Cardstore.com - 80% off + FREE shipping!

If you are in need of cards (birthday, Christmas, thank you's, etc.), head on over to cardstore.com today to get 80% of sitewide plus FREE shipping!  This makes a customizable greeting card for as low as 37 cents.  The cards are very good quality and they can be personalized. 

Use code CSSAVE801 at checkout to take off 80% and apply the free shipping.  Better yet, go through shopathome.com and earn 5% back on your purchase.

Coming Soon...Peanut Butter Price Increase

I've read a few articles and seen some rumblings in other blogs about the price of peanut butter increasing (upwards of 40%!) due to a poor peanut crop this year.

If your family is like ours (PB & J, PB cereal bars, PB straight out of the jar...), you may consider stocking up while the prices are still reasonable.

Currently, amazon.com is having a pretty good sale on several varities of Skippy Peanut Butter.  Shipping is free if you spend more than $25.  You can currently find prices for around $2 per jar (this even includes the natural varieties!).

Sachse/Garland Area Events

For those in the Sachse/Garland area, here are a list of events happening around the area this weekend.

Sachse Central Library's Halloween Party
Thursday, October 27
4:00pm

All IHOP locations
FREE scary face pancake for kids 12 and under
7am--10pm

Northlake Baptist Church Fall Festival
1501 N. Country Club, Garland
Sunday, October 30, 5-7pm
Free games, hot dogs, popcorn and candy

FREE Tiny Prints card for Military

Go to www.tinyprints.com to create a FREE holiday card for military personnel.  There are 2 card choices: Holiday for Heroes or Brave Blessings.  You can have it sent directly to you for no cost or if you know a specific address, you can have it sent there for the cost of a stamp (44 cents).

 

 

Use code TROOPS11 at checkout to get it free.

If you do not know any active military, but would still like to send a card for encouragement, you can mail it to this address:

Tiny Prints
Attn: Cards for the Troops
884 Hermosa Court, Suite 100
Sunnyvale, CA 94085

Chicken and Peaches

After watching Rachel Ray make this dish and it looking easy enough (don't they all on a 30 minute TV show?!?), we decided to try it.  John, at first, didn't think the combination of chicken and peaches sounded all that great.  He's usually willing to try something once, so together we put this together.

Since that time (3 weeks ago), we've made this dish at least 3 times!  It is really good.  The combination of the flavors really goes together well even if you're not a big peach fan.  We've altered it slightly since the first time we made it, and recommend using only chicken thighs.  They are so much more tender and seem to soak up the juice better.

Plus, for the amount of time it takes, the presentation is really attractive!

Rachel Ray's Chicken and Peaches dish

One other tip--use fresh ginger and before you quit reading this because you're like me and cringe at the idea of buying "real" spices, buy a large chunk of ginger and peel off the brown skin (using a grater).  Place it in a freezer bag, then as you need it, it's ready to go and you can grate it directly over your dish.  She mentioned this on the show, but it's not in the recipe.

Also, the Sweet Onion Potatoes Au Gratin go really great with this meal--although they seem to take a little more time to prepare, so we've found making them in advance then reheating works great. 

10/24 - Monday Deals

Here are a few deals I've run across today

$40 voucher to the Body Shop for $20
$10 Babies 'R Us gift card for $6.99
Target Jeans and shorts for $5+
Free Tom's of Maine Children's toothpaste

Keep in mind Christmas and birthday gifts when viewing these deals!  Happy shopping!

FREE (after rebate) Gift Pack from Walmart.com

Walmart is offering two different Venus Spa gift sets for only $9 shipped today that includes a $9.99 rebate--making this deal better than free!  Read below for details.

It includes a full size Olay Body wash, a Venus razor, a body mist or shaving gel (depending on which set you choose), a loofah, and reusable shower caddy.  It also includes a free subscription to Allure magazine (or any of 5 mags offered). 

If you'd prefer cash, you can submit for a $9.99 back through this form.  You'll need to find the card inside your package and submit with the rebate form (you'll need to print the entire form and fill out the very bottom portion) after you receive your set in the mail.  The rebate makes this deal better than FREE!

Yesterday, these sets were $10 shipped, so snag up the deal while you can literally make a buck on this purchase!

Meal Plan - Week of 10/23

In order to document (and keep me accountable!) our meals, in order to have a "go to list" for meals, I'm going to attempt to post our dinner menu for the coming week(s).  I hope I can keep this up for both a written plan and to keep our grocery budget in check.  I only plan on posting dinners as lunches are still kind of by the seat of our pants!

