Target for 8/28

• Johnson&Johnson Buddies soap, $0.97 x 2 (used $1/1 Target coupon x 2)
• Gerber bottles, $0.99 x 4 (used $1/1 Target coupon x 4)
• Booster seat, on sale for $16.09 (no coupons, not pictured)
• Bounce dryer bar, on sale for $3.79 (used $2.50/1 man coupon)
• PS3 Guitar Hero, on clearance for $22.48 (no coupon but this was a steal at 75% off! It was originally $90)
• Snickers bar, $0.52 (used a Chocolate Relief man coupon getting this for FREE)
• Dove deodorant, on sale for $3.79 x 2 (used $2/1 man coupon x 2, used $1/1 Target coupon x 2)
• Crest Advanced Seal whitening strips trial size, on clearance for $4.24 x 4 (used $7/1 man coupon x 2 *see note below*, originally $4.99 each)
• Cutter mosquito spray, on clearance for $6.98 (no coupon, originally $9.99)

Total before sales and coupons: $157.42
Total after sales and coupons: $54.97
Total saved: $102.45 or 65%!!


So the Guitar Hero game was a big surprise and an awesome deal! We have been borrowing the game for the Wii system and like it but didn't want to spend so much on it. So when we saw the price on this we grabbed it up. The Northfield Target still has a few left if you're looking for it on the PlayStation 3.

The booster seat was a great deal too since we are going to be needing this for preschool carpooling. Also if Viggo will be riding with someone else this will be way easier to transfer from car to car. The booster said it seats at 30-100 lbs and 34-57" so it is perfect for him or any of his carpool friends.

I got the Bounce dryer bar coupon from VocalPoint. If you're not a member you should definitely sign up! I've gotten lots of great coupons and free products from them. I read that there was a Target coupon in last Sunday's paper that you could stack with this but I forgot to buy a paper last Sunday! I know! Still, for $1.29 and it's supposed to last 2 months, that's a steal.

Every Friday through the end of September Mars has been having this free chocolate campaign. Go to the link above and sign up for your free chocolate (each household can do this up to 4 times).

The Crest strips were a great score! And the best part was that each box contains a $7 off coupon so you can keep rolling this deal as long as they keep the strips in stock. Although I'm not sure if they will be around much longer since they are in the clearance section?

Target for 8/25

• Dove Visibly smooth deodorant, on sale for $3.29 x 4 (used $2/1 man coupon x 4, used $1/1 Target coupon x 4)
• Johnson's buddies soap, $0.97 x 4 (used $1/1 Target coupon x 4)
• Gerber baby bottles, $0.99 x 4 (used $1/1 Target coupon x 4)
• Colgate SpongeBob toothpaste travel size, $0.52 x 2 (used $1/1 Target coupon x 2)
• Johnson&Johnson First Aid travel kits, $0.97 x 2 (used $1/1 man coupon x 2)
• Cottonelle wipes travel size, $0.99 x 2 (used $1/1 Target coupon from paper x 2)
• Purina One cat food, $5.99 (used $2/1 Target coupon) - OH NO! missed the $1 off coupon on the package!
• Target brand cereal puffs, $1.59 (no coupons)
• Gerber Graduates meals, on clearance for $1.73 x 4 (was, $2.04, no coupons)
• Girl's dress, on clearance for $4.98 (was $9.99, no coupons)
• Icecube gum, on clearance for $0.52 (was $1.04, no coupons)
• Trident gum, on clearance for $0.48 x 2 (was $0.99 x 2, no coupons)
• 5 Lush gum, on clearance for $0.64 (was $1.29, no coupons)
• Orbit gum, on clearance for $0.48 (was $0.99, no coupons)

Total before sales and coupons: $55.92
Total after sales and coupons: $20.93
Total saved: $34.99 or 63%!!

That's a lot of free stuff!

If anyone needs the baby bottles let me know and I'll give them to you. I just figured I'd pick them up and make sure I got them to someone who might be able to use some free bottles.

I didn't see the cat food coupon on the bag until I was loading it into my van. Darn, I could have saved another dollar! :)

The cereal puffs were a "splurge" - both of the kids love those things so I thought I'd get them some even though they are geared more for the under a year set. Same with the Gerber meals. I have never bought these before so I hope the kids like them. I thought they'd be a quick and easy meal for Damian to make one night when I'm at bible study or not home.

I'm thinking I could go back and get a few more things (like the deodorant - what a deal!) in the next day or two. But you can score big too!!

Target Deals for 8/18

• Pampers diapers box, $19.99 (used $1/1 Target coupon, used a $2/1 man coupon but they didn't scan it!!! GRRR)
• Swiffer wetjet refill, on clearance for $1.88 each x 2
• Clorox bleach, on clearance for $0.84
• Duracell 16 pack "AA" batteries, $10.39 (used a $0.75/1 man coupon but they didn't scan it!!! GRRR - also came with some form about $10 in P&G coupons but I haven't looked at it yet)
• Extra long beach towel, on clearance for $5.48
• Hefty trash bags, on sale for $8.49 (used $1/1 Target coupon)
• Up & Up trash bags, on clearance for $3.98 x 3
• Viva Big roll select a size paper towels, $2.24 x 2 (used $0.50/1 x 2 man coupons)
• Charmin Mega roll toilet paper, $12.74 x 2 (used $0.50/1 x 2 Target coupons, used $1/1 x 2 man coupons but they only scanned one of them!!! GRRR)
• Arm & Hammer cat litter (not shown), on sale for $10.99 (used $2/1 Target coupon but for some reason it only took $1 off!!! GRRR)
• Benefiber, $9.94 (used $2/1 man coupon, used $2/1 Target coupon but again it only took $1 off!!! GRRR)

Total before clearance and coupons: $140.18
Total after clearance and coupons: $105.53 (should have been $99.78)
Total saved: $34.65 or a 25% savings (should have been $40.40 or 29%)

As you can see, they really screwed up my coupons!! Because I had the kids with I wasn't able to watch her closely and they were getting wild at the end so I didn't want to go through them with her. Lesson learned for next time - no kids with when I'm using lots of coupons. I don't usually take them when I do big coupon trips but since I was going to be driving right by Target on my way home from an appointment I decided to try.

