Savin' the Day

Wordless Wednesday: They Don't Get it from Me!

2009-11-11T00:19:00.006-06:00

Awesome Recipe - Jean's Chicken Taco Soup

2009-11-10T17:00:00.000-06:00

Need an super tasty, very easy dish for these cool fall days? Well, I have one for you!

My momma created the following recipe and gave it to me the other day when I said I wanted some taco soup. She said it was yummy,and boy, was she right!!

Jean's Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of water and veggie bouillon cube OR 1 can of chicken broth(add water later if needed) **I used the water and a chicken bouillon cube.**

1 large can of chicken, drained

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of whole corn, drained

1 can of can of black beans

1/2 env of taco seasoning

1 cup of salsa

2 -3 tbsp of diced chili peppers

Directions

Seperate chicken with a fork so that it's not all clumped together.

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.

Heat until hot.

I promise it tastes a lot better than this picture looks!

Get Bon Jovi's New Album The Circle for only $3.99 at Amazon!

2009-11-10T16:28:00.002-06:00

This is why Amazon is my favorite online store! $3.99 for a just released album?! Hot Dog!!

Cooking Light - Amazon's Magazine Steal of the Week!

2009-11-08T20:03:00.003-06:00

I am super-excited about this "steal" because I've always wanted to subscribe to Cooking Light. I also think this would be a great idea for a few people on my Christmas list!

If you're not sure what the magazine has to offer you, check out Amazon's Cooking Light page. You'll find a list of features and pictures of the layout. This magazine is more than just recipes!

FREE Magazines -- Shape & Muscle and Fitness

2009-11-07T00:10:00.005-06:00

2 issues (Nov. and Dec.)

2-year subscription

1-year subscription

Get a FREE $40 Gift Certificate to 1-800-Flowers!

2009-11-05T23:22:00.004-06:00

Join the Fresh Rewards program at 1-800-Flowers, add 10 event reminders to your account, and you will earn a $40 gift certificate! Sign-up is super-easy, but you can get step-by-step instructions from Mercedes @ Common Sense with Money.

I think I'm going to pass my certificate to my husband so he can send me this gorgeous bouquet of my favorite flowers:

Btw, when you get ready to use your $40 certificate, be sure to go through Ebates for 10% back! (First time Ebates users will get a $5 sign-up bonus!)

Wii Games Deal at Target - EVEN BETTER NOW!

2009-11-03T23:11:00.005-06:00

This post is an update of a previous post.

If you are looking to buy some of the hottest Wii games for this Christmas, you will want to take advantage of Target's current deal -- Buy two games (choose from over 80 titles)and get the 3rd free!

I'd originally thought the best deal was buying them online using this information:

This deal is also available online, and it is included in the free shipping on orders over $50, so you'll pay $108.71 (includes my estimated tax) for three titles, which equals to $36.24 for each game! FYI: You'll get 4% if you go through Ebates.

HOWEVER...

I just read posts on My Frugal Adventure and It's Hip to Save! (thanks to "Deal"icious Mom for pointing them out!) that explain how to get 3 games for $20 and 6 for $69! Each scenerio involves using the $10/2 Wii games Target printable found here (scroll down to find it).

UPDATE - 11/4: I bought 5 $19.99 games and 1 $14.99 game, used 3 $10/2 coupons, and paid $49.96.

WOW!

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Siblings

2009-11-03T22:54:00.002-06:00

Amazon's 50 Albums for $5 - includes Yo Gabba Gabba and The Black Eyed Peas

2009-11-03T20:24:00.004-06:00

Check out the November list of 50 Albums for $5 at Amazon. My favorites -- including albums from Yo Gabba Gabba, Demi Lovato, The Black Eyed Peas, and Heart -- are on the widget on the sidebar. You can access the whole list here.

GDA -- Wii Console for $179.99 and B2G1 Free Games!

2009-11-01T23:06:00.010-06:00

Visit Dell.com TODAY to get the Wii console for only $179.99 -- that's a savings of $20!. You will have to put the Wii in your cart before you can see the sale price because they can not advertise the Wii for less than $199.99. According to Bfads.net, you will not a see a Wii for less than $199.99 on Black Friday, though you will probably see bundles for that amount.

Be sure to go through Ebates if you take advantage of this deal so you can get 4% back!

Once you have your console, you'll need games, right?! Take advantage of Target's current deal -- Buy two games (choose from over 80 titles)and get the 3rd free!

This deal is also available online, and it is included in the free shipping on orders over $50, so you'll pay $108.71 (includes my estimated tax) for three titles, which equals to $36.24 for each game! FYI: You'll get 4% if you go through Ebates.

Happy Halloween! Here's a treat for you!

2009-10-31T11:13:00.007-05:00

Picture it:

October, 1996

Four 19 year-old girls huddled in a dark college dorm room to watch a campy scary movie in honor of Halloween. They weren't expecting to be scared by The House on Haunted Hill, but you wouldn't have known it by their screams and jumps.

