2 Cool Shopping Finds

I love Etsy. I have discovered so many cool things on that site.

For instance, I found the necklace to the right at the Etsy shop of MamaBethBling. I had seen a similar necklace in one of the many blogs I read, so I poked around on Etsy and found one I liked better. You can have the disks personalized with anything, but I chose my kids' names. The charms are their birthstones. I always get compliments on the necklace when I wear it. She has lots of different designs, so check out her site and find something you like. I don't get anything for recommending her, but I like her stuff so I thought I'd share.

The cards to the right I found through an annual Christmas craft fair that comes to town every December. I bought some cards for a friend's Christmas gift and chatted for a bit with the creator/owner of the cards. Then I put her card in my wallet and completely forgot about her. Cleaning out my wallet recently, I found the card, and needing some quick, super cool gifts I checked out the website. Christine is super sweet and the cards (I think) are very affordable (I'm cheap, you know!) There are lots of colors & designs for cards on the site (not all are floral!), so if you need a unique gift for someone I highly recommend Christine's cards. She also does Bible verse cards, which are very pretty.

So there are my shopping recommendations. I hope you find something cool that you like!

Ebates Revisited

If you haven't yet signed up for Ebates, do it NOW. ; )

"Okay!" you say. "But what exactly IS Ebates?

Ebates is a FREE program that rewards you for shopping.

"Cool!" you say. How does this work?

With any purchase you make from online retailers through Ebates' site, you receive cash back. The amount you receive back depends on where you do your shopping. Different retailers have different amounts.

"But why sign up now?" you ask. I'm glad you did.

2 reasons:

Ebates has doubled their rebate incentive from $5 to $10 for first time sign ups until December 31! That means if you sign up now you'll get $10 automatically when you shop through them your first time!

I can hear you saying, "Well, it says that's good until December 31. Why do it now? I have a month!"

Friends, I realize I'm a little late in telling you this, but today, November 28th, the cash back amounts are doubled. That means if you would normally get 8% back, you get 16% TODAY ONLY!

Payments are sent out 4 times a year as long as you have at least $5.01 cash back in your account, otherwise it rolls over to the next payout. You can choose to receive a paper check or tell them your PayPal address and they'll send it to you that way. Easy peasy.

And that $10 cash back for sign up? You'll receive that as soon as you make at least a $10 purchase through Ebates by Dec. 31, 09.

I've been a member for a few years. I just checked my Ebates account and according to them I've received a total of $437.o0 back since 1999. That averages out to almost $50 a year just for clicking a link and shopping through Ebates. It's money I wouldn't have gotten back otherwise.

Convinced? Go sign up. Then find yourself something to buy for $10 and earn your first rebate! Checks will be sent again on February 15, 2009 (they come in February, May, August and November, always on the 15th of the month.)

Just today I went to Joann.com and bought some new Colorbox Cat's Eye Fluid Chalks. JoAnn.com has a free shipping code that's good on ANY order no matter the amount, so that would be somewhere you can shop and not pay shipping!

After you've spent your $10, recruit 2 friends, get them to sign up and shop and you will get $30. Not bad, eh?

One For the Books

Is it Monday or what? Sheesh!

The kids did well with the time change on Sunday morning. We were allowed to sleep a little later than usual, so that was nice. But this morning, they were up at 6:15ish. Good grief! I didn't sleep well because our normal (heavier) comforter was in the wash... either the new cat or Annabelle (in retalliation for the presence of the new cat) peed on our bed on Sunday night. So I had that going for me...

Took the kids to school and came home to get ready for shopping day. I just had Lillian with me this morning, so I planned a 4-stop outing (say it with me, Dora style...) Bank, CVS, Publix, Ingles. Bank, CVS, Publix, Ingles. Catchy little ditty.

The bank was the only thing that went smoothly today. The teller has a new goatee & mustache. He's lookin' fly.

CVS was next. I did well there, scoring $100+ worth of stuff for right around $50. The cashier didn't have change for my $100, so she asked if I had smaller bills. I found just enough to pay her and left.

Publix went okay. I couldn't find the smaller size of Pizza Rolls that are on sale (buy one, get one free) this week. No biggie. I couldn't find the canned biscuits, either, and I left my coupons for Green Giant Steamers in the car. At the register I asked about the biscuits and the smart-arse cashier told me I must be blind 'cause they're right there along the back wall. 'K, jerk. Then he proceeded to scrutinize every coupon I gave him like I was stealing. I HATE THAT.

