The Crazies, Bowling, and more ....

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA, but I have been one busy mama lately! I have lots and lots of updates and fun things for you! We have been busy with birthdays, doctor appts., etc. But that's summer, right? Whatever happened to the lazy days of summer? I think those went out the window 7 years ago for me! Since then I've been filling my summer days with Andy's boys and eventually our girls. Love my babies!

Our neighborhood garage sale went well! I sold alot of big items and made a great profit! Aside from one angry neighbor who told me I wasn't doing my job because she opened up on Friday and got NO business! Funny, our neighborhood sale wasn't until SATURDAY. Gotta love crazy people.

Speaking of crazy people, it feels great to purge them from your life, too. Ahhhhhh.

I'd like to take a minute and talk about the 100 Day Challenge on facebook that I am participating in. It was started by an old friend, Amber Hecht Huber, and she has gotten alot of us involved! It's not only a weight loss challenge, but a life challenge. Making your life better in areas where it's lacking. It's great to have the support of former classmates and alot of my current friends! If you'd like to join, "friend" her on FB!

Here's another fun tidbit from my Contributing Research Team in Chicago, aka my BFF, Nicole Voges. : ) She forwarded me a link from her phone to a site where you can sign your kids up to bowl all summer long for FREE! It's called: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/ . Once you sign up, they will email you coupons for the upcoming week. I've yet to take my kiddos, but I plan on it once Lilly and Izzy get over these nasty colds. Who doesn't love to bowl?! Thanks again, Nicole!

As for some deals I've scored lately, I found a Dora the Explorer papasan chair at Goodwill for $3 with the original tags! Lilly sits in in constantly, as you will see in the pic above. Another great find was an Exersaucer for Isobel. This I got for FREE at a garage sale! Yay!

Target, again, is great for clearance. I found a lampshade for $3, jeans for the boys for $6.48, and lots of summer tanks for me in the $2 - $4 price range!

This weekend is a good weekend for deals, too! Goodwill will be having their 50% off sale. I headed over there last night to scope out possible purchases. There will also be a TON of sales going on at all the stores. Now is the time to stock up on food for grilling out, etc. We're having Jack's birthday party on the 9th, but I will be buying all the food for it this weekend so I can score the good deals.

Those are my updates for now. I know there are more, so I will update them as I come across them!

...And Tara is married off! Congrats to my lovely sister and her husband!

Now I can go back to being thrifty, as a wedding is anything but! With that said, I did score a pretty good deal off the clearance rack at Target. I bought my rehearsal dinner dress for 75% off, costing me just $6.24! I paired it with my trusty black peeptoes and my larger black COACH bag. Now, even just uttering the word "COACH" on a thrifty blog is probably making some of you confused. But, I don't hold back when it comes to a good handbag. And let me put it this way and maybe it will give you something to consider. I consider these bags an investment. I have a few different styles, colors, and sizes. It saves me more money to purchase a $300.00 bag than it would be to purchase several Target bags/purses over five years. COACH bags are sturdy and timeless. You can use them for years and years!

Anyway, check out my cheap dress find! Garage saling is back on this week, too. Can't wait! : )

FREE Krispy Creme on Friday!!!!

FREE doughnut tomorrow at Krispy Creme for National Doughnut Day! Google it! I don't have time to post a link -- haha. Little sister's wedding this weekend! BUT, I had to let you guys know about this! : )

Target/Meijer trips, tips from a friend, and more ...

I found alot of good deals this weekend at Target and Meijer. I decided to take my leftover coupons from the Marsh Triple Event and see if I could use any of them at Meijer or Target. Let's just say Meijer will forever be the cheapest place around. My total was almost $80 and I paid $33. I got a bunch of stuff I needed for the kids' summer lunches, etc. I stocked up on tortillas, taco sauce, and taco/fajita seasoning, which were basically FREE. I actually MADE money on the seasonings. All the Taco Bell brand stuff was already 50% off and I have a bunch of coupons for them. Yay! Taco Night is a big deal in our house, so these deals are always the best for me!
As for Target, I got a great deal on shampoo, conditioner, and hair spray -- all Pantene products! Target was running a sale for Buy 2 Pantene shampoos/conditioners and receive a styling product for FREE! I also had a $3 off Pantene Target coupon! I believe I got all three products for around $4.60! My best friend, Nicole, also pointed out to me to check out the End of Season clearance at Target. She found a great deal on a doggie sweater for $3! Now her little doggie doesn't have to face the harsh winds of Chicago next fall/winter! This is a great time to stock up on winter coats, etc. from ANY store. You can usually find kids' coats for under $5 at places like Target, Meijer, and Walmart. I bought my girls two NFL Colts hoodies (originally $24.99) for $2.14 a piece! And they had the right sizes for next football season!
Always check your end caps, too. These are the shelves at the end of each aisle. I make it a point to go up and down each main aisle before I start my shopping. Sometimes you can find what you are looking for in those and it is WAAAAY cheaper.
Hopefully, I will have more posts this week, but with my sister's wedding on the 4th, I'm not sure how much time I'll have! Maybe I'll find some great deals in St. Louis while I'm there!

FREE books for a year!

The website Mighty Book Jr. is offering a FREE one year subscription! After you sign up, click on a book and it will actually READ the book to your child. This is a great tool if you need a minute to yourself to get something done and your kid won't leave you alone! It's better than plopping them down in front of the TV. I would never take away from reading "real" books to your children, though. Use this in an emergency or to help younger school age kids with their reading! It highlights the words as they read!

Click on this link and enter the code: learntoread

http://www.mightybookjr.com/members/signup.php

NO COUPONS TODAY!

REMINDER:

There will be NO coupons in today's Sunday paper!!

Picture Results!