The flaw in the invisible car

So, do you like the invisible car... only problem is they forgot to make the bumper invisible. Ok, not really. This is what's sitting in the garage today as a result of my roomie's minor traffic mishap yesterday. We decided that it could sit amidst the Avon & surplus of my stockpiling efforts rather than the backseat of his car for all the neighbors to gawk at... Like I said... it's been one of those weeks!

Some good deals

So I managed to score a few good deals this week. I've unfortunatley been fighting off the plague, so I didn't get pictures of all of them. Here's a snapshot of what I picked up at Meijer this week for just under $9:Taco Bell 18 Count Shells, on sale this week for $1.04 each, used $1.50 mealbox coupon (from Meijer website) for each one, making them FREE plus overage

4 Boxes of Jello, on sale this week for $.50, used $1.50/2 mealbox coupon for each set of 2, making them FREE plus overage

Covergirl Foundation & Pressed Powder, on sale this week, B1G1 - combined with P&G coupon (B1G1 )from "October Savings" at beginning of month, making them both FREE

Kleenex w/ Lotion, regular price $1.59, used $.40 (doubled) MFN coupon, making them $.79

Fancy Feast cat food, 2.15 lb bags, reg price $2.14, used $1 MFN coupon each, making them $1.14 each

Duncan Hines Orange Cake Mix $1 - No coupon, just picking this up because we use this particular kind of cake mix alot and they are hard to find

Liquid Skin $4.19 - No coupon, roomie needed

Peroxide $1.39 - No coupon, just needed

Taco Bell Dinner Bowl, on sale $1.90, used $1 peelie on box, making it $.90

Some other great deals I picked up this week:

I had a few Febreeze Noticeable $5 off coupons that expire today, used them at Wal-Mart, where they were just $5.97 - making them $.97 each, picked up 4, in their new limited addition scents for the holidays!

Zone Perfect Bars, there are some MFN's floating out there for $1 off 1. They are $.97 each @ Wal-Mart, picked them up for Free

Well-Patch Singles, at Wal-Mart, just $.98, used the $1 coupons that expire today, FREE.

If you haven't managed to pick up a bunch of Free Excederin during the last CVS sale, check out Kroger, they have a blinkie machine that has $2 off the 20ct express gels, and they have them for just $2.99 - so you'd pay $.99 each. Not bad deal if you need some.

I'm sure there are other deals I should mention that I bought, it's just been one of those weeks!

Life is really just a big game of tetris

I'm not trying to sound all philosophical, but life is really just a big game of Tetris. Now, if you're one of the, oh handful of people on earth who does not know what tetris is, I suggest you go here, and become properly initiated!

In Tetris, you have all these blocks, assorted shapes and sizes, coming at you, to be put somewhere. In life, we have responsibilities, wants, needs, desires, bills, in assorted importance that come flying at us, to be accomplished. Your goal in tetris, is to stack these blocks in the best way possible, so that you can fill lines completely and make these blocks go away. Your goal in life, is to balance all of those wants, needs, etc so that they are completed. In tetris, advanced players try to stack blocks for big combination, clearing multiple rows at a time, for more points. In life, advanced players try to multitask everything coming at them to get the most accomplished in the least amount of time, to have more time for more. In Tetris, you only get a small glimpse of what piece is next to come. In life, you only get to plan for part of what life is going to throw at you. In Tetris, the better you get, the more pieces come. In life, the farther along you get, the more there is to do. In Tetris, sometimes you have to make a sacrifice and not line up the pieces exactly where you want them to. In life, sometimes things pop up that mean that a need has to come before a want. In Tetris, if you're not paying attention, it's easy for it to get out of hand. In life, if you're not participating, it's easy to get out of hand.

Do you see where I'm headed? I could go on and on, but the truth is, life just like Tetris, is about learning from your mistakes, balancing between thinking on your feet and planning for the future. And life, just like Tetris ultimately be about enjoying the process, not the end result. The big difference... when your Tetris game is over, you can play again. Life on the other hand... is a one shot opportunity. So make it count! And, maybe go play a game of Tetris while you're at it!

Leashes aren't just for pets

Alright, so this particular blog may not be the most popular for any of the parents out there reading this. So let me first preface this by saying that I do in fact LOVE children, and while my own children are of the 4 legged variety, my youngest brother is 16 years younger than me. I know that people always say your opinion on kids changes once you have them, well, that may be, however due to some family health crises, I did get a very huge part of the responsibility for his upbringing while I was at home, so I do have a bit of perspective on the trials and hard work that goes into it.

Now, back to my story. So last night, after a pretty long mind numbing day of work, I headed to a local grocery store to pick up a couple of last minute things. While there, I decided to suprise my roomie, who had also had quite a day to a yummy dessert. And by yummy dessert, I don't mean a betty crocker cake mix. Nope, I'm talking about those fancy schmancy desserts behind the glass case. You know the kind that look like they should be in a magazine. The kind that any sane person, who works a 40 hour week, would not even attempt to make & decorate... heck I wouldn't even know where to begin to dig out all the kitchen gadgets & attachments necessary for one of those.

