Utah Deal Diva: Helping Utah Families Live on Less

Behr Paint Rebate from Home Depot & Help me with my Bathroom!

2012-05-25T11:22:00.000-06:00

Along with the holiday weekend comes another opportunity to save on Behr paint from Home Depot! One gallon and five gallon buckets are eligible for a $5 or $20 rebate when you purchase between 5/24 and 5/30. See offer details here.

We've used Behr paint all throughout our home and love it. We've lived here almost 5 years though and are sensing the need to redecorate/ touch-up some paint in several rooms. OK, it might just be me, but thankfully, my husband is supportive and willing to help. We're not big DIY-ers. We can fix things like no other, but re-decorating is another subject entirely. We want to learn though!

Our first project is this tiny, main-floor bathroom. {We're starting small.} I want to lighten up the paint color and maybe add a chair rail? I'd love to hear your suggestions! This bathroom is used by the kids all day long, so nothing too fancy. I'd love to dress up the mirror somehow too, but not sure how to do that since it's round?? Ideas?

Groupon: $19 Seven Peaks Tickets

2012-05-25T10:08:00.002-06:00

Groupon is offering $19 tickets to Seven Peaks Water Park in SLC. The $19 includes admission, lunch, tube rental and parking. See offer here.

Swag Bucks Tip

2012-05-25T09:50:00.002-06:00

It's Friday, which means it's another Mega Swag bucks day! I haven't mentioned Swag Bucks in a while but it continues to be a nearly effortless way I earn gift cards for searching around online. When you sign up for a SB account and use their search engine, you'll win swag bucks. Cash those in for gift cards and it's an easy way to, in my case, save money on diapers and baby wipes!

I've used Swag Bucks for years now and recently stumbled across an easy way to win more. I've always used the Swag Bucks search engine through Internet Explorer, but recently it seems IE isn't working as well with Blogger and other sites. So I started using Google Chrome as well. I generally have both windows open on my computer and just switch back and forth. I found while doing this, I was earning Swag Bucks at the same rate on both! So I'd win 10 Swag Bucks one minute on IE, then switch over to Google Chrome, do a couple searches and win another 12 SB! I do this several times a day! This might be old news to some of you, but it's new to me! Just thought I'd pass the info along! You can read more about Swag Bucks here.

Healthified Berry Oatmeal Bars

2012-05-24T16:23:00.000-06:00

I saw this recipe in an Eat Better America email and had to stop myself from running downstairs and whipping it up right then. {It was about 11:30pm. Not a good time to bake, in my opinion.} A few days later I was reading it over thinking, this would be so much better if I... {insert one of the changes I made here.} I can never seem to just follow a recipe. In this case though it worked out really, really well because these turned out incredible!!

You know those Jam Thumbprint cookies that are so good but you never make because they take f.o.r.e.v.e.r?! These are better. Much better. That and they take less than 10 minutes of prep to get into the oven. Easy! I also love that they're healthified! I used that as justification to eat them for breakfast. They're also a great afternoon snack. Yum!

Berry Oatmeal Bars

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup Old Fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or shortening, softened

1 egg

3/4 cup strawberry, raspberry or any type jam {not freezer jam!}

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 8-inch square pan with foil. In large bowl, mix flours, sugar, butter and egg with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly.

Reserve 1/2 cup crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly in bottom of pan. Spread fruit spread to within 1/2 inch of edges. {We like jam so I used 1 cup.} Sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup crumb mixture over top; sprinkle with walnuts.

This is why you line the pan with foil. I also sprayed it with a little cooking spray. No stick-age!

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

Enjoy!

My Smith's Trip: 66% Savings Overall Rolling Catalinas!

2012-05-24T15:01:00.001-06:00

I had a magical grocery shopping trip at Smith's today. You know those trips where everything seems to go wrong? Well, this was the exact opposite. It was that good.

First, let me tell you my {not so} secret formula:
Peanut butter sandwiches on the way to Smith's + Play Place at the store + Front carrier for Leah= BLISS

No joke. The stars aligned and everyone was happy and cooperative. The shelves were stocked and no coupons beeped. Catalinas just kept rolling and rolling. Ok, let me tell you what I did...

