A Shout-Out to the Junction

In the midst of trying to keep my sanity today while wading through what seemed to be an endless sea of poo (literally and figuratively), I made a quick stop into Woodman's to pick up a few odds and ends to get me through until some good deals come along.  While there, I ran into a friend who initially gave me the silent treatment for turning my back on this grocery mecca....but he came around and we had a quick catch up where he confessed to me  he was angry about my affairs with the other grocery stores.

I have to admit...I do love Woodman's.  I love their variety and they do have really low prices....on items that you cannot find anywhere else or do not have a q for but are in need of.  When I wasn't couponing so religiously, I did all of my grocery shopping there.  I was still able to save money and use my q's without having to devote my normal 15-20 hours a week to couponing hardcore.  But Woodman's does have some major downsides to a couponer.  They only let you use one printable coupon for each like item and they don't participate in the Catalina programs....these shortcomings are what led to our separation, they just weren't giving me what I needed.

Since this break-up, my visits to Woodman's have become almost non-existent except for the occasional run in for a needed item on the fly or  a stock-up here and there on items I cannot find other places.  Because of all these reasons, my friend and I have lost touch....today I was verbally reprimanded (with a side of the stink-eye) for my lack of commitment to our weekly chats.  This person I am referring to is affectionately referred to in our house as "My Woodman's Boyfriend".  He has met my BFF and the hubs knows all about "the boyfriend" and is good with it too...when we shop together they even have a little chat...lol.

So I decided I would give a little blog love to Woodman's (even though I didn't really get any deals there).  I had to breakdown and overpay for paper towels...something I really hate to do but I ran out of my little stockpile yesterday and was in major need for some.  I NEED paper towels...and I don't like the cheap ones.  I have tried to use them, I really have, but they just stink.  I know paper towels are wasteful and bad for the environment...yada, yada....but I gotta have them.  They are a must for cleaning up after two messy boys and 3 puking, pooping pets.  While I know my couponing has come a long way, I still cannot seem to figure out how to amass basement fulls like all of those nutter-butters on Extreme Couponing.  Maybe one day I will get it...so here is what I picked up at the Woodman's for a total of $22.04 OOP:

• 2 gallons skim milk $4.98
• 2 cans La Preferida Refried Beans $1.78
• 1 Taco Bell Medium Salsa $1.99
• 1 package corn tortillas $1.29
• 4 Viva Paper Towels $7.16.  Used 4 .40/1 = $5.56 (even with the q's this is a bad price...but I had to cave...I was in need)
• 1 Digiorno Frozen Pizza $5.69.  Used FB printable $2/1 = $3.69 (it was a bad day and I needed a quick dinner for the kiddos)
• 4-2 Liters Dr. Pepper 10 $4.36.  Used 4 Get 1 Free q's = FREE

I saved a total of only $7.96 in q's....sad, I know:(  So, there it is...while the milk, refried beans and corn tortillas were a good buy there was nothing phenomenal here....sorry my Woodman's BF, it's sad but true. Your store just cannot give me what I need....but it was good to see you:) 

Birthday Extravaganza Pts. 2, 3 & 4

So the boys ended their birthday week celebrations with a visit to Grandma & Grandpa VanDerMolen's, celebrations with Grandpa Dick and Grandma Joan, Medieval Times with Aunt T, Aunt Bobbi, Uncle Aaron, Brooke, Grandma, and Poppa and a final stop at Jump Zone....plus a plethora of presents.  I am EXHAUSTED...and thankful that the boys' birthdays are over with. I need a whole other year to rest up for the next ones.  I am so thankful for all of the people in our lives who love and care for us like family.  We really are blessed to have such wonderful neighbors, friends and family.

Here is a recap of the past week...you may need a nap after reading this...LOL.

On Wednesday we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa VanDerMolen's for a yummy dinner and, of course, lots of presents.  Grandpa is notorious for buying the gifts that you would never, ever buy for your own kids because you would never, ever want them in your house....and this year was no different.  Grandpa got Jax a remote control dog...he loves it.  The rest of us, including the dog and two cats, not so much....

Jax was really having a good time...he just wanted to get to opening the presents.  Not even the lure of cupcakes could distract from the want of diving into the presents.  We had a great night.

We did get a break from the birthday celebrations on Thursday and Friday...only to be sucked into the revamping of the master bath.  It all culminated with the purchase of a new, dual-flush toilet at 10 on friday night...Gary was rocking the Jetta home with two car seats, talk radio and a giant toilet hanging out of the trunk...we are the definition of "hip to be square"....LOL

On Saturday, it was off to Medieval Times (after the installation of the new toilet that is...)...don't worry, I used B1G1 coupons for all of our admissions, the place is a fortune!  The boys also got a joint gift in the morning.  Jax had been wanting the Imaginext Toy Story 3 Garbage Dump forever!!  He even threw a coin in the fountain at the mall on Thursday and wished for it...he was stoked!