10/23 - Baked fish with cheese sauce + spinach salad with roasted almonds
10/24 - Pine nut and chicken pasta (minus the pine nuts) ; )
10/25 - Egg and bacon sandwiches (did anyone else have egg sandwiches growing up??)
10/26 - Shrimp with lemon butter pasta
10/27 - Potato soup
10/28 - Cantonese short ribs
10/29 - Leftovers

I hope to post recipes as well, but this is a start!  Now, off to check our inventory, then get groceries! 

What are some of your favorite weeknight meals?

Endorse!

This may be a lengthy post, but I believe it will be worth your time (and money) to read it.

I just discovered a new facebook page called "Endorse!".  Over 2000 products, retailers, restaurants, etc. are listed on their page.  Once you join this page, you are given the option to endorse particular products and/or establishments.  The next time you make a purchase at one of these places (or buy the particular product), you simply mail in your receipts (in a prepaid Netflix-type envelope that they send to you) and they will mail you 10% CASH on your purchase. 

Better yet, when just 5 friends follow and purchase your endorsement, everyone gets 10% back and yours is FREE.

I've already endorsed several brands, but Walmart was one retailer that stood out to me.  If you do price matching at Walmart for your groceries, this can easily add up to a few hundred dollars each month.  Getting 10% back on your grocery bill does add up!  You can click my link below to become one of my 5 "friends" (you can also access Endorse! directly through facebook if you are not comfortable going through the referral link).

https://www.endorse.com/love/Walmart/5904

For some of you that have recently had babies or will be soon, here's a list of some other retailers (the linked ones I endorsed).

Target
Babies 'R Us
Gymboree
Children's Place
Huggies Diapers


Additional brands I endorsed...

Ross
Bath and Body Works
Shell
Chevron
Old Navy
CVS

Chipotle
Papa John's Pizza
Papa Murphy's
Chick-fil-a

Once your account reaches $25, they'll issue you a check.  Couple this with my previous post about ebates.com and shopathome.com and you can end up saving a lot of money.

Rebates and Try Me Free

F-R-E-E!  My favorite 4-letter word!  A close second is "rebate"--even if it is does have 6 letters.  It seems some people I've talked to in the past have been leery of rebate offers, having been disappointed in the past or not having completed every requirement needed to satisfy the offer.  I've always had pretty good luck with them and have seen more popping up the last few days.  I'll share some of the things I've learned myself and through others when applying for a rebate.

• Read, reread, and read again all requirements listed on the rebate form.  I often have my husband read them back to me as I physically place each item needing to be mailed inside the envelope.
• Often, the UPC (i.e. barcode) has to be removed from the package and mailed in.  Keep in mind that the company is aware that some folks will buy the product, mail in for the rebate, then return the item to the store.  This is not only dishonest, but it ends up costing the consumer (us!) in the long run.
• If buying more than one product that has a rebate, do separate transactions at the register.  Usually the ORIGINAL receipt is needed for the offers, so for more than one product, more than one receipt is needed.
• Use coupons on the products.  If the maximum rebate is less than the cost of the product, don't be afraid to use a coupon to help make the item cheaper (and possibly free!).  Manufacturers will (typically) honor the original price of the item and not subtract coupon amounts.  However, check the rebate form to be sure.
• Fill out and mail in the form (and necessary items) as soon as you get home.  I'm not a manufacturer, but I imagine they count on the consumer to not remember to mail the rebate in before the promotion is over.  It's just easier
• If possible, make copies of all submitted items.  Write the date that it was mailed so you will have an idea of when to expect your rebate back.  In the past, I've kept a file of all submitted rebates and as I received them in the mail, I would check them off my list and throw out the paperwork.

I hope this helps and encourages you to start taking advantage of free products.  Here are several rebate forms online that can get you started with some freebies!

Cortaid up to $7.99
Renuzit Try Me Free
Bissell Stomp and Go Pads - Try Me Free (up to $5.99)

I also found Freeman's Avocado and Oatmeal clay mask bottle at CVS this morning with a Try Me Free label wrapped around it.  I checked the price ($3.99) and the rebate was up to $3.99, so I snatched one up. 

NOTE: In this case, the UPC was not required (which would completely destroy the packaging!)

Paid to Shop!

"Paid to shop"?  Yes!  And even better, you don't even have to leave your comfy desk chair to do it. 

