Taking a Break

I am going to be taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks. I realized this week how much I have to get done and how little time I have to do it and something had to go. So, for grocery deals, I would point you to the grocery gathering
where you can find several choices for the stores you shop at.

As far as family updates, that is just going to be put on hold.

To give you an idea of what I am trying to get on top of in the next 3 weeks:

I am now working about 30 hours a week
I have 20 weeks of lesson plans for grades K-7 to plan for the 1 day a week school I am teaching at.
I have to put together a school schedule for my kids for the days I am away.
I am still trying to figure out if I can do girl scouts and plan for that.

Life is a little overwhelming. Pray for me.

Full House

No, not the show... my house. This week/weekend we are having another family join our home. Our good friends are moving in on a temporary basis. Here's how it all came together...

They have been looking to buy a house. Right now, they are renting and wanting to move closer to this area of town.

We have not had any income for 6 months and, as you might imagine, having a hard time paying the mortgage.

So, they are going to move in, pay us rent (so we can pay the mortgage), and they are going to save up money for a down payment on a home of their own. I love that we both are able to help the other one out.

I know what you are thinking, "where is everyone going to fit"? Well, things will be a little tight, but it is going to work out good.

Their 4 year old girl is going to join my 3 girls and they are all going to share a room. There was already one set of bunk beds in that room and we just added another. So, 4 girls, 4 beds, 3 dressers, 1 table, 1 t.v. Ya, it's a little tight. Fortunately for them, this is the old master bedroom, so it is big enough to accommodate all that.

Their almost 2 year old boy is going to move in with our 5 year old boy. This room is much smaller but half the kids, so it works too.

Then, right across the hall, Jess and Nathaniel will have a room to themselves. They will share the bathroom with the boys.

Cory and I will still have the master bedroom upstairs and we will share the office/school room. Jess is also going to homeschool, so we added another desk and organized the room to fit all school supplies.

Cory and I realized as we talked about this possibility, that we have had people live with us 5 other times in the past 8 years. It's always an adjustment and involves flexibility from everyone, but it also can be a benefit for all parties involved. We are going into this situation with the understanding that we will not allow for this to ruin our friendship. We know there is potential to do so and we are ready to nip that in the bud.

Living It Up With Mimi and Papa

This post is written specifically for the Mimi and Papa of my kiddos. They left yesterday to spend 5 days in Georgia. I know they are going to have a great time, but I thought it might be nice to send the grandparents a do/don't list. Here goes:

Do

Make them eat their fruits and veggies (fruit roll-ups don't count, Mimi)

Make them say yes ma'm and yes sir

Give them hugs and kisses from mommy (you may have to chase Jordan down, but he'll be glad in the long run :)

Make them clean (you are not their maid)

Teach them a new language... you know the langauge of the South. I wanna hear some ya'll and drawl when they get back :)

Take lots of pictures

Don't

Let them convince you that they can watch anything they want (Texas Chainsaw is OUT! :)

Buy them everything they want... REALLY, I mean it!

Make 4 different meals for 4 different kids. I promise, if they are hungry enough, they'll eat it.

Try to make them all happy... It's impossible

Buy them everything they want... wait, did I already say that? I mean it!

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 7/23-7/29

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!

Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from


$10/$50 Gas Gift Card (BP or Shell - with coupon from 7/9 ad) - The Coupon expiration date is extended again due to a lack of availability - the 3 stores closest to me are still all out)

Jif PB and Smuckers Jelly (bogo @ $6.09/2 and $3.39/2)
Use $1 off wyb both from ebay AND/OR
$1/2, $.35/1 Smucker's from ebay
Makes them $.70 - $1.35 for the Jelly and $2.54 for the PB

T-Bone or Porterhouse Steaks ($6.29/lb. - save up to $4.30/lb.)

Bananas ($.49/lb.)

Hebrew National Hotdogs (bogo @ $5.09/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or here or $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.54 - $1.79 each

Cherries ($1.99/lb.)
Use $2/5 produce Food Lion printable

Mangos or Rainier Cherries(bogo)
Use $2/5 produce Food Lion printable

Alexia Natural Crunchy Snacks (bogo @ $2.89/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 printable or buy $1/1 from ebay or from SS 6/14
Makes them $.45 - $.70 each

Yoplait Go-Gurt 8 pk (bogo @ $3.09/2)
Use 2 $.40/1 or $.80/2 printable or here or $.75/2 from SS 5/31, 6/7, 7/12
Makes them $1.15 - $1.20 each

Simply Smart Milk (2/$5)
Use 2 $1/1 from recent spitters
Makes them $1.50 each

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward Booklet or buy from ebay
Makes them $.75 each

Popsicle Ice Pops (bogo @ $2.98/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward or
2 $1/1 from Raise Your Hand for Savings Booklet (new) or buy from ebay
Makes them $.49 each

Starkist SeaSations Fish Fillets (bogo @ $5.99/2)
Use 2 $3/1 from RP 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them FREE!!

