DVD Review: Dora the Explorer Let's Explore! Dora's Greatest Adventures

My family and I recently received a copy of Dora the Explorer Let's Explore! Dora's Greatest Adventures on DVD to review!


Yes, Owa! It was a happy day here! lol Dora the Explorer Let's Explore! Dora's Greatest Adventures features eight Dora episodes: "Lost Map", "Hide and Go Seek", Journey to the Purple Planet", "Rescue, Rescue, Rescue!", Star Catcher", "Star Mountain", "Boots to the Rescue" and "Swiper the Explorer". These animated episodes are the usual Dora fare, featuring Spanish words here and there, and the interactivity of Dora asking the kiddos (viewers) what they think.

If you're looking for new episodes, I think all (or almost all) of these episodes have already been viewed on TV, this is just a collection of them. Of course, we love all things Dora here, so I have no criticizing of this new DVD. It's always great that you can just watch one episode on this DVD at a time, commercial free, unlike on the TV.

Dora the Explorer Let's Explore! Dora's Greatest Adventures does feature a bonus exclusive "Explore Dora's World" DVD game. It's actually over 3 hours long at 198 minutes, and it's full screen single disc edition. Not rated (it should be G), it's perfect for the preschool crowd, but those over the age of 5 will get bored, fast. It will be released this Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010, and the suggested retail price is $16.99, but Amazon has it for $12.99, and WalMart has it for $10.86. (Remember shipping costs!)

I received a copy of this DVD to write this review, but all opinions are mine. The links to Amazon and WalMart are for your shopping convenience because I love y'all, they are not affiliate links.

DVD Review: DVD Yo Gabba Gabba! Birthday Boogie!

My family and I recently received a copy of the DVD Yo Gabba Gabba! Birthday Boogie! to review.



\Yo Gabba Gabba! Birthday Boogie! features four episodes with every one's favorite robot, monsters, and of course, DJ Lance Rock: "Birthday", "Dress Up", "Talent", and "Ride", all with our favorite "funky" feel. In the "Birthday" episode, Brobee thinks everyone has forgotten his birthday. He has no idea there's a surprise party on the horizon! In "Dress Up", everybody dresses up, in "Talent" - there's a Yo Gabba Talent Show, and in "Ride", everyone goes on different rides (with an underlying theme of wear your helmet, for sure).

See, that's why I love Yo Gabba Gabba! - it's full of silliness, but lots of hidden learning and good messages. And for my fellow 80's fans, "Talent" features Biz Markie - remember him? (Girl, you got what I neeeed! Now tell me that song and seriously crazy video is not in your head now. LOL)

Yo Gabba Gabba! Birthday Boogie! is full screen single disc DVD, and runs a total of 94 minutes long. There's no special features on this one, just the flat out four episodes. It hits the streets this Tuesday, February 2, 2010. It's great for the preschool crowd of course, over the age of 5 will probably scream it's too baby for them. I vote it as one of the DVDs I can't get tired of the munchkin watching - who doesn't love Brobee and DJ Lance Rock? ;) The suggested retail price is $16.99, but Amazon has it for $12.99 right now, while WalMart.com has it for just $10.86. (keep shipping costs in mind)

I received a copy of this DVD to write this review, but all opinions are mine. The links to Amazon and WalMart are for your shopping convenience because I love y'all, they are not affiliate links.

Giveaway: Dentyne

The folks over at Dentyne contacted me about their cool new gum containers. It's not the shape - those are the same, and flavor hasn't changed at all either. No, it's the awesome artwork on the bottles! They are designed by artist Anthony Yankovic. If you are into the skateboarding scene or have tweens and teens, you may have heard of him before. Anthony designs a lot of skateboards artwork, and he's done some snowboards too, as well as a few items for Fift24SF Clothing. Most of his stuff has a slight psychedelic twist on it to me.


Anyways, since I figured SAHM's weren't really the target audience, I left the bottles strategically on the counter to see what DH thought of them. He spotted them immediately - "Oooh these are AWESOME! Are they mine?" LOL! Yep, I guess they're a hit with the intended audience. I noticed he's got one in the car (these are the bottles that fit into cupholders) and he said he put one in his locker. Apparently, there are 12 different designs (I assume 4 of each of the 3 Dentyne flavors - Peppermint, Spearmint, and Artic Chill) and these are limited edition.

Win it! One reader will win some of these new Anthony Yankovic designed Dentyne bottles. To enter, tell me what you think of them. Are you familiar with his work already?


As always, if you have completed the first entry above, you can also receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)

That's up to four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends February 13th, 2010 at 11:59 PST. US Only, sorry. :( Please leave your email address in your comment, or have it available in your profile so I can contact you if you've won. Winners drawn via Random.org.

I received several bottles of Dentyne from Dentyne who asked my honest opinion of the bottles, and one reader will also receive the same, as fulfilled by the folks at Dentyne and chose by Random.org

Fred Meyer Deals 1/31 - 2/6 2010

These best stock up deals this week are the Freddy's salad dressing, tuna and the Tillamook Cheddar Cheese!

See the entire circular online here or here's the food & home highlights with coupon matches if available:

Foster Farms Fresh Fryer Breasts
$0.99 lb (jumbo pack)

Fresh Selections of Fresh Express Salad Blends
BOGOF

Johnsonville Grilling Sausage
$3.49 ($1.00 off 2 MC, $0.55 off 1 printable here)

Snack Cheese or Assorted Wrap Sandwich Platter
$24.99

Hickory Farms or Hormel Party Trays
$12.99

Kettle Chips
2 for $5 ($1.00 off printable here - take the pledge)

Reser's Chip Dips
10 for $10

Tyson Chicken
$6.99

Dixie Plates, Cups, or Bowls
2 for $4 ($0.55 off 1 MC)

Mission Flour Tortillas
2 for $4 ($1.00 off MC, $0.55 off printable here)

Daisy Sour Cream
2 for $3 ($0.50 off 1)

Nalley Chili
$0.89

Heinz Ketchup
$1.50

FM nuts
2 for $3 (12 oz)

Stouffer's Lasagna
$9.99

FM Chunk Light Tuna
2 for $1

Farmhouse Rice or Pasta Sides
10 for $10

Private Selection Dz Eggs
3 for $5

Country Oven or VitaBee Bread
3 for $4

Minute Maid Orange Juice
2 for $5

Charmin Basic Bath Tissue
$4.99 ($0.25 off MC exp 1-31!)

Bounty Basic Paper Towels
$4.99 ($0.25 off MC exp 1-31!)

Arrowhead Water 24ct
2 for $7

Friskies Dry Cat Food 16 lb
$9.99

Tidy Cats 27 lb
$9.99

Suave Professional Hair Products
$0.99 after in store MC

Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap
$0.88 (7.5 oz)

Axe Antiperspirant, Deodorant, Body Wash, Shower Tool
3 for $10

Dial Soap, Liquid Refill, or Complete Refill
3 for $10

Tone Body Wash
3 for $10

Fusion MVP, MVP Power, Vibrance, Venus Embrace Venus Spa Breeze Razor
$7.99

Clairol Nice N Easy
$4.99

Colgate Premium Toothpaste or Toothbrush
2 for $5 (printable coupons available here)

Alli Refill
$49.99

Wolfgang Puck pizza
$4.99

Kashi Crackers
Save 25%

Hansen's Soda
2 for $5

Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips
2 for $5

Amy's, Muir Glen, or Naturally Preferred Salsa
Save 30%

Simply Organic Dip
Save 30%

Javatopia Organic Bulk Coffee
$6.99 lb

Emerals Valley Kitchen Bean Dip, Salsa, or Hummus
BOGOF

Garden of Eatin' Tortilla Chips
2 for $4

Pirate's Booty or Smart Puffs
2 for $4

Pacific Foods Organic Soup or Natural Broth
3 for $5

Natural Factors
Save 25%

Arrowhead Mills Cereal
2 for $6

Imagine Foods Soy, Rice or Almond Dream
2 for $6

Blueberries
$3.88 (18 oz)

Baker Potatoes
3 lbs for $1

Grape Tomatoes
2 for $5

Radishes or Green Onions
2 for $0.88

Organic Minneolas
$0.99 lb

Organic Fuji or Gala Apples
$0.99 lb

Large Avocados
4 for $5

Ground Buffalo
$4.99 lb

Buffalo Top Round Steak
$6.98 lb

Buffalo Rib Steak
$11.98 lb

Buffalo New York Steak
$11.98 lb

Durham Ranch Ground Buffalo Patties
$10.49 2 lb

Pork Country Style Ribs
$1.99 lb (family pack)

Beef Chuck Pot Roast
$2.99 lb

Fresh Extra Lean Ground Beef
$3.67 lb (3 lb flavor seal)

Beef Rib Eye Steak
$5.99 lb (family pack)

Maple River Boneless Whole Ham
$1.79 lb

Fresh Whole Cooked Dungeness Crab
$4.99 lb

Northwest Shrimp Meat
$3.99 lb

Medium Cooked Shrimp
$4.99 lb

Land O' Frost Premium Deli Meat
2 for $6

FM Salad Dressing
10 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)

Darigold Butter
2 for $4 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Nabisco Snack Crackers
3 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 3) ($1.00 off 2 printable here)

Lay's Chips
3 for $5 w/ in ad coupon

Pepsi or Aquafresh 12 pk
4 for $11 w/ in ad coupon

Ricola Cough Drops
10 for $10 ($1.00 off 2 MC)

FM 1/2 Gallon Orange Juice or Milk
4 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 8)

Kellogg's Cereal
2 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4, lots of coupons out there)

Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese
$3.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 1)

DiGiorno or California Pizza Kitchen
$3.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Big K 12 pk Soda
5 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Corned Beef Brisket
$1.79 lb w/ in ad coupon (limit 3)

Baby Pack Pork Ribs
$2.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

Hershey's Valentine Packaged Candy
2 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)



In the coming weeks you should see your Rewards start to arrive!

