Something just for fun

I loved the Muppets as a kid. I came across this on youtude and played it for my kids. They cracked up watching it. So I am posting it just for fun. MANAMANA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM89T74MPnE&feature=player_embedded#

MAIL CALL POST 3/31

Today, we had a few freebies in the mail. A sample box of Kashi GO LEAN Crunch cereal and 4/.25 off Luigi's Italian Ice.

BOGO My Little Ponies at TRU (3/31) update

I read on other sites that some people had trouble using the Playsaver BOGO pony coupon with the TRU special deal today. My local TRU was great about letting me use the coupon. The only problem was that I got the last 2 in the store. They were not very well stocked for the special deal.

I got a great bargain today!

2 My Little Pony (single assortment)
1 box of Seventh Generation Dishwasher detergent (this was on clearance for 1.98)

Total OOP: $2.48

Highly recommend checking your local TRU for the Seventh Generation products on clearance. Use any of the $1 off coupons and that becomes an awesome deal!!!

Free Gift Bag at Target for Baby Registry

If you, or someone you know, is expecting, you can get a free gift bag at Target, when you create a baby registry. You will get a resuable gift bag and inside will find:

$20 gift card to Shutterfly
Package of 2 Huggies Newborn diapers
Package of 1 size 1 Pampers diaper
Travel size Johnson bedtime bath

Vocal Point - New Pantene Sample

Vocal Point is offering another Pantene Sample.

"Find the perfect shampoo and conditioner for you: Fine, Curly, Colored, or Medium Thick. Find your hair's Mr. Right Shampoo"


The last time I got a Pantene sample from VocalPoint, It was a full size bottle! There were also several high value coupons with it. This time they are offering a sample of shampoo and conditioner( is it a full sized? don't know) but worth it to sign up. The samples are limited so sign up today! http://www.vocalpoint.com/MrRight/index.html

Free Waffle House Hashbrowns

Join the Waffle House Regulars email. Right, now they are featuring a grilled buffalo chicken sandwich or wrap, with Frank's Redhot Hot Sauce.

With this email, you will get a printable coupon for an order of free Waffle House hashbrowns!! Offer is good until April 16, 2010!


I just love their hashbrowns! I truly believe that you can learn a lot about a person's personality by the way they order their hashbrowns. I like mine: scattered, smoothered, covered, peppered, and topped! YUUUUMMMMMMYYYYYY!

Check out http://www.wafflehouse.com/welcome/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72:sign-up-to-be-a-waffle-house-regulars&catid=36

B1G1 My Little Ponies tomorrow (3/31) at Toys R Us

Tomorrow, Toys R Us Deal of the day is B1G1 on all My Little Pony figures and playsets. This would be a great deal for Easter baskets or stock up for birthday party gifts!

National Park Week April 17th-25th

April 17th-25th is National Park Week. In celebration of this, fees for entrance to all 392 National Parks are being waived. There are also special promotions going on that week as well.

Target Coupons!

I absolutely love Target. Check out Target.com, scroll to the bottom to find their coupon link

http://www.target.com

Some of my favorite coupons for this week are:

$5 off Brita products

Kashi: 4 great coupons from Kashi
Buy 2 Kashi Cereals/ get 1 TLC bar free
Buy 2 Kashi Cereals/ get 1 Kashi cereal free
Buy 2 Kashi Cereals/get 1 Kashi crackers
Buy 2 Kashi Cereals/ get 1 4 ct. Kashi GO LEAN bars

If you use these watch the Kashi cereal for peel offs that say SAVE $3. As long as the printable coupon is a Target coupon, you will be able to stack your coupons 1 target coupon, 1 MFR coupon.

$1 off Morning Star Veggie Food products

$3 off select Hasbro games

$3 off Select Disney DVD or Blu Rays

$5 off select Legos

$1 off 2 Honest Kids Organic Juice pouches

Brita Deal at Target

You can get some great savings on Brita products at Target.

Brita On-Tap Filtration System
Regular Price: $16.49

$5 /1 printable coupon (take the pledge http://www.filterforgood.com/)
and
$5/1 printable Target coupon http://www.target.com/

Total: 6.49



Brita 10 cup or 8 cup Chrome
(sale price through 5/8) $26.99

$5/1 printable coupon (follow take the pledge link above)
and
$5/1 printable Target coupon (link above)

Total: $ 16.99

Kiddo Savings

I found another blogger this week that post great deals. She also has an exciting giveaway going on right now. It is a box stuffed full of goodies. Check out her Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kiddo-Savings/300562868133?ref=ts

I found this contest on another blog. My kids love blueberries, so I think I am going to try and enter.


http://food.momcentral.com/2009/06/blueberry-council-food-blogging-contest.html

Recycling

Is it possible to reduce your household waste to zero? Where I live we do not have curbside recycling. I wish we did. It would make recycling so much easier. So recycling in our home is more of a commitment.

