Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Lowes Build & Grow Clinic Heads Up :)

The Lowe's Build & Grow Clinics seem to be very popular.  So I wanted to give you all a heads up on the upcoming one so you can sign up before it fills up.  This Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic, the kids will be building a cute Haunted Birdhouse.  Perfect project just in time for Halloween :)

Lowe's will be hosting a Build & Grow Clinic on October 10, 2015 at 10am.

Sign ups are now open for this clinic.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Our Shopping Day~ 09/26/2015

Once again, we split up our grocery shopping into 2 fun filled days :)  With the younger ones in tow, I knew that we would only be able to go to a couple before they were done.  We finished up our shopping adventure Sunday after church and lunch and just before Chris had to be picked up from work.  Talk about good timing :)

Here are our shopping details:

Dollar Tree
$1.06- Gallon zip bags

CVS
$2.99- Colgate 360 toothbrush
-2.00 ECB
$1.17- Total with tax and got $2 ECB

Ada's Natural Market
$1.87- Nutritional Yeast

Save A Lot
$2.00- Bread
$1.77- Zuchinni
$3.77- Total

Walgreens
$4.98- (2) dozen eggs

Sam's Club
$4.98- Milk
$2.38- Lettuce
$5.98- Gala Apples
$1.48- Bananas
$14.82
-1.50 Sam's Instant Savings Gala Apples cpn
$13.32- Total

Walmart
$2.88- Spinach
$2.82- Asparagus
$2.67- Kraft Moz Cheese block
$2.97- Cashew Milk
$2.76- Tortillas
$1.24- Diced Tomatoes
$2.48- Lemon Juice
$17.82- Total

This shopping trip has been added to our September Monthly Spending post, where I keep track of what we spend for the month of September.  How did we do?  Did we stay with in our budget or did we bust our grocery budget?  Hop on over and find out :)

Monday, September 28, 2015

Our Menu Plan for the week of 09/28/2015

How was your weekend?  We had a good weekend.  We started out taking the boys to Lowes for the Build & Grow Clinic.  From there, we traveled just down the road to get hair cut and turn my little rag a muffins into handsome young boys again :)  We went to a few stores while we were in the area.  Then we came home, ate lunch and attacked some outdoor home projects that have needed our attention for some time now.  Our backyard trees and shrubbery looked like a jungle with how much it had grown :(  All is well now and our trees, hedges and shrubbery have gotten a much needed trim :)

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Breakfast
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with fruit X2
Waffles with fruit X2
Oatmeal with nuts and raisins X2
Eggs, toast and fruit

Lunch
Salad with homemade dressing and a banana for myself and hubby
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Spaghetti with green beans and garlic bread
Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp and zuchinni
Tortilla Pizza with carrots and cucumbers
Vegan Lemon Asparagus pasta with zuchinni
Tomato Basil Lentil pasta with squash
Orzo Spinach soup
Cauliflower Mac & Cheese with zuchinni

Snacks and Desserts
Apples
Apple Pears
Watermelon
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Grapes
Pomegranate
Chocolate PB Smoothie
Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Friday, September 25, 2015

Walgreens deals for the week of 09/27/2015

Things to keep in mind when shopping at Walgreens:
1) You must have as many items as manufacture's coupons
2) Register Rewards (RR) are considered manufacture's coupons
3) You are allowed 1 manufacture's coupon and 1 store coupon per item
4) When redeeming a Register Rewards against the same offer may not receive another RR
5) 2 coupons can be used with Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Sales :)

Check out Walgreens Coupon Policy here:)

Walgreens has a program called Balance Rewards. You earn points you can later redeem. Click here to read more about this program.

Tide- $5.99
$2 Tide cpn- 09/27 P&G
$5/3 Tide cpn- 09/27 P&G 

Puffs or Dawn- $0.99
$0.25 Puffs cpn- 09/27 P&G

Pantene- $12/3 and get 1000 points
$2/2 Pantene cpn- 09/27 P&G
$5/3 Pantene cpn- 09/27 P&G 

Pringles- $5/3 and get 1000 points
$1/4 Pringles cpn- 08/23 RP

M&M's- $6/2 and get 1000 points
$1/2 M&M cpn- 08/23 RP

Tilex daily, Formula 409, Clorox bathroom, Clean Up or Scrub singles- $6/2 and get 2000 points
$0.50 Clorox Scrub singles cpn- 09/27 SS

Nice bags- $0.99 with in ad cpn- Limit 4

All detergent- $3.99
$1 All detergent cpn- 09/27 RP

Hefty trash bags- $6.99
$1.25 Hefty trash bag cpn- 09/27 RP
$1 Hefty trash bag cpn- 06/28 RP 

Olay bar or body wash- $4.99
$1 Olay body wash, bar, lotion, Olay Pro X, Regenerist moisturizer or Olay face hair remover cpn- 09/27 P&G

Suave hair- $2.99 and get 1000 points when you buy 2
$1/2 Suave Professional hair cpn- 09/27 RP
$1/2 Suave kids cpn- 09/27 RP
Buy Suave Gold Infusion Get 1 FREE cpn- 09/27 RP

Pantene- $10/2 and get 1000 points
$2/2 Pantene cpn- 09/27 P&G
$5/3 Pantene cpn- 09/27 P&G

Loreal Excellence or Age Perfect hair color- $7.99 and get 3000 points
$2 Loreal Excellence cpn- 09/13 RP
$1 Loreal hair color cpn- 08/09 RP 

Dove bar or body wash- $6.49 and get 1000 points
$2 Dove Men+Care bar cpn- 09/27 RP
$2 Dove Men+Care body wash cpn- 09/27 RP 
$1 Dove bar cpn- 09/27 RP
$1 Dove body wash cpn- 09/27 RP 


Dove hair- $7/2 and get 1000 points
$3/2 Dove hair cpn- 09/27 RP

Tresemme- $10/2
$5/2 Tresemme cpn- 09/27 RP

Clairol Nice & Easy or Root Touch Up- $14/2 and get 2000 points
$5/2 Clairol hair color cpn- 09/27 P&G
$2 Clairol hair color cpn- 09/27 P&G 

Dove Advanced deodorant- $4.99 and get 1000 points
$2 Dove Woman Advanced deodorant cpn- 09/27 RP

Tampax Pearl, Radiant or Always- $14/2 and get 2000 points
$2/2 Tampax Pearl or Radiant cpn- 09/27 P&G
$2/2 Always Pad AND liner cpn- 09/27 P&G 

Spend $10 on Listerine and get 5000 points

Gillette or Secret Clinical deodorant- $7.99 and get $1 RR
$2 Gillette or Secret Clincial deodorant cpn- 09/27 P&G

Crest ProHealth mouthwash or Fixodent- $4.99 and get $3 RR
$0.50 Crest toothpaste, rinse, Oral B floss or picks cpn- 09/27 P&G
$1.50/2 Crest toothpaste, rinse, Oral B floss or picks cpn- 09/27 P&G
$3/3 Crest toothpaste, rinse, Oral B floss or picks cpn- 09/27 P&G  

