Changing My Blog  

Posted by Johnny

Okay so I am trying to change my Template on my Blog and keep having major problems. I am a little slow when it comes to these things, so bear with me. At times my blog may be unreadable as it was about 10 minutes ago...sigh. I thought I had lost it forever, but I finally fixed it.


Okay so I got it fixed, it will stay this way until spring. This seems to be the way it looks here right now, so I thought it was fitting!

Sweet Sixteen!  

Posted by Johnny

Tuesday will be my Sixteenth Wedding Anniversary! It seems like just yesterday on some days and then on others it seems like forever ago!
Well, I did something that I hate to do...buy something at full price. It was a card, but it cost a fortune! To top it all off I felt buyers remorse after buying it. The stupid thing cost me $4.99. I usually don't buy cards. Most of the people that know me know I will buy a gift and not attach a card simply because I feel they are a waste of money. I do make exceptions to the rule, for instance a graduation or a wedding.
I also have plenty of card making supplies which makes it even harder for me to buy cards and feel right about it.
Speaking of which I really need to finish those Christmas cards so at least everyone gets them before 2009!

Almost FREE Gift Baskets  

Posted by Johnny



After collecting things for almost a year now I put together five gift baskets. Almost everything was FREE or very close to FREE. IF you are new to my blog then you'll have to review my past post to understand completely what I am talking about. However for long time readers then you know how I did it and you probably do it yourself! Another great site to read is Money Saving Mom.
I really couldn't believe that I could fill this many baskets. I will be giving these to my hard to buy for in-laws. I never have had so much fun shopping for them!! LOL!!
The things I did buy were the baskets $1 @ Dollar Tree and the washcloths 12 for $2.49 @ Meijer two day sale. I used 5 washcloths ($1.04) in each basket.

Outside Decorations Cheap @ Walgreens  

Posted by Johnny


So I haven't bought any outside decorations in forever. My Mom even tried to give me some, but I didn't take them. However, these can go inside or outside. I paid 11.67 OOP for the Angel and will get a $10 Rebate. The Christmas tree I purchased with some other items but I figure it will cost me just over $5 after $10 rebate(both $11 when I put it on my Walgreens card). So that is why I got them. I also received the 20% friends and family discount on these.
These don't show up near as well in the picture. They are so pretty lit up!! I am very happy with them, even though I did exchange both of them today due to the fact both had issues.

Also, when I was in today I was talking with one of my favorite Managers and ask her about the Blow Dryers they will have tomorrow FREE after RR. They only got 4 in (2 Blue & 2 Pink), so she tells me that they will hold one until I can make it in tomorrow! WOW!! I just can't believe how nice they are being to me lately!! I am really loving Walgreens!!!

About Me  

Posted by Johnny

Welcome to my blog...
My name is Johnny and I am a Christian, stay-at-home mother of two. I have one boy (15) and one girl (14). We are a home school family and we have been home schooling since 2002. I am trying to live more frugally and that was the initial purpose of this blog.

However, this Blog has morphed and sometimes is much more than just living frugally. I have only been blogging for a year now and I am continually trying to improve upon my life as well as my Blog.

I tend to be very A.D.D and sometimes ramble on and on...without making much sense of anything. I hope you would find this amusing as well as comforting, in the thought that anyone can have a blog. You may read other blogs that are very well written and that works for a lot of people, but I can not and will not ever be able to write that well, but hope you continue to join me through my life of blogging.

God Bless

What a Great Gag Gift!  

Posted by Johnny



Okay to make a long story short...I was on another blog that had this candle posted and I just thought it was too funny. So for the price of $5 plus s&h I ordered one to take to our families gag gift exchange. It will be perfect! Now I just hope it gets here before we leave.
If you want one of your own go to this Etsy store to buy one. They even have a great store name "Horror Decor" too cute!

(12/22)BTW- I got the Sample in the mail today and it is so great! Super fast shipping so I would definitely suggest this store!

What I Ended Up With...  

Posted by Johnny



So I was unable to get everything I wanted but I did end up with some great deals. I also had to go in two times. Once before work and then after work. They were still unloading the truck when I went in the first time so I was hoping that when I went back they would have it all put away and have the items they were out of.

#1
(3) Envelopes 2-100ct and 1 40ct 1.19ea - w/4-day Q .59ea
(1) Walgreens cough drops .99 - w/4-day Q .39
(1) Sudafed PE 3.99 sale - 1.00 IP MQ 2.99
(2) Sudafed PE Sinus 3.99ea sale - (2) IP MQ = 2.99ea
(3) Walgreens Ibuprofen 2/$7 on sale - w/4-day Q 3/$3
Used a 5RR
My total OOP for this one was $3.98 and I received (2) 5RR one for $25 purchase and (1) for purchasing (3) Sudafed.

#2
(3) White Poster board .89ea - w/4-day Q 3/$1
(3) Black Poster board .99ea - w/4-day Q 3/$1
(these are not pictured due to the size)
(2) Arm & Hammer 26 load (out of the 32 load) 6.99ea - w/4-day Q 1.99ea
(2) Reynold's Wrap 1.59ea - w/7-day Q .99ea - 1.00 MQ = FREE
(3) Walgreens Ibuprofen 50ct. 2/$7 - w/4-day Q 3/$3
(2) Walgreens Cough Drops .99ea - w/4-day Q (or 7 day?) .39ea

I did use one $5RR from previous $25 purchase deal and it did work, however you can not use two of these on one order.

My total OOP was $5.21 and received a 5RR
Which I thought was a great deal for all of that. So my total for both orders was $9.19.
All of these, with the exception of the Reynolds wrap, I was getting low on so I am extremely excited about only paying approximately $10 for all of this!!

***Also when I went in the first time my favorite cahier was in there and she asked me if I had been given the 20% off friends and family coupon yet. When I told her no, the manager was just coming out of the stock room and said, "Here I have one in my pocket." Then she handed it to me!! It is good for all of next weekend! I am so excited. Your right Mom they really do like me! LOL!!!***

Scenario for Friday's Walgreens Trip  

Posted by Johnny

This is what I am planning on getting Friday at Walgreens. Their truck comes on Friday's so I hope they will have everything.

#1
(3) Sudafed PE @ 3.99 ea - buy 3 get $5RR - (3) $1MQ = 2.99ea before RR
(3) Walgreens Ibuprofen - 4-Day coupon = 3/$3
(2) Kellogg's Cereal 1.99 - (2) $1MQ = .99

This should make my OOP total 2.95 (figuring in the 6 & 5 RR I have) and I should get back 2 $5 RR

#2
(3) Walgreens Ibuprofen - 4-Day coupon = 3/$3
(2) Arm & Hammer 6.99 - 4-Day coupon = 1.99ea
(1) Walgreens Cough Drops .99 - 4-Day coupon = .39
Total before coupons will be $25.47
After Q's will be $7.37 (of course without taxes)
Then I will use the $5 RR from the Sudafed Making my total 2.37
I can't beat that for Detergent.

Then I am still working on a scenario with the following:
(2) Reynolds Wrap .99 - $1 MQ
(3) Envelopes (not sure of regular price) 4-Day Q = .59
(6) Posterboard (for 4-H, also not sure of regular price) 4-Day Q = 3/$1
I also have a rainchack from last week for the Walitin for .99

Crazy Savings at Walgreens  

Posted by Johnny

Yesterday I went into Walgreens and took advantage of their 4-Day sale.
(Note:As of Yesterday you can still purchase $25 in products before coupons and get your $5RR)

#1
(3) Kelloggs Cereal $1.99 - 1/1 MQ = .99
(1) Sure $2.79 (mine rang up wrong should have been 2.50 sale) - 1.00 IP and 1.50 ESR pg 19 = .19 should have been FREE
(3) 50ct Ibuprofen 2/7 or total 10.50 - 4-Day coupon = $3
(2) Scotch Tape $2 - $1 MQ = $1
(2) Arm & Hammer Liquid Detergent 6.99 - 4-Day coupon = $1.99
Total after RR was $2.06 then I received a 5RR and will mail in for the $2 rebate on the tape. So I made $4.94!!

