Be Sure to Head Over to Coupons.com

Today is the last day of the month--and-umm-the year-hee hee! Be sure to go to Coupons.com to get any coupons you might want before they expire! Also, as I always tell you, it's a good time to go through your coupon stash and pull out any expired coupons you might have! Have a happy and safe New Year's Eve everyone!!

Are You Ready for the New Year?

Well, are you? I think I am. I am not too sure. There are so many things from this year that I am hoping will improve next year. One thing is finances. I truly hope I can do much more to help save us money. I also want to get started on a Christmas Club account. Money I make from surveys, I plan to leave in my PayPal as much as possible-more so than I did this year. Though I was not wasteful with it, I had planned to leave it until Christmas. I was able to buy one daughter a coat for Christmas and another a very pretty rug for Christmas, but I would like to have had more in there-perhaps to catch some of those After Thanksgiving Day sales :)

I also really want to spend much less on my family's grocery bill! This is a huge goal for me. I see the deals, but often miss out because it is between paychecks or whatever. This year, I plan to save money back from my grocery budget to grab any deals that might come up. I am also going to try a few All You magazines to see if they are really worth the cost to help save money with their special coupons ;)

Out with the old and in with the new? This can apply to things in your house. Clutter-old. Go through closets, your garage, kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Find those things that you really have no used this year. I have a couple things I can think off right off the top of my head that we have only touched once or twice this year--gone it will be! I also have lots of clothes I went through in the Fall that can go to Goodwill and some that I plan to give away or sell at a yardsale (if it will ever quit snowing here :). There is much more I need to get busy on.

The new? I desperately need to do some new things here-a couple rooms need curtains. I need to replace some mini blinds. And, I need to redo my sewing table (perhaps that will come first before I try making curtains :) I want to treat myself to some cute objects around the house-some picture frames with pictures of the kids and some other decorating items. I also want to actually fix my coffee table and paint/stain it this year! And, my kitchen table and chairs are desperately needing a make over too!

All this may seem like alot, but in baby steps, I know I can achieve it. Going through all things to toss or give away can be broken down into small time periods-I love the 15 minute time period here. It works well for me and sometimes my kids help out and love that it is only 15 minutes!

The curtains I want to make-I know a Walmart that will be losing it's fabric area this February. I know they will clearance out everything. I will keep an eye out on these sales and find fabric for curtains, as well as some other projects I know I will have for next Christmas.

It's all in planning. What are some goals you have for the 2010? Heh, first time I have written/typed that...feel good :)

Free Sandwich from QuikTrip

If you have a QT in your area, go to Coupons.com and print out a coupon for a free sandwich-yum! If your zip code won't bring it up, try 85260.
Also, sign up with QT to take surveys once a month and get a special treat from QT. I have received free drinks, free gum, free sandwiches and even hot dogs or those roll ups :) These have been nice treats for myself while I am out alone, or I pass them along to my husband to grab something quick for lunch during his work day :)

Just Couldn't Stay Away

Last week, I told you I would not be back until after New Year's. Oh, well, there are just too many great deals out there :) Freebies, coupons, etc....I could not stop myself from sharing them :) I promise next Christmas to be more prepared here at home with my Christmas shopping/making to not let my blog come last--and to not let my wonderful readers come last either! I do not one of you to lose out on a good deal!
Anyway, sign up here for Pop Tarts Sprinklings. It is program for moms and you get samples, coupons, etc from Pop Tarts :) Thanks to Money Saving Methods for this great deal!

And, then, for a healthier breakfast, go hereto try to win a free box of Cheerio's and to get $4 in coupons sent to you! Yum! My kids love Cheerio's so this will be a nice deal for our family!

Home Made Simple Coupon Booklet

Go Here to request your free Home Made Simple coupon booklet. These are great and the coupons usually do not expire for quite a while. I love getting these because they always have great coupons for dish soap and dishwasher detergent :)

A Couple Recipes to Share

Thanksgiving and Christmas, I always make Pumpkin Pie Squares. It is very much like pumpkin pie, but goes further and you do not have to worry about making a rolled-out pie crust. If you are going to be feeding a big group of people, this is a terrific dessert to make. I have made this for parties and potlucks and have had many compliments on it :) It holds up for quite a few days in the fridge without any sogginess on the crust.

Pumpkin Pie Squares
Crust:
1/2 cup butter or margerine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
Cream butter/margerine with sugar until creamy. Add in flour (you may find it does not all incorporate). Then, fold in oats (same with oats-it may not all work itself in-that is ok). Then, put this mixture into a 9x13 pan (I like to use glass because then I can just keep the squares in there for easy trasport/fridge storage). Using hands, pat the mixture out as evenly as you can. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 mins or until set. Basically, until set means make sure you are not seeing much butter in your crust just sitting there. I don't let it get very brown if that helps you more :)

Filling:
This is your basic pumpkin pie filling-so if you have a favorite, use it here. If not, here is what I have used for years (probably from a can of Libby's Pumpkin :)
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
*on spices, I use 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice in place of individual spices above*

Beat eggs and sugar. Add in pumpkin and evaporated milk. Then add salt and spices and mix until you can see spices are blended evenly into mixture. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to help it along. Pour over baked crust (the crust does not have to cooled first-it can be warm from the oven). Bake at 350 until pie filling is set. I usually turn the oven down to about 300 after about 20 mins. but that is with my oven. I remember doing this often with pumpkin pies too. With these squares, I find it helps to not overbake the crust. Let cool before cutting into squares.


Another thing I started making Tiny Chicken Turnovers this year-I made them for New Years Eve last year and then again for the Super Bowl. When I made them for NYE, my husband suggested they needed cheese-so I added some shredded cheese for The Super Bowl-it really did add something extra :) Also, I love this recipe because you do not have to use just a chicken mixture-I actually used leftover turkey :) But, you could easily use ham, shredded beef, etc...You can just use the crust and fill with whatever you want. These do take a while, but they are really worth it. And, you can make these ahead of time and freeze. Then, reheat in the oven. Also, I was nervous because I am terrible with pie crusts! But, these came out nicely! I am even thinking of using this for pie crusts next time!

Tiny Chicken Turnovers:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup butter or margerine, chilled
5 tablespoons cold water

In a bowl mix together the flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Place in fridge for a bit to make it easier to roll.

Filling:
3 tablespoons chopped onion (I like to chop mine really fine of use a bit of onion powder instead)
3 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 cups shredded, cooked chicken meat
3 tablespoons chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
or
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, diced
Shredded Cheese (no amounts here-I suggest adding in as much as you think your family might like-you can even leave this out if you like:)

Melt butter in hot skillet. Add chopped onion and saute until tender. Add in shredded chicken, chicken stock, garlic powder and whatever other seasonings/spices you might like. Stir well, then add in cream cheese. Remove from heat and allow cream cheese to melt into mixture.
I love making the mixture the day before-unless I plan to store these in the freezer. It saves time, but it also allows the flavors to mingle and we all know mingling is a good thing ;) I just store it in the fridge until I need it.
On a floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/16 of an inch. I do not measure it.. I just roll it out pretty thin. Using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter or biscuit cutter or glass about that size, cut out circles. Place a heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture into center of circle. Fold circle over and using a bit of water around the inside edge of the circle, seal. You can use a fork to make pretty indents all around that sealed edge. Then, using a sharp knife, cut a small air hole in the top of the pastry. Reroll any scraps and keep going until you run out of chicken or dough :) I make up pans as I go along-this way I am working on a pan while one is baking. It helps with time-and if you have kids, they might relaly enjoy helping with these! It would be great for the little ones to help with the filling part.
Bake for 15-20 mins at 375. Just until golden brown.

Once again-this one is easy to make your own-up the spices, use less. Add some flavors to the crust such as some spicy seasonings and carry that on in your filling. You can also use less butter/margerine if you like. Try playing with that part-maybe taking out a TBS or two each time you make these. Don't be intimated by the pastry dough-it really was very easy to work with :) And, this is a really frugal recipe-you can really use up things you might have in the fridge/freezer that need to go!
I have reheated these in both the oven, on about 325 until hot, and in the microwave for about a min. Both worked well.

Well...Christmas is Here!

I have been really busy the past week and half getting things ready for Christmas, doing activities with the kids and preparing for our school break . Hence, I have not posted much on my blog and I am sorry. I promise to be back next week posting deals, sales, coupon match ups, etc. If you shop at Reasor's in Owasso (and perhaps other Reasor's have the same deal) they have Sprite, Sprite Zero and a couple other Coca-Cola brand drinks on sale for 89 cents, but there are $1 off 4 coupons attached to the bottles (these are for the 2 liter bottles). That makes them about 63 cents per 2 liter :) You could stock up for Christmas and New Years Eve (we like to put a maraschino cherry into the Sprite on New Years-we call them Cherry Bombs :)
I hope you ahve a very blessed Christmas! Stay safe, warm and enjoy yourself! We are looking at a White Christmas here in the Tulsa area this year :) Should be cold, but should be pretty!

Swagbucks--are you signed up yet?

Really, if you haven't, you should! It is a great way to earn points that you can use toward all sorts of things, including gift cards to places like Amazon.com, Ding.com, etc...I have even used it to get PayPal cash! If you search for anything online, then try this! It is powered by Google and Ask.com, so you know you are getting good searches.
If you sign up under me, I get points from you. The same happens when you get friends to sign up under you too! So, try it out for yourself!

