Got my new Huggies and Target Baby Coupon Mailers today!

I love getting coupons. When I think about it, I think coupons might actually make me spend more money than I need to sometimes...got to have that amazing deal you know?!

But I haven't always been a coupon junkie! Until about a year ago I had no idea places would send you LOADS of coupons if you just sign up for them. Usually all you have to do is give them a couple of the following: your address, email address, and full name. Sometimes they will want you to fill out a rewards or "loyalty programs," survey. But its usually just a couple questions of why you enjoy their product(s). If you ever get asked by a cashier to join a rewards program, and the program is free, do it!!! I get coupons and promotional or special sale offers monthly, sometimes even as much as every week from companies. Here are a couple of my favorite rewards programs:

1) Your bank--most banks will let you earn rewards for using your debit card. You have to look into your bank's specific conditions, but a lot of the time you can earn cash back or gift cards and travel miles for just using your debit card for every day things you need anyway.

2) Hallmark Rewards--Hallmark has one of the BEST reward programs I have ever run across. You get coupons and deals every month and for the points you earn you can get an "upgraded status" that earns you even more rewards. They have a program you pay for as well but unless you shop there a LOT, its not really necessary. Also--at the end of the year they tell you how much you spent with them--which is great for helping you budget for the next year.

3) Perks Place at The Children's Place--With this swipeable pass you earn point on each person. Spend $150 and get $10 back. Best of all its free, you don't need to get their store credit card! And they will also send you exclusive coupons in the mail.

4) BabiesRUs and ToysRUs--you can sign up for a rewards membership online. They track how much you spend and send you coupons for $ off any purchase and will send you coupons in the mail along with a booklet of upcoming sales.

5) Gap Credit Card--This is quite the investment and normally I would say DON'T do a credit card. But if you are like me and like to order things online--this credit card has free shipping offers. I save myself about $100 annually off of shipping costs and don't have to drop $100 to get the "free shipping" bonus that most stores make you use. And because this a store I frequent ALL the time, I save money by shopping online so I won't overbuy. Because we all for that trap on at least one item. But if you do a credit card, make the purchases worthwhile by not carrying a balance. ALWAYS pay your balance in full.

6) Huggies, Similac, Enfamil, Pampers....anything baby! You can sign up for vouchers and coupons at all of these websites.

7) P&G Coupons--Proctor and Gamble will let you sign up for mailer coupons at their website. These are very handy and can save you money on things ranging from Tide to Cereals.

8) Barnes and Noble Rewards--If you read a lot of books this is a great offer. But it ALSO can save you money off of toys, puzzles, calendars, music, and dvds. Can't afford the annual $25 membership? Try and find someone who has one because you just need to know the phone number to look up the account. For instance I have frequently let my mom or closer friends use mine. Best part is you always get 10% off. And often times they run promotions of up to 40% off or send out coupons to your email address. This is especially great for purchasing textbooks if you are a student. Barnes and Noble has special section online for getting reduced price text books that are old or new. You get to use your discount and they will sometimes throw in free shipping.

9) Your most used grocery product--Mine is Rogers Dairy, I eat their yogurts and drink their milk DAILY. I checked out their website and discovered they also have coupons they mail out occasionally. All I had to do was give them my address and they send them to me in the mail.

10) Target--when you register for a baby registry or wedding Target will send you coupons after you have "completed" it. After my wedding, target sent me a coupon for 20% off anything remaining on my registry and I could still access it. I needed a new camera since mine broke. So I added it and saved $50 plus got free shipping. Also, you can sign up for coupons and even print some off online at Target.com.

BONUS TIP: Any place that asks for your email address wants to send you a coupon! So always give them it. For instance, Bath and Body Works, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Victoria's secret will always ask for your email address. When you give it to them they sign you up for email offers and send you coupons. Banana Republic actually gave me one for 20% off online! You can also find most of these offers by googling but companies are getting smarter about encoding them and limiting them by using bar codes so my best recommendation is to sign up for your favorites yourself. Take advantage of all the great deals to be found out there, especially in this economy when companies will do back flips to keep you as a customer.

Got my Free Diet Dr. Pepper Today!

Have you got your FREE Diet Dr. Pepper yet? I have. Request your coupon for a free 2 liter or 16 oz bottle at http://www.freedietdrpepper.com/. Your coupon will arrive in the mail in as few as 7 days!