Unfamiliar with Fred Meyer's coupon policy? They allow you stack a Fred Meyer store coupon (FM coupons as I call them) with a manufacturer's coupon. They do not price match to any other store's sale prices, and they won't take other store's sale coupons. You can however use a manufacturer's coupons on any sale or clearance items, but they usually won't allow any overage if the coupon is more than the sale price (sometimes it slips through the cracks, but don't expect it every time). Our local Washington stores do not double any coupons. They do accept the printed internet coupons if they have a barcode (like bricks coupons or from Smart Source or coupons.com if you are unfamiliar with them) so if you are having problems with a clerk not wanting to accept your coupon and you are sure it's legit coupon, please ask to have a manager come on over to verify it.

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering.

If you're interested in other grocery stores, please check out BeCentsable’s Grocery Gathering for an extensive list of grocery stores and blogs that cover the best deals!

Spaced Out

Pardon the dust bunnies today, but I took some cold medicine since the sniffles have traveled to me, and non drowsy still makes me drowsy :( Hopefully I can make posts that make more sense tomorrow! (and I'm sorry for any comments left on your blogs that make no nense or are full of typos, lol)

Swaggers, Latest Free Code

Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for Swagbucks using the code I told you about to get the extra SwagBucks! If you're interested, please take advantage!

And it's Thursday, which means you can get another SwagBuck for just viewing the Special Offers. On the SwagBucks home page, click on Special Offers on the left hand side. Then click on the No Obligation Offers box on the the right hand side. Click skip or see next offer on all of those offers (you don't have to fill them out!), the when you get to the end, there should be a code good for 1 SwagBuck that you can copy and paste into the Enter A Swag Code on the home page (right side).

If you follow me on Twitter, I'll try to post about any special SwagBuck code clues they might have when I find out there's one. I can't outright give the code to you, since it's against the program terms, but I'll let you know if there is one out and where to look. :)

I'm all excited, because I managed to score 3 Swagbucks on one of my searches last night! That's the first time I've gotten any higher amount than 2.

Review: Materne GoGo SqueeZ Snacks

My family and I recently had the chance to review Materne GoGo SqueeZ, a nifty applesauce from France.


I try to make a lot of snacks, especially for DH to take to work, myself into reuseable containers. Not only does it tend to save us a little bit of money (I still have a huge stash of gelatin from a certain deal awhile back, lol), but I figure by reusing containers, I'm helping a little bit with the whole environmental issue as well. Plus, I hate trash. I'd be happy if I only had to put the trash can out once a month! The problem with making fruit-y flavored snacks and such from scratch and large containers, is that they aren't shelf stable. A few are, but for the most part, they have to stay in the fridge or with an ice pack until consumption.

And now that we are trying to get out more, I need to have more shelf stable snacks so I can just grab our backpacks and go, especially when we are on limited time like when DH is going to work. I like having a few extra snacks with us, so I don't have to worry if the munchkin wants a snack when we are in the woods. I also don't want to have to worry about throwing them back in the fridge when we come home, either. Plus, I want snacks that don't need a spoon or fork! That's a huge reason why I was excited for us to try GoGo SqueeZ!


GoGo SqueeZ are all natural applesauce based snacks that come in squeezable little 3.2 ounce pouches. They are kosher, and here's the best thing: the little caps on top go right back on, so you can put it back in your bag with no problem if the kiddo (or you) don't finish them in one snack sitting. Of course, then you need to put them in the fridge after that, but at least you aren't wasting them - or having the carry scissors around to cut the top off the ones that are supposedly tear-able tops. (Do watch the tops for little ones, since they are choking hazards!) GoGo SqueeZ comes in five different varieties: AppleApple, AppleBanana, ApplePeach, AppleStrawberry, and AppleCinnamon. Each pouch is one fruit serving, range from 50-60 calories, and they are gluten and dairy free, so it's a healthy on the go snack. (Trivia: the puches were originally designed for NASA astronauts! The geek in me got excited at that one, lol)


And I appreciate the no added sugar because who wants a hyper kid? ;) The little pouches make for a virtually mess free snack too, which is appreciated by this mom when we're on the go. DH even tried one of the AppleStrawberry ones, and said it was awesome - this coming from a guy who's not overly fond of applesauce. Make that 6 thumbs up from us!

You can purchase GoGo SqueeZ at lots of every day stores, or online at Amazon. For my local folks, Fred Meyer's here in Port Orchard carries them (I forgot to verify the shelf price there, so I'll do it next trip - but it should be around $3-3.50), some Albertsons, and the Toys R Us in Silverdale should also carry them. They come in a box of 4 pouches.

I received 5 boxes of GoGo Squeez for my family to try out so I could review them on my blog, and share my droning on, honest Mom opinion of them. Does anyone even read these little disclaimer blurbs, anyways? lol

Children's Orchard Green Mom Contest

For those of you who have a Children's Orchard store near you, and have a Facebook profile, you might want to enter this contest - the prize is a $500 gift card to their store! (That's a LOT of Summer clothes!)

To enter the contest, just go to their Facebook Fan Page, and post photos and/or text concerning your green lifestyle, by April 5th, 2010. Share your entry with all of your friends and fans, because the entry that has the most Likes is the winning entry. (I guess this makes it a bit of a popularity contest, but for the few moments it takes, it's worth a shot!)

Eventually I am going to have to break down and make a Facebook profile... ;)

Thrifty Thursday - I've Saved On My Electricity!

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I want to help encourage some of you on your lower energy use to save a bit of money.

You might remember, two months ago I had a heart attack at our electricity bill. The next month ended up being even worse, just when I didn't think it was possible.

By doing just two things during the last month, we were actually able to bring it down by $5, even though it's been colder, and we've used more energy to keep the house warm. All we did was unplug the modem at night, then replug it when we were up the next morning, and switched to a floor lamp in the living room, instead of the overhead lamp. (Two light bulbs vs 6, and yet it's more light because it's right by us!)

Simple, right? I can't even say we remember to turn the modem off every night either, since it was a hard habit to get into. I'm hoping the next bill shows even more savings, since we had to use the radiator heater more this past month with the colder temps.

Need some ideas for saving on your electric bill too? Check out some of my past Thrifty Thursday posts, like this one on Lower Energy Use or Home Energy Audits.

Printable Quaker Oats Coupon! HOT!

For my Albertsons shopping folks, this is a great one - print this coupon to save $1.00 off your purchase of Quaker Instant Oatmeal or Oats. This week, if you buy 5 Quaker products, including the Instant Oatmeal, they are just $1.00 each, so this makes one of your boxes FREE! The Old Fashioned Oats cannister would be just $0.60 after the coupon if you buy 5.

While you are here, don't forget to check out my other printable coupons to see if there are other coupons available to help you save on your grocery bill!

Please note: I take the time out of my busy schedule to share coupons that have landed in my email, I am not affiliated with the companies. Some coupons may be only available for a limited amount of time or for a limited amount of prints. If you come across a coupon that is now dead, please let me know, either by leaving a comment or sending me an email so I can fix the post. Thanks!

I Confess...

we're never ever on time. No matter how hard we try, we can never make it out that door and meet anyone at the scheduled time. Not even close. You'd think we'd know how to get the show on the road by now, but it never fails, we're rushing around like crazy people trying to grab everything and get in the car. Most folks we know are used to it by now, or at least they don't say anything to my face.

It doesn't even work if we get up early, if we pack the car the night before, nope, we've tried that. We're guaranteed to forget a cell phone.

A spare diaper.

DH's wallet.

The stuff for the library.

Even the dog leash. (I now have about 4 or 5 spare ones in the car thanks to how many times I've forgotten to take them OUT of the car)

Geez, I even forgot to put a bra on once. Now that's BAD.

At least I haven't forgotten the kid. Or the dogs. I have to look on the bright side! LOL! How about you? Are you always on time, or like us and always late?

