Friday's Fab Finds.

So, I wasn't sure if I was going to buy a double stroller...

...until I found this bad boy with a price tag attached of $50.

Garage sale season is upon us folks, and I am ready. Bring it on. :)

Pampers- Gifts to Grow Program

Pampers offers prizes that include toys, giftcards, shutterfly products, etc. when you enter in codes found in their packages on diapers, wipes and training pants. We usually buy pampers or huggies so I've been saving up points for a while now. Last year, I learned they also offer FREE codes online! SO, even if you don't have a little one in diapers or don't use the Pampers brand, you can still create an account and build it up with free codes to score free products!
If you're new to the program---click here to sign up and they'll automatically credit your account with 100 points.

Then enter these online *codes to add more points!

NEW CODE- JRYHAFFCR6WDPHY (Expires 04/25)

WELCOMEGTGPTS10 = 10 points

• GTGREWARDS4MOMS = 10 points
• WELCOME2PAMPERS = 50 points
  
• JOINNOW4REWARDS = 50 points
• 2BEGINEARNING50 = 50 points
• GIFTSTOGROW4MOM = 50 points
• Login to Facebook and play this trivia game = 10 points
• pampers4momjfm1 = 10 points
• CONGRATS2NEWMOM = 10 points
• NEWWIPESPACKAGE = 10 points
• GTGWELCOME10PTS = 10 points
• Login and play this game = 10 points
• PAMPERSGTG10PTS = 10 points
• PAMPERS4MOMSOND = 10 points
• 10PTSFREECODE4U = 10 points
• PUNTOSPARAMI123 = 10 points
• CAREFORNEWBORNS = 10 points
• GTGCOUPONPOINTS = 10 points
• WELCOME2VILLAGE = 10 points
• GETSTARTEDNOW10 = 10 points

Thanks to MoneySavingMom for providing this list!

*Some of these codes have been online for a while and thus may be expired. Leave a comment if you discover any in this category.

Happy Collecting!

Friday's Fab Finds.

This find comes to you compliments of my sis in law, Janet. Thank you. :)

Ever seen a Peeps Easter wreath before?

Neither had I.

But Look. How. Cute.

Thanks to Our Best Bites for sharing this super cute craft on the WWW with all of us. Click here for full instructions on how to make your own AND to check out other fun little projects featured on there.


Ps. I found my *goal dress (same as below but in brown---my pasty white skin couldn't support such a bright, fun color) from DownEast. Ahhh, I LOVE it. (If it ever comes back in stock, I'd like to order it too...)

*Post baby---motivation to get body back 'prize.'

I also adore their swimsuits. Have you seen them before?


LOOK how cute and stylish they ALL are! Anyone out there tried them before? What did you think?

Well---lots of errands to run today. Have a great weekend!


(And I haven't forgotten about that couponing post, it will make its debut next week. Stay tuned. :)

Friday's Fab Finds.

So, I found this cute little *baby on craigslist this week for just FIVE bucks!! More than one person in this house was excited...

Money Saving Tip: Don't be afraid to utilize craigslist and garage sales. I can't tell you how much of our furniture, toys, clothes, etc. have come from these places. And, you'd never even know it! The trick is being picky and patient. There's a lot of crap out there to weed through and it can be tempting to bring in stuff you don't need/won't use just because it's cheap or even free. (Been there, done that...) I try to ask myself being purchasing a 'great' deal these questions first:

1.) "Do we need it?" OR if it's a 'want' "Can we use it NOW or in the NEAR future?

2.) Do I love it? (Or will it sit hanging in my closet for 2 years until I donate it to goodwill?)

3.) "Where would I put it?"

If it's not needed or can't be used now and you have no idea where it would even go, it's probably better to pass it up! Or so begins the clutter monster...

This has helped me anyway.

Do you have any good craigslist/garage sale or other tips you'd like to share? I'm definitely no expert and would love us all to learn from each other. Feel free to leave a comment to share your insights/experiences, or your FAB FIND! :)



*the rocking chair---the actual baby I helped make myself . :)

Lookie, Lookie!

Good mail day. Got a little package in the mail I was not expecting. I didn't order anything from Target??...

Then I remembered I did this a while back...