I mentioned Swagbucks.com in a previous post, but I'd like to introduce two websites in which some percentage of the purchase you were already going to make gets credited back to you in the form of CASH (my husband would be happy that I emphasized the italicized words!).

There are numerous sites similar to these out on the web, but I've found these are the two most referenced and the only ones I've used.

www.ebates.com
www.shopathome.com

The concept is the same for both sites.  You have a purchase in mind, but prior to heading directly to the site where the purchase will be made, you access your site via these webpages.  Confused already?  Let me try and explain through an example.

Currently, ebates.com is offering 10% back on all online purchases made at gap.com. 
You've decided to get an early jump on Christmas shopping (we can pretend, right?) and The Gap is having a huge online sale.
To take advantage of getting 10% CASH back on your purchase, you would

1. FIRST go to www.ebates.com
2. Type in "Gap" in the search bar.
3. Click "Shop Now"
4. Add items to your cart and checkout!

NOTE: If you leave the site for any reason, you will need to access it again through ebates or shopathome.

Once your purchase is made, 10% of your purchase price will be added to your account.  Every 3 months (for ebates.com) a check is issued to you (assuming your cash back is greater than $5.01) via mail. 

ShopAtHome.com works the same way, so if you know of a purchase you will be making and ebates.com does not carry that merchant, you could check the shopathome.com webpage.  In ALL cases, you should check at least these two sites to see which is offering the most cash back percentage.

In addition, each site sometimes offers their own specials.  Today, shopathome.com is offering a 1-year subscription to the All You magazine for $19.96.  Price is pretty steep until you consider that they are offering 56% cash back on this purchase!  That equates to $11.18 back to you, making the subscription only $8.78 for one year.  If this is your first purchase through shopathome.com, they will credit an additional $5 to your account. 

If you can program your mind to check these sites before making ANY online purchase (Groupon, Walmart, Shutterfly, etc.), it can really add up to cash in your pocket.

Note: The links in this post are my referral links.

Growing, growing, growing...

Our little guy turned 2 months on Tuesday and on some counts, it seems forever ago, but for most things, the time has gone by quickly.

Here are pictures we took at 1 and 2 months.  The t-shirt stickers came from an Etsy shop named PickySticky...definitely a splurge, but I thought they were adorable when I first saw them on a friend's facebook post (thanks, Barbara!).

ONE MONTH

 

TWO MONTHS



Tutus $2

This looks like an awesome deal on little girl tutus and butterfly wings!  Checkout www.haloheaven.com, then go to "Closeouts". 

1. Add $24 to your cart. 
2. Start the checkout process and use coupon code spooky (will save you an additional 15%)
3. Make sure that your total is over $20 (after the code spooky) and you will score FREE shipping

Sounds like a sweet deal and I plan on using some of these for Christmas and birthday gifts!

Thanks, www.hip2save.com!

Cereal Balls--reposted

For some reason (keep in mind, I have close to no idea what I'm doing on blogger...), I am having a difficult time editing previous posts.  Because of this, I am choosing to "repost" the cereal ball recipe.  ; )  You're welcome.

Here is an actual picture of the delectable little treats, er, breakfast, we keep stocked!

...and the recipe...

Cereal Balls

4 T butter (half a stick)
10 oz bag of miniature marshmallows
5 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal (we like the one with almonds!)
PAM cooking spray

1. In a 5 qt sauce pan, melt butter on low heat.
2. Once melted, add marshmallows.
3. Stir occasionally until all marshmallows are melted.
4. Stir in cereal until evenly coated.
5. Wait until cool, spray hands with PAM cooking spray, and form into 2.5-3 inch balls.

Try to avoid eating all of them!

Breakfast continued...

So to followup with the cereal ball recipe, I figured I'd share with you our daily breakfast here at the Salles' household.  Again, no need to thank me.  ; )

My sweet in-laws got us started eating only fruit until noon via the book Fit For Life.  Jesse and I have slightly deviated from that with the cereal balls, but let's not get sidetracked.  For over a year now, he and I have been sharing this smoothie concoction and so far, we have not grown tired of it. 

J and J Smoothie

2 cups grapes (we have only used red or black)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 whole banana
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp milled flax seed

1. Place ingredients into blender in order listed.
2. Blend until smooth
3. Sip and enjoy!

NOTE: We did invest in a Blendtec blender when we realized smoothies for us was not a fad.  So far it has been worth every penny and can do so much more than just smoothies.  They are similar to the ones used in places that make smoothies.

