New Coupons

Being the beginning of the month, the coupons at coupons.com have reset. I looked there a few days ago and found nothing. I just looked today and whoa! Great coupons! Some of my favorite coupons?

• Pillsbury ready made dough. You can usually get these for under $1 and they have a long shelf life! I love doing this with the kids as a project. They roll the dough balls, we put sprinkles, chocolate chips, shapes....I mean the world is the limit here! There are no rules when it comes to homemade cookies!
• Pillsbury pizza crusts. At least one store always has these on sale every week. They cost next to nothing. Also, a long shelf life! These are awesome! I always have cheese and some sort of canned tomatoes or sauce, so again...kid project. the sky is the limit here too!
• Bars of soap. I admit, I am not very "brand loyal". I tend to be sick of things pretty quickly, so I like to switch it up! With these coupons, I rarely pay more than $1 for bars of soap!
• There is a coupon for Bonne Bell Lipsmackers. I have tons of nieces who love these things...Great Birthday or Christmas gifts! Plan ahead!
• Frosting and cake mix coupons. Again, these end up costing me under $1. For this much, I can bake a delicious cake and again, give the kids something to do. I also love the oven in these chilly months!
• Soup. Does it get any easier than soup for lunch? These canned soups have come a long way too! They have a delicious french onion in the new Campbell's line! It is enough for me to heat a can of soup, eat half, then eat the other half the next day! These also end up costing around $1 or less, depending!

So, those are some of the ones I love and why. Just click on the "see all coupons" on the coupon box in the side bar and check the ones you want. Hit print and you are ready to go!

KMart is Doubling Coupons $2 and Less!

There is a little rumor going around that Kmart is doubling coupons up to $2! This means if you have a coupon for $2 off of something, it would double to $4 off that product! I am sure there are many things to be gotten for free here! I have two separate posts on this with more info.

• Click here to see what Coupon Cravings is saying!
• Click here to see what Cincinnati Cents is saying!

I have not gone, there really isn't a Kmart in my area. I know alot of friends and family that does have Kmart. My advice is to call your local store first to see if this is, indeed, true? There seems to be a lot of speculation. Wow....worth a phone call though if it is indeed true!

Works for Me Wednesday

This is a post for Works For Me Wednesday over at Rocks in My Dryer. Today's theme is kitchen organization. I have to say, I probably lack in this department, so I will be reading everyone else's tips!
The best tip I use that I have to offer is this. I have quite a large pantry with a lot of shelves. My organization tip I use in my pantry is to put the stuff I want the kids, (I have a 2 and 4 year old), to eat low, so they can grab things themselves. I place granola bars, cereal, raisins, cereal bars, fruit snacks, etc. down low. They tell me they are hungry and they can go in and grab a snack. The things I moderate, I put up high; i.e. chips, snack cakes, and messy things I do not want them to get into. This frees up a lot of the "Mom, can you help me's?" throughout the day. I also like knowing they are making food choices themselves at such a young age!

Dining Out

Dining out can be a very large expense these days. How nice is it though to have someone take care of your needs and no dishes at the end of a meal? I love dining out but we can not do it everyday! Here are a few tips and resources to help!

• Here is a great resource to help lower your restaurant bill. You provide a zip-code and you will receive a list of local restaurants that offer children's specials. You can narrow your search to a day of the week, cuisine, city, etc. This can really help a budget. Think about it; even if you are going on vacation, you can enter the zip from the city you are visiting and find specials! Click here to check it out! It is free and no registration required! *The site supports all information they put on their site, however, they still suggest calling the restaurants to be sure the deal still stands. They provide phone numbers.
• Do you have a Qdoba Mexican Grill nearby? Click here to sign up for their e-club program. You will receive a voucher for a free chips and salsa just for signing up! Also, a big surprise for your birthday! Get the latest news evites and offers right to your inbox!
• Bob Evans has a coupon here for a free child's meal. You can only use one coupon per visit. Thanks Thrifty and Chic Mom!

Have any other deals you know about? Please let me know, so I can add to my post!

*TIP: Get another e-mail address for sites like stores, restaurants, places like this that may be sending deals, etc. that you can sift through when time allows. This way, your important e-mails, work, family, etc. aren't jumbled up with these "fun" e-mails!