#2
(4) Bags York Peppermint Patties 2.50 sale - 1.50/3 MQ = 8.50
(1) Entertainment Book $25 - $10 4-day (or 7-Day coupon)= $15
(you can just buy the book and get a $5 RR making this a great bargain at $10)
Total after RR $13.25
Received a $5 RR and will get a rebate of $5 for the candy, so not really a bad deal!@

The book will be a great present for John's Boss.

Sorry for not posting pictures, but I had to get to work and the things have already been put away.

New Juicy Juice Coupon  

Posted by Johnny



Go here to print your $1 off any Juicy Juice product 64oz or 46oz.
If you use your back button you should be able to print (2) of these.

Free Tea & Cheap Pasta  

Posted by Johnny


So this week at Kroger (12/4-12/10) Celestial Seasonings Tea is only $1 and with my $1 off coupons this makes them FREE!!! YEAH!!
I love tea. If you didn't get the $1 coupon then they actually had .55/1 coupons this week so that is still only .45 which is really cheap.

As for the Ronzoni. It is also on sale for 3/$4 which is only $1.33. With the $1 coupons it makes them only .33. So for all of this I only paid $1.34.

Morgan's Easy Fleece Blanket  

Posted by Johnny


Morgan has been wanting to make a fleece blanket for quite some time now. Jo-Ann Fabrics had a great sale on polar fleece on Black Friday, it was only $2.99/yd. So this is what she settled on. She really wanted some with horses, but it was not included in the sale.
It turned out so cute. I wish I had, had the money to buy more of this great fleece and make more blankets for others. They are so easy and warm!

Hobby Lobby Giveaway  

Posted by Johnny


If you have a Hobby Lobby near you then you need to go here and sign up to receive their craft newsletter. When you do that they will enter you in a weekly drawing for $100 Online Shopping Spree! So I guess actually you don't even need to have a local Hobby Lobby to enter this great giveaway.

Great Trip To Walgreens!  

Posted by Johnny

Yesterday when I was online I discovered that Walgreens will be running a mid week ad for the next three weeks! Yeah!! I hope they are all going to be as good as this one is!

Well, for starters if you spend $25 you will get a $5RR. You can mix this deal with other RR deals and still get the $5RR. I did this today and it worked GREAT!

This is what I got:
#1 Transaction
(2) 12pk Coke
(2) 12pk Sprite
(1) 12pk Diet Coke
(2) Reach Toothbrushes
(1) Colgate Total

Total before Q's = 25.66

Used (4) $1/12pk Coke IP (turned in coke rewards for these)
(1) $1/1 Colgate
(1) BOGO Reach Toothbrush $3
(1) 6RR from last week

Total after Q's 13.46

Then I received the following RR's:
$5 - Coke spend $15 get $5
$6 - 2 Reach Products
$2 - Colgate
$5 - Spend $25 get $5
Total RR's = $18

#2
(1) Colgate - $1 MQ
(2) Reach Toothbrushes - BOGO MQ
(1) Walitin (like Claritin)7-Day Q for .99

Total 6.68 used 5RR from Coke deal paid $1.68 OOP, and received a 6RR and a 2RR

So I had a pretty good day! Now I have $33 in RR's to roll over so I hope they have some good deals coming up... if not I may have to look for some Christmas gifts there.

Where Have I Been?  

Posted by Johnny

Well, unfortunately my blog has not been the first thing on my mind lately and I am truly sorry to keep everyone hanging.
About two weeks ago I woke up with a toothache and actually was unable to do about anything. I was taking 4 Ibuprofen and 2 Tylenol at a time and the pain still would not go away. I was trying to take sleeping pills to sleep and they wouldn't even numb my pain. So I finally gave in and went to the dentist. I had just had work done to this tooth in March so I really was surprised it was causing me so much pain. I was putting off going to teh dentist because we just changed our insurance to a high deductable with a medical spending account, so I wanted to wait. The dentist prescribed an antiboitic and Vicodin, then tells me it was either a root canal or it needed to be extracted. Well, the root canal would cost OOP $599!!! Plus for some reason she can't seem to numb me???
So she sends me on my way and tells me my pain should be gone within 36 hours. WRONG! The pain was still extremely bad...like childbirth with no reason!
So after suffering another 5 days I called the oral surgeon and got my tooth taken out that day! For only $145...and I can eat again. I was eating soft food for about 10 days. I was so sick of mashed potatoes and jello. It was amazing haw good I felt that day, as soon as he pulled that tooth I was telling him "Thank You". It looked (yes I looked at it) as if my dentist filled my tooth over the cavity? Since she couldn't get me numb after two shots she just stopped drilling. Needless to say I will be finding a new dentist.
Then secondly, (like I didn't have enough going on) I started working at teh camp for their Christmas Dinners. We will have 18 Christmas dinners from now until the 20th of December. Yesterday I worked from 9a-10p.
So yes I have been busy and will try to get back to a regular Blogging schedule. I will alos try to post the great appetizers I will be making for Christmas.

Yummy Homemade Egg Rolls!!  

Posted by Johnny

I have never made homemade egg rolls, but when I saw the eggs roll wrappers at Scott's this week for .99 I thought I would give them a try. We ate Stir fry with these and it was a very good meal!!!
This is what I did to make them.

First I shredded 1/2 a head of cabbage and 1/2 a bag of mini carrots. If you don't have a food processor you can chop this up really fine.
Then I added 1/2 bag of bean spouts to the above mix along with 2 tsp ginger and then I threw in some dried onion, approx. 2 Tbs.

Next I cooked the chicken (you can use pork or shrimp) in the wok. At this point I used 3 chicken breast cut up in about 1 inch squares. We cook our meat with honey, stir fry sauce, and soy sauce. After the meat is cooked most of the way, take enough out for your egg rolls use the rest in your stir fry. You shouldn't need more than one breast of chicken for this mix. Cut this chicken up in small pieces and then mix it into the cabbage mix.

Then fill the center of your egg wraps with the mix. Not too full or they rip (like I did with some of mine, they still fry okay). It shows on the back of the package of egg rolls how to wrap them up.




Now your ready to deep fry them. We have a fry daddy and I set mine just under 375.

If you are making stir fry with this you can use all the extra veggies in it. Add them after you take out your meat for you eggs rolls then by the time you have filled the rolls and cooked some of them your stir fry should be done.
Timing on things like this is hard to estimate, so if you add your veggies to your stir fry (if they are fresh) then it should work out right.

I did not fry all of mine before dinner. I fried just enough for dinner then fried the rest. I put them in the freezer for lunches. If you do this put them in the refrigerator while your eating. I noticed the longer they sat out the more they puffed up when they were fried.

HINT: Have several paper towels ready to drain off the oil. It gets in the little crevices. As you can see in my pictures they release a lot of oil sitting there.

Coupon For The New 100 Calorie Packs From Hostess  

Posted by Johnny



I thought I would share a coupon I received from Hostess. Try their NEW 100 Calorie Twinkie Bites or 100 Calorie Strawberry Cupcakes. Don't forget while you're there to sign up to receive e-mails and you'll never miss out on their promotions!

I Love The Kroger MEGA Events!!  

Posted by Johnny


This weeks Kroger MEGA Event is by far the best that I have been able to participate in!!
I made two trips. The first trip cost me a mere $13.38,however me being the way I am, I was asking myself how I spent so much! Then I figured out that I grabbed the wrong dial which in turn threw my 30 items down to 28 so I didn't qualify for the additional $5 off my order. I decided to keep them, because I am not sure how I would return them and get the correct amount back. Also I discovered that at my Kroger they are really starting to read every coupon and will not double if it states DO NOT DOUBLE right on the coupon. I use to get them doubled every time but they are really cracking down.
So the next order I really checked my coupons and items and I got 20 items along with one loaf of bread one package of buns and some reduce egg beaters. My grand total was $1.74!!
I loved the look on the guys face that was bagging my groceries. He looked at the cart then looked back at the screen like the cashier messed up!! LOL!!! TOO FUNNY!