Pillsbury Supreme Cake Mix (bogo @ $1.69/2)
Use 2 $.35/1 from RP 5/17 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.50 each

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.31/2 - includes Frosted/Unfrosted Mini-Wheats)
Use $1/1 or $1.50/2 printable or $1/2 from ebay
Makes them $1.15 - $1.65 each

Lawry's Garlic Salt (bogo @ $3.69/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 4/5 or 5/17 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.35 each

Kraft or Seven Seas Salad Dressing (bogo @ $3.07/2)
Use $1.50/1 from ebay AND
FREE produce wyb Kraft SD from ebay AND
FREE meat wyb Kraft SD from ebay
Makes them $.03 each and FREE produce and meat!!

Lawry's Marinade (bogo @ $2.81/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 4/5 or 6/28 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.90 each

Snapple Tea 6 pk. (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.75 each

Muir Glen Tomato Paste ($.99)
Use $1/1 printable or here or here
Makes them more than FREE!!

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Publix Macaroni Salad ($2.19/2)
Mott's Apple Juice ($3.07/2)
Immaculate Baking Co. Cookie Dough ($3.09/2)

Kid Cuisine ($2.47/2)
Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwich ($4.49/2)
Bird's Eye Voila Meal ($3.99/2)

Quaker Granola ($5.29/2)
Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Bars ($3.59/2)
Near East Rice ($2.19/2)

Eight O' Clock Coffee ($5.13/2)
Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna ($3.67/2)
WISE Chips ($2.99/2)

Arnold Bread ($3.69/2)
Honey Maid Grahams ($4.09/2)
Doritos Chips ($3.99/2)
Keebler Vienna Fingers ($4.09/2)

First Day on the Job and Everyone Survived

That's right, I left my kids for 7 hours today with their daddy and everyone did fine. My first day was nothing too tremendous. It was actually pretty monotonous. I was only trained on one thing. So, for 5 1/2 hours, I attached tags to clothes. Sounds fun, doesn't it? I'm sure that will get better with time. Tomorrow, I work from 4 - close. I'm interested to see how different the night shift is.

When we told my kids about me starting work the other day, they didn't seem too phazed. In fact, Jordan was happy that mommy wouldn't try to kiss him when he gets hurt anymore (BREAK my heart!!). But, I did get to see the love today. Jordan actually told me he was going to miss me and gave me a great big hug. Sydney kept telling me not to leave and that she was going to go with me. Avery (the quiet one) just kept giving me big hugs and telling me she loved me. Morgan seemed to care less :) Oh, those oldest children always have it all together, don't they? Well, daddy actually found out throughout the day that she missed her mom. I can't believe she admitted it, but she did.

So, it was hard leaving them today, but not nearly as hard as making the decision last week. I didn't even cry this morning. I was calm and collected.

Thank you, Lord, for your provision. It may not look the way I envisioned, but your plan rarely does.

Working Hard for Her Money!

Starting this coming Tuesday, I will officially be a working mom. On Tuesday of this week, I decided to take an application to a local consignment store that I knew was hiring "just in case". Well, when I got there, the owner just happened to be there too. She asked me if I had time to sit down and talk with her. Of course, I said yes.

So, we headed to her office and she told me that the other applicants had already been through 2 interviews. She decided to catch me up and do both interviews right then. So, we sat and talked for a little bit. I knew things were going well and she seemed to like me. It also was very evident that the job description fit my personality well. All of this should have made me excited, but...

it didn't. I left the store actually feeling scared... scared that I was going to get the job. The reality of it all started to sink in and I realized I wasn't so pumped about the idea. This job was going to change a lot more than an adjustment to our schedule.

It wasn't 5 hours later that she called me and offered me a job. What?! Oh, I wasn't ready for that yet. I was on my way out the door when she called, so once I got in the car...