Robitussin, Dimetapp or Advil kids- $4.99
$3 Robitussin cpn- 09/27 P&G
$3 Advil kids cpn- 09/27 P&G
$3 Kids Dimetapp cpn- 09/27 P&G
$1 Robitussin, Dimetapp or Advil kids cpn- 08/23 RP 

Robitussin or Advil Allergy Congestion- $4.99
$3 Robitussin cpn- 09/27 P&G
$3 Advil Congestion, Allergy or Cold cpn- 09/27 P&G
$1 Robitussin or Advil sinus or pain cpn- 08/23 RP

Nescafe Tasters Choice- $6.99 and get 1000 points
$1.50 Nescafe Taster Choice canister cpn- 08/23 RP

Tresemme- $8/2
$5/2 Tresemme cpn- 09/27 RP

Lays or Doritos- $5/2 and get 1000 points

CVS deals for the week of 09/27/2015

Don't forget to....
1) Go to cvs.com/email and sign up for the ExtraCare email and receive a $4/20 cpn

2) Stop by the Red ExtraCare coupon center and get CVS cpns

3) You can use a manufacturer's cpn along with a CVS cpn
4) You can use a B1G1Free cpn along with a B1G1Free sale to get both products for FREE

To view CVS Coupon Policy- click here:) 

Pantene- $11/3
$2/2 Pantene cpn- 09/27 P&G
$5/3 Pantene cpn- 09/27 P&G


Puffs- $0.99
$0.25 Puffs cpn- 09/27 P&G

Robitussin, Advil Congestion relief, Children Advil or Dimetapp- $4.99- limit 4
$3 Robitussin cpn- 09/27 P&G
$3 Advil Congestion, Allergy or Cold cpn- 09/27 P&G
$3 Advil kids cpn- 09/27 P&G
$3 Kids Dimetapp cpn- 09/27 P&G
$1 Robitussin or Advil sinus or pain cpn- 08/23 RP
$1 Robitussin, Dimetapp or Advil kids cpn- 08/23 RP 

General Mills cereal, Quaker chewy bars or Quick Oats- $1.99- Limit 5
$1/3 General Mills Big G cereal cpn- 09/27 SS
$1/2 General Mills Cheerios cpn- 09/13 SS
$0.55 Quaker chewy bars cpn- 08/23 RP

Tide- $5.99
$2 Tide cpn- 09/27 P&G
$5/3 Tide cpn- 09/27 P&G 

All- $3.49
$1 All detergent cpn- 09/27 RP

Total Home paper towels or bathroom tissue- $12/2 and get $2 ECB

Spend $15 on Revlon and get $5 E CB- Limit 6

Spend $20 on Aquaphor or Eucerin and get $10 ECB

Spend $12 on Almay and get $4 ECB- Limit 6

Spend $20 on Physicians Formula and get $10 ECB

Spend $15 on ELF cosmetics and get $3 ECB- Limit 3

Tresemme- $8/2
$5/2 Tresemme cpn- 09/27 RP

VO5- $0.77

Spend $12 on Suave hair, deodorant, lotion or Moroccan body wash and get $4 ECB
$1/2 Suave Professionals cpn- 09/27 RP
$1/2 Suave kids hair cpn- 09/27 RP
Buy 1 Suave Gold Infusion Get 1 FREE cpn- 09/27 RP
Buy 1 Suave body wash Get 1 FREE cpn- 09/27 RP 

Spend $10 on Caress, Lever bar or Caress body wash and get $3 ECB

Spend $15 on St Ives skin care and get $5 ECB
$1.50 St Ives body wash, lotion or face care cpn- 09/27 RP

Spend $10 on Nivea body wash, lotion or creme and get $3 ECB
$2 Nivea in shower lotion cpn- 09/20 SS
$2 Nivea lotion or creme cpn- 09/20 SS 

Spend $12 on Colgate Optic White and get $6 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate mouthwash cpn- 09/13 SS
$1 Colgate 360 or Slim soft toothbrush cpn- 09/13 SS

Spend $15 on CVS pads, tampons or liners and get $3 ECB

Colgate Total, Enamel Health toothpaste or toothbrush- $6/2 and get $2 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate 360 or Slim soft toothbrush cpn- 09/13 SS

Spend $10 on CVS wound care and get $3 ECB

Thermacare heat wraps- $5.99
$2 Thermacare cpn- 09/27 RP
$1 $1 Thermacare or Advil cpn- 08/23 RP 

Zicam- $5.99 and get $1 ECB- Limit 2
$3 Zicam cpn- 09/27 SS

Twizzler twists, Hershey snack size or Nestle fun size- $9/3
Use $3 CVS Coupon Center cpn
$1/3 Hershey snack size cpn- 09/27 SS

Poise Impressa kit- $4.99
$2 Poise pads or liners cpn- 09/27 SS
$2 Poise Impressa kit cpn- 09/13 SS 

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Saturday Family Fun Adventure

These field trip passes rock.  This week's field trip pass choice was the beach :)

My sweet friend recommended a beach that was less crowded than our normal beach spot.  He also let me know that the water at this beach was clear and you can see the fish in the water.  We got excited and just had to see for ourselves.  Nathan has taken an interest in snorkeling, so clearer waters was a definite plus :)

Once I Map-quested it, I became a little discouraged.  Englewood Beach was 1 hour and 15 minutes from the house- ugggg.  I wasn't sure we wanted to travel that far.  And then a thought hit me, how long does it take to get to Fort Myers Beach from our house~ 45 minutes.  Seriously 45 minutes??  Were we really going to let an extra 30 minutes keep us from what seemed like paradise.

Ummm~ no :)

Here are some pictures of our adventure out to Englewood Beach:






We all had a blast and were singing praises to my dear sweet friend for such an awesome beach recommendation.  The boys have already decided that they want to come back.  And since there are 4 different beaches at Englewood, they want to see and swim in all of them :)

Now I have to have a conversation with my friend and see what other places he might recommend for us :)

I can't wait to see where our next Family Fun Adventure takes us :)

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic~ September 26, 2015

Lowe's will be hosting a Build & Grow Clinic on September 26, 2015 at 10am.  My younger boys love doing them and the older ones love helping the younger ones with their project:)

If you are looking for a great free activity that you can do with your kids- you should check out the Lowe's Build & Grow Clinics. Little Michael and Nathan love them. They love being able to do hands on projects with our help.

To sign up for this Build & Grow Clinic, simply go to the Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic website, which they have redone to make it more user friendly. I am loving the new website. You register all your information. Then when you visit the website to sign up for an upcoming clinic, all you have to do is sign in and check which kids you are signing up. Don't forget to print and sign the waiver. And you and your child(ren) are ready for a really cool FREE hands on project.