Alright, free stuff! And the coupons are excellent too. If you wear make-up, you'll use them. And since they're Target coupons, there is great potential to stack them with manufacturer's coupons.

Any of you get your bags yet? What was in yours? (I noticed we didn't get everything the site depicted but then I remembered, hello? I didn't pay for any of it and the survey took like 2 seconds...)

Obviously, it doesn't take much to get me excited. (Even though my daughter has already taken a huge bite out of my new chapstick...) You can't beat free! Hope you got in on this deal too!

ME-OW.

Please forgive me for not posting regularly. I'll work on it. In the meantime, enjoy this GEM.

Friday's Fab Finds

So much for my goal of posting at least 3x per week.

Okay, really, I'm not giving up on my goal...I just got off track this week. (And I didn't run across anything super amazing that I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to share...) It was my birthday week, so I catch a break there, right? Thanks for understanding. :)

Anyhow-I think I'm going to continue with the Friday theme, and my sister, Allison, gave me inspiration for this one. (Thanks!) She introduced me to a fun little church site, Green Jello with Carrots. Heard of it? I thought I had. (I was thinking of Tatertots and Jello... a super cute craft site) What's with these Utah peeps and their Jello and casserole obsession? Yikes.

I mean, really?

Ah, I digress. Let me tell you about this site which is tons more appetizing than the above. Or actually, click the link above and can check it out for yourself. I've got ideas spinning in my head about getting some of their primary activity sheets, laminating them and using them for FHE's and during sacrament time.

While there, I noticed they have a blog and are having a fun giveaway this weekend (they have some kind of freebie every Friday, suh-sweet.) so what better way to try them out then to have a chance at winning some items for free? And there's 3 winners, score. Consider yourself now informed.

Good luck! And don't feel guilty if you win and I don't. I'll be happy for you, I promise. (And receiving chocolate in the mail may just solidify the previous statement.)

Friday's Fab Finds.

So, I've just got to share with you all my very FAVORITE clothing purchase I've made during this pregnancy. Has anyone else ever tried Gap's supersoft lounge pants? Oh my goodness, Heaven. On. Earth. I wanted something to wear around the house besides pajamas and I had a coupon to Gap so I was browsing, saw these, read great reviews and thought I'd give them a try. The moment I put them on, I didn't want to take them off. They are a loose, light fabric with a drawstring (so HECK YES, I'm wearing them even when I'm not pregnant!) and I may have even been known to wear them outside the house a time or two. (And probably will many more times over the next couple months as I continually get bigger and uncomfortable, I HATE maternity pants!)

Anyhow---the only problem is I only have ONE pair! Because they're not the cheapest pants, ($34.95 original price) I've been waiting for a promotion and now that there has been one, there are no more of these babies currently left in my size. (Sigh.) But I have my birthday coupon through the end of March, so everyday I faithfully check the website to see when if they've been restocked yet. (Sometimes multiple times.) I guarantee you when what I need is back in stock, I will be first in line!

If you are looking for a comfortable, lightweight lounge pant, you have GOT to try these!!

FREEBIE: Express Service and Mascara at JCPenny's!

Print and take this coupon into JCPenny's to recieve a free '7 in 1 full action' deluxe sample mascara at the *Sephora Beauty counter following a complimentary express service. There is no purchase necessary!

And because I had no idea what an express service was, I did some quick research:

Kristin P. describes it as this on www.examiner.com

“Express Services are 10 minute sessions dedicated to a particular area such as completion, eyes or lips. You can receive a personalized make up lesson where a sephora make-up pro will show you how to create looks such as the smokey eye, a layered glossy pout, or the perfect luminous base for your skin tone.”

Sounds fun! I sure wish the nearest JCP wasn't 40 minutes away, but since it doesn't expire until April, I may be up there purchasing other things between now and then. Let us know if you get this deal and what your experience was!

*I'm not sure if these are in all JCP's, you may want to call ahead to doublecheck.

Thanks, Maven of Savin!

FREE cosmetic bag with samples & coupons!

Target is offering a free cosmetic bag with samples and $25 worth of coupons for taking a very brief (5 questions?) survey. I just completed it and it said it should arrive in about 4-6 weeks!

Hurry over HERE to get yours! These will probably not last long.

Thanks, Hooked on Bargains!