I called my mom. She has this magical way of asking just the right questions to pull the tears out of my eyes. As I talked to her about my hesitation, I just started crying. I didn't like the thought of leaving my kids. For now, they will be home with daddy (while he continues looking for a job). But, what about the future? What if I decide I like this job? What if I'm good at it and I can move up? Is that really what I want right now? What happens with school? Am I still going to be able to teach this year? So many questions were reeling through my head.
So, I sat in my car and had a good cry by myself.

Then, I got home and needed to talk to my husband. I needed to explain everything I was feeling but not make him feel guilty or change our decision for what we needed to do. I thought I already got my good cry out earlier, so we should be able to talk about this rationally. WRONG! That good cry earlier was just the pre-cursor to the "ugly cry". I don't know how many of you are familiar with that, but it is the "I can't talk, I sound like an idiot, my chest is heaving" cry. I'm pretty sure my husband was in a state of shock. I also realized that what I really was struggling with here was a change in my identity. I've been a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom for almost 10 years. Now, with no time to blink, I am a working out of the home mom. I know lots of people do this. But, now that I was up for the title, I didn't want it.

Still, we talked our way through all the pros and cons and decided that it was NO coincidence that the owner just happened to be there and had the time to interview me immediately. It was NO coincidence that I happened to NOT have my children with me while running errands. Nope, God knew what he was doing. So, yes, I accepted the job the next morning. I will be working 20-40 hours a week. I am doing much better today. I'm not exactly excited yet, but I'm not so sad either.

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 7/16-7/22

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!
Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from


$10/$50 Gas Gift Card (BP or Shell - with coupon from ad) - I was told at my store that this coupon will still be accepted through this week (straight from corporate). So, if you have any extra sale ads from last week, you can still cash in on some free gas. If you don't, I have plenty and would be glad to send some your way.

GM Cereal (bogo @ $5.13/2 - includes cheerios, honey nut cheerios, multigrain cheerios, cinnamon toast crunch, total raisin bran)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or here or here or $.75/1 printable or here or here or $1/2 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.57 - $2.06 a box

Dannon Yogurt (20/$10)
Use $.60/6 from SS 5/3 or 6/21
Makes them $.40 each

Northwest Cherries ($1.99/lb.)

Nestle Coffee-Mate Creamer (bogo @ $2.57/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 6/28 or buy from ebay or $1.50/2, $1/1 printable
Makes them $.27 - $.77 each

Stonyfield Farm Yogurt (10/$6)
Use $.50/3 printable or buy $1/4 from ebay
Makes them $.35 - $.43 each

Kozy Shack Pudding (bogo @ $3.19/2)
Use 2 $.35/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.75

Whole Fruit Sorbet (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 6/28 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Gorton's Fish or Shrimp (bogo @ $7.73/2)
Use $.75/2 printable
Makes them $3.50 each

Kellogg's Eggo Waffles (bogo @ $2.47/2)
Use $1/1 from ebay and submit for $10 rebate wyb 10 (find out how here)
Makes them almost free and qualify for $10 rebate

Farm Rich Cheese Sticks (bogo @ $7.69/2)
Use $.75/2 printable
Makes them $3.48 each

Deli Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey ($4.99/lb.)
Use $3/10 Food Lion printable
Makes them $3.50/lb.

NY Texas Toast Croutons (bogo @ $1.49/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 from RP 4/5 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.20 each

Hellmann's Easy Out! Mayo (bogo @ $4.69/2)
Use 2 $.60/1 from RP 5/17 or 6/28 or $1/1 printable or $1.50/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward booklet or buy from ebay
Makes them $.85 - $1.75 each

Ken's Steakhouse Dressing (bogo @ $3.09/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
$2/2 Food Lion printable
Makes them $.04 each!!

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.51/2 - includes Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks)
Use $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.25 a box and is also eligible for $10 rebate

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (bogo @ $3.07/2)
Use $.75/2 from RP 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.16 a box

Zatarain's New Orleans Style Mix (bogo @ $2.05/2)
Use $.75/2 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.65 a box

McCormick Grinder Seasoning (bogo @ $1.99/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from Nothing Goes to Waist magazine or $.75/1 from RP 5/10 or buy from ebay
Makes them FREE - $.25 each

Pop-Secret Popcorn (bogo @ $4.85/2)
Use $.50/2 from SS 6/14 or $1/2 from ebay
Makes them $1.93 - $2.18 each

Keebler Club or Town House Crackers (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
$1 off water wyb 2 Keebler crackers from ebay AND
$1 off deli cheese wyb 1 Town house cracker from ebay
Makes them $1.54 each and cheap water and cheese

Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 from ebay or from SS 6/14 AND
$.75/1 Target printable
Makes them $.50 a loaf

Muir Glen Tomato Paste ($.99)
Use $1/1 printable or here or here
Makes them more than FREE!!

