Momstips2save: June 2015

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

July 2016 Monthly Spending

Here is where I keep a list of our spending for the month of July. We have a $400 grocery budget for the month. We did good last month and only went over by about $0.50. 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:

06/27/2015
$7.89- Winn Dixie
$10.74- Walmart
$17.26- Publix
$40.60- Sam's Club
$5.50- Farmer's Market

07/04/2015
$2.12- Dollar Tree
$14.04- Save A Lot
$15.05- Publix
$27.41- Walmart
$37.24- Sam's
$10.75- Farmer Market

07/11/2015
$0.09- Target
$1.06- Dollar Tree
$3.00- Save A Lot
$11.01- Winn Dixie
$34.65- Walmart
$82.05- Sam's
$6.50- Farmer Market

07/18/2015
$6.73- Walmart
$12.24- Sam's
$13.58- Save A Lot

07/27/2015
$1.06- Dollar Tree
$1.50- Big Lots
$2.00- Save A Lot
$7.10- Walmart
$13.73- Sam's Club
$6.00- Farmer Market

$390.90- Running Total for the month of July

$9.10- Left to Spend for the month:)

So excited :) We were able to do a 5 week month below our normal grocery budget- WOOHOO :)

Our Shopping Trip~ 06/27/2015

We had a Lowe's Event Saturday morning. After that, we came home to drop everyone off and eat lunch. Then hubby and I went on a Saturday Shopping Adventure. Since we are in the beginning of the month for our menu plan, hubby thought it was going to take all day to do our beginning of the month stock up trip. But to my surprise, we didn't need that much. We still have food in our pantry and both freezers :)

Here are the details of our shopping trip:

Winn Dixie
$1.90- Potatoes
$5.00- Milk
$0.99- Cream Cheese
$7.89- Total

Walmart
$1.98- Almond milk creamer
$1.78- Grape Jam
$6.98- Fish Sticks
$10.74- Total

Publix
$6.60- Soy Yogurt
$1.89- BBQ Sauce
$0.00- BBQ Sauce
$2.79- Cashew Milk
$2.99- Garlic Bread
$0.00- Garlic Bread
$2.99- Garlic Bread
$0.00- Garlic Bread
$17.26- Total

Sam's Club
$11.97- Cat Litter
$4.48- Strawberries
$1.49- Bananas
$1.98- Coleslaw
$6.99- Crunchy PB
$6.99- Creamy PB
$5.98- Grapes
$40.60- Total

Farmer Market
$5.50- Zucchinis, Bean Sprouts and Asparagus

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

Monday, June 29, 2015

Our Menu Plan for the week of 06/29/2015

How was your weekend? I am still soooo tired from Vacation Bible School. I had so much fun and as always my VBS crew was amazing. But they wear me out :)

Our school year has finally come to an end. I thought I would spend today getting everything ready for their evaluation and maybe squeeze in a nap. Well, one of our cats had a different plan in mind. He got so sick, we had to take him to the vet. Then I took my van in for a simple oil change, come to find out my van had the original shocks and needed to be replaced. Oh the fun of today.

Here if our menu plan for this week:

Breakfast
Banana Muffins with fruit X2
Pancakes with fruit X2
Oatmeal with nuts and raisins X2
Scrambled eggs with fruit

Lunch
Salad with homemade dressing and a banana for myself and hubby-when he is home
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Baked Chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans
Chicken Noodle Soup
Spaghetti with peas and garlic bread
Ribs, Mashed potatoes and zuchinni
Fish, Mac & Cheese and squash
Egg Roll in a Bowl

Snacks
Apples
Peaches
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Mangoes
Carrots
Strawberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Plums

Friday, June 26, 2015

Walgreens deals for the week of 06/28/2015

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.

Nestle, Skittles or Starburst- $1/2- Limit 6
$0.50/2 Starburst, Skittles, Life Saver gummies or Juicy Fruit cpn- 06/07 RP

Nice eggs or Butterball turkey bacon- $1.29
$1/2 Butterball turkey bacon cpn- 06/28 SS

Country Time, Kool Aid, Crystal Light or Capri Sun- $5/2 and get 1000 points

Ziploc- $5.50/2 and get $1.50 RR

Shout, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles shower, bath, toilet drop in or gel- $7/2 and get $2 RR

Glade spray, candle, Sense & Spray refill, oil refill or wax melts- $6/2 and get $2 RR
$1/2 Glade wax melts cpn- 06/14 SS
$1 Glade cpn- 06/14 SS
$0.75 Glade oil refill twin or 2 single refill cpn- 06/14 SS
$1/2 Glade jar candle cpn- 06/14 SS