Overall I did 3 separate transactions. Before sales and coupons I would have spent $163.10, but instead I paid only $55.05! That works out to be a 66% savings!

See the Smith's Grocery Smarts list here. Never heard of Grocery Smarts? Read all about how to use this fabulous FREE grocery tool here. You'll also want to print a few coupons from the Smith's cereal sale. I also bought 3 packages of Huggies Swim Diapers and got the catalina I told you about here. GREAT price on those- $3.82 each!!

Quick run-down on catalinas: These are the coupons that print out at the register. Certain items and numbers of those items triggers catalinas to print. the best kind are the ones that get you money off your next shopping trip. Rolling catalinas refers to buying items that triggers the catalina, then turning around and buying another set of participating, using the first catalina to pay and also triggering another to print! It's awesome!

Transaction #1:
Purchased 6 boxes of Kix cereal, on sale for $2.50 each

Used $3 in coupons
Paid $12.45 total
Got a $6 catalina coupon to use on my next transaction!
Averages out to 78% savings

Transaction #2:

I didn't intend to do 3 transactions, I only planned on two. However, when I was walking around the store, I noticed these Yoplait Yogurts marked down to .99. I didn't have any coupons, but I didn't need them as they're marked as part of the "Buy 6 items, get a $6 catalina" promo! So if I pay .99 each and I get a $6 catalina at the end that makes them... FREE!

Purchased 6 Yoplait with Granola yogurts, .99 markdown

Used $6 catalina from transaction #1
Paid .12 in tax
Got another $6 catalina to use for transaction #3
100% savings!! Keep an eye out for those bright colored mark-down stickers!!

Transaction #3 is everything pictured at the very top. I paid with the $6 catalina from trans. #2, then of course, got another one! I also got a $5 catalina from purchasing $20 worth of Huggies.

Not a bad sale at Smith's this week, huh?! Let me know if you had any questions about my trip, rolling catalinas, etc. Happy shopping everyone!

Country Crock Spread: .50 at Smith's

2012-05-24T14:27:00.002-06:00

Country Crock spread is on sale at Smith's for $1.50. Print a $1/1 coupon here and you can get each tub for only .50!

Breyers: $1.75 at Smith's

2012-05-24T14:11:00.003-06:00

Right now you can print a .75/1 Breyers Blasts coupon from Facebook. Use it at Smith's to get each tub for only $1.75! Remember- you can print two coupons per computer!

Half off Amazon Educational Apps

2012-05-24T09:02:00.001-06:00

Amazon is having a 50% off sale on their preschool educational apps. We have several of these, including Paint & Color and My First Puzzles.

You can see all the apps on sale here. What are your favorite educational apps for kids?

58% off North Shore Aquatic in Ogden

2012-05-24T08:48:00.000-06:00

If you live near Ogden, North Shore Aquatic Center is offering a great deal right now! You can purchase a Groupon for 58% off admission prices- $5 for admission for two people, $10 admission for four, and $15 admission for 6. Kids ages 3 and under are FREE. See offer here.

If you've never purchased a Groupon before, you can sign up here to get started!

$5 All-Day Jump Pass in SLC

2012-05-24T08:42:00.002-06:00

For the next few days, Jump Around Utah is on Groupon! $5 will get you an all-day jump pass, valid until November 28th! You can purchase up to 10 as well.

I purchased this Groupon last time it was available and actually bought enough passes to have my son's birthday there. I figured $5 per kid was well worth it! They played hard and had a fantastic time. I liked that there were areas for younger kids as well. Plus, that giant pillow-like inflatable in the middle was awesome. See offer details here.

If you've never purchased a Groupon before, you can sign up here to get started!

Smith's: General Mills Cereals for .95 per box!

2012-05-23T15:51:00.000-06:00

Part of the Smith's sale that started today is a General Mills catalina offer. Buy 6 participating items, get a $6 catalina back for use on your next purchase. Combine this with the sale and coupons and you've got yourself a great deal on cereal! Remember, you can print up to 2 of each coupon below, if you haven't already!