So, just as I am approaching said fancy schmancy counter, my cart is almost hurtled right into the case! You might be thinking that a giant wheel of cheese had fell off the display and was now rolling through the store wreaking havoc... but then you would be wrong (but I like how you think) Nope, to my left, I suddenly see two young children, a boy and a girl. I'm guessing in the 4-6 year old range. It seems that these children are on a mission to score that free cookie that they get when they come to the store.

*editor's note, I like a good bargain myself, and if the store would give me a free cookie when I shopped, I'd probably be snagging one too, so I'm not hatin' on them for this*

Well, these children are quickly destracted by the brightly colored frostings of the sheet cakes and proceed to ooh and ahh over them while their mother makes her way back to the bakery. In the meantime, the lady behind the counter takes my request for a couple slices of heaven :)

Now, as I wait for her to remove the cakes from the glass cage they are in, I am entertained by these children, who are fascinated by the cakes. All the way up to the point when they bore from looking at the real cakes and decide instead to look at the cakes in the book. Unfortunate for me, this book happens to be located directly on the other side of my shopping cart. What happens next, is this long drawn out battle, because child A is mad that child B is now flipping the pages in the book, because she was there first. Now, having spent many a year in noisy call centers, listening to people yap on about all sorts of things, i can tune this out. What I cannot tune out, is the constant shoving of my buggy as these children pout and fight. I glance over at the mother, who is watching on, but not saying anything. I can't move, because there isn't anywhere else for me to stand...

Finally after a few minutes (in my mind I'm wondering how much longer can it take to slice cake) the mother pulls the instigator of this fight aside and tells her to calm down, and not to bother the lady (me) beside of her. I just happened to turn back in their direction about this time, to check that my purse, etc hadn't wandered off, and so I notice as this lady is saying this, she's looking at me as if I'm the one doing something wrong, I can only assume, by not being more accommodating to her kids. Unfortunately, this does not deter said child. Fortunately, it's only a few more seconds before my cake arrives to me, and I can get out of this war zone.

I should say, I totally understand that children will be children. I also understand that my mama would have hauled me back out of the store with no cookie and probably not much of anything else had I decided to terrorize the very tired, overworked customer, really just wanting her over priced dessert and a drink.

Now, I'll probably take a pretty unpopular stance here... I'm sure there are people out there who are probably thinking that I am the crazy lady who keeps the kids baseball when it lands in her yard, and shouts at the children riding by on their bikes... which is totally not the case. But people CHOOSE to have kids, and in that, comes a responsibility that you must bring these children up with manners & courtesy. And just as you've CHOSEN to have kids, I currently am CHOOSING to NOT have them for the time being, because that's not a responsibility I want to add just yet. While I think your kids are cute, after a long day, the last thing that I want is to be part of their real life pinball machine as they bounce through the store. Now while I'm not saying you have to tie your child up, perhaps you can rein them in a bit :)

Sweet Reason to Vote

I just got an email from Krispy Kreme. If you wear your "I Voted" Sticker, you'll score a FREE Doughnut. Details of the offer:


On Election Day, Nov. 4, 2008, participating Krispy Kreme stores will be offering a free star-shaped doughnut, with white icing and red, white and blue sprinkles, to each customer wearing an "I Voted" sticker. While voters may not always agree on the best candidate to win, each voter can agree on one thing: Celebrating one of America’s most coveted constitutional rights can be oh-so sweet.
The star-shaped treats are made from Krispy Kreme’s signature, yeast-raised dough, and will be available only on Nov. 4th. This promotion is good for one doughnut per customer. Select stores may offer yeast-raised doughnuts in the standard circle shape, but still decorated with white icing and red, white and blue sprinkles.
Please call your local Krispy Kreme store now to find out if they are participating.

It's Tuesday... let's try Haagen Dazs

Well, my posts have been few lately, I apologize, but life has been hectic and Zali has been keeping my hands full. Then I unfortunately caught the plague... ok... not the plague... but I'm not 100% yet either... But still I trudge on!

This week, let's talk ICE CREAM, which in case you didn't know, is in my opinion, it's own food group. I make no bones about it, I believe in daily frozen confection consumption. Which is why I'm sharing with you my most recent flavor adventure... Fleur de Sel Caramel Haagen-Dazs. It sounds fancy, huh? It shoud... The pint I picked up, at Wal-Mart none the less, set me back $4.04!!! Normally, I can manage to get a couple half gallons for that. I have, however been eyeballing this flavor for MONTHS... It's one of their "Reserve" flavors, which means, the ingredients are harder to come by and the production is limited... and as a result... the price goes up, more than your regular Haagen-Dazs. Ever since I first spotted that little pint a few months ago, I have been scanning the frozen food cases, watching for a sale, a price drop, a coupon... ANYTHING... but alas, no such luck. Finally, I bit the bullet. I have been doing a great job with budgeting lately, and have cut my household budget, easily 50% or more each month... so by George, I was having the Haagen-Dazs.

