Bountiful Baskets (of produce)

Bountiful Baskets is a co-op that offers fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, as well as "specials" that vary by season. We have participated a couple of times and love it. The first time, however, I goofed and bought a basket ($15 for conventional- which we did the first time but now we do the $25 organic) AND an optional $5 fruit salad basket. We received all of this: for $20 (plus an extra $3 since it was our first time).


The result was:
-3 heads of spinach
-a head of Kale? (or some sort of lettuce...)
-3 bundles of celery
-2 yellow peppers
-9 pears
-1 cantelope
-6 apples
-5 peaches
-3 artichokes
-7 bananas
-18 little tomatoes
-4 yellow tomatoes (not sure what they are..)

and for our added-on fruit salad basket:
-huge bag of grapes
-1 watermelon
-huge case of strawberries
-huge case of blueberries

Luckily Charles had a birthday party that day so we made some fruit salad & served some vegetables. The produce lasts.... if you take good care of it & store it properly. It is always extremely fresh because the group of participants all purchase fruit/vegetables in bulk from the distributor. This means that we get it before the grocery store and therefore get super fresh produce at the cost that grocery stores do. And you don't have to pay anything (besides a $1 in handling) because it's a bunch of volunteers that put on the show. You pick your purchases up on the Saturday that you select. It's generally around 7 or 8 in the morning (since heats a huge factor here) and it's wise to bring either a laundry basket or a ton of reusable shopping bags. You do not get to chose what is in the general basket but I've also seen crates of tomatoes, loafs of bread (the $10 for 5 loafs of honey wheat is supposedly amazing... it's bakery style!), grass fed beef, Italian produce baskets, fruit salad baskets (like what I received), summer fruit baskets (pineapple, coconut, etc.) for sale. It's an awesome deal and if your family is small (like mine.... it consists of mommy, daddy & toddler), I would suggest splitting it. This coming Saturday, we are splitting the basket with my mom. I'm curious to see how this goes!!
You can find more information about the one that I participate through here.
You can also check here if you don't live in Arizona or Utah. I would also suggest googling your state/city & the words "produce co op" together and see what pops up.

Happy Savings!!

Better Homes & Gardens Mag Offer

Right now Better Homes & Gardens is selling a year subscription for $5.99. Plus, you'll receive All Time Favorites Vol. 3 cookbook, and you'll also get a copy of Quick and Easy Decorating instantly! Here's the link. Happy Savings!!

Poster Sale

AllPosters.com is having another poster sale, just in case you missed it last time. Be sure to use the coupon code: AUGSLE for free shipping during check out! Here is the link!! Hurry... it ends Thursday. I'll update later as to what great buy I got! ((Today is my first day in Upperlevel classes at the University). Let's just say I saved a TON of money on art I have had my eye on for over a year by going the poster route!

Movie Tickets for a $1

So apparently I'm a lazy bum who watches movies & tv all day since that's what my last two posts have been. Haha! I wish! I'm the mom of a two year old who has been REALLY sick lately, so my posts have been about us being lazy/cheap. I also haven't had time to post as much as I want. Although I do have some topics I'm dying to cover!

Who else has discovered "cheap theaters" (as my family likes to call them)??? By that, I mean watching slightly older/not yet released on film but out of the big dog theaters movies. Our cheap theatre sells their tickets for $2, but on Tuesdays, they sell them for just a buck! This is our favorite deal currently. It's been about 115*F where we live (Phoenix, AZ) so not only are we hot, but we are pretty lacking on the energy department. The three of us can get in for $3, and when we nix the concession stand (or sneak in a bag of organic popcorn that has 4,000 less calories than the $4 kind....), we come across some serious savings. Costs us about the same for us to rent the movie! Try googling "cheap theatre in ____" and see what comes up.

For the movies that we just can't wait 'till they come out, we try to hit up the "early bird" specials. Did you know that the majority of "big dog" theaters will let you into the movie for around $5 if you go to the first viewing? It's true. Harkins has the option for you to buy their "souvenere" cups/shirts and you can get free popcorn (with the shirt) or $1 refill on the soda (cup). Not too bad. Not as good as the "cheap theatre" but it sure does save money!

I've also heard of buying your tickets at Costco. Has anyone ever tried this?

Does anyone have any tips other tips that they'd like to give? If you already attend a "cheap theatre," please comment what theatre it is & what city/state you are in so others around you can bask in the same glory. Happy Savings!

Circle of friends

Gymboree is preparing to have their "Circle of Friends" sale August 20-23, 2009. This entails us to 30% off everything.
Here is the barcode:


and the online code: GYMFAMILY

Also, they are offering free shipping with a minimum of $100 purchase.

