Ramblings of a stay at home mom: 2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

My new project and business

I've been busy lately, that's why you haven't seen any new posts coming from me lately.

I opened up my 1st etsy store yesterday!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KCBboutiques

https://www.facebook.com/KCBboutiques

Go check it out and like both pages!

I will be selling hair bows, headbands and bobby pin bows.

RiteAid week of 10/14

Here is my Riteaid deal for the week of 10/14

2 - No Nonsense Socks - $3.99

2 - Conair Hair Brush - $2.55

- used $2 in ad coupon

3 - Robitussin - $5.19

- used $3 in ad coupon

- $3 MQ from insert

4 - Riteaid Hand Sanitizer - .00 (raincheck)

Total is $28.65

Total of coupons used - $22

Used $6 in +up rewards

Total is.65 cents + $2.01 tax = $2.66

Got back $8 in +up for purchasing 2 No Nonsense socks.

Little Red Riding Hood Costume Review

I had the opportunity to review a Halloween Costume from WholesaleHalloweenCostumes and my daughter picked Little Red Riding Hood Costume.

I was very surprised to get this in the mail, it came well packed and shipped in a very reasonable time frame.

The costume itself is adorable!! It's a velvet type fabric, very thick and heavy, great for those of you that live in colder climates around Halloween time.

It comes with the dress and cape attached to each other, a fishnet tights and a choker necklace. I got it in size XL(12-14) for my 9 year old daughter and it fits perfectly! She's currently about 95lbs and is in a size 14/XL girls clothing, so this was a great fit for her. I know halloween costumes usually run on the small size and I was worried about this not fitting her, but as you can see from the pictures, I don't have that worry anymore.

Little Red Riding Hood

upclose - see the choker?

Full View - it has 5 ribbon ties in various places

back view

I had her wear black tights underneath to keep her legs warm. I will get her some black shirt to wear underneath on top as well some black shoes and a basket to wear on Halloween night while she goes trick or treating.

Check out the Little Red Riding Hood article.

Don't forget to go check out the site and see all other various Halloween costumes plus a bunch of new 2012 costumes! I love the IronMan costume which my middle son would love! As well as the Mickey Mouse Costume for my youngest Mickey fanatic.

Disclosure: I was not paid for this review. I got a free costume in exchange of a review. Opinion are 100% my own.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Diamond Candle Review

My house is smelling soooo yummy right now!! All thanks to Diamond Candles!!

I'm sure a lot of you have been hearing the buzz about Diamond Candles going around the internet. Its a Soy Candle that comes in a 21 oz jar that comes in many different yummy scents!! The best part is...... There's a ring in each candle that is valued at $10, $100, $1000 and $5000!! Of course I was hoping I got the $5000 one! Who doesn't?!

The Candles are $24.99 and well worth the money!! It currently comes in 32 different scents.

I was able to try out the Cinnamon Tea Scent and its making my house smell just like fall! Here in Georgia, Fall doesn't come for another month or so but I'm ready!! The Candles themselves came really well packed.

Cinnamon Tea

Doesn't it look pretty on my fireplace mantel.

See the peek-a-boo of foil that the ring is wrapped in?

I dug it out and here is what it looks like. It comes wrapped in foil and is inside a plastic bag to prevent wax from getting into it.

My ring!! ain't it pretty!!

My daughter has already claimed the ring as her own. I don't see any markings on the ring itself and according to the website, if it says 14k or anything its worth $100+. So I believe my ring is only $10. But I don't care because its a pretty ring and my daughter LOVES it!!

I can't wait to try the other scents like Apple Slice and Summertime. Which ones are you wanting to try??

Make sure you go check out the website and all the different scents. Check them out on facebook and twitter too!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Kraft Mayo at Publix

When I saw the preview of the new Publix Ad on Monday, I did a Happy Dance because Kraft Mayo and Miracle Whip 30 oz was on sale bogo at $4.63!!

The best part was I had $4/2 publix coupon that I printed from cooking with kraft!!

That made each jar of mayo .31-.32 cents!!! Can't beat that!! I of course stocked up and got 8 jars!

That should last me a while. This was my best deal of this week!

*The coupon has now expired since it was very short dated on 9/12.