So I paid and went to the car, loaded those groceries, got my missing coupons, went back inside and bought 2 cans of Grands biscuits and 4 bags of vegetables. Total: $2 (a different cashier wouldn't take off the full amount of the coupons, which were $1 each, because the veggies were only ringing up at $.89. I was kicking myself, because if those had been mixed in with all the other groceries he wouldn't have noticed. GRRR.)

It was at that moment that I realized I didn't see the $100 that I had tried to pay with at CVS in my wallet. My cash wallet has different pockets for different budget categories, so it was possible I'd tucked it into another pocket. I just knew it wasn't in the grocery pocket when I tried to pay at Publix.

Back to CVS I went. Talked to the cashier. She called the manager, who very politely and thoroughly did everything he could to find my money. It wasn't there, but he was so kind about it. He went through every drawer and looked everywhere before telling me it just wasn't there. He was just so very nice. A true gentleman, indeed. He took my name and number and said if they come up over by $100 he'll call me. I felt bad for wasting his time, but I would've second guessed myself if I hadn't gone back to ask.

Whew. After CVS we went back home to drop off groceries before heading back to Ingles. Got those things put away and took off back out the door. Stopped by Dollar General to get hangers, because we're short (again!) because these kids keep needing new clothes. How does that happen?!?! Some redneck was making a huge hillbilly fuss in the store, so I got my hangers and got outta there fast. It didn't sound like the argument was going to end well.

I had just walked in the door at Ingles when my cell buzzed. It was the lunch lady from the older kids' school. Even though I placed their lunch order last night online, it hadn't shown up so she was wondering if they had just forgotten their lunches or if indeed I had meant to order them something. I set things straight with her and started shopping. Lillian was her usual chatty (loud, singing, noisy) self, which was driving me batty. I got to the register, and the cashier told me that due to their new internet coupon policy (enacted by the manager that morning) she could only take off $.99 for each printed coupon over $1. HUH? I asked to see that policy in writing. She couldn't produce it, so she called over the manager. He threw his hands in the air and said, "I don't have to show it to you! If you want to complain, call corporate!" I did just that as I drove away from the store. I left a message, but no one has called me back (I emailed about an hour ago and got a quick response that basically told me I was right... ha!)

As I was putting up the groceries from Ingles (while trying to simultaneously make dinner for a family of 7 from the kids' school whose 10 week-old baby has been sick) my husband called. He picks Quinn up on Mondays, takes him to lunch and drops him off at my mother-in-law's house. Well, except for today. I could hear Quinn crying in the background because his throat hurt so badly. I had to gather up medicine for Quinn, wait for my casseroles to finish cooking, get Lillian in the car, pick up Quinn, then go out to pick up Aiden and Camryn and drop off the dinner for the family.

Deep breath.

I'm finally home now. A homemade dinner is iffy, which I hate, because I know I just bought a bunch of food. I just have ZERO energy left to cook. Pizza Inn buffet sounds so good right now.

UPDATE: While I was writing this, I got a phone call from the Ingles district manager. He said he'd talked to the store manager and set him straight about the way he treated me AND the actual coupon policy. He said that the coupon policy will now be posted in each store AND they're sending me a $20 gift card for my trouble. Woo hoo! How's that for handling a situation quickly? Color me impressed!

And still, after all that, I can say it wasn't an awful day. People who really had bad days would laugh out loud if I described my day as bad. I didn't lose a loved one today. My house was not foreclosed on. None of my children has a terminal illness. My husband still has a job. I'm not disabled. I have great friendships. My bills get paid every month. I'm blessed. Beyond blessed. And I'm grateful for it.

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:3-4

Money Saving Sunday

I blogged about my newfound love for Google Reader a couple of days ago, and in that post I included some of my newfound "frugal" blogs. The ladies that write these blogs are on top of things when it comes to getting stuff for free or nearly free, and I decided to join them in their quest to save money. I've always been a penny pincher (thanks, Mom!) but the authors of the blogs I read take frugality to new levels. I was inspired, so I'm going to chronicle my Money Saving Sunday for you. I didn't do too bad, actually!

I took Camryn (10) and Aiden (7) with me, because it's just more fun to find deals when you have company (plus, it's a great opportunity for them to learn how to save a buck, too!) I mapped out my journey, taking the most gas-saving route possible.