Great Deal at Walmart (atleast at Owasso Supercenter)

I got this deal from Couponing to Disney. Print the refrigerated cookie dough coupon from here for $1.50 off any Nestle refrigerated cookie dough. Then, head on over to Walmart where, at mine, the ones you just break off the little squares of dough, out on a pan, and bake, are only $2! That makes these packages of dough 50 cents! I am wondering if the price of these might be $2 at most Supercenters because COuponing to Disney is not in my area-not even my state, and my price was the same as her Walmart.
I got two just for a convenience thing on Christmas Eve when we make cookies for Santa. I happen to know Santa loves white chocolate macadamia nut cookies ;) And, I thought he might like to try the Turtle cookies too :)

Arm & Hammer printable coupons

Go here to get your free printable Arm & Hammer coupons. Some nice ones here, so hurry!

Food Pyramid and Reasor's sales/coupon match ups

I really did not find many coupon match ups this week. But, there are some really good sales-including a good sale at Reasor's this Saturday with their 12 hour sale! Finally, one that happens on my regular shopping week ;)

Food Pyramid
Best Choice Flour-5lb-98 cents


10 lb bag of Idaho Potatoes-$1.77

Musselman's Applesauce-23-24 oz-98 cents

Best Choice Sugar-4 lb bag-98 cents (limit 1)

Farmland Cooked Ham-$1.99/lb

Imperial Margerine-2/$1

Coffemate Creamers-$1.70-50 cent coupon (11/1 RP mailer) doubled to $1.00= 79 cents

Libby’s Vegetables .59cents -$1 off 4 (9/22 RP) = $1.36/4

*****************************************************************
Reasor's
~12 hour sale~
Imperial Margerine-2/$1

DaVinci Pastas-16 oz-69 cents

Christmas Wrapping Paper-select varieties-75 cents

Morton Salt-3/99 cents

Crystal Farms Chunk Cheese-7-8 oz-4/$5

Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa-88 cents
 
~Regular Weekly Sale~


Parkay Margarine 5/$5-.75 on 2 (11/15 SS)=$1.25 for 2 or about 63 cents each

Herbal Essences-$2.89-$1 that came in mail with free bottle offer= $1.89

Nestle Jingle Bells-2/$5-$1 on one bag Here =$1.50 per bag!

Best Choice Almond Bark-$1.69

Old Orchard juice frozen concentrate-4/$5

Right@Home Holiday@Home Gift Pack

Don't forget-today is the start of the new week to sign up for a new gift pack! Here is the info from Right @ Home -http://www.rightathome.com//offers/200912-gift-w2:

Create precious holiday memories with family and friends in a clean and inviting home—with a Right@Home™ Holiday at Home gift basket. Each gift basket is filled with your favorite products from the makers of Ziploc®, Glade®, Scrubbing Bubbles® and more, to help you keep your home ready for guests and full of cheer.
Each gift basket includes:
• 1 Ziploc® Brand Medium Snap 'n Seal Container
• 1 25-count box of Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags
• 1 15-count box of Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bags
• 1 pack of Ziploc® Brand Big Bags (with 3 different sizes of Big Bags)
• 1 package of Pledge® Natural Beauty Wipes
• 1 Glade® Scented Oil Candles Tin
• 1 Scrubbing Bubbles® Toilet Cleaning Gel

*Terms & ConditionsThe first 2,000 people to respond from December 8 to December 14 will receive a Holiday At Home gift basket. For your chance to receive a gift basket, simply complete all required information on the offer form by December 14, 2009, 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time (CT). Offer available to U.S. residents only. Gift baskets available until December 14, 2009, or while supplies last. Only 2,000 gift baskets available. Limit: one (1) gift basket per household/address. S.C. Johnson is not liable for any typographical errors in the offer or any illegible, lost, late, damaged, separated, misdirected, incomplete, stolen or non-delivered email or redemption requests. Gift baskets will be mailed by March 15, 2010. If you have received a gift pack from Right@Home™ in the last 180 days, you are not eligible for this month's offer.

Check back on Tuesday, December 15 for next week's offer.

Cute $1 stockings at Old Navy!

Went to Old Navy last night and they had their stockings, which are normally $9.50, for only $1!! These are girly, atleast I think they are, but my youngest son wanted one in his favorite colors, which he now wears around the house on his foot-lol! But, even if you have a stocking, these are so cute and would make great little gift holders to give to someone like a friend, family member, etc...Or, how about stuffing treats you are baking/making for neighbors into one?! Wrap them in pretty plastic wrap, celophane, etc, and place your baked goods in the stocking. I think it would be very cute :) There are many ideas for these...even donating some to a good cause.

What to do with Old Socks?

I have a grocery sack full of old socks. I also have a laundry basket full of socks waiting to be matched. I am not sure I will ever find the mates that go with these socks, but I stay hopeful that one day, maybe, just maybe, I will find the mate and reunite a happy couple once again.
But, I have many socks with holes in the feet. I am not sure what my family does, but they tend to get holes in the soles often! So, I have been looking around the internet for some neat ideas, and I did come across some. But, a friend reminded me of making arm/wrist warmers with the socks, and even leg warmers. I thought about it...and then I noticed a pair of socks on my sewing table that had been mutilated. When I asked the child who was the owner of these socks, why she did that, she told me she was trying to make wrist warmers, but messed them up...SO...I guess my kids WOULD like some wrist warmers :)
I am going to cut right above the ankle, stitch them up a bit there, just to reinforce and make sure they do not fray. But, Im going to take these a step further and decorate them nicely. Maybe by hand with some embroidery floss and maybe some with my sewing machine and a cute stitch. This will make them look nicely, but, also, since our socks are mostly white, I thought this would be a great way to know whose wrist warmer is laying on the floor after they come in from the cold-lol!! These will make a great stocking stuffer I think :)

Do you have lots of socks and wondering what you can do with all of them? It seems a shame to throw them away...How about using them to make a nice, warm quilt? One of my kids used them to make a fabric picture collage. They made great clouds in her picture :) Of course, there are sock monkeys, but you can use any sock and make any animal. My mom even took socks-though she used new ones-and made my kids sock babies. They adored those and a couple of my kids still have them! You could cut the tops into strips-as in making rounds with them-and use them in a loop loom to make potholders. Or, believe it or not, socks make terrific dusting clothes-slip one on each hand and off you go! Perhaps even floor dusters on your feet as well?


Here are a couple sites I found with sock craft ideas:
Sock and Nylon Crafts
 The New Homemaker
do stuff! Fingerless Mitts
Argyle Sock Scarf Instructions
Martha Stewart Sock Dog
HGTV Sock Dog
By the way, I have been once again making things for my kids this Christmas-a pair of jammie pants of my youngest son and some matching American Girl jammies-yes, he has a doll too-why doesn't AG make American Boys? Anyway... I have also made a couple AG outfits, working on jammies for each of my daughters' dolls as well-need to make my own pattern I suppose. I didn't like the one I used last year. And, I think I will make my oldest son one of those sock dogs :) He will love it. I will post pics once I am done to share :) If you are sewing or creating, feel free to share! I would love to know what others are doing!!

Right At Home Holiday at Home Gift Basket Give-Away

Be one of the 1st 2,000 to enter and you might win a gift basket from Right@Home. Below are the items included in the basket. A new basket give away will start next week, on Dec 8th, so keep your eye out for the next one :)
*From the site*
Create precious holiday memories with family and friends in a clean and inviting home—with a Right@Home™ Holiday at Home gift basket.




Each gift basket is filled with your favorite products from the makers of Ziploc®, Glade®, Scrubbing Bubbles® and more, to help you keep your home ready for guests and full of cheer.



Each gift basket includes:

• 1 Ziploc® Brand Medium Snap 'n Seal Container

• 1 25-count box of Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags

• 1 15-count box of Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bags

• 1 pack of Ziploc® Brand Big Bags (with 3 different sizes of Big Bags)

• 1 package of Pledge® Natural Beauty Wipes

• 1 Glade® Scented Oil Candles Tin

• 1 Scrubbing Bubbles® Toilet Cleaning Gel



*Terms & Conditions



The first 2,000 people to respond from December 1 to December 7 will receive a Holiday At Home gift basket. For your chance to receive a gift basket, simply complete all required information on the offer form by December 7, 2009, 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time (CT). Offer available to U.S. residents only. Gift baskets available until December 7, 2009, or while supplies last. Only 2,000 gift baskets available. Limit: one (1) gift basket per household/address. S.C. Johnson is not liable for any typographical errors in the offer or any illegible, lost, late, damaged, separated, misdirected, incomplete, stolen or non-delivered email or redemption requests. Gift baskets will be mailed by March 15, 2010.



If you have received a gift pack from Right@Home™ in the last 180 days, you are not eligible for this month's offer.



Check back on Tuesday, December 8th for next week's offer.

New Coupons at Coupons.com

Don't forget-new month, new coupons! Go to Coupons.com and check out the new ones to be printed :) Also, it is a good time to go through your coupon stash and pull out any expired. I also went through my coupon file folder (the one I hold all those coupon section in) and discarded all the old coupons and even some coupon sections that were expired! Haven't done that in a couple of months, so there was a lot there!!