Once you and your child(ren) complete the project they will receive a neat patch to put on their Lowe's Build & Grow apron. If this is your first clinic, your child(ren) will receive a free Lowe's Build & Grow apron and goggles:) The more clinics you do, the more patches you get to put on your kids apron and they can show them off with pride:)

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Our Shopping Day~ 09/20/2015

Our Saturday was filled with fun which left Sunday for our grocery shopping adventure :)

Here are our shopping trip details:

Walgreens
$4.98- Eggs

Save A Lot
$2.99- Apples
$2.99- Green Apples
$0.89- Peach
$1.00- Bread
$2.01- Squash
$9.88- Total

Sam's Club
$4.98- Milk
$1.48- Bananas
$2.98- Mushrooms
$2.38- Lettuce
$11.82- Total

Ada's Natural Market
$2.99- Vegan Cream Cheese
$10.89- Soy Yogurt
-0.10 Bring your own bag discount
$13.78- Total

Walmart
$2.88- Brocolli
$10.00- Shrimp
$2.97- Cashew Milk
$6.00- Cashews
$2.98- Pepperonis
$1.88- Jumbo Shells
$3.16- Tortillas
$3.28- Spinach
$2.46- Tofu
$35.61- Total

$2.00- Farmer Market for sprouts and cucumbers

This shopping trip has been added to our September Monthly Spending post, where I keep track of what we spend for the month of September.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Our Menu Plan for the week of 09/21/2015

How was your weekend?  We had a good weekend.  Our weekend consisted of making a trip out to Build A Bear.  One of our animals got laryngitis and had to have "surgery" :)  He is much better now and now has a different voice.  After that, we headed over to Lake's Regional Park to eat lunch and let the boys play on the big playground.  Despite the fact that is was HOT, the boys had a blast.  After the playground, we headed over to Ada's Natural Market and then to pick up Chris from work :)

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Breakfast
Banana Bread muffins with fruit X2
Waffles with fruit X2
Oatmeal with nuts and raisins X2
Eggs, toast and fruit

Lunch
Salad with homemade dressing and a banana for myself and hubby
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Spaghetti with green beans and garlic bread
Egg Roll in a Bowl with zuchinni
Vegan Pot Pie
Vegan Stuffed Shells with zuchinni
Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp and zuchinni
Tortilla Pizza with carrots and cucumbers
Super Cheesy Vegan Pesto Pasta with green beans

Snacks
Apples
Apple Pears
Watermelon
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Grapes
Pomegranate
Chocolate PB Smoothie
Banana Ice Cream
No Bake Chocolate Fudge Bites
Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Friday, September 18, 2015

Walgreens deals for the week of 09/20/2015

Things to keep in mind when shopping at Walgreens:
1) You must have as many items as manufacture's coupons
2) Register Rewards (RR) are considered manufacture's coupons
3) You are allowed 1 manufacture's coupon and 1 store coupon per item
4) When redeeming a Register Rewards against the same offer may not receive another RR
5) 2 coupons can be used with Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Sales :)

Check out Walgreens Coupon Policy here:)

Walgreens has a program called Balance Rewards. You earn points you can later redeem. Click here to read more about this program.

Hershey or Nestle candy- $0.69

Milk- $2.99- Limit 2

Arm & Hammer detergent- Buy 1 Get 1 FREE

Lay's Chips- $6/2 and get 1000 points

Hershey chocolate bars- $5/3 and get 1000 points
$1/2 Hershey chocolate bar 6pk cpn- 08/02 SS

Spend $10 on Halloween tableware or accessories and get 2000 points

Renuzit- $0.89 with in ad cpn- Limit 3

Nice or Kleenex- $0.99 with in ad cpn- Limit 3
$0.50/3 Kleenex cpn- 09/13 SS

Ajax cleanser or Nice toilet tablet- $1/2 with in ad cpn- Limit 4

Smile & Save paper plates or napkins- $0.99 with in ad cpn- Limit 4

Nice detergent or fabric softener- Buy 1 Get 1 FREE

Olay bar or body wash- $10/2 and get $1 RR
$1 Olay bar, body wash or in shower lotion cpn- 09/13 RP

Irish Spring bar or body wash- $8/2 and get $3  RR
$0.50 Irish Spring body wash cpn- 09/20 SS 

Irish Spring Gear or Signature bar or body wash- $3.99 and get $0.50 RR
$1 Irish Spring Gear or Signature body wash or bar cpn- 09/20 SS
$0.50 Irish Spring body wash cpn- 09/20 SS 

Speed Stick- $1.99
$0.50 Speed Stick cpn- 09/20 SS

Oral B 3D White floss picks, 3D White Vivid toothbrush, Crest 3D White toothpaste or rinse- $6/2 and get $2 RR
$0.50 Oral B floss or picks cpn- 08/30 P&G
$2 Crest mouthwash cpn- 09/13 RP
$0.50 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G
$1.50/2 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Colgate Optic White- $9/2 and get $4 RR
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health, Sensitive or Max Fresh toothpaste cpn- 09/13 SS
$1 Colgate mouthwash or rinse cpn- 09/13 SS
$1 Colgate mouthwash or rinse cpn- 08/30 SS 

Dentek floss picks- $4/2 and get $2 RR

Always Radiant or Infinity- $12/3 and get 3000 points
$1 Always pads or wipes cpn- 08/30 P&G

Bausch & Lomb Renu- $7.99 and get 5000 points

Nice eggs- $2.49

Butterball turkey bacon- $1.49

Palmolive- $0.99
$0.25 Palmolive cpn- 09/20 SS

CVS deals for the week of 09/20/2015

Don't forget to....
1) Go to cvs.com/email and sign up for the ExtraCare email and receive a $4/20 cpn

2) Stop by the Red ExtraCare coupon center and get CVS cpns

3) You can use a manufacturer's cpn along with a CVS cpn
4) You can use a B1G1Free cpn along with a B1G1Free sale to get both products for FREE

To view CVS Coupon Policy- click here:)

Spend $12 on Loreal cosmetics and get $4 ECB- Limit 3
$3 Loreal True Match cpn- 09/13 RP
$1 Loreal powder, blush, concealer or setting spray cpn- 09/13 RP
$3 Loreal La Palette Nude eyeshadow cpn- 09/13 RP 
$1 Loreal eye cpn- 09/13 RP
$1 Loreal cosmetic cpn- 08/09 RP 

Spend $12 on Maybelline cosmetics and get $4 ECB- Limit 3
$1 Maybelline mascara cpn- 08/30 RP
$3 Maybelline face cpn- 08/30 RP 

Spend $15 on Cover Girl cosmetics and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$3/2 Cover Girl cpn- 08/30 P&G
$1 Cover Girl eye cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Colgate Total or 360 toothbrush- $2.99 and get $2 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health, Sensitive or Max Fresh toothpaste cpn- 09/13 SS
$1 Colgate 360 or Slim Soft toothbrush cpn- 09/13 SS 

General Mills cereal- $5/2 and get $1 ECB
$1/2 General Mills Cheerios cpn- 09/13 SS

Mars chocolate fun size- $6/2 and get $1 ECB
$2/3 Mars Halloween fun size cpn- 09/13 RP

Hershey kisses or minis- $7/2 and get $1 ECB
$1/3 Hershey minis, Reese's, York or kisses cpn- 09/13 SS

Hershey pouches, DeMet's turtles, Hershey Caramel pouches, Lancaster or Brookside pouches- $3.79
Use $2 CVS Coupon Center cpn
$1/2 Hershey stand up bags cpn- 09/13 SS
$1 Hershey caramel cpn- 09/20 SS
$1/2 Lancaster cpn- 09/20 SS 

