Brianna's 3rd Birthday

Brianna's 3rd birthday party is only 11 days away, so that means I have been in full-swing party mode for the last couple of days! I need to blog about her party favors I made, which are so cute, and I have some other stuff up my sleeve to make her party a big (and frugal!) success! But tonight I finished something that I am so giddy about - I know she's going to love it!

Stephen and I got her a kitchen set. I am already giddy about that because we have wanted to get her a kitchen for such a long time. Then one day, Leila (Stephen's mom) found a kitchen at a preview event for a consignment where she lives. The price was just $35 but the kitchen looked to be worth way more than that! We okayed the purchase. Later she texted me to tell me she found the same kitchen set at a local secondhand store for $90!! It makes sounds, has a grill, the works. The only stuff it was missing was play food and the "accessories".

So today I went shopping with my grandmother's money to accessorize Brianna's kitchen! After all, what good is a kitchen if you don't have any cooking utensils? I went to Adams Thrift store in Pinebluff to get all these goodies. They know me there and they will treat you right!

Strainer + muffin tin + bread pan + measuring cups and spoons + timer + spatulas/spoons/pasta spoon + big measuring cup = $3.24! (Also I got her colored pencils and I got some Hot Wheels for Hunter, so that is also included in the $3.24 total)

Then I remember I had this pretty ribbon which I have never used and it's been sitting so lonely in my craft bag. So I got on my trusty search engine and within seconds I was here for a bow tutorial. And voila! The kitchen basket for Brianna was born!

It will be presented to her at her birthday party on the 21st by my grandparents. I think she will be thrilled and I think it looks so cute! I also tied together like items (like the measuring cups) with curling ribbon. Thank you local businesses!!

Rite Aid 1/13/10

Just when you thought I was done blogging about shopping trips. Well, I did tease you yesterday and say I was done. But it's so much easier to blog about that than real life! I'll get back to real life soon, I promise.

Rite Aid 1/13/10

GE light bulbs (2-pack)
RP $4.99. SP $2.00. Minus $1.00 coupon. Minus $2.00 rebate. FP - Free

Mach3 disposable razors (3-pack)
RP $8.99. SP $5.99. Minus $3.00 coupon. Minus $1.00 rebate. FP - $1.99

Theraflu
RP $6.49. SP $4.99. Minus $2.00 coupon. Minus $3.00 rebate. FP - Free

Contac
RP $6.99. SP $4.99. Minus $2.00 coupon. Minus $4.99 rebate. FP - Free

Ramen Noodles (x3)
RP $0.49. SP/FP - $0.33

Chapstick
RP $1.99. SP/FP - $0.49

Cottonelle toilet paper (4-pack)
RP $3.99. SP $1.99. Minus $0.50 coupon. Minus $0.50 store coupon. FP - $0.99

Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice
RP $3.49. SP $1.74. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - $0.74

One A Day women's vitamins
RP $0.99. SP/FP - $0.24

Final shopping total - Paid $15.18. Saved $10.00. Will receive $11.00 back in rebates, so spent $4.00 out of pocket.

Super Doubles Round 7 (Holy cow!!)

I'm not sure I really got any new stuff today, so I'll condense my shopping trip for y'all. Also, they're out of tons of stuff now and it looks like some of it isn't going to be restocked, so I guess I'm out of luck for some things!


Special K bars (x4) = Free

Lance crackers = Free

Wet Ones = Free

Gillette shaving cream = Free

Stayfree pads (x2) = $0.25 each

Reach floss (x2) = Free

Smart Balance sour cream (x2) = Free

Final shopping total - Spent $1.55. Saved $40.43. Will probably go out tonight to see if they're restocking...

Super Doubles Round 6

Those of you who don't coupon are probably thinking, "When is this stupid coupon event going to be over so Amanda will get back to her irregular infrequent blogging about her mundane life????" Well the answer is, tomorrow. Tomorrow will be my last trip. But for today, that's all you get. P.S. They were still out of most everything really good. So today wasn't a great day either.