DVD Review & Giveaway: Bakugan: Time For Battle Volume 6

My family and I were recently sent Bakugan: Time For Battle Volume 6 on DVD to review.


In the vein of shows such as Dragonball Z and Pokemon, the Bakugan anime series airs on Cartoon Network. The Bakugan are action figure warriors that come to life when the spheres they are in end up (or roll on) a game card, hence the whole battle part. Much like the Pokemon games, kids can participate in battles using the cards and Bakugan they've collected! There's a whole Bakugan world worth of toys, including video games, to go along with it.

Bakugan: Time For Battle Volume 6 features five episodes: Drago's On Fire, Say It Ain't So Joe, The Secret of Success, Trust Me, Doom Dimension Or Bust. (Episodes #22-#26 in the series) The full screen DVD runs 111 minutes long, and was released on January 19th with a suggested retail price of $14.99. (Amazon has it for $14.98) There's no bad language in it, but it does feature some cartoon violence, and the show itself is rated TVY7-FV. It definitely appeals more to boys than girls, and is best for the 5-6 and up crowd. (and probably not to most Moms - I was totally lost on this one, lol)

Do you have a big Bakugan fan at home? If you do....

Win it! One lucky winner will get a copy of Bakugan: Time For Battle Volume 6 on DVD for the kids! To enter, tell me who their favorite character is.

As always, if you have completed the first entry above, you can also receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)

That's up to four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends February 6th, 2010 at 11:59 PST. US Only, sorry. :( Please leave your email address in your comment, or have it available in your profile so I can contact you if you've won. Winners drawn via Random.org.

I received a copy of this DVD to write a review on. One reader will also win a copy of this DVD, thanks to the Cartoon Network.

Printable Vaseline Clinical Therapy Coupon!

Here's a printable coupon to save $1.50 off your next purchase of any Vaseline Clinical Therapy lotion. (It's a Bricks coupon)

While you are here, don't forget to check out my other printable coupons to see if there are other coupons available to help you save on your grocery bill!

Please note: I take the time out of my busy schedule to share coupons that have landed in my email, I am not affiliated with the companies. Some coupons may be only available for a limited amount of time or for a limited amount of prints. If you come across a coupon that is now dead, please let me know, either by leaving a comment or sending me an email so I can fix the post. Thanks!

Arm & Hammer $9.50 In Printable Coupons

Right now, you can print up to $9.50 in coupons for different Arm & Hammer products. You do have to register to print them, but they frequently have coupons available, so it's worth it if you buy their products.

While you are here, don't forget to check out my other printable coupons to see if there are other coupons available to help you save on your grocery bill!

Please note: I take the time out of my busy schedule to share coupons that have landed in my email, I am not affiliated with the companies. Some coupons may be only available for a limited amount of time or for a limited amount of prints. If you come across a coupon that is now dead, please let me know, either by leaving a comment or sending me an email so I can fix the post. Thanks!

Let's Play Movie Trivia! (Redbox Giveaway!)

I love Redbox! It's nice to be able to rent a movie for just $1, with no membership needed. We don't usually need the movies we rent for more than one night, so it's a cheap date for us. ;) We actually just got around to renting Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and I cannot wait to add it to our collection on Blu-Ray down the road. (It's been added to my overgrowing Amazon wishlist for those gift certificates as they come in! lol)


If you're unfamiliar with Redbox, they are DVD vending kiosks you can usually find in places like WalMart, Albertsons, McDonald's, etc (and of course, my Fred Meyer now! Woot!) For just $1 a night, you can rent a movie using your debit or credit card. You can even reserve a popular title online and then pick it up later in the day so you are sure you will have it to view for that get together or sleepover you might be having! It's not just new releases available - there are catalog titles and plenty of kids titles to keep everyone happy. (for more on Redbox, you can check out my previous post here)

Plus, now you can even buy used movies for $5-$7 through the kiosk too! Granted, I'm Mrs Cheapness when it comes to buying movies and usually score mine cheaper through thrifts and pawn stores, but it's nice to have it as an option if I want a movie right away.

Win it! Thanks to Redbox, I get to help some of you have a fun family movie night together! (You're in charge of the popcorn and snacks though, but there's some great deals to be had right now with the Super Bowl coming up!!) 5 winners will win two codes for a free night's movie rental through Redbox (I figure the kids can pick one out, and the parents can enjoy a late night movie together? Or keep them for yourself, and enjoy two night's worth of movies for Valentine's Day! lol) To enter, take a shot and answer one of these recent kids' release movie trivia questions - just tell me which movie the quote is from in your comment to me:

*“You may have seen a meteor shower, but I bet you've never seen a shower "meatier" than this.”

*“Did any of you Dum-Dums bring me Gum Gum?”

*“Times like these, dark times, they do funny things to people. They can tear them apart.”

*“Humans of Earth, my quest has led me to your planet. Give it to me now! You should, in no way, take any of this personally. It's just business. Gallaxhar out.”

*“I was hiding under your porch because I love you.”

Easy peasy! As always, if you have completed the first entry above, you can also receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)

That's up to four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends February 6th, 2010 at 11:59 PST. US Only, sorry. :( Please leave your email address in your comment, or have it available in your profile so I can contact you if you've won. Winners drawn via Random.org.

I didn't receive anything for writing this post here, but 5 lucky winners will receive a prize courtesy of Redbox. The movie trivia questions are courtesy of Redbox.

Thrift Stores Tuesday - Your Favorites

Welcome to another week of resale and thrift store shopping!

My question this week...

Tell me about your favorite thrift? Do they have certain sales? Better prices? Is it cleaner than any other you go to, the clerks nicer, etc?

I really don't have one out here. I love hitting the Goodwill Outlet that sells by the pound in Tacoma, but it's really been ages since we've been - back in the Summer. When we lived there (and pre-munchkin) we'd go sometimes twice a week - it's that thrill of the hunt! :) They certainly aren't cleaner or nicer there though!

I have a feeling we're in for a letdown for a few weeks after scoring those chairs, lol. This is DH's little find - the Battleship box is brand new with the plastic, so no worries about missing pieces, and it was in our price range - just 99 cents. Maybe one of these evenings we'll have a Battleship battle. ;) (Or else we have a good start on our Holiday Gifts for the Giving Trees, because it's in perfect shape - I guess someone didn't like their Christmas gift. ;)


So have you found anything good recently?

Random Tuesday Thoughts - The Short Edition

I'm not feeling very random this week, so something tells me this one might be short and sweet.

We're in the middle of Bones Season 2 from the library. I think we have CSI NY latest season on DVD up next. I feel like I'm watching Humanity Gone Wrong - seriously, humans suck. :(

The grocery ads were in the mail today for this coming weeks deals, booo! I was seriously hoping for some great deals on Super Bowl style party foods already this week. There's one or two little ones at each store. I hope next week's are better! I want to stock up on snacks for our family Wii Gaming Tourneys over the next few weeks. I'd really like to pick up the Monopoly game next - I know, I know the board game is better, but it's still a choking hazard for awhile, so at least we can get our Monopoly fix going without worrying about pieces every where.

I can't wait for 70 degrees outside again! I'm really excited for the warmer, drier weather so we can do even more this year. I see lots of camping in our future!

Review: Neosporin 3 Day Challenge

Mom Central recently asked me if I wanted to take the Neosporin 3 Day Challenge and be a part of the blog tour. Since some of you probably know my obsession with lip products, I wanted to join in. I was totally ready to see if these products were worth being added to my stash of lip products (for those new to my blog, I have lip glosses/balms stashed all over the place and in purses, pockets, etc)


I was sent two different products from the Neosporin Lip Health line: the Daily Hydration Therapy, and the Overnight Renewal Therapy. My mission: to use these products faithfully, and see if I could see a difference in my lips in just 3 days. As soon as I received notice I was in this tour, I tried to refrain from using any of the medicated style lip products and stuck to the basic, fruity style products. I wanted my lips to be in need of a little help so I could see if the products really worked. I also tried to ignore all other products during my 3 day challenge, and just stuck to these two products.

It took awhile for the Daily Hydration Therapy to come out of the tube the first time I used it. I ended up squeezing some on my hand because I was afraid I would end up with this big giant blob on my lips! Plus you know how some lip brands with the medicine in them burn your lips? Yeah, I didn't want to run through the house trying to get a tissue because my lips felt like they'd been doused with HOT hot sauce, either.

That I didn't have to worry about. My lips felt kind of well, greasy. If you do a lot of outdoor winter activities, or are out in windy conditions, you'll probably like this one, because it feels like it will block just about anything. The fact that it has an SPF of 20 is great! One day 1 I was thinking for me in the house on a day to day basis, honestly, even with my lips on the dry side right when I started this test, there are other ones that feel better on my lips. By the middle of the second day, I was used to the greasy feeling, but that first day drove me nuts a few times - I was so tempted to wipe it off! Now I really like it when we are out walking - especially when it's kind of windy!