After lunch, we headed off to Medieval Times.  I wanted to be early so we could get good seats...and it paid off.  We got to sit in the first row.  But our early arrival left us with plenty of time to wait in the lobby of the castle...where, of course, there were a ton of souvenir stands that Aunt T just couldn't pass up.  She bought the boys light-up swords...that were both broken before we went got into the arena, and had to exchange them both....it was pretty funny:)

Here are some snapshots of the night....

This is my neice, Brooklyn.  Isn't she a doll??  She is also a pro at dealing with these rambunctious boys...she can hold her ground and keep them in line too:)

Uncle Aaron was more excited to be there than the boys...LOL

We ended the night with opening some presents on lawn outside.  We had opened a few during the show, but there were just too many to get through and not enough room to open them all.

As usual...Logan was off on his own adventure and Jax was deep in conversation with Aunt T.

Sunday was Logan's actual birthday.  We got up and I made a pancake breakfast...complete with numeral pancakes.  What can I say??  I get geeked about stuff like this.

We had planned to head out to the park and playground...but it rained all day.  So we went with our alternate plan and headed over to Jump Zone for some indoor fun.  I also had a B1G1 coupon for admission:)  They were on the move so much, I barely got any pics of them.  Here are a few:)

Logan was digging the air hockey game

We stopped for hot dogs for dinner, and then came home for some more cupcakes and presents from the neighbors.  Grandpa Dick and Grandma Joan came over to hang out for a little while and check out all the little goodies.

It took forever for the little stinker to look at the camera for this pic...he was mesmerized by all the presents

So...there it is...a week of constant celebration, toys and utter exhaustion.  I am off to bed.  Nighty-night kiddos...keep an eye out for more blogs in the next few days.

Birthday Extravaganza On a Coupon Budget: Part.1

Today my little man turned 5!  I cannot believe how quickly five years has gone by...and in just a few more short days my other little man will turn 3...time moves too quick.  Here are my little guys at the start of Preschool just two weeks ago...can you believe?!?!?!  Sometimes I wish I could just stop time...when the going gets rough I just remember to take it all in and enjoy the ride because it is over before you know it.

I love to make a huge deal of my boys' birthdays.  They are the biggest and best things in my life and I want them to look back with fond memories of their birthdays and to always know and feel how special they are.  Every year I have to reel myself in from going crazy with goodies...this year, I have made some improvements.  I have been doing a lot of baking lately and experimenting with some yummy cupcake recipes.  Instead of ordering a cake, I made the boys S'Mores cupcakes.  Jax was intent on having a Cars 2 cake...so we compromised with Cars 2 cupcake cups and decor picks....he took it pretty well:)

I am also going to have my first go at making cake pops.  I am pretty stoked about it, we will see how it goes. 

The hubs and I planned a fun filled day today on a tight budget.  In the end, we only spent $40 for a huge day of fun and made some unforgettable memories.  Logan had school this morning, but after we picked him up around lunch time the festivities began.  Our first stop was Brookfield Zoo.  It was a gorgeous day and with most of the kiddos back in school the zoo was nice and quiet and we could get up close to check out all of the animals.  I packed a nice picnic lunch to save money at the zoo...the place can be a fortune if you don't plan ahead.  We also had our free passes from my Meijer Coke deals at the beginning of summer still hanging around, so we only had to pay $9.00 to enjoy a day at the zoo...stinking parking fee:(  

Here are a couple of snapshots of the boys enjoying the day.

The highlight of the zoo had to be the bear habitat and the the polar bear named "Hobson".  He was so cool and loved to swim for all of the kiddos.  He got up close to the glass and side-stroked by for all of the little ones to see...the hubs and I were just as excited as the little ones.  We stood and watched this awesome bear for a good 15-20 minutes.

After the zoo, we made our way to Giordano's for some yummy pizza.  The hubs had done a survey and scored a $25 gift certificate to Restaurant.com, so we used it to purchase a $25 gift certificate to Giordano's. We were able to get an awesome meal complete with a pizza just for the boys, our own deep dish, drinks and an app for $24 with tip.  Jax was super excited he got to pick his own toppings and didn't have to settle for our choices.

