Tea, an e-Book titled "The Matcha Explosion" and a lifetime membership in the Preferred Buyers Club, as well as FREE shipping! With the Preferred Buyers Club membership, you'll receive 51% off with FREE shipping for lifetime on all Matcha Products. This is the perfect gift for tea lovers of all ages!

The post above may contain affiliate links.

Chance to win a Weleda Pomegranate Kit from ecorazzi.com

2011-06-28T09:51:00.000-04:00

Sign up for Ecorazzi's newsletter for a chance to win a Weleda Pomegranate Firming Facial Care Kit. I love ecorazzi.com, it's a green gossip website. You can read about celebrities and their green and not-so green ways.

The dangers of sunscreens

2011-06-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

The Thrifty Mama has a good article with references on the dangers of sunscreens with all their added chemicals and toxins. Crystal also brings up a good point that some sun exposure without sunscreen is good for you.

We stopped using traditional sunscreens after having our first daughter and I have tried a lot of natural sunscreens with varying degrees of success. Some things I have noticed about almost all of them is that you need to reapply more often, they tend to go on whiter than chemical-laden ones and they cost much more.

My new favorite sunscreen is Loving Naturals. It's not as thick as some I have used in the past but it is still very white. My mom who always complains about the sunscreens I put on my kids likes it too. I usually keep it in my cart on Amazon and then I can order when the price goes down.

The Environmental Working Group gives it a 1 out of 10 for hazards.

Natural and Organic Bath Products only $12 for $30 on DealPulp

2011-05-11T11:49:00.000-04:00

Today on DealPulp, get $30 of natural and organic bath products for only $12 from My True Nature.

About My True Nature: The idea for My True Nature™ came after my first baby was born. Like many mothers, I wanted to create a safe home environment. But when I couldn’t find a line of soaps and shampoos that had 100% natural ingredients, performed as well as typical mainstream products, and were completely free of genetically modified organisms, parabens, petrochemicals, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, triclosan or preservatives, I decided to start producing them myself.

Sounds great! I haven't tried any of their products myself but they sound terrific and the bottles are made of 100% FDA approved post-consumer PET plastic. Has anyone used these products?

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Harris Teeter Super Doubles 4/27-5/3

2011-04-27T16:32:00.000-04:00

Huge thanks to Mrs. Moneysaver for compiling two lists to help with Super Doubles, one for regular priced items and one for advertised items.

Some highlights are:

Organic Baby Peeled Carrots - $2.00

Newman’s Own Salad Dressing - $3.00

$1/1 Newman's Own Salad Dressing or Thin and Crispy Pizza printable
Final: $1 each

Stonyfield Farm Oikos Yogurt - $1.89

$1/8 Stonyfield Oikos printable
$1/8 Stonyfield Oikos Cups printable (Target mfr.)
$0.50/2 Okios Organic Greek Yogurt printable
Final: 8/$13.12

Stonyfield Farm Yobaby - $2.59

$0.50/1 Stonyfield YoBaby Organic Whole Milk Yogurt printable
$1/1 Stonyfield YoBaby Yogurt printable
Final: $0.59 each

Organic Valley Milk (1/2 gal) - $3.59

$1/2 Organic Valley Half Gallon Milk printableFinal: 2/$5.18

Newman’s Own Salsa - $2.99

$1/1 Newman’s Own product Facebook printable
Final: $0.99 each

Kashi TLC Granola Bars - $2.99

$1/1 Kashi Cereal or TLC Snack printable
Final: $0.99 each

Kashi GoLean Cereal - $3.99

$1/1 Kashi Cereal or TLC Snack printable
Final: $1.99 each

Farm Fresh Deals 4/27-5/3

2011-04-27T16:21:00.000-04:00

I think I'll skip a trip to Farm Fresh this week since Harris Teeter is having Super Doubles!

Big thanks to Mrs. Moneysaver for the matchups! See the complete list.

Below are some highlights!

Hunt's Ketchup - $1.79 No high fructose corn syrup!

