My Regular Life

Santa is getting ready for the naghty kids:

2011-12-12T20:30:00.001-05:00

:-)

Don't forget your schools this holiday season

2011-11-23T15:15:00.001-05:00

Please, join the above campaign for your school. Also - don't forget to put aside those box tops and labels for your schools while baking this holiday season.

You can find box tops on several General Mills products, such as Pillsbury, Big G cereals, etc.
Save the labels of Campbells soup cans.
While not as common in the holiday season as the others - remember that the Caprisun pouches can be saved for fund raising activities for your schools as well.

Free refreshment for Black Friday!

2011-11-23T15:06:00.001-05:00

Join the Orange Julius Quench Club and get a BOGO coupon! You'll also get discounts, flavor updates and contests from Orange Julius. Click Here

Print Coupons for Ziploc, Windex, Pledge & more

2011-11-23T14:52:00.001-05:00

If you do not get the Right @ Home newsletter yet, now is the time. :-) I just received notification in my in box for Windex, Ziploc, Pledge & Glade. Check it out and print your coupons.

Fun Day at the Zoo

2011-11-17T17:21:00.001-05:00

My daughter's class had a great field trip today.

Kroger: Saved $68 or 44%

2011-11-14T10:54:00.001-05:00

Stocked up on my sugar for this trip :-)

Publix: Saved $139 or 54%

2011-11-14T10:52:00.001-05:00

I am posting this about a week late, but I have been busy :-)

Need one of these in 9 years

2011-11-13T14:57:00.001-05:00

Then I won't have to worry about her getting hurt when she is learning to drive. :-)

Waiting for Daddy

2011-11-07T19:38:00.001-05:00

Our normally rambunctious puppy is sitting forlorn next to the door since Daddy walked out of it about 15 min ago (he has a late night appt. For bug killin')

Multitasking Daddy

2011-11-07T19:16:00.001-05:00

Wrestling with two dogs and cuddlingg DD

Birthday Girl before the guests arrive.

2011-11-05T16:21:00.001-04:00

Halloween Fun

2011-11-01T11:37:00.000-04:00

I have always loved Halloween, and now I love it more now that I have my daughter to enjoy it with :-)

I just wanted to share this picture - and check in to see how your Halloween went.

Kroger: $2.84 OOP, Saved 92%

2011-10-28T18:47:00.001-04:00

Saved 92% - Darn bread turned up the price again :-D

The bread was on sale for $1, and I used the $8 coupon for the make-up. I ended up making $.10 for ever two. :-)

Don't forget to print coupons before the end of the month.

2011-10-28T17:46:00.000-04:00

Some of my current favorites are:

$2.00 off Any Aleve 40ct or larger

GET COUPON

I can usually pair this with some Publix coupons and get my house some Ibuprofen for dirt cheap. :-)

$0.50 off 2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie crusts

GET COUPON

The holidays are coming up - and since this coupon will double, that means a good chance for great savings.

50¢ off when you buy ONE LouAna® Product

GET COUPON

With all the cooking done in my house, oil is a staple in our cupboards. Hanging onto this coupon (that will double to a dollar) will ensure I won't have to pay full price.

30¢ off when you buy TWO CANS any size/variety Pillsbury® Refrigerated Grands!® or Grands! Jr.® Biscuits

GET COUPON

Another family staple, and a great addition for coming family dinners.

SAVE $0.55 with the purchase of one (1) package of Idaho® Spuds™ Signature Potato Bits 13.7 oz.

GET COUPON

Can't have too many potatoes for my Steak & Potatoes guy! I make him eat chicken, at least I can let him have some potatoes!

Free Product from Ink Garden. You choose!

2011-10-27T17:56:00.001-04:00

Free Chips & Queso Coupon

2011-10-27T17:53:00.002-04:00

Join Chili’s Email Club and get a free order of Skillet Queso, House-Made Salsa, and Bottomless Chips on your next visit to Chili’s - plus access to exclusive discounts and specials! Click Here

Gift Idea: Free 8x10 Canvas from your picture.

2011-10-27T17:51:00.000-04:00

It is getting close to Christmas, and is time to start thinking about gifts (if you haven't started already) This would make a GREAT gift for just about anybody on your list!

It's that time of year: Save $4 on Allegra

2011-10-27T17:48:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I missed it.

2011-10-27T11:22:00.002-04:00

I am a huge fan of the magical, of happy endings, fairy tales, fantasy - you can tell in the games I play and in the books I read. So I was excited about two new shows coming out this season: Once Upon A Time and Grimm. More than any of the other new shows, these two had me the most excited - this is my genre! I couldn't wait to watch it.

So - why oh why did I miss the premier of Once Upon a Time this past Sunday! I actually blame the marketing - yeah they put out commercial on the basic cable networks - but the date and time of the premier were vague - and I just never thought to look it up. OK, OK - so perhaps the onus is on me, especially since I looked it up a couple of months ago (see the big post I put up about what I wanted to check out) but Grimm has done a much better job of advertising.