Here are a few drool worthy items:





Happy Savings!!

Buy One, Get One Free @ Dos Gringos

Dos has some really rockin' deals lately. If you go Mon-Fri, I would suggest checking out their Lunch Buffet for $7.99. With this coupon, you get the 2nd buffet free. My two year old also eats for free. Get water (if you want to be really cheap!) and leave happy for under $10.00. We honestly leave for under $15.00 since we are weird about leaving decent tips (we both used to serve) and we tip off of what the meal would have cost us before discounts. OH and for those concerned, Dos is actually pretty family friendly during the day. At night, however, I'd leave the babies with a sitter.
They also have a killer Happy Hour. 4-7 pm Monday-Friday & 10pm-2am daily. $4 for your choice of Cheese Quesadillas, Rocky Point Nachos, Fried Monster Taco, Gringo Rolls, Gringo Tacos (2- we suggest steak!), and Queso Dip (my favorite!). I want to say that their margaritas and beers are around the $2 range.

Free Juicer

Paramount Citrus is currently giving away a free juicer! The promo code is "juicer". Here is the link.

Ditch your Cable for a different Cable!!

I thought I would post about a major way that we've been saving money lately around the house. I don't like "sacrificing" but I definitely don't mind making adjustments to save some cash!
About a year ago, we ditched Cable TV. There are a lot of shows out there that I'm slightly addicted to. Secret Life of the American Teenager (I was pregnant in highschool.... so this is a guilty pleasure. I know, lame!), The City, The Hills, 16 and Pregnant, Smallville, etc. Regardless of how lame my favorite shows are (and I know.... they are really lame!!! lol), we still don't watch via cable. Instead, we have connected our tv to our computer so we can "stream" our favorite shows the day after it aired. It's a small way that we save approximately $80 a month. ($80*12= $960.... so that's nearly $1,000 a year in savings!) It's actually quite simple to do.... you just need a cable (we use VGA-double female and it works wonderfully)! Here is a link to Cables for Less, which is a great site that has cables at a decent price. Most stores are WAY overpriced!
We have netflix instead of watching every movie at the theatre. We get 3 movies a time and pay around $20 a month for this service. We rent a lot of the movies that are "new releases" and watch the oldies online. Netflix has a huge gallery of movies and shows online that you can access from any computer as long as you have an account. Here are a few that we are digging right now: Stepbrothers, Tortilla Soup, Sleepless in Seattle, Casablanca, Made of Honor, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and WordWorld, Chitty Chitty Bang Ban, Dora, Blues Clues & Land Before Time for the little man. the list goes on... for the movies we really do want to see on the big screen, we go to the cheap theatre that plays movies that have been out for a while. $2 instead of $9 per person! Not so shabby, ey?! I've also heard good things about Red Box but we haven't ventured there yet. So tell me, how do you save on entertainment? And while your at it, if you have enjoyed reading some things on my new blog... introduce yourself & tell me what else you'd like to hear! :D

Happy Burt Day!

For a limited time only, Burt's Bees is having a special for their 25th Anniversary. If you haven't tried Burt's, you're missing out! I love this stuff... here's the deal:

"25th Burt Day Celebration Grab Bag
Celebrate our 25th Burt Day with a bag full of goodies!

How it Works
It's our 25th Burt Day and we're ready to celebrate with a gift - just for you! We've mixed and matched our most popular natural products and other special gifts into our premium Burt Day Celebration Grab Bag. A bag full of these goodies sells for over $50 MSRP, but we've lowered the price especially for our birthday.

You'll get 6 regular-sized products: 4 lip products, a 4 oz. spearmint lime body wash and a 3 oz. nourishing body lotion; 12 mini-size products; and 4 special gifts!

Give the gift of well-being to others or keep them all for yourself. And of course, Happy Burt Day!


Featured Ingredient
Beeswax — A natural wax made by bees in the cell walls of honeycombs, this substance is a natural emulsifier used in cosmetics.

Read more
Contains:
6 Regular-Sized Products:
Lip Shimmer Merlot
Lip Shimmer Toffee
Replenishing Lip Balm
Beeswax Lip Balm
Spearmint & Lime Body Wash (4 oz)
Nourishing Body Lotion (3 oz)
12 Mini-size:
Baby Bee Buttermilk Bath
All-in-One Wash
Lip Gloss Red
Lip Gloss Nude
Natural Skin Care for Men Soap
Peppermint Soap
Citrus Spice Soap
Baby Bee Buttermilk Soap
Orange Essence Facial Cleanser
Peppermint Foot Lotion
Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
Therapeutic Bath Crystals
4 Special Gifts:
Bamboo Poof
Burt's Bees Gardener's Gloves
Red Wristlet Bag
Lip Balm Clip-On
Items may vary. All sales final. No returns or replacements."

here is the link! Get it quick... the supplies won't last!!
and check here for other spankin' deals!
(By the way, it may help if you right click and open the links in new windows....)