Cream of Wheat
RP $3.99. SP $3.69. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.69

Rubbermaid tupperware
RP $4.59. SP $3.67. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.67

Marzatti fruit dip
RP $3.49. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.49

Airborne
RP $6.65. SP $2.34. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.34

Skinny Water (x3)
RP $1.25. SP $1.00. Minus $1.00/3 doubled. FP - $0.33 each

Bayer aspirin (x2)
RP $6.79. SP $2.44 and Buy One Get One Free (eVIC sale). Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.22 each

Beech-Nut baby food (x12)
RP $0.88. SP $0.44. Minus $1.00/6 doubled. FP - $0.11 each

Special K cereal bars (x4)
RP $3.29. SP $1.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. Minus $5.00 off when you buy 4 products. FP - Free

King Hawaiian rolls
RP $1.39. Minus $1.00 coupon doubled. FP - Free

Final shopping total - Spent $11.70, saved $50.49. Definitely mediocre. Let me say my excuses though. I splurged on the Cream of Wheat. I haven't had this since I was little and mom used to make it for me for breakfast. I bought it as a comfort food and I suddenly had a craving when I saw the coupon. The tupperware was a splurge but a necessity. The fruit dip was a splurge but I have a ton of apples to go with it, so it will be useful and delicious. Okay, that's all.

Super Doubles Round 5

Today was crazy in Harris Teeter, at least when I was there. They were out of stock of everything free (of course) so I didn't do as well today as normal.


Crisco olive oil
RP $6.99. SP $3.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.99

Listerine (x2)
RP $6.59. SP $3.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.99

Earthgrains bread
RP $3.49. SP $2.50. Minus $0.55 doubled. FP - $1.40

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter sticks (x2)
RP $2.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.99

Ziploc bags (x2)
RP $3.49. SP $1.75. Minus $1.00/2 doubled. FP - $0.75 each

Progresso Panko bread crumbs (x2)
RP $2.89. Minus $1.10 doubled. FP - $0.69

Grande tortilla chips
RP $3.49. SP $2.50. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.50

Pasta Roni (x3)
RP $1.55. SP $1.00. Minus $1.00/3 doubled. FP - $0.33 each

Skinny Water (x3)
RP $1.25. SP $1.00. Minus $1.00/3 doubled. FP - $0.33 each

Bananas and Pears
RP $1.36 and $0.81. Minus $1.00 on any produce when you buy Earthgrains bread doubled. FP - $0.17

Idahoan potatoes
RP $1.39. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Yakisob dinner
RP $1.00. Minus $0.50 doubled. FP - Free

Tony's pizza
RP $1.49. SP $0.99. Minus $0.50 doubled. FP - Free

Smart Balance sour cream
RP $1.79. SP $0.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Oikos yogurt
RP $1.89. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Final shopping total - Spent $15, saved $50. Not as good as previous trips but I still got some stuff we can really use around the house.

Super Doubles Round 4

Another round of Super Doubles today at Harris Teeter. Got a couple of new things but a lot of things I'd gotten before too that were just too good to pass up.


Listerine mouthwash
RP $6.59. SP $3.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.99

Seventh Generation baby wipes
RP $3.69. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.69

Dawn detergent
RP $2.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.99

Electrasol tablets
RP $5.99. SP $2.99. Minus $2.50 coupon. FP - $0.49

Nature Made Vitamin D
RP $4.59. SP $2.29. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.29

Stayfree maxi pads (x2)
RP $3.49. SP $2.50. Minus $1.00 doubled. Minus Buy One, Get One Free. FP - $0.25 each

Beech-Nut baby food (x12)
RP $0.88. SP $0.44. Minus $1.00/6 doubled. FP - $0.11 each

Tony's pizza (x2)
RP $1.49. SP $0.99. Minus $1.00/2 doubled. FP - Free

Lysol wipes (x3)
RP $3.19. SP $2.00. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Special K cereal bars (x4)
RP $3.29. SP $1.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. Minus $5.00 off when you buy 4 products. FP - Free

Campbell's Select Harvest soup
RP $2.45. SP $2.00. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Wet Ones
RP $2.89. Minus $1.50 doubled. FP - Free

Sun Crystals
RP $3.79. SP $1.80. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Lip Smacker chapstick
RP $1.99. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Bic pens
RP $1.97. SP $1.47. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Final shopping total: Spent $10.01. Saved $73.08.

I almost had a heart attack when the cashier handed me my receipt and said, "You saved $33.12." I honestly thought I was going to pass out. But then I realized she had circled my VIC savings, not my total savings. Whew!!

Fed By Faith Super Doubles Trip

I was so fortunate to receive a monetary donation for Fed By Faith a few months ago. I told the person that I was going to wait and use the money at a Super Doubles or Triples event so I could get much more stuff for that amount of money! So today, I went shopping for Fed By Faith. It was so much fun!! I hope you realize just how much stuff this really is, and how easy it is to buy cheap items that are great for donating. It also proves how much coupon donations are needed, so I can do this. And it proves that if all you can do is donate money, it will be put to GOOD USE!! Remember, all these coupons will double up to $1.98.



Rice-A-Roni (x3)
On sale for $1.00 each. Purchased 3 and used a $1.00/3 coupon which doubled. Final price - $0.33 each.