I am trying to form a plan to reduce our household waste. We already are doing some recycling but I feel like we could step up and do more.

I have to admit that I am loving my reusable shopping bags. I have gotten a lot better about taking them with me. I found 2 that I can fold up and carry in my purse all the time...


Share your thoughts and ideas about recycling.

Arm and Hammer Coupons

Visit ArmandHammer.com to get printable coupons totaling $11.50 in savings on various Arm and Hammer products. Look under the Saving Center tab.

Redbox Rental Codes

Get your free promo code! Sign Up for Monthly Movie Monday text message club and
redbox will send you a promo code straight to your phone on the 1st
Monday of each Month.

http://www.redbox.com/content.mvc/moviemonday?cid=MREF:Facebook:FB0329

JIffy Mix Recipe Booklet,

Jiffy Mixes is offering a free updated recipe booklet. It includes nutritional information, along with some fun camping recipes.

http://www.jiffymix.com/index.php/order-our-recipe-book/

Easter Decorations

I just love decorating for the holidays, but it can be expensive. I thought I would share a picture of my Easter centerpiece. I found these rabbits at a great yard sale for $1. The grass and eggs are from the Dollar Store and the tray was a wedding gift. I think it turned out nicely.

My husband thinks the rabbits look creepy because they have no whites to their eyes. But I like them. It makes are table festive for Spring.

Random Picture Post

These are some random pictures from our Spring Break trip to the beach.

MAIL CALL POST!

Today was great Mail Call.

I got some great coupons today! 2 coupons for 1 free bottle of Vitamin Water (love this stuff), 2 coupons for free Aztec tortillas, 1 .55 off Horizon product, Nescafe sample pack, and a Pacific Rim Organic wine button.

Earth Hour

Tomorrow is Earth Hour. Show your support for Earth Hour 2010!

" On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations."

It is amazing that turning off our lights for 1 hour can have such a huge impact on our environment. Just think if everyone on the planet turned off their lights,even for just 1 minute.. WOW!

Visit http://www.myearthhour.org/

Esty Store of the Day

I am a huge Sci-Fi fan! So when I came across this Etsy store it was kind of love at first sight. Check out http://www.etsy.com/shop/CatherinetteRings?page=9. For those of you not familiar with steampunk, It is a science fiction genre set in the Victorian era. It has elements of fantasy and fictional technology. It is like the Bronte sisters meets the Borg. Charming and bold all in one breath.

Some of my favorite pieces are http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25867589 I just love the intricacy of the design and the beautiful glass elements.

and http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42316761 This one reminds me of a Borg ocular implant.

I am always looking for healthy snack ideas for my kids. Here is an Ebook that has some great snack ideas. Let me know if you try any and what you think of them.


Some of the recipes in the book that I want to try are:

- Low Fat Banana Yogurt Pops
- Homemade Gummy Bears
- Homemade Granola Bars

There are 40 recipes in this book and they all looked great! I am thinking with Spring Break coming up, we will make the gummy bears. My daughter loves gummy bears! That will be something fun for us to do.

http://www.favediets.com/Snacks/The-Ultimate-List-of-Healthy-Snacks-40-Healthy-Snack-Recipes-Free-eCookbook#

Organic Valley Coupons

So excited about these coupons. I love Organic Valley's milk! You can save up to $8 on their products.

http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons/

Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels announced that they would have something special for their Facebook fans this week. Well, it is kind of a let down. You can save 15% off your entire purchase at our Mattel Shop today until April 5th. Use this code: HWFB15 when you go to http://bit.ly/9AJlb6.

The 15% might help save a little on shipping.

Earth Fare Tweebie Friday Coupon

Tomorrow only (March 26) Make a $25 purchase at EarthFare get a 16oz. bag of Larry's Coffee Beans FREE!!

Get your coupon here http://twitpic.com/1agy3r

Free Bubble Envelopes

Shop Family Fun is allowing users to request FREE samples of their bubble envelopes. Complete the form and then choose which size envelopes you'd like to receive by checking the boxes of those samples. You can select more then 1

https://www.shopfamilyfun.com/catalog/freesample.php

Lowes Build and Grow Workshop

This Saturday, March 27th is another Lowe's Build and Grow Workshop. This week the kids will be building a kaleidoscope. My children love doing this, so we make an effort to go as much as we can. After the child completes the building project, they are given a patch for their accomplishment. (pictured is my son's work apron)


And mark your calendar for April 10th. That weekend they will offer a Mini Baseball Game build and grow kit. https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/Home.aspx

Blog Posting

I am trying to post more here, but I have gotten used to posting on Facebook. It is were the Squeaky Grocery Cart got its humble roots. Please follow me on Facebook, while I still learn the ins and outs of blogging

Etsy Store of the Day!