For the next thirteen years, two of the girls - Jen and I - would watching the movie every Halloween. Distance has kept us from watching The House on Haunted Hill together for 11 of those years, but every year when I watch it, it feels like the distance isn't that much.

Friday Fright: The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

2009-10-30T05:54:00.004-05:00

My class has been studying "The Tell-Tale Heart" this week. While it's not my favorite Poe story (that honor belongs to "The Masque of the Red Death"), it is one of my favorite stories to share with the class. After our study of the text, we usually watch a short film adaption and talk about how the story was brought to life. (Btw, most of my students usually say they like the story a lot better!) This year, I'm excited to also show them the 1953 animation which some animation professionals consider to be one of the fifty greatest animations of all time, and I want to share it with you as well.

Get a $15 Gift Code from Kodak Gallery

2009-10-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's time for Phase 2! I got my code during Phase 1, and I used it for some awesome presents! (Wish I could tell you what they were, but I don't want to give the surprises away!)

I was so excited to see this at Deal Seeking Mom!

Kodak Gallery is giving away 100,000 $15 gift codes over three different phases: ~~Oct. 20 – Oct. 28~~, Oct. 29 – Nov. 5, and Nov. 6 – Nov. 13.

If all of the 100,000 gift codes are given away in a phase, a code for 40% off will be given away. Those who receive the 40% off code will still be eligible for the $15 gift code in a later phase.

Sign up here.

(You'll also be entered to win a trip for two to see a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.)

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkin, Our Living Halloween Decoration

2009-10-27T23:31:00.000-05:00

$5 Amazon Subscription to Parents

2009-10-26T22:14:00.004-05:00

This is a great deal if you've missed any of the free subscriptions to Parents or if you have need to gift for a mother-to-be.

Price valid until Saturday, October 31, at 11:59.

$10 off TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure Blu-ray Combo + $5 Rebate from LeapFrog

2009-10-25T09:20:00.002-05:00

Use this $10 off Blu-Ray coupon to get a great deal on TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure.

Get a $5 rebate from LeapFrog when you a TinkerBell LeapFrog book or game and TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure DVD or Blu-ray. You can find all the info on the rebate form. Purchases must be made between October 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010, and requests must be postmarked by February 28, 2010. Go here to check out the products at LeapFrog.com. Use code LFTBELL to get free shipping on your entire order when you buy at least one TinkerBell product. I found several codes at RetailMeNot.com, so you might want to try them and see if they will save you more money on your order.

You can also get a $5 rebate from Kernel Seasons. This rebate is good on TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Up, and SnowBuddies when you buy 2 Kernel Seasons products. This is definitely the cheapest option.

Saturday Morning Cartoon Flashback: The Get Along Gang

2009-10-24T08:56:00.002-05:00

20 Free Songs from iTunes

2009-10-22T17:57:00.003-05:00

Become a fan of iTunes on Facebook and receive a code for a free Fall 2009 Sampler containing 20 songs from artists like Neko Case, Rancid, and New Found Glory.

Amazon Magazine Promotions

2009-10-21T22:05:00.002-05:00

Through October 31, Amazon is offering $5, $10, and $15 promotional certificates to customers who buy select magazines. The certificates will be sent within two weeks and are good on future Amazon purchases.

I have put a widget on my sidebar (under SHOP) with some of my favorite magazines and/or some of the best deals. If you want to see a full list of all the eligible magazines, follow these links:

$5 Certificates

$10 Certificates

$15 Certificates

FYI: Amazon magazines always ship free, but they can be used toward the $25 needed for free shipping on other items.

My First Wordless Wednesday: A First Airplane Ride

2009-10-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Jen's Book Review: The Monsters of Templeton

2009-10-11T21:51:00.005-05:00

Willie Upton never thought she would return to her hometown of Templeton, New York but now finds herself back home recovering from an affair with her professor and hiding the resulting pregnancy. The day she arrives home, a dead monster rises to the surface of Lake Glimmerglass. The entire town is buzzing about this prehistoric discovery. Then Willie's mother Vi drops a bombshell when she tells Willie that her father isn't a random man from Vi's hippie days but instead someone from right there in Templeton. She will not reveal who, so Willie sets out to research and find him on her own. Willie's family research reveals many family secrets and as a result more monsters surface.

I was almost lost when the monster surfaced (I don't like supernatural elements, although this was more of a prehistoric element), but I ended up really enjoying this book. Being an English major, I'm a sucker for literary tools like symbolism and understand that the prehistoric monster was symbolic of the "monsters" revealed to Willie through her research. The way the pieces of Willie's past were told through each of her ancestors' lives appealed to the history minor in me. I think this way of revealing Willie's past made the story. It would have been completely different and one dimentional had there just been one narrator. I was okay with how the book ended until I read the epilogue. The monster got me in the beginning and again at the end.

