New LUVS Super Absorbent Leakguard review

After three kids I know my way around a diaper! I was offered the opportunity by SheSpeaks to test run LUVS new diapers and I was happy to do so.

Typically, I purchase diapers at Costco in bulk for savings. They only offer their Kirkland brand and Huggies. There is almost always a $5 off a box of diapers between the two brands. My cost per diaper after a coupon is $0.25 ($0.29 without a coupon). Now that my youngest is starting to potty train I will be phasing diapers out but we will still use them at night for just in case until we are confident in night training.

The first thing I noticed with the LUVS is that they have a nice, powder smell. While I find the smell pleasant, I also am concerned with extra chemicals added to give that smell that are not necessary.  I was also worried that the smells could attribute to a diaper rash or skin reaction but thankfully it did not!

These new LUVS super absorbent diapers are supposed to have a night lock feature to keep your baby dry overnight.  They are very thin and not at all bulky.
 

The diapers I opted to receive were size 6, their largest.  My young 2 year old is a big kid so I went with the larger size.  These diapers fit him well, a little long but I know size 5 would have been too small.  He liked wearing the LUVS because they had a monkey on them and he liked to look at the monkey when I changed him.  I did notice that the tabs for the diaper were not the greatest if you had to reapply but they held strong and did not tear....something I have had repeated problems with on Huggies brand.

We never had any leak problems with these LUVS and I was very happy overall with their performance!  Their price per diaper (for a size 6) was $0.27.  That is a good deal when you compare other name brand diapers.  I know I can get diapers from Costco a couple cents cheaper but there are times that I may run out and going all the way to Costco, which is not local for me, would be silly just to save 2 cents a diaper.  I would totally supplement with LUVS and as we move past this phase of life, recommend them to all new moms!

To learn more about Luvs, please visit their website, or Click Here to learn more about the new Super Absorbent diapers. Be sure to  follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well!

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Luvs but the views in this post remain my own.

Celebrate the season with Torani!

I love a good cup of coffee.  In fact, I need a good cup of coffee to really jump start my day.  Recently I've had the opportunity to try Torani sugar free syrup.  The Torani syrup adds a little extra flavor and enjoyment to my every day coffee and saves me on the extra calories that I don't need (especially this time of year). 

Two of the flavors I've experienced are the Salted Carmel and French Vanilla.  Each of these adds a distinct flavor and aroma to my basic breakfast blend coffee.  Torani helps keep my coffee shop habit in check.  I can use these syrups in my coffee and still feel like I'm drinking a fancy barista made latte (except I'm the barista and it's a heck of a lot cheaper)!

I recommend using these syrups in non-flavored coffee.  I feel that when you use these in combination with flavored coffee and flavored creamer, you loose the taste of the syrup and it really isn't all that good with so many flavors kicking around.  Keep it simple!

Enjoy your next morning brew with some Torani's!

*This post is sponsored by SheSpeaks and Torani

Cooking Light Cravebox

I recently received the Cooking Light box from one of my favorite subscription companies, Cravebox!  The box was packed with lots of delicious treats my family is currently enjoying. Inside this fun box was:

Torani Sugar-Free Salted Caramel Syrup
Dole Fruit Crisps in Apple Pear, Apple Cinnamon, and Peach
Tully's Coffee
2 bottles of McCormick Salt Free Garlic and Herb seasoning
Nectresse sweetener

We also received coupons, a measure conversion magnet, a discount for Cooking Light magazine, and recipes for the goodies inside our box!

The first thing my family tried were the Dole Fruit Crisps for dessert.  Each package had two containers of the fruit crisps and we got three different flavors; apple pear, apple cinnamon, and peach.  The cup had the fruit with a thicker type sauce and granola topping.  I warmed them up for 20 seconds in the microwave and then added the granola topping.  They were all great but my favorite was the peach!  All the kids enjoyed them and I would definitely buy these again as a healthier option for dessert.

Next I tried the Torani Sugar-Free Salted Caramel Syrup and the Nectresse sweetener in my coffee.  I was definitely shocked at the large bottle we received and to learn that there are so many ways to use this syrup besides just in your coffee. The syrup definitely gave my coffee a nice flavor and the Nectresse helped sweeten it as well.  I know I'll be using these up in my coffee routine!