Now some background info, Fleur de Sel or "Flower of the Salt" is supposed to be one of the rarest and most delicate salts in the world. It is harvested by hand on the French Coast of Brittany. The ice cream contains Fleur de Sel caramels, covered in chocolate, and then mixed into a caramel ice cream with swirls of caramel and French sea salt accents. I almost felt that I should put on my black dress to enjoy this... instead I opted for my comfy pj's.

Now, I should say, I'm not a huge "salt" person. I really don't use alot of extra salt, etc... but this flavor intrigued me. And, after sampling it, I can say that for me, it was worth the $4 price tag. It had the most interesting flavor, slightly sweet, slightly salty, pefectly creamy. This is what ice cream is supposed to taste like. Now granted, I won't be dishing this up at my next party, and this isn't the ice cream you make a milk shake with.... no this ice cream is best enjoyed by itself, it doesn't need anything extra to make it special.

There are some other "Reserve" flavors, I'm going on a search for 'em.

Newest Addition

There has been a new addition to our house. Meet ZaliShe's about 10 weeks old

She was a resuce from the Lexington Humane Society. She is a hound mix, completely spoiled already... now only if Mollie will decide she likes her!

Brows: The good, the bad, and the ugly

I'll admit it, I have a thing about eyebrows. It's probably one of the first things I notice about a person. Over the years, I've used a variety of ways to keep my own in (the) perfect shape. I now have a brow lady. Her name is Nini. I have went to her for several years now. Many of my friends have been drug into her little room in the back of Glamour Nails only to immerge slight pink and totally hooked. Why, you ask?

Well, for starters, Nini charges $8 for eyebrows. The going rate in most salons around these parts, $12... so right there you get a 33% discount. But price isn't the only factor. The reason that I go, and the reason so many of my friends have followed suit, is exactly what you get for that $8. Now I have on occasion, been in a brow emergency (yes... they exist) and was unable to make it to Nini's... and quietly slipped into the chair of another... and $12 later, I would emerge, moderately pleased with my results. In most cases, the person would have me lay back, slap on a little wax, pull it away, rub on a little oil and send me on my way... occasionally I might get a stray tweezed... more often than not, they matched...sorta

When I walk in to see Nini, I am summoned back to this little room in the back of the nail salon, and recline comfortably on her chair. Now, there's no mood lighting or aromatherapy here, but what you will find is a clean workplace, a knowledgeable person and all the tools needed. She starts with the wax... and maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment, but I enjoy my eyebrows being waxed. It's not that I am particularly fond of my hairs being ripped out by the roots, but there is a sort of zen sensation about the whole thing. Once Nini removes the wax strips, she will then grab a piece of guaze or cotton and use a remover to get rid of any excess wax. This is where most people think they are finished... but this journey is not quite over. The next step for Nini, is to break out the tweezers and carefully examine your brows... providing you with the precision that can only come from removing the pesky little hairs one by one. Once she's done.... she then reaches for her little brow brush and scissors. She then proceeds to trim any long hairs, ensuring that your brow line is perfect. The result, a perfect brow... She's really great about getting just what you want, whether you like a high arch or something a bit more relaxed, whether you lean more towards the Brooke Shields 80's brows or something a bit thinner.

My last time venturing outside of her world, provided to be disasterous. I vowed, if I made it out of the salon alive and with eyebrows that still grew, I would never again step out on her. See, I was in a hurry one day, and had accompianed my friend to get his hair cut at Ziyan, a local hair salon. Since I was already going to be there, I figured I would multi task and get a brow touch up... This was a big mistake. The same gentleman that was cutting my friend's hair, stepped in to do my brows (This was my first red flag... Just because you can cut and style the hair on top of my head doesn't mean you can work magic with the ones that sprout above my eyes). He first took me over to another corner of the salon and slapped on some wax. When he went to remove the wax, his "well, huh" was my second red flag... none of my hair came out! He proceeds to do this a second time, only to get the same results... asking me, if I have ever had problems before. Nope... this has never happened. After the second strip is yanked off... again my little eyebrows hanging on for dear life, he then advises me that we're going to go back to the esthetician's room and use something different. Now, I should have just cut my losses, but perhaps my mind was a little numb from the fight between my brows and this man's wax, because I followed him. He proceeded to use a different wax, which was a hotter wax (normally, the heat from a wax doesn't bother me, however, after having this warm goo placed in the same spot 3 times only to be ripped back off, I was feeling something alright!) Thankfully, this wax worked and he proceeded to then wax the other brow. When he finished, I sat up and he handed me a mirror. I admit, the only thing I was concerned about was that I still had skin above the nose. I barely glanced in the mirror and high tailed it out of there. It was only after I was safely in the car that I bothered to actually inspect my eyebrows. And of course, I wasn't pleased with the results... I did however surmise that I could manage to camouflage the flaws with some brow powder while my poor little brows healed. I went home and iced them and was happy to wake up the next morning to find no permanent damage. Since then, I have not strayed... there are just some things that you shouldn't chance.