The Overnight Renewal Therapy comes in a little jar, so no worries about a giant blob on my lips. I'll admit I am never found of these little jars though - I hate getting the product under my nails. I prefer my products to come in push up/roll up tubes. It's more sanitary to me, too. This one is a white petroleum product, so I was prepared for the greasy feeling when I put it on - it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. No medicine-y feeling again, while it felt thick, it wasn't a bother. I didn't mind sleeping with it on. I actually gave it a try in the evening while we were watching TV, because I wanted to see how long it would last while I was asleep (a few hours)

Overall, at the end of the 3 days I could definitely see and feel a difference in my lips, though I am not going to say I had the most beautiful lips ever. (lol, honestly, I never have had them.) Depending on how chapped or dry your lips are, you may see more or less of a difference than I did. I'll definitely keep these on hand for during the winter months - I'll always keep a Daily Hydration Therapy in my winter coat to help stop the wind from blasting my lips. If you're interested in taking the 3 Day Challenge yourself and see if it makes a difference for you, you can actually print a coupon right now to help you save a little on trying these - it's for $3 off 1. You do have to fill out some information and take a tiny survey to get it.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Neosporin and received a sample of the Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy and the Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate.

DVD Review: Spongebob Squarepants: Viking-Sized Adventures

My family and I recently received a copy of Spongebob Squarepants: Viking-Sized Adventures on DVD to review.


ooooooh - who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS! (You know, I have to say this is one of the most fun theme songs (kid wise) to sing along with, ever. I can't resist, even when I am in another room! lol)

My DH lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw this DVD arrive, lol. Naptime or no naptime, it was time to settle in and watch a few episodes - men! lol Spongebob Squarepants: Viking-Sized Adventures features eight Spongebob episodes including: Dear Vikings, Ditchin', Pineapple Fever, Chum Caverns, Grandpappy the Pirate, Cephalopod Lodge (try saying that one five times quickly! lol), Shuffleboarding, and Professor Squidward. They all feature the usual slapstick humor, and your favorite characters - Spongebob, Mr Krabs, Squidward, Plankton, and Patrick. It's best for the 5-6 and up crowd, though smaller kids can watch too depending on your viewing choices - the humor can be slightly annoying/borderline crass, but no bad language or bad violence.

I have to admit I did get a kick out of the ending of Ditchin', where Spongebob ditches school to meet his heroes, Barnacle Boy and Mermaid Man. As always Spongebob learns his lesson, and it's funny to see Mrs. Puff taken away for skipping Jury Duty!

Spongebob Squarepants: Viking-Sized Adventures also contains a few special features of Storyboard Panels and Character Art. This part is probably more entertaining for geeky parents than kids though.

Spongebob Squarepants: Viking-Sized Adventures hits the stores Tuesday, January 26th, 2010, and runs 88 minutes long - just about 10 minutes each episode. It's single disc, the DVD is Not Rated (though the TV show itself is rated TV-Y7), and is a full screen edition. The suggested retail price is $16.99, but Amazon has it for just $9.99 on pre-order as of this posting, while WalMart has it for $14.44.

I received a copy of this DVD to write this review, but all opinions are mine. The links to Amazon and WalMart are for your shopping convenience because I love y'all, they are not affiliate links. I am not responsible if the Spongebob theme song is stuck in your head while reading this review - lol!

DVD Review: Go Diego, Go!: Lion Cub Adventure

My family and I recently received a copy of Go Diego, Go!: Lion Cub Adventure on DVD to review.


As you know, we love Dora (Owa! lol) and Diego over here, so we were very excited to have this new DVD to see! Go Diego, Go!: Lion Cub Adventure features four animated episodes: Welcome Home Lion Cub!, Diego's Ringed Seal Rescue, Diego Reunites Hippopotamus and Oxpecker, and Diego's Orangutan Rescue.

In the Welcome Home Lion Cub! episode, Diego and Baby Jaguar travel into Africa with Daddy Lion for Lion Cub's party. On the way there, they help save a baby lion (can you say... awwww lol), and get Cousin Lion out of a wicked trap (I can say I could live without that part, and I'm glad mine is too young to quite grasp that traps are really bad). As with almost all Diego episodes, you'll see the theme of animal rescue throughout all four episodes included on this single disc DVD, as well as a few Spanish words just like Dora's episodes. It's good for the 2 to 4 year old crowd, 5 and up might start getting bored. And there's no bad language or violence to worry about.

Go Diego, Go!: Lion Cub Adventure will be available on DVD Tuesday, January 26th 2010. The four episodes run 95 minutes long total, making it easy to just watch one episode as a treat or reward. The DVD is not rated (safe for all ages), and is full screen edition. It has a suggested retail of $16.99, though as of this posting Amazon has it listed at a pre-sale price of just $12.99. WalMart has an even better price at just $10.86. (If ordering online, keep shipping costs in mind!)

I received a copy of this DVD to write this review, but all opinions are mine. The links to Amazon and WalMart are for your shopping convenience because I love y'all, they are not affiliate links.

Triaminic Winners!

Hmmm... I think I cursed myself having this giveaway. DH came home with the sniffles last week, and now I'm seeing Mini Sniffles. You know what that means - they're going to make me sick too! Quick, hand over the OJ and chicken soup! lol The winners of the Triaminic giveaway are:

ShesAnAngel said...
I tweeted

http://twitter.com/ShesAnAngel417/status/8105265988

Sarah C said...
I wear my daughter in public places, and we do lots of handwashing!

Amy B. said...
I'm a subscriber
Thanks for the giveaway!
Amy B.

Congratulations! Emails are being sent out, and I need to hear back from y'all in 48 hours! :)

(Lots of fun giveaways coming up if you didn't win - fun trivia: the next giveaway going up will be the 100th over here on my blog! Wow!! That's been a lot for little ol' me!)

Menu Planning Monday - Holdovers

Well, I didn't use some of my menu ideas the last few nights, so I am switching them into this week. And I'm pulling out one of those turkeys! I figure cooked takes up a lot less room in my freezer, so we'll have a really nice dinner, and I will process the leftovers into turkey meatballs, casserole portions, etc.

Monday: Slow cooker roasted chicken, veggies, salad

Tuesday: recipe of the week

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Kickin' Chili

Thursday: BBQ Chicken Bake

Friday: homemade pizza night

Saturday: Cheesy Green Bean & Sausage

Sunday: turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing

Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!

Fred Meyer Deals 1/24 - 1/30 2010

The Barilla pasta is a good deal, and the Freddy's brand frozen fries are a good price too. Once again the Peanut Butter and Preserves are at $1 - refill any stock you've used!

See the entire circular online here or here's the food & home highlights with coupon matches if available:

Pork Loin Assorted Chops
$1.59 lb

Large Navel Oranges
3 lbs for $1.00

Mountain Dairy Gallon Milk
$1.99

M&M's Holidays
2 for $5 ($1.00 off 2 MC)

FM Cereal
2 for $6

FM Sugar
4 for $5 (2 lb)

FM Marshmellows
4 for $5

FM Morsels
4 for $5

FM Half Gallon Orange Juice
2 for $5

FM Food Storage Bags Aluminum Foil, Plastic Wrap or Trash Bags
4 for $5

FM Bagels
3 for $5

FM Soft Spread
3 for $5

FM Canned Fruit
10 for $10

Red Potatoes or Carrots
2 for $4 (5 lb)

Private Selection Snap or Snow Peas
2 for $4

FM Grilling Sausage
2 for $5

FM Pickles
2 for $4

FM Instant Oatmeal
4 for $5

Jumbo Tiger Prawns or Large Shrimp Ring
$17.49

Kroger Fortify Plus Nutritional Drink
2 for $11

Kroger Bandages
10 for $10

FM Dry Dog Food
$12.99 (40 lb)

FM 18 pk Cookies
2 for $7

Naturally Preferred Cage Free Dz Eggs
2 for $4

Naturally Preferred Supplements
Save 25%

Schick Disposable or Intuition Plus Razors
$2.99 after in store MC

Speed Stick Antiperspirant or Deodorant
$0.99 after in store

Got2B Styling Products
$3.99

Aussie Shampoo or Conditioner
$4.99 ($1.00 off MC)

Infusium Shampoo or Conditioner
$4.99

Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner
$4.99

Irish Spring Bar Soap or Body Wash
$2.99 after in store MC

Soft Soap Body Wash or Liquid Soap Refill
$2.99 after in store MC

Bayer Aspirin
$4.99 after in store MC

Aleve
$4.99 after in store MC

Flinstones Vitamins
$4.99 after in store MC

Werther's Original, Toffifay, or Reisen
2 for $3

Wrigley Extra Gum
10 for $10

Crest Toothpaste
2 for $3 ($0.75 off MC)