So I got all these groceries for a wapping $15.12!!
Making 54 items $.28 each!!

Great Finds Posted A Tad Late  

Posted by Johnny

Fair Warning the first picture does not have all the items in it. I wasn't going to post, but then my Mom asked me what all I got and decided to post pictures. I took a trip to the Sturgis K-Mart on Friday to take advantage of their double coupons up to $2. I will not go through each item, however I only paid $18.30 (or .57/item)for all of this plus 3 bags of The GoodLife Cat Food, and 2 more bags of Dog Treats.



This picture shows Saturdays shopping trip to Meijer. I ended up doing three transactions so I could use a $4 catalina (from the glade deal)on each. I spent a total of $3.47 (.22/item) + I received a .75 OYNO catalina from the Land O' Lakes Butter.
I know it's hard to tell from the picture, however there are 6 pudding boxes and 6 Velveeta Shells and Cheese.

Welcome The Newest Member of The Family!!  

Posted by Johnny


My nephew and his wife had thier first daughter (second child) Thursday morning @ 11:18am. She weighed 6lbs 14oz and was 19" long, her name is Madilyn Belle (not sure of the spelling yet). Congradulations Anthony, she is very beautiful!

No Coal Mines For Obama  

Posted by Johnny

Come on now...if we can't have coal and we can't drill for more oil...where does that leave us? I guess we need to build more noisy windmills! Come on people WAKE UP!!!! Read and listen to what his man is saying! I am sorry to be so political today, but it is getting very close to the election and people need to take note of who they are backing. Listen to his interviews and read his statements.


Did You Know Obama IS Pro-Choice?  

Posted by Johnny

I am truthfully amazed at how many people don't know that Obama is Pro-Choice! Then when confronted with the facts they still can't beleive it.
God forbid if he wins on Tuesday I will probably have to take this off my Blog because all my rights will be gone or it will be considered a hate crime!

Saving Eggs  

Posted by Johnny



If you find a great deal on eggs and your not sure what to do with them remember you can always freeze them. Read about it here. I have frozen eggs before after whisking them up and put them in a freezer bag flat in the freezer. They stack very nicely and you can store several dozen this way. Great for scrambled eggs or omelets. I have not tried freezing them individually yet, that will be next.

Glade Oil Warmers  

Posted by Johnny


After my Mom and I visited my brother in the hospital today we decided to check out the Kroger's in Ft. Wayne. We found 6 Glade Oil Warmers, however instead of getting a $4 Catalina for each one purchased we only received one. I had bought 2 and my mom 4. So then we stopped at Meijer and bought some there. The same thing happened. We only received 1 for each set of two purchased. I am very confused by this considering I was just in the Meijer here in town last night and got 4 for the 4I purchased. I think I will try to return them at Meijer and rebuy them to see if I can get my other (4)$4 Catalina's. I have plenty of these already and if I can't get the original deal then I really don't want them.

Update On My Brother  

Posted by Johnny

My brother ended up getting two stints put in on Wednesday. All went well and hopefully he will be going home Friday(tomorrow). He will have to lose some weight and be on a strict diet for his diabetes, then at some point they will go in and do a bypass. Thanks to everyone for praying for him. He will need continued prayers as he struggles with his diet.

Family Matters - Please Pray  

Posted by Johnny

So I have a bad weekend! My brother had a heart attack Friday, early morning. As we sat with him in ICU the doctor came in and told us the terrible news. The doctor informed us that he has the worst type of Coronary Artery Disease that they see. He also said that he as a surgeon really didn't like to operate on this particular type. Needless to say my brother and the rest of my family were and still are completely shocked by this news.
It's Monday now and the doctors are still are unsure of how they are going to treat his problem. I am very frustrated with these doctors. He has three that are seeing him and still nothing has been done. Last night I left the hospital thinking he would be having angioplasty today. Then at 3pm we find out that they are not going to do surgery and won't be until the earliest Wednesday and that is just tentative.
I am very frustrated! Please keep my brother, his family and my family in your prayers.

What Are You Doing With Yours?  

Posted by Johnny


So of course right on schedule Walgreens issued another $5 off a $20 purchase coupon. I haven't purchased my FAR's yet and this may be what I get with mine, but I am still undecided.
What are you going to get with yours? If you have any great ideas leave them and maybe I will get inspired!

Your 2 Cents  

Posted by Johnny

I have been signed up with Your2Centsfor quite some time now and get several offers to try and qualify for surveys. They pay really well if you get excepted, between $1 and $5 on average. I think this is good compared to most companies that only offer points. Usually I answer the preliminary questions and get booted out of the system and don't qualify.
Finally I have qualified for one. I am very excited about this one because I actually get to test two different products and then submit my online results after testing them out! The best part is I use this item very often and they will pay me $10 for completing this survey!!! Yeah!!

I will come back and blog after the survey is done, as I am not sure if I should give away the product right now.

Wednesdays Shopping Trip - 10/15  

Posted by Johnny



This is my stop at Meijer. Yes, I went to Meijer again! I just couldn't pass up the great deals, plus I found out about some great catalina deals after searching the Internet last night and decided to try them. I also overlooked a couple of deals and after seeing them on other blogs I decided it was worth getting.
So here are some of the "NEW" deals I did today along with some deals I recycled from yesterday: (MM = Meijer Mealbox)

Miracle Whip - 2/$5 - MM $1/2 = $1.50ea
Spaghettios - 6/$3 - .40/2 MQ = .10ea
Jello - .64ea - MM $1.50/2 = 2 FREE
Betty Crocker Bagged Potatoes - .89 - .35/1 MQ = .19ea
Taco Bell Salsa - 1.85 - MM 1.50/1 = .35ea (I use these in stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage, chili, etc.)
Argo Cornstarch - 1.35 - .45/1 MQ = .45
Birds Eye Steam Fresh Veggies - $2.19ea - MM $1/2 + $1/1 Catalina = 1.19ea
(I meant to grab the $1.59 ones to make this a better deal)
Glade Scented Oil Warmer - $4.69 - Use BOGO MQ - Get a $4 OYNO for each one you buy.

I split some of deals and did them twice, like the oil warmers. The first transaction was $15.23 then I used the (2) $4 OYNO on the next transaction and paid $4.50. Bringing the grand total to $19.73. I bought 36 items total and ended up paying .55 per item. I had a savings of $41.23. Plus I also have $8 to spend!
All the items are not listed above but are pictured.




This is what I got at Scott's (AKA: Kroger)

Rain check for Land O Lakes Butter - $1 - .30/1 MQ (they actually tripled this today) = .10ea when you buy two you receive .75 OYNO Catalina(2) Cottonelle - .99ea - .50/1 MQ = FREE + I used a Shortcuts e-coupon so I actually received overage
Chicken Leg Quarters - reduced $4.31
Tropicana O.J. - reduced $2.49 - .75/1 MQ = $1.74
(2) Tennessee Pride Sausage Gravy - $1ea - .55/1 = .45ea

I had (2) .75 OYNO from previous butter purchases. My total was $5.22. (.65/item) I saved $7.63in coupons, not to mention the amount I saved from teh chicken and juice being marked down.

I will probably be over budget this week and will have to cut back somewhere. I know I have to buy coffee at Kroger so I am just hoping the deals are not super awesome the next two weeks! LOL!!

Great Shopping Day 10/14  

Posted by Johnny

I had a great day of savings today! The picture below shows my trip to Walgreens. When I was in there I also had a great chat with the Manager! She was absolutely great! Very coupon friendly! She actually wants me to show her what I do so she can do the same thing. I told her it mostly involves time, but she can do it too by visiting the same sites I do.
Well, on with the great deals I got today. I got all of this in three different transactions and only spent $21.90 OOP!!! (OR .88/item) I saved $77.62!
They were out of the Pert, Zout, & Hellman's(no thanks to my Mom).