I have not tried the Tully's Coffee we were sent since I am instead giving it away as part of a coffee basket I'm making for a school fundraiser.  I have had Tully's brand coffee before and give it two thumbs up though.  I'm sure my basket will get great bids on it and someone else will enjoy it while also raising funds for the school!

I've also yet to try the McCormick Salt Free Garlic and Herb seasoning BUT I know my family will love it.  My husband and I are both big garlic fans so this is perfect for us.  I also don't use much salt in my cooking and hardly ever add it on my cooked food.  I think I will try making the chicken recipe that we received with my new McCormick seasoning.

I figure the value of the box to be over $30 and I paid $13 for this box (that included shipping).  All in all a fabulous deal for some neat products!

If you would like to start receiving your own Cravebox, you are in luck!  They have recently changed their program from a monthly subscription to a lottery style so there is no longer a wait list.  Each box will be in the form of a drawing.  If there is a box you are interested in (they don't tell you what is in each box but they are themed), you enter the drawing and cross you fingers you are selected.  You will need to have your credit card on file since they process it soon after the drawing is made.  This lottery system is a nice way to avoid getting certain boxes like the Dog box when you don't have a dog! 

I have been a Cravebox member for about a year and only once was I let down with a box.  I really recommend this program if you are looking for a treat for yourself once in a while!

*I was not paid nor did I receive any free products in exchange for this review. All opinions are 100% my own based off my experience with the product.

Influenster's new look

Hi all!  I know it's been some time since I've been here writing but thought I'd try again.  I'd like to regularly update with current products I'm testing and tell you all what I think.

Today I'll share with you a program I signed up with at the end of last year called Influenster.  Like other test product companies, they send you products to try and you in turn give your feedback on them.  I have gotten two boxes so far, a Palmolive dish soap package (that I also subsequently won a prize with and was shipped another box of goodies) and the Mom VoxBox this past summer.  It was packed full of fun items like nails, sweetner, soap, and a Quaker Oats cookie!

In just the last couple months, Influenster has updated their website.  It is much more user friendly and faster than before.  The only thing that I missed the first time I went to it was reading the about page and I wish I would have.  You can initially only unlock 5 badges until you earn rights to unlock more.  Had I known that, I would have unlocked more badges that better fit my profile instead of going down their list trying to unlock each one.  So heed that warning if you sign up and only select badges that best fit you first!

To read more about how the program works and sign up (why not, you get free stuff) go to Influenster now!  (and don't forget to read the about page before you start unlocking those badges!)

Cravebox

I know it's been a while since I posted on this blog but I had to share a fun new program I just signed up with! I'm going to start trying to post about products and programs I'm participating in so that my friends can get my opinion.

I have been a member of SheSpeaks for awhile now. SheSpeaks is a product testing company - they send you products to try, you give your opinion. I'm sure they are hoping you'll like the products and tell your friends and family. They also give feedback to the company so even if you don't like something, that company hears your real opinion and hopefully they make improvements in the product.

A month or so ago I received an email from SheSpeaks about a new opportunity coming up. It was Cravebox and for $10 a month they would send you 4-5 products to try and give your opinion (this includes the shipping cost). I already participate in a simliar program geared towards high end beauty products called Birchbox. While I've enjoyed Birchbox as well, I'm not huge on high end (read: expensive) beauty products, so when I heard Cravebox would offer a whole range of types of products to try, I decided I would check it out and then pick which program I liked best. Truth be told, I haven't picked yet and still am on both memberships (I'll have to pick soon, $10 I can justify, $20 is getting to be too much).

Anyway...I signed up and got my first Cravebox this past Friday. I was extremely pleased with the contents and felt the products were well worth the $10 investment. Here's what was included:

• 2 packs of Bic For Her pens (retails for around $3 a pack at Walmart)
• Baci chocolate truffles (approx. $1.24 value)
  
• Mereadesso Beautiful Body Balm ($54 value!!)
  
• OPI Nic's Sticks ($4.99 value)
  
• Perugina chocolate bar ($1.75 value)

I'm not normally a dark chocolate person but I really did like the Perugina bar. The almonds were "caramelized" and really gave great flavor to the chocolate. No opinion yet on the truffles since I'm waiting for a quiet time after I get a bunch of busy Christmas projects done to sit with a nice cup of coffee and no kids to enjoy them!