Bounty paper towels (2-pack)
$3.99. Used a $1.00 coupon. Final price - $1.99

Blue Diamond almonds
On sale for $3.99. Used a $1.00 coupon. Final price - $1.99

Vanity Fair plates
$3.19. Used a $1.00 coupon. Final price - $1.19

Beech-Nut baby food (x10)
On sale for $0.44 each. Used a $1.00/10 coupon. Final price - $0.24 each

Seventh Generation household cleaner
$3.49. Used a $1.00 coupon. Final price -$1.49

Listerine (x2)
Usually $6.59, on sale for $3.99. Used a $1.00 coupon. Final price - $1.99

Arm and Hammer toothpaste
$3.69. Used a $1.00 coupon. Final price - $1.69

Crest toothpaste (x3)
On sale for $2.50. Minus $1.00 coupon. Final price - $0.50 each

Gillette shaving cream
On sale for $2.49. Minus $1.00 coupon. Final price - $0.49

Vaseline lotion
$3.89. Minus $1.00 coupon. Final price - $1.89

Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo
On sale for $3.00. Minus $1.00 coupon. Final price - $1.00

Herbal Essence shampoo (x2)
On sale for $2.49. Minus $1.00 coupon. Final price -$0.49

Playtex cleansing wipes
On sale for $3.14. Minus $1.00 coupon. Final price - $1.14

A&D Diaper Rash Cream
$2.99. Minus $1.00 coupon. Final price - $0.99

Band-Aid
On sale for $2.50. Minus $1.00 coupon. Final price -$0.50

Final shopping total - This is $90 worth of groceries. I paid just under $30 for all of this. That means each item was less than $1. And every item will go to Fed By Faith (along with a bunch of other items from other shopping trips I and other people have made this week!!) Thank you so much for all those who donate, no matter how it is that you give.

Super Doubles Round 3

Today was my best day so far at Super Doubles. This is probably my peak day - will only go downhill from here!


Lysol disinfecting wipes (x3)
RP $3.19. SP $2.00. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Special K cereal bars (x4)
RP $3.29. SP $1.99 for three. SP $0.99 for one (VIC special). Minus 2 $1.00 coupons doubled. Minus $5.00 off entire purchase when you buy 4 Kelloggs products. FP - Free (actually, about -$2.00!)

Peter pan peanut butter (x3)
RP $2.59. SP on one $1.49 (VIC special). Minus $1.00 doubled. Minus Buy 2, Get 1 Free coupon. FP - $0.69 each

Beech-Nut baby food (x6)
RP $0.88. SP $0.44. Minus $1.00/6 doubled. FP - $0.11 each

Polaner preserves
RP $3.29. SP $2.00. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Lance crackers
RP $2.99. SP $2.00. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Sun Crystals (x2)
RP $3.79. SP $1.80. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Seventh Generation baby wipes
RP $3.69. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.69

Gillette shaving cream
RP $4.29. SP $2.49. Minus $1.50 doubled. FP - Free

Stayfree maxi pads (x2)
RP $3.49. SP $2.50. Minus $2.00 coupon. Minus Buy 1, Get 1 Free coupon. FP - $0.25 each.

Bic pens
RP $1.97. SP $1.47. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Nyquil cold (x2) (One liquid, one caplets)
RP $5.79 and $5.29. SP $3.99. Minus $1.50 doubled. FP - $0.99 each.

Puffs tissues
RP $2.19. Minus Free coupon when you purchase 2 Vicks items (the 2 Nyquils). FP - Free.

Final shopping total - Spent $8.48. Saved $73.30. Gotta be one of the best I've done!!

P.S. That comes out to just under $0.30 per item. :)

Super Doubles Round 2

Round two of Super Doubles at Harris Teeter brought a few new items today.



Rice-a-Roni (x6)
RP $1.59. SP $1.00. Minus $1.00/3 doubled. FP - $0.33 each

Hunt's tomatoes (4)
RP $1.35. SP $1.20. Minus $1.00/4 doubled. FP - $0.70 each

Ivory soap (x 2)
RP $1.45. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Beech-Nut baby food (x6)
RP $0.88. SP $0.44. Minus $1.00/6 doubled. FP - $0.11 each

Uncle Ben's rice (x2)
RP $2.29. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.29

Lance crackers
RP $2.99. SP $2.00. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Sun Crystals (x2)
RP $3.79. SP $1.80. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - Free

Northland juice (x5)
RP $3.98. Sale - Buy 2, Get 3 Free. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $1.19 each

Gillette shaving cream
RP $4.29. SP $2.49. Minus $1.50 doubled. FP - Free

J&J baby soap bar
RP $2.29. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.29

Herbal Essence conditioner
RP $3.95. SP $2.49. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.49

4-Way Saline Spray
RP $3.59. Minus $1.50 doubled. FP - $0.59

Band-aids (x2)
RP $3.29. SP $2.50. Minus $1.00 doubled. FP - $0.50 each

Final shopping total: Spent $11.07. Saved $69.17.