I know my husband is getting as bad as I am now, because he was actually not impressed that I spent $21.90, he thought it should have been less! LOL!! But he doesn't do the shopping, he just sees me carry in groceries and as how much I spent, not understanding the real prices of these items.



After stopping at Walgreens I went to Meijer. Wow I really got a lot for my money this week. I truly didn't have the time to take a picture of all of it because I had to cook dinner. But I wanted to highlight a few deals.

First deal, I purchased 2 Select Harvest Soups and received a Catalina for a FREE can of Campbell's Select Harvest Soup. I also received a .75/3 Catalina. I also purchased 4 Tomato soup bowls so that might have also triggered these???

Second deal, I bought Green Giant Steamers on sale 5/$5 and used $1/1 coupons. I bought 5 and received $1 off 1 bag of Birds Eye Steamfresh. Hopefully these will go on sale soon and this will make them free.

I also had a $4/$50 order and used it and then received another one!!!! My total before coupons was $77.62 and then after coupons it was $45.54!! For a total saving of $28.20.
That's it for Catalina's, but thought I would mention what is really cheap this week at Meijer. They are as follows:

JIF Peanut Butter - 2/$4 - use .35/1 MQ doubles = 1.30ea
Eggo Waffles - 3/$5 - use (3).55/1 MQ buy 3 and then also use the Meijer coupon $1/3 = .78ea
Juicy Juice - 4/$9 - use .50/2 MQ buy 2 = 1.30ea
Green Giant Boxed Veggies 5/$5 - use .50/2 MQ = .50ea (Hint: if you don't like the sauce on these like me, buy them and rinse the veggies in cool water before cooking them.)
Hillshire Farms Cheddarwurst or Brats - 1.39 - use .55/1 MQ off Brats or Sausage = .84ea
Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage - 1.39 - buy 2 use $1/2 = .89ea
Orville Redenbacher’s Microwave Popcorn - 1.59 - use .40/1 MQ = .79ea

I hope this helps everyone save a little bit of time and money!

Heads Up For Coffee Drinkers  

Posted by Johnny

Just a heads up for all of you coffee drinkers. Folgers coffee will be on sale for 4.99 (22.6-34.5oz) starting Thursday 10/16. I actually bought one this past week for 6.99 because we were getting low and I didn't see a deal coming that was going to be wonderful. So now I will dig out my coupons and stock up on this deal.

Some other great deals are as follows:
Kroger cheese bars or shreds - 3/$5
Stouffer's Red Box or Lean Cuisine Dinners or Entrees - 6/$10
Quaker Cereals (includes Captain Crunch)- 2/$4
Ragu Pasta Sauce - 1.88
Bunny White Bread - 2/$3
Campbell's Condensed Soup - 10/$10
Shedd's Spread Country Crock - 2/$5
Soft Soap Elements - 10/$10

With the exception of the Kroger cheese all these items have corresponding coupons to make these deals even sweeter!

Being an Informed Voter!  

Posted by Johnny

So I have been really trying to research the candidates so I am informed voter.

To me that means looking into the reasons I will not vote for a particular person. I don't trust the media to tell me the facts, because too many times they are biased or just leave out way to much information to get a real good understanding of what the person was talking about.

So this is the way I am trying to research the candidates. First I went to both of the candidates websites. I downloaded Obama's booklet and started to read it. I wonder how many of his supporters have read this? I know I have family members that are supporters and probably have no idea what this book says. However, I do believe they would back a lot of what he wants for America. Don't get me wrong, most of his ideas sound really good. But the more I kept reading I just could help but wonder where he getting of of this money to do all of these great and wonderful things? Most of these great and wonderful ideas also are directed towards minorities or the poor. I really couldn't tell what he considers Middle Class. Also, he wants the government to control pretty much everything. To me the government is just that, it is suppose to GOVERN. He wants everything to be FAIR! As he goes on and on through this book outlining his plan he states this over and over!
Another scary thing I read was that he "will require all schools of education to be accredited". For someone that home schools that should be pretty scary! To me that means we will not have the choice to home school our own children. To me that is crazy, we have the choice to abort them but after that we have no choice to raise our own children as we see fit after birth!

Okay so then after reading this pamphlet and getting all worked up I decided to go and start looking at the Bills that Obama and Biden have Sponsored or Cosponsored. WOW! That was an eye opener! I haven't really got into a lot yet but I am still reading. If you go check them out make sure you have plenty of time and make sure you read the amendments. This is the web-site. You can search different areas. Also go here, this will give you some active legislation.

Sorry, to be so obvious with my view! LOL! I really just have always been the type of person that you need to prove something to me for me to believe it. I don't like to just believe everything I am told. I go to the source. I have read on other blogs that people say others don't research thier candidate, so that is just what I did. Now these other blogs need to do the same thing. After researching from and unbiased source (notice that I didn't go to McCain's site to research Obama) then if you still stand by your candiadtate then the only person your accountable to is GOD.

Please remember that you need to use the following formula when picking a candidate
God + Prayer + Bible = Guidance.

I Can't Believe I Found Butter  

Posted by Johnny

After two weeks of going into Kroger and them not have the advertised Land O' Lakes Butter they finally had it today. Yeah!!
I intentionally bought coupons for this deal and they never had it in stock. Now I am just hoping that it goes on sale again somewhere soon to use the rest of my coupons.
I hardly ever buy coupons for specific sell, but I couldn't resist this time. With the butter for $1 then to get .30 to .90 off (depending on cashier, my coupons state "do not double"), it was just too good not to pass up. Much to my surprise today I received .75 off my next order for each set of two that I bought! So it was worth it. Plus I got a couple of rainchecks throughout the week to go back and use them.

Our New Kohl's  

Posted by Johnny

So if you haven't made it into the New Kohl's then I would have to tell you "If you've seen one Kohl's then your not really missing much".

So I was in our New Kohl's long before it opened to do a merchandising assignment and got a sneak peek. Then my Mom and I went in last Sunday before the actual Grand Opening to shop. Well, needless to say I was unimpressed! Sorry Mom, I know you're a die hard Kohl's fan! But come on do we really need another place to spend money in this small town?

I was unimpressed due to the fact that there were no Clearance racks so really I can't even shop there yet! Also, I don't have a charge so they don't really aim their wonderful % off sales at me. I really get peeved at stores that will only give you an extra % off if you have their card (yes, I know the reasons), but you would think with the recent trouble the nation is going through they would give discounts to cash customers. Come on really, why do I want to get 15% off now to get charged 15% (or higher) interest if I can't pay my bill off.

So when they did have their Grand Opening I drove by and could not believe how packed the parking lot was. Also this past weekend it has also been pretty busy. Where are people getting this money? Are people all talk when they say they are worried about the economy then run out and buy stuff they can't afford? Their prices are not that good! I do buy some stuff in there I will admit, but usually it ends up I am with Mom and I use her card discount and then I usually only buy it on sale or clearance.

After seeing this I really think the American public is in for a world of hurt in the next coming years. Most people don't know how to hold onto money when they have it and don't know the difference between a "Need" and a "Want".

Just my 2 cents!

New Presidential Candidate  

Posted by Johnny

Go here and watch the video for the New Presidential Candidate! I hope you hop n board with this one!

Finished Chemise and Split Drawers  

Posted by Johnny

YEAH!!
Morgan and I finally finished the Chemise and Split Drawers tonight. We wanted to post pictures (and I will) however, we can't find a camera. So as soon as I find a camera or batteries that are charged for the other camera I will post pictures!

So now we will start on the petticoat. I am not truly excited about this, because we have to put all of those lovely cords into it. Yuck!!

A Very Busy Weekend  

Posted by Johnny

Wow! I had a real busy weekend. To start my weekend off I went to Churabusco top pick apples! This was an unplanned trip, but I got about 20 gallons of apples for FREE! Thanks to a member on the Ft. Wayne Freecycle group. If you don't belong to your local Freecycle group you should join. Just google Freecylce and go from there every area has different rules. I am a member of the FT. Wayne, Angola and Coldwater groups. The Ft.Wayne one is the best. I have also given a lot of unused items away through Freecycle, so they don't go to waste or in the landfill.