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Stouffer's Skillet Meals ($5.15/2)
Starkist Gourmet Canned Tuna 4-pk ($7.39/2)
Taco Bell Home Originals ($2.69/2)

Barilla Pasta Sauce ($2.75/2)
Ghirardelli Brownie Mix ($2.79/2)
Hunt's Tomato Sauce ($.99/2)

Quaker Rice Cakes ($3.09/2)
Nabisco Chips Ahoy! ($3.79/2)
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers ($2.19/2)

School Supplies bogo:
Fiskars Scissors for kids ($2.49/2)
Master Lock Combo Lock ($4.99/2)
Sharpie Markers 8 ct.($6.99/2)
Sharpie Highlighter 4 ct.($2.99/2)
Crayola Washable Markers ($3.69/2)
Pilot G2 Fine Point Gel Pen 2 ct.($2.99/2)
Pilot FriXion Ball Gel Pen 2 ct.($3.99/2)

School Supplies (Save over 70%!!)
Crayola Crayons 24 ct. boxes (3/$1)
Dixon No. 2 Pencils 10 ct. (3/$1)
Elmer's Glue (3/$1)
Paper Mate Flexgrip Ball Point Pen 2 ct. (2/$1)
Bic Mechanical Pencils (3/$3)

Winn-Dixie Deals and Coupons for 7/15-7/21

Keebler Town House or Nilla Wafers (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
$1 off water wyb 2 Keebler crackers from ebay AND
$1 off deli cheese wyb 1 Town house cracker from ebay
Makes them $1.54 each and cheap water and cheese

Post Cereal (bogo @ $4.59/2 - includes Family Size Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruity Pebbles, Honeycomb, Selects or Trail Mix Crunch or Honey Bunches of Oats Strawberry, Vanilla, Peach or Pecan)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay or $2/1 printable Trail Mix Crunch
Makes them $.30 - $1.80 a box

Ken's Salad Dressing (bogo @ $3.29/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
Makes them $1.15 each

Hillshire Farm Bratwurst (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $2 each

Kraft Cheese (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Totino's Pizza Rolls (bogo @ $2/2)
Use $.40/2 from SS 7/12 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.80 a bag

FREE Milk wyb 4 participating Kellogg's products (4/$10 items include - Special K or Fiber Plus bars, Corn Flakes, Corn Flakes Touch of Honey, Rice Krispies, Mini-Wheats Little Bites, Honey Smacks, Mini Wheats,Bite Size Frosted Mini Wheats, Raisin Bran)
Use $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.50 a box, FREE Milk and is also eligible for $10 rebate

Thomas English Muffins (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Famous Amos Cookies (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 printable AND
$1 off milk wyb 2 Famous Amos Cookies from ebay
Makes them $1.45 each and cheap milk

Crystal Light Drink Mix (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use $2/2 or $1/1 printable (no longer available) AND
FREE Skin Essentials wyb Crystal Light printable (no longer available) AND
FREE water wyb Crystal Light from ebay AND
$2 off Wheat Thins wyb Crystal Light from ebay AND
$1 off What Thins printable
Makes them $.80 each and FREE water, Skin Essentials and Wheat Thins

Dole Salad Kits or blends (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use $1/1, $1/2, $1.50/2 from ebay
Makes them $1 - $1.50 each

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Edy's or Haagen Dazs Ice Cream (save up to $6.69/2)
Del Monte Canned Veggies ($1.69/2)
Mama Mary's Pizza Crust ($4.79/2)

Aunt Jemima Breakfast Entrees ($2.29/2)
Doritos ($3.99/2)
Mott's Applesauce 6 pk. ($2.69/2)

How to Get $10 Easy!

The deals for Publix this week end soon, but starting today, you are able to use your shopping and receipt to earn you $10 in Publix GC easily. I would like to share a couple of easy scenarios on how you can do this and spend virtually nothing.

Remember, you can earn up to 3 Gift Cards per household!!