After stuffing ourselves with pizza, it was onto the next fun-filled adventure...the place all parents loathe and all kids adore...Toys R' Us.  I dislike Toys R' Us for a multitude of reasons, but I signed my kiddos up for their birthday club so every year they each get a coupon for $3/$3 purchase and they get to go and pick out a small toy for themselves.  We also chip in a buck or two to help them out.  Jax knows the power of a coupon in this house and was super excited to have and use his very own.  We gave the boys a spending limit of $5 each.  Logan had no trouble picking out a pack of Matchbox cars...but the decision was a little harder for Jax.  he finally settled on a pack of Matchbox cars as well.  Our total OOP was $4.96.  The boys also each got a birthday crown and balloon too.  I think they thought they had hit the jackpot.

Could he be any cuter??

I love the expression on Logan's face

We finally made it home at around 8 and still had a little more celebrating to do.  We got out the cupcakes, the big "5" candle and sang and off-key version of Happy Birthday.  Good times:)

Our neighbors, Grandpa Dick and Grandma Joan and Lauren, came over to enjoy some cupcakes with us and bring the kids some goodies for their birthdays.  The boys had a blast and capped of the night with their newly acquired cars.

It was such an awesome day.  In the end, we spent a total of about only $40 for a fun filled day packed with all sorts of goodies.  Our q's saved us over $65....we cut the cost of our day by over half!  The boys had so much fun, I swear they probably thought we spent a million bucks...lol.

I will leave you all with this...the perfect sentiment for today.  It really is a Good Life.  Stay tuned as our birthday extravaganza continues...

Meijer Madness

Meijer is still throwing out some good deals, so I have been hitting them consistently each week for the past couple of months.  Since I am so far behind on my blogging, I am gonna combine all of my Meijer deals together in one long-winded post.  So here you go...

August 29th's pit stop was still part of the buy 10, get the 11th item free sale.  I, of course, had to do two transactions at the Meijer...shocker.  I saved a total of $7.35 in q's and spent an OOP of 12.29.

Transaction #1:

• 2.5 lbs black grapes = $2.35
• 4 Krusteaz baking mixes $4.00.  Used 2 printables $1/2 = $2.00
• 2 boxes Pizza Rolls $2.00.  Used manufacturer q .40/2 and mPerks q .40/2 = $1.20
• 4 Old Orchard Juice $4.00.  Used printable $1/4 and mPerks $1/4 = $2.00
• 1 Bad Meijer Pretzel Braids $1.00.  Rang up as my 11th item = FREE

Transaction #2:

•  2 boxes Pizza Rolls $2.00.  Used manufacturer q .40/2 and mPerks q .40/2 = $1.20
• 4 Old Orchard Juice $4.00.  Used printable $1/4 = $3.00

Next trip to the Meijer was on Spetember 4th.  I actually only did one transaction...a rarity.  I spent a total of $5.82 OOP and saved $13.17 in q's.  Here is what I brought home:

• 4 Simply Orange Juice $3.96.  Used 4 printables $1/1 = FREE
• 4 Simply Raspberry Lemonade $3.96.  Used 4 printables $1/1 = FREE
• 7 Land O' Lakes Spreadable Cinnamon & Sugar Butter $10.50.  Used 7 .75/1 q's = $5.25

My most recent Meijer stop was a major stock-up of items that cost me a total of $68.27 OOP with a savings of $42.05 in q's and mPerks.  Of course there was two transactions...people just hate being behind me in the self-checkout.  Here are my latest Meijer acquisitions:

Transaction #1:

• 10 boxes Kellogg's Fruit Snacks $19.90.  Saved $5.00 instantly with the purchase of 10 and used 5 $1/2 = $9.90.  Also had an mPerks q for $2/$2 purchase for an end total of $8.93 with tax.

Transaction #2:

