i had a great experience in wallyworld today. with coupons in hand and a little planning... i was able to get 5 items FREE... and if that wasn't enough...walk out with .07 cents extra!
over the next few days, i'll be posting a few soup recipes... that you can freeze! i did. i added various end-of-the-garden vegetables for extra oooooomph! the one i'll share tonight is excellent! It's CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP! (i also served herbal beer bread in place of the chips and sour cream.)
$6.50 is what I paid at Meijers yesterday for $48. worth of groceries! I matched my coupons up with Sunday's flyer and also printed off several from smartsource.com and redplum.com.
how about a picture of my favorite earrings? i wear them everyday! they were a gift from my cousin last Christmas!
since my kitchen is so tiny and my cupboard space is limited... i've been really needing a clever storage spot for our cloth napkins. i found this the other day at a local thrift shop! it matches my house perfectly and it was only $3. 
I don't have a lot to blog about today. No great recipes. No big nature discovery. No mad dash through a thrift store. Not even a craft. No miraculous-life changing freebie's. Not even a good movie.. to suggest. Oh, but wait....there is this.... our K-MART store is offering double and triple coupons! Did I take advantage? You bet your sweet bippy I did! Yesterday- late afternoon- I went alone...so I could really concentrate on the deals... I don't know which I like better... scouting for deals or watching and eavesdropping on other shoppers! Some are real die-hard couponers...complete with an ultra-organized 3-ring binder. I actually wanted to strike up a conversation with one lady- but she looked a little intense and high-strung. So, I shuffled away from her. I saved around $80. spent $60. My biggest expense was purchasing six jars of Folgers coffee for $4. each. I did find FREE deals on: Vitamin Water, Band-Aids with antibiotic cream, Carefree pantyliners, and six packs of Trident gum. Other deals for just a handful of coins? White Vinegar, Ragu Sauce, Kleenex, Fiber One Bars (for Boy Scout Camp), Aqua Fresh toothpaste, Kellogg's cereal, Post cereal, a box of Ziplock Freezer bags and tea mix. I'm sure there's a lot more...but, my super-organized husband unloaded everything in the pantries. Yes, that's right...I said pantries...we now have two. Maybe I should take pictures? By the way, Krogers is having an insane sale on meat! smile, wink, nod.
Look at this beautiful Easter Lily that I received last night, from my second dad! You see my dad passed away about 12 years ago. My mom remarried this wonderful man- excuse me- he's a wonderful gentleman. He has been a God-send and has blessed my family and my mom, in so many ways! We all love him! I had my in-laws and favorite neighbor over for Easter dinner last night...it wasn't the traditional dinner..but it was what I had on hand...stir-fry chicken, salad and homemade bread. We played the card game 7's and had pineapple upside down cake for dessert. We all had a good time.
Today, we went to an awesome church service and then headed to my aunts for a traditional Easter dinner! It was a beautiful day. Family is everything to me. And, so are my friends. I'd love to hear what you did on your Easter day!
Yesterday, I made up these little Easter favors to give to my aunts, mom and cousins, today! They're white chocolate-oatmeal cookie dough. I rolled them into lo
gs, wrapped them in saran wrap (nice and tight) and then wrapped the Easter cellophane around them...tied them off with ribbon and attached a "how to bake" homemade card to them. I thoroughly enjoy making them....and let me tell you this...THEY'RE ALWAYS APPRECIATED! I got a great deal on Nestle White Chocolate Chips, at Krogers.. 2 for $4... plus a $1.50 off coupon and then another $1.50 off from the Krogers coupon's that you get in the mail.
Speaking of cheap deals... I was able to feed my family of three for .60 each. Walmart had a sale on this salad dressing for $1.58, I had a $1.50 coupon which equals .08 cents for the dressing. Also, went to the day old bread rack and bought our favorite French bread $1.20 and picked up a bag of Asian Salad mix -- on sale for .75. I just love figuring out coupon deals! I really feel like I'm helping with the income.
So tell me what you think of this very retro-shabby chic oil lamp, that I found at Goodwill? I couldn't pass it up... .99 cent special. No chips and in mint condition. I'll enjoy it until my garage sale and then try to flip it for a few more dollars. smile, wink, nod.
Sunday's newspaper was loaded full of coupons! In case you're a newbie to couponing...do you know the trick is to buy one paper... flip through the inserts and see if there are coupons you use? If so...then head back to the newsstand and purchase several more copies! This past weekend, there were so many coupons on products that we DO use...I bought four copies! And, clipped away! We were completely out of groceries on Sunday...so, I bit the bullet and headed into Meijers (crazy!) to shop. I ended up saving $80.00 with coupons. 
I've always and forever wanted one of these see through planters...for viewing roots! On Friday, at our homeschool co-op... one of the members was selling this- new in the box-for just $2.00! I snatched it up! Started brain storming, how I could turn it into something shabby-chic...and remembered my spring paints stashed in my basement! This is how it turned out! (below). I'm growing radishes, onions and carrots. I plan to use this each and every Spring...until I'm 90.
On my nightstand this week, is this terrific book titled, Coloring Outside the Lines. The author addresses answers that I haven't been able to discuss with anyone. Are kids smarter because they've mastered the periodic element chart? Or because they can classify the phylum's of marsupials? Does teaching to the test and testing well, guarantee success or failure? Or should we be teaching our children to be problem solvers? I love how this author thinks. Two thumbs up! If you'd like to read more...just click HERE!