#1
BP or Shell GC ($50)
-$10 off coupon from inside Publix Sale Ad
4 Jell-O Pudding ($5-$6)
Spend $45 and qualify to receive a $10 GC after rebate (you must combine this receipt with another receipt of atleast $5 PAID or add $5 to this transaction in order to receive the rebate)

#2
4 Kraft BBQ ($6)
6 boxes of Post Honey Bunches of Oats ($1.99 each)
-3 $1/2
2 Gallons Milk ($2.89/gallon)
-FREE Milk wyb 3 Post from inside Publix Sale Ad
4 Smart Balance Spread ($3.09 - bogo)
-2 $1/2
4 Smart Balance PB (I think these are about $3 each)
-4 FREE Smart Balance PB wyb Smart Balance spread
4 Smart Balance Milk ($3.50/half gallon)
-4 FREE Smart Balance Milk wyb Smart Balance spread
Spend $16.50 and qualify to receive a $10 Publix GC
(you must combine this receipt with another receipt(s) of atleast $37.50 PAID or add $37.50 to this transaction in order to receive the rebate)

Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A

The Whole Herd headed to Chick-Fil-A for free meals tonight.

Annalise and Avery

The calves chowing down :)We had a great time. We were lucky enough to pick a restaurant that wasn't even busy during dinner time. Look around us, we were basically the only ones there. It was easy and completely FREE!! We are marking this one down for next year.

Publix and Kraft Rebate Offer

From 7/13 - 8/9, you can receive a $10 Gift Card from Publix when you purchase $50 in groceries at Publix, including 4 of the following Kraft products:

STARBUCKS Coffee
KRAFT Mayo Mayonnaise
MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
KRAFT GOOD SEASONS Salad Dressings
KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese
VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Dinner
PLANTERS Sliced Almonds
SHAKE ‘N BAKE Original Chicken
Seasoning Mix
JELL-O Pudding
KRAFT Grated Parmesan
OSCAR MAYER Bacon, Bacon Bits,
Deli Fresh Shaved Meats, or Chicken Strips
California Pizza Kitchen Thin Crust Pizza
KRAFT 2% Milk Cheese
A.1. Steak Sauce
KRAFT Barbecue Sauce

Just fill out the rebate form here and send away for up to 3 $10 gift cards!! I don't know about you, but these are items we normally buy anyway. Now, I'm just going to get money back for it! Gotta LOVE Publix!!

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 7/9-7/15

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!
Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from


$10/$50 Gas Gift Card (BP or Shell - with coupon from ad)

Publix Pork Chops ($1.79/lb.)

Kashi Entrees or Dinners, Waffles, Pocket Bread Sandwiches or Pizza (50% OFF)
Use 2 $.50/1 Target printables AND
$2/1 from ebay
Makes them $2.50 off each one! (Price not listed, but should be a great deal)

Ocean Spray Juice (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from ebay or printable or 2 $.55/1 from RP 4/19 or 5/31
Makes them $1.04 - $1.50 each

Crystal Light Drink Mix (bogo @ $4.11/2)
Use $2/2 or $1/1 printable AND
FREE Skin Essentials wyb Crystal Light printable AND
FREE water wyb Crystal Light from ebay AND
$2 off Wheat Thins wyb Crystal Light from ebay AND
$1 off What Thins printable
Makes them $1 each and FREE Skin Essentials and FREE Water and almost FREE Wheat Thins!!

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks (bogo @ $2.81/2)
Use $.50/2 printable or from SS 6/14
Makes them $1.15 each

Post Cereals (buy any 3 and get 1 Publix Milk FREE - with coupon from paper - Honey Bunches of Oats on sale for $1.99)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or $2/1 Trail Mix Crunch printable or $1/2 from ebay
Makes them $1.49 each and FREE Milk!!

Mueller's Pasta (bogo @ $1.99/2)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.50 each

GM Cereal (bogo @ $3.99/2 - includes Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp, Kix, Reese's Puffs, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/14 or $1/3 from SS 6/28 or buy from ebay or $.75/1 printable or here or here or here
Makes them $1.25 - $1.50 each

A.1. Steak House Marinade (bogo @ $2.89/2)
Use 2 $2/1 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay AND
$1 off beef wyb 1 A.1. from ebay
Makes them FREE plus overage and FREE BEEF!!

Blue Diamond Almonds (bogo @ $3.19/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 printable or $.50/2 from SS 5/17 or $.75/2 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.10 - $1.35 each

Keebler Chips Deluxe Cookies (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/2 printable (if Fudge Deluxe are included)
Makes them $1.54 each

Planters Peanuts (bogo @ $3.29/2)
Use $1.50/2 or $1/2 from ebay or $1.50/2 from SS 6/28
Makes them $.90 - $1.15 each

Nabisco Single Serve Tray (bogo @ $6.17/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from ebay or SS 6/21
Makes them $1.83 a box

Smart Balance Spread (bogo @ $3.09/2)
Use $1/2 printable AND
Use buy Spread, Get Milk FREE from RP 6/28 or ebay AND
buy spread, get PB FREE from ebay
Makes them $1.04 each and FREE Milk and FREE PB!!