Starbucks Refreshers- $1.50 and get $1.50 ECB

Spend $15 on Total Home paper or cleaning and get $5 ECB

Scott single roll bathroom tissue- $2/2 and get $1 ECB

Spend $10 on CVS batteries and get $3 ECB

Pay Anywhere credit card reader- $9.99 and get $9.99 ECB

Spend $12 on Sally Hansen and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$1 Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, Top Coat or Value pack cpn- 09/13 RP

Irish Spring Signature for Men body wash or bar- $3.99 and get $1 ECB
$1 Irish Spring Gear or Signature body wash or bar cpn- 09/20 SS
$0.50 Irish Spring body wash cpn- 09/20 SS 

Speed Stick- $5/2 and get $1.50 ECB
$0.50 Speed Stick cpn- 09/20 SS

Spend $10 on Nivea body wash, lotion or creme and get $3 ECB
$2 Nivea in shower lotion cpn- 09/20 SS
$2 Nivea lotion or creme cpn- 09/20 SS 

Got2b Stylers- $3.99 and get $1 ECB

Garnier Olia hair color- $16/2 and get $4 ECB
$2 Garnier Olia cpn- 08/30 RP

Spend $15 on Shea moisture and get $5 ECB
$2 Shea Moisture bubble bath, body, baby or hair cpn- 08/30 RP
$1 Shea Moisture bar cpn- 08/30 RP 

Colgate battery toothbrush- $6.99 and get $4 ECB- Limit 2
$2 Colgate battery toothbrush cpn- 09/20 SS

Colgate Max toothpaste- $6/2 and get $3 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health, Sensitive or Max Fresh toothpaste cpn- 09/13 SS

Colgate Total toothpaste, rinse or Sensitive toothpaste- $7.98/2 and get $2 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health, Sensitive or Max Fresh toothpaste cpn- 09/13 SS
$1 Colgate mouthwash or rinse cpn- 09/13 SS
$1 Colgate mouthwash or rinse cpn- 08/30 SS 

Oral B Pulsar, Cross Action toothbrush or refills- $5.99 and get $2 ECB- Limit 2
$0.50 Oral B Pulsar, 3D White, ProHealth, Complete, Sensi Soft, Indicator, Cavity Defense, kids or power toothbrush cpn- 08/30 P&G

Twizzler twists, Hershey snack size or Nestle fun size- $7/2 and get $2 ECB
$1/2 Twizzler cpn- 08/02 SS
$1/2 Hershey snack size cpn- 08/02 SS

Palmolive- $0.99
$0.25 Palmolive cpn- 09/20 SS  

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Saturday Family Fun Adventure

These field trip passes are awesome :)  They are working great for us.  The boys are doing their school work super nicely and doing other things around the house just to get an extra field trip pass :)

This Family Fun Adventure took us to the Naples Zoo :)  We had trying going before but a rain storm prevented that from happening.

This time the sun was shining bright.  We packed a lunch and headed out.

The Naples Zoo is so cool.  There are a lot of different animals, cool animal shows and even a primate "cruise".  They take you by boat out to their primate island so you can get a closer view of all the different monkeys they have as well as learn some interesting facts about them :)  The younger boys, of course loved the playground.  That is until a lightening warning sounded.  We decided that that was a good time to leave.  We will have to come back later for all of the Meet the Zoo Keeper shows we missed.

Here are some pictures of our time at the Naples Zoo:
Really big and long snake
Super cute Lemurs
Meet the Zoo Keeper for the Tigers Q&A

Hedgehog~ part of the animal show
Three toed Sloth~ part of the animal show
Ocelot~ part of the animal show
Beautiful Macaw greets you as you enter the zoo
We had lots of fun and because we got a super amazing deal for a yearly pass (it was cheaper for us to get a yearly pass than 1 day tickets), we can go back to see all the shows we missed and play on the playground longer :)

I can't wait to see where our next Saturday Family Fun Adventure takes us :)

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic Heads Up

The Lowe's Build & Grow Clinics seem to be very popular.  So I wanted to give you all a heads up on the upcoming one so you can sign up before it fills up.  This Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic, the kids will be building a cute fire truck that comes with fire safety cards.

Lowe's will be hosting a Build & Grow Clinic on September 26, 2015 at 10am.

Sign ups are now open for this clinic.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Our Shopping Trip~ 09/12/2015

Thanks to our busy weekend, we split up our shopping trip into 2 fun filled shopping days :)

Here are our shopping trip details:

Save A Lot
$1.00- Bread
$1.98- Hot dog buns
$2.98- Total

Dollar Tree
$1.00- Zip bags
$1.00- Gallon zip bags
$1.00- Parchment Paper
$3.18- Total with tax

Ada's Natural Market
$3.96- Soy Yogurt
$2.42- Nutritional Yeast
$6.38
-0.10 Bag discount
$6.28- Total

Walmart
$3.48- Veggie Dogs
$0.94-Garlic
$2.00- Cashews
$2.96- Flour
$1.77- Sugar
$2.97- Potatoes
$14.12- Total

Sam's Club
$5.98- Lemons
$4.98- Milk
$1.48- Bananas
$10.18- Butter
$22.62- Total

Co-op Pick Up- $42.00 for fruit box, veggie box and green beans

This shopping trip has been added to our September Monthly Spending post, where I keep track of what we spend for the month of September.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Our Menu Plan for the week of 09/14/2015

How was your weekend?  Our weekend was good and busy.  Saturday started our fun weekend off.  We went to 2 stores in the morning and then headed to a local middle school to pick up our veggie and fruit boxes from a local farm.  We got soaked waiting in the crazy long line, thanks to a wonderful full blast rain shower :)  Lucky us :)  We came home, put everything away and then had lunch.  After lunch, we packed everyone up and headed to the beach :)  This time I remembered to put sunblock on myself :)  Sunday after church, we came home, had lunch and headed out to do our remaining grocery shopping before taking Nathan back to church for youth group.  Whew!!  What a fun and busy weekend.  I am still tired :)

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Breakfast
Applesauce muffins with fruit X2
Pancakes with fruit X2
Oatmeal with nuts and raisins X2
Eggs, toast and fruit

Lunch
Salad with homemade dressing and a banana for myself and hubby
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Spaghetti with green beans and garlic bread
Hot Dogs, French Fries and carrot sticks
Egg Roll in a Bowl with zuchinni
Mushroom, asparagus and spinach risotto
Vegan Mac & cheese with zuchinni
Vegan Garlic Alfredo with green beans
Vegan Taco Pie

Snacks
Apple Bananas
Apple Pears
Watermelon
Peaches
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Grapes
Pomegranate
Chocolate PB Smoothie
Banana Ice Cream
No Bake Chocolate Fudge Bites
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Friday, September 11, 2015

Walgreens deals for the week of 09/13/2015

Things to keep in mind when shopping at Walgreens:
1) You must have as many items as manufacture's coupons
2) Register Rewards (RR) are considered manufacture's coupons
3) You are allowed 1 manufacture's coupon and 1 store coupon per item
4) When redeeming a Register Rewards against the same offer may not receive another RR
5) 2 coupons can be used with Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Sales :)

Check out Walgreens Coupon Policy here:)

Walgreens has a program called Balance Rewards. You earn points you can later redeem. Click here to read more about this program.

