I just got back from an AWESOME trip to Kroger!
Needed to get just a few things, and found some wonderful sales matched with coupons I had on hand!

Milk (2) $2ea $4.00
Kroger cheese $1.99
Ibuprofin $1.99
Mushrooms $. 54
Jiffy Pizza crust $. 69
Whole Wheat Bread (managers special) $1.69
Flax Seed Bread (managers special) $1.69
Purex $1.99 -$.35 Q (doubled) $1.29
Dawn soap (2) $2.98- 2 $1.00 coupons $.49 ea
Dial Hand soap $1.00- $.35 Q (doubled) $.30
Snack Pack (2) $2.00- $.30 Q (doubled) $.70 ea
Pace Salsa $3.39-$4.00 coupon FREE + $.61 overage!
Suave Deo (2) $2.38- 2 $.50 Q (doubled) $ .19 ea
Cottonelle $5.99 -$1.00 $4.99
Right Guard Deo (8) $1.00 each - had 4 $2.00 off (when you buy 2) coupons making them all free!
The total out of pocket was only $21.87! I saved 64% after sales and coupons! I have never spent so little for what we needed on a shopping trip, so I'm on a cloud right now. =)
I normally wouldn't have gotten the deoderant, since we're pretty stocked in that area, but I just couldn't beat free! I'm sure we'll be able to find someone in need!

Giveaway: Kelly Joy Boutique (guest post)

This is from www.amysfinerthings.com. If you want to enter the giveaway, you must leave the comments on her site, not mine! =p

by Amy on August 12, 2010

I love that I’m raising girls. My girls are outside farmin’, softball scoopin’, football catchin’, climbin’ and jumpin’ girls…

but they are also pretend playin’, ballet dancin’, fairy-tale readin’, princess dressin’ girlies.

Love it.

You know what else I love? Etsy shops run by sweet mamas. Buying quality, handmade items from real women. Supporting “from the ground up” businesses.

Kelly Joy Boutique is one such place. Beautiful, unique, “handmade flair for girls of all ages” direct from her shop to your door. Kelly recently sent us this cute little clip.

I’m crazy about the vintage-looking button pulling it all together. My girlies are crazy about the pink. And the flair. And the cute.

This week, Kelly is giving you a chance to win some cute! Take a glance around her shop and let me know what you’d buy with your $15 shop credit.

If you want to up your chances of winning… (leave a separate comment for each)

• Follow Kelly on Twitter or Facebook
• Promote this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your own Blog

Random.org will draw a winner Sunday evening, August 15. Good luck!

Coldstone Creamery: 2 “Like It” Creations for $5

Print a coupon for two “Like It” Creations from Coldstone Creamery for only $5.

Thanks Money Saving Mom!

First Makeover Project: Complete!

Back in July I started my blog with a makeover on a little stand I'd gotten at a yard sale for $4.00. After much sanding and painting and fussing and more painting it's finally done! And I tell you what, I sure have learned a lot, but just love how it turned out!
Here are the before pictures.

The plugs were missing from legs, so I just used Gorilla Glue and added marbles to fill the holes (I made sure that the legs were tighter than tight before i did that!)

The top is all sanded down! I was doing it by hand, then my beloved husband got his palm sander out! (Lesson #1 Always use a palm sander when able!) It had a ugly paint on it.

After getting it all sanded down I realized that it was just a piece of plywood! I was really disappionted that it wasn't a solid piece of wood, but I thought I'd put some stain on it just to see how it would look.

I loved the top part! But the sides showed the layers of the plywood, and I just didnt like it, so out came the paint.

Tada! Here it is! I apologize for the grainy pictures, my hubby took the camera to work with him, so these are with my phone.

I had the hardest time trying to put the picture on the top! I tried spraying over the stencil, I tried painting over the stencil, I finally just traced the pattern in pencil and painted it by hand.

I'm so excited to have it done! I learned a lot! Not sure where to put it in the house yet. It doesn't really go with any of my decor in an old farm house, so It might become a gift!

My New Toy!