Super Doubles Round 1

Yes, it's that time again - Super Doubles at Harris Teeter! I don't get quite as excited about SD as I do about triples, but I'll take what I can get. So here is what I came up with today:


Endust
RP $4.49. Minus $1.50 coupon doubled. FP - $1.49

Dawn foaming dishwashing soap
RP $2.99. Minus $1.50 coupon doubled. FP - Free

Ivory soap
RP $1.45. Minus $1.00 coupon doubled. FP - Free

Marie Calendar dinner
RP $3.85. SP $3.00. Minus $1.50 coupon doubled. FP - Free

Lance crackers (x2)
RP $2.89. SP $2.00. Minus $1.00 coupon doubled. FP - Free

Sun Crystals (x3)
SP $1.80. Minus $1.00 coupon doubled. FP - Free

J&J baby soap
RP $2.29. Minus $1.00 coupon doubled. FP - $0.29

Bic pens
RP $1.97. SP $1.47. Minus $1.00 coupon doubled. FP - Free

King Hawaiian rolls (x3)
RP $1.39. Minus $1.00 coupon doubled. FP - Free

Bayer aspirin caplets (x3)
RP $6.79. SP $2.44. Minus $1.00 coupon doubled. FP - $0.44

Bayer Quick Release
RP $4.99. Minus $1.50 coupon doubled. FP - $1.99

Final shopping total: Spent $6.49. Saved $58.63. If our darn sales tax wasn't so high I could have spent even less! Oh well!!

Fun Stuff

The days of our vacation are slipping away. Before you know it we're going to be on the road back to North Carolina, back to reality. Booooo.

Yesterday, Stephen, Jennifer Kl. and I drove from Kennesaw to Chamblee to see my side of the family that lives in Georgia. We met up with everyone at Piccadilly - our classic dinner restaurant. I always get way too much food but it's sooo good. I got to hold Claire some during dinner since Bri was in a high chair. Claire is going through this phase where she squeals at an opera pitch. I LOVE it! I think it's great but I guess I can see how it could happen at inopportune times like during church or if you were on a work call from home. But really, who cares? Before long she won't be doing it anymore and we'll all be saying, "Remember how she used to just squeal at the top of her lungs? That was so cute!" Brianna never did anything like that so it just makes me giggle to hear Claire.

After dinner we went back to Grandpa's house for our annual Christmas party. Our family doesn't exchange a lot of gifts but we got some cool stuff. For my birthday mom and dad got me a Blockbuster gift card and a Lowe's Food gift card. I can't wait to use those! We don't ever, ever rent movies unless we have a gift card so that will be really nice. I got a Chick Fil-A gift card from the Coles (yes!) and they gave Brianna two great books and a pretty wall hanging for the nursery. It's a hand-me-down from Brantley and has a "B" on it. Then some of our family friends gave Brianna a really cute piggy bank and a doll. Bri played with the doll for a long time. It says "I love you" when you press a button and she smiled every time it said that. Buddy gave me a whole collection of his favorite opera arias on CDs. He gives the best presents!! We listened to one CD on the way home last night and I'll listen to the rest on my own probably. Not many people appreciate opera but I definitely love it. And I trust Buddy's taste. We also got cash from Grandpa and Buddy which is always good.

The other day we hit Target, HomeGoods and World Market. I can't remember if I already blogged about that or not. Anyway, today we went to Mellow Mushroom and we were close to a different Target so we ran in there to see what different items they had on sale and to see if they had marked it down to 75% off yet. They hadn't but I asked a salesperson who said it should be marked down soon. I love the fact that they have price scanners. I had about a dozen items in my cart but after I scanned all of them I was down to three - two which cost $0.99 and one that was $0.79. But then I figured I didn't really need any of those so I put them back. If they're there when it's 75% off I'll get them but I won't be perturbed if they're gone.

It's sleeting here! Off and on. I wish it would snow.

