NEW BLOG!!! :-)

I have decided to start a separate blog for sharing tips on how to save money and to post any deals that I find...and keep this one just for family updates and pictures. :)

I need your help though on the name! I'm obviously really bad on stuff like this...I mean seriously, just look at the address for this blog! ;)

The main thing for me in the area of being frugal, that I would like to keep my focus on is:
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

I'd love to hear all your name suggestions, but if you are able to think of anything specifically relating to 1 Cor. 10:31 would be great! :)

Thank you!

The Zoo

Today some friends met us at the zoo for a BIG play group...it was very fun! There were some really cute pictures of all the kids, so I thought I'd post some. Thank you Lord for such a beautiful day and for the wonderful women you have placed in my life!

It seemed like all the animals were much closer to us today than normal...zebras were walking around as close as they could get, otters were running/swimming around, all the giraffes were close, tons of turtles swimming around right where we were eating lunch, and a couple times we past peacocks just walking around...they even 'let' the kids chase them around. :)

My attempt at turning a single stroller into a double. ;) ...and they're actually smiling! I think it's the 1st picture I've got of them both looking at the camera and smiling!!!

$1.00 scoops today at Ben & Jerry's

Donate a non-perishable food item and you can get a scoop for $1.00! Today only!!! Click here for more details and to find a location near you. *If you live in AZ I think the only location is 92nd/Shea.

I'm back...and with a GREAT deal!!!

It's been a busy week this past week preparing for the Frugal-Tea, but it's over now and I have some free time! :)

I have a couple of posts to catch up on, but I wanted to start by letting you all know about this great deal I just found out about today! FREE ADMISSION TO MUSEUMS, ZOO's, etc.!!!

Local libraries in Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe starting on April 1st will have passes available for check-out (like you would check out a library book) for local museums, etc. You just go in to the library, sign out a pass (based on availability), and then you have 7 days to visit the place of your choice. It's good for up to 4 people and you don't have to return it when you're done, it just expires after the 7 days. How cool is this?!?! :)

Here's a list of places you can check out a pass for:
AZ Museum for Youth
Children's Museum of Phoenix
Phoenix Zoo
Desert Botanical Garden - not participating until June 1st
Phoenix Art Museum
Arizona Science Center
AZ Museum of Natural History
Bead Museum
Cave Creek Museum
Heard Museum - all three locations
Mesa Contemporary Arts
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Taliesin West

Go to theculturepass.com for more information.

WOW, great deal at Walgreen's!

Thank you Amy for telling me about the great deal you scored at Walgreen's this week...I finally made it over there today, and luckily they still had some of the things I wanted to get!

Through tomorrow (Sat.) Walgreen's has a Huggies deal going on...spend $25.00 on Huggies products and get a $10.00 register reward (the coupon that prints out when you checkout) good for your next purchase. What makes this deal even better is that over the past couple weeks Huggies has had printable coupons for $5.00 off 1 package of diapers (or wipes in some cases). I had 3 $5.00 off coupons! I ended up buying 1 package of diapers (not in picture, it was a pckg of 40 size 3 diapers-$5.00 after coupon), 1 package of pull-ups ($5.00 after coupon), 1 big package of wipes ($1.00 after coupon), 2 Garnier Fructis products (both free!), and 2 coffee creamers (.50 each) for $14.21...so subtract the $10.00 register reward, it's like spending $4.21!!! Definitely worth the trip, thanks again Amy for encouraging me to go. :)

Great Boston Market Coupon!

This coupon is for $3.00 off a purchase of $6.00 ... and I even called some of our local stores just to make sure that they would take it and they said ALL locations are accepting them! :)

Free sample of Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash

Go here to request your free sample! :)

Funny girls!

The other day Nate checked on Emi and found her like this in Alyssa's room...

It was so cute to see how she put the stroller up on the bed and was reading to her baby.

Then yesterday Alyssa was yelling to me from the bathroom..."I'm in the bubble bath, I'm in the bubble bath!" huh??? So I ran in to the bathroom and found this... I guess bubble bath means sink???

...and here is how I found Emi this morning when she woke up. My little mermaid! :)

Emi's 1st Tumbling Class

Friday was Emi's 1st class and she loved it!!! When we first walked in all I saw was about 15 kids just running everywhere and doing whatever and I thought "oh no, this isn't going to be good!", but I guess that's just the 'structure' of this class so we went with it. It was pretty chaotic (which is actually how Emi likes things, so it worked out well for her), but it was still good overall...and the teacher actually let Alyssa join in on the fun too, which was very helpful for me and very appreciated by Alyssa! Like I said though, Emi loved it...she could go jump on the trampoline for a minute and then go tumble/slide down a mat and then go over to the balance beam...and if she fell off anything it was on a mat, instead of tile like at home (I think that was her favorite part!). ;)

Her CHEESE smile!