Pantene- $8/2
$4/2 Pantene cpn- 09/13 RP
$2/2 Pantene cpn- 08/30 P&G 
$5/3 Pantene cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Hershey candy- $6/2 and get 1000 points

M&M's- $6/2 and get 1000 points
$1/2 M&M's cpn- 08/23 RP

Quaker 1 min oats or cereal- $1.99

Gatorade- $6/6 and get 1000 points

Scrubbing Bubbles toilet gel, Drop Ins, bathroom, shower or Fresh Brush refills- $7/2 and get $2 RR
$0.50 Scrubbing Bubbles cpn- 09/13 SS

Shout, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom spray or Fantastik- $6/2 and get $1 RR
$0.50 Windex cpn- 09/13 SS
$0.50 Scrubbing Bubbles cpn- 09/13 SS
$0.50 Shout cpn- 09/13 SS 


Glade alternating starter, Sense & Spray starter or Plug In refill 2pk- $4.99 and get $2 RR
$1/2 Glade cpn- 08/16 SS
$1 Glade twin pack oil or 2 single refills cpn- 08/16 SS

Xtra- $1.49
$1/2 Xtra cpn- 08/09 SS

Nature Made adult gummies- $6.99 and get 1000 points

Nature Made Vitamelts- $4.99 and get 1000 points

Zantac- $8.99
$4 Zantac cpn- 09/13 SS

Huggies Goodnights, Pull Ups, diapers or wipes- $20/2 and get 2000 points
$2 Huggies Pull Ups cpn- 09/13 SS
$2 Huggies Snugglers, Litter Movers or OverNights cpn- 09/13 SS
$1.50 Huggies diapers cpn- 09/13 SS 

Nivea for Men skin or shave- $7/2 and get $2 RR

Old Spice, Gillette or Secret Clinical or 2pk- $7.99 and get $1 RR

Oral B ProFlex toothbrush, Crest 3D White mouthwash or toothpaste- $8/2 and get $3 RR
$0.50 Oral B Pulsar, 3D White, ProHealth, Complete, Sensi Soft, Indicator, Cavity Defense, kids manual or power toothbrush cpn- 08/30 P&G
$2 Crest mouthwash cpn- 09/13 SS
$0.50 Crest mouthwash cpn- 08/30 P&G
$0.50 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G
$1.50/2 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Mitchum- $2.99
$1 Mitchum cpn- 09/13 SS

Olay body wash or bar- $4.99
$1 Olay bar, body wash or in shower lotion cpn- 09/13 RP

Spend $15 on Eucerin or Aquaphor and get $8 ECB

Pert Plus or Infusium- $3.99
$2 Pert Plus cpn- 09/13 SS
$2 Infusium cpn- 09/13 SS 

Revlon eyeliner or mascara- $5.99
$3 Revlon eye cpn- 09/13 SS

Colgate 360 toothbrush 2pk, Total or Enamel Health toothpaste- $3.49 and get $1.50 RR
$1 Colgate 360 or Slim Soft toothbrush cpn- 09/13 SS
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health, Sensitive or Max Fresh toothpaste cpn- 09/13 SS 


CVS deals for the week of 09/13/2015

Don't forget to....
1) Go to cvs.com/email and sign up for the ExtraCare email and receive a $4/20 cpn

2) Stop by the Red ExtraCare coupon center and get CVS cpns

3) You can use a manufacturer's cpn along with a CVS cpn
4) You can use a B1G1Free cpn along with a B1G1Free sale to get both products for FREE

To view CVS Coupon Policy- click here:)

Spend $12 on Maybelline and get $4 ECB- limit 3
$1 Maybelline mascara cpn- 08/30 RP
$2 Maybelline face cpn- 08/30 RP


Revlon eye- $5.99
$3 Revlon eye cpn- 09/13 SS

Spend $10 on Sally Hansen and get $5 ECB- limit 3
$1 Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, top coat or value pack cpn- 09/13 RP

Pantene- $7.79/2- Limit 4
$4/2 Pantene cpn- 09/13 RP
$2/2 Pantene cpn- 08/30 P&G 
$5/3 Pantene cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Starbucks Frappuccino, Double Shot or Ice Coffee- $4.99 and get $1 ECB

Twizzler twists or Hershey snack size- $7/2 and get $2 ECB
$1/2 Twizzler cpn- 08/02 SS
$1/2 Hershey snack size cpn- 08/02 SS 

Wrigley gum 3pk- $4/2 and get $1 ECB
$0.75/2 Wrigley cpn- 07/26 RP

7Up, A&W, Canada Dry or Sunkist 2L- $0.99
Use $0.30 CVS Coupon Center cpn

Spend $15 on Glade, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles or Shout and get $5 ECB
$2.25 Glade large candle cpn- 08/23 SS
$4.50/2 Glade large candle cpn- 08/23 SS
$1/2 Glade wax melts cpn- 08/16 SS
$1/2 Glade cpn- 08/16 SS
$1 Glade twin pack oil or 2 single refills cpn- 08/16 SS
$1/2 Glade jar candle cpn- 08/16 SS

$0.50 Windex cpn- 09/13 SS
$0.50 Scrubbing Bubbles cpn- 09/13 SS
$0.50 Shout cpn- 09/13 SS 


Spend $9 on Ajax powder, Fabuloso, Suavital or Ajax dish and get $3 ECB

Paper Mate Profile pens- $2.99 and get $1 ECB
$0.55 Paper Mate pens cpn- 07/26 RP

Spend $15 on Total Home toilet paper, paper towels or tissues and get $5 ECB

Spend $15 on Cover Girl and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$3/2 Cover Girl cpn- 08/30 P&G
$1 Cover Girl eye cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Spend $15 on Cover Girl Outlast foundation and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$3/2 Cover Girl cpn- 08/30 P&G

Spend $15 on Rimmel and get $5 ECB- Limit 3

Spend $10 on Essence of Beauty and get $3 ECB

Spend $15 on Loreal cosmetics and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$3 Loreal True Match cpn- 09/13 RP
$1 Loreal powder, blush, concealer or setting spray cpn- 09/13 RP
$3 Loreal La Palette nude eye shadow cpn- 09/13 RP
$1 Loreal eye cpn- 09/13 RP
$1 Loreal cosmetic cpn- 08/09 RP 


Spend $10 on Nivea body wash, lotion or creme and get $3 ECB

Spend $10 on Jergens or Curel and get $3 ECB

Spend $10 on CVS lotion and get $4 ECB

Spend $15 on Suave or Tresemme and get $5 ECB
$2/2 Suave Professionals cpn- 08/23 RP
$1.50 Suave Luxe styler cpn- 08/23 RP
$3/2 Suave Gold Infusion cpn- 08/23 RP 

Mitchum- $2.99
$1 Mitchum cpn- 09/13 SS

Crest Advanced or 1L mouthwash- $4.99 and get $2 ECB- Limit 2
$2 Crest mouthwash cpn- 09/13 RP
$0.50 Crest mouthwash cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Spend $10 on Oral B manual toothbrush and get $4 ECB
$0.50 Oral B Pulsar, 3D White, ProHealth, Complete, Sensi Soft, Indicator, Cavity Defense, kids manual or power toothbrush cpn- 08/30 P&G