Good meat sale at Food Pyramid

Food Pyramid's new sale starts this week. This weekend, they are having 20% off all their meat-fresh meat, frozen, lunch meat, hot dogs, etc...Check out the front page of the Tulsa area ad here.

Happy Thanksgiving and a deal for homeschoolers!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your day is full of wonderful blessing with family and friends! I have felt blessed this year to be able to share the deals I have found, as well as sharing any little money saving ideas I have or come across. I truly hoped they have blessed you in your frugal jouneys :)

If you homeschool, or perhaps, you like to do extra things with your kids when they are home from school, Currclick has a deal for you! Starting November 27, at 10 am CST, you can sign on to Currclick and pick from several free educational resources. Currclick is a wonderful resource all year long too. Each week they send out a free educational resource, but they also have many wonderful items at great prices! This Black Friday sale lasts into November 28th, until 10 am CST.

Have you purchased your turkey yet????

I have...and I am wishing I would have waited. My husband called me this morning to let me know Food Pyramid has turkeys on sale for 32 cents/lb!!! Arghhhh!!!! That is more than double what I purchased mine at. I spent 89 cents/lb at Reasor's.

Have you purchased your turkey yet

Save Money With Cambell's- $15 worth of great coupons

Visit Cambell's Kitchen and print off some great coupons to use now to help save on your Thanksgiving dinner or to use later on :)

Great Walgreen's Deal Coming Up for Coffee Drinkers

Thanks to Couponing To Disney for the heads up on this deal :) Next week, CoffeeMate will be B1G1 for $2.49. Use 2 $1 off coupons from CoffeeMate and your total for two bottles of creamer will be about 50 cents or each bottle about 25 cents :) You could make a nice little gift basket with some coffee, coffee mugs, and a bottle of this creamer to give to a friend as an early Christmas gift ;)

Butterball.com

Do you need help with cooking your turkey? Not sure how long it takes to defrost that big ol' bird? Wondering if you should buy fresh or frozen or perhaps smoked? How about how bigga bird will you need for you and your guests? Well, Butterball.com can help you out! Even recipes. It has a calculator for figuring out how big of a bird you might need and even how much stuffing. And...the best thing...a coupon for $2 off a Butterball turkey-so if you ahve not bought yours yet, check them out!! Plus, if you are cooking on Thanksgiving Day and can't remember how long to cook that bird, what the temp should be, or whatever disaster you might come up with-you can get on their website and get help-or, of course, call the hotline which is posted on the site as well!! Have a great Turkey Day!!

Don't Forget Your Free Samples From Walmart

I often forget about these, but sometimes there are some really nice samples :) Right now there are Tampax Pearl, Pampers Extra Protection, and Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew for the eyes. Go here to get your samples.

Santa is Coming to Walmart-Yippee!!

Santa will be coming to Walmart November 28th & 29th and December 5th & 6th! Go here to check if he will be visiting your local Walmart :)

Reasor's and Food Pyramid Sales and Coupon Match Ups 11/11

Here are some deals I found for this weeks sales at Reasor's and Food Pyramid:


Reasors:
Best Choice Sugar-4lbs-2/$3

Gold Medal Flour $1.67-.50 off printable=$1.17

Hamburger Helper $10/10 ($1 ea)-.75/3 printable=$2.25/3 or 75 cents each :)

Tony's Pizza $10/6 (about $1.67 each)-$1/2  (10/4 SS) or  printable=$2.34/2 ($1.17 ea)

Argo $1.29-.40 cents off (10/4 or 11/8 SS) =.89 cents

Fleischmann's Yeast $10/10 -3 pack strips-.40 cents off (10/4 or 11/8 SS)=.60 cents per strip

Karo $4/2-.40 cents off (10/4 or 11/8 SS)=$1.60
Hiland Cottage Cheese $3/2 ($1.50 ea)-.55 cents off (9/13 SS)=.95 cents each


Healthy Choice Frozen Meals $4/2 -$2 printable = free-yay baby!!

Buddig Lunch Meat 8-10 oz containers -$4/2 -$1 printable =$1 good deal :)

In ad coupon for free cake mix when you buy one container of Hellman's mayonaisse

Coffee Mate Liquid 3/$5 -$1 printable =.59


********************************************************************
Food Pyramid-
Old Orchard Apple Juice frozen concentrate-99 cents each

20 % off all cereals

Tony’s Microwave Pizza or Pouches 9oz. 10 for $10-$1/2 (10/4 SS) = $1/2

Home Depot LED Light Deal

Home Depot has a great deal happening right now through Nov. 15th. Bring in your old lights-up to 5 sets- and get a $3 voucher for led lights. You can trade in up to 5 sets per customer. I am thinking early Christmas present for my hubby who has been wanting some of these to hang outside :) Thanks to Sisterly Savings for the heads up!

Make Your Own Sandwich Bags!!

Aren't these the cutest?! A friend of mine brought hers to a homeschool meeting and I fell in love. Her sister makes these for her and I asked if she could share how she makes them. Here is the link to the wonderful blogger who makes these great bags-she has different variations and you can easily follow her directions. My friend's sister said once you make one, you don't really need the directions again to make others, it is that simple. She was not kidding! Im not a very accomplished seamstress, but I was able to make these. The hardest thing was getting the two pieces of ribbon in the casing, but you could easily make two rows of casing and do it that way. I have used ribbon and cording, and find either way works very well :)

The really great thing about these is you can use that fabric you have sitting around that is so cute but really not enough to make much of anything with :) You can make these in all different sizes. I even made one to hold some cute small gifts and a gift card my oldest gave to a friend for her birthday. You could make these to hold personal care items in your purse, or daughter's purse. My friend's sister even makes them for birthday party goody bags! I plan to make more for Christmas to hold small gifts, stocking stuffers, whatever. They can be used for Christmas again next year, or the kids can use them to hold their lunches. They wash well-I just pull the inside out a bit and have no problems. Now, if it was a really messy sandwich, I might wrap it in something before hand. And, there are things you can get at your local sewing store or craft store that is plastic-y and you could use that as a liner as well :) Go have fun!!! If you make these, let me know what you used them for-I would love to hear about it!

Apple Unit Study

I promised that I would post about the apple unit study we did last month. I had actually wanted to finish up the unit in the beginning of October, and do a Pumpkin unit toward the end of October, but, well, time got away from me. Where did October go?!

I was unable to find books at our library. I am thinking many teachers and probably homeschoolers like us had the same idea going on :) I did find a couple books, and of course, some books I requested came in after we were done. Next time, I will be sure to plan ahead :)

Here are pictures of the lapbook we made:

The Front-I wanted to put a picture of an apple or something on the front, but my two kids doing this wanted to keep it the way it was :)

The inside of the folder. The larger papers (the small apple tree math page and the parts of a flower page) fold back.

Here you can see parts of the left side of the folder under the large page. We made an apple booklet which, when opened, has labeled parts of the inside of an apple. The Johnny Appleseed's Travel booklet opens to a map which we colored in states where Johnny traveled. The Did You Know? Match books have a couple aplle facts written inside.

This is the right side of the file folder. We have two charts we made-one showing different apples we tasted and if they were sweet, crunchy, soft, etc in texture. The other shows which of those apples we liked the best and the least.

And here are the two sides together with the larger pages flipped up :)

Here are some links I used to gather info and ideas for our Apple Unit Study:

Apple Theme Activities
Apple Themes
Apple A Day
Vermont Apples
Teaching Heart Apple Unit
Apple Printables
Free Johnny Appleseed Lapbook
Kinder Printables Index of Apples

Free Gift from The Old Schoolhouse

Go here to get your free gift from The Old Schoolhouse. A terrific looking holiday celebration book-crafts, recipes, activities and so much more-for free! Enjoy and feel free to pass this along :)

Oh Yea! Kellogg's Cereal Coupons!!

Go here to print off coupons for Kellogg's cereals :) I love these-especially the Mini Wheats because my kids love them (and so do I ;)

Say Hello to My Little Friend

We made this spider last year and the kids (including the neighbor kids) loved it so much, it became a tradition now :) It is so easy and fun once you have it up. One thing I would do differently is place the legs on before stuffing it. You might want to play with it a bit, though.

You can make this yourself by visiting Cindy's Porch

Food Pyramid and Reasor's Sales/Coupon Match Ups-Oct 28

**NOTE**--At Food Pyramid, I listed boneless/skinless chicken breasts on sale-3lbs/$3.99...I could not find them at FP, so I double checked the ad in the store ( I have to view the ad online at home before I go shopping). I must have looked at the ad online incorrectly or something-so I am sorry, the chicken breasts are not on sale this week :( But, starting Nov 1st, they are having a big meat sale-they will have the chicken then for $4.99 and they will also have the ground round listed below for $1.69. They also have some goodies on sale I think until tomorrow (Oct. 31)-like Pepsi products-2 liters for 59 cents (limit of 3).