So what are my tips for great brows.
#1 - If you want to do them yourself, start small, suck it up and have them done once, and then perform the maintenance

#2 - If you don't like the eyebrows of the person doing the job, chances are you won't like their results

#3 - If you are going to do them at home, using some ice or anbesol can help minimize the discomfort

#4 - If you aren't sure where to get yours done, ask someone who's brows you like where they go

#5 - Don't overdo it! You can always remove more, but it's hard to glue 'em back on

#6 - If you have sensitive skin, mention that to the esthetician, there are waxes that are better for sensitive skin

#7 - If you are getting them waxed, do yourself a favor and skip the makeup. It will make it easier for the wax to work and you won't get weird makeup lines

That's it, happy grooming!

The 6's

I picked this up from Owlhaven - Feel free to join in. If you post, just leave me a link to your post in comment :) - You can check out her list here

Since it's early, and I'm in a cantankerous mood, I'm taking a pretty light hearted approach.

6 Things I Value:

#1 The extra leg room in my queen sized bed when I wake up and realize that the furbabies have migrated to the roomie's bed!

#2 The view from my home office when the next door neighbor is outside working out

#3 Sunday mornings when I wake up super early and have the whole place to myself for hours before anyone/anything else stirs

#4 The fact that my morning commute is interstate driving, people zoom by too fast to really notice me rocking out!

#5 Not having a boss in the same country, let alone the same building as me. Makes micromanagement a much more difficult task

#6 Time spent with good friends that makes the most mundane of tasks seem like a party

And now 6 things I don't support:

#1 The idea that because I am a grown up that I can't watch Disney Channel Movies

#2 The notion that I can't have my cake & eat it too... Why the heck did I bake it?

#3 The opinion that my four legged children mean less to me than your two legged variety

#4 The concept that dessert should come at the end of the meal, personally I believe all meals should start with ice cream

#5 The mindset that because I'm single means that I should be looking

#6 The voice of the complainer, if you don't like it, what are you doing to change it?

Try it Tuesday strikes again

It's another Tuesday, so I'm back to share more. So many new things recently, I just got a new furbaby, I just started a new medicine, but, as promised from last week's installment, I have decided to share from my finds at Lush. First, a little back story...

I discovered Lush a few years ago. I was in Orlando on a business trip in July, and well, unless you're originally from Mercury or something, you won't find Orlando that pleasant in July... It's HOT! My trip had me staying at the Marriott located at the Orlando International Airport, and we didn't venture out much, since our conference was there as well. Lucky for me, they have a great little mall, so with my free time, I was able to persuse and check out some new stores. That was when I first discovered Lush... If you've never been to a Lush store, think of a Bath & Bodyworks, only more hands on. All through the store, there are giant slabs of pretty soaps, and bath bombs, and lotions, and potions... Being the product junkie that I am, I was in heaven. I snapped up a few different things to try, and loved everything. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to travel near one again... so imagine my excitement when our Macy's opened a counter just a couple weeks ago!

Now, I know I could shop online, but if you want to touch, feel, smell... you don't get the same effect... and depending on how many things you want to try, buying online can get pretty pricey, because they sell in specific sizes... in the stores, you can have them slice off as little or as much as you want! So... I headed to the little shop in my Macy's.... which isn't as grand as the real stores, but works quite nice. I picked up a few treats, and today I'm sharing one of my favorites.

The Aqua Marina Cleanser: Now I warn you, this doesn't look like your typical cleanser... in fact, you kinda think sushi when you see it. Heck, it's even wrapped in seaweed! Now some of you know, that I am an Avon rep, which means I have at my disposal a wide variety of products. This should say something that I'm out touting a product that isn't one I sell :) Why did I pick this? Well I actually got a choice of a free cleanser with my purchases, and this was the one I decided to try. I couldn't be happier. I have skin that is a bit sensitive. I also have rosacea and a couple other skin calamities. This was why I liked this one... It contains aloe vera, chamomille, patchouli... these are very soothing ingredients. And I have found that this stuff feels ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL on my skin. Now the first thing to consider, if you decide to go out and buy this... it's sold in bulk, you can get as little or as much as you want. I would recommend starting out on the small side, because of the ingredients and the fact that it has no preservatives... the shelf life is only 3 months. At first glance, you may look at this and wonder exactly how do you use it... it's not a soap that you lather up. It's not a liquid that you can keep in a pump. It's actually a semisolid blob (ok, I know... not the prettiest word, work with me). When you want to use it, you just pinch off some (say oh somewhere between pea & marble size) and put it in the palm of your hand. With your other hand, wet your fingertips and add some water. This melts it into a really loose paste, fairly liquid. Then just use this liquid on your face. Smooth over skin, adding more water as needed to cleanse. Then just rinse like normal. I immediately noticed how calm my skin felt. I've been using for about a week and my skin has stayed clear, smooth and calm. This is definitely a product I will buy again.

That's all for this week!