Simply Potatoes (bogo @ $2.57/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
$1/2 Publix coupon from Smart Summertime Savings
Makes them $.27 each

Klondike Bar or Sandwich (bogo @ $4.29/2)
Use $1/2 printable or $1.25/1 fromFamily Is It's Own Reward booklet or ebay
Makes them $.90 - $1.65 each

Tai Pei Dinners (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 3/1 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Rosetta Pasta (bogo @ $4.33/2)
Use $1.50/2 printable
Makes them $1.41 each

Kim and Scott's Gourmet Pretzels (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use $1/1 printable
Makes them $1.50 each

Huggies Bath Products (bogo @ $3.29/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from SS 4/19 or buy from ebay AND
2 $.50/1 Food Lion printable
Makes them $.14 each

Rotisserie Chicken ($6.99)
Use $3/2 from in-ad coupon AND
$3/10 Food Lion printable
Makes them $4 a piece (when you buy 2)

Muir Glen Tomato Paste ($.99)
Use $1/1 printable or here or here
Makes them more than FREE!!

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Betty Crocker Cake Mix ($1.95/2)
Bertolli Olive Oil ($6.39/2)
Pasta or Rice a Roni ($1.75/2)

6 pk IBC Soft Drinks ($3.79/2)
Nature's Own Bread ($3.49/2)
Entenmann's Little Bites ($4.29/2)

Pepperidge Farm 3-Layer Cake ($3.99/2)

Winn-Dixie Deals and Coupons for 7/8-7/14

The Holidays are over and so are the good deals at Winn-Dixie. There was not much to write about today. I hope you stocked up last week.

Cantaloupe (2/$2.99)

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.99/2 - includes Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Rice Krispies)
Use 2 $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.50 each

Hershey, Reese's or Kit Kat Candy Bars (bogo @ $.89/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 from ebay
Makes them FREE Plus Overage!!

Big G GM Cereal (buy any 3 and receive $3 off at checkout AND $3 off next order)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/14 or $1/3 from SS 6/28 or buy from ebay or $.75/1 printable or here or here
Makes them $2.33 - $2.75 off each box (price not listed but should be good deal)

Orville Popcorn (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from ebay AND
FREE Soda wyb 2 Orville from ebay
Makes them $2 a box and FREE soda

Kraft Mac n Cheese (bogo @ $1.89/2)
Use B3G1 printable
Makes them $.47 each


More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs ($5.19/2)
Mott's Apple Juice ($3.29/2)
Keebler Vienna Fingers or Oatmeal Cookies ($3.99/2)

Arnold Bread ($2.79/2)
Winn-Dixie Sugar Free Drink Mixes ($3.99/2)

4th of July Fun!

We had a fun weekend this past weekend. However, we didn't really do anything much different than normal. We spent most of the day at my parents, the kids swam and we grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs. It was a typical Saturday afternoon during the Summer. It wasn't until evening when we brought out the fire, that things started to feel a little different.

Just imagine with me... 11 kids under 10, fire, muddy ground, hot and muggy outdoors (even after dark) and mosquito's. Awww, just the perfect combo for a 4th of July kind of night. We have learned from the past and made everyone wear shoes so that no one stepped in the Sparklers droppings, but somehow we still ended the evening with a few burn marks to the arm, crying children and chaos.

It wasn't all bad, I think some of the kids actually had fun. Most of the parents were exhausted though. Here are the few pictures I was able to capture amidst the craziness and smoke. We went to the golf course green behind my parents house. Lots of room for the lots of kids :)

Ethan wasn't crazy about the fireworksThe magic of sparklers

Good friends

My Poor Garden!!

Yep, those squash are goners!! But, that's not all. It looks like we had the exact same problem with the cantaloupe. The leaves on the vines have gradually been getting darker with spots in the last couple of weeks. Well, a couple of days ago, all the leaves were brown and shriveling up. It wasn't much later that we noticed the 6 different fruits that were growing started to also shrivel up and die.