Listerine Mouthwash
$3.79 after in store MC

Revlon Lip Color
2 for $12

New Crop red or Green Grapes
$2.48 lb

Anjou or Bartlett Pears
$0.98 lb

Cucumbers or Green Bell Peppers
$0.58 lb

Organic Romaine Hearts
2 for $4

Organic Mini Peeled Carrots
2 for $3 (1 lb)

Turnips, Rutabagas, Parsnips, or Celery
$0.68 lb

Kettle Brand Original or Crinkle Cut Potato Chips
2 for $5 ($1.00 off MC)

Kettle Deluxe Mixed Nuts or Cashews
$5.99 lb

Wolfgang Puck Pizza
$4.99

Cascadian Farms Organic Cereal or Bars
2 for $5 ($1.00 printable here - join community)

Kashi, Blue Diamond, Annie's or Edward & Sons Crackers
Save 30%

New Chapter
Save 25%

Terra Chips
2 for $6

Harvest or Garden of Eatin Tortilla Chips
2 for $6

Bertolli Pasta Sauce
2 for $5

Barilla Pasta
10 for $10

Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese
$3.99

Fresh Lean Ground Beef
$2.56 lb (3 lb flavor seal pack)

Roma Tomatoes
$0.98 lb

Italian Bread
$0.99

Kraft Dressing
2 for $4

FM Yogurt
10 for $4

Kraft Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
2 for $5

Hungry-Man Frozen Dinners
$1.99

Lay's Chips
2 for $4

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
2 for $3 ($0.40 off 3 MC, $1.00 off 2 printable at coupons.com, $1.00 off 1 printable here)

Pepsi, A&W, Sunkist, 7-UP 12 pks
2 for $8

Quilted Northern Bath Tissue
$5.99 (12 double rolls)

Brawny Paper Towels
$8.99

Northwest Dover Sole Fillet
$3.99 lb

Fresh Rock Cod Fillet
$4.99 lb

Colossal E-Z Peel White or Jumbo Cooked Prawns
$7.99 lb

Fresh Dungeness or King Crab Meat
$8.99

Northwest Shrimp Meat
$3.99 lb

Wild Large Red King Crab Legs
$7.99 lb

Wild Alaska Halibut Fillet
$12.99 lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
$1.99 lb (4 lb frozen bag)

Beef Cross Rib Roast
$2.99 lb

Pork Spare Ribs
$1.99 lb

Beef Loin New York Steaks
$5.99 lb (family packs)

Beef Loin Petite Sirloin Steaks
$3.99 lb (family packs)

Fresh Fryer Drumsticks or Thighs
$1.19 lb (jumbo packs)

Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon Fillet
$7.99 lb

Jumbo E-Z Peel White Shrimp
$4.99 lb

Wild Jumbo Snow Crab
$4.99 lb

Boneless Chicken Wings 36 ct
$8.99

FM Butter
3 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 3)

FM Peanut Butter or Preserves
10 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)

FM Taters or Fries
4 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

FM Canned Tomatoes or Beans
2 for $1 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)

FM 18 pk Eggs
2 for $4 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

FM Deluxe Ice Cream
5 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 5)

Naturally Preferred Organic Milk 64 oz
2 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Kroger Loratadine
BOGOF w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Suave Shampoo or Conditioner
$0.88 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

TreeTop Apple Juice or Blends
3 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 9)

FM Canned Vegetables
2 for $1 w/ in ad coupon (limit 8)

Starbucks or Yuban Coffee
$5.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Kraft Shredded Cheese
4 for $5 2/ in ad coupon (limit 8) ($1.00 off 2 MC, $1.00 off 2 printable at coupons.com)

Bars S Thick Sliced Bacon
2 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

FM Breakfast Links or Ground Pork Sausage
2 for $4 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Nestle Standard Size Candy Bars
3 for $1 w/ in ad coupon (limit 6)

Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent
$5.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2) ($0.50 off MC)

This week starts a new Rewards cycle. In the coming weeks you should see your Rewards start to arrive!

Unfamiliar with Fred Meyer's coupon policy? They allow you stack a Fred Meyer store coupon (FM coupons as I call them) with a manufacturer's coupon. They do not price match to any other store's sale prices, and they won't take other store's sale coupons. You can however use a manufacturer's coupons on any sale or clearance items, but they usually won't allow any overage if the coupon is more than the sale price (sometimes it slips through the cracks, but don't expect it every time). Our local Washington stores do not double any coupons. They do accept the printed internet coupons if they have a barcode (like bricks coupons or from Smart Source or coupons.com if you are unfamiliar with them) so if you are having problems with a clerk not wanting to accept your coupon and you are sure it's legit coupon, please ask to have a manager come on over to verify it.

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering.

If you're interested in other grocery stores, please check out BeCentsable’s Grocery Gathering for an extensive list of grocery stores and blogs that cover the best deals!

Well, Then...

So it's been an interesting weekend. I'm sorry for my absence, but things should be back to normal - as normal as it gets around here - until the next dramatic occurence happens in this family.

We're all fine here, it was extended family, and I needed to work with it. (I'm sure it will be airing on a Jerry Springer episode soon, lol) I'll have the Freddy's ad up later tonight. Looks like some good deals this week - I can tell we are getting closer to the Big Game! :)

Family Emergency

The munchkin's OK, don't panic, but as it always seems to be with Murphy's Law, there's issues here. Be back this weekend when I can.

XOXO,
Storm

SwagBucks Help Out?

Since we are a one income family, it's super de duper nice to see a little bit of change end up in my PayPal from surveys here and there. It's even more fun when it's Amazon gift cards! Just this last week, thanks to those gift cards, I was able to pick up a new Wii game and a gift. I didn't even have to pay shipping, since it was over $25 and everything qualified for Free Super Saver Shipping! Whoo hoo!

I'm pretty sure you've heard about Swagbucks or might have seen the banner on someone else's site, or on my side bar down below. If you haven't, it's basically just a search engine, just like Google. Only this one has a little perk: you could earn "Swagbucks" that get you points towards prizes and gift certificates. A $5 Amazon gift card will run you 45 Swagbucks at the moment. The Swagbucks are awarded randomly, usually in increments of $1, $2, or $5, but Fridays are Mega Swagbucks days, and you could possibly score as high as $100! You're not guaranteed to get a Swagbuck on every search, of course, but I seem to be getting them about 1 out of every 5 searches, if not even better some days.


Now, I'm not going to tell you that you will make a fortune with Swagbucks. But say you are like me, and you do most of your searches through Swagbucks, and catch some of their promo codes that you can find out through their widget, Twitter, or front page on Swag Hunts, and you'll probably bring in about $10 a month in Amazon gift cards. Add that up at the end of the year, and that could be $120 towards gifts! Or it might just brighten up your day like it does ours when a box from Amazon shows up at the door with something from our Wish List. There's also lots of other things you can cash out for with your SwagBucks, as well as charity donations you can make throughout the year - I've just found the Amazon to be the best bang for the buck so far.

The fabulous folks over at Swagbucks have given me over here at Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife an exclusive code for new members only. It's good from this posting, up until January 29th. This will give you your first 5 SwagBucks! (Psst: after you sign up, click on Special Offers on the left hand side in the menu bar. Then click on the blue box on the right side where it says No Obligation Offers. Skip through all of those, and you will get another code at the end of it for 1 more SwagBuck. The great part is you can get a code there EVERY Thursday!)

So you want the code, don't you? Alright, here it is:

psychoticswag

Just enter that into the box when you go to register. It's easy peasy, I don't bother with things that aren't easy peasy (trust me, I have my hands full around here lately! lol) The hardest part is remembering to search through them the first few days, but you can download their toolbar if you'd like, and that might help. (Plus, sometimes they do have Promo Codes on the toolbar)

BTW, for the next week, I'll have the Swidget as it's called at the bottom of the blog way down there, so you can click on Check For Swag Codes when you visit my blog and see if there's any freebies lurking! (Gah, why does it only show the last half inital of my last name? Silly thing!)

*To make this FTC compliant, these are referral links. If you win SwagBucks, I do too - up to 100 of them. You don't have to use my link, you can just use the Promo Code, but of course, I'd appreciate it if you do :)

Why I No Longer Shop Or Play In Tacoma

It's called that way too high bridge toll fee that they want to raise. Again.

Those of us on Peninsula are stuck between a rock and a hard place. There's no way to get around using the bridge if we want to get into Tacoma or any place further on. I refuse to fork out the money for a transponder I *might* use once a month. $5 just to cross the bridge? I feel like I should be looking around for the Troll.

Too bad, so sad. There's lots of places I wouldn't mind visiting or shopping at across the bridge, but I refuse to fork out $5 on top of gas prices. I'd rather buy online - which means my money is going out of state - than spend $15 between gas and bridge toll just to visit Tacoma. (Or Ikea in Renton!)