Truvia Sweetener - $3.49

$1/1 Truvia Natural Sweetener, exp. 5-31-11 (ALL YOU Apr '11)
$1/1 Truvia Natural Sweetener, exp. 7-3-11 (RP 04/10/11)
$1/1 Truvia Natural Sweetener printable
$1/1 Truvia Natural Sweetener printable
Final: $1.49 each

Harris Teeter Super Doubles 3/23-3/29

2011-03-23T21:12:00.000-04:00

There are some awesome organic and natural food deals at Harris Teeter this week. Here are some highlights courtesy of The Coupon Challenge! Find the entire list of match-ups with the cool printable feature here.

Seventh Generation Tissues - $1.59

$1/1 Seventh Generation Product, exp. 4-23-11 (RP 01/23/11)
FREE

Muir Glen Tomato Paste - $1.55

$1/1 Muir Glen product printable (register)FREE

Seventh Generation Dish Detergent - $2.99

$1/1 Seventh Generation Product, exp. 4-23-11 (RP 01/23/11)
Final: $0.99 each

Kashi GoLean Cereal - $3.00

$3/1 Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cereal, exp. 3-31-11 (Vocalpoint)
$1/1 Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cereal, exp. 3-31-11 (Vocalpoint)
as low as FREE

Newman’s Own Salsa - $2.99

$1/1 Newman’s Own product Facebook printable
Final: $0.99 each

Nasoya Tofu - $2.19

$1.50/2 Nasoya Tofu, Wraps & Noodles, Nayonaise or Hummus printable$1.50/2 Nasoya Product, exp. 5-31-11 (RP 02/20/11) (I didn't get)
Final: 2/$1.38

Thanks The Coupon Challenge!

Great time to get presents from TheBodyShop.com

2010-12-14T10:18:00.001-05:00

If you need some stocking stuffers or some inexpensive presents, shop from The Body Shop online today. Their products feature community traded ingredients and some of their products do not have nasty parabens! Here's how to maximize your savings:

Shop through Shopathome.com and receive 20% cashback today! Look for the daily deal, The Body Shop, was 10% now 20%!
Use code FFJOY today to receive 30% off.
If you are a Love Your Body cardmember, you'll get an additional 10% off!
Spend $50 or more and get free shipping!

I love their home fragrance oils and some of their body butters! They have good gift sets that are on sale as well! Happy holidays!

If you use the ShopAtHome.com link above and make a purchase, I will receive referral fees. Thank you.

Perfect Gifts for Kids on Zuilly - Box Creations

2010-11-23T11:15:00.001-05:00

Now through the 26th, Zulily has Box Creations 50% off! For $19.99 (plus $6.95 shipping), you can provide hours of entertainment perfect for colder indoor days! My only problem is that I can decide which one to get for my girl and boy. I'm leaning towards the Pirate Ship since it is the latest release but I don't know. Which one would you pick.

Zulily is an invitation only shopping site for kids stuff, gear and items for Moms-to-be. Check it out!

Eco: You can get a giant cardboard box for your kids to play with but these are 80% recycled!

If you click on the link above and buy, I would receive a referral fee from Zuilly!

Shopping at CSN Stores

2010-11-08T21:16:00.000-05:00

I was very excited to be contacted by CSN Stores to do a review of one of their products. CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be a chic handbag, children's luggage or even cute cookware!

Now came the real dilemma, what to choose! I looked at some cookware, they have some good eco-friendly cookware but I really don't need any (thanks Mom).

If you shop on their site, you can even click on the Go Green logo and they'll show you eco-friendly products in almost every category! So, I started there!

I thought about the MU Kitchen MUbamboo kitchen towels because I like the name :) but my mom just gave me some towels. They are pretty!

Then I thought about getting something for Thing 2, his birthday is coming up soon and I do love Plan Toys and he loves trains.

But, I always buy things for the kids and I think they are happier playing with a cardboard box and some sticks than made toys. So, I've decided to get something for myself that will still be beneficial with two little ones! I need a new purse and I try to carry a small purse I can stick in the diaper bag but it's a pain! So, I thought about a marriage between a diaper bag and a purse, a Skip Hop! They are super cute, it looks like a purse so I can carry it to work but I'll still have all the essentials I need! Plus, they are PVC-free and the company donates a portion of its profits to two terrific non-profits. Now, I just have to decide on a color...

Stellina on sale at ideeli!

2010-10-30T16:24:00.000-04:00

I love good pajamas and today on ideeli, they have Stellina sleepwear available! Stellina is eco-friendly bamboo lounge and sleepwear and the colors available are soft and pretty.

ideeli is an invitation only private shopping site but click on the link above and you'll be invited!