Palmolive- $0.99 with in ad cpn- Limit 4

Revlon Super Lustrous lip- $7.99 and get 5000 points

Revlon nail- $4.99
$3 Revlon nail cpn- 06/28 SS

Pert Plus or Infusium- $3.99
$2 Pert Plus cpn- 06/28 SS
$2 Infusium cpn- 06/28 SS

Schick disposable- $5.99
$4 Schick disposable cpn- 06/28 SS
$3 Schick disposable cpn- 06/14 SS

Right Guard- $6/2 and get $1 RR
$2/2 Right Guard cpn- 06/28 RP

Oral B floss picks, toothbrush, Crest Complete or Whitening toothpaste- $9/3 and get $4 RR
$0.50 Oral b floss or picks cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Oral B Pulsar, 3D White, ProHealth, Complete, Sensi Soft or 2 Indicator or Cavity Defense toothbrush cpn- 05/31 P&G
$0.50 Oral B toothbrush cpn- 05/10 RP
$1.50/2 Oral B toothbrush cpn- 05/10 RP
$1 Crest toothpaste cpn- 05/31 P&G

Tampax Pearl, Radiant tampons, Always Infinity, Radiant pads or liners- $12/3 and get 2000 points
$0.50 Tampax cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Tampax Pearl or Radiant cpn- 05/31 P&G
$2/2 Tampax Pearl or Radiant cpn- 05/10 RP
$1 Always Radiant or Infinity cpn- 05/31 P&G
$0.50 Always liners cpn- 05/31 P&G
$0.50 Always pads or wipes cpn- 05/31 P&G
$2/2 Always pads, liners or wipes cpn- 05/10 RP

Colgate toothpaste, Max Fresh, White or Slim Soft toothbrush- $3.49 and get $2 RR
$0.50 Colgate toothpaste cpn- 06/28 SS
$0.50 Colgate 360 or Slim Soft toothpaste cpn- 06/28 SS

Scope classic or outlast- $2.99 and get $2 RR
$1 Scope cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Scope cpn- 05/17 RP

Trident gum- $2/3

Kellogg cereal or Poptarts- $1.88
$1/3 Kellogg cereal cpn- 05/31 P&G

Milk- $2.99- Limit 2

Big Roll bathroom tissue or Smile & Save paper towels- $5/10 with in ad cpn- Limit 10

CVS deals for the week of 06/28/2015

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:)

Pepsi 2L- $0.99
Use $0.24 CVS Coupon Center cpn

Revlon nail- $3.99- Limit 2
$3 Revlon nail cpn- 06/28 SS

Ajax- $0.88- Limit 8

Herbal Essence or Aussie- $7/2 and get $1 ECB
$1 Herbal Essence Wild Natural cpn- 05/17 SS
$1/2 Herbal Essence cpn- 05/10 RP
$2/2 Aussie cpn- 06/07 RP
$2/2 Aussie cpn- 05/17 SS

Total Home tissues- $0.99

Ziploc or Hefty One Zip- $6/2 and get $2 ECB
$0.50 Hefty Sliders cpn- 06/28 RP
$2/3 Hefty Sliders cpn- 06/28 RP
$1/2 Hefty Sliders cpn- 05/03 RP

Renuzit- $0.88

Gold Emblem baked rice crisps, thins, edamame, light popcorn or wheat crackers- $1.99 and get $1 ECB

Kellogg PopTarts, Rice Krispy treats or Cars fruit snacks- $1.99

Post Honey Bunches of Oats, Cocoa or Fruity Pebbles- Buy 1 Get 1 FREE

Revlon Color Stay Gel Envy- $5.99
$3 Revlon nail cpn- 06/28 SS

Spend $10 on Noxema, St Ives face care, bodywash, lotion or spray andg et $3 ECB

Spend $10 on CVS face moisturizers and get $3 ECB

Spend $10 on CVS spray sunscreen and get $3 ECB

Spend $10 on Nuance Salma Hayek face, hair or cosmetic and get $3 ECB- Limit 3

Spend $10 on Skin+Pharmacy and get $3 ECB

Spend $10 on CVS shaving items and get $4 ECB

Revlon ColorSilk- $7/2

Schick disposable- $5.99- Limit 3
$4 Schick disposable cpn- 06/28 SS
$3 Schick Men disposable cpn- 06/14 SS

Right Guard, Dry Idea or Right Guard body wash- $6/2 and get $2 ECB
$2/2 Right Guard deodorant cpn- 06/28 RP
$2/2 Right Guard body wash cpn- 06/28 RP
$2/2 Dry Idea cpn- 06/28 RP

