FREE (or close to free) items at the drugstores next week...

Big round of applause to Charlene over at My Frugal Adventures. She's the one who coordinates all the these things and works with other Super Couponers to bring it home to rest of us.

Here is the weekly round up of freebies you will find at the drugstores starting March 27th. There is not a lot that is free this week, but there are still some nice deals.  So this week I tried to highlight items priced .50 or less.

Snickers Chocolate Easter Eggs, $0.29
$2/2 Mars Easter Candy Coupon from April All You Magazine
$1/2 Mars Easter Product, exp. 4-24-11 (RP 03/20/11)
FREE after Coupon!

Colgate Total Advanced or Gum Defense, 2/$6
Buy 2, Get $6 in Register Rewards
$1/1 Colgate Total Coupon from the Spring Diabetes & You Walgreens Magazine
FREE after Coupons and RR!

Gain Dish Soap, $0.89 with In Ad Coupon
$1/1 Gain Dish Soap, exp. 6-30-11 (P&G Everyday Savings Book)
FREE after Coupon!

Speed Stick or Ladies Speed Stick, $1.99
Buy 1, Get $1 in Register Rewards
$0.50/1 Lady Speed Stick, exp. 4-1-11 (SS 02/27/11)
As low as $0.49 ea. after coupon!

Edge Shave Gel, 2/$4
Buy 2, Get $2 in Register Rewards
$0.55/1 Edge Shave Gel, exp. 5-1-11 (SS 03/20/11)
$0.45 ea. after coupon!

Renuzit Odor Neutralizer Spray, $2.99 B1G1 Free
$1/1 Renuzit Odor Neutralizer Spray Coupon
$0.49 ea. after coupon!

M&Ms Easter Eggs $.99
Use $2/2 from April All You Magazine
Final Price: 2 for free!

Physician’s Formula Cosmetics- Get $7 ECB on any item. (limit 1)
The basic concealer is priced at $6.59
Final Price: Free after ECB!

Spend $12 on select cleaning items and get $4 ECB (limit 1)
Includes:
Pledge $3.00
Use $1/1 Pledge Product, exp. 6-30-11 (SS 03/06/11)
and Use FREE Pledge Multisurface wyb Furniture Care Aerosol (SS 02/13/11)
All are free providing the Multisurface is included!
**I do not have this coupon in my paper but I believe it expires 3/27!

Buy 2 Mars Candy Bars and get 1 free
projected price is $1.98/3
Use Buy 2 Get 1 Free from 3/27 RP
Final Price: .33 each

Clean and Clear Body Wash $2.99
Use Buy One Get One Free coupon from 3/27 SS
and Use $2/1 printable coupon
Final Price: .99 for 2!

Skintimate Shave Gel $3.49
Get $2.50 ECB (limit 1)
Use $.55/1 from 3/27 SS
Final Price: .44

Halls Cough Drops $1.87
Get $1 ECB (limit 2)
Use $0.50/1 Halls Cough Drops, exp. 5-31-11 (ALL YOU Mar ’11)
or Use $0.50/1 Halls Cough Drops, exp. 3-31-11 (ALL YOU Feb ’11)
Final Price: .37 each

Nabisco Crackers 4-8oz $1
Use $1/2 Nabisco Crackers, exp. 3-31-11 (SS 01/30/11) – for 6oz+
or Use $1/1 Wheat Thins coupon- if included
Final Price: Free-.50

M&Ms Easter Eggs $.88
Use $2/2 from April All You Magazine
Final Price: 2 for free!

Stayfree Maxi 14-24 ct $2.49
Get $1.49 +Up when you buy 2
Use $1/1 coupons from 3/27 SS
and Use B1G1 Stayfree Product, exp. 3-31-11 (SS 01/09/11 #2)
Final Price: 2 for Free!

Revlon Cosmetics or Implements- 40% off
Spend $10 and get a $4 +Up Reward

{Deal idea}
Buy 2 Revlon Implements at $2.09 (projected price after sale)
Buy 2 Revlon Nail Polish at $3.00 (projected price after sale)
Use (2) $2/1 Revlon Implements coupons
and Use (2) $1/1 from 3/6 SS
Pay $4.18 and get $4 +Up back plus submit for rebate #5 for $1 on Revlon polish and rebate #20 for $1 on implements (both rebates end 3/29!)
Could be a small moneymaker

It's me, Kate, again... Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them for you!

No! It can't be!

I just received an email that our local Borders is CLOSING!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The store wasn't on last month's list of closures, so I thought it was safe. I didn't even know more were slated to get the ax. I was so not prepared for this soul-ripping announcement.