Whole Foods

I know there is a big dilemma about suffering quality for quantity when you are working with a budget. We would all love to buy the best money can buy for our families, sometimes though, it is not always feasible to do that and stay within a budget. Well Whole Foods just did a Budget Recipe Challenge and I think, if you are interested in shopping there, it may be worth a look. The criteria for the recipes submitted was it had to be a budget friendly (under $4 a serving) meal that did not sacrifice taste. There are 6 finalist listed on their website, click here to see them! They also have the recipes on there too and the cost per serving! They are asking us to vote by leaving comments on the recipes. Your vote will get you entered into a drawing for $500 gift card to Whole Foods (wouldn't that be nice?). There are 10 runner ups that will receive a $25 gift card.
The catch...you have to register on their website. Might not be bad though if you can get deals e-mailed or sale items?

Archivers

If you are into scrap-booking, then this post is for you. Archiver's is offering classes for the holidays. You sign up, pay a small fee, use their supplies, etc. and get to leave with one-of-a-kind homemade things. They are focusing on the holidays right now, so the classes they are offering include gift tags, Christmas cards, and calenders. There are so many more too. The average cost of a class is $20. You will get to leave with some supplies and certain amount of what you made. Click here for more details, including times, dates, stores and phone numbers. What a great way to get some "mom" time and be productive at the same time!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ok, we had a nice "fall" dinner on Sat. We decided to decorate our homes...you know, mums, pumpkins, bales of straw, etc... What could be better than eating a huge hearty meal when we were all done? Well, I prepared whole chickens, stuffed with apples and onions for flavor. They were seasoned with simple poultry seasoning. They were delicious!



As sides, I made the usual fresh green beans and rosemary potatoes...Yum. BUT, the star of the show was definitely the twice baked sweet potatoes! Who needs to serve dessert when you have these? Here's the recipe (or what you might want to call a recipe...I am an eyeball it sort of person!)

• Preheat oven 350. Coat 4 large sweet potatoes with oil and bake for about an hour.
  

• While the potatoes bake, mix 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup pecans and a dash of cinnamon in a bowl. These are rough estimates. Use more or less to your liking!
• Chop 7 large marshmallows (or use small ones, about 5 or 6 per potato).

• Pull the potatoes out when they feel a little "squishy" in your hand. I then put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes so they could cool and I could work with them easier.
• Cut the potatoes in half and with a spoon, carve out the center of the sweet potato, leaving only the skins. Put all of the scooped potato in the bowl with the sugar, butter, nut mixture. Mix well.

• Place the skins on a pan or in some sort of a baking dish (I used a pyrex casserole dish).
  

• Scoop the sugar, butter, nut, potato mixture back into the skins. Top with the marshmallows.

Bake the "twice baked sweet potatoes" for about 30 minutes. I even turned the broiler on at the end for a few minutes to "roast" the marshmallows on top.These were really delicious and so easy to prepare!

Premiere News

Ok, no premieres tonight, but tomorrow night is gonna be another good night of new shows!

• 8:00 p.m.
• Pushing Daisies (ABC) I love this show! If you watched last season, you know it is so cute! It is about a guy who can bring people back to life with the touch of his finger. BUT, if he touches them again, they die forever! So, he sees the childhood love of his life on her death bed, touches her and she is alive! BUT, they fall in love again...remember if he touches her again, she dies! So, that is the premise. So cute and a bit odd! Try it out!
• Friday Night Lights (DirecTV channel 101) Your typical Friday, high school football themed show..Reminds me of Varsity Blues. I never got into it, but I bet I am missing out!
• 9:00 p.m.
• Private Practice (ABC). Another one of my favorites. Addison Sheppard (Derek's ex from Grey's Anatomy) moves from Seattle Grace to California and works for a small clinic. Typical love, medical, friendship themed drama, but so cute! I will dvr this and keep up on it!
• 10:00 p.m.
• Dirty Sexy Money (ABC) About a wealthy and unscrupulous family who hires a lawyer to take over when their father dies. I think the title explains enough! I have never watched it, but I think it could be good, if you are into that kind of a thing.

Remember, click here to see the calender of remaining premiere shows! (Kath and Kim is next week!!!!!!!!!)

Stay tuned!

Sorry, the postings have been few and far between. I have been so busy with sickness and school and fall, I have been having a hard time posting consistently! But, I did make some twice baked sweet potatoes this weekend and yum....
stay tuned for the recipe (gotta get the pics up!)

Trader Joes Tuesday!