Plus, why should I have to pay a toll increase to help pay for the 520 floating bridge that I will never use? It's not even close to here! Make them pay their own toll, don't raise ours.

Come to think of it, go ahead and raise it. I actually save money by staying home!

Thrifty Thursday - Repurposing Lids

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I have the coolest tip to share with you. OK, it's coolest to me, it might not be to you.

If you are like me - anti plastic containers for every day food storage, you probably have some of the regular mouth glass canning jars around. (If you don't, you can often find ones like new at the thrift for 20-25 cents each, or free on freecycle) While I don't do a lot of canning, obviously, I like to store dry good in them. But as you might know, the lids and bands are usually separate, and of course, if you're canning, you're not supposed to re-use them. I hate wasting the bands and lids on jars of sugar or pasta! Plus, it's a pain to slide the lid off after I undo the band, half the time they fall on the floor. Ugh!

If you also happen to use peanut butter, or have friends and family who do - those lids actually fit perfectly onto the glass canning jars! Clean them well (I suggest top shelf of your dishwasher, if you use one, to sterilize them). I did notice the Jif 16 oz lids don't fit very tight, but the Freddy's brand peanut butter lids fit PERFECTLY! No more messing with the bands and lids on my sugar jars! (Plus, since we can't recycle the lids here, it's keeping waste out of the trash!)

Note: don't use these plastic lids for canning items! Just dry goods, or if it's something you'll be using quickly in the fridge. They're not safe for things like jam, sauces, etc that you are canning, since they won't have a seal.

If It's Free, It's For Me?

I'm never one to shy away from anything, am I?

My mother and I were talking on the phone this morning about an offer for a free skein of yarn that was originally sent out to newsletter subscribers of the brand of yarn. Apparently, it made it's way onto a lot of blogs (it was a great deal!) and freebie sites. Of course, the company ran out very quickly, and I'm going to guess they were in shock didn't know what to do. (If I was in that PR department, I think I would have FREAKED! lol)

This company's Facebook page is currently now filled with hateful and angry messages about how they will never use this brand of yarn again, are unfriending the brand, how they will tell all their friends, etc, etc.

C'mon, folks: Get over it! It's a free skein of yarn. Free. It was a wonderful gesture on the part of this company, and they can't just hand out a free skein to every person they see. If they did, they'd be broke. That's not the point of running a for-profit business.

Which brings me to this: Often, I see offers for a free sample, free drink, free whatever. I share some on here, if I am sure it's legit, and it's a large company who expects their free item to go viral. (Sometimes I get PR releases about the freebie coming up) I like getting free things in the mail - who doesn't? :) But the problem is that some people are greedy. Some will sign up for the freebie under every name in their family, and maybe even the dog's name! They will sign up Uncle George, Grandma Jane, and by the time the intended audience comes along, there's nothing left. C'mon, does Uncle George really need that diaper sample?

Then you have the people who sign up for anything just because it's free. Who cares if they don't have any need for that screw sample, and they're not a contractor? They'll make up the information needed and sign up for it anyways!

And unfortunately, it happens in the blog world too. I am sad when I am reading a review on a blog, and their cousin's sister in law tested this toddler item, "cause you know, my kids are out of that stage" Well, that's grand, but it's a whole different ball game when you're reviewing for someone else. You miss a lot of things. How do I know that item didn't fall apart the next day? I no longer can trust your review as a Mom. Sure, sometimes I get great pitches in my email box I would love to review, but my daughter isn't old enough yet. In this case, sometimes I'll ask if I can host a giveaway for y'all, if I know I have enough readers who have kids in that age range - but I am always up front with the PR person in that case.

I never started this blog back in 2007 in the hope of "getting free stuff". I've heard horror stories of bloggers emailing small etsy sellers telling them they'll review their items for exposure, picking out the most expensive things in their store and telling them the sizes of all their family members. (I'd gleefully tell them where to go, if I was the sellers!) I've seen the visit stats on some of these "filled with free stuff they've begged for" blogs, and my blog stats stomp all over them. I feel horrible for some of these companies actually, because the reviews are two lines long. Wow. Again, that really tells me all about the product and makes me want to go buy it after I read the review. *rolls her eyes*

The point of this post is just a reminder: just because it's free, doesn't mean you have to have it. Is it a product you're genuinely interested in? If you liked it, would you actually buy it? Would you maybe start to visit that store if the service was good, after trying that freebie? Are your kids in that age range or right on the edge? If yes, then sign up for it! If you think Aunt Martha might be interested, send her the link and let her sign up for it. Don't sign up your cat for that free tube of toothpaste. (unless, it's pet toothpaste, of course!)

Free Baby Mozart Download

For those you trying to load up your Ipod with kid friendly music, or make some kid friendly mix CDs, you can download a free Baby Mozart song from Baby Einstein, now through January 27th. You do have to register or already have a Baby Einsten account to download it, but it's free to do so. :)

Random Charity News, A Sale, & A Contest!

Rather than swamp your feed readers or fill up your inbox, I'm condensing a bunch of great things into one post that arrived in my inbox over the last few days!

WAT-AAH, who I did a review for last Fall, has joined in on helping Haiti - they are airlifting an entire truckload of WAT-AAH for the kids over there! Kudos, to the great folks over at WAT-AAH! I know there's lots of companies doing wonderful things to help out right now, but I wanted to share this with you since it's a company I've blogged about on here before.

>>>>>>>Let me hijack this post for a moment, and remind you about the need for safe, clean, drinking water in ANY emergency. Do you have some in your home right now? Please remember to always have on hand a 3 day supply of bottled drinking water for each family member, and pet. You just never know what can happen!

Last year, I told you the story of a little girl fighting for her life. Right now, the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation has an opportunity to win $1 Million through the Chase Community Giving campaign on Facebook. Think about it. One million dollars towards curing this horrible disease. And you can help for FREE! All you have to do is vote via Facebook in the next two days. Easy peasy! Think karma. Two seconds of your time. Please? I'm asking you this as a Mom - even if you're not a mom yourself, just imagine if it happened in your family.

Rufflebutts has another promotion going on - you can get a free Knit Floral RuffleButt Bloomer with the purchase of the perfectly coordinating 3-Flower T-Shirt. I heart their Rufflebutts!!! I'll be so sad when we outgrow their stuff :(

If you love contests (I know a lot of you do!) you may have already heard of this one, but just in case: Play the Frigidaire Spin to Win game for a chance to win daily prizes, and best of all - Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer set. (It would be so nice for us to win that one, and finally have a washer and dryer that's not nearly as old as us! LOL) Plus, every time you spin, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children, as part of their $250,000 commitment to support Save the Children’s CHANGE. This is a great way to "donate" without it coming out your own pocket, look at it this way, even if you don't usually enter a lot of contests. The contest runs until April 25th, 2010, so good luck!

Get Your Promo Codes Right Here!

Why pay full price when you can get a discount? Here's some promo codes that have ended up in my email and mailbox that might help you save a little bit! :)

At Happy Tails, use promo code DOGSTERDISCOUNT to save 20% off your order. I don't see an expiration date, so YMMV if you use it after this week. It's good as of this posting!

Interested in trying out the new Wii fitness game, Your Shape, featuring Jenny McCarthy? (I tried it out the other day, I've got to get it!) If you're using some of those Amazon gift cards you've saved up from Swagbucks, survey sites, etc, use promo code YOURSHPE to save $10! Expires 1/31/2010

Need some pet supplies? You can save $10 over $35 or more at PetCareRX, plus get free shipping using promo code SMART729! They are more than just medicine for your pets, I've even bought shampoo (pet) from them, and just used this code myself to save on flea meds. Log in through your shopping site of choice to receive your incentive (points, cash back, etc) This is good through 2/28/2010!

If you're a member of Pampers Village, or haven't joined yet, check to see if you've used promo code WELCOME2VILLAGE. I've been a member for awhile and I guess I hadn't used it yet, because it worked for me. If you're not a member, basically you can get free things by entering codes from Pampers products. Even if you don't use a lot of Pampers products (or any at all) you may want to join, since they do give out some promo codes from time to time and you could end up with a gift card or something from their gift catalog.

Tea Collection has 20% off their sale prices with promo code DM20, or promo code SALE20 now through January 24, 2010. Note this is children's clothing, not tea you drink, for those not familiar with their cute clothes. :)

Remember my review on The Friendship Stone just before the holidays? Use promo code valentine to receive 14% off. This code is valid from February 1st-21st, so hold off a few days before ordering it. ;)

Ufadili, who I posted about here, has 50% off ALL ITEMS with the promo code: 50OFF Plus, there's free shipping on all orders! You might be able to score some summer clothes at a great price! I'm not sure how long this code is valid for, so you might want to hurry over and see if there's something you want.

What's Your Definition Of Sustainable?

To me, it's using renewable resources, watching for pollutants, and being green by recycling and reusing anything and everything.