At first I was really irritated about loosing almost $6 in coupons but then I realized that there have been several times where an error was made in my favor at Target so I just chalked it up to making us even. I went to the Owatonna Target and I really don't care for that store but since I was driving right past it I decided to bring my coupons with. I have just generally had lots of problems at that particular store with using coupons, the employees and they don't mark the children's clearance clothes down as much as the Northfield store does.

They had a lot of household cleaners on clearance. I grabbed the last two Swiffer refills that I could see (they still had bottles for the hardwood only floors). I've never tried their garbage bags but they are supposed to be like the Glad Force Flex ones. Don't know if I'll like them but since I bought three boxes we're gonna use them!! :) I figured at $4 a box that's a good deal.

Times like these when I find unexpected clearance items I wish I had a way to bring all my coupons with. I use a plastic shoe box to store them because I have so many. I wouldn't want to look like a weirdo with my big shoebox of coupons at the store! Haha! I did try the binder method once but it didn't work for me.

Well, as long as I don't have the kids with me on future visits maybe I could take the box with me? It could be a fill-in for Nadia in the cart seat. :)

I hope to do more posts on deal finds since I have sort of took the summer off from doing it. No promises though!

Boy vs. Girl

As a mom of both a boy and a girl it sure does make life interesting. Daily I get to see how truly different the two sexes are and why there are stero-types regarding each. And often it's not that they have been taught to act in that particular way, just that it is very instinctual to them.

I am constantly keeping an eye on Viggo. He has such an amazing spirit and is FULL of energy. He definitely has a zest for life and loves attention. If there ever was the epitome of boy, he is it; curious, active, physical, loud and very smart. You can often find him trying to "bait and switch" his little sister or any other friend of his who has a toy he wants. Nadia will pick up his train and he will want it. If we aren't monitoring the situation he'll just take it from her and it's followed up by her banshee scream. But if we tell him to give it back or happen to intercede the situation he will find some toy he doesn't want to play with and try and give her that so he can take the one he wants. It's so funny that that behavior is instinctual and not something he's necessarily learned. I mean, he just turned three so it's not like he even understands what "bait and switching" is much less have learned the technique of it!

Being a woman it's always interesting observing Viggo's "maleness". The other day he was in the bathroom going potty. He always asks for privacy so I go back to check on him and he tells me "I need it to get smaller". I'm like, what? What needs to get smaller? "My pee-nee, it needs to get smaller". Oh dear, now how do I handle this one? "Well stop touching it and it will get smaller." I mean, seriously, you wouldn't think that behavior would start this young but it most certainly does....younger even!

He certainly is my challenging child but he is so loving and affectionate. He's always thinking of others and if someone gets hurt he's right there with a concerned attitude and ready to kiss a boo-boo all better. He loves to snuggle and I will take all that I can get of it because I know one day he might not want to.

Now little miss Nadia is definitely coming out of her baby shell and becomming very much a toddler in her own right. She has been a lot easier to discipline then Viggo ever has. But she's also always been much more emotional (see above in second paragraph re: banshee scream). At one point we were trying to teach her to say please and she would break down in an emotional puddle of goo complete with screaming and crying just because we were making her say please. I mean, the gall of us!

She also fills in some of those sterotypes of women being afraid of insects. This morning we were outside playing and she starts screaming "BUG! BUG!" It was an ant. A very small ant. I show her to stomp on it and she looks like I've grown a second head and shakes her head no while saying "UNH-UH!!!" How dare I suggest such a thing. Then she runs over to the other end of the patio to sit on the steps. She also is much less physical than Viggo. She doesn't care about climbing except to go up on the couch. Where I had to watch Viggo so he didn't climb all the way up on top of the dinning room table and swing from the ceiling fan, Nadia has never had that as an option on her list of To Do's.

I love that she is so gentle. She loves to play with my hair and give me a nice snuggle. She also loves the girlie things like painting her nails. She calls it "pretties". She loves shoes! Oh my the girl loves her some shoes. And recently she's started playing with her toy purse. I have a couple up in her closet saved for when she really was ready to start getting into that and I think we are almost there.

They also eat differently although maybe not as one who is stero-typing would think. Viggo is the picky, bird eater and Nadia is my put-it-in-front-of-me-and-I'll-definitely-try-it kind of girl. And if it's not something truly hideous (like cole slaw) she'll eat it. I've never had any worries about her getting enough food in her tummy like I've had with Viggo. He's had me so worried at times that I've bought him nutritional drinks just to cover our bases.

Having both a boy and a girl is truly a blessing. They certainly complement one another and I get the best of both worlds!

Why aren't you writing???

Well it has been quite a long time since I last wrote. Life just got really crazy about a month ago. I mean, everyone is busy. I think it would be quite the rare person to say they weren't. Just a ton of stuff going on all at once.

First off, the biggie. My mom became very ill right about the same time I last wrote something. It started off with her having pneumonia and her body just took a turn for the worst. She has previous health issues (a liver transplant but the disease came back in the new liver) and this complicated matters. She was in ICU for almost 3 weeks. At one point the outlook seemed grim and we didn't think she would pull through. Her kidneys stopped working, she was under sedation and on a breathing tube. It was like one bad thing after another. But slowly, day by day she started to heal and just today she was released from the hospital and moved to a rehab clinic so she can start the process of walking again. From all the illness and being immobile for so long, her body got so weak and it is a lot of work and effort just for her to stand and walk a few feet. So she is getting physical therapy every day and growing stronger. Hopefully she will be back home in a couple weeks. She still has pneumonia but will be on an anti-biotic for 6-8 weeks to hopefully knock it completely out. I just bought a plane ticket this evening to go out and help her in about 3 weeks. Once she's home she will need a lot of help around the house so I really want to be there for her. I'm going to miss my kids like crazy though! I've only ever been away from the both of them for 24 hours at a time so this is going to be hard on everyone.