Riteaid Week of 9/9

I've tried to flip this picture around, it uploads the right way but when I put it in my blog, it flips back down. aggravating!

Order #1

2 - Poligrip - $2.23

- $2.60 free product coupon

Gillette Mach 3 Razor - $8.23

- $8.23 free product coupon when you buy any Gillette Razor product

Gillette Fusion Razor - $8.63

- $4 Gillette Razor Coupon from P&G insert

Sleep Sheet 10 ct - .00 (raincheck)

2 - Anacin Tab - .99 cents (raincheck)

- .99 cent Anacin Printable coupon

8 - Stride Gum - $1 each

- b1g1f stride gum printable

Total was $31.30 + tax

Used $23.41 in coupons

Used $6 in +up rewards

Total is $1.89 + $1.87 tax = $3.76

Got back the following +up rewards

$4 for purchasing Mach 3

$4 for purchasing Gillette Fusion Razor

$4 for purchasing 8 stride gum

Order #2

Lysol Power and Free Cleaner - $2.79

- $1 printable coupon

Lysol All Purpose Cleaner - $2.79

- $3/2 Riteaid Video Coupon

Magni Restless Leg Cream - .00 (raincheck)

Crest Mouthwash - .99 cents (raincheck)

- $2 coupon from dentist office

Crest Mouthwash - .99 cents (raincheck)

- $2 coupon from dentist office

Total is $7.56 + tax

Used $8 in coupons

Total was -.44 cents + .53 tax = .09!

Got back the following +up rewards

$1 for purchasing Lysol product

*I also had $3 extra in coupons I could've used if I had other products for overage but I didn't think before I went up to the register.

Order #3

Dimetapp - $5.59

- $2 printable coupon

Dimetapp - $5.59

- $2 printable coupon

Dimetapp - $5.59

- $2 printable coupon

Total was $16.77 + tax

Used $6 in coupons

Used $10 in +up rewards

Total is .77 cents + $1.17 tax = $1.94

*I had a limit of 3 per order due to the law of purchasing these kind of products

Order #4

Dimetapp - $5.59

- $2 printable coupon

Robitussin - $3.49

- $2 riteaid peelie on package

Total is $9.08

Used $4 in coupons

Used $5 in +up rewards

Total was .08 cents + .50 cents = .58 cents

got back $10 in +up rewards for purchasing $25 worth

Now I have $21 in +up rewards to use for next week's deal.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

House Party and Fisher Price

I was so thrilled to be chosen as a host for the Fisher Price House Party! I did not know what I was going to receive when I applied. But man!! They have sure outdone themselves with this party!!

I got the 1st box of the hostess kit on Friday and I got the 2nd box which was HUGE at 57 lbs on Monday. When I got the box, I was shocked at how much stuff there was!!

Toys for your playdate:

(1) Disney Princess Songs Palace from Little People^®

(2) Disney Princess Figure Packs from Little People^®

(1) Little People^® Wheelies™ Loops ‘n Swoops Amusement Park™

(1) Servin’ Surprises™ Kitchen & Table

(5) Servin’ Surprises™ Accessories

(14) Batteries for toys

Take home items for your guests:

(12) Little People^® Wheelies^® Vehicles

(12) Little People™ CDs

(12) Little People™ DVDs

(12) Little People™ coloring books

(12) Fisher-Price^® catalogs

(12) Fisher-PriceStore.com $10 off coupons

(12) “Play Tips” cards: Little People^® Wheelies Loops ‘n Swoops Amusement Park™

(12) “Play Tips” cards: Servin’ Surprises™ Kitchen & Table

(12) Gift bags

(12) Gift tissue paper sheets

Can't wait to share this with everybody and give out the goodies!!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Couponing 101

Coupons and talking about coupons is my favorite subject. It is the only way I am able to have name brand items and have my pantry full and not have my wallet empty.

I started couponing out of need about 9 years ago when my 1^st child was born and I ended up being a stay at home mom. I did not get into it seriously until about 6 years ago when we bought our 1^st house. It was then I buckled down and really started to coupon.

Now I have a healthy pantry, a good stockpile “store” and am able to donate and give things away to people in need. I have several people that always “shops” in my store and they are people that are on a very tight budget and is always grateful that I help them out.