Then after making applesauce and apple butter for two days, I went to the Reenactment on Saturday. I just can't wait to start! My daughter and I had a wonderful time learning the period dances and spent most of the day there. We did take a break and go into town to check out the Fall Fest, and just like every other year we were disappointed!

Sunday I had full intentions of getting some shopping done before my coupons expired. Unfortunately that didn't happen!

So regretfully I only got some shopping in today! I did miss out on the double dips at Walgreens along with the rebates that I had been holding off on! Plus I didn't get the chance to use my $5 off $20 coupon!

What I did get was a lot of great memories with my family that will last a lifetime!! So I guess I will not get too bent out of shape about it.

Kroger Deals Starting 9/25-10/1  

Posted by Johnny

These are just a few of the deals starting at Kroger tomorrow. I am very excited about the butter! Remember butter freezes so you can buy the amount you have coupons for then freeze what you think you will not use up shortly. With the Holidays rolling around I am sure you will use than up quickly.
This is just the deals I found interesting. Their will be a lot of other .88 items so be sure to go in a check them out!

Land O Lakes Margarine or Spreadable Butter or Parkay Margarine
8-16 oz Land O Lakes or 13-16 oz Parkay, Quarters or Tubs 89¢ With Card LOWEST PRICE OF THE SEASON!


Land O Lakes fresh buttery taste spread $0.30 /1 11-01-2008 Insert 09-07-08 SS1
Land O Lakes fresh buttery taste spread $0.55 /1 11-01-2008 Insert 09-07-08 SS1
Land O Lakes fresh buttery taste spread $1.00 /2 11-01-2008 Insert 09-07-08 SS1

Kraft Easy Mac Microwaveable Cups
2.05 oz, Assorted Varieties 79¢ With Card LOWEST PRICE OF THE SEASON!


There is actually a $1.00 /2 MQ but I am not sure which week it from.
Kraft Easy Mac $0.75 /3 02-28-2009 Tearpad Found on Easy Mac Display
Kraft Easy Mac $1.00 /1 02-28-2009 Tearpad Found on Easy Mac Display

Angel Soft Bath Tissue
9 Mega or 12 Double Rolls 5.99


Angel Soft Toilet Paper, Any 6 Double Roll + $0.50 /1 10-12-2008 Insert 08-17-08 RP
Angel Soft Toilet Paper, Any 6 Double Roll + $1.00 /2 10-12-2008 Insert 08-17-08 RP

Ball Park Meat Hot Dogs
12.8-16 oz (Excludes Beef) 10 for $10 With Card LOWEST PRICE OF THE SEASON


Ball Park Franks (any) $1.00 /2 09-30-2008 Blinkie All varieties included
BallPark Franks, Any $1.00 /2 09-28-2008 Insert 08-24-08 RP

Walgreens Trip 9-23  

Posted by Johnny


So I stopped in Walgreens today and did a couple more deals. This picture is yesterdays and today's shopping trips.

Yesterday:
2-Reach Toothbrushes Sale 2/$5 - (2)$1 MQ = $3
3-Dimetapp Sale 2/$10 - (3)$1MQ = $12
Total = $16.05 - $10RR from previous weeks Robitussin Deal = $6.05
Received $10 & $5 RR's

Today:
Transaction #1
2-Reach Toothbrushes Sale 2/$5 - (2)$1 MQ = $3
2-Nabisco Cookies Sale 2/$5
3-Ghirardelli Chocolate Bars Sale 2/$3 - $1/2 ESR Sept. book (received $1.50 off)+MQ B2G1 Free (not sure where I picked this up from, it was from a tearpad)

Used $10 RR from above bringing my total to .67. Cashier had to adjust my Free coupon to $1 just because my total before tax was less than 1.50 which was the price of one Ghirardelli bar.
Received $5 & $3 RR's

Transaction #2
2-Reach Toothbrushes 2/$5 - (1)$1 MQ = $4
Used $3 RR from above bring total to - $1.35
Received $5 RR

Grand Total = $8.07


Will go in tomorrow and roll the 5RR into the cookies again.
Hopefully I can go into a different Walgreens tomorrow besides the one here in town and I can find some Crest Pro-Health.

Civil War Re-enactment  

Posted by Johnny


This weekend is Fall Fest and along with the Fall Fest there will be a Civil War re-enactment. I encourage everyone in the area to join in the fun and come out and go through the campsite. I am not personally involved yet, however I hope to be by next year.
Also, on Saturday at the Selman Timber Frame (new building at Commons Park) they have some great activities that may be interesting to check out. I have listed the activities below with their times.

9-10am Camping Drill & Pickets
10-11am Live Fire Mortar & Artillery Firing Demonstration
10:30-Noon Storytellers Drum
Noon-1pm Period Fashion Show (prizes for Top 3)
1-2pm Period Dance Training (Definitely will be there for this)
2-3pm Battalion Parade & Dress Prayer w/Chaplin
3-4pm BATTLE OF CHAMPION'S HILL(Taps and March)
4-5pm Storytellers Drum (Speech at the Timber Frame)
6-10pm Period Town Dance (PUBLIC INVITED)
8pm Night Artillery Fire

You can checkout the website here.

It is very important for people to support this event so they can continue to make this a bigger and better event every year.

Meijer Mealbox Coupons Updated  

Posted by Johnny

Meijer mealbox has finally added some coupons of use!!! I am actually excited about these! I have listed them below so you can see for yourself.
Also, a couple of them matchup great with the deals this week:

Rice-a-Roni is 5/$5 - MM $1 off/5 so these are then .80ea
Carapelli Olive Oil 33% off - MM $1 off any (I am hoping they have the smaller sizes pretty cheap)

Just remember they have cahnged these so they are only one per transaction, so you may have to do several transactions to get the amount of items you want!

Cereal & Breakfast
Quaker High Fiber 12.6 oz. or Simple Harvest Oatmeal, 11.8 oz. 1.00 off

Condiments
Chi-Chi's Salsa, any size $1.00 off 2

Freezer Case
Any Joy of Cooking Frozen Food Item $1.00 off
Kahiki Single Serve Entree, Egg Roll, Appetizer, or Family Meal $1.00 off any 2
Juices
Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice 89 oz $1.00 off

Meat (Cured Meats)
Oscar Mayer Bacon $3 off purchase of 2

Oils
Carapelli Olive Oil, any size $1.00 off

Pasta & Rice
Any 5 Rice -A -Roni or Pasta Roni $1.00 off

Snacks
Frito Lay Baked Lays, 9 oz. $1.00 off

Spices & Seasonings
Any 2 McCormick Spices $1 off
Any McCormick Crusting Blend $1.00 off

Tortillas & Wraps
Taco Bell Kits $1.00 off any 2

Other Specials
Aquafina FlavorSplash or Alive 6 pk. .5 liter .50 off
32 oz. Gatorade G2 or Tiger Woods .50 off
Propel 6pk/500 ml .75 off
Any Ziploc Zip N' Steam 1.00 off

Food Surprise "Thanks To God"  

Posted by Johnny

I have received two great surprises from God this week and I couldn't be happier!

I am always looking for great bargains and how I can get things for next to nothing but the last two days I have had been given FREE food.
First off John went to Cleveland for work and on his way home he went by his Uncle's house in Toledo. His uncle sent him home with 2 large freezer bags filled with Salmon. Yeah I love fish, but it is so expensive!
Then my Mom told me that at one of her rentals she had a tree loaded down with pears and if I wanted them I needed to go get them. So of course I did.



I have never canned pears before, so I looked it up in my canning book and sure enough it was in there and it was very easy. Time consuming but easy! Now I just need to find some more jars for cheap (Free would be better). Here is what I got accomplished tonight. Spencer and I did a few jars tonight to start. I only had a couple hours so I did what I could. Here are the pictures of what we did. I probably will end up with three times this amount which is not a ton but more than I had before!