We started at CVS, where I got:

(2) Nature's Bounty Vitamins (which were B1G1 free; I had 2 coupons for $2 off each)
(1) 24-pack of Nestle Pure Life Water (on sale for $4.99; I had a coupon for $1 off)
(1) Swiffer sweeper starter kit
(1) Swiffer duster starter kit (had a coupon to get this free with purchase of the sweeper kit)
(4) All Small & Mighty concentrated detergents (they were B1G1 free and I had 4 coupons: 3 for $1 each and 1 for $.50)

I had $6 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) from a previous visit. My total before coupons and ECBs was $68.68. I only paid $25.32. Since I bought $10 worth of Swiffer products I got $5 in ECBs, plus $2 in ECBs for buying the vitamins, $1 ECB for buying the water and a $2 off $10 coupon for a future visit. That gave me $10 in ECBs! Those ECBs spend like money, so they're good on any future purchases. Remember that.

Our next stop was Bath & Body Works. B&BW is having a Columbus Day sale, which meant they had certain Wallflower scents on sale for $6 (regular price $12.50). I use those things all the time (because I'm a scent junkie and like the house to smell nice!) Before I left home I printed out 2 coupons to get free Scentports ($12.50 value) when you buy $15 worth of merchandise. I gave Camryn $20, a coupon, 3 of the $6 Wallflower refill boxes and one of the Scentports. She paid for her stuff and got the free Scentport. I bought 3 Wallflower refill boxes and got a free Scentport as well. We spent $36 and got $25 in free product. Not bad.

I had to gas up the van, so I popped into a rather new gas station and was pleasantly surprised to find the price to be $2.89 a gallon for regular unleaded. MUCH better than the almost $4 we were paying (due to shortages and hurricanes) a mere 2 weeks ago. It was the first time in a LONG time I've filled up the tank for under $50.

Walgreen's was the next place we stopped. They're currently offering a $10 Register Rebate (basically a coupon for $10 off your next shopping trip) when you buy 3 bottles of Children's Dimetapp medicine. The Dimetapp is currently on sale for $3.99 a bottle; I had 3 coupons for $2 off each bottle. I paid $10.47 for 3 bottles of cough & cold syrup (much needed at our house... we're completely out!) plus a bag of Airheads candy ($1.64 on clearance) and a package of Hershey's Special Dark candy bars ($2.14, also on clearance). The $10 coupon printed out and I stuck it above the visor in the car for use later. Remember that, too.

After leaving Walgreen's we hit another CVS. I picked up 2 bottles of fabric softener (not on sale, but I desperately needed it!) and a black Halloween wig for Camryn (not on sale either, but it was a decent price at $4.99 and it was necessary to complete her Cleopatra costume.) Total spent: $4.25 after the ECBs, plus I scored another $2 off $10 coupon for my next CVS trip. It's tucked safely away for a future visit.

We moved on to Target, where I spent way too much (I never get out of Target for less than $200! Is that sad?!?) I had tons of coupons for Target. This week they have 6-packs of Lever soap (hubby's new favorite) on sale for $3.79. I had printed 4 coupons for $1 each and had another for $.50 off, so I bought 5 packs (we're set for soap for awhile, huh?) Suave kids' shampoo is $1.69 this week, so I got one bottle and used my $1/1 coupon, making that shampoo a mere $.69. Hostess Snack Cakes (for lunch boxes, doncha know) are $3 each this week, and I had 2 coupons for $.75 off. Not bad. The best deal was the Archer Farms brand stuff... it's all 15% off this week, and Target has printable coupons out there. I scored some tropical juice for $1.08 each (I found these in clearance for $2.08 a bottle, and I had $1 off coupons), 2 cans of Honey Roasted Almonds ($2.89/can sale priced minus $.50 each with coupons), and 4 boxes of Archer Farms cookies ($2.11/box minus $.50 each with coupons). I also picked up 3 bottles of my favorite shampoo (Neutrogena 2 in 1 for dry scalp), which is $5.99/bottle. I had 3 coupons for $2 off each bottle, which is pretty good for a shampoo I use a lot. I also bought 2 games for Aiden's classroom (items from his teacher's wish list). I had coupons for those, too (and one game was even on sale! Score!) My total at Target was $167.54, but before coupons it was $191, so that's not a bad deal for stuff we need.

After Target we stopped for ice cream. My frequent buyer card was full, so we got a free cone. Cha-ching!