10 Ways to Save Money this Spring!

1. Declare a spending freeze--no shopping except for bare necessities and stay out of the malls and stores. See how long you can stay away from your favorite place to shop.
2. Cheap entertainment-- Don't pay when you can have fun for free. Try game nights, movie and popcorn nights, walks to park, and getting books from the library.
3. Pantry-only cooking--no grocery shopping except for basics like milk, eggs, butter for 1 week during the month
4. Drive less--don't go to places that are not necessary and save on gas money. Plan any trips out so you are not wasting time driving back and forth.
5. Drink less sodas and pops--switch to waters, koolaids, and crystal lite instead. You can even try making your own lemonade for a nice spring treat.
6. No eating out--cook at home instead or bring a lunch to work. Try some new recipes to keep yourself from getting bored.
7. Clean out the closets--sell items for cash or give away. An extra bonus: this declutters your home and you will have your spring cleaning done!
8. Pay with cash--Try to not use your debit card and pay with cash. You will be more conscious of what you spend when paying with cash.
9. Use coupons--Utilize your local newspaper and clip coupons and plan plan plan to save money at the store. Also try looking online for coupons or savings codes.
10. Invest wisely--To make it all worthwhile put 90% of the savings into a savings or power checking account to earn interest. Then treat yourself to something nice after 1 month of saving money!

Yummy Taco Foldovers!

I needed to use up some ground beef from the freezer and didn't have a lot on hand. So I decided to make taco meat and use it to make taco foldovers. I used crescent rolls (you could also use your own homemade dough), shredded cheeses, and the seasoned taco beef to make them. I also set out sour cream, queso dip, and salsa for dipping with the foldovers and some tortilla chips. To make the queso dip I used up the remaining meat, added some velveeta cheese, spices and some salsa and green chilies and then microwaved them for 2 minutes. Together everything was delicious! My 3 year old ate over 1/2 of the foldovers and my husband wants me to make them again sometime instead of our regular tacos that we normally have once a week. Next time I am going to sneak in some green and red peppers and try it with fajita seasoning and chicken!

If I had a million dollars....

I would give it all to families trying to rebuild their homes in Cedar Rapids, IA. Cedar Rapids had record flooding last summer and still isn't back to normal. The downtown area is empty and its a sad sight to see. These families could use money like this to rebuild their homes, clean up their community, and make their neighborhood better for their kids again. This is an investment everyone can benefit from. Our kids will benefit and will give back more than a million dollars in gold.

If you give a mouse a cookie brings me back

Today I love reading this book to my son. It was my favorite as a child and now I can read it to my son too. We also try to make chocolate chips cookies and drink milk before reading it. It's just great to have before bedtime and goes perfect with this book!

I love this book because it reminds me of Kindergarden. What person doesn't remember reading this book in class as a child? Even better is now the book has its own series. So when my 3 year old asks for another book I will just read another one!

AMAZING stroller hooks!

These are so awesome!!! Every mom needs 1 or 2 sets of these! My husband and I were always agitated when we went shopping at the mall because our double stroller had no where to store our bags. The storage bin on our stroller is under the two kids seat and a pain to get to. But we found these at Babiesrus and oh my I am so so so grateful to have found these! We tested them out yesterday and this morning and they hook right on to our bar and our shopping bags easily fit on the hook. Even our bulky diaper bag still stays on them. I might just have to buy another set because they are just that helpful!

Link: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2792276

Need a new baby wearer

So I'm looking for a new sling or baby carrier. I have a hot sling but I feel like I need a little more versatility. I looking at this Moby Wrap. I like the moss and aqua colors, but feel like black or navy blue would be more practical. I think it would enable me to keep up with my 3 year old more since the baby wants to be held a lot. Plus it holds up to 45 lbs, 35 comfortably, and will likely last until this baby doesn't want to be held so much anymore. I can't wait to get one, it will be the perfect thing to have this spring and summer when the weather warms up and we go to the park again. And its only $40 so I can definitely afford it.

www.mobywrap.com

In love with Pandora

So I recently rediscovered Pandora. If you have not yet heard of Pandora, basically it allows you to listen to music for free online. You type in a song or artist you love and it plays similar songs in that genre. You can set up your own "stations" and decide which music you like or dislike. Based on that, Pandora makes new recommendations for you to listen to and compiles a list of music they think you might enjoy. So if you type in Lily Allen, it will play a song by her and then continue to play music based on what you rate 'like' or 'dislike'. And for those of you that want to buy the music you really love, Pandora can link you directly to iTunes or Amazon to buy that cool new song or album you just have to have. Make your own account and Pandora will record your preferences for you to listen to wherever you log in at. The best part is its free and you can enjoy whatever you want when you want to.
Try Pandora now at: http://www.pandora.com/

Janie and Jack Friends and Family Offer!

Janie and Jack have a friends and family sale this weekend from March 27-March 29th, 2009. Enter the code JJFriend for 25% your entire online purchase. They are also offering free shipping off of orders greater than $100.