I am finally getting pictures up of my new toy! We are absolutely THRILLED to have finally gotten a Kitchen Aid mixer! (By we, I mean my hubby also! He has made mashed potatoes in it a couple times.)
When my sister-in-law was visiting us a couple weeks ago, we and my MIL decided to visit the Kitchen Aid store in Greenville (Greenville Ohio, there is a manufacturing plant there) Little did we know that Greenville was having their annual Annie Oakley days and the store was having some AWESOME sales! Deborah and I were so thrilled with what we saw that we had to come back the next day after she had talked to her husband and I had brought along my hubby! We both bought the Professional 600 series mixers (An employee told me that this is the largest home size that they make!) When you bought a mixer you got a cookbook, ice cream scoop, timer (these aren't some cheap items either!) and a choice btw the food grinder attachment, or the ice cream bowl/maker attachment FREE! We picked the ice cream bowl, since it was the highest value, and bought the grider attachment. (everything we bought that day came to less than half the price of the mixer itself, new!)
The mixer is refurbished (before you all get panicky let me explain =p) We were told that the refurbished items are actually better than the others! The new ones are fresh off the assembly line, whereas the refurbished ones have been tested, sent back and gone over personally and adjusted with a fine tooth comb.
As you can see from the picture, I broke it in with a good batch of chocolate chip cookies! =)

Bath & Body Works: Free travel sized item with any purchase

Bath & Body Works has another great coupon available! Get a free travel-sized item (up to $5 value) with any purchase. This coupon expires August 25, 2010.

Remember that this can literally be ANY purchase — even a gift bag.

Double Frame Clock - Guest Post

Isn't this absolutley wonderful??!

Guest Post from -The Hand Me Down House-

So by now I'm sure you have realized that the thrift store is my friend (it should be your friend too). I visit the thrift store weekly -- sometimes I leave with nothing, sometimes I leave with a bag of stuff. For example, last week when I was there I found a sham for our bedding set from Target still new in the package. SCORE! And for two measly dollars I snatched that puppy right up. Well I ALSO found these two sets of frames:

YIKES, right!?! But I have to say I'm in LOVE with oval frames right now., and these frames had some character. I was so excited when I found the first set and then I was ecstatic when I saw the second set. I was actually going to make these into cute little hooks by adding glass knobs to them, but ended up changing my mind (I've been known to do that).

I decided on making a clock for our living room. I spray-painted my frames a lovely shade of greyish blue. I left the glass out of the frames for this project (I'm getting quite the collection of glass from frames -- I better find a project to use it all up!)

I added some elegant scrapbook paper to the background of each frame. Next I glued the smaller frame inside the bigger frame.

Then it was time to add the clock kit, which I painted black. I found the clock kit at Joann's and followed the instructions on it to install my clock and hands. I cut holes in each of the frames to push the clock peices through, like this:

After the clock hands were in, I placed my frame on a picture frame stand and VIOLA!

Lurking In The Basement

Isn't this a fabulous idea??!!! Leftover Drawers are EASY to find around! My husband, being a romodeler by trade always has scraps leftover, so a piece of plywood shouldn't be hard to come across!

Guest post-On Hollyhock Farm

LURKING IN THE BASEMENT.....

..........are some huge drawers from a bathroom reno back some 5 yrs ago. Hubby wanted to throw them in the trash but I said NOOOOO! Then I blurted out the old junkers' addage..." I'll do something with 'em, just don't touch 'em!!". You know the saying, you all said it! So I finally came up with a project I could use one drawer for. A giant ottoman/coffee table!!! Always wanted one,but could never afford one. So cut out a piece of plywood for the top, found some leftover foam from a previous project, bought some fabric and a few decorations and went to town!

Gluing foam to plywood...( along with my fingers..)

Glued on a decorative piece I found at a yard sale....

Top's on................and hinged for more storage.

Now the feet ,which were table legs off a table I dissected........

and cut up, attached............and..................TAA DAA!

Free Air Wick Air Freshner!

Free Air Wick Citrus Zest Paper Air Freshener

Click HERE for free sample!

Free Nescafe Tasters Choice Stick Pack With All 6 Flavors

Try a package of coffee samples FREE!! Click HERE.

FREE 1 oz Jar of Skinner’s Vaporizing Salve!

Click Here for sample!
Score a FREE 1 oz jar of Skinner’s Vaporizing Salve! Just enter your email address and in the comment section enter your mailing address, then click submit.

*Skinner’s Vaporizing Salve is effective for providing relief from many common ailments including aching joints, arthritis, blister treatment, common cold, cough, hemorrhoids, rheumatoid arthritis, sinus infection, psoriasis, and much more.

Free Nexxus Conditioner sample!

Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Conditioner

Click Here to get sample!

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. While supplies last. Available to U.S. Residents only. Limit one sample per household.

Free Origins Eye Cream sample

Sign into your Facebook account and then you can sign up for a free sample of GinZing Eye Cream by Origins.

Free Purex Complete 3-n-1 Sample

I got mine in the mail already! Click here to get a free Purex Complete 3-n-1 Laundry Sheets.

$1/1 Clean & Clear = free travel-size at Walmart and Target

There’s a new coupon on SmartSource for $1/1 any Clean & Clear Product. Use this on the travel sized Clean & Clear Face Wash priced at $0.97 at Target and Walmart to get them free after the coupon.

Thanks Money Saving Mom!