I had a problem with blogger yesterday so I could not post any sales/match ups I found. But, today I am going to combine to two stores to make this fast and easy ;)

Food Pyramid
Ground Round-$1.99/lb,
Hiland Sour Cream-99 cents-40 cents/1( 10-18SS) doubled= 19 cents

Coffeemate Flavored Ceamer-$1.79-.50/1 (11/1 RP mailer) doubled= $.79

Farmland Pork Sausage-$1

Libby's canned veggies-59 cents each- $1/4 (9/27 RP)=$1.36/4 or 34 cents each

Prairie Farms Milk-gallons-2/$5

Hamburger Helper-79 cents-75 cents/3 printable = $1.62/3 or 54 cents a piece

Rodeo or Hunter Hot Dogs-69 cents

Colgate Total or Total Advanced Clean Toothpaste 4-6oz. $2.79-$1/1 (10/25 SS) = $1.79

Eckrich Smoked Sausage 14-16 oz. $1.89-.55/1 (10/11 SS)=$1.34

**Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts-3 lb bag-$3.99** See note above-not on sale this week-Sorry :(

*************************************************************************

Reasors
Im sorry, I really did not see much this week that were good deals, or that you could not get better using a coupon at another store (or by buying Aldi's brand). But here are a few I found:

Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta $4/3 ($1.33 ea)-$1/2 printable=$1.66/2 or 83 cents each

Hiland Chocolate or Strawberry Milk $1.85-.40 (10/18 SS)=$1.45

Duncan Hines Cake Mix $1-55 cents/2 (10/11 SS)=$1.45/2 or 73 cents each

Aussie Hair Care -$2.79-$1 (10/11 P&G)=$1.79

Herbal Essences Hair Care $2.79-$1 (9/9 RP Mailed)=$1.79
or
B1G1 (10/11 P&G)=$2.79/2 or about $1.40 for each

$10 off a pair of jeans from Special K

Check out Special K $10 Off Jeans Promo . Send 5 Special K Tokens along with the voucher you can print from the above link and get a voucher for $10 off a pair of jeans :) This is good through December of next year, so you can take your time...and perhaps you might lose that 6 lbs they mention in their ads :) Then, treat yourself to a new pair of jeans :)

Check Out This Cooking Blog!

I can really vouch for this wonderful cooking blog! This is my friend and she is an amazing cook. I have tried many of her creations over the years and I can promise you that not once did I try something I didn't care for-honestly!!! I would say that about 99% of what she posts on her blog, I would eat myself. Her blog makes me hungry :) So, please, check out What's Cookin?? --I don't think you will be disappointed! I also have her listed in the Cooking section of blogs I follow, so you can see what she has cookin right now :)

Great List of Freebies from Homemaker Hero

Homemaker Hero has a terrific list of freebies today! Check her out :)

Free Sample Of L'Oreal Pure Hair Color Care

Go to L'Oreal  and either sign in or register. Then, go to coupons and samples (I found the link at the bottom left of the page-you may have to play around with the site a bit-my connection is slow today so it took me awhile to find it-lol). Then, get your free sample of Pure-or check out the other offers :)

Join Homescan!!

I joined Homescan about a year ago. It has been fun and easy to earn points. The hardest thing has been scanning all those products I bring home with such a big family-lol! And, it took me a few tries to get the scanner to work right with the phone, but I eventually figured it out. If you are willing to scan your purchases when you bring them in the house, take a few extra surveys online (and sometimes with the scanner), and perhaps do an extra project with the scanner once a year or so, then this could be an easy way for you to earn some points to earn prizes! Here is a link to get you signed up:
Homescan

Makin' Cents at Target :)

It's starting to pay to use reusable bags at some stores. Target is now offering 5 cents for each reusable bag you use at their store :) This may not be alot, but it can add up....My thought is adding it to a change jar :) As my husband said "It's non'taxable income" :) Put this with the 5 cents per bag you save at Reasor's :) Now, if Walmart follows suit, I will be thrilled!!

Free Tote Bag From Red Gold- *for certain states*

Go here and sign up for Red Gold's email newsletter. This allows you to recieve a free tote bag as well :) Only good for those in certain states-IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, OH, OK and WI.

Food Pyramid Sales and Coupon Match Ups

Here are a few items I saw this week on sale at Food Pyramid :)

Black Angus Beef Arm Roast-Family Pack-$1.69/lb
Lance Crackers-3/$5
Hiland Butter Quarters-$1.79
Hot Pockets 4 for $9-.50/1 from mailed RP  = $1.75/1

Reasors Sales and Coupon Match Ups

A few good deals this week :) Here are some I found:

Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts-7-9lb package-$1.38/lb  or
      $1.68/lb for a meduim package (not sure how many lbs that is)

Yoplait yogurt-10/$4=40 cents per pack. Use coupon from 10-4 SS to buy 6 and get one free=$2.40 for 7  or--50 cents/6 printable = $1.90/6

Tony's pizza-5/$10- buy 2 at $2 each-$1/2 10-4 SS=$3 for 2 pizzas

Gala Apples-75 cents/lb

Honey Nut Cheerios, Trix, Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp $1.88- $1 offHoney Nut Cheerios printable (plus get a free sample if you haven't already)=88 cents   or
$1/2 printable =$2.76   OR
55 cents off printable for Honey Nut Cheerios=$1.33
Maxwell House Coffee-31.5-34.5 oz- $5.99-$1/2 printable=$10.98
 
 

Walmart-50 items all under $1-some even free!

There are some great deals listed there! Thanks to Christi's 2 Cents for passing this along from Couponing to Disney
Walmart-50 Items Under $1 (17 are free!)
Remember, prices vary from location to location, so be aware your savings may differ :)

Goal Setting Sunday

I did not get actual exercising in this week-but we went to the fair a few days so I got in lots of walking :) That counts, right? I have a new video I borrwed from the library and I will do that this week. It is Walk Away the Pounds and if you have never checked out this series by Leslie Sansone, I highly recommed it! There are different levels-or miles- and you really can get a good aerobic workout, in a pretty gentle manner. Nice if you have problem knees, calves (like I seem to be having lately) or other issues. She also has a nice Pilates work out video which I like, but wish she did more of those--it is too easy to master the one and not have anything easy to move on to...Im not too coordinated-lol!

I did not get my cabinets again! UGH! So, I will try once more. This week, I focused on laundry. I even made myself more laundry-lol! It seems we have almost skipped Autumn here in Tulsa and went right into Winter-lol! So, we went through boxes of stored winter clothes and packed up most of the summer clothes. I washed the clothes that were stored in the garage or my closet (for some reason, my closet smells and I am not sure, but I think it might come from the attic). I was able to knock most of that out yesterday and should have only one load today and be caught up :) YAY ME!!

I also plan to finish up our apple unit study this week and the apple lapbook. I will post pics when we are done, as well as links I used for our unit :)

QuikTrip Soda Deal

Right now at some Qt's there is a coupon pad hanging from the doors by the 7Up brand sodas. You buy a 20 oz soda and get a 2 liter soda for free. These are only for 7Up products. The 20 oz were about $1.29 and the 2 Liters were $1.59, but you get that one free--for for $1.29, you get a 2 liter and a 20 oz :) Not too bad!

Online Layaway with KMart

KMart is having an online layaway program. You can find the items you want, now, through Oct. 9 and put them on layaway. Details on the payment schedule, down payment, etc, are on the website. You can then, pick up your order at your local KMart. Be sure to check if your local KMart has layaway available :)

Goal Setting Sunday

On a Monday-again-lol!!! We were pretty busy yesterday. We were blessed with tickets to Disney on Ice and I took my younger 3 kids to see it. It was lots of fun, but people sure can be rude.
Anyway, last week went pretty well. I never got to my cabinets, though. So, I will try to do that this week. I was able to get in two days of exercising-one aerobic with weights and abs and another day of just some abs and crunches-boy was I sore!!! Will try for another 2 days this week.
I also need to catch up on a mountain of laundry! Why do kids wait to bring out laundry until it amounts to two loads? I need to post a note somewhere I will see it so I can remember to ask them to bring out their laundry each night...perhaps I can avoid the laundry trap again :)

Reasor's Sale and Coupon Match Ups

One more store :) Reasors :) A few things that caught my eye here are:
18 ct eggs-$1.18
Potatoes-5 lb bag-$1.19
Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cookies-99 cents-$1.00 (I found a coupon from Keebler about a month ago-one for $1 off and another for 55 cents off-hopefully some of you have these too as I think they are no longer available)-free if you ahve the coupon :)
Yoplait Yogurt .40 cents each- $1.00/8 Printable = $2.20 for 8 about 28 cents for each
Hiland Ice Cream Squares $2.50- .55cents (9/13 SS)= $1.95

Birdseye Steamfresh Veggies $1.00- .35cents (9/13 SS)= 65 cents
Purina Cat Chow 16lb $11.99- $1.00 (9/29 RP from mail)= $10.99
VO5 Shampoo/Conditioner-79 cents
Old Orchard Juice-4/$5-$1.00/4 printable=$1.25 each without coupon or $1.00 each with coupon

Food Pyramid Sales and Coupon Match Ups 9/30

Quite a few nice sales this week at Food Pyramid-I love when that happens. Some things that caught my eye are:
Peter Pan flour-4 lb bag-99 cents
Rodeo or Hunter Hot Dogs-79 cents
Tender Sweet Whole Kernal Corn or Green Beans-14.5-15 oz can-39 cents
Washington Apples-Golden/Red Delicious, Granny Smith or Gala-3 lb-$1.99
Kodak Batteries-49 cents
Quality Time light bulbs-4 pk-49 cents
Pringles-2/ $3-$1/2 (8-30 PG) = $2/2
Colgate $2.79-$1/1 (9-13SS) = $1.79
Always-pads or liners or Tampax tampons- $2.79-.50/1 (9-27 PG)= $2.29
Wonder Bread Classis $1.49-.55/1  (8-25 RP from mail) = 94 cents

Goal Setting Sunday

I sort of forgot it was Sunday yesterday...I 'knew' it was Sunday, but I forgot about setting a goal this week...