Overall I haven't been overly impressed with this seasons new shows. There are some I like, and catch them on On Demand now - but none of the new ones have gotten me excited to watch them. I still get excited to watch my old favorite Criminal Minds - but the rest - I like them and they entertain me now on a rainy Saturday. Of course there have been one or two major disappointments (Charlie's Angels, Whitney) but for the most part the new shows have been pretty good. (Prime Suspect, Person of Interest, Unforgettable, New Girl, Pan Am, Playboy Club, etc.)

But - now I have Once Upon A Time! For the first time I feel like there is a show about magic that can fill the void Charmed left when it was over. (I still watch the series over and over again on TNT) A wonderful blend of realism with the magical - and characters you can love and/or hate. Starting from the pilot this show promises to be amazing. I am absolutely enamored of the series already - and can't wait for the next episode! In the past, HBO has been the only network to create new shows that evoke this kind of emotion in me - but they are playing on the fact that I am (well - not me personally) already a huge fan of the series as written by the authors. (read: True Blood & Game of Thrones) and those are my Spring & Summer shows anyway. THIS, this show can be my magical fall show.

So - I challenge you, ABC, do not let me down! I grinned bigger than Henry when that clock started to move in the final scene. Do not take that away from me! :-) Yeah - I know, a little melodramatic - but then, I am a fantasy fan.

Wednesday Blog Hops

2011-10-26T14:21:00.000-04:00

Couponing the 'Right' way.

2011-10-26T09:55:00.002-04:00

This morning I picked up my little newspaper packet of grocery sales papers and an article from a local couponing expert, Carol Gunter.

In this weeks paper (today's delivery was a reprint from Sunday's paper) she wrote a great article about the rate at which refrigerated and frozen food goes bad in the event of a power outage. There was some very useful information there and I decided to Google Carol to see if she had her own blog or wrote other articles that were published by her. I did find her articles from our local paper and want to highlight a couple here - dealing mainly with couponing.

The first article focuses on the controversial first episode of season one of the show Extreme Couponing. Most couponers (at least from the blogging community I participate in) found this episode disturbing. It focused on a woman who is an unapologetic shelf clearer. I myself was taken aback by this couponers attitude toward another shopper in the story.

After reading Carol's article I found that I, like so many others, were duped by the producers of the show. That shopper - was part of the show. The whole incident was inserted to create a dramatic feel. I am astonished that someone would want to stage such a blatant disregard for common courtesy - but in all honesty; what do I know? I wasn't on the set, I don't know what they said to this woman to make her agree to this. Ms. Gunter's article made me realize I need to take the show for what it is; a 'reality' show. The average viewer of the kind of shows now know that each show is edited, produced, and staged to get the most chatter going. They run on the buzz, negative or positive, and create a level of curiosity in which compelled others to check out at least one show.

Still not sure about that? I have been recently following another 'reality/competition' show on the Food Network: 'Halloween Wars'

This show showcases the amazing artwork of pumpkin carvers and sweet crafters. (candy, chocolate, cake, etc.) If you pay attention, you will see that this show is blatantly edited to create the most drama. As they start the final count down they cut to a scene that happened hours before. The stress of this was so much for two of their contestants that they quite well before the end of the competition.

Regardless, these people chose to be on these shows, and if they are unhappy with how they are portrayed, they will need to address that in their own way. I do hope this opens the eyes of other couponers so they realize - hey, this show may not make me out to be a good person.

Does this mean I will stop watching the show? Absolutely not! I have never viewed TLC's Extreme Couponing as a realistic portrayal of the everyday couponer. I use these shows as a source of inspiration while I cut and sort my own coupons. I also glean out tidbits here and there that are extremely useful to my own couponing. Finally, I sometimes use the show as an example of what not to do; which leads me to the second of Carol's articles I found so helpful.

I had no clue there is an organization that covers the 'rules' of couponing! The Coupon Information Corporation (CIC) is a non-profit organization that works with lawmakers to help reduce fraud within the industry. They also release some rules and guidelines for those of us that coupon with vigor. The most recent news release was appropriately titled Considerate Couponing. On a personal level - I get very annoyed when I go to find a deal and I have heard of one person coming out and clearing the store - and not only that store, but hit all of the stores in a 20 mile radius and clear those as well! I expect it on the last day of a sale - not so much on the first. Ah well - that is what I get those rain checks for. :-) I am not going to go into detail about what you can find at the CIC website, because Carol has done an excellent job of this in her article.

I know these issues can be very polarizing, but I would love to know what you think.

Moving away from 'Instant' and 'Minute' aka What Zatarain's taught me.

2011-10-25T11:48:00.003-04:00

In the past few months I have been looking at ways to cut our budget along with eating healthier, and there is a trend in some staples like, rice and oatmeal, that I have come accustomed to growing up.

