Rite Aid Deals for the week of February 20-26, 2011

I am like a little kid in a candy store at Rite Aid!!  I get so excited to open up the Sunday papers to see what deals I can get!  This week here are the deals I found:

Oreos 2/$5 = $1 up reward (UPR)
Raisins .88
Huggies 8.99  $2 UPR - $2 video coupon and $2 paper coupon= 2.99
Clorox bleach 1.97 -$1.00 of coupon= .97
Kotex 2/$6  $1 UPR and $1.50 coupon= 2/$3.50
Post Cereal 2/$4  $1 UPR and $1 coupon= 2/$2
Right Guard Men's Soap 3.99  $3 UPR and 1.00 coupon that is on the bottle= Free
Johnsons baby soap 2.99  $2 UPR and $1 coupon= Free 

In the end by total bill was 28.50 but I used $9.50 from my Up rewards from last week so I spent $21 cash, and received $17 Up rewards for next week.  So in the end I spent $4.00 after I use my up rewards!!  This is a serious addiction I have.  :)  But it is fun!  There are more deals on moneysavingmom.com, hip2save.com, or bargainbriana.com.  Happy Shopping

Can you believe only $4.00!!  That is what I would spend on 1 pack of oreos!! 

Volcano weekend!!!

This weekend was a weekend without anything planned which is getting more and more unusual!!  So we talked about Volcanoes all weekend.  Friday started out with a homemade volcano that erupted, and Braden made sure it erupted about 10 times!!
Here is what you need for this project:

• plastic pop bottle
• dish soap
• food coloring
• white vinegar
• baking dish or other pan
• 2 T baking soda
• playdough

We put the pop bottle inside the baking dish (I used a 8 x 8)  mold the playdough, clay, whatever you have on hand around the pop bottle to look like a volcano.  Make sure you don't get any playdough inside the bottle or it may effect the eruption.  We then poured warm water into the pop bottle till 2/3 full, add food coloring, 5 squirts dish soap, and then the 2 tablespoons baking soda.  (we had to use a funnel to get it into the bottle)  The final step is add vinegar until it starts foaming and erupts over the edges.  To continue making it erupt keep adding the vinegar.

Well, Saturday brought us more snow to add to our "blizzard" last week, so we have plenty of snow.  Sunday warmed up a little so Braden and Nate continued there volcano theme to the snow and created this volcano!!

That was our fun over the weekend!!!!  Along with me beating them both in UNO attack and battleship!! Oh yah!

Nate's first trip all by himself!!!

If you haven't shopped Rite Aid before they have some amazing deals!!  There are two different ways to save at Rite Aid. 

1)  Wellness Card is simple and easy to do!  You just ask a cashier to sign up for the wellness card and then you are ready to shop!!  With the wellness card you will receive "up rewards" at the bottom of your receipt.  They are used like cash. 

So my Colgate purchase:  Colgate was on sale for $2.99 but used my wellness card and received $2 back on my receipt.  I also used .75 coupon so it was $.25. 

2)  Is the Single Check Rebate.  In this store saver you purchase the listed product for the price in the Rite Aid Flyer, and then after you go to Riteaid.com and log into the Single Check Rebate Application and enter from your receipt: Store number, Register #, and Date of purchase.  Then you claim your check at the end of the month.  You may only claim it once so make sure you are finished for the month before you claim.

Scenario 2 is AMO Complete Multi purpose Solution

He paid $7.99 for the contact solution, and I entered receipt, so at the end of the month you claim your check.  The check can be used to purchase stuff at Rite Aid or you can cash at the bank.

Nate's shopping trip broken down

Edy's Ice Cream 2.99 with $2 up Rewards

Edy's Ice Cream 2.99 with $2 up Rewards

Edy's Ice Cream 2.99 with $2 up Rewards

Edy's Ice Cream 2.99 with $2 up Rewards

Edy's Ice Cream 2.99 with $2 up Rewards

Edy's Ice Cream 2.99 with $2 up Rewards

Plus they offered $5 Up Rewards when you bought $15 of products on the designated page.