I did not get my exercising in like I wanted. I did do some abs, but that was it. So I hope to do better this week. I am finding it hard to find a time to fit it in, so I need to work on that :)

I did get back into our house routine, so atleast I didn't fail on that :) This week I want to get into cabinets and clean them up. I noticed there was some baking soda all over the inside of spice cabinet, so I need to check them all and clean them out. My wonderful son went through and cleaned all my countertops last night-so I now feel my cabinets deserve the same treatment :) He also cleaned my washer and dryer (on the outside). Isn't he sweet?!

And I need to post about our apple unit study! I have everything I need to get it started and we will begin that today :) I will post links I found that were very helpful tomorrow :)

Mmmm--Autumn!

I don't know what it is about this time of year...I want to curl up with a nice cup off coffee or hot cocoa in front of the fire. Or, I crave those wonderful comfort foods-soups, stews, chilis, meatloaf and mashed potatoes-oh, I could go on and on! Alot of these meals are terrific in the crockpot and so easy to start in the morning and let cook all day without much or any fuss at all! You could even make a big batch of some of these to freeze for meals later on. Or, even use some for quick and frugal lunches for the week. I have even used my crock to make big batches of chicken, burrito/taco meat, etc and froze it in serving sizes for the freezer! Works like a charm with very little work on my part. Of, I have placed chicken in a freezer bag with marinade, froze it for a later meal. All I have to do is take it out the night before to thaw in the fridge, and dump the chicken in the crockpot (throw out the marinade).

Do you have a crockpot? If you don't, you should really check into getting one. They can be a very good investment and, even though you are cooking for long periods of time, they do not use alot of electricity. Depending on your crockpot, it can cost about 10-15 cents per 8 hours to operate-that, vs an oven, which can be about 20 cents per hour. That can be an amazing savings, just right there. But, think about this too...you can use your crock to cook up tougher cuts of meat and have them come out fork tender and juicy!

Sometimes it does take some playing around with recipes to make them work. Also, I found with some crocks, you might want to watch them a bit the first few times you use them. I have had crockpots for much of my married life and grew up with a mom who used them. A few Christmas' ago, my husband bought me a fancy one. I found it cooked faster than my not-so-fancy crock and burned my food. So, I always set the timer on my crock to the highest setting. Yesterday, I made meatloaf in the am which I put in the crock since we would be gone most of the day. When I got home around 5, the meatloaf was just starting to burn on the edges, but very slightly....but it had only been cooking for about 6 hours! I had set it on the highest setting I could-at 10 hours. But, I know my crockpot well enough now to know certain things would need the higher setting in order to not burn.

You can find crockpots at stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. Or you can find them at thrift stores too! Perhaps a friend is giving one away that they do not use anymore or they got a new one. If they offer it to you-take it!!  Free is always nice and you can experiment! Crockpotting is also a nice way to cook in the Summer and keep down the heat in your home :)

If you are unsure about recipes, or you lost the book to yor crock, or, perhaps, you are burned out on what to make, here are some really great sites with some yummy recipes to check out!

Campbells' Crockpot Recipes
AllRecipes Slow Cooker section
365 Days of Slow Cooking blog
A Year of Slowcooking

Hiland Coupons

Go here and sign in or register (it's free:) to get print off Hiland coupons for dip, cottage cheese, brick cheese and ice cream square. Yummy!!!

What in the World is a Unit Study?!!!

Unit Studies can be a fun and frugal way of homeschooling your child. Or, if you are not a homeschooler, they can be a fun way to extend your child's learning at home-especially over the summer. But, what exactly is a unit study? A unit study is a theme-based or one topic idea which includes most or all subjects. For instance, perhaps your child is interested in horses. You can use this subject to teach math, science, art, history, and even some language arts. It can take a bit of research to get it started, but once you figure out how to find your info, it becomes easier and easier to plan out the unit studies.

We will look deeper into the theme of horses--we did this when my kids were younger and turned it into a lapbook-I will post about lapbooks later on. But, you can easily make notebooks with your unit study as well. For the horse unit, our math included learning about how horses are measured-by hands. We converted this into inches, and then I measured each child. From there, we converted the inches back into hands and made a chart showing how many hands high each child was. We also used the measuring tape to show how high different breeds of horses were. This math was converting inches, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and just basic measuring :) Lots of math right there, huh? For History, we learning the impact of horses on different time periods. What were they used for? When were the first horses ever used? When were the introduced into the U.S.? How does that compare to how they are used today? Another chart was made and placed into our lapbook. For art, we got the book "Leonardo's Horse". It was about Leonardo DiVinci's bronze horse statue he made. Not only did this book give us art direction-it also provided science on bronzing. And, I suppose it also gave us some historical teaching as well :) See how this works-you start in one area and easily branch out.

Now, not all unit studies will provide you with every lesson-not all will give you a math opportunity. Not all will provide you with history. But, if you plan it correctly, most of them will! And, as I said before, as you do more and more of these, they will come very easy to you. And, don't be surprised when your child  comes up to you with their own ideas for unit studies!

To help you learn more, I have found some really great links:
Unit Studies

About.com Homeschooling  goes right to the unit study page-lots of great info on getting started, notebooking, etc..

A to Z Home's Cool Unit Study links

Goal Setting Sunday

My DH is off visiting his mom and will be home tomorrow. I can see the house needs straightening so he can come home to a nice clean home :) We will work on that a bit today and tomorrow.

Im hoping to start walking this week. I can really see drawbacks since I have not been exercising and I know walking will be a nice and gentle way to start back up. I will add in some abs and weights a couple times a week-probably alternating that with my walking days. Nothing strenuous, but I am tired of feeling achy all the time and I hope this will bring my body back to feeling strong again!

And this week, I hope to fall back into our regular routine. Last week was very busy with extra activities and we are trying to keep busy this weekend in order to not miss my DH too much :) We need to settle back into school work and regular chores!!

And, finally, I think I am going to start a monthly goal, of which I will post once a month :) We are going to start some unit studies in our school work. I did these alot with my oldest kids when they were younger. Matter of fact, for a couple years, it was our major form of learning. I would either find subjects that seemed interesting, or I would follow their interests. Or, we would use Five in a Row curriculum which was just terrific!! I plan to start these back up again for my youngest two kids. They never really got to experience these and hopefully they will ahve as much fun as my older 3 kids had :) This month, because it is a tradition for us, we will focus on apples! I will post the activities we do as well as some links we use for our unit study later on. I will also post here in a bit more info on unit studies if you are interested in doing these with your kids (you do not have to be a homeschooler to do these-any family can have fun with these :)

Reasor's Sales and Coupon Match Ups 9/16

Here are some sales and some coupons match-ups I was able to find in the Reasor's ad this week :)

Dawn Dish Soap $1.00 each-.25cents/1 out of Home Made Simple coupon book =.75 cents

Luv’s Diapers $13.99 for a case -$5/1 Coupon (get coupon from Luvs)=$8.99

Land O Frost Lunch Meat $3.98 -.50cents off 1(8/09 RP)=$3.48 each

Im missing a bunch of coupons from the month of August, so if you find other deals you would like to share, please feel free to comment!!!

102 Days Til Christmas!!!

Yikes! It is coming up fast and I have not started any sewing-not that I have alot to do but I don't want to be rushing my sewing at the last minute in December and would rather take that time to do some fun Christmas things with my kids!

Here are some more ideas for things you can make for Christmas gifts:

21 Free Sewing Patterns

Christmas Craft Projects including some kids can make :)

Crochet patterns

Goal Setting Sunday

I made 2 big batches of waffles this week and that gives us about 2 breakfasts-lol! I will have to quadruple to recipe next time-or even more-in order to have a nice stash in the freezer :) I think I would like two waffle makers if I were to do that, though...waffles take a long time to make!

This week I am going to focus on getting my hubby ready for a trip he is taking to visit his mom in California. We also have shopping later in the week and a homeschool activity, so we will be busy this week!

My kids are doing great at making their own goals in school work. I was really wanting my oldest two to be resposible for their own, but this has trickled down to my 6th grader who has decided to start essays. I was shocked when he came up with an idea all on his own. So, we will be working together to accomplish that this week. This is his first essay, so he will need the guidance :)

Goal Setting Sunday

I got quite a bit of my desk cleaned off-cleared out some coupons I had printed off and put some recipes in the recipe book. Still needs some work, but it feels better already :)

This week, I want to make a big batch of waffles to put up in the freezer. Perhaps some pancakes too. We have a fridge w/freezer in our garage that I know would love to be fed :)

What are some things you do to stay ahead of busy times? Feel free to comment. Or, do you ahve a goal you plan to work on this week? Please share! I would love to hear what others are doing!

P & G Coupon Booklet Sign Up from Sav-A-Lot

Go here to sign up for a free coupon booklet from Sav-A-Lot for P&G coupons :)

Aren't Coupons Just for Junk Food?