60 (double) Rolls of Toilet Paper -- $22

Just found this deal at www.hip2save.com for 60 rolls of toilet paper shipped to your house from Staples.  With tax, it works out to less than $0.39 per double roll.  Considering a good buy on TP is roughly $0.25 per SINGLE roll, this is a great deal.  See below for how to take advantage.

Keep in mind--these were not in stock earlier today, but when I tried a few minutes ago, it worked.

1. Go to www.staples.com and add 3 Charmin Bath Tissue Rolls, 1-Ply, 20/Case double rolls to your cart.
2. Click the “Add/Edit Coupons” button during checkout
3. Enter the coupon code 31958 to get $5 off a purchase of $25 or more
4. Plus, there will be an additional coupon code automatically added (that will take another $15 off)
5. Start the secure checkout process
6. Note that all of the discounts will not show up until you get to the “Review & Pay” section

Thanks www.hip2save.com!

Zaycon Foods - $1.49/lb

After remembering I only paid close to $60 for 40 lbs of meat the last time I ordered from zaycon.com, I decided to recheck the price per pound of the chicken on their webpage. I'm sure some of you were thinking that $2.49 was really pricey for chicken!

So the actual price is $1.49/lb which turns out to be tons better than $2.49/lb! This price is cheaper than I find boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for in the store, and this is all natural and much like organic. The price of the bacon is the same, but still cheap with how much we've been pricing it for lately.

Zaycon will also be delivering to the HOUSTON area in November. You can probably order now or very soon.

My apologies for the blunder. I hope some of you now reconsider this great deal!

Swagbucks

Have you heard of Swagbucks? It's a search engine similar (but inferior) to google that actually rewards you for surfing the internet.

I added the search bar to my internet toolbar and use it instead of google even if I already know the internet address of where I'm going. In the year since I've installed it, I have obtained at least 15 $5 amazon.com gift cards just through my usual surfing. Not bad considering it's required no additional effort on my part!

You can link to them through this referral link:

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/jbanana12

The amazon.com gift cards are the best deal I've seen posted by other bloggers and it takes 450 swagbucks to get one. Rewards are unlimited, cost is free and setup is a cinch.

You can also use their "Daily Deals" link (on swagbucks.com) to get swagbucks for purchasing a variety of daily deals (i.e. groupons, living social, etc.).

What kind of deals have you scored using swagbucks?

Zaycon Foods

"Zaycon", you say? What is that? Sounds like some out-of-this-world creature, doesn't it? Unsure of how they came up with that name, but it's actually a co-op of sorts that is currently taking orders for their chicken and bacon events in the D/FW metroplex.

This company buys directly from the farmer and sells directly to the consumer (in bulk). It's a cheaper way to get quality meat (and produce) at one time. Our family participated in the chicken event several months ago and have been very pleased with the results. The quality would be similar to buying organic, but at a non-organic price.

PROS

• Chicken is $2.49/lb (for above par quality); bacon is $2.97/lb
• Meat has not been frozen
• Can pick up order without leaving your car
• Large quantity of meat in one stop (consider splitting with a neighbor or family member)

CONS

• Chicken is $2.49/lb (this may be more than what some are willing to pay); bacon is $2.97/lb
• Minimum order is 40 lbs (30 lbs for bacon)
• You can only pick up your order at a specificed location, date, and time (see webpage for details)
• Unless you plan on cooking it all at once, you'll need to separate and put into freezer bags

If you have a deep freeze and would like to stock up on quality meat, this is a great opportunity. Checkout www.zayconfoods.com for more details. You'll need to create an account in order to view and order from the various locations.

50% off Papa John's - TUESDAY (10/11) only!

Go to www.papajohns.com and use online code "RANGERS7" at checkout to receive 50% off your order!

As far as I know, this will only work for today; however, you can place an order today using this code for up to 21 days in the future!

Amazon Trade-In Program

Am I the only one that didn't know about amazon.com's trade-in program? A guest post on www.moneysavingmom.com mentioned this and indicated that the price offered for used college books was very fair.

We have an older digital camera, so I searched it to find its trade-in price. Turns out, we can get between $20 and $60 for it, depending on its condition.

Shipping to amazon is free (they provide a label for you to print) and the credit is added to your amazon.com account. They take multiple items including books, electronics, MP3 players, etc. It'd be a great way to declutter, simplify, and make some dough in the process!

I'll let you know how it turns out for us, but so far, it sounds like a great deal.