I like the smell of the lotion. It's not too thick, not too thin. I get super dry skin in the winter with the harsh MN air and after I applied this lotion, my skin was soft and moisturized.

On to the pens...I'm not really sure why they are called Bic for Her unless it's because they have a feminine look to them. I tried using them at first to write on the back of a photo but because they are gel ink, it didn't work. I did use them to address my Christmas letter envelopes and they worked fine. Nothing in particular made them stand out but I do love gel ink (except when trying to notate photos).

The OPI Nic Stick's is a new product to me. I've never used nail polish this way but, wow, how cool! I am totally sold on the Nic Stick's and how easy and less messy they are then the traditional nail polish bottle. I don't often wear nail polish (with 3 kids, one being a baby, who has time to apply it?) but this product could sway me. Since it's portable I could easily do my nails on the go or waiting for a kid to finish up an extracurricular activity or whenever there's a free moment to paint a few nails. Eventually I'd get them all done, right?

So my vote is if you're looking to pamper yourself, go sign up with Cravebox and for $10 a month you can take part in trying new products!

(I am not paid nor do I receive any type of credit for friends signing up for Cravebox. I just genuinely think it's a fun program and am recommending it)

Walgreens Shopping 5/2/11

My register rewards were expiring today so I had to hit up Walgreens! :) Here's a photo of today's haul:

• Puff's Plus tissues, $1.49 x 3 (used a Walgreens coupon that made them $0.99 each)
• Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor, on sale for $9.89 (used a $4/1 coupon and received a $5 register reward)
• Noxema disposable razors, 4 pack, on sale for $3.99 (used a $2/1 coupon and received a $3 register reward)
• Right Guard Total Defense 5 deodorant, on sale for $2.99 x 2 (used a BOGO coupon and received a $2 register reward)
• Renpure Organics shampoo, on sale for $5.99 (received a $4 register reward)
• Right Guard Defense 5 body wash, on sale for $4.49 x 2 and BOGO (used a BOGO coupon making these both free!)
• Tylenol Precise heat wraps, 3 pack, $7.99 (used $5/1 coupon and a $3/1 Walgreens coupon making this item free!)
• GUM flossers, on sale for $2 (received a $2 register reward)
• Scotch padded mailer, 3/$1.50 (used Walgreens coupon making them $0.39 each)
• Reese Peanut butter cups, on sale for $0.49 x 3

Total before coupons and register rewards: $54.87
Total after coupons and register rewards: $16.07
Total saved: $38.80 or 71%

Walgreens Shopping 4/18/11 *Part 2*

WHOA! Two posts in one day when I've neglected this blog for nearly a year?! :)

What can I say, those register rewards were burning a hole in my pocket. I sat down at the kid's nap time and went through a more in depth review of sales and decided I needed to head back today and "roll" my register rewards. Rolling rewards means you use current rewards you have to buy products that will in turn net you more register rewards. There's lots of rules that I won't go into on this post but if you're ever interested just ask me.

So here's what I picked up this evening:

Transaction 1

• Chocolate covered peeps, 2/$1 (used Walgreen's 2/$1 coupon, used $1/2 manufacturer coupon making these free!)
• Cadbury creme egg, 2/$1 x 2 (used Walgreen's 2/$1 coupon x 2)
• Lightening McQueen Easter egg, $0.99
  
• Gillette Deodorant, on sale for buy one get one 1/2 off, $4.99 each (used $1/1 x 2 manufacturer coupon plus the register took off $2.50 for the 1/2 price)
• Schick Hydro shave gel, on sale buy one get one free, $3.79 each (used $0.75/1 x 2 manufacturer coupon plus the register took off $3.79 for the bogo)
• Colgate 360 toothbrush and Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste, on sale 2/$6 (used $1/1 x 2 and received a $4 register reward)
• Reach Total Care toothbrush, $2.99 (used $1/1 manufacturer coupon and received a $2 register reward)
• Biore Pore Strips and Make Up removal towelettes, $7.49 and $8.49 (used buy a pore strips get a cleanser for FREE manufacturer coupon and received a $5 register reward)
• Skintimate shave gel, on sale 2/$4 (used $0.55/1 x 2 manufacturer coupon *I must have misread a blog post because I thought I would receive a $2 register reward but that didn't happen. I paid more than I usually would for shave gel*)