Similisan eye or ear- $9.99 and get $3 ECB

Poise Impressa kit- $4.99
$2 Poise Impressa kit cpn- 09/13 SS
$3 Poise pads or liners cpn- 08/30 SS 

Playtex- $7.99 and get $3 ECB
$1 Playtex Sport, pads, liners or Combo cpn- 08/23 SS
$1 Playtex Gentle Glide cpn- 08/23 SS 

Sundown Natural Gummies- $6.74
Use $3 CVS Coupon Center cpn- good only on Sunday
$2 Sundown Natural adult gummies cpn- 09/13 RP
$2 Sundown Natural Adult Gummies cpn- 08/02 RP 

Nature Bounty Optimal Solution gummies- $7.47
Use $3 CVS Coupon Center cpn- good only on Monday
$1 Nature Bounty vitamin or supplement cpn- 08/09RP
$2 Nature Bounty Optimal Solution cpn- 08/02 RP
$1 Nature Bounty Optimal Solution hair, skin or nail cpn- 08/02 RP 

Disney gummies- $9.47
Use $2 CVS Coupon Center cpn- good only on Tuesday

Ester C 24hr Immune- $7.74
Use $2 CVS Coupon Center cpn- good only on Wednesday

Pure Protein bars 6pk- $8.24
Use $2 CVS Coupon Center cpn- good only on Thursday
$2 Pure Protein shakes, powder or bars cpn- 08/02 RP

Osteo Bi-Flex- $19.99
Use $6 CVS Coupon Center cpn- good only on Friday

Met RX bars- $4.97/2
Use $1 CVS Coupon Center cpn- good only on Saturday
$2/2 Met RX single bar cpn- 08/02 RP

Progresso- $3/2 and get $1 ECB
$0.50/2 Progresso cpn- 09/13 SS

Mars Chocolate fun size- $9/3
Use $2 CVS Coupon Center cpn
$2/3 Mars Fun Size Halloween cpn- 09/13 RP

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Our Family Fun Beach Trip

We told the boys if they did their school work nicely, they would get a field trip pass.  On that pass, they get to write a field trip destination of their choice.  At the end of the week, we randomly pull a pass and that is where we go :)  It has worked so well.  If I had of known that this would work this well, I would have done this a long time ago.  They do their work nicely and usually get done faster :)  I love our field trip passes.

Unfortunately, it does have its down side :(  Which happened to be our beach trip.

Nathan's going to the beach face:
Michael's not so happy beach face:
I am thankful we got him into the van.  After the field trip announcement, he cried and informed us that he was not going.  Once we explained to him that he could not stay at home by himself, he told us that he would go to the beach but would NOT go into the water and NOT have any fun.  Ok.  No problem.  I had a feeling that if we got him into the water, he would change his mind.

He went to Fort Myers Beach.  Nathan loves swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.  The water is so much warmer than here in Cape Coral.

Nathan couldn't get out of the van fast enough and into the water he went.  Michael walked on the sand looking for shells.  Then he needed to tell daddy something.  Oh no, daddy is in the water with Nathan :)  Little Michael lets me put on his swimming vest and we go out into the water.  Once he was reassured that he would not sink as long as he was wearing his swimming vest, he loved the water.

All the protesting, out the window :)  He kept making up reasons to get back into the water every time he got out.  It was great.

Here are some pictures of our family fun beach trip:
Little Michael demonstrating the snorkel :)

WAVE!!  :)

Nathan looking to see what he could :)

Oh look at this face~ is this the face of a boy not having any fun?
We had a blast.  Nathan's new favorite thing is snorkeling.  Unfortunately, the water in the Gulf is so murky that snorkeling is not possible.  But that did not let it stop him.  He was determined.  By the end of our trip, a certain 6 year old was very happy and not the same boy at the beginning of the trip.

Now I have to find clearer waters, so Nathan can put his snorkeling gear to good use :)

I can't wait to see where our next Family Fun Adventure takes us :)


Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Our Shopping Day~ 09/05/2015

With our crazy busy week, we decided to go grocery shopping on Saturday before Respite Night at church :)

Here are our shopping trip details for this week:

Staples
10.99- Bounty Paper Towels
$10/10 Staples coupon mailer
$1.05- Total with tax

Publix
$6.00- Soy Yogurt

Save A Lot
$2.27- Green Grapes
$2.37- Red Grapes
$3.00- Bread
$1.98- Hot dog buns
$9.78- Pork Picnic
$19.40- Total

Sam's Club
$2.38- Lettuce
$2.96- Bananas
$4.98- Milk
$2.98- Mushrooms
$3.98- Vinegar
$3.64- Ketchup
$20.92- Total

Walmart
$2.88- Broccoli
$0.98- Corn
$1.36- Lunchmeat
$1.78- Grape Jam
$2.48- Cocoa Powder
$1.88- Soy Sauce
$2.98- Vegan Mayo
$3.28- Oats
$1.98- Corn Flakes
$1.00- Crouton
$3.42- Cheese
$2.98- Parm Cheese
$27.00- Total

This shopping trip has been added to our September Monthly Spending post, where I keep track of what we spend for the month of September.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Our Menu Plan for the week of 09/07/2015

How was your weekend?  Our weekend was a bit soggy but we had fun in between rain storms :)

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Breakfast
Applesauce muffins with fruit X2
Pancakes with fruit X2
Oatmeal with nuts and raisins X2
Corn Flakes and fruit

Lunch
Salad with homemade dressing and a banana for myself and hubby
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Spaghetti with green beans and garlic bread
Hot Dogs, French Fries and carrot sticks
Egg Roll in a Bowl with zuchinni
Lemon & Garlic Chicken with mushrooms and green beans
Baked Chicken, mashed potatoes and peas
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole
Chicken Broccoli Mushroom Stir fry 


Snacks
Apples
Peaches
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Carrots
Grapes
Blueberries
Blackberries
Plums
Chocolate PB Smoothie
Banana Ice Cream
No Bake Chocolate Fudge Bites
Chocolate Chip Brownies 

Friday, September 4, 2015

Office Depot/Office Max Back to School deals for the week of 09/06/2015

Office Depot & Office Max Back to School deals for this week:

10 Ream Case- $39.99 and get $20 in rewards- Limit 2 rewards

3 Ream Paper- $12 and get $10 in rewards- Limit 2 rewards

Pencils- $0.50- Limit 3

Index cards- $0.50- Limit 3

Hand Sanitizer with clip- $0.50- Limit 3

Staples Back to School deals for the week of 09/06/2015

Staples Back to School Deals for this week:

1 Subject notebook- $0.17- Limit 30

Filler Paper- $0.75- Limit 30

Crayola crayons- $0.50- Limit 30

Crayola color pencils- $0.97- Limit 30

Glue- $0.25- Limit 5

Erasers- $0.25- Limit 5

Pentel Hi-Polymer erasers- $0.75- Limit 5

Pentel RSVP pens- $1- Limit 5

Multipurpose paper- $7.79 and get $4.79 Easy Rebate- Limit 4

Multipurpose paper case- $29.99 and get $24 Easy Rebate- Limit 4

Walgreens deals for the week of 09/06/2015

Things to keep in mind when shopping at Walgreens:
1) You must have as many items as manufacture's coupons
2) Register Rewards (RR) are considered manufacture's coupons
3) You are allowed 1 manufacture's coupon and 1 store coupon per item
4) When redeeming a Register Rewards against the same offer may not receive another RR
5) 2 coupons can be used with Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Sales :)

Check out Walgreens Coupon Policy here:)

Walgreens has rolled out a program called Balance Rewards. You earn points you can later redeem. Click here to read more about this program.