Okay, so I did a Rite Aid trip and Walgreens trip the other day (the show must go on, even on vacation) and got a few good deals. You may not be able to tell by the prices but I got stuff I really needed and the stuff I didn't need was really cheap. Without further ado:

Rite Aid:

Crest toothpaste
RP $3.49. SP $2.49. Minus $1.50 rebate. Minus $0.75 coupon. FP - $0.24

Nyquil
RP $6.99. SP $4.99. Minus $2.00 rebate. Minus $1.50 coupon. FP - $1.49

Kotex pads
RP $3.99. SP $2.99. Minus $2.00 rebate. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - Free

Gillette Fusion razor
RP $10.99. SP $7.99. Minus $2.00 rebate. Minus $4.00 coupon. FP - $1.99

L'Oreal mascara
RP $13.49. SP $3.37. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $1.37

Scott wipes
RP $2.79. SP $1.99. Minus $0.50 coupon. FP - $1.49

Cover Girl brow maker
RP $2.89. SP $0.72. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - Free

NYC brow and liner pencils
RP $1.99. Minus $1.00 rebate. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - Free

L'Oreal eye shadow
RP $4.49. SP $1.12. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - Free

SoyJoy bars
RP $1.39. SP $0.60. Minus $3.00 rebate on 5. FP - Free

Final shopping total: Spent $22.19. Saved $13.75. Will receive $11.50 in rebates. And I'll sell the makeup on eBay. So not too bad.

Actually, I'm not gonna write about the Walgreens trip because it was all pretty boring stuff. But I spent $11.13 and saved $20.27 and got back $1 in RR. Again I got several things I needed so it was a good run.

Tomorrow we're hitting the mall and then the next day we're hitting Target and HomeGoods again to see if they've cut the clearance items down to 75% yet. I don't remember it taking them this long other years to mark stuff down. Oh yeah, I did get Brianna some CUTE mittens today from Target for next Christmas. They were marked down to 50 cents. They are awesome!! Her little hands get so cold from being in her mouth and everything.

Okay this post is LONG. So I'll get off now.

Vacation

We're on vacation this week so it's going to be hard to keep blogging but I've got to make it through December! I can't post pictures because I'm on the laptop though.

We had a great trip down to Georgia yesterday. Brianna slept some and played a lot, ate great and went to bed right on time. She took a great nap this morning and has really only been fussy when she's hungry or tired, which is normal, but we weren't sure how she'd be in a "new" environment.

Lauren found this great play table at a consignment store for Bri and she loves it. There is so much going on on the table, music and lights and all that, so it's perfect for her. One of her Christmas presents was a pair of these cute booties with rattles on them! As much as she plays with her feet she will really enjoy those. She has another present but hasn't opened it yet. What could it be.......???

I got some great clearance deals at Target, HomeGoods and World Market today but I'm hoping to go back at the end of the week when stuff is 75% off instead of just 50%. I passed up several things so if they're still there in a few days I'll get some more great deals! Deals that will please my new Secret Sister.

Walgreens 12/19

Walgreens trip 12/19/09

Scotch mailer x6
RP $1.19. Minus Walgreens coupon. FP = $0.49

Gillette Fusion razor
SP $8.99. Minus $4.00. RR - $4.00. FP - $0.99

Glide floss
SP $3.49. Minus coupon for free floss. FP - Free

Revlon eye liner
SP $2.19. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.19

Huggies diapers
SP $8.99. Minus $2.00 coupon. RR - $4.00. FP - $2.99

Final shopping total: Spent $5.17. Saved $39.22. Got $6 in RR. Yay! Also, my Gillette RR did roll over. Weird. I didn't expect that to happen.

Wags Trip 12/15

Walgreens trip 12/15/09

Complete contact lens solution
SP $7.99. RR $8.00. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - Free

Gillette Fusion power razor
SP $8.99. Minus $4.00 coupon. RR $4.00. FP - $0.99

Multigrain Cheerios
SP $1.99. Minus $0.75 coupon. FP - $1.24

Cinnamon Toast Crunch
SP $1.99. Minus $0.55 coupon. FP - $1.44

Crest toothpaste
SP $3.49. Minus $0.75 coupon. FP - $2.74 (received a coupon for a free toothpaste at my next purchase)

Desitin
SP $2.99. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - $1.99

Miracle Whip
SP/FP - $2.49

Scotch bubble mailer x6
RP $1.59. Minus WG coupon. FP - $0.49

Final shopping total - Paid $3.61. Saved $43.78. Received $12 in RR and that free toothpaste coupon up to $3.99 I think. Not too shabby!!

Fabulous Life Of....

Is that a TV show or something? That phrase sounds familiar. Anyway... the Fabulous Life Of... ME! Praise God, I do have an awesome life. Even when it seems busy and hectic, I try to take a step back and de-stress and prioritize.