CVS 3ct toothbrushes- $2.99 and get $2 ECB- Limit 2

Colgate Total or Max Fresh toothpaste- $3.49 and $2 ECB- Limit 2
$0.50 Colgate toothpaste cpn- 06/28 SS

Colgate Total mouthwash- $3.99 and $1 ECB- Limit 2
$2 Colgate mouthwash cpn- 06/28 SS
$1 Colgate mouthwash cpn- 06/14 SS

Colgate 360 toothbrush- $2.99 and get $2 ECB- Limit 2
$0.50 Colgate 360 or Slim Soft toothbrush cpn- 06/28 SS
$1 Colgate 360 or floss tip toothbrush cpn- 06/14 SS

Oral B CrossAction Power toothbrush or refill- $7.99 and get $4 ECB- Limit 2
$3 Oral B replacement heads cpn- 05/31 P&G
$2 Oral B battery toothbrush cpn- 05/31 P&G

Atkins- $12/2 and get $5 ECB
$1 Atkins bars, treats or shakes cpn- 05/03 SS

Spend $15 on Cover Girl eye or lip and get $5 ECB
$1 Cover Girl Super Sizer mascara cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Cover Girl cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Cover Girl cpn- 05/10 RP

Spend $10 on Revlon foundation, powder, blush, concealer, lip or eye and get $3 ECB- Limit 6

Spend $12 on Sally Hansen cosmetics or hair removers and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$1 Sally Hansen nail treatment cpn- 05/03 RP

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic~ 06/27/2015

Lowe's will be hosting a Build & Grow Clinic on June 27, 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.

The boys and hubby are super excited about this series of clinics~ Marvel Avengers Assemble Summer :)

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, June 23, 2015

Our Shopping Day~ 06/19/2015

Since we wanted to try to have a field trip and plan around Christopher's work schedule, we decided to go grocery shopping Friday afternoon :)

Here is our shopping trip details:

Publix
$1.59-WW Spaghetti
$0.00-WW Spaghetti
$1.59- WW Spaghetti
$0.00- WW Spaghetti
$1.59- WW Spaghetti
$0.00- WW Spaghetti
$6.60- (6) containers Soy yogurt
$11.37- Total

Walmart
$1.24- WW Rotini
$3.28- Cashew Milk
$3.96- Italian dressing mix
$3.68- Earth Balance butter
$2.00- Fries
$14.16- Total

Save A Lot
$5.32- Chicken Drumsticks
$5.23- Chicken Drumsticks
$3.84- Grapes
$2.00- Bread
$2.00- Hot Dog Buns
$11.90- Ribs
$0.99- Crackers
$31.28- Total

Sam's Club
$2.98- Bananas
$4.73- Grapes
$4.98- Lemons
$2.38- Lettuce
$2.79- Milk
$3.98- Strawberries
$11.48- Decaf coffee
$33.32- Total

Farmer Market
$6.00- Zucchinis, cucumbers, bean sprouts and Rambutans

This shopping trip has been added to our June Monthly Spending post, where I keep track of what we spend for the month of June. How did we do? Hop on over and find out :)

Monday, June 22, 2015

Menu Plan for the week of 06/22/2015

How was your weekend? Our weekend was good, at least it started out that way. Friday, Kevin had a softball game and we celebrated hubby's birthday :) Saturday, we went on a field trip that was fun to begin with but one of the activities ended up giving me a 2 day migraine- so not fun :(

Thankfully, I am feeling better because today started VBS~ which is not only fun but super tiring. We all came home and crashed on the couch for a few hours :)

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Breakfast
Pancakes with fruit X2
Oatmeal with raisins and nuts X2
Baked Oatmeal with apples X2
Eggs with toast and fruit

Lunch
Salad with homemade dressing and a banana for myself and hubby-when he is home
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Spaghetti with peas and garlic bread
Ribs, Mashed potatoes and green beans
Lentil burgers with green beans
Chili
Leftover Chili
Hot Dogs with Mac & Cheese and fruit
Cheeseburger Macaroni with peas

Snacks
Apples
Peaches
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Mangoes
Carrots
Strawberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Plums

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Tropical Smoothie Flip Flop Day

We have never had a Tropical Smoothie close to us. When they opened a store near us, I just knew I had to go and give them a try.

I have fallen in love with their Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie. So much chocolate peanut butter goodness :)

I got an email from Tropical Smoothie regarding their 9th annual Flip Flop Day, to support Camp Sunshine :) Wear flip flops into Tropical Smoothie tomorrow 06/19/2015 between the hours of 2-7 pm and get a free Jetty Punch Smoothie.

Time to dust off the flip flops, we will be there :)

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

March 2015 Monthly Project

I know, I know~ I am super behind on my monthly projects.