Bloom (a local grocery store) was next. They were offering triple coupons this weekend, so the place was a madhouse. I had been in there on Friday (twice, because they only let you triple 20 coupons at a time. I made one trip in, paid, put groceries in the car, went back in, paid, and left to go pick up the kids... I went back today because I had 14 more coupons to use!)

When we got to Bloom my frequent shopper card wouldn't work so we could get the self-scanner thing (a must at Bloom, because it's SO MUCH FUN to use and makes the trip much quicker!) I'm glad it didn't scan, because I noticed something going on while I was standing at customer service. Cashiers were handing out stickers with customers' receipts. I asked the CS rep what that was all about and she explained the Cook Happy program. When you spend $1000, you get free cookware. Now, $1000 sounds like a lot of cash, but over the course of several months that does add up. I know our monthly food budget is $600, so it wouldn't take me long to spend $1000 if I shopped at Bloom all the time. (Plus, they give a percentage of my purchases back to the kids' school.) Since I was in Bloom twice on Friday and didn't get my stickers, the CS rep was nice enough to look at my receipts and give me my Happy Points. Cool!

In three trips to Bloom this weekend I purchased a total of $221.36 worth of groceries and paid only $113.95 after store specials and coupons were deducted. That's a savings of $107.41! And no, I didn't buy stuff we won't ever use. I only bought stuff we use all the time (In fact, tonight we had the Angus ribeyes that I got on Friday, and we are stocked up on Campbell's soup. I see lots of soup -n- sandwich nights in our future! Yum-oh!)

We were tuckered out after Bloom, but as we were leaving I remembered I hadn't bought milk. I ran into (yet another) Walgreen's on the way home and bought 3 gallons of milk. I used my $10 off certificate that I'd earned buying the cough medicine, so I paid a whopping $1.37 for that milk.

When we got home and everything was put away, I put on a DVD that I'd gotten in the mail. The kids were supposed to watch it, then I fill out a survey and return the DVD. When they get the DVD back, they will send me a check for $7. That pays for the gas I spent running around today and then some!

All in all a very satisfying day. I don't know if I could do this running around every Sunday, but I feel like I accomplished a lot today.

Goodwill Hunting

I love Sundays.

My husband is home on Sundays, so I am free to spend my time anyway I wish while he watches the children. Usually, I take one of the kids on a Mommy date. It's never anything planned and almost always involves shopping and private talks. I've learned the most about my kids on those Sunday dates.

Yesterday I spirited my oldest daughter away from home. My goal for the day was a visit to AC Moore; Camryn's goal was to blow the $16 she had burning a hole in her pocket. She wanted to find some water toys, so when we were done at AC Moore we moseyed on down the road towards Big Lots.

Between AC Moore and Big Lots sits a nice Goodwill store that I have never, ever visited. The only time I've ever been inside a Goodwill store, it was disorganized and hard to navigate. That was when I only had one child, and I didn't want to repeat the experience with 4 kids. Yesterday was a perfect opportunity to hit that store since I just had the one child with me.

The store ended up being a treasure trove. Camryn kept repeating, "This stuff is SO CHEAP!" (rather loudly, much to my dismay). We walked out of there with 3 bags stuffed full of clothes for $52.50. My favorite find was an April Cornell dress for Lillian. Camryn's favorite was a brand new American Girl game for $3.

She can't wait to go back and dig for more treasures. Me, either! That was FUN!

I feel pretty, oh so pretty....

I've been feeling sorta bummed lately, because all of my summer shorts are too tight. I should lose weight (workin' on that), but until then, I cannot go nekkid, and I ain't sweatin' in jeans all summer long.

I cannot remember the last time I stepped foot in the mall. I don't think I even went at Christmastime. I abhor the mall. I like to get out of my car and into a store in about 10 to 20 steps. Any more than that (especially with 4 kids in tow), and shopping officially becomes a pain.

Thank goodness for online ordering. I went to LaneBryant.com and ordered myself a few new things. I got 'em today, and since (at the time) I was still in my PJs, I put on a new outfit.

I got this in Gemini Green and I'm currently wearing it with these in Sandstone (I see that they're on sale for $19.99. I think I'll go back and order 2 more pairs in black!) I'm stoked because (1) the shirt is NOT knit and (2) the pants don't have an elastic waist. I feel like I live in knit tees and elastic waisted pants. As Katharine McPhee sings, "I'm over it!"

The best part?

Every piece of clothing I ordered FITS! NO returns!

WOO HOOOOOOO! I love new clothes!