Sooo... because I share with y'all pretty much everything under the kitchen sink, let me tell you a quick little blurb about something to do with my blog and a past review. Mick Bremans who is the CEO of the Ecover company, products I reviewed awhile back here and here happens to be in the running for Top Sustainable CEO, along with a host of other folks.

Of course I gave the guy my vote. I like the company, I like their natural products.

After I voted, I doubled back through the list, and I have to tell you, I was a little snarly and almost a little horrified to see the former CEO of WalMart on the list, among others that made me blink twice (Sprint, Campbells, Kraft, etc). I'm not wanting to knock WalMart, I just hosted a giveaway for them, and totally get that their prices are lower than a lot of stores. And in this economy, lower tends to be the winning hand. I shop there sometimes too, mostly because I get my asthma meds there. But I really don't see how WalMart can consider their CEO, or their company green and thereby sustainable.

There's a price to pay for a lot of those low prices: it's called things that fall apart quickly. Companies that cut corners in order to make their items cheap enough that Walmart will buy from them and sell it in their store. Things manufactured in countries who don't have the same toxins and emissions standards we do. Plastic is not sustainable.

Planting a few trees around the store, having a recycling bin for water bottles and phone books at the front of the store does not make the world that much greener (although it helps).

Am I wrong? I just don't see how giant buildings full of non sustainable stuff and huge parking lots made from toxic blacktop equals green, I guess.

And no, I don't consider myself the greenest person on the planet, though I try. I recycle. I compost. I conserve. I buy used. (happily!) I cook from scratch, using large containers, thereby eliminating packaging. But nope, definitely not the greenest.

Be Back After Dusk

*blows kisses* You know I love y'all, but it's another GORGEOUS day, and the sunlight wins over the laptop. ;) We already hit up the park early this morning, and we can hear the backyard calling right now!

I hope your day is going wonderful - and if you have sun, enjoy it! Open those blinds! Let it take over! :)

Thrift Store Tuesday - Tips For Newbies

Welcome to another week of resale and thrift store shopping!

My question this week...

Do you have any tips to share with folks new to the thrifting scene?

My number one tip is to not let yourself get overwhelmed. Pick one area that you are looking for goodies in - the kids department, household, books, etc, and just stick to that department on your first few trips in. Branch out when you feel comfortable. If shopping for clothes, bring a tape measure along - just because the tag says one thing, doesn't mean it really is that size.

I told you yesterday that I would introduce you to my favorite find EVER. Well, it's more like finds, because there was a matching set! Take a look at these vintage, nearly pristine beauties:


Even the tag was even still on one of the cushions! We have the arm rest covers as well, (they're on the counter, I forgot to put them back on for the photo)


I know, I know, a lot of you probably are cringing at that red velvet, but I saw it across the store and I FLEW faster than the speed of light. Those puppies were MINE! lol I had to wait for Daddy bringing up the rear to stake out our claim on them before I could even go to the loo. I managed to use a 30% off coupon on the second chair, so one was $19.99 and the other ended up being $13.99. (Chairs, or groceries, hmmm... that's what stockpiles are for, right? LOL) We are going to need to re-arrange the living room so they fit better, because right now, there's no room! They are going to look great in there, because my living room/kitchen area is open plan, and the kitchen is painted a similar red.

I was describing them on the phone to my mommy in the store, and the best description I could come up with is that they look like they belong in a bordello. LOL!!! When DH sat down in one last night, I told him he was now pimp daddy. ;) (Yeah... we're nuts around here)

Yes, I know pretty things + kiddo + pets = disaster. But they were soooo preeeeetttty! Ideally, I'd like to move them into our bedroom, but I'm not sure they'll fit right.

So have you found anything good recently?

Random Thoughts Tuesday - *Yawns*

I hate spammers. Really, you saved money with this very spammy named site? That's nice. Say hello to my little friend, the delete button. We're best buds for-ever and ever, aren't we delete button?

Elmo was taken hostage this week. Yep, adorable, fuzzy, red Elmo was tossed to the floor and swiped up in the blink of an eye by a furry monster of another red-ish color. Elmo has been drooled on, but looks OK. Poor Elmo, he didn't have a chance. (Barbie might not ever want to move in here, because something tells me the twin terrors will insure that she can never be identified by CSI by making sure they've chewed all her hands and feet off... LOL)

Booooo. Here it was so gosh darn nice yesterday, and today it looks like it's already dusk. I guess at least it's not pouring rain?

I hate the Albertsons over by Mile Hill. Every. single. time. I go there they either mess up my coupons, or give me an issue for them. Take this last time - I had a coupon for a free GM cereal (for a review), a 50 cent coupon for Jolly Time popcorn that was on sale for $1.00, and a doubler coupon to double the popcorn coupon. This should make everything free, right? The chick at the customer service desk was trying to tell me I owed $1.99 Say what??? I told her with my coupons everything should be free, she tries to tell me she can't take $6.00 off with the cereal coupon because the cereal was only $4 something. WELL, DUH, I KNOW THAT! It still covers the total amount of the cereal, so where's the $1.99 coming from? Then after she figures out she messed up, she doesn't even say she's sorry, but rather "thank you for telling me". Um... excuse me? That's my husband's hard earned $$$ your technically stealing? How about that I'm sorry?

Why do I torture myself going there? Oh, right, because it's close to Goodwill and I feel guilty asking DH to drive back over to the other one. Sigh!

The music from Star Trek where in the semi-beginning the cadets go into the bar? The duh duh duhduhduh part? Yeah, that's permanently in my head from DH watching that movie so many times.

I could seriously nap all the day. *yawns*

I thought I heard one of the corgis snoring, but it's a cat. lol Actually... I probably should go take advantage of these few moments of silence and close my eyes for a few minutes. You know, before the mini whirling tornado is back to full power mode. Or I could attempt a shower that lasts more than 2 minutes... what to do... what to do...

The nap wins. ;)

It's Been A Beautiful Day!

We woke up this morning to SUN! Gorgeous, beautiful sunlight - something we had almost forgotten about here in the northwest. ;) So rather than hang out at home, I took advantage of DH having the day off, and rounded us all up into the car, corgis and all for a grand time.

Because this is just to beautiful to miss:


The corgis had a grand time being off leash:


And we can feel like a dinosaur is about to jump out of us from this giant fern LOL:


Does this look happy?


Plus, on the way home we stopped at Goodwill because I had to use the loo and we scored a couple of somethings I'll share on Thrift Store Tuesday tomorrow! I had all these plans for posts to work on today, and at the first sun of sunlight, they were swept under the rug. lol ;) I hope you had as wonderful a day as we did today!

Menu Planning Monday - Back To Midnight Madness

Well, since the schedule has already gone back to what it was, I'm not using the slow cooker quite as much this week. For the most part, DH is usually on time with this schedule. (Last week he never came home even close to the time he was supposed to, grrr!)

But I really hope that my recipe of the week turns out a little better than what they have over the last few weeks. DH always says they are fine, but they generally make me go eh... I'm running about 1 out of every 4 I like enough to do as a repeat, and usually I'm at least 1 for 2 there. I need my kitchen mojo back! lol

Monday: meatball subs, homemade garlic parmesan fries, salad

Tuesday: recipe of the week

Wednesday: Mexican Bake

Thursday: Chimichangas

Friday: homemade pizza night

Saturday: Cheesy Green Bean & Sausage

Sunday: Slow cooker roasted chicken, veggies, salad

Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!

Printable Johnsonville Coupons

Get ready for the Big Game and stock up that freezer with some Johnsonville sausages printable coupons! (Click on Money Saving Coupons in the top right hand corner) These are Smart Source coupons, and you can save $0.55 off Johnsonville Brats, $0.55 off Johnsonville Italian Sausage, and several other Johnsonville products!

Plus, they also have some great recipe ideas on the site, and they even have the cost per serving breakdown on them.

Printable Johnson & Johnson Company Coupons

Sign up on the Beauty For All Ages Network to print a whole host of coupons on products from the Johnson & Johnson company, such as $2.00 off any Clean & Clear product, $2.00 off any Aveeno Body or Baby Car product, and several more! It goes to a coupons.com site, so if you already print their coupons, you should have no problem printing these.

Weekend Winners

The winner of the Progresso Souper You giveaway is:

Becca said...
I blogged at http://beccascontestlist.blogspot.com/2010/01/mini-souper-you-debut-gift-pack.html

And the winner of dinner on me is:

Dusty B. said...
I, sadly, did not stop blogging. My son is away at his grandparents, and my poor boyfriend is downstairs playing Wii all by himself.

Hey man (I tell him silently in my head). That's what you get for supporting my blogging!

Congratulations folks! I'm sending you emails and need to hear back from you ASAP! :)

Who's Your Favorite Housewife? (Giveaway!)

Weekends always seem so boring in blogland. We're all off with kids activities, church, family, etc, and blogs seem to end up on the backburner. So for those of you who open my feed or stop by my little corner of the internet world today, I have a little giveaway to brighten things up around here!