Kellogg cereal of Pop Tarts- $1.99
$1/3 Kellogg Pop Tart cpn- 08/30 RP
$1/2 Kellogg Frosted Mini Wheats cpn- 08/30 RP
$1/3 Kellogg cereal cpn- 08/30 RP
$1/2 Kellogg cereal cpn- 08/02 RP 

Milk- $2.99- Limit 2

Hershey candy- $0.69- Limit 6

Purex- Buy 1 Get 1 FREE

Old Spice bar, body wash, deodorant or body spray- $8/2 and get $1 RR
$0.75 Old Spice cpn- 08/30 P&G
$2/2 Old Spice cpn- 08/30 P&G
$3/2 Old Spice hair cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Crest Sensi mouthwash, toothpaste, Oral B toothbrush- $12/3 and get $3 RR
$0.50 Crest mouthwash cpn- 08/30 P&G
$0.50 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G
$1.50/2 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G
$0.50 Oral B Pulsar, 3D White, Prohealth, Complete, Sensi, Indicator, Cavity Defense, kids or power toothbrush cpn- 08/30 P&G

Always- $11/2 and get 1000 points
$1 Always liners cpn- 08/30 P&G
$1 Always pads or wipes cpn- 08/30 P&G 

Colgate Enamel Health toothpaste, Optic White toothpaste, toothbrush or mouth wash- $8/2 and get $4 RR
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health or Max Fresh cpn- 08/30 SS
$1 Colgate mouthwash cpn- 08/30 SS
$1 Colgate 360 or Slim Soft toothbrush cpn- 08/30 SS 

Poise Impressa kit- $6.99 and get $4 RR
$3 Poise pads or liners cpn- 08/30 SS

All detergent- Buy 1 Get 1 FREE
$2/2 All cpn- 08/02 RP

Glade automatic spray kit, melt warmer or candle- $7.49 and get $1.50 RR
$1/2 Glade cpn- 08/16 SS
$1/2 Glade jar candle cpn- 08/16 SS 

Kleenex- Buy 1 Get 1 FREE

Nice bags- $0.99 with in ad cpn- Limit 4

Palmolive- $0.99 with in ad cpn- Limit 4

Eggs- $2.49- Limit 2

Butterball turkey bacon- $1.49

Tresemme- $8/2 and get $4 RR

Spend $6 on Trident or Stride single pack and get 2000 points

Blue Diamond almonds- Buy 1 Get 1 FREE

CVS deals for the week of 09/06/2015


Don't forget to....
1) Go to cvs.com/email and sign up for the ExtraCare email and receive a $4/20 cpn

2) Stop by the Red ExtraCare coupon center and get CVS cpns

3) You can use a manufacturer's cpn along with a CVS cpn
4) You can use a B1G1Free cpn along with a B1G1Free sale to get both products for FREE

To view CVS Coupon Policy- click here:) 

Spend $15 on Revlon and get $6 ECB- Limit 6

Spend $15 on Loreal foundation, powder, blush, concealer, nail or lip and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$1 Loreal cosmetic cpn- 08/09 RP

Tresemme- $8/2 and get $2  ECB

Gold Emblem Abound snacks or hemp bars- $3.99 and get $1 ECB

General Mill cereal- $1.88
$1/3 General Mills Big G cereal cpn- 08/02 SS

Reese's or Kit Kat snack size- $6/2 and get $1 ECB

Hershey snack size- $7/2 and get $2 ECB
$1/2 Hershey snack size cpn- 08/02 SS

Spend $12 on Windex, Shout, Scrubbing Bubbles, Ziploc, Glade or Pledge and get $3 ECB
$1/2 Ziploc cpn- 08/02 SS
$2.25 Glade large candle cpn- 08/23 SS
$4.50/2 Glade large candle cpn- 08/23 SS
$1/2 Glade wasx melts cpn- 08/16 SS
$1/2 Glade cpn- 08/16 SS
$1 Glade Plug In twin or 2 single refill cpn- 08/16 SS
$1/2 Glade jar candle cpn- 08/16 SS 

Spend $15 on Hefty and get $5 ECB
$1.50/2 Hefty slider cpn- 08/02 RP
$1 Hefty tall kitchen bags cpn- 06/28 RP
$1 Hefty large black trash bags cpn- 06/28 RP 

Spend $15 on Total Home 2 pack Paper Towels or 6 pack bathroom tissue and get $5 ECB

Caliber 2 pocket portfolios- $1/5

Spend $10 on Physicians Formula and get $6 ECB

Spend $12 on Almay and get $4 ECB- Limit 6

Spend $10 on Nivea lotion, creme or body wash and get $3 ECB
$3/2 Nivea body wash cpn- 08/16 SS
$1.50 Nivea in shower lotion cpn- 08/16 SS
$1.50 Nivea lotion or creme cpn- 08/16 SS 

Spend $8 on CVS lotion and get $4 ECB

Speed Stick Gear deodorant- $8/2 and get $2 ECB
Buy Speed Stick get 1 FREE cpn- 08/23 SS

Poise Impressa kit- $4.99 and get $2 ECB
$3 Poise pads or liners cpn- 08/30 SS

Buy Crest ProHealth or Colgate multipack and get $3 ECB- Limit 2
$0.50 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G
$1.50/2 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G 
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health or Max Fresh cpn- 08/30 SS 

Spend $10 on Colgate Total or Enamel Health and get $5 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health or Max Fresh cpn- 08/30 SS 
$1 Colgate mouthwash cpn- 08/30 SS
$1 Colgate Slim Soft or 360 toothbrush cpn- 08/30 SS

Spend $15 on Crest 3D White paste, rinse or toothbrush and get $7 ECB- Limit 2
$0.50 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G
$1.50/2 Crest toothpaste cpn- 08/30 P&G 
$0.50 Crest mouthwash cpn- 08/30 P&G

Spend $12 on Colgate Optic White toothpaste and get $6 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Enamel Health or Max Fresh cpn- 08/30 SS 

Tena pads or liners- $3.99 and get $2 ECB

Mars chocolate, Air Heads or Mentos- $0.99
Use $0.74 CVS Coupon Center cpn

M&M's Harvest- $6/2 and get $1 ECB
$1/2 M&M cpn- 08/23 RP

Campbells Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup- $0.99
Use $0.50 CVS Coupon Center cpn

Palmolive- $0.99- Limit 10

Xtra laundry detergent- $1.49- Limit 6
$1/2 Xtra cpn- 08/09 SS

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Little Michael's birthday

How is it that someone that looked like this:
Now looks like this:
Sniffle Sniffle.  It seems like only yesterday, we were on our way to the hospital to be induced.  It feels like I blinked and now my littlest one is 6 years old.

