Treasure Hunt II...

Here are the items I PAID for...

3 Glad Forceflex Trash Bags

2 Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaners

1 Secret Deodorant

1Right Guard Deodorant

2 Smartfood Popcorn

10 Pringles - snack size

2 Fruit Rollups

4 Ritz crackers

1 Saltine cracker

6 Nabisco 100 cal packs

2 Kraft shredded cheese

8 Kraft Mac n Cheese shells

1 Crystal Light single packs

4 Italian Dressing mixes

Here are the items I got for FREE...

8 Bliss Candy Bars

9 Quaker Granola Bites

1 jar of Planter Peanuts

1 loaf of French Bread

Here are the items for which I WAS PAID

a total of .55 cents to remove from the store...

2 Planters Granola Bars
3 Wheat Thins - family size
4 Nabisco 100 cal pack
11 BBQ sauces

Total RETAIL price: $206.62

Total amount I PAID out of pocket: $24.94

Thanks a total SAVINGS of 88%, my friends!!!



Just to put this into perspective:

3 boxes of Glad Forceflex trash bags retail for $7.99 each.
That's a total of $24.
So, if I had paid full price for the trash bags,
everything else could be considered FREE.
____________________________________


These items were purchased during a two day period from three stores:

Target, Albertsons & Walmart

I went back to Target and Albertsons a second time
to cash in on more of their awesome, money-saving deals.

______________________________

ALAS, I must give CREDIT where CREDIT it due...
(although I prefer CASH)

I used http://www.grocerysmarts.com/ to print off my shopping list

and http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/ for alerts on good deals

but my favorite site by far is

www.krazycouponlady.blogspot.com

who provides constant daily updates with the best information

from krazy coupon ladies in several states who have scored on amazing deals and are willing to share them


On the Krazy Coupon Lady (KCL) blog, there are tabs for
Albertsons, Target & Walgreens
where you can get information about specific deals at each store.

KCL management members match up coupons with sale items, not only saving you money but also valueable time.

Target has incredible savings where I actually received money instead of paying for their merchandise.

__________

It basically works like this...

1. a product is put on sale

2. Target provides you with an online printable coupon
to use in their store

for the same product already on sale (here and here)

3. add a manufacturer's coupon on top of that
(which is called "stacking")

which can be found in the Sunday newspaper or online (here and here)
(remember to print in black to save money)

__________

EXAMPLE: Nabisco 100 calorie snack packs

retail for $2.99

Target had them on sale for $1.93
I used a Target online printable coupon for $1.00 off
and a manufacturer's online printable coupon for another $1.00 off

purchased for -.07 each


on Monday I bought 4 boxes
the next day I went back for more AND
Target had raised the sale price to $2.09

I bought 6 more boxes
but this time I had to pay for them

purchased for .09 each

____________________

I confess that I have spent a lot of time

researching online

trying to figure out how to

effectively use coupons

but now I can truthfully admit...

I am a KRAZY Coupon Lady!!!

(There's always room in the club for more!! Let me know if I can help you get started.)

NOTE: If you have the luck of standing behind me

in a check out line,

with my big binder of coupons and 10 seperate transactions

...PLEASE be patient.

(I know I was to the KCL in front of me, who also took the last box of Wheat Thins.)

A New Money SAVING Hobbie...

went on a treasure hunt

at the store today

with a printed grocery list

competitor ads to match

and manufacturer's coupons

Cash register price: $6.36

Reaction from the patient lady behind me: pat on the back

Reaction from the cashier: two thumbs up

My reaction (doing the victory dance): priceless

--------------------

Final price per item...

cereal - $1 a box

crackers - $.60 a box

frosting - $.33 a container

granola bars - $ .15 a box

muffin mix - $1.10 a box

bottle of dressing - FREE

--------------------

A tremendous thank you to

http://www.consumerqueen.com/

and http://www.grocerysmarts.com/ (code g84caa)

for doing ALL the leg work

organizing grocery lists

and cross-referencing them

to coupons found ALL over the place

AND

thanks also to my newspaper delivery dude

who chucks money savings coupons

onto my drive way

extremely early

each and every Sunday morning

English Language 101

In today's lesson, we will be discussing the following word...

oxy·mo·ron (äk′si môr′än′) - a figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory ideas or terms are combined

Several examples of OXYMORONS are: loosely packed, sweet sorrow, pretty ugly, original copy, black light, live recording, deafening silence, etc.