Free Marie Claire magazines

Go here to sign up for a free subscription to Marie Claire Magazines. You are supposed to own a business but being a domestic goddess should count.

I wish I needed another carseat!

The Britax brand is a fantastic brand of carseats. I've only heard good reviews about them.... although once I have heard that they are bulky but I think that's how the majority of good car seats are. The only reason I didn't purchase one for my son was cost. We went for the Eddie Bauer brand, which is still pretty good, but we couldn't find any deals going on at the time of purchase. Hopefully this will help somebody!?

Glad Fall into Fragrance Giveaway

It says, "Glade® Fall into Fragrance Gift Pack


Add a touch of fragrance to your home this summer with Glade® PlugIns® Scented Gel. Plug it in while you're entertaining guests, relaxing on the couch or reading a book.

Each warmer gently warms the fragrance-infused gel cartridges so scent is released gradually and doesn't overpower. One cartridge lasts up to 30 days!


First 10,000 people to respond will receive a Glade® Fall into Fragrance Gift Pack. For your chance to receive a gift pack, simply complete all required information on the form below by August 28, 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time. Offer available to U.S. residents only. Gift packs available until August 28, 2009, or while supplies last. Only 10,000 gift packs available. Limit: one (1) gift pack per household/address. S.C. Johnson is not liable for any typographical errors in the offer or any illegible, lost, late, damaged, separated, misdirected, incomplete, stolen or nondelivered email or redemption requests. Gift packs will be mailed by October 15, 2009.

Gift pack offers are available to Right@Home™ members only.

Not a member? Join Right@Home™ for free to be eligible for future members-only offers like this.

If you have received a gift pack from Right@Home™ in the last 180 days, you are not eligible for this month's offer. "



It looks like you have to respond pronto to the offer or else you might miss out! So hurry up & enjoy!! gotta love free stuff!

respond HERE

Color Book Fun & FREE!!

Who needs to purchase a coloring book for their child when you can simply print out whatever your child's favorite object of the month is. And let's face it.... children go through favorites pretty quickly!! Here are a few of my favorite coloring pages (I teach preschool & use these often!). The cost is whatever it is to print out the page... ink, paper & time. I prefer doing both sides of the paper so that there is lots of room to create, as well as "reduce" & "reuse"!




Crayola Coloring Pages


Coloring Book Fun

Tushy Love

Gotta love a post that's titled: Tushy Love. You can tell I'm the mom of a little one! Anyways, there are a few good deals going on for helping that tush of theirs stay dry.
First:

a sample of Huggies Pure & Natural. I actually ordered some for my next one... whenever that may be. I'm actually planning on doing cloth diapers but I don't think it will hurt to have a few disposable on hands so it's not too much pressure. I'll put it in the box with the hand-me-down clothes! =D here is the link.

And for the older ones (like my boy):

Free underpants sample from Goodnights! Here is the link.

Give & Get Sale

I love good deals... the ones that are good for my pocket, and even better.... the ones that benefit others! Right now @ Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, PiperLime & Athleta, they are offering 30% of any item. It says, "Shop now before it's too late to get 30% off. Remember, we'll give 5% of the amount you spend to a non-profit (if one is selected). So in a time when our communities need it most, you can make your shopping count for more." This deal ends today on August 2 (midnight!).
Here's the barcode:


And the online Promo Code:
PB1KL8CFLZRQ


I scored:
Women's Tie-Front Pointelle: regularly $20, now $14


Women's The Diva Skinny Jean: regularly $20, now $14


Women's Faux-Leather Peep-Toe: regularly 19.50, now $13.85


Women's Cable-Knit V-Neck Hoodie: regularly $20, now $14


Men's Bias-Plaid Tees: regularly $7.99, now $5.59


Dinosaur-Graphic Tees for Toddlers: regularly $7, now $4.90


Old School Music Graphic Tee for Toddlers: regularly $8.50, now $5.95


Parent Graphics Brown Earth for toddlers: regularly $4.99, now $3.49

which totaled in $32.39 off!!! and that's $4.36 to charity.... which isn't that much, but considering we could use these items, anyways, it doesn't hurt!!!!!