We didn't even get 1 cantaloupe from that bed!! I was so prepared the over-abundance but was left with nothing. I think we had the same issue with the cantaloupe because we started out with those growing on the ground in the bed. They didn't want to stay in the bed so we kept re-directing back in. When we did that, they started growing on top of each and around eachother. I think this allowed the plants to hold way too much of the ridiculous amount of rain we've been getting.

What a bummer! Now, we are down to all the tomatoes and green beans. The tomatoes are finally starting to turn red and we have picked several good ones. We have also picked several handfuls of green beans that cook up nicely. I was surprised at the amount of green beans though. We planted 18 plants and have not had anywhere close to enough to feed the 4 families who went to together. Next time, we will probably fill an entire bed with those.

Super-Star!!

T-Rex Cafe

On our Way

Here are the results of my new camera. Woohoo!! No more borrowing other cameras and having my pictures all over the place.

Well, I got it just in time to test it out for Jordan's last birthday celebration this year. My parents were not in town this last weekend, so they hadn't had the chance to celebrate with Jordan. So, on Tuesday, they decided to take him to the T-Rex cafe at downtown Disney. None of us have ever been there before, but we had heard that it was very cool. We were not disappointed.

Jordan loved every minute. From the outside decorations... all the way to where we were seated, he was in awe. This woolly mammoth was right next to our table.He was not scared at all. In fact, he wanted to touch them all and was a little disappointed that there were not REAL dinosaurs to pet. I love his little embarrassed expression here.A quick review:
The food was actually pretty good. A typical meal ranges from $15 - $30 for an adult. So, don't plan on getting out of there too cheap. But, the bright side is that the portion sizes are HUGE! I split an appetizer with my mom and we couldn't finish it. The burgers are mammoth as well. So, you don't have to break the budget for the experience if you plan to split a meal. I split the nachos and my dad got one of the burgers. Both meals got a thumbs up.
The atmosphere is definitely a sensory overload. It is LOUD at all times and there are constantly things moving and changing colors. Like always, Disney did a great job of bringing your imagination to life.

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 7/2-7/8

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!
Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from


Kraft Mayo (bogo @ $4.81/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or 2 $.75/1 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.65 each

Coca-Cola 12 packs (B3G2 @ $18.67/5)
Use $1/2 or $1/1 from ebay
Makes them $2.74 - $3.24 each

Ball Park Franks (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 6/7 and 6/28 or buy from ebay AND
$3 off watermelon wyb Ball Park franks and Sara Lee buns from ebay
Makes them $1.50 each and FREE watermelon!!

Oscar Mayer Lunchables (bogo @ $2/2)
Use $1/2 printable
Makes them $.50 each

Ground Chuck ($2.29/lb.)

Florida's Natural OJ (2/$5)

Hershey's Syrup (bogo @ $2.25/2)
Use $1/2 or $1/3 from ebay
Makes them $.62 - $.81 each

Kraft Salad Dressing (bogo @ $3.07/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or buy from ebay
Makes them $.53 each

A.1. Steak Sauce (bogo @ $4.29/2)
Use 2 $2/1 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay AND
$1 off beef wyb 1 A.1. from ebay
Makes them almost FREE and FREE BEEF!!

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner (bogo @ $1.33/2)
Use B3G1 printable
Makes them $.33 a box

Kellogg's Special K Cereal (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.04 each

McCormick Grill Mates Seasoning (bogo @ $1.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 4/19 or 5/3 or $1/1 from ebay or recent Publix mag.
Makes them FREE - $.50 each

Orville Gourmet Popcorn (bogo @ $4.89/2)
Use $1/1 printable or 2 $.50/1 from ebay AND
FREE soda wyb 2 Orville popcorn from ebay
Makes them $1.45 - 1.95 a box

Lay's Potato Chips (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use B2G1 from recent peelies AND
$2 off Dip wyb 2 bags of Lay's from ebay
Makes them $.67 each (wyb 6 w/B2G1 coupon) AND almost free dip

Famous Amos cookies (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 printable AND
$1 off milk wyb 2 Famous Amos cookies from ebay
Makes them $1.25 each and cheap milk

M&M's Big Party Bag (bogo @ $4.69/2)
Use $1/2 RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.85 a bag

Cheez-It Crackers (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/2 from recent peelies or ebay
Makes them $1.50 each

Thomas English Muffins (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Kraft Philedelphia Cream Cheese (4/$5)
Use $1/2 printable AND
$1/2 Publix coupon from Smart Summertime Savings mag.
Makes them $.25 each

Breakstone Sour Cream (4/$5)
Use $1/2 printable
Makes them $.75 each

Luigi's Italian Ice (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 6/28 or buy $.50/1 or $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $.75 - $1 each