Stephen and I just had a funny conversation. I was wearing some new shoes:

Me: Do you like my new shoes?
ST: Yeah, I was gonna ask you about those. Where did you get them from? Tracey? Jenn?
Me: Yeah, Jenn.
ST: Cool, I like them.
Me: Did you not even consider that I might have bought them?
ST: Hah! No, 'cause it's you. You don't get new shoes and if you did you wouldn't pay for them.

Hehe, he makes me giggle.

I did get to take the Christmas tree and one load of items to our Fed By Faith family. I'm planning on writing about it in the newsletter so I won't write too much here. Needless to say the family is really grateful and the members I met today are super sweet. As we left Cindy asked me if I was disappointed in the family and I said, No Way!! I love them! They are a great family for FBF to help. They had one tiny corner in their house for the Christmas tree. They had smooshed together all their furniture and stuff to make room for this 6-foot Christmas tree that members of our church were kind enough to donate. Add the tree skirt, lights and decorations that several people donated and it was Christmastime in that household!

Mom and dad graciously kept Brianna while I went to this house (not a place for kids... well, my kid, Cindy said) and then Bri and I went to Jenn's house to visit her and Claire. It was a nice, no-rush visit which we don't have enough of.

I spent the whole morning shopping for our FBF family at several different stores with a $100 donation that was received (I didn't spend it all yet!) and took the opportunity to clean house while Bri took a great nap mid-afternoon. I got so much accomplished today!

After Jenn's we went to Lowe's. I got some great stuff!

Tony's pizza x3
RP $1.50. SP $1.17. Minus $0.50 coupon doubled. FP - $0.17

Bird's Eye Steamfresh vegetables x3
RP $2.00. SP $1.00. Minus $0.35 coupon doubled. FP - $0.30

Sister Schubert's yeast rolls
RP $3.44. SP $2.50. Minus $0.50 coupon doubled. FP - $1.50

Betty Crocker box potatoes x4
RP $1.59. SP $1.00. Minus $0.40 coupon doubled. FP - $0.20

Baker's Joy spray x4
RP $2.75. SP $1.99. Minus $0.75 coupon doubled. FP - $0.49

Progresso chicken broth
RP $2.63. SP $1.50. Minus $0.50 coupon doubled. FP - $0.50

Heluva chunk cheese
RP $2.58. SP $1.79. Minus $0.50 coupon doubled. FP - $0.79

Final shopping total - Paid $7.47. Saved $29.35. Essentially I paid $0.41 per item. Haha. The cashier said, "Wow, that's the best I've ever seen!" I thought, "Honey, if y'all would ever triple coupons you'd see a lot better than that."

I think Brianna was in the best mood of her entire life two times today: once was this morning after she was full and not quite tired enough for a nap. We play for about 45 minutes just bouncing around on the bed and stuff. It exhausted me and she took a nap shortly after we were done playing. The second time was tonight after her and I got home from going to Lowe's. She played with Stephen for probably 30-45 minutes while I got dinner ready and stuff. She was SO funny. She took a bath with Stephen tonight (they both love that) and after she got out she was just talking so much. She's gotten to where she squeals accidentally and then she tries to mimic it. It can be REALLY loud sometimes - particularly in church. But who cares!? As long as she's happy. Of course every time we try to videotape her the camera distracts her and she stops whatever she was doing.

Anyway, that's all for tonight!! Stephen had to go do a bail and Bri is passed out so I can actually get some stuff done around here!

Wags Trip 12/12

Took one last trip to Walgreens today because I wanted to get one more thing for FBF before the sale ended and also because Stephen has used up all of our cold medicine, so I figured I could use some of my Register Rewards on medicine. Turned out to be a good trip. Funny thing - I walked in and one of the cashiers goes, "Where's the baby??" and I pointed outside and said, "Oh, she's coming in a minute with my husband." She was like, "Oh my goodness, I almost didn't recognize you." Ha ha.

All detergent
RP $3.29. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $1.29

Comtrex cold medicine
RP $5.99. Minus $3.00 coupon. FP - $2.99

L'Oreal nail polish
RP $4.99. SP $2.59. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.59

Theraflu
SP $5.00. Minus $1.50 coupon. FP - $3.50

Stayfree maxi pads (2)
SP $1.99. Minus $1.00/2 coupon. RR - $2.00. FP - $0.49 each

Walgreens AA batteries (filler item)
FP - $0.99

Final shopping total - Paid $3.03. Saved $28.39. Received $2.00 in RR.