Stop Hiding

Click here to check out LeAnn Rimes new PSA

LeAnn Rimes has partnered with the American Academy of Dermatology & the National Psoriasis foundation in their Stop Hiding Campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to:

*Educate the general public on how this chronic immune disorder affects nearly 7 million Americans

*Motivate patients suffering from Psoriasis to Stop Hiding and Start Living

*Encourage patients to see a dermatologist and discuss appropriate ways to manage their disease

The spotlight has followed singer LeAnn Rimes for most of her life. Unfortunately, so has the embarrassment of her psoriasis. But not anymore. LeAnn is taking a stand to Stop Hiding from her psoriasis and wants you to Stop Hiding and Start Living too. Join the Stop Hiding campaign and receive updates from LeAnn and the campaign.

A coupon in my bread & a GIVEAWAY

This morning, in my usual frantic dash around the house to secure the items I would need for my day at work, I reached in my bread box and grabbed the loaf of bread. I proceeded to pluck 2 slices from the bag and just as I was dropping them down in a ziploc bag, something catches my eye. A coupon... for sandwich meat...between my slices of bread. Now, I'm quite familiar with promotional packaging, and as a coupon user, I always check the boxes of products, to see if a coupon was printed inside. This was however new to me. The coupon wasn't just tucked into the packaging, it was "smack dab" in the middle of my loaf of bread. So if any of you have recently picked up some of Sara Lee's Soft & Smooth Whole Grain White bread... don't be suprised if the next time you grab a slice you get a little something extra!

Now onto the part you're here for... the GIVEAWAY... I am going to be giving away a 2 Week Free Pass to Curves for you & a friend. Pretty nifty huh? I'm not sure how it relates to coupons & bread, but it's my world, you're just visiting :)

To enter the giveaway:

#1 Leave me a comment w/the oddest place you've found a coupon

#2 Get a bonus entry if you post my contest on your blog or elsewhere (Just leave me a comment with the link)

#3 Get another bonus entry if you subscribe to my blog

I'll be running this contest until 24th (A week from today!)

Good Luck!

Try it Tuesday

Ok, so I've decided to introduce a new segment into my blog. "Try it Tuesday" Each Tuesday, I will be sharing my results of trying something new, it could be a new food, a new recipe, heck if I have a slow week, maybe a new way home from work!

And my first "Try" is Snyder's Multigrain Aged Cheddar Cheese Puffs. Or Cheezy Poofs as I shall now refer to them. So, how did I select this product? Well, after careful market research and hundreds of hours in the lab... OK... back to reality... Sunday, I was grocery shopping, looking for a "Chip Product" to go in my lunches... and these caught my eye. Why did they catch my eye?
#1 Cheezy Poofs are GOOD!
#2 They were on S-A-L-E
#3 MULTIGRAIN in big ol' letters across the top required closer inspection
#4 There was a blurb about FIBER on the front too

So, I paused, and after taking a glance at the bag, decided that these would be a better option for me than the Wavy Lays Ranch chips I had just placed in my cart.

Now, they have 2 grams of Fiber in a serving, which isn't the greatest number, but does rank higher than my potato chips, and I'm a FIBER junkie, so I thought that combined with Whole Grain sounded like a better option.

I broght these for lunch today. And I must report they are YUMMY. To be completely honest, no, they aren't exactly like eating my usual fav, Cheetos Cheese Puffs. However, they have a great Cheddar Flavor and the whole grain adds an interesting crunch. And I don't feel quite so guilty eating them. I checked out their website, Snyder's has an entire line of Whole Grain snacks, including White Cheddar Cheezy Poofs... which are sounding very yummy!!!!

That's it for this installment, check back with me next week, for my next venture... I'll be giving the scoop on one of the goods from my shopping trip to LUSH today.

Some great weekend savings

I set a goal for Sunday, and am quite happy to say it is was about 90% accomplished... I am pleased considering in recent weeks it would have been scored a big fat 0% - So, what was my goal? To get all my shopping for this week finished on Sunday. Why?

#1 I work a full time job during the week

#2 I have my part time sales gig during the week

#3 I end up missing good sales if I don't go early in the week, because all the items are gone

#4 By the time Saturday comes around, I've usually got so many things on my "to do" list, that I end up up chucking some of the deals that I want to do

Basically, recently, I haven't been getting to the store on Sunday, and then am stuck running after work in the evenings, which then just seems to be a huge time sucker, because I usually would go home, realize something was needed and then go back out, before I knew it, the entire evening was wasted.

So this weekend, with the exception of a couple of small items I will need to pick up on the way home from work (which won't be a huge time constraint) I'm finished. I do still need to go to CVS & Walgreens this week, but planned on doing that during lunch, there weren't any spectacular deals I saw that I really needed. Below is what I picked up:

At Rite Aid: I spent $23 HOWEVER, with the exception of the All-Bran Fiber waters ($3.49) everything in the picture is FAR (free after rebate)

I don't have my receipt with me, so I can't remember all the specific pricing. You can view your circular at RiteAid.com and check out the HUGE list of FAR items this week. I bought Theraflu, Lizard Lips Lip Balm, Lypsyl Lip Balm, Soft Lips Lip Balm, Excederin Tension Headache Express Gels, & Bee M.D. throat drops.