Yep, I'm going to help you menu plan a little this week, because I love y'all, and I'm thankful you listen to my whining stop by my blog and leave me comments, so I don't feel like I talk to myself. ;) Up for grabs is one coupon for a free medium pizza from Domino's. There's a catch - it expires on the 31st, and you have to order online. Now I can mail it to you, but you don't need to present the coupon to order, you just need the code, so I can email that to you after you confirm your win. :)


(I hope your pizza ends up looking this good!)

So to enter... tell me how much you love me! LOL! Just kidding. :) Leave me a comment about anything. All I ask is you refrain from "enter me" or anything of the like... because you know those drive me crazy. You can tell me what your making for dinner, what you're doing this weekend (gosh, I hope you have sun! I forget what sunlight is!), a deal you scored this week, if you won something from someone else's blog (so I can be green with envy!)... anything!

It's a quickie so giveaway ends tomorrow (1/17) at 5 pm PST, the coupon is only valid in the US, and it does say price and participation may vary. (Port Orchard folks: ours won't accept it) I'll email the winner as chosen by Random.org as soon as I can, so please leave your email, and I just ask that you promise to check your email that evening, because I'll give you 24 hours to reply to my email, or it goes to someone else. One entry per person, yada yada, and to make this FTC compliant: Domino's did not ask me to do this giveaway. I had this coupon and didn't want it to go to waste.

Fred Meyer Deals 1/17 - 1/23 2010

It looks like a big emphasis on the pet food this week. If you're playing along with my Food Storage Friday series, it's a good time to stock up.

The best deals this week are the Bandon Cheese at $3.99 with coupon, and those Texas Red Grapefruit at 5/$1! Enjoy that fresh fruit!

See the entire circular online here or here's the food & home highlights with coupon matches if available:

Foster Farms Whole Fryers Chicken
$0.79 lb (first 3)

Texas Red Grapefruit
5/$1 (limit 10)

Colgate Toothpaste
$0.99 after in store MC

Nutra Nuggets Dry Dog Food
$21.99 (40 lbs)

Alpo Canned Dog Food
10/$10

Meow Mix Dry Cat Food
$9.99 (14 or 16 lbs)

Iams Dry Cat Food
$11.99 (7 or 8 lbs)

Whiskas Temptations Cat Treats
10/$10 ($0.50 off MC, $1.00 off 2 MC)

Iams Dry Dog Food
$14.99 (15.5 or 17.5 lbs) (catalina register coupons for $4 or $5 off, roll over into a second bag!)

Beneful Prepared Meals
10 for $10

Pet Pride Dog Biscuits
$3.99

Sergeants Doggy Dents
BOGOF

Beneful Dry Dog Food
$12.99 (15.5 lbs)

Vita Bone Dog Treats
3 for $5

Beggar Dog Biscuits
3 for $5

Sergeants Fur So Fresh Shampoo
$2.99

Amazing Cat Litter
$4.99 (8 lbs)

Disney Pets Training Pads
$19.99 (101 pack)

Pet Zone Pick Up Bags
$2.99

Kids N Pets Stain Odor Remover
$5.99

Arm & Hammer Pet Carpet Powder
3 for $5 ($0.50 off 1 printable here)

Van Ness Covered Cat Pan
$9.99

North American Pet Cat Post
$9.99

Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta
10 for $10 ($0.35 off 3 MC)

Hunt's Snack Pack Pudding
10 for $10

Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables
10 for $10 ($0.50 off 1 MC, $1.00 off 4 printable here)

Del Monte Canned Fruit
10 for $10

Coke 12 pks
2 for $9

Doritos Chips
$2.18

V8 Vegetable Juices
2 for $5 ($1.00 off Fusion printable here), $1.00 off 2 Splash MC)

Krusteaz Pancake Mix
$1.89

FM Pancake Syrup
$1.89

Dove Body Wash or Bar Soap
$3.99 after in store MC

Prevacid 24 Hr (28 ct)
$17.99

Pantene Hair Care
3 for $10 ($3 off 2)

Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color
$5.99

Dove or Degree Ultimate Antiperspirant or Deodorant
2 for $5 after in store MC

Mach3, Venus, Good News, or Daisy Disposable Razors
$4.99 ($2 off Mach3)

Hershey's King Size Bars
10 for $10

Aquafresh Toothpaste
Save $1.00

Sensodyne Iso-Active Toothpaste
Save $1.00

Tampax or Always
$6.99

Nature's Bounty Vitamins
BOGOF ($1.00 off MC, $1.00 off printable here)

Osteo Bi-Flex or Flexamin
BOGOF ($6 off Bi-Flex MC, $5.00 off Bi-Flex printable here)

Physicians Formula Cosmetics
BOGO Half Off

Airborne
Save $1.00 w/ in store MC

Mucinex
Save $1 w/ in store MC

Triaminic, Theraflu, Comtrex, or 4-Way
Save $0.50 w/ in store MC

Nature's Way Cold & Flu or Nutrition Now Supplements
Save 25%

Source Naturals Wellness Supplements
Save 25%

Traditional Medicinals or Yogi Tea
2 for $6

Clif Luna, Mojo Bars, or Quench Sports Drinks
10 for $10

Genisoy Products
Save 25%

Pacific Foods Natural Soup
2 for $4

Annie's Homegrown
Save 25%

Oregon Chai
2 for $6

Frito-Lay Natural Chips or Snacks
2 for $6

Rainbow Light
Save 25%

Broccoli Crowns or Cauliflower
$0.98 lb

Private Selection Organic Salad
2 for $5

Organic Fingerling Potatoes
2 for $5 (1.5 lb bag)

Mayan Sweet Onions
$0.79 lb

Hothouse Bell Peppers
4 for $5

Hothouse Tomatoes
$1.99 lb

Jazz or Pacific Rose Apples
$1.49 lb

Private Selection All-Natural Boneless Bottom Round Roast
$3.99 lb

Private Selection All-Natural Ground Beef
$4.99 lb

Private Selection All-Natural New York Steaks
$9.98 lb

Private Selection All-Natural T-Bone Steaks
$9.98 lb

Private Selection All-Natural Rib Eye Steaks
$9.98 lb

Fresh Boneless Skinless Fryer Breasts
$2.48 lb (family packs)

Beef Top Round London Broil
$2.99 lb

Fresh Extra Lean Ground Beef
$3.67 lb (3 lb flavor seal packs)

Beef Bottom Round Roast
$2.99 lb

Pork Loin Top Sirloin Chops
$2.49 lb (family packs)

Beef Loin T-Bone Steaks
$5.99 lb (family packs)

Wild Alaska Whole Sockeye Salmon
$3.99 lb

Colossal E-Z Peel White or Jumbo Cooker Prawns
$7.99 lb

Wild Large Red King Crab Legs
$7.99 lb

Bandon Cheese 2 lb Bricks
$3.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

FM Sunflower or Wild Bird Seed 10 lbs
$2.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Tidy Cats Scoop Litter 27 lbs
$6.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2) (Some may have $1.00 off peelies on them!)

Pet Pride Cat Food 18 lbs
$7.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

Friskies Canned Cat Food
3 for $1 w/ in ad coupon (limit 24)

Ricola Cough Drops
10 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)

Kroger Ibuprofen
BOGOF w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Kivu Bulk Coffee
$4.99 lb w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

FM XL Eggs or Country Oven or Vita Bee Bread
4 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

GM Cereal
5 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 5) (assorted printables out there)

Dreyer's Ice Cream or Skinny Cow Novelties
2 for $6 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Hillshire Farm Lunch Meat
2 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4) ($0.35 off MC, $1.00 off 2 printable here)

Kroger Frozen Chicken Tenderloins
$6.99 3 lb bag w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Nestle or Wonka Fun Size Candy
$1.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 3)

Cottonelle Bath Tissue or Scott Paper Towels
$4.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4) ($0.50 off 2 or 1 12 pk or larger MC, $1.00 off 1 printable here)


The current cycle for accumulating rewards ends later this month.

Unfamiliar with Fred Meyer's coupon policy? They allow you stack a Fred Meyer store coupon (FM coupons as I call them) with a manufacturer's coupon. They do not price match to any other store's sale prices, and they won't take other store's sale coupons. You can however use a manufacturer's coupons on any sale or clearance items, but they usually won't allow any overage if the coupon is more than the sale price (sometimes it slips through the cracks, but don't expect it every time). Our local Washington stores do not double any coupons. They do accept the printed internet coupons if they have a barcode (like bricks coupons or from Smart Source or coupons.com if you are unfamiliar with them) so if you are having problems with a clerk not wanting to accept your coupon and you are sure it's legit coupon, please ask to have a manager come on over to verify it.

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering.

If you're interested in other grocery stores, please check out BeCentsable’s Grocery Gathering for an extensive list of grocery stores and blogs that cover the best deals!