This drab-grey afternoon, found us running local errands! I slipped into JoAnn Fabrics and just couldn't resist buying these acrylic kool-aid colored paints! They were .50 cents a bottle. I have two bird house gourds, that I'd like to paint... I'm thinking something whimsical-- in turquoise and lime green! I'm also thinking of doing more with water-color painting. I'm teaching a book class to early elementary aged children on Friday... the lesson I have planned is around a couple of Beatrix Potter stories! I plan to use the water color techniques in class. It should be very fun. What is it about Springtime that makes me think of Peter Rabbit? Jemima Puddleduck and Mr. McGregor? 
While Tommie plugged away at math today...I finished my penny rug! Actually, we had a race to see who could finish their project first? Who do you think won?
Better late then never... here's a snap of our Saint Patrick's Day tree! It is just beautiful at night---when every thing's dark! I plan to keep it up a few more days!
In People Magazine this month... there is a coupon for a free box of Milkbone dog snacks. I was also able to get another bottle of Frank's Red Hot Sauce free, too. I had a .50 cent coupon...Kroger sells a small bottle for .99 cents... Kroger's doubles. Hence, free. smile, wink, nod.
This week, we didn't need groceries...other then fresh lettuce and milk. But, I couldn't resist some of the good deals...double and triple dips, that I matched up with newspaper flyer's and my coupons! Last night, I went on a mission...with my little red unorganized coupon organizer (above!)... and a mad-plan!
I made several stops to get these deals.... If it wasn't for the fact that I stopped at the Oriental Nail Salon and if my hair wasn't bleached blond, I would of for sure, felt like a real Proverbs 31 woman! Maybe I could be a "modern day Proverbs 31 woman?" smile-wink-nod!
Now would ya just look how organized these babies are! I have tons and tons of room!
Well.....would ya just take a look at all of the freebie samples that I got in the mail Monday? Like this free sample of ORVILLE REDENBACHER POPCORN! Note: coupon, too!
And, what would life be without this FREE Heinz Ketchup bottle pin? It's pretty useless..since no one I know would actually wear it. Perhaps, I'll stick it in my childhood jewelry box...the one that houses my Mickey Mouse red watch from 1971. And, my very future daughter-in-law can sell it on Ebay... when she's cleaning out my junk...when I'm dead and gone. Now that's a morbid thought, isn't it? whew, can't believe I typed that! 
Here's another picture of how cute this useless piece of plastic jewelry is... 
I've been into saving little glass jars lately. I can't explain why...but some of them are so darn cute! Like the kind chicken bullion comes in....or bacon bits. And, spaghetti jars make nice all-purpose jars... we use many of them to harvest larvae in the summertime! Yesterday, I pulled out my acrylic paint and a handful of mini-marshmallows and begin to dot-paint them! More on how cute they turned out in a minute............
Here's something I learned off the coupon message board that I frequent... say for example, you find a coupon, like what's in the Kroger booklet (see below) that came in the mail yesterday..... Now, my instinct tells me "I can only use it at Kroger's"... but, gasp.......NO! ... if it has a number 5 on the outside of the bar-code (see above, I circled it like a blue sun for you!!!), you can use it any place that accepts coupons! These are the type you can "stack or piggy-back" (that's coupon talk-for "us" couponers- smile-wink-nod!) which means that, if you have a coupon for $2. off from this booklet, and Meijers is offering a 2 for $5. and then you find a coupon in Sunday's paper for $1. off and you run out and buy a second paper and clip another coupon out for a $1. off...you'd be paying about a buck a bottle. See how fun this is???
Here's a snap of my finished thrifty craft...and yes....they were completed from start to finish in 10 minutes or less.... one jar holds birthday candles, one jar is still empty...and the other is collecting those odds and end cereal/cracker crumbs...waiting to be added to the next batch of bird suet! I'll be making more of these little jars...you can bet on that!
I buy several Sunday papers and collect coupons from my mom and mother-in-law!
I check in with Hotcouponworld.com and CouponCabin.com everyday...sometimes twice a day! Plus, Meijers has some pretty insane deals on Saturdays!
I never realized this...but you can stack coupons! I'll give you an example... the Kellogg's cereal above...it was on sale for 2 for $5. I had 2 coupons off the internet for $1. off...brings it down to $3. or $1.50 a box. Then I had a .50 off coupon out of the Rite Aid flyer. Now, it's $1.25 a box. I had another Kellogg's coupon from peelie's (the coupons stuck on boxes) for $1. off a box. That made each box .25 cents.
I did the same thing with the Millie's Bread. Today, at Meijers....it was buy one loaf get two free! One loaf was $3.19....so, basically I got 3 for $3.19...we'll round it off to $3. I had three coupons for .50 each...Meijers doubles them so I got $3. knocked off... leaving me to pay .19 for 3 loaves of bread. Which I split up and put in the freezer!
I did the same thing with Pillsbury Grand biscuits...6 free...there was a peelie coupon and an additional Sunday paper coupon I stacked.
Tic-tac candy- Free with coupon at Rite Aid.
Ziplock freezer baggies 20 count- .50 after Rite Aid and manufacturer coupon.
7 more FREE bags of mashed potatoes...can one ever have enough?????
1 bottle of 7-Up- free with coupon at Meijers!
I also picked up 38 bright green Christmas bulbs for $1.60...since I'm a Cloverbud 4H leader, I'm sure I can come up with something crafty for the kids to make... I also picked up Excedrin Migraine medicine (I owe Penny two tablets!) and lip gloss for cheap as well.
I would LOVE to hear about your favorite coupon sites...your coupon deals and how you make couponing work for you! Please share in my comments!
I found a really simple recipe for 1-cup fruit salad on Thriftyfun.com...here's what it looks like and here's the direct link!Happy Saturday! smile, wink, nod!
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