Walgreens Shopping Trip!

After reading the deals over at Money Saving Mom and Centsible Shopper, I composed my list and headed out the door yesterday! Here is what I came back with....

Colgate Total twinpack--$3.99 sale minus $1.00 coupon

Crest Expressions Toothpaste with a free sample of Crest Pro Health Mouthwash--$2.00 sale minus $1.00 coupon

Bic Soleil Razor--$5.99 minus $2.00 coupon
Bic Soleil Razor cartridges $6.99 minus $6.99 for being free with buying razor plus I also used $2.00 coupon so I got the razor and cartridges for $1.99!!! Read over here about that deal!

Revlon Nail polish--Buy one at $4.79 get one free! Of course after I came back I read that there was $1 off coupon in the 1/13 insert and I had already given away that stack of inserts! UGH! IMO, it is still it is a good deal without the coupon.

3 Dove shampoo--$4.00/each bonus bottles so I paid 12 oz price for a 16 oz bottle minus $3.00 off coupon on two bottles and $1.00 off on one.

2 Dove creme oil body wash--$4.00/each minus $2.00 off one coupon and $1.00 off one coupon.

Dial Foaming Handsoap--$1.67 minus 30 cent coupon.

Oral B Advantage Toothbrush--$2.00 minus $1.00 off coupon(got this one from my dentist office!!--remember to check your dentist or doctor's office for brochures that just might have VERY good coupons in them!)

Total OOP with 6% sales tax = $25.57

Total Savings after coupons, sales, and free items = $40.73

I had a $1 off Register Rewards that I used as well with this transaction. I have to go back to Walgreens today to get my $5 cash rewards that didn't print after buying the Dove products! Sooo my total savings is $45.73!!! :) With my transaction, I got Walgreens coupons for Oil of Olay body wash($2 & $1) that expire in June 9th so maybe before then they will have a good deal on it! ****updated, I went in to Walgreens today(3/18) and talked with a manager who gave me my $5 off next shopping order via the register rewards but I had to give up my $2 off Oil of Olay coupon that I got when I was there yesterday! He told me that Walgreens is cracking down on people using coupons and getting the register rewards. I guess there is a new policy in place it just hasn't gotten to the customers yet!

A couple of other side notes: I wasn't too impressed with CVS deals this week, mostly because there wasn't anything that I really needed, so I decided to save $$ and not purchase anything there. And after today's Walgreen run, I have enough shampoo to last me for about 6 months!!! LOL So I am going to hold off buy anymore! :)

Kitchen Tip Tuesdays

This week at Tammy's Recipes it is a backwards edition where I can ask a question for help with something in the kitchen. I really can't think of a question this week! With Easter just around the corner, I thought I would share how to decorate eggs the natural way instead! I am sorry to say that I can't take credit for figuring out how to dye the eggs naturally. However, it is still fun to do with the munchkins!

Dying Easter Eggs--the Natural way!

by Jenny Wanderscheid

This Easter, why not color your eggs using nature's very own dyes? It's possible to come up with a great number of colors using natural ingredients that can easily be found in almost any kitchen.

Pale Red: Fresh beets or cranberries, frozen raspberries

Orange: Yellow onion skins

Light yellow: Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed or ground cumin

Yellow: Ground turmeric

Pale green: Spinach leaves

Green-gold: Yellow Delicious apple peels

Blue: Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves

Beige to brown: Strong brewed coffee

To dye the perfect Easter eggs the natural way, here's what to do:

Put eggs in a single layer in a pan. Pour water in pan until the eggs are covered.

Add about a teaspoon of vinegar.

Add the natural dye appropriate to the color you want your eggs to be. (The more eggs you are dying at a time, the more dye you will need to use.)

Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the substance you used to color the eggs. Put eggs in a bowl.

If you want your eggs to be a darker shade, cover them with the dye and let them stand overnight in the refrigerator.

Onion Skin Eggs

One of my favorite egg dyes is with onion skins! Gather lots of onion skins; the dry outer layers. (try to get a good variety of colors--I like plain brown best; red onion also makes a good color) Gently wrap them around*raw* eggs and hold them in place with rubber bands. Hard boil the eggs like usual. Unwrap them and WOW! Beautiful colors and designs! You may polish with vegetable oil for a nice gloss. This is a natural dye and the eggs are still quite edible. Happy eggs-ploration!

Wax Eggs

It's fun to write something on the egg with a light colored crayon - white is the most fun. The dye doesn't stick to the wax crayoned letters and they appear white (or brown if it's a brown egg) after the egg is dyed.