Next at Meijer (I have 2 pics, couldn't get it all on the freezer for one pic):

I won't bullet out every single item (if you see something that I don't mention & wanna know the price, just ask, I'll let you know if it was a deal or a "I just want") I spent around $50 at Meijer for everything you see, whic is not bad, considering I bought laundry supplies, etc

Best deals:

Orville Redenbacher Natural Popcorn (3 Ct full bag or 4 Ct Mini) on sale half price $1.59 minus a $1 MFN from recent inserts = $.59 a box (I bought 5!)

ChexMix $1.25 a bag minus $.50 MFN from recent inserts (doubled) = $.25 a bag (I bought 4!)

Dole Salads B1G1 @ 2.79 ea minus $1 coupon ea (in store complimentary mag, look for the recipe stand, it's located there) = $.79 for 2 bags of salad

Betty Crocker Instant Potato Packets, Reg Price $.89 minus $.40 MFN coupon (doubled) = $.09 each (I bought 4!)

Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup on sale 10 for $6, I bought 4 and combined with a $.40 /4 MFN (doubled) making it $.40 a can

Spaghetti O's (I usually don't buy, but this was a great deal) 6 for $3, there was a $.40/2 MFN (doubled) making them just $.10 a can!

Campbells Soup at Hand & Microwavable Soups $1 each, used a $.50/2 MFN (doubled) making them $.50 each

Some other quick deals

V8 Soup is on sale for $2 minus a $1 MFN = $1 ea

Tide 20 Loads $4.99 minus a $1 MFN = $3.99 ea

Apples $2.69 for a quarter peck bag (I can fit a TON in that bag)

Prego Sauce on sale $1.67, minus $.50/2 MFN (doubled) = $1.33 ea

Green Giant Frozen Veggies (small box or Steamers) $1 each, combine w/ the $1 off Steamer or $.50/2 Boxes (doubled) = Free Or $.50 each

On to Kroger: Total $1.08 (Used $16 in Glade Rewards)

Noteworthy purchases:

Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Bread is B1G1 ($2.29)

Oreda Steamers $2 Sale (Use $1 MFN) = $1 each

Well that's all folks. With the exception of some soymilk & cat food, I am through shopping for the week (some of these items obviously carry over into other weeks too!)

Free Chocolate & Cheap Fiber

Ok, so I haven't posted a deal in a while, not that I haven't been getting them. In some cases, by the time I make it home, I haven't felt like taking a picture. In other cases, I have actually managed to take a picture, but just not managed to get the picture online... Busy, Busy, Busy...

However, I thought I would share my quick trip to Walgreens last night. Yesterday I was on a mission, I had $10.50 in RR that were set to expire, and this was my first chance to make it into Walgreens this week. After working all day, and the heading with my roomie to the Sprint store for what seemed like an eternity, I finally made it to Walgreens... I was on the opposite side of town, and had actually not been in this "new" Walgreen before. Sadly some of the deals I had planned weren't in stock... so I had to improvise & make due. There wasn't anything I actually neeeded anyways. But I did manage to get paid a quarter to get some chocolate!

Here's what I picked up:

2 Benefiber 16 pack Kiwi Strawberry @ 7.99 ea

2 Dial Yogurt Hand Soaps @ 2 for $3

2 Lindt Chocolate Bars @ 2.49 ea

2 Individual Packs Peanut Butter M&M's @ 2 for $1

4 Reese Pumpkins @ 2 for $1

1 Nivea's Men Body Wash @ 4.99

The total came to about $33

I used:

(2) $2 MFN Benefiber Sticks from recent insert AND the WAG ESC for $5 (multiplied x 2) - Making the Benefiber just .99 a box

(1) BOGO Catalina for Dial Yogurt Hand Soap = $1.50 for both

(1) BOGO MFN Lindt from last Sunday's insert, (1) $0.75 MFN Lindt from last Sunday's insert, AND the WAG ESC for $1 (multiplied x 2) - Making the Lindt completely free, plus netting me a quarter in OVERAGE!

Then I used my $3, $3, and $4.50 RR ( I threw all the candy in as filler to equal out to my coupons, who can go wrong with candy!)

Total after coupons: $2.63 AND on top of that, the Men's Nivea Body Wash is one of the secret rebate items this month, so I will get back $5.48 back for it ($4.99 + 10%) which means I actually made a profit! Not bad for a quick deal & a very tired shopper.

C'mon People, even a caveman can do it!

Ok, if you know me, you know that I have a coupon/discount/deal for practically everything I buy... I'm lucky that way I guess (though it has more to do with logic than luck) however, even if you don't feel you have any time to clip a coupon or the such... you can take advantage of the easy deals... what are these easy deals... the ones that drugstores offer for FREE... yes... that's right.... FREE... You follow their process, and the only $$$ you are out is tax (now of course, if you're a good deal hunter, you are probably going to combine a coupon in there, and make money, but that's a different post... this post is for the folks who are just starting out and trying to make sense of it all).