One unique thing about this book was that the author's note was placed before the story began rather than at the end. I liked this because I think a lot of people overlook the author's note, which can sometimes reveal the author's inspiration for the story and even give some background information. Groff's inspiration was a love for her hometown, Cooperstown (home to James Fenimore Cooper), for which she decided she wanted to write a story. During her research of Cooperstown, she realized she was creating stories in her head based on her findings. Her main inspiration was Cooper's The Pioneers, a novel he wrote about Cooperstown, renaming the town Templeton because his facts strayed from reality. Groff borrows characters from Cooper's Templeton and successfully intertwines fact with fiction to create a new story about the town she loves. Make sure to check out the discussion questions and the short interview with the author at the end.

~~~~~~
Tonya's Note: I also really enjoyed this book. My favorite parts were the mixture of Cooper's characters with the ones that Groff created and the use of pictures of real people to represent the characters. I'm a sucker for stuff like that! Of course, the English teacher in me also loved the symbolism of the monster.

Since Groff's book made me want to read Cooper again, I've included two links to books containing the tales that relate to The Monsters of Templeton.

My Latest Alice.com Order

2009-10-08T21:35:00.005-05:00

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For $10.99, I purchased

2 Degree Invisible Stick, Extreme Blast
1 Glad Flexible Straws
1 Pedigree Dentex Sticks
1 Safeguard Antibacterial Soap Bar, Beige
1 Johnson & Johnson Easy-Grip Sudzing Bar

The price of the Safeguard soap ($2.86 for a 4-pack) is the only one that I'm not sure is cheaper than in retail stores; however, I know for sure that if I'd gone to Walmart or Target to buy those items, I'd have spent $50 more on random items that I realized I "needed" while I was in the store. This is one reason that Alice.com is a definitely a moneysaver for me!

Btw, I ordered last night, and my order shipped today with delivery expected on Monday.

Have you shopped with Alice yet?

Did You Watch?

2009-10-07T21:33:00.003-05:00

Nie was beautiful on Oprah today.

Article

Video

See?

Beautiful.

Watch Nie on Oprah Tomorrow

2009-10-06T15:06:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow's Oprah will include a segment about one of the most beautiful people (inside and out) I've never met -- Stephanie of Nie Nie Dialogues. A little over a year ago, Nie and her husband Christian were involved a horrible plane crash, and they share their story on Oprah's show about lives that were changed in an instant. Please watch.

If you've never read Nie's blog, please check it out. To be honest, Nie moves my soul. I have been sitting here trying to find words to describe her writing and explain the reasons she is one of my heroes, but I can't come with the words. I hope that you are able to read Nie's blog (I would start here - back in January when Nie began blogging again) before watching Oprah so that you can truly appreciate her beauty.

Let Alice Help You Save

2009-10-05T21:52:00.002-05:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

I recently made my first order from Alice.com, and I must say that I was extremely pleased. My first order was a light one that consisted of a few need-now things and a few stock-ups. Everything I bought had a coupon to be used with it, though I saw several items that were cheaper than in-store prices even without a coupon.

Here's my order:

Downy Wrinkle Releaser $1.59 x 1 - $1.00 = $0.59

Speed Stick Antiperspirant $1.86 x 2 - $2.00 = $1.72

Pedigree DentaStix $3.59 x 1 - $1.00 = $2.59

Scrubbing Bubbles Flushable Bathroom Wipes $3.02 x 1 - $0.75 = $2.27

Suave Shampoo $1.10 x 1 - $0.50 = $0.60

Kotex Tampons $5.50 x 1 - $0.75 = $4.75

TOTAL = $13.39 (including taxes)

******

My favorite buy is the DentaStix because they run about $4.50 in the store, making them more of a splurge than part of my doggy's regular routine. The prices for the other items are also great!

I placed my order after midnight last Saturday, and I received the order on Wednesday. I was not expecting it so soon! The items were all taped, and several were in a ziploc bag to keep them separate. Packing bubbles (I don't know the technical term - it's not bubble wrap.) kept the items safe during shipment.

I am definitely going to be order more from Alice.com; in fact, while I was in Kroger and Walmart today, I passed on several items because I'd rather buy them from Alice.

After you open an account, you will receive a $10 credit once you spend $50. Just click on this link or the banner at the top of the post or in the sidebar to sign up. (Btw, Alice.com does have a referral service. If you sign up through my links, my friend Molly will earn 3% of your purchases for a year. Molly is a dear friend who is a SAHM, and I decided that using her referral link is one way for me to thank her for being one of my heroes.)

Alice.com has also started a free sample program that sounds absolutely awesome. Select shipments will contain goodie bags that will have samples and other gifts. This month, the gifts could even be iPods, gas cards, Flip video cameras, as well other great items! They are also giving away a Mac Book! To find out more information about this sample program and Mac Book contest, visit the blog at Alice.com.