Coupons available:

$1.10/2 GM cereals {another of these coupons here if you haven't printed them already}
.60/1 Cheerios Original {yellow box}
Save $1 on 2 select General Mills cereals
Save $1 on 2 select General Mills cereals {another coupon!}
.50/1 General Mills Original Cheerios yellow box cereal

Deal Scenario:
Purchase 6 participating cereals, $2.50 each

Subtotal: $14
Use three $1.10/2 or $1/2 coupons from above
Pay $11.70- $12 OOP {out-of-pocket}
Get a $6 catalina back, to use on your next purchase
Final price: $5.70- $6, or .95- $1 per box!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Coupons for other GM items that are also part of the promo:

.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
.75/2 Betty Crocker Dessert Mixes, 5/20 SS {makes each box $1.13 after coupon!}
$1/3 GM cereals, 5/20 SS

There are a few other items that are on sale for a great price too:

Kroger Butter, $1.67 {WOW!!!}
Dozen eggs, .99
Kraft salad dressing, $1.67 {use $1/2 coupon from 5/20 SS} price after coupon= $1.17!
Nabisco crackers, $2 {use this $1/2 coupon to get them for $1.50/ box}
Free Hamburger Helper after coupon! Use .75/3 from 4/22 SS- free when you factor in the $6 catalina!

Thanks for the head's up Nicole!!

Hill Air Force Open House & Air Show and More Utah Memorial Day Events

2012-05-23T15:00:00.000-06:00

We celebrate Memorial Day this coming Monday, May 28th. In honor of the holiday there are several local events held across the state. Here are a few of the bigger events:

***Hill Air Force Base, Open House & Air Show: Saturday, May 26th and Sunday, May 27th. Gates open at 8am. Pre-show with remote control aircraft at 10am. Aerial Performers begin at 10:30am. More info here.

***Salt Lake City: Fort Douglas Memorial Day Ceremony • Fort Douglas Cemetery, 375 Chipeta Way; 11 a.m. Monday, May 28th.

***American Fork: American Fork City and the American Fork Cemetery Committee invite you to join us for our annual Memorial Day Program to be held on May 28, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Alpine Tabernacle located at 100 East Main in American Fork. This year's program, titled "Heroes Among Us," will feature beloved speaker and lifetime resident of American Fork, Craig Roberts. Music will be provided by the American Fork High School Jazz Band and the American Fork High School Marching Band.

***Bluffdale: 10am service, Utah State Veterans Memorial Park, 17111 Camp Williams Road, Bluffdale. Music from 23rd Army Band Quintet, SL Scots Bagpipers and remarks from Governor Herbert.

***Cedar City: Memorial Day Recognition and Veteran's Memorial Service held at the Cedar City Cemetery at 9:00am, including a Piper drum and bagpipe band, military salute, flag raising and lowering, and a short talk by an honored veteran. A Memorial Day Program is also held at Parowan Cemetery. All are welcome.

***Herriman: Memorial Day Tribute Ceremony, 9:00am, Herriman City Cemetery, 12520 So. Pioneer Street (6000 W.) Riverton American Legion Post 140 will honor those who have passed on with a free program of patriotic music and poetry. There will also be a reading of veteran names, a 21-gun salute and the singing and playing of “Taps.”

***West Jordan: Memorial Weekend Celebration & Dove release. Monday, May 28th at Veteran's Memorial Park, 11am.

Vocalpoint: Bounty Coupons & more

2012-05-23T14:03:00.002-06:00

Vocalpoint members: log in to your account to request a coupon booklet for Bounty napkins and paper towels. I'm not sure the value of the coupons, but Vocalpoint is well known for offering some of the best coupons I've ever seen!

You can also request a coupon for free Gillette Fusion Shave Gel when you purchase the styler tool.

Vocalpoint membership is FREE and it's awesome! You'll get several opportunities a year to receive free products in exchange for reviews. They send coupons along with samples too- high value coupons! Read more about free sample programs here.