Cute Car Seat Cover

So, I thought I'd switch gears a bit and post a sewing project today. My ultra talented sister in law, Joanna, made this carseat cover for us as a baby gift and I absolutely LOVE it. I just think it's simply adorable. (And VERY practical for Wisconsin winters!) Don't you love the little flower straps?

Here's the other side. It's so, so soft!

Special thanks to my daughter's baby for being our model. ;)

I'm not sure where my sis in law found her pattern, but I found a similar one on one of my favorite craft sites: www.makeit-loveit.com

Here is the site to her pattern of the cover. The ties (though not quite as cute as the flowers, in my opinion) seems to make the project look easier. As I become more comfortable with sewing, (flash sign, I'm a newbie here) I'd probably try to tackle something like this first.

Do you have cute sewing projects to share?

Target Deals- Part 2

Well, I went back last night. After finding some coupons to maximize their frozen foods sale ($5 Target GC for every 7 frozen food items bought) I found some decent deals. I was tempted to just get the lowest bill possible, but decided the chicken would be more practical for us to eat than cool whip. ;)

My total minus $15 in Target giftcards accumulated was 9 bucks and some change. That averages out to about $0.43 per item. I'll take it!

Any of you get some good deals at Target this week? I'd love to hear about them!

Young Women Birthday Idea

Let me start by saying, I LOVE www.sugardoodle.net! It's a site where people can submit fun ideas that can be used in your home and in a variety of callings at the LDS church. Yes, it's pretty much extra 'fluff' but hey, fluff is fun. (I think so anyway.) :) Anyway-I was looking for ideas for birthday gifts for my Young Women this year and I stumbled across this idea---value chapstick. I love it! Inexpensive, cute and simple. There's also a scripture on the back of the tag that corresponds well. Anyway-I made them today and just wanted to share!

Here is the link if you're interested!

Big thanks to Cynthia Gentry for sharing this great idea and her cute tags with us!


Front (Click on images to enlarge)


Back

Weekly Target Deals

This is a fabulous week to score some deals at target! I paid $2.66 (+tax) for all of the above!
(2 bottles of dishsoap, 2 packs of floss, 2 boxes of ibuprofen, 2 packs of pantiliners, dryer sheets, and a bottle of all purpose cleaner.) There were other great deals I was hoping to get but I either didn't have the coupons or they were already out of stock. To get just the above is super simple: I found these deals from Moneysavingmom and just printed all the ones I was interested in. (I really wish those frozen burritos were in stock, bummer!)

I also was able to find 3 cute basic maternity tees on clearance for $4.97 a piece! I was so excited, especially since I was getting ready to shell out to get some at Motherhood Maternity just because I needed some. I don't look in the regular womens clothing right now (for obvious reasons ;) but I saw a lot of clearance signs over there too. Might as well check to see if there's any great clothing deals while you're there. I think there's a 20% Merona coupon on the site too that you can use to maximize savings.

I would recommend shopping earlier in the week as they will likely run of some things by the weekend. (I hate seeing those empty shelves.) If you go, let us know what YOU score! :)

$10 Applebees Giftcard for $5!

I know, it's been a while..I'm sorry! Things have been kind of busy here lately. I have however, found another awesome deal to share today. This one comes from Mampedia and they're offering a $10 Applebees giftcard for $5! This one was a no brainer for me because Applebees is a place we visit from time to time.

Here's the link to sign up! Then, pass along the savings! (Unfortunately referral credits can not be earned with this offer but it's still a great deal to share! :)


Happy eating!

UPDATE: SOLD OUT, sorry!

Groupon- $20 Barnes & Noble Giftcard for $10!

I love daily deal sites. They already have been and will continue to be great help to me when shopping for gifts! If you're a groupon member, they're offering an awesome deal for a $20 B & N credit for just $10 (limit 1) that can be used in store or online. It can also be used on sale/clearance items so you could get some bang for your buck by shopping bargain books! Go here and check it out for yourself! (Click the deal on the right) This sale goes for 2 more days I believe....


New to Groupon? Click here to sign up! (and then deal on the right) Then pass along the great deals to your friends! Not only will you be helping them out, but you'll earn a $10 credit for each person that signs up and makes their first Groupon purchase.