Tasty Thai Meals. Yummy and easy! These are delicious (if you are into thai food!) These come with the dish and rice to boot! All in a neat little "carryout" container! They take about 2 minutes to cook, and voila.....lunch!
Here's the best part...only 1.99 a box! I have seen similiar things in the grocery store for much more! Now that is a deal!
Click here to read more!

Kroger Deals

Kroger deals 9/29-10/05. Here are the weeks deals at Kroger. These come from Marcy over at Stretching a Buck. Be sure to visit here awesome blog!

Williams Sonoma Free Demonstrations

If you have a Williams Sonoma store near you or in your local mall, you are in luck! They have FREE 15 minute demonstrations almost daily. I have the schedule attached here.
Stop by and get some tips on everything fall; Pumpkins, soups, Halloween, cookies and even some previews of Thanksgiving!
Take the family and send your kids and hubby to the food place for some ice-cream while you observe a 15 minute cooking lesson!
They are all at 11am. Did I mention they were FREE!

Mums and fall gardening!

Well, fall is here officially and starting to feel a bit like it, so what's next? Gardening! It is time to get flower beds ready for next year and plant some of those favorite fall plants! Well, I belong to the Home Depot Garden Club. Signing up gets you exclusive offers and tips through e-mail. I just received one today, click here to view it. It helps save a little bit of money. Also, if you are like me, it gives me tips about what I need to be doing next, I happen to be a novice gardener!
Go here to sign up and start saving!

Authentic Italian!

So we had the pleasure of having a true authentic Italian meal last night! How was it authentic you ask? Well, one of the Saving Sisters had an awesome co-worker, who visited Italy, and was kind enough to bring her back seasoning, pasta and olive oil from there! This is from the real Italy! (as if there was a fake Italy, right?) Well, we cooked it last night and wow, it was delicious! Definitely different flavors! But so tangy, a little spicy, but overall, just so delicious!
We paired it with homemade garlic bread and our favorite brushcetta! Here's how we did it!

• Homemade pasta sauce:
• 3 small cans of tomato sauce
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 lb. ground beef
  
• 2 tbsp. REAL Italian seasoning (did I mention this was from Italy?)
• Simmer

• Pasta
• 1 lb. pasta (from Italy, of course!=)
• bring to a boil 8-10 minutes

• Homemade garlic bread
• 1 loaf of bread (italian, french, whatever you like)
• 3 cloves of fresh garlic chopped
• olive oil
• Pre-heat oven 350 degrees. Cut loaf of bread in half. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle fresh garlic on top. Bake for about 10 minutes.

• Our Favorite Bruschetta
• Use homemade garlic bread recipe above
• 1 8 oz bar of cream cheese
• Handful of grated parmesan cheese
• small can of chopped black olives
• 2 roma tomatoes chopped
• 6 basil leaves sliced julienne
• Put cream cheese in microwave about 45 seconds (until soft enough to stir). Add parmesan cheese and sliced black olives. Spread cream cheese mixture over both halves of bread. sprinkle with tomatoes and basil.

Thats it! that was our "real Italian" feast. This truly was delicious! How do you make this at home? Well, we think the seasoning from Italy really was the star of the show, so we tried to figure what was in it. We decided it was:

• Dried sliced garlic cloves (you could see them, they were quite large!)
• Dried tomatoes and possibly sun dried tomatoes (this gave it the tang)
• Dried basil
• Some red pepper flakes (this gave it a small amount of heat)
• Dried parmesan cheese
• The rest is speculation. We are guessing the usual oregano, black pepper, parsley, etc.

I am going to try to make this seasoning homemade. If I succeed, I will post it. Real fresh ingredients I think is key and will be well worth the time and money spent!

Giant Eagle Deals for the week

Here are the Giant Eagle deals for the week of 9/25-10/01.
Click here to see them!
Courtesy of Stretching a Buck! Thanks so much, be sure to check out her blog! It is awesome! It is on the side bar listed under "my blogs"!

Old Navy Sale

There is a huge sale at Old Navy in stores only this weekend.

• 20% off $50
• 30% off $75
• 40% off $100

This is running 9/26-9/28.
Definitely worth the look!
Click here to link to the page.

Design (Decorating) Tip

As of this past Monday, fall is officially here!! As many of you start to pull out the fall decor'..here are a few suggestions to bring that warm, welcoming, cozy fall essence into your home.