Alright, so I'm overreacting just a little. It's not like it's the last bookstore on Earth or anything. It's not even the only one in our community. We have a small Barnes & Noble about a mile from our house and a super-sized B&N about four miles away.

I will survive.

But B&N doesn't have the awesome and constant coupons that Borders does (did). Thirty percent, 40% off... but maybe that's why they're suffering the affects of bankruptcy.

*deep, deep, deep sigh*

Oh, Borders, my poor Borders...

What is up with me today?

I've been in a mood all day. When I couldn't pull myself out of it by 10:30, I took a nap.

12:30, I woke up, ate some left over cashew chicken and worked on my novel. Okay, so I stared at my novel. For two hours.

Scott came downstairs for a break and saw me mostly asleep at my desk. The good man pushed me up the stairs and tucked me right back into bed.

I dragged myself out of bed at 4:30. Could have kept sleeping, but the guilt factor kicked in. Kids were home and I should have been taking care of them. Up I got, only to plop myself right back down at my desk and wonder what I should be doing.

Maybe I should learn to drink espresso. Straight up. Lots of it.

Now it's 10:22pm. You'd think after a nine hour sleep last night and four hours worth of napping that I'd be wired.

Nope. Not even close. I can't keep my eyes open, but I'm trying really hard to stay up until there's ZERO possibility of staying awake. Given that I just spent the past five minutes staring mindlessly at the tv, I think it's time to head upstairs.

Nighty-night. Maybe tomorrow I'll stay awake longer than an 18 month-old.

And Introducing...

Emma!

The most beautiful, spectacular, amazing and talented 10 year-old on the planet!

All these photos were precursors to her school's variety show on Friday night. With 50 acts and more than twice that many kids involved, it was quite a night! 

Here's the link to Emma's stellar violin performance of "Beauty and the Beast".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAcIOx6dn0k

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Free, Free, Free! Can't go wrong with FREE stuff!

$32 in free goods in enough to help boost anyone's mood on a gray and dreary day like yesterday. I hit Target, Walgreen's and Borders and came home pleased as punch.

3 2-ct. boxes Nature Valley Granola bars
1 travel-size toothpaste
1 full-size Plackers
2 containers dental floss
1 20-ct Excederin
1 20-ct Target brand Ibuprofen
1 22-ct Target brand panti-liners

And by combining a 33% off coupon with my $10 Borders Bucks, I got "Manuscript Makeover" for free! Yay!!!!!! (Hopefully, it'll help the ol' manuscript.)

Looking for all these great deals? Go to www.southerncaliasaver.com or www.myfrugaladventures.com.

Yay! Finally got out to see the desert wildflowers! Come see my photos!

I feel the need to disclose today's floral enthusiasm with the fact that I am most decidedly not a desert person. I detest heat and cacti and lizards and unending dust.

But....... every Spring, San Diegans flock to the Anzo-Borrego desert to see the amazing wildflowers in bloom. In all twenty of the years I lived here before our seven-year hiatus from the area, I never once saw the flowers.

So yesterday I decided it was time. We threw a picnic lunch together (why do we always end up eating our picnics in the car? LOL), filled the tank up with $4.15/gal gas and drove an hour and a half.

First we stopped in the cute mountain town of Julian where, naturally, we had to stop for ice cream.

Those are single scoops, by the way.

Scott spotted this teeny-tiny pony and cart and immediately decided the girls needed a ride.

Their daddy does love to spoil them, no doubt about it.

When we finally made it to the desert (without ever finding the park headquarters), we stumbled upon the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Rec Area. Scott asked where we should look for wildflowers (yes, a man asked for directions!! LOL) and lo and behold, the best place was right behind the Visitor's Center that we had parked in front of.

Okay, then...

We expected bright flashes of wildflower color, but the season hasn't quite exploded yet. The flowers we discovered were often tucked under brush, barely blooming. Thank goodness for a 12 mega pixel camera--I could zoom in nice and close... 

I like this wildflower a lot! (Even though she was doing a *great* job pulling the "I'm-bored-can-we-go-home" teenage act. LOL)

Arizona Lupine

Scott and Em

Eagle eye Hayley spotted this itty-bitty thing

Me and the mister

Brown-Eyed Primrose

Phacelia

This one isn't listed in the booklet we picked up.

Desert sunflower

Desert Sunflower

Another mystery

Desert Chicory

Brown-Eyed Primrose

Ever tried Plum Ketchup?

Darling husband is allergic to tomatoes. Take a sec to think about the long-ranging affects of tomato products/foods...

• pizza
• ketchup
• soups
• chili
• salsa
• meat loaf
• spaghetti
• beef stew

And that's just a few tomato-requiring meals. I'm sure you can think of dozens more...