So, this week, let's start at CVS. I'm not going to go through the whole CVS101 - because it's been explained on other blogs... if you need a crash course, might I suggest.... CVS101 courtesy of Money Saving Mom to get you going. Basically, CVS is pretty shopper friendly, you don't have to wait for a rebate, the rebate prints back out to you instantly in the store, in the form of "ECB's" or Extra Care Bucks, which are just dollars that can be spent on store purchases... just make sure you have your handy dandy little CVS Extra Care Card. So... back to this week, combining some deals that CVS has for the week, along with what they have as some Monthly deals, here is what even the laziest among you can pick up... (Now please check your circular if you don't live in the Lexington Metro area, there are a couple of random places that get different CVS ads, but most should find this works just fine).

Purchase Always Infinity Pads - They are priced 4.98 this week, when you buy them you get 4.98 back... the advertisement says limit 1, it's actually coming back as 2... so here's how you do that... Your initial investment is $5.28 - that's the price of 1 pack (w/tax) - You get $4.98 printed back, then you buy your second one (you can carry them both up to the register at the same time, and have the cashier split the purchase, provided the line isn't out the door, the cashier won't mind, they are used to this!). Second pack, you use your $4.98 ECB that printed from the first one, and you pay the difference in tax ($0.30) - So far, you've spent $5.58, and you have 2 packs of these (If you have no need for them, I'm sure you know someone who does, or heck, send them to me, lol!) . You also, have ANOTHER $4.98 ECB from CVS... Then you can go back and buy the Well Patch Athritis Patches (3 Count) @ 5.99 each, they are generating 5.99 in ECB's, so you'll buy one, and it will be $6.35, you'll use your $4.98 ECB, and pay the difference ($1.37) and they will give you back $5.99, now you can roll this one 4 more times, each time, you'll now have a $5.99 ECB, and will only be paying tax ($0.35) each time. So, then... you buy Glaceau Vitamin Water, it's 2.29 (plus tax I believe) AND you pick up CVS Brand Vitamin D (because you know you need more Vitamins anyway) It's onsale for $2.99 this month for 100 count (actually it's a 120 Count bottle at my store) and they generate $2.99 back... so the total for these items is $5.28 before tax, so throw in a couple packs of travel tissue (they are by the register, and are 2 for $1... it's cold season, you need something to blow your nose) - That should bring your total up to $6.28 plus tax, and you'll use your $5.99 ECB, and pay the difference, less than a buck... You will also now have $5.28 in ECB's to use) So after all of it, you've spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 -$8 bucks (depending on how many times you got the Well Patch), and you have 2 packs of Always Infinity, 1-5 Boxes of Well Patch (great for achy bones), a vitamin water, some vitamins, and a couple travel packs of Tissue... PLUS you have $5.28 to spend again... at this point, you can go crazy and buy yourself something pretty... or... save them for the next deal... See was that so hard????

Now, we can move on to Walgreens.... Walgreen's system is a bit different, their rebates are submitted online or via mail. You can get real $$$ back, or if you put it on a Walgreens Gift Card, they will give you an extra 10%, I recommend this, because, well, it's extra money, and after the first month when you send off for it, you'll get your rebates FASTER. Now Walgreens also has something called, Register Rewards (RR) but I'm not going to talk about them in this post because we're not using them for these... Now you will spend a little more to get yourself started at Walgreens, but after that, you'll be able to re-spend the same money OVER and OVER... So What are you buying... This month, you can pick up Nivea Men's Body Wash, it's FREE after Rebate (FAR), Extreme Energy 2 Pack (FAR), Your Choice of L'Oreal Cleansers (FAR) & Rimmel Lasting Finish Mineral Foundation (FAR) - You simply pay for them, go home, sign into their website, enter a couple things from your receipt, and submit... they will mail you your Gift Card... no UPC's to clip, nuttin... Then that money comes back to you, and you can use it next month for their Freebies.

Now let's move on to Rite Aid... I have to admit, I don't shop Rite Aid as often, so if you really want to know about alot of their deals, check out IHEARTRITEAID for all the scenarios and deals. However I do know that this week, you can buy Crest Whitening Rinse for $3.99 and then use their SCR (Single Check Rebate) to get your $ back...

So... was that so hard? I mean, very minimal effort, and you start the cycle... once you get started, you just keep rolling your "refunded" money back into the store, so you continue to bring home products at little to no cost to yourself... and then... you can use COUPONS to actually make money... but if that overwhelms you, BABY STEPS... start with Free...

And you know those dollars I was pointing out spending at CVS... Check and see if your bank offers a rewards program, I earn points for all the $ I spend through my bank (National City) that I cash in and get CVS gift cards, which takes care of my tax, so then I spend almost nothing out of pocket there too!