Colgate 2.99 with $2 up Rewards plus .75 coupon

Contact Solution 7.99 SCR 7.99

So in the end I received $19 in Up Rewards which remember is cash at the end of your receipt plus 7.99 coming at the end of the month which is 26.99 coming back, when we spent 28.87  I spent a total of $1.88 even more than I thought!!!!!!  I then use the up rewards to get more deals next week!!!

If you have any questions feel free to ask!!

Homemade Syrup

So tonight we had french toast for supper and of course we were out of pancake syrup.  It is frigid temperatures and the french toast was almost done.  What to do now?  I decided it can't be that hard to make Homemade Syrup.  Hmmmm  This syrup saved me a trip to the store, and $5.00!!

Here is the recipe:

1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup White Sugar
1 1/3 cups water

Bring to a boil in sauce pan and let boil for 5 minutes. 

Hot syrup is the best!!!

Breadmaker Cinnamon Rolls

So I am just in love with my breadmaker!  It is such a life saver, not alone a mess saver!  Breadmakers save you from stirring, kneading, and rising. 

The cinnamon rolls took 1 1/2 hours in the breadmaker, and 20-30 minutes cook time.

Ingredients:
1 c milk
1/4 c water
1/4 c butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
4 c bread flour
1/4 c instant vanilla pudding
1 T sugar
1 T active dry yeast

Place in bread machine in order given, using sweet dough setting.  Roll dough out, place 1/8 cup whipping cream over dough.  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Roll dough up, cut and place in greased pan.  Makes one (9x13) and one (9 x 9) pan of rolls.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, frost. 

Frosting- 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbs milk.

Enjoy!!

Finally a lotion that helps my boys with their Eczema!!!!

I am super excited about my new found love!!  My mom sent home a "homemade" lotion that one of her friends gave her sometime back.  My oldest started using it and within 2-3 days his skin was so soft, compared to his extra dry lizzard like skin!  I was so excited because I have tried every non fragrance lotion they have on the marker, along with homeopathic lotions.  Nothing has worked without making him scream in pain or itch like crazy!!  Here is the recipe for this amazing lotion:

2 bottles baby lotion
2 bottles Vitamin E cream
1 jar of vaseline

Mix together with a spoon, don't use blender because it will get really watery.

Put in a tub and blend!  It makes a lot, so I proabably won't have to make any till next year!!

Homemade Hamburger buns

I have been making my own hamburger buns now that I am on a budget, and sometimes the buns just don't fit into my budget.  So I have learned how to work around it by making my own with everything I have in my home, and of course with my loved bread machine!  Here is the recipe:

HAMBURGER BUNS

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter/margarine, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

In Bread Machine pan, place the first 7 ingredients.  Select dough setting.  When cycle is completed, turn dough onto lightly floured surface and punch down.  Divide dough in half.  Roll each portion to 3/4 inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.  Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Brush tops with melted butter.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Happy Baking!!!

2011 Do It Yourself Ideas to learn

The New Year is here, and I have been wanting to learn some new things that I have been wanting to attempt, but never follow through with.  I am setting a goal to learn one new thing a month in the year 2011!  So I am bringing you guys along to keep me going and that I follow through with each aspect!!!! One item a month isn't too much right??

Here are my thoughts for each month:

January- Set up a budget using the envelope system.  I have tracked my spending for the last 3 months with receipts for everything!  I can't believe how many receipts we have and I want to learn to pay cash for everything instead of using my debit card for absolutely everything!! 

February- Get more organized

March-  Learn to knit

April- Learn to sew

May- Make my own lotion

June- Make my own hotdog buns

July- Homemade noodles

August- Make homemade A1 sauce

September- can homemade spaghetti sauce/chili/pizza sauce

October- Bath scrub

November- TBA

December- TBA

Ok it is written down with some blank spots hoping to get everything accomlished this year.  I am sure I will find some great new items, along with some catastrophes cause that is how I work.  :)  Wish me luck!!