I get asked this question all the time! You won't believe how often I get asked this :) If you coupon and share about your experience, I bet you have been asked this too. Or, I get told that there are better deals at Aldi. Yes, I know that as well :) I think there is a taboo that comes with people's thoughts on couponers-they must be buying only name brands all the time, they must be spending more than if they would just buy store brands, it has to be all junk or processed foods...
The only 'junk' or processed foods in my cabinet or freezer/fridge from this last shopping trip are-

snack packs for my husband's lunches (which I save right there when he takes a lunch instead of buying)-bought these with a coupon and it equals out to about 25 cents per package and will last him about 3 weeks.

frozen item-bought with coupon and it cost me only $1-this will be a quick dinner for DH one night when he doesn't want to eat leftovers-lol! He is not a leftover sort of guy unless I disguise it.

another frozen item-bought with coupon and it cost a $1-another quickie dinner for DH.

mac and cheese-store brand that I bought with a rancheck issued for a sale from 2 weeks ago. Quick meal for a busy night accompanied by good veggies and a protein.

Now, I know I have other processed things-these are just a couple deals I wanted to share. But I do have far more healthy things in my kitchen than processed. Yes, some were bought at Aldi, but some were bought using coupons and getting better deals from other stores with those coupons.

Frozen peas-used a coupons from Coupons.com and got the peas for 75 cents. These will last us a few meals.

Dish soap-big bottle, used coupon from Coupons.com and got it for 78 cents. This should last me over a month!

soy candles-free with coupon from a previous Sunday insert-and they smell so lovely!! Will be nice to light up when the cooler weather comes in :)

seasoning salt-also a coupon from Coupons.com-msg free and it cost me only 36 cents-almost free :)

Basically-what I am trying to say is that coupons are out there for things you need or want-they are not just for cakes, frostings, junk foods, etc... And you can find some good deals. My trip to one store saved me about $2-not alot, but combine that with my trip to Walmart and I saved about 25% or more on my total shopping trip this paycheck! We have a budget of about $300-$350 each paycheck (depending on what I might need to stock up on or what we may be out of that particular week) and this time around, I kept my bill under $300. To be a bit more precise, it was right around $286-and that was with a special trip to Reasor's last night to pick up some sodas on sale for Labor Day and  for my DH's lunches. I am stocked up on ground beef for probably the whole month. I have a whole chicken that will make one meal this paycheck and a soup later on when the weather is a bit cooler. I have preformed burgers from Aldi for Labor Day cookout and some will be left over for another meal or quick dinner for DH. I even was able to buy a couple items for when the Holidays come-Im trying to stock up now so money will not be so tight during those times :)

Junk food-nope! Not even close! No good deals-hey, free candles are fun (and if there are no scents you might like-how about adding them into a present for a friend-or use it in a gift basket ;), and it is always a blast to buy items for less than a $1 or for almost free!! It does take time to learn all this coupon stuff when you start out, but it does add up! I estimated if I save even $20 per paycheck-paid bi-weekly-I can save us $520/year! That could make a nice family vacation for us! Or, it could be put aside into an emergency fund. Right now, it is blessing us to make it paycheck to paycheck :) Eventually, I hope to tuck away atleast half of what I save and keep it for a goal-like Christmas, a family trip, whatever we can decide on :)

Food Pyramid Sales and Coupon Match Ups 9/02

Here are some sales and coupons matches from Food Pyramid:

Fresh Ground Round-$1.69/lb

Seedless Watermelon-$2.99

Lay's Chips-2/$3

Dutch Farm Cheese-block or shredded-2/$3

Ekrich jumbo franks or bologna-1b-99 cents


Caprisun-$1.50

Pepsi, Mtn Dew and other Pepsi products-5/$12 w/ coupon on back of ad
 
Chinet Plates 12-36ct- 2 for $5-$1/1 (6/28 SS) = 1/$1.50

Hiland Sour Cream or Dips- .99cents-$.45/1  (7.12 SS) doubled = .09 cents

Pork Butt Shoulder Roast-99 cents/lb

Reasor's Sale and Match Ups-9/2

Here are the some deals for Reasor's this week :) If you did not get any Oklahoman Sunday papers this month, you might miss out on quite a few of these deals :(

Tomatoes on the vine-97 cents/lb

French Bread-10 for $10

London Broil Steak-$1.99/lb

KoolAid-unsweetened-8/$1

Reser's Potato or Macaroni Salad 3lb $2.50 - $1.00 Printable  (you must sign up for their site-but that's ok, right ;) = $1.50 each

Pepsi and Mountain Dew 12 Packs- In ad coupon- Buy 4 get 5th one free= 5 for $12.00

Fresh Ground Beef-$1.68/lb

Blue Bell Ice Cream 1/2 Gallon - $4.00- $1.00 Printable (sign in or join their site, then click on "EXTRA SCOOPS")= $3.00 each

Kraft Cheese Chunks or Shreds -$1.66 each- $1.00/2 (8/9 RP Oklahoman)= $2.32 for 2 or $1.16 each

Philadelphia Cream Cheese- $1.25 each- $1.00/2 (8/9 RP Oklahoman)= $1.50 for 2 or 75 cents each

Kraft Singles- $1.50 each- $1.00/2 (8/9 RP Oklahoman)= $2.00 for 2

Nabisco Snack Crackers- $1.66 each- .75 cents/2 (8/23 SS Oklahoman)= $2.57 for 2 or $1.29 for each

Hiland Dips 16oz - .99 cents each- .45 (7/12 SS)= .54 cents each

Hiland Sour Cream -16oz  .99 cents each- .45 cents  (7/12 SS)= .54 cents each

Folgers Coffee-34.5 oz-$5.99

Totinos Pizza Rolls- $1.25 each- .40cents /2 (7/12 SS)= $2.10 for 2

Old Orchard Juice Concentrate-$1.33 each- $1.00/4 Printable here= $4.33 for 4 or $1.08 each
 
Crest Toothpaste -$1.88 each- .50 cents(8/30 PG)= $1.38 each
 
Kotex Pads -$2.79 each- $1.00 (7/19 SS)= $1.79 each
 
Oral B Indicator Toothbrushes -$1.69 each- B1G1 (8/23 RP Oklahoman)= $1.69 for 2 or 85 cents each


Suave Body Wash -$1.79 each- .50 cents (8/2 RP Oklahoman)= $1.29 each

 

Dannonomics

Eat lots of Dannon Yogurt? Then you will like this! Buy Dannon products (different amounts for different savings) and get money saving coupons for future purchases :) Don't forget to use coupons you might already have to buy those first products!

Hurry for these deals!!

Free sample of Kashi cereal-you pick flavor or let them surprise you :)


Right at Home - 1st 10,000 will get a free Glade Fall into Fragrance Gift Pack but everyone gets a coupon booklet :)

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

Don't forget, you can buy 2 Tulsa World Sunday papers for $3 at Quik Trip locations on Sundays-but, look through each paper you buy before hand to be certain there are actually coupons in there or that the correct amount is in each paper :) Of course you could be like a friend of mine and hit the jackpot of 17 in one newspaper :) She didn't even know it until she got home and started digging through the paper!

Also, new internet coupons are starting up:
RedPlum $1 off Any Hefty One Zip-I often see the small packages of these for about $1.20 at my Walmart-you could get baggies at a pretty good price :) Other new coupons as well
Coupons.com Toward the end of every month, they always start new coupons-check them out :)

Goal Setting Sunday

I did very well this week trying to figure out a good schedule for myself. I was able to get laundry done-atleast one load a day but usually two loads. In between the kids school work and lunch break, I was able to vacuum a room. After most of the kids were done with their school work and while I was waiting on the oldest to finish up or need me for a test, I spent one afternoon reorganizing the linen closet. I really felt like I accomplished alot, the kids accomplished alot, and my house felt cleaner :)

This week, I will of course continue with my schedule in between the kids' school work-this will become a regular course for me. But, my major goal this week is to go through my desk and clean it off :) It is not too bad, but I do have some coupons I printed out, recipes that need to find their way to recipe books, etc...

Gift Baskets-Not Just for Christmas

Gift baskets can be a terrific gift anytime of the year-they can be frugal too! Especially if you are able to find the contents on a good sale throughout the year. Or perhaps, you could even throw in some of those free samples you have gotten over time to add with store bought items. For instance, right now would be a great time to stock up on school supplies that are on sale (or in some parts of the country, clearance!). Many kids are into drawing, coloring, writing, etc... and would really enjoy a gift basket-or, perhaps, a nice pencil box or craft box-full of supplies! I have set back a few school supplies such as notebooks, colored pencils, and crayons for my little artists and journalists for Christmas presents this year. I plan to decorate the covers of the notebooks with stickers, scrapbooking paper, or whatever else I can find-this gift box will end up costing me much less than $1 per child, but I know will give them quite a bit of pleasure!

How to make gift baskets? First, you need to keep in mind the person(s) you are going to be making the basket for. Are they a busy mom, or dad, who would love an easy dinner night? Are they a college student? Perhaps a new 16 year old who just got her first car? See where I am going here? :) You can make a gift basket for anyone, at anytime! You do not have to be super creative-just look around. Or, even get good ideas online.

For the 16 yo, I would include some of those handy car items we have all come to appreciate over the years. A flashlight, a small notebook to record oil changes and other minor car keep ups, a nice cd holder, some nice car scent doo-dads, etc....you could even throw in a cute keychain and some car cleaning supplies. Even a nice little holder for important things like insurance info and important phone numbers would be nice.