Mikarose WINNER

2012-05-23T13:53:00.003-06:00

The winner of the $50 Mikarose gift card is...

#288, Damaris Helps Kjar

Congrats! Check your email for a message from me with instructions on claiming your prize!

Free Slurpee Day at 7-11!

2012-05-23T11:34:00.002-06:00

Don't forget! Today is FREE Slurpee day at 7-11 stores!

Summer's here and so is FREE Slurpee. Swing by 7-Eleven on May 23rd between 11a-7p and grab yourself 7.11 ounces of cool, refreshing glory juice. Our treat! And don't miss our new Slurpee Lite™ Fanta Sugar-free Mango - 50% fewer calories. Same big Slurpee taste.

All stores participate in events like this, but oftentimes if they run out of the small, sample size cups, the promo is over for that store!

New Coupons: Pam, Milky Way & more!

2012-05-23T09:23:00.003-06:00

Here are a few new coupons that are worth mentioning this morning:

.75/1 Milky Way brand bars
$1.25/2 Silk Pure Almond {only $2.37 after coupon at Smith's!}
$1/2 Pam cooking spray {GREAT coupon!!}

Can You Really Oven Cook Hard-Boiled Eggs?

2012-05-22T17:02:00.002-06:00

I've had it on my To Do list for a couple weeks now to test out another Pinterest find regarding how to cook hard boiled eggs. I've always done the traditional method of, you know, boiling them. Hence the name, hard boiled eggs, right? Well, seems a new method is catching interest...

Here's what the pin states:
For anyone that may not know, the BEST way to make hard-boiled eggs is in the OVEN! Place the eggs in a muffin tray so they do not move around, turn the oven to 325 degrees, pop in for about 25-30 minutes and remove! Not only are they tastier, but they also are much easier to peel!

So, can you cook a hard-boiled egg in the oven?

Well today I tested this whole process out. I used 6 eggs and placed them in muffin tins, just like the original pin showed. I heated the oven to 325 degrees. I decided to err on the side of too much time, so I cooked mine for 30 minutes.

I then submerged them in a bowl of cold water immediately following. {This is what I do normally and also browsed the web for info on baking hard boiled eggs and it was reiterated there as well.}

The result?

Yuck. I'd say I need another 10 minutes of time, don't you think? This was after 30 minutes! Boiling them only takes about 10-15 tops!

Maybe if it was cooked a bit more it'd also be easier to peel. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't easy by any stretch.

You know, I think I'll just stick with boiling my hard boiled eggs. Seems like it takes less time and it's not like boiling water is difficult.

I'll move this Pin over to the Tried & Failed Folder. {Kind of Fail, I guess. More time would have been good, but I just think that's too much time dedicated to hard cooking an egg!}

Have you seen a Pin and wonder if it works? Email it to me and I'll see what I can do about testing it out!

Another FREE Target Beauty Bag!

2012-05-22T13:09:00.002-06:00

Right now you can sign up to receive a Target Summer Beauty Bag here! These have quickly become one of my favorite offers. They contain several good-sized samples of products- occasionally even a full sized product as well! All in a cute little make-up bag.

Hurry here to sign up via Facebook. Google Chrome seems to work better and be patient as each page is taking a while to load!

thanks MoneySavingMom!

Half off Gourmet Groceries from Plentiful Pantry

2012-05-22T09:37:00.001-06:00

For the next 2 days only, Groupon is offering $50 worth of gourmet foods from Plentiful Pantry- for only $25! I've tried several Plentiful Pantry items and actually- they were all really, really good. However, in my opinion, these are still too pricey to purchase them with the intent to put them in your regular weekly dinner rotation. However- look how pretty they are- these make fantastic gifts! These would be darling Teacher Appreciation gifts, holiday gifts for neighbors or co-workers, etc. See offer here.

Groupon: Horseback Riding Lessons in Payson

2012-05-22T09:29:00.003-06:00

One of today's Groupons is for discounted horseback riding lessons in Payson. Kids as young as 5 are able to participate. There are two different options- $35 for two private lessons or $60 for four private lessons. See offer here.