Groupon: $20 for $40 of The Body Shop products!

2010-10-25T13:02:00.000-04:00

This is a super deal especially if you buy The Body Shop products for Christmas presents or love them yourself. While not all of their products are paraben free and not really all natural, they do use community trade products and have been for years. I used to love their body butter but most of them contain parabens so I have not been using them lately. I love all of their home fragrance oils that I use with soy tea light candles!

According to the fine print, you can use your Love Your Body card discount with the offer!

Get the Groupon deal!

The post above may contain affiliate links.

Farm Fresh Deals 10/6-10/12

2010-10-06T10:56:00.000-04:00

Some highlights from the ad and matchups!

Tom's of Maine Deodorant $3.99
Use $1/1 from 10/03 SS insert (I didn't get)
Final: $1.99 each

Hunts Ketchup $1 (No high fructose corn syrup!)
Use $1/2 from August All You Magazine (newsstand edition)
FREE

Argo Corn Starch or Baking Powder $1.59
Use $0.30/1 from 10/03 SS insert
Final: $0.99 each

Big thanks to Dana at The Coupon Challenge for providing the list. See the rest of the sales and matchups at The Coupon Challenge.

Bottoms Up All-In-One Cloth Wipes Kit only $29.99 plus tax

2010-09-27T11:59:00.000-04:00

Head over the BabySteals.com and score reusable baby wipe system at 50% off the list price of $59.99.

The Bottoms Up Baby Wipes All-In-One Kit Includes:

* 25 - all natural cotton terry cloth baby wipes (5.9" x 5.9")

* 1 - clean baby wipes container

* 1 - clean baby wipes essential oil blend – lavender & chamomile

* 1 - dirty baby wipes essential oil blend – tea tree & lemon

* 1 - dirty baby wipes container - with mesh bag insert

* 1 - clean baby wipes waterproof travel bag

* 1 - dirty baby wipes waterproof travel bag - with mesh bag insert

BTW, you may have noticed my lack of posts for... a while. I was really thinking about what I wanted to do with my blog and I decided that there are tons of coupon matching, money saving blogs out there that are terrific. Instead I decided to combine my love of eco-friendly products and saving money. People always say it's too pricey to go green so maybe this blog will help ease the transition.

I hope you like the change!

Harris Teeter Deals 6/9-6/15

2010-06-09T16:58:00.001-04:00

Big thanks to Mrs. Moneysaver for the coupon match-ups. Below are highlights. Looking for more? Check out the entire list at Mrs. Moneysaver.

Meal Deal- Buy Rosina Meatballs, 32 oz, for $7.75 and get the following free: 13 oz Celentano Cheese Ravioli, Newman’s Own Pasta Sauce, Pepsi 2-liter, and Pepperidge Farm Garlic Toast.
Use $0.50/1 Newman’s Own printable coupon.
Use $0.50/1 Newman’s Own coupon from 6/6 RP insert.
Final price: $6.75 for all 5 items

Butterball Turkey Bacon, 12 oz*- $2.50
Use $0.75/1 coupon from 5/9 SS insert.
Final price: $1

Crystal Light, 8 qt or To Go*- $1.77-$1.79
Use $1/1 printable coupon.
Final price: as low as $0.77

Chex Cereal, select varieties*- $1.82
Use $0.75/1 coupon from 6/6 SS insert.
Use $1/2 coupon from 5/2 SS insert.
Use $1/2 printable coupon.
Final price: as low as $0.32

Dannon Dan-o-nino- $2
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon.
Use $0.75/1 coupon from 6/6 SS insert.
Use $1/1 printable coupon (IE) or printable coupon (FF).
Final price: as low as $0.50

Mystic Frozen Pizza*- $2.72
Use $1.50/1 printable coupon.
Final price: $1.22

Farm Fresh Deals 6/9-6/15

2010-06-09T14:05:00.002-04:00

Hi! Just to let you know, my schedule has changed at work so I am unable to do the Farm Fresh match-ups anymore. Luckily, Dana from The Coupon Challenge has agreed to provide match-ups!