I actually made this a month or so ago but have been crazy busy with homeschooling, vacation, family and the list goes on and on :) So here goes:

Originally I wanted to make homemade deodorant to see if it was cheaper to make or buy at the store with coupons :)

As luck would have it, my curiosity became a need when I discovered a painful ichy rash under my arms. I looked online to try and see if I could get any answers before making a call to my doctor. I read an article online about how your body may become allergic or have a reaction to the aluminum and how it may cause a rash. Lucky me :)

I decided a test was in order. I had to let my ichy under arm rash heal and didn't wear deodorant for about a week. Which here in hot Florida was quite interesting :)

I finally found a how to make deodorant tutorial and it was super easy. I am kicking myself now for not trying this earlier, it is so easy.

As shown in the video, it takes only 3 common household ingredients to make your very own deodorant: Coconut Oil, Baking Soda and Cornstarch. I don't have arrowroot powder and cornstarch worked great for me :) Also here in Florida, it is hot, which means my Coconut Oil stays liquid. So, I used it as a liquid instead of a solid and it works just great for me :)

Corn Starch, Baking Soda and Coconut Oil

Mix it all together

Voila~ Homemade deodorant

Since we do live in hot Florida, my deodorant is on the soft side, which is fine by me. I just use my finger to get a little of the deodorant and rub it in real well.

Now for the cost~ is it really cheaper to make homemade deodorant? While I know many of you hunt for fantastic bargains and deals, you could probably get deodorant from the store cheaper than making it. Even though making it yourself, doesn't cost that much. And since my body decided to rebel against store bought deodorant, I really didn't have much a choice :)

It costs me:
$6.64- Coconut Oil~ $0.22 an ounce
$0.54- Baking Soda~ $0.03 an ounce
$1.00- Cornstarch~ $0.06 an ounce

Making the final cost for the finished product, a whopping $0.62 to make. I think I can handle that :) Since making the switch, I haven't had any more underarm rashes and it works great in this lovely Florida heat. This homemade deodorant is a keeper for me :)

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Our Shopping Day~ 06/13/2015

Saturday was a busy day for us :) I started out the day taking Chris to work bright and early, then came home, made breakfast, got everyone up, dressed and fed. We then headed over to Lowes for the Build & Grow event, which was a huge hit :) After Lowes, I took the younger boys over to get their hair cut. They went from fuzzy hairballs to handsome young boys :) We headed home for lunch. After lunch, Kevin and I went out for our fun shopping adventure. After shopping, we came home and started in on our mountain of home school paper work to grade and record. What a day :)

Here are our shopping trip details:

Big Lots
$3.00- Sunflower seeds

Publix
$4.49- Gorton Garlic Fish
$0.00- Gorton Garlic Fish
$4.40- SoyYogurt
$8.89- Total

Walmart
$1.98- Almond Creamer
$2.48- Creamer
$3.28- Cashew Milk
$3.97- Celery Flakes
$0.88- Garlic
$0.88- Oregano
$0.88- Chili Powder
$2.18- Coconut Cream
$0.50- Salt
$1.98- Applesauce
$1.47- Travel shaving cream
$0.98- Shaving cream
$1.94- Paper Towels
$1.01- Bananas
$25.80- Total with tax

Sam's Club
$5.58- Milk
$8.09- Parm Cheese
$2.38- Lettuce
$3.98- Strawberry
$4.73- Grapes
$1.49- Bananas
$2.98- Mushrooms
$29.23- Total

Farmer Market- $3.00 for Squash, Cucumbers and Bean Sprouts

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

Monday, June 15, 2015

Our Menu Plan for the week of 06/15/2015

How was your weekend? Our weekend was good and busy. The boys are so excited that these are the last 2 weeks of school. Which means I have to get my rear in gear and start grading papers. I have been so swamped with everything going on and homeschooling 3 boys that much didn't get graded this year.

I am drowning in a sea of paperwork and this is just for math for Nathan :(

Thankfully, hubby is right beside me helping me grade and record :) Slowly but surely we are making it through. I really need a better grading strategy for next year :)

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Breakfast
Pancakes with fruit X2
Oatmeal with raisins and nuts X2
Baked Oatmeal with apples X2
Eggs with toast and fruit

Lunch
Salad with homemade dressing and a banana for myself and hubby-when he is home
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Vegan Lemon Fettuccine Alfredo with green beans
Mushroom Stroganoff with peas
Garlic Pasta with roasted tomatoes and carrots
Spaghetti with green beans
Pizza for hubby's birthday :)
Ham, Mashed Potatoes and peas
Leftover ham, mashed potatoes and green beans

Snacks
Apples
Peaches
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Mangoes
Carrots
Strawberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Plums