Wow- I've never seen a Groupon for horseback riding lessons- this would be a neat opportunity for the kids to learn a new skill over the summer!

50% off Colby's Kettle Corn

2012-05-22T09:19:00.002-06:00

For the next week, Plum District is offering half off Colby's Kettle Corn. For $12 {+$6 shipping!} you get 6 big bags of lightly seasoned kettle corn. You can choose from salty-sweet, cinnamon sugar, white cheddar, chili cheese, or the variety pack. they use 100% natural ingredients and the popcorn is low fat, low calorie and high in fiber. They're also gluten-free and 2 of the 4 varieties are dairy free!

If you haven't already, use code visa10 to get 10% savings, making this deal $10.80. It's make a great present for Father's Day too!

Colby's sent me out some kettle corn to try and it's awesome. I love, love, love popcorn- I eat it at least a couple times each week. Since going dairy-free, I feel my treat choices are limited, so it's been nice to have a sweet option that tastes so good! Whip up a fruit smoothie, fill up a bowl of popcorn and I'm set.

See offer here.

Tesoro Gas Cards for Good Grades from Kids Ages 13+

2012-05-21T20:54:00.000-06:00

Kids ages 13 and above {and even adults up to age 23!} can enroll in the Tesoro Gallons for Grades program here and get gas gift cards when they score at least a B average! Kids with an A average will get a $10 gas card, B averages will get you a $5 gas card. Grades can be submitted via web or snail mail.

This program is only available in select states, Utah being one of them! Other participating states include Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. You must be enrolled in a "qualified academic institution." See more info here.

Thanks MoneySavingMom!

$99 Discovery Gateway Membership Sale

2012-05-21T15:46:00.001-06:00

Discovery Gateway is running a sale on their 4-person membership package right now. You can get a 4-person one-year membership for $99 {regular price is $115.} See offer details here.

On June 2nd they're also holding a free family event outside Discovery Gateway:

Discovery Gateway is partnering with the Utah Office of Child Care for the launch of their new website “Care about Childcare”

Saturday, June 2^nd 11am-2pm

Outside, in front of the museum on Rio Grande Street

This is a FREE event for parents and children to celebrate the new website, careaboutchildcare.utah.gov, promoting resources for families looking for quality child care services in Utah.

We encourage participants to ride their bikes to the event, decorate their bikes, and join in the bike parade at 2:00.

The event will feature a variety of activities, including the bike parade, arts and crafts, physical fitness, child safety, dairy nutrition, face paintings, balloon artists, and performances by the One Voice Children’s Choir, School of Rock, and Radio Disney.

Discovery Gateway will provide two-for-one admission to the museum during the event.

Huggies Size 3- .16 per diaper on Amazon

2012-05-21T10:27:00.002-06:00

Right now Amazon has size 3 Huggies Snug & Dry {156 ct} for $34.25. Discount 20% for Subscribe & Save/ Amazon Mom and clip the $2 coupon and you'll pay only $25.40, which is .16 per diaper. Costco Huggies using the $6 coupon works out to be .15/diaper, so this is a pretty good deal, particularly if you need diapers!

If you're expecting and trying to stock up on diapers, all my kids have been in size 3 the longest, so stocking up on this size is a great idea. See the deal here.

I tried Kirkland brand diapers and LOVE them. The only problem is I tried them out when the coupon was available... and of course now when I need more diapers, there's no coupon. I noticed too, they're the exact same price as the Huggies diapers! Whatever happened to off-brand being cheaper?!

Hillshire Farm Sausage: $2.44 after Coupon at Smith's

2012-05-21T09:23:00.003-06:00

I found several new coupons this morning! Print a coupon for .55/1 Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage. Not only is this a unique coupon, but this item is on sale at Smith's right now! It's part of the "Buy 10, save $4" promotion. It's only $2.44 after coupon! Our family loves these; they're wonderful on the grill. Add a side dish and a salad and you've got dinner- most likely for around $5!

More great coupons: