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Saturday, December 26, 2009

5 Workshops Giveaway WInners!


Thanks to everyone who entered our Christmas Countdown Workshop Giveaway!  It was so much fun to read all your comments (and emails) and get a glimpse into how your families celebrate this beautiful Holiday!  We chose 5 random winners from amongst you, here are the results, along with the response they left to the daily question  (Please email us your mailing address and we'll send those out soon!):

1) Amy W.

"My family always had an artificial tree when I was growing up, but when I got married my husband insisted on a real tree. We went the day before Thanksgiving to a local tree farm and I watched my husband agonize over the perfect tree. We finally picked one out, brought it home, and it didn't fit! He had to cut part of the tree to get it into our living room. It is now our tradition to go each year the day before Thanksgiving to the tree farm to get our tree. (I took until year 3 until we finally picked a tree that would fit in the house without trimming it first LOL). Now we have a little girl to share this tradition with us. I love this tradition that started our first year together and I look forward to visiting the Christmas tree farm every year."

2)  Shelley

Pink stuff! Use 1 box red gelatin (I prefer strawberry), container of cool whip, drained crushed pineapple, drained mandarin oranges (you can cut up smaller) and chopped nuts of your choice (pecans are my choice). Combine, stir, chill. Tastes better if has time to meld 2-24 hours before eating.

3)  Kaye

We keep Jesus the focus of the family at Christmas but placing the Nativity in a prominent place, reading the Christmas story and attending church services. We still have fun and games with Santa but we all know Jesus is the reason for the season and is our Christmas Miracle.

4) Rachel

The gift baskets full of food that I know my family likes. All purchased with coupons, of course :)

5) The Dillards

We decided a few years ago to build memories with our *Christmas Monies* We now take a trip with our children, 18, 14 and 5. One year, we did Chicago. Last year, NYC, Philly and DC in a whirlwind of 10 days. Even our youngest who was only three while we were in Chicago remembers certain things about our trip. We have had a pretty tragic and financially tolling year. We are planning on a couple of day trips this year. Our Christmas Trip is something we look forward to each year and our kids will remember them long after the wrapping paper and bows are gone.

Lastly, this is an email we got from an anonymous reader, and although she wasn't one of those randomly drawn for the Gift Certificate (Sorry!) I hope she doesn't mind me sharing her Christmas giving idea, we thought it was really cool!

"We haven't done this every year - so I don't know if you can call it a tradition...but we did it at least different families over the years and my daughter adapted it and did it for her college roommate.
The tradition is one we called the "Twelve Days of Christmas"
We left a card on the doorstep of our "target" that said
"On the first day of Christmas a true friend gave to me a turkey for Christmas dinner"
Our gifts were spin offs of the song and after the turkey we gave:
  • Two chocolate turtles
  • Three french breads
  • Four calling cards
  • Five - a wedding ring quilt 
  • Six - eggs laid by a chicken
  • Seven - swans not swimming (Decorative candle holder with Swans around it)
  • Eight - days of milk money
  • NIne - music for dancing
  • Ten - pj's for sleeping
  • Eleven - piping hot drinks
  • Twelve drummers drumming - coupon for drumsticks
The people who received these gifts never knew where they came from. We chose families that were going through a hard time either economically, spiritually or emotionally. The back of each card said this gift was given to you as an expression of Jesus' love. The final card said "If you want to repay this kindness: when you are able, surprise someone else with an unexpected gift"
We left gifts at their homes when they weren't there. We solicited the help of people we could trust to keep our secret so that sometimes we would be at work and the recipient would receive their gift. (The first year our UPS man helped us for free because he loved what we were doing :-)  We heard from different means of how special it was to most of these people. Once I was at a party and one of our former targets said "One year someone gave us...." and talked about how neat it was and how their family was going to do that someday. This was literally years after we had gifted them.
My daughter - as a poor college student - adapted this down so most gifts cost her less than $2.
"A product from a pear tree" - a pear
chocolate turtles, french bread....French horns (ornaments that came 6 in a package), etc.
 Her 'roomie' knew it was from her but still looked forward each day to what her 'surprise' would be.
I just wanted to share this because it brightened the holiday for everyone. It was fun to do and we did it when we had expendable income two times and two times when we did not have as much...for those the quilt (the most expensive item at $50) was replaced with a less expensive item.) With some creative thinking and great couponing this could be done inexpensively.

Free - Cheap Pillsbury Holiday Cookies


If they're not on clearance yet, they surely will be soon - those Pillsbury Christmas cookies are going to be marked-down like crazy any day now, so arm yourself with this $1/1 coupon just in case you run across some!

FREE Earth Fare Ice Cream Reminder


Just a reminder to go HERE to print out a coupon for a FREE 56 oz Earth Fare Ice Cream w/ ANY Purchase!  This coupon is good through 12/29 - and gives me a tasty excuse to go check out the new Earth Fare market in Chattanooga this week.....

Food Lion Ad-Preview


The Post-Christmas Food Lion ad doesn't start until Sunday, and I found a preview of it HERE if you're interested in taking a look.

I also wanted to remind you that you can still get $1 ALL Detergent there this week, as well as a few other great deals with the nice Produce FLIP that came out this week.  See our Best Deals list HERE.  See this week's new FLIPs HERE.

And one more thing, the Baby Steps FLIPs expire 12/31.  For those of you who've been enjoying these, make sure you make a few more stops to last you awhile, because they'll be gone soon!!!

Publix Post-Christmas Highlights: 12/26 - 12/31


This week at Publix doesn't have quite as many good deals, but if you're like me - you're still in a Post-Christmas/Pre-New Year's Eve fuzz and aren't really "on your game" yet anyway!  There are a few good deals that I should run out and get, though.  Here's the highlights for this week...

BOGO's 

Phillips Crab Cakes, 6oz. $8.99 ($4.49)
Use 55¢/1 Phillips Crab Cakes “Winter Savings” booklet (store coupon)
Use $2 off Phillips product SIGN UP
(use both makes it $1.94)

Fresh Express Salad Blends, 4.5-12oz. $3.99 ($1.99)
Use $1/2 Publix Q from Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer
Use WITH 55¢/1 Fresh Express PRINT
(Use BOTH, makes it 94¢ ea)

T.G.I. Friday’s Frozen Snacks, 22.3-30oz. $8.99 ($4.49)
Use $2/1 from  “All the Trimmings”Publix book
(makes it $2.49)  *Great for New Year's Eve Parties!!!

Lindsay Spanish Olives $1.99 (99¢)
Use $1/2  PRINT
(makes it 49¢)

Juicy Juice All Natural 100% Juice, 8pk. 6.75oz. $2.99 ($1.49)
Use $1/2 PRINT or from Nestle School Calendar
Use WITH $1/2 Juicy Juice PRINT (Target STORE coupon)
(makes it 50¢ a pack!!!)*If your store accepts Target coupons

Crystal Light Drink Mix, 10 or 12qt. $4.69 ($2.34)
Use $1/2 Crystal Light Diabetes & You booklet (Walgreens coupon)
(makes it $1.84 ea)

Lay’s Chips $3.99 ($1.99)
Use $1/1 Tearpad *I found these at Bi-Lo
(makes it 99¢)

General Mills Cereal, $4.29 ($2.14)
(Total Raisin Bran Crunch, Basic 4, Oatmeal Crisp, or Honey Nut)
Use $1 off Total PRINT
Use $1/2 from PRINT or PRINT
Use $1/3 from  SS 11/22, 12/13
(as low as $1.14)

Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Cereal,  $4.19 ($2.09)
Use $1.50/2  PRINT
Use $1.50 off Store Brand coffee wyb (3) Kellogg’s Cereals PRINT
Use $5/4 Kellogg’s Cereals PRINT (manuf. w/ Target Logo)
($5 Q makes it 84¢ ea, $1.50 Q makes it $1.34 ea) 

Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers, $3.99 ($1.99)
Use $1/2 from RP 12/13
(makes it $1.49)

General Mills Chex Mix,  $2.49 ($1.24)
Use 50¢/2 from SS 11/15, 12/13
Use 50¢/1 from PRINT, PRINT, or PRINT
(makes it 24¢)

Emerald Nuts,  $3.29 ($1.64)
Use $1.50/2 or $1/1 SS 11/08 *Regional*
Use $1/1 PRINT
(makes it 64¢)

Nabisco Toasted Chips,  $3.39 ($1.69)
Use $1/2 Nabisco Crackers “Keep the Jingle” booklet
(makes it $1.19 ea)

Nonni’s Biscotti,  $2.99 ($1.49)
Use $1/2 Nonni’sPeelies
(makes it 99¢)

Fantastik Cleaner, $2.99 ($1.49)
$5 Mail in Rebate wyb (3) SC Johnson Products
(makes all FREE) *you can only do this rebate 3X per household

7-UP, A&W, Diet Rite, or RC, 2L. $1.45 (72¢)
Toufayan Wrap, 10oz. $1.99 (99¢)
Bumble Bee Premium Tuna, 4pk. 5oz. $3.99 ($1.99)
Dean’s Dip,  $1.89 (94¢)
Pasta Roni or Rice-A-Roni, 3.8-7.2oz. $1.29 (64¢)
Pace Salsa, 16oz. $2.79 ($1.39)
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, 16oz. $3.39 ($1.69)
Sterilite Clearview Latch Box, 66qt. $9.99 ($4.99) (I NEED THESE!!)
Publix Deli Black Bean and Chipotle Dip, 8oz. $2.19 ($1.09)

Meat/Produce:
Red Delicious Apples, 3lb., $1.99
Chiquita Bananas, $0.39 lb.
Publix Blackeye Peas, 16oz., $0.79 (New Year's Necessity!)
Boston Butt Roast, $1.19 lb.
Whole Boneless Pork Loin, $1.99 lb.

Grocery
Bertolli Complete Skillet Dinner for Two, 21-24oz., $4.99
$2/1 Bertolli Meals PRINT Limit Reached or $1/1 PRINT
(makes it as low as $2.99)

Florida Natural Orange Juice $2.50
Use $1/1 from 11/22 SS
(makes it $1.50)

Household/ Healthy&Beauty:
Tums Antacid, 36-150ct., $2.79
$1 off Tums PRINT
$2 off Tums CVS $100 Flu Booklet (CVS coupon)
(Use together, makes it FREE)

Glade Fragrance Collection Candles 4.9 oz $5.49- $6.99
Use $4/1 Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer (Publix Q)
Use $3/2  SS 11/22 or Dec. All You Mag.
Use $2/1 from  Parade Mag 11/15
(use store coupon with manuf. coupon makes it FREE)

Viva Paper Towels, 8 roll pkg., $6.99
Use $1/1 Nov All*You
Use $2/1 PRINT
$2/1 Walgreens Q PRINT
(Use together, makes it $2.99 - or 38¢ a roll!!)

Snuggle Fabric Softener, 32oz., $3.00
Use $2 off Snuggle Softener RP 12/6
(makes it $1 ea)

- Thanks to HotCouponWorld, SouthernSavers!

Giveaway TODAY at Noon!!



We intended to put up the 5 Christmas Workshop Giveaway Winners yesterday evening, but due to a laptop failure, were unable.  Sorry for the delay!!!  Please check back here at NOON to see the 5 random winners of Couponing 101, 102, & 103 Workshops Gift Certificates!!!
*To purchase Gift Certificates and for more details, see HERE

Old Navy & GAP After-Christmas Sales

If you got a little Christmas money, or some giftcards, here are a couple of after-Christmas sales you might want to hit up.  I always waffle between getting things right away, or holding off for possibly better Post-Christmas sales a week or so later.  But after years of waiting, I find that unless you are a size 44 waist or like ugly things, there won't be much left by then.
(HINT: if you have an Old Navy giftcard, you can use it at GAP, Banana Republic or Baby Gap):

  • Old Navy has their jeans priced at $10 for Kids/ $15 for Adults in STORES only (WOW!  Adult jeans are reg. priced up to $35.50!) Also a variety of decent Post-Christmas sale prices online HERE.  
PLUS, bring in this $10 off $50 Purchase Coupon to get even greater savings, or go to OldNavyWeekly, click on Dec. 24, then click the right arrow until you see the polka-dot girl's fleece, click on the ZIPPER, and you'll be able to print a 25% Off Coupon good through TODAY ONLY!



    • GAP is offering an additional 20% OFF SALE/CLEARANCE (Sweaters and such are already 50% Off!!) online only through Sunday Dec. 27th.  Just enter code: GAPEXTRA20  
    Here are those quicklinks, if you're in a hurry to take a peek at the deals:

    Sale Women's
    Sale Men's
    Sale Boys
    Sale Girls

    $1/1 Lip Smackers Coupon


    One thing you know for sure will go on clearance after Christmas are those cutie-pie LipSmackers Holiday Sets - and once they do, this $1 Off Coupon should help make them almost free!!  I'm a chapstick addict, and I lose them all the time, so I stock up whenever I can!!

    - Thanks, SavingYourCents!

    Amazon Frustration Free Packaging

    Here is what Amazon's Frustration Free Packaging looks like.  I thought "frustration Free" meant that is was easy to get out of the box.  I had no idea it was $20 cheaper too. 




    Here is Amazon's frustration free packaging.  

    Price: $9.99
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
    List Price: $39.99
    You Save: $30.00 (75%)



    MATCHBOX Mega Rig Pirates Ship Click HERE
    (don't worry it's the link to the $9.99 ship)



    RETAIL PACKAGING BELOW $29.99 for the Pretty Box!!





    Am I the last one that has noticed this.  Maybe I am partially delirious because it is 2:00am and we are still in the car and BOTH of my kids are awake. 

    Price $29.99
    List Price: $39.99
    You Save: $10.00 (25%)
     

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