Total before coupons and register rewards: $56.59
Total after coupons and register rewards: $20.78
Total saved: $35.81 or 64%

Transaction 2

• Biore Pore Strips and Make Up removal towelettes, $7.49 and $8.49 (used buy a pore strips get a cleanser for FREE manufacturer coupon and received a $5 register reward)
• Dora Easter Egg, $0.99
• Mini Stickerbook, on sale 2/$1
• Reach Total Care floss, on sale for $2.99 (used $1/1 manufacturer coupon and received a $2 register reward

Total before coupons and register rewards: $22.94
Total after coupons and register rewards: $6.45
Total saved: $16.49 or 72%

By the way...I actually paid less than the totals listed BUT I never count my register rewards twice so the ones I earn on each trip, I always include them in my current purchase totals. Counting the ones I earned from my last shopping trip on top of the ones I earned this trip would be an inaccurate showing of true money spent.

Walgreens Shopping 4/18/11

It certainly has been a loooong time since I posted on this blog. I haven't been doing much of the Walgreens shopping but still use lots of coupons and try my best to save as much money as possible.

I did do some Walgreens shopping today though! With baby #3 on they way and rumored diaper price increases this summer, I've been trying to stockpile diapers. I'm not too picky on brand (except at night time, I only use Huggies or Pampers, storebrands are usually not good for overnights) and Huggies has had some awesome coupons out lately! So pair them with a sale at a store and you're really getting a good deal.

Here's what I ended up with today at Walgreens:


Transaction 1

• Goody Ouchless hair accessory, $3 (received a $3 register reward making this free!)
• Huggies diapers, on sale for $8.99, x 3 (used $3/1 x 3 manufacturer coupons, received a $5 register reward for purchasing $20 worth of product)
• Duracell AAA 10 pk with bonus screwdriver, on sale for $5.99 x 2 (used $1.50/1 x 2 manufacturer coupons, received a $3 register reward)
• Always liners, on sale for 2/$6 (used $0.50/1 x 2 manufacturer coupons, received $4 register reward for purchasing two of product)

Total before coupons and register rewards: $48.98
Total after coupons and register rewards: $20.98
Total saved: $28 or 57%


Transaction 2

• Huggies diapers, on sale for $8.99, x 3 (used $3/1 and $2/1 x 2 manufacturer coupons, received a $5 register reward for purchasing $20 worth of product)
• Goody Ouchless hair accessory, $3 (received a $3 register reward making this free!)

Total before coupons and register rewards: $30.18
Total after coupons and register rewards: $15.18
Total saved: $15 or 50%

Not the biggest deals I've ever gotten, but, diapers are NOT cheap and are only going to go up in price so getting 6 packs of diapers plus batteries, liners and hair accessories for a grand total of just $36.16 is still very good! Hoping there are some other great deals next week to use up these register rewards. Or, perhaps I can get some Easter basket things with them!

I have some other high dollar Huggies coupons that I hope to use at Target this week. My coupons are mostly $3.50 off a 60ct or larger and Target has a coupon in an insert that will give you a $5 gift card when you purchase 2 qualifying packages. Then I think I'll need to stop buying diapers until I evaluate how many of each size I have! (there's a stockpile in my basement right now too) :)

More Walgreen's Shopping

Here is today's score:

• Neutrogena soap x 3, $2.99 each (received a $10 Register Reward for purchasing 3 Neutrogena products which makes this a profit of $1.03!)
• Gillette Fusion Proglide razor, on sale for $9.89 (used a $4/1 manufacturer coupon and received a $5 Register Reward making this a total of $0.89)
• Planters Cashew nuts (not pictured), on sale for $3.49 (received a $1 Register Reward making this $2.49)
• Johnson's Cotton Swabs x 3, $2.49 each (used a Walgreen's coupon making them each $1.99 for a total of $5.97)
• Bengay Pain Relief and Massage Gel x 2, on sale for $4.99 each (used $5/1 x 2 manufacturer coupons making these both free!)
• Biore Porestrips x 2, $7.49 each (used $2/1 x 2 manufacturer coupons and received a $5 Register Reward for buying 2 Biore products making these a total of $5.98)

Total before coupons and Register Rewards (includes tax): $57.52
Total after coupons and Register Rewards (includes tax): $17.02
Total savings: $40.50 or 70%

I was very happy to get the Biore deal because I am almost out of those pore strips (they work awesome by the way)! And moments after taking the picture the Bengay got used on Damian's sore neck (he says it's a little better but he probably needs to go to the chiropractor). And the q-tips were a good deal too so I stocked up.