Wags Trips

Walgreens trip 12/10/09

Conair hairbrush (2-pack)
SP $2.00. RR - $2.00. FP - Free

Neutrogena men's shaving gel
SP $4.99. RR - $5.00. FP - Free

Just For Men
SP $6.99. RR - $7.00. FP - Free

Renu solution
SP $9.99. RR - $10.00. FP - Free

Stim-u-dent plaque removers
SP $2.00. RR - $2.00. FP - Free

Final shopping total - Paid $21.98. Saved $13.88. Received $26.00 in Register Rewards. Received $5 back for spending $20.

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Walgreens trip 12/11/09

Nivea lip shimmer
Raincheck price - $0.99. Minus coupon for a free one. FP - Free

Nivea lip shimmer (2)
Raincheck price - $0.99. FP - $0.99 each.

Nivea body lotion
RP - $7.49. Minus coupon for a free one with purchase of three lip products. FP - Free

L'Oreal nail polish
RP - $4.99. SP - $2.59. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.59

Neutrogena men's lotion
SP $4.99. Minus $2.00 coupon. RR- $5.00. FP - Free

Stayfree maxi pads
SP $1.99. RR - $2.00. FP - Free

Final shopping total - Paid $2.10. Saved $25.88. Received $7.00 in Register Rewards.

Giving Money

Giving money... to grocery stores!!

Walgreens trip 12/8



Ragu pasta sauce x3
RP $3.29 each. After WG coupon, $1.50 each. Minus $1.25/3 coupon. FP - $1.08 each.

L'Oreal eyeshadow
RP $9.99. SP $2.59. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.59.

Jar candles x3 (Filler items)
RP $0.75. SP/FP - $0.25.

Imperial sugar (4 lb)
RP $2.99. Minus 1.00 WG coupon. FP - $1.99.

Hallmark card
FP - $0.99.

Final shopping total - Paid $1.54. Saved $24.87.

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Rite Aid trip, 12/9

3M Scotch tape dispenser x2
RP $3.29. SP 2/$4.28. Minus $3.29 rebate. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - Free

Secret deodorant x3
RP $3.49 each. SP $2.00 each. Minus $0.50 coupon x2. Minus Buy 2, Get 1 Free coupon. Minus $1.00 rebate. FP - $0.67 each.

Halls cough drops x2
RP $2.69. SP $1.50. Minus $1.50/2 coupon. FP - $1.00 each.

Final shopping total - Paid $9.31. Saved $5.00. Will receive $4.29 in rebates.

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Lowe's Food trip 12/9

Green Giant frozen corn
RP $1.90. SP $1.99. Minus $0.50 coupon doubled. FP - Free

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter sticks x2
RP $2.99 each. SP $2.50 each. Minus $0.75/2 coupon doubled. FP - $1.88 each.

Comet rice x4
RP $3.10. SP $1.66. Minus $0.55 doubled. FP - $0.01

Smart Balance butter sticks
RP $3.49. SP $2.99. Minus $0.70 coupon doubled. FP - $1.59.

Ronzoni pasta
RP $1.87. SP $1.25. Minus $0.75 coupon doubled. FP - Free

Knorr side dishes x8
RP $1.49 each. SP $0.74 each. Minus $0.60/2 coupon. FP - $0.15 each.

Note: My Comet coupons didn't scan at all for some reason, so the cashier had to enter them manually. I thought he missed one but he had just come on duty and seemed pretty frazzled. I didn't want to say anything so I didn't. Sure enough, in checking my receipt, I had to pay full price for one of the rice products. That's why my total is a little more than it should have been.

Final shopping total: Spent $9.32. Saved $27.89. Ended up donating 4 lbs of rice and 3 of the Knorr side dishes to the Coalition lady who was in the lobby. The other 4 lbs of rice and at least 2 or 3 other side dishes will go to FBF.

P.S. Can anyone believe the HEAT!? My goodness.

Giving Groceries

I have actually had a handful of people in the past few months tell me they would love to pay me to do their grocery shopping for them. I normally just laugh it off - that is a huge undertaking, a lot of responsibility, and plus most people are way too picky about brands for it to really work. I mean, if you refuse to use anything but Windex glass cleaner, and Windex doesn't ever have coupons and never goes on sale, I can't help you out. It doesn't work that way.

So when a guy at church asked me, dead serious, if I would help him out, I really didn't take him seriously at first. But after talking to him, we agreed on a way that won't be too hard on me and will also (hopefully) save him a lot of money.

So today, I gave him his first round of groceries at church. His daughter later came to me and said, "Miss Amanda, I can't believe how many groceries you got for that amount of money!" Of course I love finding good deals and helping people so this is right up my alley. I just hope it continues to work out.

A girl from church whose family sells Christmas trees spoke to me today. She wants to donate a Christmas tree to the family we are adopting this month for Fed By Faith. How cool is that??? I love it.