• 1-625 ct. box Q-Tips $3.47.  No q for these:(  But I CANNOT live without Q-Tips and this is another one of my brand loyalties
• 1 bunch Cilantro $0.50
• 1 bunch bananas $1.45
• 2 Twix Bars $ 1.58.  Used 2 q's I got in the mail for free Twix bars = FREE
• Roma tomatoes $1.23
• 1 Plochman's Mustard $1.07.  Used mPerks q .50/1 = $0.57
• 1 Meijer Sour Cream $1.69
• 3 Avocados $2.00
• 3 Dannon Light N'Fit 4-packs $ 5.97.  Used 3 printables $1/1 = $2.97
• 18 ct. Large Eggs $2.59
• 2 Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss Creamer $5.98.  Used 2 $1/1 printables = $3.98 (this was by no means a good price...bit I have finally exhausted my major stock pile of International Delight Creamers we had and have not come upon a good sale for a restock...can't win 'em all...)
• 2.25 lbs Black Grapes $2.23
• 2 bags Meijer Pretzel Braids $3.18
• 1 bag Meijer Cheese Balls $1.59
• 10 packages Keebler Chips Deluxe Chocolate Chip Cookies $19.90.  Saved $5.00 instantly with the purchase of 10 and used 5 $1/2 = $9.90.  
• 4 packages Johnsonville Italian Sausage $11.16.  Used 4 printables $1/1 -= $7.16
• 2 Loaves Meijer Whole Wheat Bread $3.00
• 2 packages Earthbound Organics Romaine Lettuce Hearts $4.00.  Used 2 printables $1/1 = $2.00
• 1 package Meijer Cream Cheese $1.34
• 2 boxes Clorox 2 Color Safe Beach = $9.58.  Used 2 printables $1.50/1 = $6.58
• 2 packages Oscar Mayer Selects Hot Dogs $3.34.  USed 2 printables $1/1 = $1.34 

I also had another mPerks q for $2/$2 purchase...

***On a side note, I have finished clipping through the 55 inserts from the weekend.  George is about to burst and must be handled with care...I really need some uber-awesome sales right now to relieve some of the pressure.  Here is what George is looking like this morning....I REALLY, REALLY hope that button holds, fingers crossed:)

 

Drowning In Deals and Inserts

Life has been crazy busy around here lately....the boys both started school, and the deals have been PHENOMENAL.  I have been getting a lot of little mail goodies too!

I have a ton of stuff I want to blog about, so hang in there.  I am still here just dying to brag about all of my little finds.  I am hoping to spit out a few in the next couple days...and hopefully I will have the time because the hubs is on vacay:)

Here are the inserts from today's papers that I have to get to clippin'..there's only 55 to go through...so that should take me no time at all...lol, yeah...right.  Let's just hope they all fit in George's Wallet...we may be reaching explosion capacity before the night draws to an end.

Waiting For The Next Show....

So Lifehouse was FAB-U-LOUS!  Every time I see them, they completely rock it and am I left wanting more. So the wait begins again....the wait until they come back through Chicago again (and I can get my hottie bass-playing fix from Bryce...LOL).  Perhaps one day we will meet...sigh.  Their opening act, Wayland, was pretty good.  They are on my list to download from iTunes.  You can check them out here.

My BFF and I had a great time...we sat next to the two sweetest 13 year old Lifehouse fans.  They were awesome and stood the whole concert and rocked out with this old lady (they kept asking why does everyone keep sitting down?  I say, I have no idea...why would you go to a concert and sit down when you can stand up and rock out?...and that is exactly what we did for the whole concert).  When I asked them how old they were and they replied 13, all I could think was they were only 2 when Lifehouse came out....GEESH, I am old.  They told me their dads introduced them to the band (geesh, I am REALLY old).  When I came home and told the hubs this story, he tried to help lift my spirits up by telling me, You are almost three times their age.  So much for being helpful...

On Sunday, reality set back in and I put my "mommy pants" back on and got to some couponing.  I made a pit stop at the Meijer....complete with two transactions.  I spent a total of $40.48 OOP.  Nothing phenomenal....but here you go:

Transaction #1:

• 2 Clorox Green Works Glass Cleaner $6.58.  Used mPerks $1/2 and printable $1/2 = $4.58 (Not a stellar deal for window cleaner by any means....but I have reached my last bottle so I had to give in and buy some...I am sure there will now be an awesome sale in about 2 weeks and I will be miffed...but such is life)
• 2 Dannon Light & Fit 4 packs $3.98.  Used mPerks$1/2 and 2 printables $1/1 = $0.98

Transaction #2

• 2 Dannon Light & Fit 4 packs $3.98.  Used mPerks$1/2 and 2 printables $1/1 = $0.98
• 2 lbs Karkus Deli Ham $7.98
• 2 dozen large eggs $1.94
• Nectarines $1.38
• Peaches $1.98
• 2 Clorox Green Works Glass Cleaner $6.58.  Used mPerks $1/2 and printable $1/2 = $4.58
• 12 boxes Kleenex Anti-Viral Tissue $12.00.  Used 6 .50/2 = $9.00
• 2 loaves Aunt Millie's Wheat Bread $3.34
• 1 Dole Salad $1.25

At least I was able to pick up Kleenex at a decent price.   It is another one of my brand favorites and I like to buy Kleenex whenever I can, although I will fluctuate on these if I find a steal on something else.

Until next time....