You are not going to be able to get $500 worth of groceries for $5. That’s just impossible. Those Extreme Couponing Shows on TLC is not realistic. But you are going to be able to save 50-70% off your grocery bill. When I go to the grocery store, I usually save about 70% on average which feeds our family of 5 plus 2 dogs and a cat.

Where to get coupons

- Sunday Papers – every Sunday there will be inserts fill with coupons. Some weekends there will only be 1 while other weekends will have 5-6 inserts. Some weekends there is none at all due to holidays.

- Online printables from coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com, target.com, other various online sites.

- Peelies – Coupons that’s on the packages.

- Blinkies – Coupon Machines in front of the products on the shelf.

- Store Coupons – There is a lot of ways to get store coupons. They have them in the stores on a turnable or a display. You can get them in the mail.

What you do to get started on couponing is just browse the weekly sales ad and do coupon match ups. The best news is, there is a bunch of online sites that has already done that for you. So all you need to do is go to that site, look and see where the coupons and deal is, clip/print that coupon and get it at the store.

All you have to do is google the store you want and the week it starts so for example Kroger Matchups 9/2 and you will have a bunch to choose from. Here in the southeast, I use the following sites for my coupon match ups

www.iheartpublix.com

www.iheartsavingmoney.com

www.iheartkroger.com

www.southernsavers.com

www.hotcouponworld.com

www.refundcents.com

(refundcents has an $12 annual membership fee which you will get back in tenfold so well worth it in my opinion)

You will need to look in your area to find out who has the best coupon policy and what that policy is. Like for example, in my area – I find Publix to be the best for my grocery shopping. They always double up to .50 cents, so that means my .50 cent coupon will be worth $1. Publix also accepts competitor coupons. You will have to go to your local customer service desk and find out who they consider their competitor. Publix also allows a Publix coupon and a manufacture coupon to be used on the same item. You will just need to go to the local grocery stores in your area and find out what their coupon policy is. Each store will have a different policy.

For example – Publix has the GoGo Squeeze Applesauce pouches (which my son loves!) on sale buy 1 get 1 free (bogo) at $2.59. There is a .50/1 printable, which my store doubles up to .50 cents so that coupon is worth $1. I can use 2 of the .50 cent coupons because I’m purchasing 2 boxes of GoGo Squeeze. So I will end up only paying .59 cents for 2 boxes which ends up being .15 cents a box!!

You are allowed to use 2 coupons on a bogo deal. Here in Georgia the bogo deals ring up ½ price. So if you only wanted 1 item, it will ring up ½ price. You don’t have to get 2 items. Now in Florida, their bogo rings up 1^st one at full price and the 2^nd one at .00 so you will have to purchase 2 to get the bogo deal.

Handling your coupons

There is a bunch of different ways to store your coupons. You will have to find one that meets your needs.

Binder Method – You can clip coupons and put them in a binder with baseball cards. You will have to be faithful in cutting and sorting and going through to make sure they aren’t expired every week.

Insert Method – Have a file cabinet or box with file folders and just store the inserts in whole. Once you need to clip a coupon, just look for the date and insert they will be in and go to that insert and clip it out.

Coupon Envelope – This is good for people that don’t have a lot of coupons to use. But once you start couponing good and start saving more, you will need to go to a different method since the coupons won’t all fit in the envelope.

With couponing you will find that you have to grow a thick skin. You will find cashiers and customers behind you in line complain and hassle you about using coupons. Don’t let this affect you, you are not doing anything wrong as long as you are using the coupons correctly!!

This is one of my biggest pet peeve with couponing. The cashiers or managers will say this “it’s limit 1 per purchase” which the cashiers think that you are only allowed to use 1 coupon for the whole transaction. NOT TRUE!! If you are purchasing 5 things, you are allowed to use 5 coupons as long as they are for 1 product not for $1 off 2. The only time you are not allowed to use more than what you purchase if the coupons say “limit 1 per transaction” or “limit 4 like coupons”. A lot of P&G coupons now say limit 4 like coupons, which means you can only purchase 4 razors and use 4 - $4 off coupons, but you can purchase 4 – Dawn Dish Soap and use 4 - .25 cent off coupons on that same order. They just don’t want you using more than 4 of the same exact coupons in the same transaction.