I also had a guy at church tell me he has a friend whose husband just passed away and she wants to donate his entire wardrobe to Fed By Faith. Bring it on, I said!! We quite possibly have already run out of room for all the donations. The first week I announced this, my preacher jokingly said we might have to build an addition just to store everything. That's definitely not a joke anymore. God is so great - he is really moving throughout the whole community!!

Oh yeah, I also had another guy at church tell me he has a ton of old dishes - sets of 4 - and other kitchen stuff, comforters, and sheet sets that he wants to donate. Oh my goodness! That is AWESOME! I want to see the look on someone's face when they receive a warm comforter. This just thrills me.

Giving Discounts

I didn't accomplishing my "giving" goal today and I won't tonight so I might as well admit defeat. One thing I love to do and planned on doing today was give a coupon to a stranger. I know mom does this too, and I'm sure some of you out there do it as well. If I am behind someone in line who has an item and I have a coupon, I get really fidgety until I finally go up to them and beg them to take the coupon.

The other day at Walgreens, Red Baron pizzas were on sale and two men were there at the same time as I was, and they put two in their shopping cart. I stared and stared, trying to read what type they had gotten, matching it up with the correct coupon. I mean, the worst would be to give someone a coupon and then have it cause problems at the register! Finally I said, "At the risk of seeming crazy, could you guys use this coupon?" They were happy to take it and thanked me twice before leaving the store. Fun!!

I had to go back to Walgreens today so my goal was to give someone a coupon to use. I was there for at least 45 minutes (it takes me forever) and I never saw anyone buying one single item I had a coupon for. When I checked out, the one person in front of me bought cigarettes (no coupons here) and the person behind me was buying some random item that I also didn't have a coupon for. My intentions were good. I promise that the next time I can give a coupon away, I will! Okay, so here was my trip for today. Very good, in my opinion.

Tuf paper towels (1 to FBF)
RP $0.79. After WG coupon FP - $0.49

Pert Plus shampoo (FBF)
SP $1.99. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - $0.99

Walgreens toilet paper roll (1 to FBF)
RP $0.89. After WG coupon FP - $0.50

Skintimate shaving cream (FBF)
RP $1.89. Minus $1.50 coupon. FP - $0.39

Olay lotion (1 to FBF)
RP $5.99 each. Minus a $3.00 coupon. Minus a BOGO Free coupon. FP - $0.99 each

Dentek floss picks (FBF)
SP $1.99. Minus a $1.00 coupon. RR - $2.00. FP - Free

Votive candles (3 to FBF)
RP $0.49. After WG coupon FP - $0.17

Natrol Acai Berry
SP $4.00. Minus $3.00 coupon. RR - $4.00. FP - Free

Revlon lip gloss
RP $7.99. SP $2.19. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.19

Sure deodorant
RP $2.79. Minus $1.00 coupon. Minus full rebate. FP - Free (after rebate)

Final shopping total: Spent $3.79. Saved $46.68. Received $6 in Register Rewards. Once again, I am HAPPY with my trip to Walgreens! It's a miracle!

My items probably seem pretty random. Brianna was so relaxed in the Bjorn that I just took my time walking around the store. When I was done with the things I wanted to get, I just started going through my coupons to see if I could spot some other deals. Sure enough, I did! The Skintimate lotion I got was a small travel size so it was really cheap and the coupon still went through, which is how I got it for 39 cents. I randomly found the Olay coupons in my binder and after pricing them figured 99 cents per bottle was a great price. They're pretty big bottles too - I think 26 oz? I'd have to check for sure. I got the Dentek floss picks yesterday and there was a $1 coupon in there so I just went back to use that coupon. I got the six candles to make sure I had more items than coupons. The Acai Berry supplements... oh let me tell you. I showed them to Stephen last night - I was just going to sell them on eBay - and I thought he was going to have a heart attack! He was super excited to try them. I guess they're the new "thing" for health nuts. Supposedly they help you sleep soundly and have more energy during the day. They also "cleanse your toxins". I said to Stephen, "Is that just a polite way of saying they are laxatives??" But I don't think they are. They're safe while breastfeeding and even recommended to new moms for the energy boost. The one I got yesterday was a package deal, buy one get one free, and then I got another bottle today so now we have three bottles just in case we like it. The Revlon lip gloss was on last chance clearance which is why it was so cheap. And then I saw my Sure coupon and figured I'd get it and get the rebate at the same time. So I'm happy because a lot of my about-to-expire coupons got used and I got GREAT deals!!

P.S. When I got home and checked my mail, I got several coupons for Babies R Us which I will never use. So I am giving those coupons to a friend who I think will put them to good use.