• Vase Fillers: These can do wonders! You can get vases just about anywhere ( I love what Pottery Barn has to offer, but do what works for you)! Add some fall fillers such as; acorns, pine cones, apples, pears, and various others. You could use several vases of various sizes as a centerpiece on the table, or they can stand alone as accents! You can even incorporate candles into these (with certain vases)...
• Make Your Own Wreath: You can purchase the "bones" of the wreath at places such as; Micheal's or Hobby Lobby. Start with a wreath made of twigs and add your own arrangements by using artificial leaves, small plastic fruits and pumpkins, etc. All you need is a hot glue gun and you are on your way. It can be a fun project with the kids..and a way to express your own creativity!! It will also be one of a kind which is a major bonus.
• Paint: If you are up to taking on the task of painting, Sherwin Williams offers some fabulous fall paint tones. There is a link of the side bar which will take you directly to their website where you can browse around for some color ideas!! You may even want to just do an accent wall.

Happy decorating!!

Flu Season

Flu season is approaching. I know, seems to early to say that (and too hot, for us anyways). But, it is officially fall, so it is time to start thinking about these things! Well, if you have a Meijer by you, you are in luck, they offer flu shots! I am not sure how much they are, I think it goes through your insurance, so I would call your insurance company and see.
Anyways, if you are interested, click here to see the full schedule of when they will be administering them at your local Meijer!

That brings me to my next question. Do you get flu shots for your kids? I have some seasons and have not others. I really do not know if I saw a difference? So, I am a little confused as to whether this is one more chemical thing to put into my kids or just to pass....
Let me know your thoughts, I am all ears!

It's Finally Here!

Ok, I have been waiting a long time for this! It is the season premiere of Greys Anatomy! Yeah, I need to see how this all pans out.. Anyways, let me cover them all to be fair!

• 8:00 p.m.
• Ugly Betty (ABC) A bright but out of the ordinary looking woman is like a fish out of the water working at a glitzy high end fashion magazine. This is funny. I watched for 2 seasons, then, for some reason, I didn't have time, but I wish I did and will try to make time this season!
• Survivor:Gabon (CBS) This is for you dad! This is the 17th season! I remember Richard Hatch! Wow, well they are stranded in Gabon, Africa, competing for a cool million!
• My Name is Earl (NBC) Also a father's fave! A petty crook sets out to make amends in his life. He thinks karma is everywhere and is trying to fix his wrong doings!
• 9:00 p.m.
  
• Grey's Anatomy (ABC) I love it!! Fifth season opener..will Meredith and Derek fall back in love? What will happen with the rest of the interns turned residents? Stay tuned...
• The Office (NBC) This is also the fifth season opener which has Harry Crane punching in with Micheal Scott and co. at Dunder Mifflin.
• 10:00 p.m.
• ER (NBC) The beginning of the end. The final season of ER will have some surprise visits from old cast members...I am sure this season will be worth watching! I used to watch so long ago, but then life happened and I had to pick and choose. But, I really think this will be a good one!

There it is, the Thursday line-up....stay tuned for Sundays line-up...It's gonna be good!

Things We Love Thursday!!

Ok, the thing that I love is...my unlimited text messaging package on my cell phone! That probably sounds funny, but it is absolutely something I could not live without! Text messaging is great. I feel like many people are scared..they are not sure how to send a text, etc. It's a technological fear...I had it once too. But once I got over it, I had to switch to the plan. Here are the reasons you should try texting:

1. It is only around $5 to add the unlimited feature on your phone. Check with your service provider.
2. My nieces and nephews are beginning to get cell phones (they are rounding the teenage years) and it is a great way to communicate with them! They do not want to talk (they are a little "busy" these days) but they will answer a text in a second! They look cool, you get to find out how they are, etc. and everyone is happy
3. My husband can reply to my normal questions (when will you be home, when should I have dinner ready, what do you want for dinner, can you get some milk on your way home, etc.) while he is at work. I used to try to call, missing him most of the time for various reasons. Now he almost always replies!
4. I cannot talk on the phone! As soon as the phone hits my ear, the kids think it suddenly means "NO RULES HOUR>>>GO CRAZY!!!". So, when I need some important info., even just a "hi, everything ok?", I can get it.....shoot a text, one comes back and the kids did not even know I conversed with someone other than them!

So, there it is...all the reasons I love texting! It really is a great feature! You should try it out if you have not yet!