God really provides! As the price of gas goes up he just keeps proving that we can get by if we fully depend on Him.

Nobama 08'  

Posted by Johnny

This is one of the biggest reasons I will not vote for a Democrat!




Calling all Oatmeal Lovers  

Posted by Johnny


Okay so I just found this great deal on oatmeal at Meijer. This week Meijer has Quaker Oatmeal 18oz on sale for 1.29. There are MQ for .50/1 18oz and up. If I remember right these were in last Sunday's paper (9/7/08). So if your Meijer doubles it will only be .29!
We don't eat a lot of plain oatmeal, but we do like to make No-Bake cookies. So I will try to get in to Meijer a couple times this week to stock up on Oatmeal.

Meijer Deals 9/14-9/20  

Posted by Johnny

Thanks to cecismom at HotCouponWorld for the heads up on these great deals!
I just copied the ones that I thought were really good…
The whole ad was not posted so there might be some other great deals that go along with these.

Kellogs Cereals select varieties or Nutragrain Bars 5/10 AND Buy any 5 Kellogs or Nutragrain bars and get 3.00 off a gallon Meijer Milk

Store brand juice, $2 off WYB Kellogg's Nutri-grain cereal bars (6-ct or larger) and Keebler Right Bites cookies (6-ct or larger) $2.00/3 09-30-2008 Booklet Keebler/Kellogg's Fuel For School booklet
Kellogg's Nutrigrain Cereal Bars, Any Original, Yogurt Or Fruit & Nut
$1.00 /2 09-28-2008 Insert 08-03-08 Kellogg

Campbells Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup 10/5

Campbells Condensed Soups chicken noodle or tomato soups $0.40 /4 11-30-2008 Insert 09-07-08 SS2

Campbells Soup at Hand or Ready to Eat Soup 5/5

Campbells Soup at Hand Cups $0.50 /2 10-19-2008 Insert 09-07-08 SS2

Land O lakes Butter Quarters or Spreadable Butter 2/5

Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter With Canola Oil Products, Any $1.00/2 10-18-2008 Insert 08-24-08 SS
Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter With Canola Oil Products, Any $0.55/1 10-18-2008 Insert 08-24-08 SS
Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter With Canola Oil Products, Any $0.50/1 10-18-2008 Insert 08-24-08 SS
Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter With Canola Oil Products, Any $0.35/1 10-18-2008 Insert 08-24-08 SS

Pillsbury Crescent or Sweet Rolls 4/6
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls Or Grand’s Sweet Rolls, Any $0.30/1 10-04-2008 Insert 07-13-08 SS
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands! Sweet Rolls $0.35/1 Rolling Printable Link to Printable in DB
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands! Sweet Rolls $0.35/1 Rolling Printable Link to Printable in DB
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands Sweet Rolls $0.30 /1 11-29-2008 Insert 09-07-08 GM
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls Or Grand's Sweet Rolls, Any $0.30/1 11-01 2008 Insert 08-10-08 GM
Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls, Any $0.35/1 10-04-2008 Insert 07-13-08 SS
Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls $0.25 /1 11-29-2008 Insert 09-07-08

Juicy Juice 46 oz 4/9

Nestle Juicy Juice Product, Any $1.00 /2 11-03-2008 Insert 08-03-08 RP
Nestle Juicy Juice Product, Any $1.00 /1 11-03-2008 Insert 08-03-08 RP
Nestle Juicy Juice Product, Any $0.50 /2 11-03-2008 Insert 08-03-08 RP

Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix 3/5

Aunt Jemima Mix or Syrup 24 oz or larger $1.00 /2 10-31-2008 Insert 09-07-08 RP

Catalina Surprise From Meijer  

Posted by Johnny

I was into Meijer today and pick up two of the $1 Land O' Lakes butter. I used my coupons from this past weeks paper simply because I could not find the .50 coupons from the other day so I paid .45 for each. Then to my surprise I received a .75 Catalina off my next order. Wow! I did find my other coupons and will go back in to get more tomorrow. The next ones will be FREE plus the .75 Catalina!!!

If you go into Meijer this week make sure to pick up some Lysol products because they're 1/2 off right now, so some items are only .14 after .50 coupon!!

University of California Discriminates Against Christian High Schools  

Posted by Johnny

My Niece just called me and brought this to my attention. Please watch the video and read the report. This is very important that all of us Christians stand up against this type of discrimination. This is why this election will be so important!

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/428214.aspx

I could not get the video to download, but I will keep trying so just use the link above for now.

Apple Butter Recipe  

Posted by Johnny

We went away Thursday and got back today. While we were gone I came across a great Apple Butter recipe. I am not crazy about Apple Butter but John absolutely loves it. I thought this is a great time with all the apples in season to make some.

Ingredients:
6 -7 pounds tart apples unpeeled and quartered
3 Cups Water
3-1/2 Cups Sugar (can be adjusted)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

(I will probably also add nutmeg even though the recipe does not call for it.)

Directions:

In a 6-8 quart pot bring apples and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the apples are tender. Press cooked apples through a colander or food mill. Discard peels.

Return pureed apples to the pot. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until the consistency is very thick and the color is dark brown, about 8 hours. Freeze in containers.

Yield: 4-6 Cups

I can't wait to try this one out!

Great Surprise from Kroger  

Posted by Johnny



I picked up my mail today and got a great surprise! I received this book and it is loaded with coupons!
I had seen one that someone else got and so I e-mailed the company and asked for one. It had been so long since the e-mail that I thought the answer was "no". In between times they have also mailed me some other great coupons too! I love surprises and I really love coupons!
So take some time and e-mail them and see what you get!

It's been Awhile!  

Posted by Johnny

I know it's been awhile since I have posted, but between starting school and the Holiday weekend I just couldn't get blogging in.

I actually have not been super excited about the great deals anyway, but felt like I should have posted something, but I didn't!
So, I was out shopping today not looking for really much of anything. But I did find some great deals and after the full day of shopping!

Pictured below is the great CVS run! I only paid .03 OOP! (out of pocket)
This doesn't look like much however the lipstick is 9.99 normally. I just can't believe people pay that.

I used the Covergirl BOGO coupon in conjunction with the BOGO deal CVS is running. The flip-flops were marked down 75% off making them 1.25. And then the toothpaste was 2.99 with 2.00 ecb's and then I used the 1.00 coupon from a couple weeks ago.




After stopping by Walgreens and then Meijer Mom and I hit Kroger which had skinless boneless chicken marked at 1.43/#! WOW!!! I picked up 24#'s! That price around here is very good and I have a hard time finding it even reduced for that price.

Walgreens $10 off Coupon  

Posted by Johnny


I just received an e-mail from Walgreen with a coupon for $10 off a $40 purchase. This could work great with the overlap days. I didn't make it in today so I will go in tomorrow. I am not sure if I will be spending $40 to use it but I printed it off just in case. In the past I have not printed it off and have been disappointed to find out I spent well over the amount needed to use the coupon.

Mega Box Tops  

Posted by Johnny

I finally made it in to Meijer this week and picked up some decent deals. I was pretty excited with the total of box tops I received in the end. (Look below for the breakdown) As I mentioned before the area home school group does save these and is trying to get enough money to buy basketball uniforms. The older team has nice uniforms but the younger team has some sad looking t-shirts. So they will be going to great use. If you do not belong to the home school group (Christy) you can save them and then send them to me if you want and I will pass them on to the appropriate person.

On another note I just want to vent my frustration with Kroger. This is the second time I have been in there on a Wednesday afternoon and they have already taken their sales tags off the shelves and to top it off I did not have an ad to see what was on sale. I went up to get one from the front and they were out of them. I was so mad I just bought some cheese 2/$3 and some yogurt that was on clearance. DO they expect people to remember what's on sale or do they just not care. I kind of get the feeling they don't want people buying the sale items. The last time this happened it was with the Mega Event and it just happened to be that the items that were FREE after coupons were not signed correctly with sale prices! However, they had ads up front then. Okay just needed to vent. Look below for my shopping trip at Meijer.