You are getting the idea...the options for gift baskets can be endless.

If you are looking for more ideas, here are some great frugal ideas from the friendly web to help you out :

Dollar Stretcher Gift Basket Ideas
BabyZone-Frugal Gift Ideas  Scan down to the Gift Baskets section or read the whole article as there are many good ideas here!
Family Finance Cheap Christmas Gift Baskets
8 Reasonably Priced Gift Basket Ideas

Getting Ready for Christmas-Doll Houses

We are going to be blessed with a doll house for my two younger kids this Christmas. The friend I am buying it from insists it needs to be painted and fixed up a bit. No problem....look online and you can find great ideas, a wealth of info on how to do it (if you are not very creative, like me :) and even some ideas on how to make little things to go in the doll house!  Perhaps your child does not have a dollhouse-maybe some of these ideas can be used for Barbie and her house. Or, maybe you can make this a neat project to do with your child all year long-get some wood and make your own dollhouse. It could just basic and then add on. Look at yard sales for small dolls to go inside :) The past couple of years, some dollar stores have had small doll accessories, such as small tables, dressers, etc.

Here are some links I have come across:
How to Decorate a Doll House
Laura Anne Doll Houses
Jennifer's Doll House Printables
Flipping Freebies Eh-Doll house printables
Jim's Printable Mini's
Get Started With Miniatures
Doll House Parade

Goal Setting Sunday

Well, the kids got on a pretty good school schedule this week. We got alot done. But, I noticed more of my day was gone and chores-regular ones-got slacked on. Laundry piled up, house needs a good vacuum, etc. SO, my goal this week is to figure out how to get more done myself in a day. Perhaps starting a load of laundry at night, so it is ready to dry in the morning. It is too hot right now to dry during any heat of the day with our gas dryer and I don't have a laundry line, so it is best to dry in the am. I know during the kids' lunch time I can also get some things in, such as a vacuuming, or folding laundry, or whatever. I just need to figure it out. Hopefully, this week I can get myself more organized. I like to have most everything done by the weekend so we can just enjoy the time my husband is off from work :)

Food Pyramid Sales and Coupon Match-Ups 8/19

Here are the sales and coupon match ups for Food Pyramid.

Chef Boyardee Pastas 5 for $5.00 -.35/3 from (8/2 SS) doubled = $2.30/3
Wishbone Dressing 16oz. 2 for $4.00 -$1/1 from (6/28 RP) = $1/1
Peter Pan 13-16.3 oz. 2 for $3.00 -50./2 from (8/2 SS) doubled- =$2.00/2
Deli Ham-$1.99/lb
Superiors Hot Dogs-2/$1
Best Choice Mac & Cheese-29 cents
Ground Chuck-$1.89/lb
Assorted Bone in pork chops-99 cents/lb
Country Style Pork ribs-99 cents/lb
Dutch Farms American Singles-12 0z pkg-5/$5

Reasors Sale and Coupon Match Up 8/19

Here are some sales and coupon match ups for Reasors for the week of 8/19. They are having a pretty good 10 for $10 sale going on :) YAY!

10 for $10 Sales:
peaches-10 lbs for $10
Dole Iceberg Salad-12 oz bag
Ball Park Meat Franks
Tony's Pizzas $1.00 each- 1.00/2 (6/7 SS)= .50 each for 2
Tostinos pizza-$1.00 each-$1.00 off 5 (in one of the August inserts-will have to keep searching and update)=$4.00 for 5 pizzas
Birds Eye frozen Veggies-10-16 oz
Best Choice Sour Cream-16 oz
Best Choice Raisins or Applesauce
Chef Boyardee $1.00 each- .35 off 3 (8/2 SS)= $2.65 for 3
Bar-S Bologna-16 oz-$1.00 off 2 here = $1.00 for 2 pkgs.
Right Guard Deodorant $1.00 each- $1.00 off 2 (8/16 SS OK)= .50 each for 2
Soft & Dri Deodorant $1.00 each- $1.00 off 2 (8/16 SS OK)= .50 each for 2
Roma Tomatoes-10lbs/$10
Green Leaf Lettuce-10lbs/$10
Baby Pelled Carrots-10lbs/$10
Mushrooms-8 oz pkg

Others:
Colgate Total $2.50 each- $1.00 (8/9 SS OK)= $1.50 each
Post Cereals $3.00 each- $1.00 off 2 (7/26 SS)=$ 5.00 for 2

Free Nestle Back to School Calendar with coupons

Go to Walmart Here and sign up to get a free back to school calendar with lots of maney saving offers! Plus tips, ideas and products to help you throughout the year :)

Goal Setting Sunday--on Monday :)

I totally avoided doing this yesterday-yes, I admit it, I avoided it!! LOL! Just was not too sure what I would set as goals this week-but it came to me. We are starting back to school this week, so my goal is to get everyone settled into some schedules, new goals, etc...

I straightened all the books and organized them according to each child. I put all our school supplies (crayons, markers, etc..) neatly away (and hid some :).

Im thinking the garage will have to wait until the spiders are less active....sorry, but they really do freak me out!!
Have a blessed week everyone!!

Crocheting for Christmas

Last week, I started sharing ideas about things you can do to get started early on Christmas presents. This week, I found some really great sites for crocheting. I love to crochet-more so when it is cooler outside. I have done it for years. Am I really good at it? Nope--but I try and I have made each of my kids baby blankets while I was pregnant with them. Im not very good at things like sweaters, but I did make each of my girls a poncho one year. I still find projects that are for beginner or intermediate. Maybe one day I will feel good enough to move on to advanced :)
Here are some neat sites I found. Instead of listing individual projects, I am listing the main pages. You can then look through what might interest you.

Free Crochet Patterns : Lion Brand Yarn Company  This is one of my go-to crochet pattern sites...I use this most often-stitch tutorials, lots of neat patterns, and good info. They list projects in easy, intermediate, etc...

FREE Crochet Pattern Index Dolls and accessories, kitchen patterns, etc...

SMART CROCHET - free crochet patterns  More free patterns-Christmas crocheting, curtains, tablecloths and runners, etc...

Free Patterns for Crochet - Indulge Your Love of Crochet!

Free-Crochet.com You can search through the free patterns here-quilts, wearables, religious and inspirational....plus, there is a Free Pattern of the Day

Free crochet patterns.  neck warmers, booties, socks, learn to bead crochet, ponchos-I can go on and on...

Free Crochet Patterns and Tutorials - Learn How to Crochet With Easy Beginner Patterns and Step by Step Instructions  Learn to crochet or try one of the many different patterns here-cute hats, dishcloths, and there is even a tips and troubleshooting area.

Crochet Pattern Central - Free, Online Crochet Pattern Link Directory - Beginner Crochet Instructions - Crochet Tips, Tricks,..  Site has lots of great free patterns plus tutorials as well as instructions for many different stitches

Goal Setting Sunday

My house was nice and clean by the time my youngest daughter's party started--then, well, let's just say it is amazing the mess 4 little girls can make :) They had a blast and that is all that mattered!!

My goal this week is to get our school books all in order for the official start of our new school year the following week. I have a nice bookshelf that a friend passed along to me-more of a pantry type piece of furniture, but it will keep our books nicely contained. I also want to arrange all these school supplies I was able to stock up on! I have so much notebook paper-20 packets-that I will be amazed if my kids go through it all by the end of the year :)

 I also would like to get my garage cleaned all the way out...wasn't this one of my goals last Sunday? Hmmm...well, I will give it a go this week :) I tried some this past week, but the spiders chased me away. Im thinking of treating in there and trying again. I do not like spiders..even Charlotte freaks me out!! LOL! Plus, there are some boxes of clothes in there and I need to figure out what I can keep for the future or give away, or perhaps even sell and put it toward some new clothes.

Have a great week everyone!!

Food Pyramid Sales and Coupon Matchups 8/5

There is not a whole lot going on at FP this week. Some good school sales, but not alot on coupons that I could see:

Ground Chuck-$1.49/lb
Tyson box chicken or Anytizers-2/$4-$1.00 (SS 5/19) = $1.00 per box
Crayola Crayons-24ct pkg-5/$1
Elmer's Glue-5/$1
Spiral Notebooks-70ct-10/$1
Hunter hot dogs-12 oz-79 cents

Reasor's Sales and Coupon Match Ups starting 8/5

lue-5/$!he sales and coupon match ups for Reasors this week :)

Crayola crayons-24 packs-5/$1
Elmer's Glue-5/$1
Tomatoes in the vine-97 cents/lb
Kellogg's Cereal-select Varieties-1/2 off (could be a good deal and especially if you have coupons-I found a coupon for Mini Wheats-$1.50 off 2 from RedPlum -maybe it is still active :)
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts-$1.88/lb
1 subject spiral bound notebooks-10/$1
Michelina's Frozen Entrees -$1.00- $1.00/5 Here= $4.00 for 5
Tyson Skillet Creations -$6.98 - $1.00 (7/26 SS)= $5.98
Pilgrim's Pride Whole Cut-Up Chicken -$1.29/lb- .55 Here = .55 cents off total price of package
Sobe Lifewater $1.00- Buy 1 Get 1 Free Here: = $1.00 /2

Tide Detergent 20-40 use -$5.99- $1.00 (8/2 PG)= $4.99
Ziploc Evolve Sandwich Bags $1.66- $1.50/2 here: = $1.82/2
Dove Deodorant $1.59 - $1.50/2 Here= $1.68/ 2

Goal Setting Sunday

Once again, this last week did not go as planned...so hopefully this week will!! I need to prepare for a birthday party my youngest dd is having, so it will be a clean, clean ,clean week :) I will get to those dusty baseboards while I am at it. Last week, we got the garage cleaned out. It was nice and I have been working little by little on it to make room for one of our cars :)

Also, I stopped by a cute little shop in our town yesterday. I was not looking for anything in particular-maybe something sort of vintage neat :) I found a nice, big armchair! For $20!! One seam on the front of the cushion is popped, but it should be an easy fix...if not, a nice blanket will cover it-lol!! I have it sitting near our fireplace...not sure about the position as of yet, but, I think if I can find another little piece of furniture over there, or maybe two-another chair and a small side table or something...it will help tie it all in :) I have always thought it would be nice to have a bit of a seating area near the fireplace and I am frugally on my way to achieving that :)

Thinking Ahead to Christmas!