Walgreens for 5/26

Wow. It has been a while since I showed you a deal (or wrote on this blog thing) but here's what I got today at Walgreens.

• Goody Ouchless Hair Barrettes, on sale for $2.99 (received a $3 Register Reward which made these free!)
• Complete Multipurpose Eye Solution, $7.99 (received a $8 Register Reward which made this free!)
• Colgate Total Advance toothpaste, on sale for $2.99 (used a $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon and also received a $2 Register Reward making the toothpaste $0.25)
• Noxema Disposable Razors x 2, on sale for Buy One Get One Free at $4.99 (used 2 $2/1 manufacturer coupons making each razor pack $0.50)
• Pantene Nature Fusion Shampoo and Conditioner, $4.49 each (used 2 $2/1 manufacturer coupons and received a $2 Register Reward making these $1.49 each)
• Duracell AA 4 pack batteries, $4.99 (used Walgreens flyer coupon making them $2.99 each and a $1/1 manufacturer coupon making a total of $1.99)
• Trident Gum, $1.29 each x 6 (used Walgreens flyer coupon 3/$2 -counts twice- and 2 $1/3 manufacturer coupons making these $0.33/pack)
• Altoids x 6, $1.99 (used Walgreens flyer coupon making them $0.99 each) - these were a "splurge" for Damian

Total before coupons and register rewards: $59.86
Total after coupons and register rewards: $16.38
Total saved: $43.48 or 73%

I'm slowly getting back into some deal shopping. Not sure if I'll always have time to share but I will when I can! Best advice for those looking to start saving like this is buy at least 2 newspapers on Sundays (or if you can find a place that does the early edition on Saturdays you can save some money there too).

Outlet Shopping

This post is brought to you by Amy Kramer. :) Hope you enjoy seeing the deals I scored at the Medford Outlet the last couple weeks:

First up is Viggo's haul. I did really good and with some other clothes I have already bought, I feel like I have his winter wardrobe covered for the next two winters. I might need to pick up a special outfit for Christmas or Easter but for his regular every day clothes and even for church we are good. This time I found 4 pair of pants (one cord, two lined and one dress pair) at Old Navy. I only spent about $1-$2 for each pair! Unbelievable! I also got plenty of t-shirts and a couple polo shirts. I also found some summer tanks for him at Gymboree for 99 cents! I went into Carter's but I am finding less and less clothing for Viggo there. All their cute boy clothes he has already outgrown and the older boy things I don't really care for the style. However I did find socks for him there. I do like their socks a lot so I picked up three packs for him for $1.74 each! At The Children's Place I bought two pair of their lined windbreaker pants at $4.25 each. I got an extra 15% off at TCP because I had my birthday coupon with me (7 more days until the 3-1!). Also not pictured is a nice warm robe I got Viggo at TCP for $5!



Nadia's pile is smaller but don't think she doesn't already have a huge bin of clothes sitting and waiting! The girls selection was more limited this time. I did find a bunch of tops for her at Gymboree for $2-$4 each, which is a huge savings when you're talking Gymboree! I also got her a skort from there. The green and white t-shirt on the bottom are from Old Navy for around $1. The sweater and beaded shirts are from TCP. The picture doesn't do them justice though! That sweater is adorable in person!! I got it for $4.25. The t-shirts were $3.60 each with my extra 15% off birthday coupon. Gloves and mittens were from Carter's, just like Viggo's. They didn't have ANY socks for girls though. :( I got the bunny at Carter's and I thought it would be very cute to put in her Easter basket - it was $3. Those pajamas are adorable and I got them at Target a few weeks ago. I think I paid a couple dollars for each set from the Christmas clearance section.

After all that shopping I went to Target to get a couple storage bins for under the beds. Hehe! Got a good deal on those too! Christmas 110 quart storage bins clearanced to $7! They were half the price of the ones on sale for the same size. And who really cares what color they are, they are hiding under the bed!

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.