I haven't actually done a lot of shopping this past month either. I did hit up Target last week and scored really well on Pull-ups. They were on sale for $8.99 and I had two $5/1 coupons from mailers and a $2/1 coupon. Then Target had a special that if you bought 3 packages you got a $5 gift card. AND I will send the receipt into the Caregiver's Marketplace and get $0.75 back per package. So after all is said and done I paid $2.57 a package! Not shabby at all. My son is completely potty trained now however I still put a pull up on him at night just in case. He wakes up dry but I guess I just think it's too good to be true and the one night I don't put a pull-up on him he's going to wet the bed! I figure whatever he can't use my daughter certainly can. I will probably start actively potty training her in a couple months. She's been going potty since she was 16 months old but I just didn't have the energy to pursue it further than plopping her on the potty when it's convenient for me.

Now I need to go and distract myself with some television. Damian decided to "re-apply" the tiles in the bathroom because they are separating from the wall from water getting behind there. There's crashing....and well, that's usually not good. All I can envision is him walking down the stairs and telling me we are now remodeling our ONLY bathroom. YIKES!!

What's in a name?

I was playing around with swagbucks searching today trying to earn more points (btw - you can join me and earn points to redeem for gift cards too - just look on the right side bar).

Anyway, I decided to google the meaning of the kid's names and see what came up. I already knew what they were, but again, trying to just do searches to earn points. But something struck me as I read over the results.

Through doing bible studies this past year I've learned a lot about how people were named that are in the bible. A great amount of effort and detail was put forth in giving a name. Names had meanings and were specifically chosen for an individual. Today we don't really name our children in that manner, rather we prefer picking names that sound pleasing to us.

So Viggo's name means "war", "warrior" or "war-like". It's Scandinavian even though it sounds Italian. I think back to how it took a while for us to get pregnant with him and it did seem like a war of sorts. Months and tests that we went through waiting for him. And while Viggo is the sweetest, caring and loving child.....sometimes Damian and I feel like we are at war with him. :)

Nadia's name means "hope", "hopeful" or as one website says "one who received the call of God". I like the latter. Mostly because after all the "war" to have our son, our daughter was a bit of a surprise to come so soon. I think she was heeding the call of God to come to our family. Just something nice to think about.

I'd post a couple pictures of them but it seems I haven't been taking many lately. Of course, Viggo knows that we are having his three year photos done next weekend and is daily bumping up his face with bruises and scrapes. Every year that child has a bruise in his photos! My children have this sixth sense about professional photos being taken - they just know it's coming and start banging their faces up.

Here's a little break from the usual posts

I was just sitting here watching my daughter pull every toy out of the toy box and realized she's 20 months old, just week away from being 21 months old.

Then I start to think about how my first two children are only 14 1/2 months apart and it BLOWS MY MIND people. I mean, it would be like having a 5 month old right now. I can't even imagine that even though I've lived it! There must be some serious blockage going on because I can't fathom having another baby right this very minute - much less a 5 month old.

I know God gave me some serious grace to go through having two so close together. He continues to as well but I have to say it is much easier now than it was then. By no means am I claiming to have it down and it's easy - no way! Anyone that has me as a facebook friend could see from yesterday that I have some trying days. Probably more then I often talk about but I guess I think the good always outweighs the bad.

I don't know why He choose to create my family the way He did but I'm ever grateful for my beautiful babies. Even when they shred a box of q-tips, pour baby powder all over their room and scream like a rabid banshee. They make me smile and life is much more interesting, that's for sure!

Walgreens for 5/4

Transaction 1

• Colgate Sensitive toothpaste 6 oz, $4.49 (used $0.75/1 man coupon, received a $4.50 RR making this a profit of $0.76!)
• Right Guard Xtreme deodorant 2.6 oz, on sale for $2.99 (used $1/1 man coupon, received a $2 RR making this free!)

Total before coupons and RR's: $7.97
Total after coupons and RR's: -$0.28
Total saved: I made $0.28!

Transaction 2

• Colgate Sensitive toothpaste 6 oz, $4.49 (used $0.75/1 man coupon, received a $4.50 RR making this a profit of $0.76!)
• Right Guard Xtreme deodorant 2.6 oz, on sale for $2.99 (used $1/1 man coupon, received a $2 RR making this free!)
• Listerine Total Care 500 ml, on sale 2/$9 x 2 (used $2/1 x 2 man coupons, received a $4.50 RR)
• V8 Fusion Juice, on sale 2/$6 (used $2/1 x 2 man coupons)
• 12 pack soda, 3/$11 (used $1/1 x 2 man coupons, received a $5 RR)
• Pert Plus for men 3-in-1, on sale 2/$5 (used $1.50/1 x 2 man coupons, received a $2 RR making these both free!)
• Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisture lotion 2.5 oz, on sale for $2.63 x 3 (used $2/1 man coupons x 2, used $1/1 man coupon, supposed to receive a Free Travel Kit with purchase of 3 Aveeno items but I didn't so I'll have to take my receipt back and check on that)
• Pencil, on clearance for $0.03 each x 3
• Hershey Kit Kat, $0.69 x 2
• Twix bars, 2/$1.59

Total before coupons and RR's: $52.06
Total after coupons and RR's: $14.31
Total saved: $37.75 or 73%

Total for entire trip before coupons and RR's: $60.03
Total for entire trip after coupons and RR's: $14.03
Total saved: $46 or 77%!

I bought the candy and pencils as filler items because I used RR's to pay for my 2nd transaction (didn't count those in the total though since I have already counted them). Because of the "one coupon per item - including Register Rewards" rule, I had to add a few things in so I could use $16 in RR's (it ate up $3.06 of that $16 - I could have just got the pencils but a little bit of chocolate is nice too).

Walgreens for 5/1

Transaction 1

• Nivea body wash 16.9 oz, on sale for $4.99 (received a $5 RR making this free!)
• Rembrandt toothpaste 2.6 oz, on sale for $5.99 (used $1/1 man coupon, received a $6 RR making this purchase a profit of $1!)

Total before coupons and RR's: $11.69
Total after coupons and RR's: -$3.31 (I also used a $3 RR from a previous visit and am counting it since I didn't write a post about it)
Total saved: made $3.31!!

Transaction 2

• Got2B styling mousse 8 oz, on sale for 2/$10 (used $2/1 x 2 man coupon, received a $5 RR)
• Huggies Natural Fit diapers 34 ct, on sale for 2/$20 (used $3/2 man coupon, received a $2 RR, will also send receipt in to Caregivers Marketplace and receive back $0.75 for each pack)
• Zyrtec 24hour 30 ct, on sale for $18.99 (used $4/1 man coupon)

Total before coupons and RR's: $49.38
Total after coupons and RR's: $4.86 (I also used $25 in RR's from previous visits and am counting them since I didn't write a post about them)
Total saved: $44.52 or 90%!

Total before coupons and RR's for entire trip: $61.07
Total after coupons and RR's for entire trip: $1.55
Total saved: $59.52 or 97%!!

You may have heard that Walgreens is no longer doing the Easy Saver Rebate Program and there is no longer the IVC (instant value coupons) that were in the book. Boo! Hiss! Maybe they will come out with a new program or maybe, like I'm seeing lately, is that they are beefing up their Register Rewards offerings. There are also always store coupons in their weekly flyer. The only thing I don't like about RR's are that they expire and most of the time, they expire within a week or two. So you have to really be on top of the dates.

One note of caution: they are being pretty strict with redeeming the RR's. The manager tonight told me that you have to at least as many items in your transaction as you have coupons - including the RR's. So, you can't buy 12 items, use a manufacturer coupon for each of those 12 items and use RR's. The register will beep. My suggestion is to add cheap "filler" items (a pack of gum, candy or pencil) that will fill that "needing enough items" quota. I'm not sure yet if that also includes the Walgreen flyer coupons since they are a store coupon and not a manufacturer coupon. I will have to either do a trial and error or ask.

Walgreen's for 4/16 - one of the best yet!

Transaction 1

• Scunci no-damage elastics 18 pk, on sale for $2 (received a $2 Register Reward making it FREE!)
• Fiber choice 10 count tablets, $2.49 (received a $2.50 RR making it FREE!)
• Coffee Mate 16 oz, on sale 2/$3 (used $1.50/1 man coupon x 2 making these both FREE!)
• Breyers Ice cream, on sale BOGO, $6.29 (used $0.75/1 x 2 man coupon)
• Bertolli Oven Bakes, on sale $5.99 each x 2 (used $2/1 man coupon x 2)
• Chapstick 100% Naturals, on sale $1.99 (received a $2 RR making it FREE!)
• Bounty paper towels, 128 sheet, $2.39 each x 3 (used Wags coupon making them 3/$5, used $1/1 man coupon x 3)
• PAAS Egg color kit, originally $1.99, on clearance for $0.49 each x 2
• PAAS Egg Party kit, originally $4.99, on clearance for $1.24

Total before clearance, coupons and RR's: $50.91
Total after clearance, coupons and RR's: $4.70
Total saved: $46.21 or 91%!!!

Transaction 2

• Skintimate shave cream, on sale $2.99 (received a $3 RR making it FREE!)
• Chapstick 100% Naturals, on sale $1.99 (received a $2 RR making it FREE!)
• Colgate MaxWhite toothbrush, on sale $3.29 (used $0.75/1 man coupon, received $3.50 RR making this a profit of $0.96!)
• Fiber choice 10 count tablets, $2.49 (received a $2.50 RR making it FREE!)

Total before coupons and RR's: $11.30
Total after coupons and RR's: -$0.45!
Total saved: I made $0.45 and that includes the tax!!

Transaction 3

• Skintimate shave cream, on sale $2.99 (received a $3 RR making it FREE!)
• Colgate MaxWhite toothbrush, on sale $3.29 (used $0.75/1 man coupon, received $3.50 RR making this a profit of $0.96!)
• Scunci no-damage elastics 18 pk, on sale for $2 (received a $2 Register Reward making it FREE!)

Total before coupons and RR's: $8.82
Total after coupons and RR's: -$0.43!
Total saved: I made $0.43 and that includes the tax!!

Total before clearance, coupons and RR's for entire trip: $71.03
Total after clearance, coupons and RR's for entire trip: $3.82
Total saved for entire trip: $67.21 or 95%!!!!

Yay!!! This is one of my best trips yet!

Today's Target Trip

• Gillette Fusion Gamer razor x 2, $7.99 each (used $2/1 x 2 man coupon, received $5 Target gift card x 2 b/c I bought Gillette shaving gels too)
• Gillette Shave Gel x 2, $1.89 each (used $1/1 x 2 man coupon, received $5 Target gift card x 2 b/c I bought Gillette razors too)
• Johnson's baby lotion x 2, $2.19 each (used $1/1 x 2 man coupon, used $0.75/1 x 2 Target coupon)
• Johnson's Bedtime bath wash with bonus bottle, on clearance for $2.54 (used $1/1 man coupon, used $0.75/1 Target coupon)
• Johnson's Bedtime lotion with bonus bottle, on clearance for $2.54 (used $1/1 man coupon, used $0.75/1 Target coupon)
• Gerber Graduate Yogurt Melts x 4, $2.99 each (used $0.75/2 x 2 man coupon, used $0.50/2 x 2 Target coupon)
• Pledge Multi-surface spray x 2, $3.74 each (used $2/1 x 2 man coupon, used $1/1 x 2 Target coupon)
• Little Debbie cakes, on sale for $1.50 (no coupons, going to put a couple in the kid's Easter baskets)
• Betty Crocker Warm Delights x 2, $1.50 each (used $0.50/1 x 2 man coupon, used $1/2 Target coupon)
• Splenda 100 pack, $3.99 (used $0.55/1 man coupon, used $0.55/1 Target coupon)
• Vitamin Water x 2, on sale for $1.00 each (used $1/1 x 2 man coupon making these free!)
• Eggo NutraGrain Waffles x 2, $2.44 each (used $0.75/1 x 2 man coupon, used $1/2 Target coupon)

Total before coupons and gift cards: $66.29
Total after coupons and gift cards: $23.64
Total saved: $42.65 or 64%!!

Not too bad! There were a few of these things that were already on my "To Get" list (like the Splenda, waffles and Multi-surface spray) and it just happened that Target had some coupons out for these items so it was a good time to purchase.

We had to break into one of the yogurt melt bags while we were there. Nadia was becomming rather impatient (oh those toddler fits!) while Viggo was going potty. Luckily, stuffing a few of those in her mouth kept her quiet. :)

Rolling, rolling, rolling....

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. We have been working hard on getting our new office finished and we are finally done! Well, there is still a lot of organizing that needs to happen, but we are up and running. I am so happy we are done - I love this new space!

I have been doing Walgreen shopping but haven't posted about it. I went today and got some awesome deals. Here's how today's trip went:

• Skintimate Cream Shave, on sale for $2.99 (received a $3 Register Reward for this item making it free!)
• One A Day Women's 2O Multi-vitamin drink mix, 2 pack, $1.49 (will send in for Easy Saver Rebate #1 for $1.49 back making this free!)
• Cottonelle refill wipes, 84 pk x 2, $4.99 each (used Wags coupon making them 2/$5, used $0.50/1 x 2 man coupon)
• Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, 10 pk, on sale 2/$5 (used $1/2 man coupon, received a $2 RR for this purchase)
• Hershey Kit Kat bar x 2, 2/$1.59 (got these both free with in-ad sale, will explain below)
• Pringles chips x 4, 2/$4 (used Wags coupon making them 2/$3, used $1/2 x 2 man coupon)
• Diet Coke x 2, 2/$2.89 (used two Coke Rewards coupons making these both free)
  
• Edge shaving gel, on sale for $2.99 (received a $3 Register Reward for this item making it free! I also did this in a separate transaction since the other shaving gel is from the same company and I wanted to make sure I got both RR's.)
• Chapstick Naturals, on sale for $1.99 (received a $2 RR making this free!)

Total before coupons, rebates and RR's: $38.04
Total after coupons, rebates and RR's: -$5.41
Total saved: That's right - I got PAID $5.41 for the above purchase, keep reading to understand why

Normally I do not count the Register Rewards I redeem in a purchase when I show my numbers because I already counted them on the previous deal. If you count them again, you're double counting and it's not reflecting the true amount you save. However, since I did not post about my last deals, I got to count them on this one. Like my logic? :) Anyway, I redeemed $16 in register rewards so that really took my total down.

When you use Register Rewards to help get more Register Rewards, it's called "rolling". That's a bit of a goal, use RR's to help get more RR's. That way you really aren't spending money out of pocket.

Also, I got the Kit Kat's for free because in this week's flyer it states if you buy a Coke or Diet Coke, you get a free Hershey candy. I ended up getting the two Cokes and the candy free because I had the Coke Rewards coupons to use. Coke Rewards is a point system, sign up for free and you enter points off their products that you can redeem. I had a bunch so I just choose free 20 oz coupons.

I also wanted to notify everyone that Walmart has Gerber sleepers on clearance for $3. They are the blanket sleepers (with footies) and footless kind and come 2 to a pack. They hardly had anything for boys but a bunch of girl ones. I picked a few up for Nadia. At $1.50 a sleeper, that's a good deal! There's also the opportunity to get some free mascara from Rimmel if you purchase the All You April edition magazine (it's Walmart's magazine). There are several good coupons in it this month and you get a $6.47 masacara for free (coupon in the mag). Pam cooking spray is on rollback for $2.88 and there was a $1/1 man coupon in that magazine. I had Pam on my list so I got some cheap cooking spray too!

Squeeee!

I went to the St. Paul Mother's of Multiples Group sale today. A couple times a year this group has a big used clothing and equipment sale. My sister-in-law always tips me off about the sales (thanks Andrea!) and we went today and found some great stuff! Guess this is my "warm up" for garage sale season. :)

Here are some photos of what I picked up:

A pretty sundress for Nadia for this summer. It's made by Blueber: boulevard and someone gave us a dress by the same company as a baby gift when Nadia was born that was 12 month size. I LOVED that dress, I put her in it all the time last summer. So I must really like this company since I was drawn to this particular dress.


A capri and t-shirt set - very cute!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dress. It's so well made and heavy weighted so it's a perfect cold-weather dress. It feels like flannel, so soft. It's by a company called Chubby Moon which I can't find much info about online except it's a Canadian company. It looks handmade, like it's from a home business or something. Very well made. Anyway, I just adore this dress!!!

Cute polka-dot blouse/possible dress! It's an antique blue with brown dots and accents. Very sweet. This is from a company called Good Lad of Philadelphia. Their outfits run an average of $40-$60. I think I paid $1.50 for this top.

Nice Old Navy button up polo for Viggo. I really didn't find much at all for him there. Nothing that really stood out.

Shoes! Thomas slippers for Viggo; sneakers, sandals and the cutest little red dress shoes EVER for Nadia. I don't think they'd ever been worn, the soles were perfect looking (as is the shoe itself).

A pink poodle backpack for Nadia (Viggo got a yellow bear one very similar to this for Christmas so I knew Nadia would want one too) and a bag of cars for Viggo.

Shopping at this kind of sale was lots of fun! So much to look at. The prices tend to be higher than garage sales but cheaper than consignment stores. I spent $22 for everything which averages out to about $2 per item. Not bad considering these are name brand clothes that are in pristine condition.

Now you tell me....is this not the most adorable outfit ever:I can't wait to get her in it!!! Will definitely have to take a picture.

I love my son to pieces but there's just something about dressing up a little girl!

Forgot to mention this!

If you buy Huggies Diapers please keep all your receipts to send into the Caregivers Marketplace!!!

This company will give you $0.75 per package back on Huggies Diapers (they do Pull-ups and Balmex too). There are a lot of products besides child items as well that they will give you a rebate on so go to the website and look at the qualifying products. You can buy these products from anywhere; Target, Walmart, the grocery store, wherever!

They have changed their program a little since I first did this but it looks like you can register online and send in your receipts that way or you can print the cash back form from online and mail it in. Anyway, when I do this the next time, it will be a new process for me too. But I have sent in my receipts before and did get a check back! So it's totally valid!

I did the Huggies Deal three times this week at Walgreen's so now I can send in my receipts and get $6.75 back from buying diapers. After I get that check, I will have paid $8.25 for 9 PACKS OF DIAPERS!!!! That's less than paying for one pack alone!

If the store is out of the size you need or could use at some point, try seeing if the manager would work a deal with you where you could get a $10 gift card for the store and a rain check so you can buy them when they are in stock again. Never hurts to ask. Or, try another Walgreen's!

Walgreen's Weekend

Awwww. Loooook. It's all laid out like Santa came! Here's what I got this weekend (note: some of these deals were from last week since I shopped on Saturday and Sunday, I'll put the current deals in blue text to differentiate) -

• Colgate Max toothpaste, 6 oz on sale for $3.29 x 2 (used $0.75/1 x 2 man coupon, received a $3.50 Register Reward x 2 making this purchase a profit of $1.92!) Note: In order to get both RR's I had to purchase them in seperate transactions
• Walgreen diapers, one premium, one regular, on sale 2/$9
• Diet Coke, $1.49 x 2 (one not pictured since I drank it, used BOGO Walgreens coupon)
• Huggies Gentle Care diapers, on sale for $10 x 3 (used $5/1 x 3 man coupons, received a $10 RR for purchasing $25 in Kimberly-Clark items - see ad for details)
• MN StarTribune paper, $2 x 2 (not pictured)
• Crest pro-health whitening toothpaste, 4.2 oz on sale for $2.49 x 2 (used $1/1 x 2 man coupon, received a $1 RR x 2) Note: In order to get both RR's I had to purchase them in seperate transactions
• Red Baron pizza, on sale 2/$5 x 2 (used $1/2 x 2 man coupons)
• Duracell AAA batteries, 8 pack $5.99 x 2 (used $0.75/1 x 2 man coupons)
• Garnier Fructis Waves style spray, on sale for $2.99 (used $2/1 Easy Saver coupon, used $1/1 man coupon making this free!)
• Coffee Mate, on sale for $2.49 and BOGO (used $0.50/1 man coupon)
• Right Guard deodorant, on sale for $2.99 x 2 (used $1/2 man coupon, received $2 RR for purchasing one - I bought two since my coupon stated $1 off the purchase of 2 so here's an example of how if you buy multiple items that are supposed to generate RR's, you'll only get one RR)
• Huggies Natural Fit diapers, on sale for $10 x 3 (used $3/1 x 3 man coupons, received a $10 RR for purchasing $25 in Kimberly-Clark items - see ad for details - I also made this purchase seperate from the other Huggies purchase so I'd get both $10 RR's)

Total before coupons and RR's: $125.76
Total after coupons and RR's: $48.28
Total saved: $77.48 or 62%

I got some good deals on items we really needed around the house. Like the batteries, deodorant and Coffee Mate. The diapers are on a fantastic deal right now! You can find those high dollar coupons online here and here. Scroll through the available coupons until you see the Huggies ones and select those to print. DON'T FORGET TO HIT YOUR BROWSER'S BACK BUTTON AFTER IT CONFIRMS THE COUPON HAS PRINTED. Why? So you can get two copies of the coupon of course!

Leave a comment here if you have any questions on these deals!

Walgreen's 2/27 and sweet kids

• Disney Princess plate, on clearance for $0.50
• Walgreen's No-Rub contact solution, on sale for $1.99 (will send in for ESR # 5, making this Free!)
  
• Reynolds Wrap, $1.69 x 2 (used Wags coupon making them $0.89 each, used $1/1 x 2 man coupon making this purchase a profit of $0.22)
• Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves shampoo, $3.99 (used $1/1 man coupon, will send in for ESR #3 making this purchase a profit of $1.00!)
• Revlon Age Defying Spa Concealor, on sale for $9.99 (used $1/1 man coupon, will send in for ESR #2 making this purchase a profit of $1.00!)
• Thermacare heat wrap, travel size, on sale for $2.49 (will send in for ESR #6 making this purchase Free!)
• Hershey peanut butter cups, $0.50 x 2 (used Wags coupon buy one for $0.89, get one free)
• Snicker king size bar, on sale for $1 x 3
• Walgreen's chocolate nutritioinal drink 6-pack, on sale for $4.00 (will send in for ESR #14 making this purchase Free!)

Total before coupons and rebates: $31.81
Total after coupons and rebates: $3.64
Total saved: $28.17 or 89%!

Isn't the Disney Princess plate cute? I'll save it to put in Nadia's Easter basket.

So beyond the chocolate splurges (what? Sometimes a girl needs some chocolate!), everything was free! There were a couple other items I wanted to get but were not available. If I would have gotten those, I actually would have made money on this transaction. Oh well!

Here's a cute photo I snapped of the kiddos the other day watching TV together:

For a moment, I think they were even holding hands. Sometimes they are just too darn cute! I also find it funny how Viggo has deemed that the red chair is his and the blue chair is Nadia's. Anytime Nadia goes to sit in the red chair, Viggo tells her she can't and then usually will bring over the blue one and say "Here Nana, this your chair". He is also into bossing her around a lot lately. I don't think she puts up with much of it though (that's my girl!).

How far will $5.10 go at Target?

How about this:

• Goldfish, $1.79 x 2 (used $1/1 Target printable x 2)
• Dora sticker book, $1 at The One Spot
• Satin care shaving cream travel size, $0.99 x 2 (used $0.55/1 x 2 man coupon)
• Head & Shoulders travel size, $0.97 x 2 (used $1/1 x 2 man coupon)
• Bausch & Lomb eye drops travel size, $0.99 x 2 (used $3/1 x 2 man coupon making this purchase a money maker of $4!)
• Boys t-shirt, on clearance for $2.50
• Girls pants, on clearance for $1.98!

Total before clearance and coupons: $23.92
Total after clearance and coupons: $5.10
Total saved: $18.82 or 79%

You can get your Target printables on their website or at A Full Cup. I just registered today at A Full Cup and I love their site. There is a TON of information on there for saving money at almost any store. It's free to join so go get yourself an account!!

I thought the Dora stickers would be a good thing to put in Nadia's Easter basket so I'll save those. And those green pants are so adorable - I couldn't believe they were only $2! They are way too big now but in the future she can wear them. They'd even make for cute St. Patrick Day pants.

Lots of times you can buy travel size items and use a manufacturer coupon which will make them free. Unless the coupon states "excludes trial size" it's fine to use them. So getting those eye drops was a big score because I "earned" $4 using those two coupons. That money got absorbed by other items in my cart and it made my money go even further. Always remember if you are going to use a coupon that exceeds the value of the product you are buying, put something else in your cart to absorb the overage. A pack of gum, a pencil, whatever it takes to get you as close to $0.01 as possible. The store is NOT going to give you money back, the register is NOT going to show a negative total.

When I was shopping I almost bought a refill for the Kandoo soap that the kids use. We have one dispenser that is just about empty. It's the foam soap and I really like that better because it's easier for the kids to wash their hands up. However I started thinking there's got to be a cheaper way to do this - even beyond using a coupon.

So I went online and did a Swagbucks search (and won Swagbucks!! - see to your right on how you can too) and found a really awesome website. It's called Instructables and I learned how to make my own foam soap refill! There are instructions on this website for just about anything. Just another great reference if you're looking on how to do something.

Walgreens on 2/17

• Hershey Kisses, on clearance for $1.25 each x 8 (used $2/2 x 2 man coupons and sent in for the February Easy Saver Rebate #35 making all these bags of candy a total of $1!)
• Yes to Carrots lip butter, on sale for $2.76 x 2 (used $1/1 x 2 Wags coupon, used $2/1 x 2 man coupon making these a profit of $0.48)
• Revlon Creme lip gloss, on sale for $9.99 and BOGO (used $2/1 x 2 man coupon, sent in for the Free after rebate on one of these making this purchase a profit of $4!!)
• Schick Quattro Titanium razors, 4 pack, on sale for $8.99 x 2 (used $3/1 x 2 Wags coupon, used $2/1 x 2 man coupon)
• Walgreens premium diapers, 30 pack, $8.99 x 2 (used $3/1 x 2 Wags coupon, special promotion this month of $2 off when you buy 2 packs - no coupons needed, the register will deduct)
• Glade Sense & Spray air freshener, on sale for $8.99 x 4 (used BOGO x 2 man coupon, used $4/1 x 2 man coupon, will send in for February Easy Save Rebate #28 for $12 back making this purchase a profit of $2.02!!)

Total before coupons and rebates: $112.45
Total after coupons and rebates: $17.49
Total saved: $94.96 or 84%!!!!

So the candy will definitely need to be scattered amongst people. There's no way I'd even contemplate eating 8 bags of Hershey kisses.

The Yes to Carrots lip balm is a fun score. I've never tried this brand before. Hope it's good!

The Revlon lip gloss was a HUGE score - a profit! This is another reason I don't run out and get the FAR items as soon as they're available. You never know what kind of sale is going to come up and this was a great chance to get TWO lip glosses for free and even make some money on it.

Damian needed the razors so that was a bit of a "splurge". Still I think I saved pretty good on them although I don't know for sure. I haven't priced compared them using a coupon at say, Target or Walmart. I'll have to look into that and make sure this is a good deal.

The Walgreens diapers....well, I bought the premium ones since they didn't have the regular ones on the shelves in the size I needed. Walgreens diapers are about the only generic diaper we will use since we've tried every other kind known to man and we don't like them (with exception to those Kirland diapers I mentioned in my previous freebies post). I haven't used these premium ones yet so I don't know the difference in them vs. the regular ones. I hope they are just as good or better. I don't like that they have fewer diapers then the regular pack because they are "premium" but I thought I'd at least try them and see what I thought. They came out to $4.99 a pack which comes to $0.17 a diaper. If you were to buy, say Pampers, in the same premium version with a $1/1 coupon (which is pretty typical) they'd come out to $0.30 a diaper. As you can see, buying generic is quite the savings. I don't recommend these for night-time wear but they are a great alternative for day usage.

The Glade Sense & Spray air freshners was another great example of how you can match sales with coupons with rebates. I got 4 of these and made $2!

This was a fun trip!!

Walgreen's is my Valentine

Ok, not really. Damian is definitely my Valentine! We had our little date out last night. We went to dinner at Harry's in Lakeville. We love their food and they have a gigantic menu, whatever you're in the mood for, they have it. After that we decided to run over to Best Buy and pick up the software to do our taxes. We perused the movie and Wii selection. Then I spoted a drum set they had out for the Xbox game Rockstar (or something....don't quote me on that). Anyhow, I started pressing various buttons and before I knew it the thing started playing a song for a game. I sat down and decided to give it a whirl. OH MY GOSH - SO FUN!!!

After the first song I had stripped off my jacket and threw it and my purse at Damian so I could rock out. Poor guy straggled off into the computer section carrying my things. The problem is, now I want one. We don't have an Xbox but we do have a Wii and apparently they have this for the Wii too. But by the time you buy the drum set and game you'd be broke. So I'll just have to check ebay or craigslist occasionally or sadly live off my one shining moment in Best Buy.

After my performance, we went to see Slumdog Millionaire. It was really good. Believe it or not I managed to not cry even though there were a couple moments had I wanted to blubber I could have. It was also a great Valentine movie to see since it is very much a love story. We had a fun night and even got home early enough to watch some tv together.

Today I went to Walgreen's and got in some of the last second shopping for the week (new sales always start on Sunday's). I was dissapointed in what was left, a few of the items on my list weren't on the shelves. Here's what I came home with:

• Altoids, $1.99 x 2 (used Wags BOGO coupon)
• Scrubbing Bubbles toilet gel, on sale $3.50 x 2 (used $1/1 man coupon x 2, will send in for February ES Rebate of $1 each)
• Schick Quattro disposable razors, 3 pack, on sale for $4.99 x 4 (used $2/1 IVC x 4, used $2/1 x 4 man coupon)
• Dawn Dish soap, $1.99 (used Wags coupon making them $0.99 each, used $0.25/1 x 2 man coupon)

Total before coupons and rebates: $36.67
Total after coupons and rebates: $11.68
Total saved: $24.99 or 68%

Pretty good deal. I actually used $4 in register rewards but since I have already counted them in a previous deal, I can't double count them. I also paid with my gift card rebate money so none of this came directly out of pocket. That's what is great about doing the rebates with Walgreen's - if you have it put on a gift card you get 110% back since they give you a 10% bonus because you choose having your refund as a gift card instead of a check. I always do that because you can use it to either pay for more deals, photos or even a prescription! There's always something you can use the card there for.

I'm saving my FAR items to see if a special coupon comes out this month. Sometimes Walgreen's will put out a $5/$20 purchase or something of the sort. If you save up your FAR items (free after rebate) buying until the coupon comes out, you'll earn even more money when you group it with manufacturer coupons!