Rubber Band Wraps

Materials:

Egg dye: For and extra bright color use food coloring paste, available at party supply shops. Dissolve a dab of paste or 6 drops of regular liquid food coloring in a cup of hot water. Stir in 1/4 cup of vinegar

Rubber bands, cut in various length widths long enough go around the egg several times

Wrap rubber bands around the egg, covering it completely. When you dip the covered egg, the dye will seep under the bands in some areas and be blocked out in other areas. Remove from the dye when the color is bright enough. Blot dry with paper towels and remove the rubber bands. If you wish, repeat with a new color. If the rubber bands pop off the egg, try using thicker ones.

Marbelized Eggs

Materials:

Egg dye

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Lightly stir the oil into a bowl of egg dye. Immediately dip the egg into the liquid. Or stand the egg in a small cup and slowly spoon the oil-water mixture over it. When the egg dries, repeat the steps with another color for an interesting color combining effect. TIP: For cleanup, wash all dipping containers in hot soapy water and rinse with vinegar to get rid of oil.

Fingerpaint Eggs

Materials:

Paper plates

Tempera paint

Put a few colors of paint on the paper plate. Hold the egg n the ends with your thumb and finger so you can rotate it while you're stamping. Dip your finger in the paint, dab off the excess on a paper towel, then gently press your finger onto the egg.

Crepe Paper Eggs

Materials:

Boiled Eggs

Tissue Paper or Crepe Paper

Wet the egg and place pieces of colored tissue paper on it. Set it aside to dry. When the egg dries the tissue paper falls off and the colors stay behind.

Polka Dot Eggs

Dip a boiled egg in yellow dye. When dry glue on hole punched dots. Great for improving fine motor skills!

Head over Tammy's Recipes to see if you can give some tips to help the ladies with their questions! :)

Menu Plan Monday 3/16-3/22

**This is just a plan and plans have the ability to change at the cook's discretion! I actually stuck to the whole plan last week!! The kids loved last week's kid friendly menus!

This week’s plans are clean out the freezer meals! My freezer is full!! Also this week, my church is having a fundraiser at one of the local Wendy’s for an orphanage in Mexico that was started by a couple in my church. Hubby and I decided to participate! :)

Lunches listed are for the kids and I as hubby usually takes dinner leftovers each day. It looks like the kids and I are going to be cleaning out the fridge every day for lunch!! With getting the free pizza last night, I have a bunch of leftovers!!

A special thanks to Laura-Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Need help with your menus, go check others out at her site! **

Sunday(3-16)
Breakfast: eggs, hashbrowns, sausage links/bacon,and donuts
Lunch: turkey sandwiches and chips
Dinner: Tacos(after evening church)
Snack: Little Caesar’s pizza @ a pizza party(before evening church)

Monday(3-17) Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Breakfast: cereal and orange juice muffins
Lunch: leftover pizza (brought home from the party a whole pizza! Free food!)
Dinner: creamy chicken over noodles, carrot sticks and/or salad and rolls
Snack: snack basket

Tuesday(3-18)
Breakfast: waffles and sausage links
Lunch: sandwich and chips
Dinner: bacon cheeseburgers, homemade French fries, and green beans
Snack: “mystery snack”= going to do some baking and kids can have samples for snack

Wednesday(3-19)
Breakfast: bagels and yogurt
Lunch: leftover pizza treats(made last week)
Dinner: spaghetti and breadsticks or french bread
Snack: snack basket

Thursday(3-20)
Breakfast: pancakes from the freezer
Lunch: leftovers tacos
Dinner: Wendy’s (fundraiser night)
Snack: snack basket

Friday(3-21)
Breakfast: cereal and toast
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn
Snack: ice cream

Saturday(3-22)
Breakfast: “Cook’s Choice”
Lunch: hosting a potluck lunch making bbq little sausages, taco soup and maybe some kind of dessert.
Dinner: Saucy pork chops, rice, peas, and bread
Snack: popcorn

"I'm it!!" I have been tagged!

I have been tagged by Kim!

Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


7 facts about me:

1. I am the oldest of eight children.

2. I love Moose Tracks Ice Cream!

3. I love baking.

4. I have been told that my family roots can be traced back to the Ottawa band of American Indians.

5. I don't like mushrooms, or brussel sprouts.

6. I love praise and worship music, hence some of the reasoning behind Singing Sunday on my blog.

7. I love Precious Moments figurines and Scripture themed wall hangings/art.


I have tagged:

Mom in Mental Motion

My Life and Homeschooling

Dangerously Delicious

Between the Worlds

Random Thoughts of a Single Mom

Clarksville

What a Crock

Singing Sunday

When I Think About The Lord
by Hillsongs Australia


When I think about the Lord,
How He saved me, how He raised me,
how He filled me, with the Holy Ghost.
How He healed me, to the uttermost.

When I think about the Lord,
how He picked me up and turned me around,
how He placed my feet on solid ground

Chrous*

It makes me wanna shout,
Hallelujah,
Thank you JESUS,
LORD, your worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor,
and all the praise... (Repeat*)