Here are some highlights:

Hartz Crunch n Clean Dog Biscuits - $1.99
Use $1/1 from the 04/11 SmartSource insert
FREE after coupon

Dannon Activia Yogurt - $2

Use $1/1 from the 06/06 SmartSource insert

FREE after coupon

Kraft Meldowns - $2.49
Use $1/1 printable

$0.49 each after coupon

Country Crock Side Dishes - $3
Use $1/1 from the 06/06 SmartSource insert
$1 each after coupon

Oscar Mayer Lunchmeat - $3
Use $1/1 printable
$1 each after coupon

Looking for more? Get the entire list from The Coupon Challenge.

$25 American Express Gift Card Winner!

2010-05-27T09:05:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Mary T., she won the $25 American Express Gift Card from Supervalu & General Mills.

Harris Teeter 05/19-05/25 Super Doubles!

2010-05-19T15:55:00.001-04:00

Big thanks to Mrs. Moneysaver for the weekly match-ups. Below are some highlights. Looking for more? Check out the entire list at Mrs. Moneysaver!

Highlights:

Eight O Clock Coffee, 11-12 oz*- $2.94
Use $1.50/2 coupon from 4/25 SS insert.
Use $1/1 coupon from April’s All You magazine.
Final price: as low as $0.94

Kashi Cereals, select varieties- $3
Use $1.50/1 printable coupon. (Must register, then coupon will be emailed to you.)
Final price: FREE

Nature’s Own Premium Bread*- $1.84
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon.
Final price: $0.34

Vitamin Water- $1
Use $1/2 coupon from 4/25 SS insert.
Final price: both FREE

Mystic Pepperoni Pizza- $3
Use $1.50/1 printable coupon.
Final price: FREE

Muir Glen Organic Soups- $1.50-$2
Use $1/1 coupon.
Final price: FREE

8th Continent Soy Milk, half gallon- $2.99
Use $1.50/1 coupon.
Final price: FREE

Farm Fresh Deals 05/19-05/25

2010-05-19T15:43:00.003-04:00

Farm Fresh Rules:
- 20 coupons per transaction
- 2 like items per transaction
- Buy one, get one free items: if you only need one, it rings half price. I've included the price per each. FF allows one free item.
- FF double coupons up to $0.99 everyday; $1.00 off coupons are doubled on Wednesdays only

Codes Explained:
S : SmartSource
RP: Red Plum
PG: Procter & Gamble
S1 or S2: SmartSource 1 and SmartSource 2
GM: General Mills insert
wyb: when you buy
FD: Fuel Discount item

Rock Bottom Deals 50% off or more!

Produce:

Red Seedless Grapes $1.48/lb.

Meat:

Perdue Shortcuts - buy one, get one free
05/02 RP $0.75/1
= $1.34

Oscar Mayer Basics Lunchables $1 (FD)

Ball Park Franks (FD) $2
05/02 RP $0.75/2
= $1.25/ea wyb 2

Oscar Mayer XXL or Beef Franks $2.50
Printable $2.00/2
05/16 S $1.00/2
= $1.50/ea wyb 2 **WED ONLY for $1.00/2 coupon

Grocery:

Kellogg's Cereals (select) $2.50
04/11 RP $1.00/2 Mini Wheats
04/11 RP $1.00/3 Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes
04/11 RP $1.00/2 Raisin Bran
= as low as $1.50/ea wyb 2 **WED ONLY

Post Cereals $2.50
05/16 S $1.00/2
= $1.50/ea wyb 2

Krunchers Potato Chips $2.50
04/18 S $1.00/1
= $0.50 **WED ONLY

KRAFT Salad Dressing $2
05/02 S $0.55/1
= $0.90

Doritos - buy one, get one free

Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce 18 oz. $1
Thomas' Bagels - buy one, get one free

Arnold Wide Pan Bread - buy one, get one free

Buy 4 12 packs of Coke products, get Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage (FD) and 8 pk of Coke, Diet Coke or Sprite free.