This is what I did for the Box Top deal:
(2) Pop Secret Popcorn BOGO = 2.79 -.40 doubled = 1.99
(2) BC Cookie Mix @ 1.67ea = 3.34 -.50/2 doubled = 2.34
(6) Hamburger Helper Meals clearanced @ 1.04ea = 6.24 -.75/3 x 2 = 4.74
(1) Kleenex 3pk @ 3.79 – 1.00 = 2.79
(2) BC Warm Delights @ 1.50 = 3.00 -.50/1 doubled = 1.00
(3) GM Cereal @ 3/$5 = 5.00 -1.50/3 = 3.50 (WOW 1.16/box)

Grand Total = $16.36

Grand Total Box Tops earned was 16 (normal box tops on products) + 16 (bonus box tops on some products like the Kleenex) + 120 (From Meijer) = 152 :-)

Meijer Catalina Deal Starts 8/24  

Posted by Johnny

Meijer is having a great Catalina deal for all of you that collect box tops. Buy any 15 participating Box Tops for Education products Get 120 Bonus Box Tops. Products must be purchased in one shopping visit between 8/24/08 and 8/30/08. Bonus Box Tops received via checkout coupon. Limit one coupon per transaction.

For those of you in the Angola home school group this is a great time to really maximize our points!

Chicken Cornbread Cups  

Posted by Johnny

I went to a friends house for a Pamper Chef party the other night and this is one of the things we made. They are very good! I decided to make them for my Nephews housewarming party on Sunday.

Sorry for the arrangement of this but I am just re-typing what is on the recipe. It does not list the ingredients separately.

1. Combine 1 pkg corn muffin mix, 3/4C sour cream, and 1C grated cheddar cheese.
2. add 1/4C flour and 1Tbsp Chipotle Rub
3. place in mini muffin pan and Bake at 350 for 14-16 mins.
4. Meanwhile dice 1 small red bell pepper and thinly slice 1-2 green onions
5. cook peppers over med heat until they begin to soften and then add 1 1/2 C diced cooked chicken and add 1Tbsp Chipotle rub. Cook this over med heat for 2-3 mins
6. Combine chicken mixture with 1/4C sour cream
7. When muffins are done, immediately press tops inward (they suggest using the mini tart shaper)to form cups.
8. Cool in pan for 3 Mins
9. Remove cups and divide chicken among the cups
10. Tops with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro

ENJOY!!

Kroger starting 8/21-8/27  

Posted by Johnny

Here are some match-ups to go along with your Nestle deal. Plus some other good finds!
Nestlé Single Bar Candy
Standard Size 3 for $1

Juicy Juice 100% Juice
64 oz, Assorted Varieties 2 for $5
Nestle Juicy Juice Harvest Surprise $1.00 /1 Rolling Printable www.juicyjuice.com
Nestle Juicy Juice Product, Any $0.50 /2 11-03-2008 Insert 08-03-08 RP

Coffee-mate Flavored Coffee Creamer
Refrigerated, 32 oz, Assorted Varieties 2 for $6
Coffee-mate Powder Creamer $1.00 /1 Rolling Printable www.verybestcoffee.com
Nestle Coffeemate Liquid Or Powder Creamer, Any $0.50 /1 09-27-2008 Insert 06-29-08 RP

Nestlé Cookie Dough Refrigerated, 16-19 oz, Assorted Varieties 2 for $5
NESTLE Refrigerated Cookie Dough $1.00 /1 Rolling Printable www.verybestbaking.com
Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough, any $1.00 /1 Rolling Printable sign up for VBK Newsletter for your own link to the coupon: www.verybestkids.com
NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® , any (3) pkgs refrigerated cookie or brownie dough $1.00 /3 12-31-2008 Other


Not part of the NESTLÉ® deal but these are some great deals also!


Betty Crocker Cake Mix
18-18.4 oz, Assorted Varieties Mix Or Match 10 for $10

General Mills Cereal
Cheerios 8.9 oz; Cookie Crisp 11.25 oz; Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs 13 oz, Plus Other Select Varieties Quaker Chewy Granola Bars or Bites 7.9-8.7 oz Bars or 4.2 oz Bites, Assorted Varieties 2 for $4

General Mills Cheerios Cereal $1.00 /1 Rolling Printable bricks.coupons.com
General Mills Cereals, Any Listed On Coupon $1.00 /2 08-23-2008 Insert 07-13-08 SS
General Mills Cocoa Puffs Combos Cereal, Any $0.75 /1 08-23-2008 Insert 07-13-08 SS
General Mills Cocoa Puffs Combos Cereal, Any $1.00 /1 08-23-2008 Insert 07-13-08 SS

Orville Redenbacher's Microwave Popcorn
2-4 Pack, Assorted Varieties 3 for $5

Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Microwave Popping Corn, Any $0.40 /1 09-30-2008 Insert 08-03-08 SS
Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Microwave Popping Corn, Any $1.00 /3 09-30-2008 Insert 08-03-08 SS

Eggo Waffles, French Toast Sticks or Pancakes
9.9-16.4 oz, Assorted Varieties 1.89

Kellogg's Eggo, Any 6 Ct. + $1.00 /2 09-28-2008 Insert 08-03-08 Kellogg

Milk, one gallon, any flavor/variety, $2 off WYB Kellogg's Eggo frozen waffles (6-ct or larger) AND Kellogg's cereal straws (24-ct or larger) $2.00 /3 09-30-2008 Booklet Keebler/Kellogg's Fuel For School booklet

The Nestle Feel Great Instant Rebate @ Kroger  

Posted by Johnny

For those of you who did not see this in yesterdays inserts I thought I would make sure to post this so you don't miss out on this great deal.
Buy $20 worth of Nestle products and receive $5 instantly on your purchase @ Kroger. This offer is valid from 8/17 - 8/27. This could end up being a really good deal if you match up the items with your coupons and if they run any sales then it could be even better.
These are some of the products that are included in the deal:
100 Grand
Baby Ruth
Beggin Strips
Boost
Butterfinger
Carnation
Cat Chow
Coffe Mate :)
Ice Mountain
Dibs
Edy's
Fancy Feast
Friskies
Gerber
Good Start
Haagen Dazs
Hot Pockets
Juicy Juice

There are many more so just look for the special yellow tags on the shelf to see if they are participating products.

Last 100 Days  

Posted by Johnny

This is a very shocking video. You need to watch it all, and listen to what he is saying. It's about 10 minutes.


Free Bic Pens @ Walgreens  

Posted by Johnny


For those of you that received the $1/2 Bic coupon in yesterdays paper head to Walgreens for 2 packs of FREE pens. Walgreens is running their Bic Ultra Round Stic Grip Pens 2/$1. I did get some yesterday while my Mom and I were in Ft.Wayne Shopping. I will be getting some more today as do not see another use for these coupons.

Free McCall's Pattern  

Posted by Johnny

Right now McCall's Patterns are offering a Free Pattern. Okay well they are not completely FREE because you do have to pay shipping & Handling which for those of you in the US is $4 for 1-3 patterns. Which if you sew is a pretty good deal. Not the best deal, but decent. If you don't have a place near you that has sales on patterns you could possibly pick one up cheaper than you would be able to elsewhere, like Wal-Mart.



This is the one I got, mainly for the corset. Not that I will be making it soon. I need to up my sewing skills before I will be able to make it, and also the boning is more than I want to pay for right now. So it will wait.

Cheerios Challenge  

Posted by Johnny


Thanks MOM for reminding me about the Cheerios Challenge. If you would like to receive $6 worth of coupons form Cheerios you can go here and sign up.
It does take a little time to load the video so be patient.

Enter for Your Chance to Win  

Posted by Johnny



Go here and enter for your chance to win. The first 10,000 to respond will get the FREE gift pack.