Sometimes it's ok to get lost

Are you looking for something fun to do this fall... I'm suprised each year, when I mention the words "Corn Maze" to people, just how many people look at me like I've sprouted a third arm... yet those that have joined in on the fun, have had a blast and look forward to doing it every year! So, to start with... I'll get real simple... a corn maze is exactly what it sounds like, it's a maze... in a corn field... there are a variety of themes, sizes, levels of difficulty, and entertainment value to each one. If you're not sure if there is one near you, I recommend starting clicking here to check out a HUGE directory for pumpkin patches, corn mazes and the works!

Now I do have some tips...

* call ahead or check online, to confirm hours & pricing... everything changes...

* wear comfortable shoes, preferably tennis shoes... your feet will thank you

* make sure the size of the maze is appropriate for the people attending, small kids might not be able to make it through a 9 acre maze and you may be carrying them!

*get a group together, it's much more fun with a group of people, and depending on the size, you might get a discount

*don't wear your Sunday best, it's a farm after all... chances are, you'll end up a bit dirty or dusty

*make sure you hit the bathroom before you hit the maze... Read on and you'll find out why!

So, here's my own little tale of this year's corn maze adventure. We decided to check out a relatively new one this year. Kelley Farms did their 2nd annual corn maze... It's pretty big, something like 8 acres, this year it's in the shape of Abraham Lincoln. It's actually 2 different mazes, we were brave enough to try both. We of course headed out once it got dark... because corn mazing is even more fun with a flash light! They gave us a diagram of the maze, so you could figure your way through, we of course took it, but decided we'd just figure this sucker out on our own... We did pretty good. We managed to only go in circles about 20 times (this is half the fun!) in the first maze... Remember me telling you that tip about bathroom visits... very important... one of my dear friends decided she couldn't hold it any longer, so we purposely found a dead end that curved around.... and stood guard while she crept into the dark to pee! Let me just say it's very quiet out there too... so we had to talk kinda loud to drown it out... Sadly, this isn't the first time I've known a friend to have to pee in the corn maze!

Now at one point, I'm sure I personally made parents grab their children a little tighter... See earlier in the evening, as we were getting ready to head out, one of my friends was on the phone, recanting a very funny comment to another friend, and for some reason I got tickled, just as I was trying to take a drink of soda... and unfortunately, while trying to keep from spewing the soda out my mouth (which I was succeeded at preventing!) I managed to spew soda through my nose! I know, not a very pretty picture! Definitely not one of my more graceful moments, that's for sure... So fast forward to about an hour later, in the maze, as I exclaim (and unfortunately, in my "outside voice" )for all the world to hear, "I can still smell COKE in my nose!" At which point I realized that the words tumbling forth from my mouth, might have different connotations to those said parents who were probably now trying to herd their children away from the crazy druggie in the corn maze!

After making it through the first maze, which was dubbed... "Harder" we decided to give the "easier" one a shot... now mind you, there are these little numbered check points as you go through the maze, so you can kind of figure out if you're headed on the right path... so we pass Check point 1 very easily, before you know it, we're onto #2, and in the blink of an eye, #3 is in our sights... at which point, I point out, "Wow, this one is easier"... which as you probably have guessed, was a little presumptive... because as we trudge on... we see another checkpoint...and as we get closer, realize we're back at #2... SUPER, so we backtrack.... and instead of seeing #3, the next one we spy is #1! Somehow, we manage to get our heads in the game, and start back over, of course, through the rest of the maze, the following comments can be overheard by our group "Hey, this is the same hole we stepped over 5 minutes ago!" and "Haven't we been by this row before???" But finally, Victory was ours! We successfully made it out of Maze #2... We had managed to hit all the checkpoints in both mazes (with the exception of C.P. #5 in the first one) and had a bunch of letters to unscramble.... I am pleased to say I solved the puzzle, and we headed back to claim our prize... mini pumpkins & gourds... although each of us heard a different description of the quantity we were supposed to claim... so we possibly stole an extra gourd... if so, I blame Misha!

Here's Misha & Kev as we entered the Maze:

And here is Kevin & Me!

So that was Corn Maze adventure '08 - Who knows where we'll end up next year!

$1 Butter Burgers!!

Check it out! Culver's will be celebrating their 24th Year on Tuesday Oct 7th by serving up their famous ButterBurgers for just $1 (Limit of 5 per order)

Such a lovely day

I love it, I woke up this morning and weather guy tells me today was going to be in the 60's... WOOHOO!!! I happen to be one of those people who loves the cooler weather.... I stepped out to head to work (in Capris & Sandals... because that is the perfect attire for this weather) and was a little sad that I had to spend the day at work. I did manage to sneak outside for lunch & read... this was my view:

It was great, not too sunny (my pale complection doesn't appreciate alot of that) with a light breeze, it was heavenly! I can't wait for the day to be over so I can get out and at least enjoy the evening. This is definitely good corn maze weather, which is hopefully going to take place this weekend!

That's all for now... go get out from behind your computer and get some fresh air!

Free Flu Shot in Lexington

I saw this article on WLEX's website. Fayette County Health Department is doing free flu shots this Saturday (Oct 4th) at Lexmark - it's drive thru service, just drive up and roll down your window :)

You can get all the details on their website, by clicking here