Friday, June 12, 2015

Walgreens deals for the week of 06/14/2015

CVS deals for the week of 06/14/2015

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:)

Purex- $1.99- Limit 6

Spend $10 on Sally Hansen and get $5 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Sally Hansen nail treatment cpn- 05/03 RP

Spend $10 on Cover Girl cosmetics and get $3 ECB- Limit 3
$1.50 Cover Girl super sizer mascara cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Cover Girl cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Cover Girl cpn- 05/10 RP

VitaminWater, SmartWater or Powerade- $5/4 and get $2 ECB

Ajax- $0.88

Buy 3 American Greeting cards and get $3 ECB

Spend $12 on the following and get $4 ECB:
Windex, Shout or Scrubbing Bubbles- $3.50
Glade Plug In, Automatic spray kit or 2pk refill- $5
$0.75 Glade twin pack or 2 single refills cpn- 06/14 SS
$1 Glade cpn- 06/14 SS
Glade candles, Plug In refill, fabric or wax melts- $3
$1/2 Glade jar candles cpn- 06/14 SS
$1/2 Glade wax melts cpn- 06/14 SS
$1 Glade cpn- 06/14 SS
Glade spray- $1

Kingsford Match Light Charcoal- $5.99 and get $2 ECB

Spend $15 on Loreal La Palette eye shadow and get $5 ECB- Limit3
$3 Loreal La Palette nude cpn- 06/14 RP

Spend $15 on Loreal eye and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$1 Loreal eye cpn- 06/14 RP

Almay eye- $6.99
$3 Almay cpn- 06/14 SS

Spend $10 on Physicians Formula cosmetics and get $7 ECB

Fructis- $2.99 and get $1 ECB
$1 Fructis cpn- 05/31 RP

Got2b- $3.99 and get $1 ECB

Dial bar 3pk or Complete handwash- $4/2
$1/2 Dial bar 3pk, Complete foaming hand soap, hand soap, refill or acne control cpn- 06/14 RP

Speed Stick Gear- $3.99
$2 Speed Stick Gear cpn- 06/14 SS

Speed Stick- $5/2 and get $1.50 ECB
$0.50 Speed Stick cpn- 06/14 SS

CVS Whitening- $19.99 and get $10 ECB- Limit 2

Spend $12 on Crest ProHealth or 3D White and get $5 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Crest toothpaste cpn- 05/31 P&G

Colgate 360 toothbrush- $2.99 and get $1 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate 360 or floss tip toothbrush cpn- 06/14 SS

Sundown Naturals gummies- $7 and get $4 ECB
$1 Sundown Naturals cpn- 06/14 RP
$2 Sundown Naturals gummies cpn- 06/14 RP
$1/2 Sundown Naturals cpn- 05/17 RP
$2 Sundown Naturals gummies cpn- 05/17 RP
$2 Sundown Naturals cpn- 05/10 RP

Meta Health bars- $8.49
Use $8.49 CVS Coupon Center cpn

Spend $12 on Sensodyne or Colgate Enamel Health toothpaste and get $4 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Colgate Total, Optic White, Max Fresh, Enamel Health or Sensitive toothpaste cpn- 06/14 SS

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Our Adventures in Container Gardening

I just realized that I haven't done a gardening update since we've been back from vacation.

I wasn't sure how my small container garden was going to hold up. Hubby accidentally forgot to tell the cat sitter when she came by for the key that we even had a garden out back. So sadly, my garden didn't get watered for 8 whole days :( I prayed that it rained.

I was very surprised upon arriving at home, my garden was still hanging on. I have been able to baby it since we have been home, that seems to have helped :)

Here are some pictures of our small backyard container garden:

My whole container garden :)

Cherry tomatoes gone wild :)

Was so happy to see a green pepper, not so happy to see the birds are enjoying my peppers also.

Red Pepper babies :)

Green beans~ WOOHOO :)

Cucumbers- yea!!

My cucumber plant decided to really go wild and we got a trellis. Not a very good one but a cheap one that will do the trick until we get a better one. I also have a zuchinni pod to plant. So very excited. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the plants will do well this year. We are also in the beginning of rainy season so that helps keep my container garden well watered :)

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic~ 06/13/2015

Lowe's will be hosting a Build & Grow Clinic on June 13, 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.

The boys and hubby are super excited about this series of clinics~ Avengers :)

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Our Shopping Day~ 06/06/2015

Since we already had a full schedule and I was more than certain the boys didn't want to go grocery shopping with me. We went to Barnes & Noble, Ada's and Sears before the boys were wore out. We took them home and then Kevin and I went shopping.