Kroger Deals Starting 8/7/08  

Posted by Johnny

So this is what I have found for bargains this coming week at Kroger:

Kroger Cheese Singles - 2/$3
Kroger Large Eggs - 4/$5
Pillsbury Select Varieties of Refrigerated breads and Biscuits - 10/$10 - several different MQ coupons out there and sometimes they have peelies on the tubes
Keebler Chips Deluxe or Sandies Cookies - 1.88ea - $1/2 MQ from 8/3
Kelloggs Pop Tarts or Fruit Snacks - 1.79ea - each have $1/2 MQ from 8/3
Hunt's Snack Pack Pudding or Gelatin - 10/$10 - .30/2 I think from 7/27 - if your Kroger triples makes these very cheap!
Eckrich Pepperoni and 8oz Loaves (asst. varieties lunch meat) 10/$10 - .75/1 MQ
Eckrich Smoked Sausage asst. Varieties - BOGO - prices starting @ 3.99 - .75/1 MQ
Eckrich Bologna or Salami - BOGO - prices starting @ 3.19 - .75/1 MQ
Eckrich Deli Meat 20% off - .55/1 1/2# - Buy in 1/2# increments for the best deal

There are some other deals in this ad but I didn't think any were worth mentioning. Not a phenomenal week but the Eckrich deal with coupons is decent. If I see something else I will edit my post to reflect it.

Walgreens & CVS Trip 8/4/08  

Posted by Johnny



At CVS I got this:
(2) Tide w/bleach 4.97 - 1.00/2 MQ
(2) Crest Multi 2.49 - (2) 1.00 MQ
(2) Colgate Advanced 2.99 - (2) 1.50 MQ (these were in the Past Months ALL YOU Mag)
(1) Children's Advil 5.79 - 1.00 IP here
(1) Covergirl Foundation - 8.99
(1) Covergirl Powder - 7.99 (used the BOGO coupon, but beware the cashier takes off the most expensive one because the register takes off the lower priced one. I paid $1for this because my cashier took 7.99 off and the register took 7.99 off. Or you can buy two of the same priced items.)
(1) Folgers twin pack 3.99 - not giving the ECB's so cashier price adjusted to 3.99
(2) Welchs Fruit Juice single serve 1.49
(1) Extreme Energy - 4.99 (not sure what I'm going to do with this, but it was FREE after ECB's)
Total before ECB'S and MQ (after BOGO)= $46.15

I used (2) $4/20 since my total was over $40 then I used the following ECB's
1.00, 2.00, 5.00, & 9.99 This brought my total to $7.69 I think this was pretty good! It is more than I usually spend at CVS though.
I got back the following ECB's:
$1 for Welchs
$5.79 for Advil (monthly deal looks as if I can get another)
$3 for Crest (1.50 ea)
$4.99 for Extreme Energy
$4 for Colgate (2 ea)
Total = $18.78 (so I made .79)

Walgreens Breakdown




I did three separate transaction so I could get the $5 for each Kellogg's deal.

#1
(4) Frosted Flakes 2.50 ea - (2) $1/2 MQ
Total = $8 got back $5 RR

#2
(4) Special K snack bars 2.50 ea - (1) BOGO + (2) 1.00 MQ (these were sent from Vocalpoint)
(1) 3pk Puffs 2.49 - $1 MQ
Total = 7.16 got back $5 RR

#3
(1) 3pk Puffs 2.49 - $1 MQ
(5) Pop Tarts 2.00 ea - (2) $1/2
(1) Glade Candle 1.99 - $1 MQ (Rebate item)
Used $3 RR
Total = 7.79 got back $5 RR

So Total spent was $22.95 with $15 back in RR, I will be using these tomorrow when I go in.
I am planning on doing this tomorrow.

(4) Jif PB sale price 3/$5 with 7-day coupon - (4) .55 MQ making these $1.12ea
(5) Lady's Speedstick 1.99ea - (5) .75 MQ making these 1.24ea
(3) 3pk Irish Spring 1.99ea - (3) .30 MQ making these 1.69ea

My total should be around $15.75 so I will use my $15 RR so my total OOP will be around $1.85 and I will get back $10 RR for buying 8 items pictured on page 16.

Mealbox Coupons Updated  

Posted by Johnny

Finally after a very long time Meijer has updated their mealbox coupons!
I have not had a chance to really compare them to this weeks ad, but there are a lot of new ones that are very different form the previous ones.
They did however keep a few of thier old standbys like thier pasta sauce and fresh mushrooms. I hope they keep this up. I guess time will tell.

New All You Magazine is a MUST HAVE  

Posted by Johnny


If you haven't picked up your new ALL YOU magazine make sure you get one. (Magazine pictured is July Edition) This month is as good as last months if not better. On page 159 Kraft has come out with some awesome coupons, for a total of five. They all require you to purchase (3) Kraft, Nabisco or Oscar Mayer products, but then you will get an item FREE. Combine these with some of the regular store deals and these could work out to be some really great coupons, enough that I may just go grab another magazine.
These magazines are only available at Wal-Mart and they sell for $1.77 which is the same price for home delivery. If you go to the ALL YOU website you can sign up for two free issues.

Curriculum Dilemma  

Posted by Johnny

So if you haven't read a lot of my post or don't know me personally, then you may not know that I home school. I have home schooled my children for the past six years. We did not start off home schooling, but decided to home school after attending a local (South Bend)curriculum fair. We have had some great times and some very rough times, but I would never change a thing and have never regretted home schooling the kids.
Anyway, I usually try to have all of the curriculum or at least 80% of it bought by now. Unfortunately this year I missed my favorite curriculum fair and didn't really buy much at the one in Ft. Wayne.
I also have been torn with what curriculum to buy. Spencer will be in the 9th grade this year and I really wanted him to do American History. Morgan used Sonlight's core 100 last year which is American History and considered 9th grade, but Sonlight is way too much reading for him so I have been trying to decide between The Teaching Company's American History and Notgrass' American History. Both seem great and I have not heard much about either. Then when it comes to science I also have two curriculum's that I have been looking at, Apologia and Rainbow Science. I am convinced Spencer would do better with Rainbow, but it is very pricey.

Sorry to go on and on, but if anyone that reads my blog could give some feedback if you've used any of these curriculum's I would greatly appreciate it. I only have four weeks and I need to have something!

My Trip to Kroger 7-28  

Posted by Johnny

After taking this picture I realized I forgot to put the two pledge in. So you have to imagine it. For all of this I only spent $8.80 OOP!!! I also received the $2 off your next order for buying the Pledge. I really wanted to buy the Windex again, but I was in a hurry and tried to only get the 10 items needed for the Mega Deal. I will try to go again before Thursday to use the rest of my Huggies, Advil and Warm Delights coupons. These items end up free or close to free so I am trying to get as many as I have coupons for.


Spencer's 4-H Projects  

Posted by Johnny






Okay so I only have these two pictures of his Civil War Uniform, plus the one of him in it. He did three projects this year. He received a Champion in his grade level for sewing. Then he received the Reserve Champion for the division. Very good for his first time sewing.
The other projects he took were Microwave cooking and Crafts. He received reserve champion for Microwave Cooking and a blue for Crafts.

He had a great year and hopefully he will not want to sew again. I really did not have fun helping him with this. Hopefully he will be able to wear this at the Fall Fest when the reenactors host a dance.

Morgan's 4-H Projects  

Posted by Johnny

I thought I would post Morgan's projects first then I will post Spencer's.



This is her cake. She is in the Intermediate category. She placed with a blue ribbon.
It is black and red and has red dots on the sides. The scroll and hat are made from sugar molds.



These are Honey Crusted Wheat Rolls. She placed with a blue ribbon on these. I am actually amazed, because they were over cooked.



These pictures are of her dress. She earned a blue ribbon on this as well. This was her first time to sew. She chose a hard pattern for her first time, but she did very good with it.







She did take more projects, for a total of seven. I will post the rest at a later date.

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