Cool Whip Whipped Topping (bogo @ $2.07/2)
Use $1/2 printable
Makes them $.53 each

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Deli Iced Tea ($2.39/2)
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ ($2.29/2)
Chatham Village Croutons (bogo)

Hi-C Fruit Drinks ($2.43/2)
Bush's Best Bakes Beans ($2.37/2)
Hunt's Tomatoes ($1.39/2)

Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash Potatoes ($3.99/2)
SheerBliss Ice Cream ($4.99/2 - sign up here to receive coupons)
Diana's Banana Babies ($4.49/2)

Winn-Dixie Deals and Coupons for 7/1-7/7

The Holiday is bringing good deals at Winn-Dixie. There are several items that turn out to be FREE or nearly free!! Gotta love July 4th!

Fresh Ground Chuck ($1.99/lb.)

Breyers Ice Cream (bogo @ $5.99/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from RP 5/17 or 2 $1.50/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward Booklet (found at Publix stores - man. coupon) or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.50 - $2.25 a carton

Ball Park Franks (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 6/7 and 6/28 or buy from ebay AND
$3 off watermelon wyb Ball Park franks and Sara Lee buns from ebay
Makes them $1 each and FREE watermelon!!

Lay's Potato Chips (bogo @ $4.79/2)
Use B2G1 from recent peelies AND
$2 off Dip wyb 2 bags of Lay's from ebay
Makes them $.80 each (wyb 6 w/B2G1 coupon) AND almost free dip

Kraft Mayo (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.75 each

Mt. Olive Sweet Relish or Salad Cubes (bogo @ $2.29/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from SS 6/28 or buy $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $.40 - $.65 each

A.1. Steak Sauce (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use 2 $2/1 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay AND
$1 off beef wyb 1 A.1. from ebay
Makes them more than FREE and FREE BEEF!!

Kool-Aid, Country Time or Crystal Light (bogo @ up to $4.99/2)
Use 2 $1/1 Kool-Aid from ebay AND
$2 off sugar wyb Kool-Aid from ebay
or $2/2 or $1/1 from recent Crystal Light printables

Lipton Family Size Tea Bags (bogo @ $5.29/2)
Use 2 $.75/2 from RP 5/17 or 6/28 or 2 $.60/1 from RP 5/17 or $1/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.64 - $2.27 each

Kellogg's Cereal ($1.77 - includes Special K, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Rice Krispies, Corn Pops)
Use $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.77 a box

GM Products (Save $4 at register wyb 4 participating GM products - 4/$10 items include Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gushers, Fruit Shapes, Cheerios, Whole Grain Total, Total Blueberry Pomegranate, Cookie Crisp Sprinkles, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon toast Crunch)
Use $1/2 or $1/3 GM cereal coupons from SS 5/31, 6/14 or 6/28 or $1/3 or $1/1 or $3/3 from ebay
or $.50/2 Betty Crocker printable or from SS 6/14 or buy $.50/2 or $1/3 from ebay
Makes them $.50 - $1.17 each

Simply Smart Milk (2/$6)
Use $1/1 from recent spitters or buy from ebay
Makes them $4 a gallon

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.79/2 - includes Marshmallow Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Frosted Flakes Gold, Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran Crunch, Raisin Bran)
Use 2 $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.40 each

Mueller's Pasta (bogo @ $1.69/2)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.35 a box

Pompeian Olive Oil (bogo @ $8.29/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable
Makes them $3.15 a bottle

McCormick Grill Mates (bogo @ $1.39/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 4/19 or 5/3 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.20 each

McCormick Grill Mates Seasonings (bogo @ $2.69/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 4/19 or 5/3 or $1/1 from ebay or recent Publix mag.
Makes them $.35 - $.85 each

Nabisco Snack Crackers (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use $3/4 from ebay AND
$2 off wyb 2 Nabisco crackers and 1 6,8,or 12 pk. coke from ebay
Makes them $1.05 a box and $2 off coke


More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Nature's Own Whitewheat Buns ($2.89/2)
Bull's Eye BBQ ($2/2)
Cole's Garlic Bread ($1.99/2)

Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup ($3.99/2)
Arizona Tea ($.99/2)
Entenmann's Loaf Cake ($4.29/2)

Winn-Dixie Mac n Cheese ($1/2)
Duncan Hines Brownie Mix ($2.79/2)
McCormick Grinders ($2.59/2)