Here are our shopping day details:

Dollar Tree
$1.00- Zip bags
$1.00- Gallon zip bags
$2.12- Total

Winn Dixie
$3.47- Plums
$2.00- Blueberries
$5.47- Total

Save A Lot
$3.00- Bread
$2.00- Hamburger buns
$2.29- Mozz Cheese block
$7.29- Total

Publix
$6.60- Soy yogurt
$4.99- Daiya Cheese
$11.59- Total

Ada's Natural Market
$6.45- Soy Yogurt
$2.99- Non Diary cream cheese
$2.99- Non Diary sour cream
$1.56- Nutritional Yeast
$13.99
-0.10 Bag discount
$13.89- Total

Sam's Club
$2.98- Bananas
$4.73- Grapes
$2.38- Lettuce
$5.58- Milk
$15.67- Total

Walmart
$2.88- Brocolli
$2.88- Cauliflower
$2.97- Potatoes
$1.48- Spinach
$3.96- Strawberries
$5.92- White Wheat flour
$2.24- Sugar
$22.33- Total

Farmer Market- $5.00- Cucumbers, Zucchinis, Bean Sprouts and a nice big Watermelon

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

Monday, June 8, 2015

Our Menu Plan for the week of 06/08/2015

How was your weekend? Can you guess what I did over the weekend?

If you guessed make and jar spaghetti sauce, you would be correct :) Before our spaghetti sauce cook-a-thon we took the younger boys to Barnes & Nobles to get a free book for participating in their summer book program, we went by Ada's Natural Market to pick up a few things, headed over to the mall to go to Sears and get Nathan some shorts thanks to the FREE $7 Shop Your Way Points and then went grocery shopping :)

Here is our menu plan for this week:

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

Lunch
Salad with homemade dressing and a banana for myself and hubby-when he is home
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Baked Chicken, Mashed potatoes and asparagus
Tortilla Pizza with carrots and cucumbers
Lentil Sloppy Joes with green beans
Spaghetti with garlic bread and peas
Chicken Broccoli potato bake
Italian Orzo Spinach Soup
Cauliflower Mac & Cheese with green beans

Snacks
Apples
Peaches
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Mangoes
Carrots
Strawberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Plums

Friday, June 5, 2015

Walgreens deals for the week of 06/07/2015

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.

All detergent- $2.99
$1 All cpn- 06/07 RP
$1 All cpn- 05/03 RP

Mentos, Trident, Dentyne Ice or Ice Breakers- $5/2 and get 1000 points
$1/3 Trident, Dentyne or Stride cpn- 05/17 SS

Dortios, Lays or Ruffles chips- $6/2 and get 1000 points

Palmolive- $0.99 with in ad cpn- Limit 4

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

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

Renuzit- $0.89 with in ad cpn- Limit 3

Air Wick Freshmatic or scented oil refills 2pk- $9/2 and get 1000 points
Buy Air Wick twin oil refills and get Air Wick Warmer FREE cpn- 06/07 SS
$1 Air Wick twin refills or 2 single refills cpn- 06/07 SS
$1.50/2 Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra refill cpn- 06/07 SS

Shout, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles Fantastik, bathroom or toilet gels- $6.50/2 and get $1.50 RR

Nature Made Vitamelts- $4.99 and get 3000 points

Nature Made adult gummies- $6.99 and get 1000 points

Bengay- $5.99 and get 2000 points

Listerine, Pocketpaks or mist- $7/2 and get 2000 points
$1 Listerine cpn- 05/03 SS

Crest 3D White mouthwash, toothpaste or Oral B Pulsar toothbrush- $10/2 and get $2 RR
$1 Crest toothpaste cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Oral B Pulsar, 3D White, ProHealth, Complete, Sensi or 2 Indicator or Cavity Defense toothbrush cpn- 05/31 P&G

Dove Advanced Care deodorant- $4.99 and get 1000 points when you buy 2
$2 Dove Advanced Care deodorant cpn- 06/07 RP

Arm & Hammer or Arrid- $0.99

Ban Total Refresh cloths- $1.99
$1.50 Ban Total Refresh cloths cpn- 06/07 SS

Clairol Age Defy or Vidal Sassoon color- $8.99 and get $1 RR
$2 Clairol Age Defy cpn- 06/07 RP
$4 Vidal Sassoon Salonist cpn- 06/07 RP
$2 Vidal Sassoon Pro Series cpn- 06/07 RP
$3 Vidal Sassoon Salonist cpn- 05/31 P&G
$2 Vidal Sassoon Pro Series cpn- 05/10 RP

Scunci elastics- $2.99 and get $2 RR

Wrigleys or Extra gum- $1.50/2 and get 1000 points

CVS deals for the week of 06/07/2015

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 $10 on Sally Hansen and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$1 Sally Hansen nail treatment cpn- 05/03 RP

All detergent- $2.99
$1 All cpn- 06/07 RP
$1 All cpn- 05/03 RP

Spend $15 on Maybelline foundation, powder, blush, concealer or eye and get $5 ECB- Limit 3
$1 Maybelline mascara cpn- 06/07 RP

Gold Emblem pistachio pouches- $5.99 and get $1 ECB

Maxwell House wake up roast or Dunkin Donuts coffee- $6.99 and get $1 ECB

Pay Anywhere Credit Card reader- $9.99 and get $9.99 ECB - Limit 3

Spend $9 on Ziploc and get $3 ECB
$1/2 Ziploc cpn- 05/10 SS

Just the Basics dish liquid- $0.99

Spend $10 on Wet N Wild and get $5 ECB- Limit 3

Spend $10 on Milani cosmetics and get $3 ECB- Limit 3

Poparazzi nail- $0.99

Buy Olay hydrating lotion, moisturizer or cleanser and get $2 ECB
$2 Olay ProX, Regenerist moisturizer or facial hair remover cpn- 05/31 P&G

Spend $15 on Olay moisturizer, cleanser, cloths, body wash, 6pk bar, in shower lotion or Age Defy Anti Wrinkle and get $5 ECB
$2 Olay ProX, Regenerist moisturizer or facial hair remover cpn- 05/31 P&G
$1 Olay body wash, bar soap or in shower lotion cpn- 05/31 P&G

Softsoap liquid or foaming hand wash- $2.99 and get $1 ECB
$1 Softsoap hand wash cpn- 06/07 SS

Spend $10 on CVS spray sunscreen and get $3 ECB

Spend $7 on CVS hair care and get $3 ECB- Limit 2

Vidal Sassoon Salonist color- $12.99 and get $3 ECB
$4 Vidal Sassoon Salonist cpn- 06/07 RP
$2 Vidal Sassoon Pro Series color cpn- 06/07 RP
$3 Vidal Sassoon Salonist cpn- 05/31 P&G
$2 Vidal Sassoon Pro Series cpn- 05/10 RP

Bic disposable- $6.88 and get $2 ECB
$2 Bic disposable cpn- 06/07 SS

Buy Colgate multi pack toothpaste or toothbrush and get $3 ECB- Limit 2
$0.50 Colgate toothpaste cpn- 05/31 SS

Spend $7 on CVS Oral Care and get $3 ECB

Spend $10 on Poligrip or Polident and get $3 ECB- Limit 2
$1 Super Poligrip cpn- 05/31 RP

Spend $10 on Visine and get $5 ECB

Blink, Blink N Clean, Complete or Revitalens- $7.99 and get $3 ECB- Limit 4
$2 Revitalens cpn- 06/07 SS

CVS Nutritional shake single- $1.25 and get $1.25 ECB- Limit 6

Just the Basics paper towels- $1.19
Use $0.50 CVS Coupon Center cpn

VO5- $1.50/2

Colgate Max toothpaste or 360 toothbrush- $2.99 and get $2 ECB- Limit 2
$0.50 Colgate toothpaste cpn- 05/31 SS

Hershey kisses, Reese's or minis bonus- $7/2
Use $3 CVS Coupon Center cpn

Hershey King size, Breath Savers or Ice Breakers- $1.88 and get $1 ECB- Limit 10

Thursday, June 4, 2015

May 2015 Goal Update

How did we do with our May 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 awesome and ended up with $62 left over but that may be because we were traveling :)

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 10 lbs this year.
Still working on these pesky last 5 pounds

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
Did not have a date night :( Need to figure something out with this.

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:)
In May, we went on our family vacation and ended up visiting GA, NC, VA and MD :)

11) Not to use our dryer to save on electricity and lower our electricity bill
Doing fabulous, by not using the dryer, I now have the electric bill down to what I was paying for our teeny house back in Virginia. Not using the air or heat is a huge plus also. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Florida winters :)

12) To do 1 project a month and blog about it
With our crazy traveling schedule, I didn't get a chance to do May's monthly project.

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 May goals?