Details:

1. FREE SHIPPING OFFER: Offer valid between 3/27/2009 12:01 a.m. ET and 3/29/2009, 11:59 p.m. ET. Free standard U.S. shipping applies automatically to orders of $100 or more at checkout. Shipping rate is calculated from merchandise subtotal (less discounts, if applicable) and does not include tax or purchases of gift cards. Valid on each shipment with a merchandise subtotal of $100 or more. Promotion not valid on international shipments. Not valid for cash. No shipping adjustments on previous purchases. Offer is non-transferable. Not valid at Janie and Jack shops. Janie and Jack reserves the right to change this promotion at any time. Not combinable with any other offer.

2. FRIENDS & FAMILY: Coupon is valid for one transaction only and only one coupon may be redeemed per customer. Valid only on listed dates. To redeem online, enter: JJFRIEND into the promotion code box at checkout. Online orders must be placed between 3/27/2009 12:01 a.m. ET and 3/29/2009, 11:59 p.m. ET in order to receive discount. Discount will not be applied toward shipping charges, taxes, gift cards, in-store phone orders or donations. Original coupon must be presented and will be collected at time of in-store purchase. No adjustments will be made to prior sales. Purchases made with this offer are not eligible for a price adjustment. May not be combined with any other offers. Coupon may not be redeemed for cash. Lost, stolen, expired, or destroyed coupons will not be replaced. Offer may not be transferred in any way. Use of this coupon constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions, except where prohibited by law. Janie and Jack reserves the right to change these terms or cancel this promotion at any time. Employees will receive their standard employee discount on all regular priced items and the Friends and Family discount on all sale items. Not valid at Janie and Jack Outlet.

Free Shipping at Target

I LOVE Target!


My husband and I ordered this highchair from Target last week. Only we ordered a cherry colored version of it. We decided after watching Jon and Kate +8 that we wanted to try using a wooden high chair instead of a big bulky plastic one for this baby. The plastic ones are more than double, sometimes triple the price of this one at $39.99. We waited for it to have a special or promo code for free shipping and ordered it first thing on Monday last week. We got our highchair in the mail today and it is gorgeous. I couldn't believe it only took my husband 10 minutes to set up and the wood is very high quality too! Target still is offering free shipping on select items for a limited time, so if you know you need something order it now!

Link to highchair:
http://www.target.com/LA-Baby-Stackable-Restaurant-Highchair/dp/B000KU796S/qid=1237949360/ref=br_1_9/185-3914151-3606041?ie=UTF8&node=1041930&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=1041930&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=1

FREE Bath and Body Works Item! Thru 4/12

Print off this coupon to get a free Bath and Body Works Signature Collection item up to $12 when you spend $10 or more! Good thru April 12th!

I have discovered how to make my homemade cleaning product smell better!

I use 1 part vinegar and 1 part baking soda and water to scrub down my bathroom and kitchen. I had been putting Dawn lemon-scented dish soap in it and using a spray bottle. But I switched to using fresh squeezed lemon and orange juices instead. Not a lot, but just enough to rid it of that vinegar smell (about 2 tablespoons). I love using the orange the best, it gives off a super clean scent in my kitchen! Plus my son loves oranges so one more orange a week is an easy and cheap buy for me since I buy the big bag of oranges every time I go to the grocery store! I just dump my mix every couple of days or so if I have any leftovers so I can clean out my sprayer to keep it from getting clogged. When I dump it, I also use that to clean my kitchen sink!

Yes I might be a shopaholic but....

I am a very good one! Today I headed to our outlet mall and found some AWESOME deals. I have bought Thomas's entire fall/winter wardrobe for next year for super cheap and am proud to say I am done for a while. And I am going to list them here for you because I like to share!

Old Navy--They had a whole wall of infant and baby items for $5 each. It didn't include toddler sized items (only up to 24 months included in the sale) but I needed some spring and summer items for Oliver so I picked up some 1 pieces, shorts, and Oliver's Easter outfit. Oliver's Easter outfit from head to toe totalled only $20! And its going to double as his baptism outfit so I totally scored!

The Children's Place--They did it again! All the winter clearance items were $2.99 and under. So for $25 I was able to get 5 pairs of corduroy pants, 2 matching velvet blazers for next Christmas AND some footed pjs for next winter! And I earned rewards points by swiping my Children's Place Perks pass. So I will be earning my next reward very soon! LOVE it!

Carters Outlet--I love Carters rewards cards. I get the email offers and they always send me $10 off coupons but this time I also got to use 2 $10 off a $35 purchase coupons that they gave me for shopping a couple weeks ago. I still have one left to use and they are good through April 4th. All together I saved $30 making my total $60. Everything I had was 70%+ off so I got lots of inexpensive finds for both boys next winter and fall.

Back from a long vacation!

Its been quite a long hiatus for me these last couple of months. Oliver is now here and Thomas has kept me busy too so things are different in our wild household. But....I will be posting my bargains again!!! That and *ahem* all the pretty things I would love to buy but my husband would scream at me if I actually did. :-)