I have always used 'rice in a bag' or 'minute rice' when I want to add it to my dish. Then one day I used a box of Zatarain's. I know - that is still a 'convenience' food - but really only for the combination of spices. They didn't put their rice in a special bag - instead they said I needed to have an exact measurement of water then throw in this package of loose rice and spices - then.... wait for it ..... KEEP AN EYE ON IT. Imagine that! I could make rice when it wasn't in a bag. I know it sounds silly, but in all honesty, for those of us raised on the bagged stuff, it is hard to imagine making something with out it. One starts looking at rice cookers and thinking these are a necessary part of making loose rice.

This revelation got me to thinking - why? Why do I buy these bags of rice that force a specific amount of portions on me. I realized I do it only because it is what I have always done, it is a repeat of what I have seen my mother do when I was growing up. Well - I am done with that. I will now purchase my rice in the bag, measure out exactly what I want or need for the meal - and cook it up in a pot (I know the rice cooker is for convenience, but really - I am already at the stove cooking other stuff) - and now I am free from spending extra money on those bags of rice in a box. Free from trying to figure out the best way to reheat the rice that I didn't need - and so on.

Don't get me wrong - I will still purchase the rice with seasonings, like Zatarain's - but I will start purchasing my bags of brown rice by the bag and not the box of bags.

This line of thinking even spilled over to my oatmeal. I enjoy Quaker oatmeal, and usually get the boxes of the little packets. Again - for the seasoning - but really, seasoning oatmeal isn't a mystery, and I tend to add some extra anyway. Chop up some apples, find some raising, sprinkle some cinnamon, dribble some honey - how hard is that? I have this stuff in my home anyway. The way I see it a medium apple and small box of raisins could easily supplement my morning oatmeal. So - why not by the big thing of plain oatmeal and try this on my own? Wouldn't that be considerably cheaper? I think I am going to try it - what is the worse that could happen?

So take a minute - look at what you are doing. Are you really saving yourself time? or are you just doing the same thing you have always done - spending extra money that is really unnecessary to spend - because there really is no added convenience? (In my opinion instant potatoes do add convenience - they aren't as good, but they are convenient)

Free Samples of Zantac

2011-10-22T15:42:00.001-04:00

Skyfest

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

My previous weekend adventure post was from the weekend before last - the Skyfest is what we did this past weekend. I didn't even know about it until my Sister-In-Law sent us a text to see if we wanted to go - then my husband told me how they went as a child. Well - what a perfect thing to take our child to! What amazing work this pilots do! My daughter just fell in love with the parachuters and the 'tiger' plane. It was a beautiful day - so comfortable I completely forgot my sunscreen. Now - for my husband and daughter - no big, they don't seem to have issues with the sun like I do - but then they have more pigment in there skin to begin with. Unfortunately my translucent-like complexion did not handle the sun well - and I was burnt. That will be the first and last time I do anything outside with out my sunscreen! I still hurt! But - I didn't feel that until I got home - while we were there we had a wonderful time.

This was a pretty big event with booths from all over the place, including a race-car driver, and a fire truck. See the pictures below:

But nothing could beat the wonder she found in the planes (or all of us really!)

Then it was time for the main event.

My favorite part was the Pledge of Allegience. In true aviator style, we sad it to a flag that was attached to the parachuters leg as he came down. I was taking these pictures with my phone, so you may have to click to see the larger pick to get a good idea.

And of course - the trick planes! The 'tiger' plane being one of them (and I regret that I didn't take a close up picture of that plane, since my daughter loved it so much). Again - you will probably want to click the small picture to see the bigger one for more details.

This was amazing! 12 planes, flying in formation.

So - another lesson I leaned, besides the sunscreen, was to take a better camera! Next year! :-D

Publix: Spent $24, saved 60%

2011-10-19T14:58:00.001-04:00

Some great deals at Publix this week. I will probably go back for more peanut butter (less than $1) if I can find the rest of my Publix coupons that I grabbed from the peg board in the store last week.

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My Regular Life

Santa is getting ready for the naghty kids:

Don't forget your schools this holiday season

Free refreshment for Black Friday!

Print Coupons for Ziploc, Windex, Pledge & more

Fun Day at the Zoo

Kroger: Saved $68 or 44%

Publix: Saved $139 or 54%

Need one of these in 9 years

Waiting for Daddy

Multitasking Daddy

Birthday Girl before the guests arrive.

Halloween Fun

Kroger: $2.84 OOP, Saved 92%

Don't forget to print coupons before the end of the month.

*Free* Product from Ink Garden. You choose!

*Free* Chips & Queso Coupon

Gift Idea: *Free* 8x10 Canvas from your picture.

It's that time of year: Save $4 on Allegra

I can't believe I missed it.

Wednesday Blog Hops

Couponing the 'Right' way.

Moving away from 'Instant' and 'Minute' aka What Zatarain's taught me.

Free Samples of Zantac

Skyfest

Publix: Spent $24, saved 60%

Free Product from Ink Garden. You choose!

Free Chips & Queso Coupon

Gift Idea: Free 8x10 Canvas from your picture.