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Renuzit Pearl Scents Coupon Giveaway Winners

With only 5 entries into the Renuzit Pearl Scents coupon giveaway, I put the names in a container and let 3 of my boys pick a name :)

And the winners of a coupon good for a FREE Renuzit Pearl Scent are:

Tess
Plain Jane Photography
Kelly

Congrats :) I will be emailing you all shortly. Thanks so much for reading my blog :)

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

June 2015 Monthly Spending

Here is where I keep a list of our spending for the month of June. We have a $400 grocery budget for this month. We did awesome last month and had $62 leftover. 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:

05/30/2015
$5.56- Winn Dixie
$9.76- Publix
$10.54- Dollar Tree
$14.16- Save A Lot
$45.12- Walmart
$61.91- Sam's Club
$4.00- Farmer's Market

06/06/2015
$2.12- Dollar Tree
$5.47- Winn Dixie
$7.29- Save A Lot
$11.59- Publix
$13.89- Ada's
$15.67- Sam's
$22.33- Walmart
$5.00- Farmer Market

06/13/2015
$3.00- Big Lots
$8.89- Publix
$25.80- Walmart
$29.23- Sam's
$3.00- Farmer Market

06/19/2015
$11.37- Publix
$14.16- Walmart
$31.28- Save A Lot
$33.32- Sam's Club
$6.00- Farmer Market

$400.46- Running Total for June

$0.00- we went over by $0.46 :) Not bad at all, I will take it :) We still have $60 leftover from May's grocery budget :)

Our Shopping Day~ 05/30/2015

Before making our June monthly menu, I checked the freezers and the pantry and was quite surprised at what I had in there :) I was able to do a lot with what we already have and also throw in some new vegan recipes I am eager to try out :)

We dropped Chris off at work and Kevin and I headed out for our beginning of the month shopping adventure :)

Here is what we got:

Winn Dixie
$1.00- Hamburger buns
$1.61- Peaches
$2.95- Blueberries
$5.56- Total

Publix
$4.99- Daiya Cheddar
$1.59- Ronzoni Orzo
$0.00- Ronzoni Orzo
$1.59- Ronzoni Linguine
$0.00- Ronzoni Linguine
$1.59- Ronzoni Spaghetti
$0.00- Ronzoni Spaghetti
$9.76- Total

Dollar Tree
$1.00- Pack of blank cards
$1.00- Kidney beans
$1.00- Non zip sandwich bags
$3.00- 3 boxes tissues
$4.00- 4 bottles hand soap
$10.54- Total

Save A Lot
$3.00- Bread
$2.00- Buns
$6.87- 3 Blocks of Cheddar cheese
$2.29- Block of Mozz Cheese
$14.16- Total

Walmart
$1.98- Almond Milk Creamer
$2.76- Tortillas
$3.82- White Wheat flour
$2.98- Coconut Almond Milk
$13.72- Frozen veggies
$3.96- Strawberries
$3.28- Maple extract
$1.24- Wheat Egg Noodles
$2.36- BBQ Sauce
$2.48- Creamer
$1.38- Orzo
$0.72- Diced tomatoes
$2.48- Black Beans
$1.96- Mushrooms
$45.12- Total

Sam's Club
$9.84- Crushed tomatoes
$8.37- Milk
$5.18- Eggs
$2.38- Lettuce
$2.98- Bananas
$4.78- Chicken Broth
$4.73- Grapes
$7.68- Raisins
$11.97- Cat Litter
$61.91- Total

Farmer's Market
$4.00- Cucumbers, Squash, Green Peppers and bean sprouts

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

Monday, June 1, 2015

Our Menu Plan for the week of 06/01/2015

How have the last 2 weeks been treating you? We had an awesome and busy vacation. We left on Wednesday, drove 7 hours and made our way to the hotel in GA. Got up the next morning and drove the rest of the rest of the way to NC. Friday afternoon, we leave and make our way to VA to my brother's house. Saturday was the beautiful wedding. Sunday, we went to our old church, surprised many people, had lunch with my brother and his girlfriend and then made our way back to NC to spend some time with my dad. On Tuesday, we pack up and make our way back to GA and then home.

Whew!! Just retelling it wears me out- LOL :) We had a wonderful time and were very blessed with the visiting we were able to do. We would have loved to visit more people but our schedule was so tight. I am glad to be off the road and back at home. Now back to school work. We are on the home stretch now~ the last month :) I can't believe that in 1 month Kevin will graduate high school- so many mixed feelings.

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Breakfast
Pancakes from the freezer X2
Applesauce muffins from the freezer X2
Oatmeal with nuts and raisins X3

Lunch
Salad with homemade ranch dressing and a banana for myself and hubby when he is home
Sandwich with carrots and grapes for everyone else or leftovers

Dinner
Spaghetti with green beans and garlic bread
Tortilla Pizza with cucumbers and carrots
Lentil sloppy Joes with green beans
Lentil rice salsa tortillas with peas
Pulled Pork on buns with asparagus
Cheesy Bean Dip with tortilla chips, cucumbers and carrots
Southwest Roll Ups with green beans

Snacks
Apples
Peaches
Carrots
Popcorn
Bananas
Mangoes
Carrots
Strawberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Chocolate Frosting shots

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