Last year, I made quite a few things for my kids' for Christmas presents. All my girls have American Girl dolls and I was able to make each of them something for their dolls to wear. It was pretty easy, fast and greatly enjoyed by them :) But, this year, I would like to get started earlier. I started most of those items in December, in my spare time, and wanting to get it all finished was frustrating. I think they are some things I could have spent more time on-maybe making a certain seam more sturdy, etc...Not just that, I know my sons enjoy getting homemade things from me as well and I would like to find some ideas for them. I did make my oldest some jammie pants and my youngest got a homemade stocking-I drew his name in our family gift exchange and that is what I did for him :)

So, I will send other links to different homemade projects later on, but today, I am going to focus on a few sewing websites. There are so many out there and if you are blessed with a stash of fabric, even pieces that won't make much of anything, you can make some cute things!!

Sewing.org  I was going to list links from here individually, but there are SO many neat projects I thought it best to send the main page-check them out-even help for those learning to sew!
About.com:Sewing  Lots of links to various projects-aprons, dolls, home decorating, etc..
Bella  Lots of links to many different sewing projects
Free Sewing Projects pot holder patterns, sachets, and others-would be great additions to gift baskets too!
AllCrafts  many projects here as well as well as some learning to sew projects.

Menu Planning and Saving Money

Courtney from Homemaker Hero asked me to guest post for her. I hope you enjoy this post about Menu Planning and perhaps feel encouraged to try it for yourself, if you do not already do it :) And, please, take a trip on over to Homemaker Hero to enjoy Courtney's money saving advice, cute decorating ideas and many more things she shares :)

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Do you plan your menus for your family meals each week? Perhaps you should think about it if you don't. I truly believe this is one area within our budgets where many people can lose a lot of money-really waste a lot- if they do not plan ahead. It is simple to do and can help save you time, money and headaches.

I shop for my family's meals every two weeks. Usually, I try to plan my meals around sales and coupons that will give me the best deals. But, because I am planning for approximately 14 days worth of meals, I know there will not be enough sales out there for all 14 days. I know there are certain meals I make that are pretty inexpensive for my family of 7 and put those meals down first in my planner. Other days are left blank for those store sales I will encounter the week I go shopping. I also have learned to plan for our lunches and breakfasts. This has saved me from trying to scrounge up whatever I can in order for my kids to eat during the day-which, in all honesty has happened more than once!! YIKES!

One thing I did when I started menu planning was to think of all the meals my family enjoys. I wrote them down in the very front of my notebook for easy reference. As time has gone by, I have added new meals. I have over a month's worth of different meals, some very frugal, some a bit more expensive. If I am stumped on a meal, or see a special on meat, I will refer to that list and see what I can make during the week.

Do I adhere to a certain day for a certain meal-such as, Sunday-Pizza, Monday-tuna patties, etc? No, I really do not. That has never worked well for my family because we do not know if we will be in the mood for that meal on that day. But, if there is a day when I know we will be busy, I will mark that day down for an easy meal such as spaghetti or something in the crockpot.

But, how can this save you money? Think about how often you have run in the store needing one thing and purchased so much more than you intended! I remember one time we went for something for dinner. It was only going to be quick freezer pizza because we were tired and mom didn't want to cook-ugh! We came out with so many extras. What could have been a $10 bill for us was over $30!! That could have been gas later on in the week, or perhaps placed into savings for something else down the road! Or, for some, how far it is to travel to the store and the wasted gas. Plan your meals ahead of time and you can skip this extra trip!

How about those days you are tired and don't want to cook? Perhaps instead of heading to those Golden Arches, you will look through your menu plan for the week and cook something fast. Or, plan one day for leftovers from the other meals during the week-that has been a lifesaver for us here on days I am too busy to cook, or too tired. Plus, those leftovers are almost free food! How great is that?! Or, plan to cook extra of a meal that freezes well and have it on hand for those busy or tiring days. If you are used to eating out once a week, and instead, planned your meals, you could save yourself quite a bit of money! Try it for a month and stash that money in a hiding place...see how much you have saved!! I think you will be impressed!

Many bloggers are terrific at posting their weekly menu plans. You can check theirs out. And, once again, you do not have to plan in such a way that you must have that tuna casserole on Saturday night-just put it on your menu plan and have it the night it works best for you. Try a new recipe once or twice a month-it might quickly become a family favorite. There are many recipe sites out there-one of my favorite is Allrecipes.com.

Being frugal in all areas of your finances is a job well worth it in the long end (or even short end ;) and I wholly believe it is a task God intends me to take on to bless my family and Him. Menu planning is one area where I really believe I have been able to save my family a lot!

Reasor's and Crystal Farms Cheese Deal this Saturday!

Reasor's is having a 12 hour sale this Saturday. I didn't notice any really good deals, but they have the Crystal Farms 8 oz blocks of cheese on sale for 4/$5. Last Sunday's paper had 55 cent of coupons for the cheese :) Makes each 8 oz block 70 cents each :) Hopefully you stocked up on atleast a couple papers from Sunday :) (they are still 2/$3 for the Tulsa World Sunday edition).

Goal Setting Sunday

I did not get my porch cleaned off as I had planned--BUT, I did get the small grassy area in front of the porch hoed. I have been wanting to do this for awhile since people will step there and the grass was worn in spots. And, then, it is hard to mow-we do not have a weed trimmer, so it gets too looking rather ragged. I want to get some nice creeping plants-thyme, phlox, whatever, or perhaps go another route with plants-not too certain, but, I do know that it already looks much nicer than it did before :)

Hopefully this week will be the porch cleaning ;) It's my goal. I also want to go around, a room a day, and dust my baseboards. I think I did that last Spring, and they need it again.

And, the exercising did not go --again! Im going to try for one day this week-just one. If I can meet that, then atleast I am starting. Perhaps after doing one day, I will feel energetic enough to work out a 2nd day :) But, I need to get started...

Sunmaid Cookbook

Sunmaid is offering a free cookbook with about 45 pages of yummy recipes to try in your home. I love raisins in baked goods, so I am excited about getting this! Check it out here.You an get this offer by calling, writing or clicking on the Order Now button :)

Old Orchard Juice Coupon

Use this coupon (click on the 2nd square) to get $1 off 4 containers of Old Orchare Juice which is on sale this week 10/$10 --making each can of juice 75 cents each :) Im stocking up!!

Food Pyramid Sales and Coupon Match-ups 7/22

Not a whole lot going on at Food Pyramid this week-but what they do have is worth the extra trip for me this time :)

FP-Ground Round-$1.69/lb
red or green seedless grapes-87 cents/lb
Hamburger Helper-.99 cents-- .75 off on purchase of 3 (SS 7/19)= $2.22 for 3
Hiland Sour Cream .99 cents -.45/1 (SS 7/12) *coupon doubles*= .09 each
Bar-S bologna-99 cents

Reasor's Sale and Coupon Match Ups for 7/22

Here are some of the sales I found this week-of course, check your own Reasor's ad to be certain you have the same sales going on or to see if there is something your family might eat that I would never dream my family would :)
They are having a big 10 for $10 sale this week-lots of goodies :)

Ziploc Bags 2/$4.00- $1.50/2 Printable coupon here: = $2.50 for 2

Hunt's Ketchup 24oz $1.00 each- .20 (6/21 SS)= .80 cents each

Michelina's Frozen Entrees $1.00 each- $1.00/5 Printable here = $4.00/5

Old Orchard Frozen Juice Concentrate 1.00 each

Hamburger Helper $1.00 each- .75/3 (6/7 SS)= 75 cents for each or $2.25/3

Pilgrim's Pride Split Chicken Breasts $1.48/lb- .55 cent printable here:= .55 off total price of chicken

Tony's Crispy Crust Pizzas $1.00 each- $1.00/2 Printable coupon here: = $1.00 for 2

Kellog's Cereal-select varieties-if you printed off coupon for $1.50 off 2 boxes of Mini Wheat from Red Plum (it is telling me it is expired now, but you might try it at Red Plum) the sale is 6/$10-this will give you a price of about $1.83 for both boxes!

18 ct medium eggs-$1.00

drumsticks or thighs-10 lbs/$10

Roma tomatoes-10/$10