Alyssa 'helping' Emi

She loved the trampoline.

Sorry the videos are sideways! :(

Restaurant.com ... $25.00 gift card for $2.00!!!

Right now restaurant.com, which offers discounted gift cards to local restaurants has a special going on. Usually you pay around $10.00 for a $25.00 gift card, which is a great deal...but now you can get that same gift card for $2.00! Just type in your zip code and it will pull up all your participating local restaurants. Some I noticed (like My Big Fat Greek restaurant and The Vine), others I've never heard of...but this makes it cheap to try new places! :)
Just make sure you read the caption by each restaurant. Some say to use the gift card you need to spend a certain amount...for instance, you buy the $25.00 gift card, but need to have a $35.00 purchase...so it'd be $12.00 for a $35.00 meal. You can click on the restaurant link to see more info. about that restaurant.
When checking out, enter the code MENU to get this special.

Want some free toilet paper???

Go to Cottonelle's website, click on the left hand side where it says to play a game and get a coupon, play the little game to find the coupon, and the print it...TWICE! It'll print it once and then you hit the back space key (1-3 times) to print it again. :)

The coupons are for .50 off 1 package of toilet paper. Fry's has been having them on sale for .99 for a 4 pack and since they double coupons up to $1.00, that makes it FREE!!!

Peanut Shell Baby Slings

Today on GreenBabyBargains.com they have a special on these slings. They're only $24.99!!!

McD's today!

Okay, so today's special deal is at Mc Donald's... .49 hamburger's and .59 cheeseburgers all day, no limit! Pair this up with the free coupon booklets that were available last month and it could be a really cheap lunch or dinner. :) This deal is every Friday through April 24th!

*It says it's a nationwide special, but it also says it's at participating locations, so like always it'd probably be good to call ahead of time.

Update... I did go to a Mc D's today and they had no idea what I was talking about, so definitely call ahead to your location first to make sure they're participating!!!

Enjoy!

FREE Ice Tea Latte TODAY!!!

If you live in AZ, CA, or NV you can get a free ice tea latte today at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf between 2-6pm. :) Click here to read all the details and find a store near you. Enjoy!

Great deals at 'It's Hip to Save'

The last couple posts on the 'It's Hip to Save' blog are great! ...coupon for free popcorn at AMC, possible great deal for PopChips at Target, AND $5.99 Wool Pea Coat!!!

B1G1 free at Paradise Bakery!!!

From 5-8pm every Tuesday in March you will get one free dinner entree with purchase of one entree. No coupon necessary. ...I'd just call your local Paradise Bakery though before going, just to make sure they're participating. ;)

The grapevine is coming back, YEAH!!!

This week we noticed the new leaves coming back on our grapevine and I am so excited. Last year we had so many grapes grow and even ended up with a lot of raisins that we got to make oatmeal raisin cookies with. I can't wait until it's full of grapes again! :)

Here are some pics of the first few leaves...

Alyssa, Emi, and Daddy juicing lemons...LOTS of lemons! ;)

We just got a ton more lemons today from our neighbor and yesterday I bought an electric juicer at a yard sale so Nate brought the girls outside and they juiced all the lemons! They were so cute doing it that I had to take pictures. :)

Today's Safeway run!

I did a huge Fry's grocery shopping so my Safeway was just a quick trip, but it was good!!!

2 dozen eggs
3lb bag of apples
2 liter of Pepsi
1 box of Raisin Bran
1 bag of Tyson Chicken Nuggets
5lb box of Clementine Cuties

Total was $8.78! ...they were all on sale (including the pepsi being free!) and paired up w/coupons I was able to get the raisin bran for free and the chicken nuggets & cuties for under $3.00 each!

If you haven't...

...gotten your paper (or an extra paper) today, it is a good week to do so! 3 coupon inserts filled with lots of good coupons. :)

...gone grocery shopping lately, today (or at least by Tuesday) would be a good time to go to save some money. Safeway has a sale going on through today only, including .97 eggs, 3.99 Tyson chicken nuggets, 3lb bag of apples for .98, and Campbell's Select Harvest soup for .88. If you got your ad the other day or today's ad in the paper, there are some great coupons in it... FREE 2 liter of any Pepsi product, .99 butter, and .99 Raisin Bran or Frosted Mini Wheats. These coupons are good until 3/3 and if you got the ad in today's paper, there are many more coupons in the ad that are good thru 3/8. Pair them up with manufacturer coupons (from the paper or printed from internet sites like coupons.com) for an even greater deal! Okay, now for Fry's...just go! ;) No seriously, there are some really great deals through Tuesday that are worth checking out. If you don't have the ad, you can go to their website and check out your local ad.

...gone to http://www.coupons.com/ and printed coupons in the last couple days, go quickly if you use coupons. There are $5.00 & $3.00 of 1 package of diapers!!! ...and many, many more great coupons.