I discovered a recipe for Plum Ketchup several months ago in the Allergy Self-Help Cookbook (The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook: Over 350 Natural Foods Recipes, Free of All Common Food Allergens: wheat-free, milk-free, egg-free, corn-free, sugar-free, yeast-free by Marjorie Hurt Jones) and have been waiting for plums to reappear in the grocery store so I could actually make it.

Woohoo! Found the plums a few days ago and today, I decided they were ripe enough to become blended into ketchup.

Here's the recipe...

1 lb. Italian plums (I used black since Italian plums aren't in season till autumn)
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup honey
Dash salt
2 tablespoons fresh ginger

Puree the plums and ginger together, then pour into a saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened.


I *know* you are waiting with bated breath to hear Scott's opinion. 'Cause, let's get real here, plum ketchup doesn't sound exactly appetizing.

Wellllllllllllll, his response varied...

"Fairly edible."
"Needs more salt. It's really sweet."
"Pretty good."
"Better than nothing."
"Tastes like a really strong ginger cookie." (That one was my fault. I used ground ginger instead of fresh and forgot to reduce the amount. Oops.)
"I'm keeping it. It's good."
"It's yummy."
"It's so nice to have non-ketchup ketchup!"

What am I doing wrong?

Ack! Knitting woes...

Perfect yarn, adorable pattern... recipe for adorable and perfectly luscious baby blanket, right?

Well, it will be once I work out the kinks.

Here's the pattern...

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/free-knitting-patterns-for-baby-blankets2.htm

And here's the someday-to-be-adorable-but-currently-insanely-aggravating-blanket-in-progress....

Suffice it to say, I'm annoyed enough with the project right now to make a special trip to the nearest (which is *not* nearby) knitting store en la manana.

Am I working from the wrong side? Why do I keep noticing dropped stitches five rows after I've dropped them? How did I not notice them in the first place when I'm counting every darned (hahaha!) stitch?

I'm befuddled.

Wickedly awesome Super-Couponing today!

Check it out...

This is my stash from both CVS and Rite-Aid...

2 boxes of Raisin Bran
2 boxes of Cheerios
1 boxes of Kashi Go Lean Crunch
1 giant Hershey's with Almonds bar
1 regular size Snickers
2 cans Bumble Bee tuna
2 Burt's Bees Head-to-Toe Starter Kits

A lotta stuff, right? Face value at the (overpriced) drug stores equals approximately $58.50, pre-tax.

Ready to hear what I paid? 'Cause I can't draw out the suspense any longer. I'm so excited!

$2.48!!!!

(Where are the flashing lights when you need them? LOL)

Plus, plus, plus.... I received $5.88 back in CVS dollars! 

So not only did I get to bring all that home, but I actually made a profit of 

$3.40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woot woot!!! Go, Kate, Go!

Oh. My. Gosh. This is so adorable...

My sister sent this in a forward email this morning. She doesn't ever send these things, so I knew it would be good. I viewed the video and just had to share...

There now. Didn't that just make your day like forty times better?

I do believe I found my mojo!

I despise the weeks when my mojo goes on hiatus, but relish and appreciate it all the more when it returns.

And I am so pleased that I'm back to a normal level of productivity. Back to super-couponing, cooking without resentment and gladly making beds, washing dishes and ironing shirts. (Okay, so that was a tiny fib. Because, really, how many of us are actually "glad" to do chores? But we'll let that one go.)

I headed out to CVS yesterday armed with coupons and a lengthy list. They didn't have some of what I needed, so I went to a larger store this morning. Between the two visits, this is what I purchased...

6 tubes of toothpaste: all FREE!!!

1 box Theraflu: FREE!! (or at least will be when I send in the rebate coupon from last Sunday's paper)

2 boxes Smart Start: FREE!! (and note the Try Me Free label on the boxes = money-makers!!)

RevitaLens solution: FREE!!

Olay body wash: FREE!!

Dawn: 24 cents

Olay face wash: $4.99 (had a $1 off coupon for this, plus a coupon for a free bottle of body wash when you buy a face wash)

Yay, me! 

(If you want the low down on prices and coupon locations for CVS and the other drugstores, go to www.myfrugaladventures.com.) 

Other mojo inducers... I finally found the Girl Scout badges I'd purchased and then promptly lost. Last week I searched the entire house, top to bottom, for a solid three hours. The badges were NO WHERE. At least they seemed to be no where until I reached into the dregs of my purse and pulled out the envelope I'd put them in. Thank goodness!

Not that losing GS badges is the end of the world or anything, but my receipts were in there. And if I couldn't find my receipts, then I couldn't get reimbursed from troop funds. In case you're not familiar with Scout badges, they are So. Not. Cheap.

So happy day for me! Hope you all are having an equally productive and smile-inducing day!