Just in case anyone missed it, I am hosting a Mom Night Out for our MOPS group on the 26th of this month at 6:30 at my home to teach you about this type of shopping. Anyone is welcome, even if you aren't in MOPS! If you want more information, let me know!

Recent Target Scores

• Johnson & Johnson naturals body wash - on clearance for $2.14 each (originally $4.28 ea)
• Johnson Buddies soaps - $0.97 each - used $1/1 man coupon making both soaps free!
• Blue hoodie - on clearance for $2.24
• Valentine Dora book for Nadia - no coupon or sale but this was for her Valentine's gift
• Suave kids body wash - on sale for $1.50 - used a coupon for a free Suave product up to $3 but instead of just getting this for free, she took $3 off so I earned money!
• King size quilt - on clearance for $34.98 (originally $70!)
• Matching shams - on clearance for $7.48 (originally $15)
• Potholder set - on clearance for $4.18
• Bamboo towel set - on clearance for $4.98
• Microfiber towel pack - on clearance for $4.98
• Always pads - come on people, this was a necessity
• Lightening McQueen socks - $1 from the One Spot, a Valentine gift for Viggo
  
• Bath rugs - on clearance for $4.24 for the large ones, $2.24 for the smaller purple one
• Bath toilet covers - on clearance for $2.24

Some really great sales on bath and linen items! I love that quilt, so pretty. We have a queen size bed but I always buy king sized quilts so they fit better and Damian and I aren't fighting over who has more covers. :) I LOVE microfiber towels. They absorb water so well and are awesome to use when drying dishes. I've never had bamboo towels so I'll have to give them a whirl. I've always heard people say good things about bamboo so I thought since they were on clearance I would see if I like them.

Now I don't really need all those bathroom sets at the moment. But, at 75% off I figured I could store them until we do need to replace some and I will have brand new, super cheap sets ready to go. I usually end up replacing a set once every 3 or 4 years because that rubber backing starts to get gross.

Freebies!

I love getting stuff in the mail! Here's a photo of some of the most recent items I've gotten:

• Sample of Crest Whitening strips with a $10 off coupon
• Two Kirkland diaper samples from Costco
  
• Free sample of Orville Redenbacher natural pop corn with coupon
  
• Gold Bond lotion sample with coupon
• Glad storage bag with coupon
• Coupon for a free can of diced salt free tomatoes
• Coupon for a free bottle of Dr. Pepper
• Coupon for a free pack of Kids Essentials nutritional drink

Ok - so the whitening strips are a neat sample but I'm not sure how someone is going to be able to see whiter teeth after just one application. Guess I'll give them a try and see.

The Kirkland diapers are awesome - I love these! I would compare them to Huggies, very similar. Since there's no nearby Costco for us I don't think we would be able to buy them since I haven't seen them anywhere else before.

We love the Orville Redenbacher natural popcorns. Our favorite is the butter garlic kind. Very tasty and this particular sample seems to pop up a lot so we've gotten several packs of free popcorn before. Goes great with our Netflix movie night.

The lotion sample is kind of funny since there's barely enough there to even moisturize my hands. Oh well, it was free!

The Glad storage bag isn't that exciting. It's a plastic storage bag - woo-hoo?

I already got my free can of tomatoes and used them with a Tastefully Simple marinara mix and it tasted great!

I also got the free Dr. Pepper. I love Dr. Pepper. I love a FREE Dr. Pepper even more!

The Kid's Essentials drink pack was the biggest score! The coupon was valued up to $14.99! I got these at Target and I had a Target $2 off coupon as well so I actually got paid $2 to try this 6 pack drink. It's like a nutritional substitute and it even has a probiotic straw - how neat is that?! Viggo loves them. It's a nice thing to have in the house because some nights he doesn't want to eat what we are having for dinner and I can give him one of these drinks and not feel so bad that he's missing out on food.

I linked all the freebies that I believe are still available - go get some free stuff!

Some random photos

Here are some of the latest pictures of the kids:


Viggo wearing his handmade glasses


A "Hey Nadia!" photo


Nadia trying Mom's shoes on for size


Super Viggo!! Yes, that's what he calls himself. He even put this on by himself during "nap" time.

Walgreens - 1/30/09

One of the things I'll be posting here are the amazing shopping deals I get. I want to share with other people ways they can also save money! So here's what I picked up this evening:

• Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste, 6oz x 2, on sale for $2.99 each (used a $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon x 2, received a $2 Register Reward for each toothpaste - I did two transactions so I could get both RR's)
• Puff's Plus tissues, 60 count x 2, $1.79 each (used Walgreen's flyer coupon making them $0.89/box, used $0.25/1 man coupon x 2)
• Revlon Matte lipstick, $7.99 (used $2/1 man coupon, will send in for the Free After Rebate item in the January Easy Saver book making this transaction a profit of $2!)
• Revlon Lip gloss, $7.49 (used $2/1 man coupon, was on sale as a BOGO - the lipstick being the "buy one" so I ended up getting this lip gloss for $1.75)
• Hershey milk chocolate with almonds x 4, Hershey dark chocolate x 4, $0.81 each (used Wags coupon BOGO, used BOGO man coupon x 4 making all this chocolate FREE!)
• Dove deodorant, 2.6 oz x 2, $3.29 each (used Wags coupon making them $1.99 each, used $1.50/2 man coupon)
• Orajel cold sore brush, $8.49 (used $1/1 man coupon, will send in for the Free After Rebate item in the January Easy Saver book, will send in a manufacturer Free After Rebate form, making this a money maker of $9!!!)
• Kraft Mayo, 32 oz, on sale for $2.99 (used $0.75/1 man coupon)
• Sara Lee 100% whole wheat soft and smooth bread x 2, on sale for 2/$4
• Red Baron Special Delux pizza x 2, on sale for 2/$5 (used $1/2 manufacturer coupon)

Total before coupons, RR's and rebates: $59.04
Total after coupons, RR's and rebates: $10.37
Total saved: $48.67 or 82%!!

Pretty impressive huh? If someone wants the Orajel let me know. I've never had a cold sore before and the only reason I bought it was because I'd make money doing it.

Welcome!

Welcome to our family blog where we'll post a whole gamut of things. Stories about the kids, photos, our daily adventures and April's obsessive deal hunting. Sit back and enjoy!