Dairy:

Almond Breeze $2.99
02/28 S $1.00/1
= $0.99 **WED ONLY
= $1.99 rest of week

Danimals Crush Cups $2
05/02 S $1.00/2
= $1/ea wyb 2 **WED ONLY

Dannon Dan-O-Nino 6 pk. $2
05/02 $1.00/2
= $1/ea wyb 2 **WED ONLY

Frozen:

Edy's Ice Cream $3
05/16 S $1.00/2
= $2/ea wyb 2 **WED ONLY

Nestle Frozen Novelties $3
05/02 S $1.00/1
= $1 **WED ONLY

ConAgra Promo: Save $10 OYNO wyb $25 in participating products in a single transaction. Coupon issued at checkout. Here are some match-ups to reduce your OOP.
- Healthy Choice Steamers $2.99 ~ $1/2 All You April 2010
- Healthy Choice Frozen Entree $2.99 ~ Printable $1.00/2
- Angel Soft Toilet Paper $5.99 ~ Printable $0.50/1 (must register)
- Kid Cuisine $2.39 ~ $1.00/2 All You April 2010
- Orville Redenbacher Microwave Popcorn $1.69 ~ $0.40/1 05/16 S & 03/28 S
Of course, if any of you received the ConAgra coupon booklet available by mail recently, you can save even more!

In Ad Coupons:
$2 off wyb 2 T.G.I. Friday's Frozen Snacks
There's a whole page in the ad with coupons for grilling out products like marinades, ground beef, etc.
Free Viva Single Paper Towel wyb 2 Palmolive dish soaps

This post is part of Becentsable's Grocery Gathering!

Free eBooks from Barnes & Noble

2010-05-18T09:19:00.000-04:00

For those of you thinking about buying an eReader, I would highly recommend the nook from Barnes & Noble. I got one for my birthday/Mother's Day/Anniversary present and I absolutely love it! I read a lot but I rarely bought books because I used the library, Swaptree or Paperback Swap. I was worried that I would spend a lot buying eBooks for my nook. So far, I have used gift cards and received free books through Free Fridays. My personal limit is $10 or under for an eBook.

So, I'm excited that Barnes & Noble is offering an additional free book each week. All you have to do is stop by a store with your nook or another device with their eReader software loaded (iPhone, BlackBerry, PC, Mac, etc.) and you will receive a code to download a free book.

From the press release:

To redeem the free eBook, customers will simply enter the weekly access code at www.bn.com/redeem, download the title to their Barnes & Noble digital library, and enjoy reading on one or more of their BN eReader-enabled devices. Each access code can be redeemed through July 1, 2010. Among the titles from bestselling authors and series offered in the Fun and Free eBook promotion are The Long Tail by Chris Anderson, Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg, Storm Front by Jim Butcher, One Shot by Lee Childs and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

SuperValu and Box Tops for Education + Giveaway

2010-05-17T10:19:00.011-04:00

In this economy with schools facing severe budget cuts, any help from parents and family members to help financially support schools is very appreciated. Box Tops for Education on items you use every day are a great way to support these schools.

To make it easy to participate in the program, the SuperValu family of stores (ACME, Albertsons, Cub, Farm Fresh and Jewel-Osco) joined Box Tops for Education in creating a website that not only tracks your Box Tops contribution and the school’s redemption, but also offers recipes, coupons, store promotions and more.

From now through May 31, SuperValu stores and Box Tops for Education are giving you a chance to win 50,000 bonus box tops for your school. That’s a $5,000 value! All you have to do is register at www.GrowingLocalLearning.com, and click the link to the 50,000 bonus box tops sweepstakes*. You will automatically receive 5 Bonus Box Tops just for signing up!
*Please note that the sweepstakes is void in some states. Visit www.GrowingLocalLearning.com and view the sweepstakes’ official rules for more details.

Hampton Roads Virginia readers: Don't miss out on the opportunity for extra box tops and $5 OYNO wyb $20 of participating products now through May 18th at Farm Fresh.

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a $25 American Express gift card courtesy of SuperValu and General Mills. To enter, simply leave a comment below with your favorite recipe using General Mills Box Tops products! One entry per person please.

Contest ends May 23, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Open to U.S. Residents.

I was provided a $25 American Express gift card, information, and the giveaway through MyBlogSpark by SuperValu and General Mills. My opinions remain my own.

Farm Fresh Additions

2010-05-14T15:06:00.000-04:00

Today's ad had the following additions:

Red Seedless Grapes $0.98/lb.
Pepsi product 2 liters $0.88/ea - limit of 8

Psst... there are rumors on A Full Cup's Farm Fresh forum that FF will do triple coupons 5/16-5/18!