Now I should tell you this since I've put a few on here recently, I will not be sharing daily deals from every site I belong to just in hopes of earning credit-(although it is nice if/when it happens! ;) I'd rather just share some of the ones I personally buy (usually the *HOT* deals) because those are the ones I feel are most worth it and apply most to a general audience.

50 free prints from Snapfish!

So, I have made several goals for this new year. And let's be honest, quite a few of them (the 'project' ones) I need to get done before May if I want to ensure that they'll actually happen! ;) Scrapbooking a baby book for baby #1 before baby #2 comes is one of them. The only problem I have with digital cameras is I never print my pictures! Seriously, besides a few to hang around the house the only pictures I've printed are ones to give as gifts or something. Anyway-it's time to get going-enough excuses, enough procrastinating.
So, Snapfish and Fancy Feast have teamed up to offer 50 free prints. Go here to get your promotional code. Even though the code doesn't expire until June, it does say that they only accept a limited number of codes so we should upload and order quickly before the max hits. That's the kind of motivation I need! I just got my code and am ready to go. (Well, tomorrow, I'll start. ;) Hopefully, this will help other anti-printing folks as well! :)

Thanks Creative Couponing!

Okay you guys, so I'm LOVING these online daily deals. I found another great one today from DealPulp. If you sign up through this link, you'll receive a $5 credit and you can pick a box of gently used children's clothing items in your size of choice from ThredUp for just $1with FREE shipping! Now, I've never tried them personally before, but I had to go ahead and share the deal since it expires at the end of the day, and your investment is only $1. (I'm thinking out of 15 pieces, surely I can find at least a couple good items if not all of them?!) I'm SO excited to pick my lot! :) Let us know if you've had experience with them before and thoughts you may have! I'll definitely share with you what we get!

Got Cereal?

12 boxes of cereal-Original total price: $51.80

What I paid out of pocket-$19.50 ($1.63 per box)
+ 2 vouchers for free milk up to $3.25 each
+2 vouchers for free eggs up to $1.75 each

Total minus incentives: $9.50! ($0.79 per box)
Total savings: $42.30

Not bad, huh? Especially considering the Lucky Charms and Cheerios (minus the first two, accidentally grab the medium box) are the HUGE boxes! I was pretty excited to say the least. :)

I realized I haven't said much on couponing yet so I will just give a quick sample here. After seeing multiple posts similar to this one on friends blogs, I realized I wanted in on these great deals! Starting last summer, I spent quite a bit of time researching couponing blogs, weekly ads and trying things on my own to figure out how this whole 'game' worked. I'm NO expert, I'm still learning new things everyday but I have had some great and not so great experiences that are teaching me my personal style of couponing. (Yes, there are MANY ways it can be done!) I'll share more about what I've learned about couponing so far in a later post, let me first share how you can overall maximize your savings and have coupons work for you versus you working for them. I'll use the process of this cereal shopping trip as an example.

1.) First, every weekend I scan through the weekly ads and highlight special deals/sales. In our Copps grocery ad last week, I noticed that if you bought 6 boxes of any general mills cereal, you'd get $10 off instantly, plus a voucher for a free milk and carton of eggs.

2.) Then, I wanted to find coupons I could use to make this deal even better. Since I didn't have any from my coupon box, I turned to the internet. The internet is a valuable source for finding and printing free coupons. (But don't print them unless you know you're going to use them, otherwise you'll be wasting $ in ink! Been there, done that...)

3.) I was able to find $1 off 2 general mills cereal and printed 3 of these. Finally, to maximize my savings, I waited to shop on a day when I knew my grocery store doubled coupons. That way, I could save $6 instead of just $3 by using my coupons. It was like printing $6 off my computer, now that's exciting!

So, if you're coming to visit us this spring, I sure hope you like Cheerios, Lucky Charms or Rice Chex! ;)

Stayed tuned for more couponing details next week!

Free Bath & Body Works Candle!

Like I said before, I LOVE stocking up on bath and body's free facebook giveaways! Since I clean offices right next to a bath & body, it is worth it for me to stop in and pick these freebies up. This time instead of lotion, they're offering a free 1.6 oz. Home Collections candle valued at $3.50. I love putting these little guys in my bathrooms. No purchase is necessary. This coupon is good through January 30, 2011.
Thanks, Money Saving Mom!