I hope the things I explained makes it easier for you to get started or to do better. When you get started at couponing you won't notice much of a difference money wise for the 1st couple months, but you will notice that your pantry and fridge/freezer is getting fuller! Once you get a good stockpile, then all you will need to do is replenish your basic items. You will still be able to get stuff but they will be at a really low price after coupons and sales.

I will do another post on the drug store game! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or email me and I will be glad to help!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Progresso Recipe Starter Sauce

I'm a part of BzzAgent and I recently was sent a can of the Progresso Recipe Starters. I got the Creamy Portabella Mushroom. When I got it, I browsed the recipes online to get ideas. I came across the mushroom and Swiss burgers and the picture looked good.

I have to say, it made the burgers soft and tender. I don't know if I would be making this recipe again but I will definitely be using this starter soup in other recipes. I just need to play around and keep making something that I will love.

It comes in 5 different flavors

Creamy Parmesan Basil

Creamy Portabella Mushroom

Creamy Roasted Garlic

Creamy Three Cheese

Fire Roasted Tomatoes

I can't wait to try the Creamy Three Cheese. I think that would go great in a pasta dish. The next time I'm at the store, I'll have to be sure to pick up a couple cans.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

My Deals of the week 8.19

Here is my awesome deals for this week. I love it when I pay pennies for stuff! This is why I love to coupon.

Publix

8 - Betty Crocker Potato - BOGO @ $1.55

- used .50/2 printables that double x 4

6 - Glade Expressions Starter Kit - $8.49

- $8.49 - Used coupon that states get a free starter kit when I buy the refill x 6

6 - Glade Expressions Refill - $5.49

- $5.49 - used publix coupon that states get a free refill when I buy the starter kit x 6

1 -Publix Greenwise Toilet Paper - $2.39

- $2.38 - Publix Penny Item coupon

Total before coupons is $92.47

after all coupons - total was $2.21 + $6.17 in tax for a final total of $8.38 OOP!

Publix

3 - Glade Expressions Starter Kit - $8.49

- $8.49 - Used coupon that states get a free starter kit when I buy the refill x 3

3 - Glade Expressions Refill - $5.49

- $5.49 - used publix coupon that states get a free refill when I buy the starter kit x 3

1 -Publix Greenwise Toilet Paper - $2.39

- $2.38 - Publix Penny Item coupon

Total before coupons is $44.33

after all coupons - total was $.01 + $3.03 in tax for a final total of $3.04 OOP!

RiteAid

3 - Samy Fat Foam Hair Color - $8.23

- used $6 Riteaid in ad coupon

- Used $5 printable facebook coupon

- used $2 Riteaid Video Value coupon

1 - Max Freeze - $7

1 - Hersheys Simple Pleasures - $2.99

- Used $1 Riteaid Flu book coupon

- used $2 coupon from insert

6 - NYC nail polish - .79 cents each (after 20% discount)

Total is $39.42

total after coupons -.58 cents + $2.64 tax = $2.06 oop!

And i received $7 +up for the max freeze and 2 - $3 +up for purchasing 6 nail polish.

RiteAid

4 - Riteaid Brand Hand Sanitizer - $1

Used $3 +up reward from previous transaction

Paid $1.00 + .28 cents tax = $1.28

Received 4 - $1 +up rewards for purchasing hand sanitizer

So I spent $14.76 OOP but $12.12 of that was just tax.

What good deals did you get this week??

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

My awesome deals

I love this time of the year because I can get awesome deals on school/office supplies! These are great to have on hand for whenever you need them, as well as Christmas teacher gifts. You can make up a gift basket of various school supplies they will need/use for practically free! I made one last year with different pens, markers, pencils, stickers, etc and the teachers loved it! It helps them reduce money spent out of their pockets.

The 1st 2 deals is current this week so you can go out and purchase your own!

Walmart

2 - Motts to go applesauce - pricematch publix $2

- used $1 printable x 2

4 - Glade Expressions Mist - $2.98

- used $3 printable x 4

2 - Bic Razors - $2.94

- used $3 8/5 SS

I got a few other things that I needed and spent $11.82 oop. The above items are $1.80 alone. Which isn't a bad price itself! I had to purchase a mouse for my desktop and that was $8.