For now, let's FOCUS on the oxymoron phrase: "Spring Break"

If we take a look at the EXACT meaning of each word...

spring (spriŋ) - that season of the year in which plants begin to grow after lying dormant all winter

break (brāk) - to stop activity temporarily

... we therefore CANNOT fault Mother Nature for her LITERAL interpretation of the phrase this year.

In the PAST we have ASSUMED the phrase "Spring Break" to mean: a week long vacation spent ENJOYING the warmth of the sun INSTEAD of laboring at work or school in dreary winter weather.

BUT, with special thanks to Mother Nature, our UNDERSTANDING of the English language has been corrected and next year...

We will be better PREPARED for "Spring Break."

Enjoy these oxymoron PHOTOS entitled:

"Mother Nature's Spring Break"

Good Morning, Spring Break!!

Goodbye, Spring Break!!


It was a little hard to leave for Bryce Canyon

with a tree on top of our 4 wheeling trailer.


The trees were completely covered in wet, heavy snow.

The tulips were straining to keep above the snow.

Thankfully, most of the snow had melted by the next day.

We spent the first day cutting up the tree that fell on the trailer.

And THEN...

Now you see a leaning tree...

... AND now you don't!

Over the NEXT several days,

while Kelly, Ryan & Brock PACKED up the fallen trees,

Kelsie & Emilee helped me UNPACK...

6 suitcases, sleeping bags, a basket of food,

four wheeling helmets, and a bucket of winter clothing

(all of which had been packed the day before.)

Oh, Spring Break 2009, we will NEVER forget you!!

Next English Language Lesson Topic:

co·inci·dence - occurring at the same time

QUESTION: Was it a COINCIDENCE that Mother Nature chose to BREAK our Spring on the same day (April 15th) that the

U.S. Government annually BREAKS our bank accounts?

Alvord Daily News...

Headline: Spring IS here...

Over the past few days I have been carefully watching my beautiful crocus awake (for the very first time) from their long winter slumber deep beneath the earth.

Last fall, as I tucked them into bed, I blew them kisses of assurance that I would be there in the Spring when they awoke.

Their presence is a sign that Spring is coming (and that my first attempt at planting bulbs was a success.) Their arrival is a modern day miracle, making me reflect on the circle of life.

Fortunately I took this picture of them in all their amazing glory because later that day...

EMILEE
(who wanted to be sure I knew they were growing in our yard)
gently PICKED every single flower
and PROUDLY brought them to me in the kitchen.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! (very long & patient sigh)

Headline Correction: Spring WAS here...

(hurry up tulips... grow, grow, grow)

Stranger in the backyard...

ONCE there was a snowman

Built by Ryan & Emilee in our BACKYARD

COMPLETE with a carrot NOSE, licorce rope MOUTH,

and oreo cookie EYES

Emilee gave it lots of HUGS

And even kissed it GOOD night


LATER that evening

As the sun DIPPED behind the western mountains

Rosco STOOD on the back deck

barking for HOURS in the dark

at the stranger INVADING our backyard



The NEXT morning

we found the MYSTERIOUS stranger

SADLY decapitated

with his edible FACE devoured


Special THANKS to our brave guard dog,

just doing his JOB

PROTECTING our backyard

from SNOWY strangers


ps (GUARD dog now for rent - CHEAP!)

Pancakes?

3rd grade assignment: memorize a poem (40+ words)

and recite it in class (props optional)

Who wants a pancake,

Sweet and piping hot?
Good little Grace looks up and says,
"I'll take the one on top."

Who else wants a pancake
Fresh off the griddle?
Terrible Theresa smiles and says,
"I'll take the one in the middle."

The Battle is OVER...

and I am VICTORIOUS!!!!

After spending oodles of time stalking and blogging

I committed myself to completely finish

an extremely long "To Do List"

of projects that needed my attention

(attention that was previously spent blahging)


With tremendous feelings of accomplishment

I have spent the past few weeks

checking projects off my ever growing list

Until there was only one project left

that remained at the bottom of the diminishing list

AND had finally made it to the top

which meant the day had FINALLY arrived...



...it was time to CLEAN the shower

Thanks in part to our NEWEST team member - ZEP


(Check)


Soooooo, let the BLOGGING begin!!!!!