All he wanted for his birthday was a Paw Patrol cake.  No problem.  I can totally do that or so I thought.  I just knew that between my hubby's artistic side and my mad frosting skills, we could come up with the perfect Paw Patrol cake- hahahaha :)

Hubby did a great job cutting the cake to make it look a like a dog bone.  With our time issues, I ran out and bought frosting~ fluffy marshmallow to be exact.  I thought that the fluffy frosting might spread more evenly on the cake.  Boy was I wrong.  The word marshmallow should have given it away.  It basically had the consistency of a heated up marshmallow.  Super sticky, super messy and sliding off the cake.  I have never had so many issues :(  But I kept working with it and came up with this (a big mess):


Be kind~ LOL :)  And then it hit me.  It doesn't matter what the cake looks like.  Little Michael was so touched that we made him a Paw Patrol cake, he didn't care about how it looked.  And he said it tasted great :)  So maybe it wasn't so bad :)

Little Michael is so full of love, laughter and life.  We definitely keeps me on my toes :)  I have loved watching him grow into the little boy he is now.  I just wish I could hit the pause button.  All my boys are growing faster than I wish they would.  Sniffle Sniffle.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

August 2015 Goals Update

How did we do with our August goals?  Let's see:

1) To not eat out or at least to not pay out of pocket, with the exception of tips. If we want to treat the family to a meal out, we will make sure we have a gift card to cover all of us.
Did fabulous with this goal.  

2) Pay off our last credit card
Still chipping away at this.  We are very thankful that we were able to make a nice big dent in this credit card balance :)

3) Not to use any of our credit cards for 2015. To pay cash for everything.
Doing great with this :)

4) To maintain our grocery budget. Our current grocery budget is $400 month for our family of 6. Our goal is to use up to that amount to feed our family healthy nourishing meals.  If we are lucky enough to come under our monthly budget, we will save that amount.
We did great and ended up with $0.38 left :)


5) To create a monthly meal plan for our family, to use leftovers more efficiently and to make use of everything in our pantry and freezer.
Doing fabulous with this.

6) Lose weight- My goal is to lose 10lbs this year.
I was able to drop this goal back down to losing 10 pounds- yea!!  I didn't exercise as much as I would have liked.  Time to change that and lose this baby weight :)

7) Complete the Couch to 5K with hubby
Did not complete any of the Couch to 5K program :(

8) Morning devotions, prayer time and more bible reading
Doing great with our church's website, which will read the bible verses to you :) 

9) Monthly date night with hubby- whether we go out or stay at home, pop popcorn and rent a movie
We had a wonderful date night.  We went to go see a movie, had a nice dinner on the water and then walked down a pier and saw some dolphins in the distance :)


10) To spend quality family time together. With everyones schedule and us running all over creation, I would love to spend more quality time together- no tv- us playing games, talking, enjoying each others company.  I think we are going to claim Saturday's as family fun day:)
We have had a lot of outings in August.  We went to the zoo, played mini golf and 2 beach trips :)

11) Not to use our dryer to save on electricity and lower our electricity bill
I know I mentioned that I love the Florida weather.  Well, in the winter I love it.  In the super hot summer, not so much :)  Our electric has risen quite a bit with the rising heat :(  But we are still not using the dryer :)

12) To do 1 project a month and blog about it
We finally got a chance to make, use and blog about homemade laundry detergent :)

13) My older boys want to run a 5K~ a color run to be more specific.  So, I am jumping on board with them, after I finish my Couch to 5K program :)
Still waiting to hear the color run date.  Which is great since my running days have kind of fizzled out :(

14) To make and use more non toxic cleaners
I am still researching and working on this one :)

How did you do with your August goals? 

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

September 2015 Monthly Spending

Here is where I keep a list of our spending for the month of September.  We have a $400 grocery budget for the month.  We did great last month and still had $0.38 left at the end of the month. This is for everything for our family of 6 and 2 cats.  I am excited to see how we do this month. So, lets see how we do this month:

08/30/2015
$0.09- Target
$1.14- CVS and got $2 ECB
$4.24- Dollar Tree
$14.15- Save A Lot
$46.11- Walmart
$53.87- Sam's Club
$6.00- Farmer Market

09/05/2015
$1.05- Staples
$6.00- Publix
$19.40- Save A Lot
$20.92- Sam's Club
$27.00- Walmart

09/12/2015
$2.98- Save A Lot
$3.18- Dollar Tree
$6.28- Ada's
$14.12- Walmart
$22.62- Sam's Club
$42.00- Co-Op Pick Up

09/20/2015
$4.98- Walgreens
$9.88- Save A Lot
$11.82- Sam's Club
$13.78- Ada's Natural Market
$35.61- Walmart
$2.00- Farmer Market

09/26/2015
$1.06- Dollar Tree
$1.17- CVS and got $2 ECB
$1.87- Ada's
$3.77- Save A Lot
$4.98- Walgreens
$13.32- Sam's
$17.82- Walmart

$413.21- Running Total

$13.21 Over Budget- but no worries since we still had $70 in leftover grocery budget from past months :)

Our Shopping Day~ 08/30/2015

Since we went to the beach on Saturday, I knew that grocery shopping on that day was out of the question :)  No worries, we went after church and lunch on Sunday :)

Here are our shopping trip details:

Target
$5.09- Dairy Free Chocolate Chips
-5.00 Target gift card
$0.09- Total

CVS
$1.00- Gatorade
$1.00- Gatorade
$3.00- Colgate Max
$1.29- Total Home paper towels
$6.29
-2.00 ECB
-1.00 ECB
-2.00 CVS Coupon Center cpn
-0.50 CVS Coupon Center cpn
$1.14- Total with tax and got $2 ECB

Dollar Tree
$2.00- Hand Soap
$2.00- Tissues
$4.24- Total with tax

Save A Lot
$2.13- Green Grapes
$2.06- Red Grapes
$2.00- Hamburger buns
$7.96- Ground turkey
$14.15- Total

Walmart
$3.28- Organic Spinach
$3.14- Ground sausage
$2.97- Potatoes
$2.97- Vegan burgers
$3.92- Frozen veggies
$1.98- Almond Creamer
$5.98- Canola Oil
$2.28- Gnocchi
$2.96- White Wheat Flour
$7.68- Soy Yogurt
$5.98- Arborio Rice
$2.97- Cashew Milk
$46.11- Total

Sam's Club
$7.68- Raisins
$3.06- Carrots
$1.48- Bananas
$9.23- Eggs
$1.98- Coleslaw
$4.98- Milk
$2.98- Mushrooms
$2.38- Lettuce
$13.61- BLSL Chicken
$6.49- French Fries
$53.87- Total

Farmer Market
$6.00- Cucumbers, Zucchinis, Green Pepper and Spouts

This shopping trip has been added to our September Monthly Spending post, where I keep track of what we spend for the month of September.