My esty pick of the day is Designs by Jocelyn. I love the Gustav Klimt necklace!! Her jewlery is made with gemstones, pearls, and sparkly glass crystals and beads.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignsbyJocelyn

Family Night Deal OOP $3.72

Today was just a quick trip: We got 1 Digornio Pizza, 1 box of Kashi bars, 1 box 100% Capri Sun juice boxes, 1 package of EarthBound organic spinach, and 2 Blockbuster Express rentals. Family Night at home cost $3.72

Have any great shopping deals you want to share, please post a picture!

Earth Fare Coupons

This week Earth Fare is offering a great salad coupon! Purchase a clam shell package of EarthBound salad mix, get free Feta (Kryssos 4 oz cup) or Blue Cheese (Amablu 5 oz. cup).

http://www.earthfare.com/HealthySavings/EmailCoupon_2.aspx?d=p

If you are a regular shopper of Earth Fare, you might have picked up the Winter Coupon Booklet. Inside is a .75/1 Earthbound Salad mix. Pair these coupons together for some great savings!

Kid's Night at EarthFare

Earth Fare is committed to providing families with healthy alternatives at great prices. Every Thursday, from 4-8pm, Kids eat free! Purchase an adult meal valued at $5 or more. You can download their kid's menu here:

http://earthfare.com/HealthyLiving/PreventChildhoodObesity/~/media/Files/IttyBittyBites/IBB_Menu.pdf

Home Depot Garden Club

If you are thinking about starting a garden, Sign up for the Home Depot Garden Club. They will send you money saving coupons on all things garden related!

http://pages.homedepot.com/ProOptin?source=pro_dedicatedmedia

Free Bowling for Kids

This summer your kids may get the chance to bowl for FREE every day! As
a way to encourage kids to have safe and fun things to do over the
summer, the Kids Bowl Free program
allows each kid to bowl 2 games a day every day in the summer at
participating bowling centers for FREE (see all the participating
centers).
Kids must b...e under a certain age that the select bowling center you
chose has set up. The Kids Bowl Free program registration opens up
tomorrow, Tuesday March 23rd. It will ask you if you would like to
purchase a family pass. If you don’t wish to buy this, just click the
“No Thanks” button and continue. You will still get the free kids
passes. Go HERE to register and see all the details.

http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

Mattel Geo Trax DVD offer

Request a FREE Mattel Geo Trax DVD by following the posted link
and in the top right hand corner selecting your country. There is no
shipping charge either! The website says 12-14 weeks for delivery.

https://store.mattel.com/transition.aspx?TransitionID=155

Free Pastry Day at Starbucks tomorrow!!

I love Starbucks. That is one of my little weaknesses. It can be spendy to have a Starbucks habit, that is why I only get it once every other month. It is hard sometimes to stick with that, but so far so good. But, I am visiting them tomorrow for free pastry day! That way I get a delicious beverage and an extra treat! Print out the coupon or display it on your mobile device to the barista.
http://assets.starbucks.com/assets/1ac43f0b737a4b778Ba9c80ee14715ec.jpg

Toy Story BluRay

Toy Story and Toy Story 2 will be released on Blu-Ray this Tuesday (March 23rd). As with most new Blu-Ray releases, there are some great coupons to go with it!

Here are the two that are currently available:

Get $5 off any Toy Story or Toy Story 2 DVD/Blu-Ray Combo pack (be sure to print both coupons if you will be buying both movies)

Get $10 off any Toy Story or Toy Story 2 DVD/Blu-Ray Combo pack if you already own either the VHS or DVD versions of this movie. To get the $10 coupon you will need to:

1. Log into, or create a Disney Movie Rewards account

2. Look for the box that says “Enter Code”

3. Enter the UPC from either the VHS or DVD that you already own.

4. Once the UPC codes are entered, it will take you to a page that looks like the one pictured below. (Sorry, I can’t give out UPC codes here).

5. Click on the banner that says “Get Your $10 Coupon”

Beach Towels at Target for .50??!!

This was reported on another webite. Word is that Target has some beach towels in their Dollar Spot for $2.50! That is a good deal, but there is also a $2 off Beach Towels Target coupon, making them $0.50!! Look for the coupon link on their homepage. The coupon is listed under the
HOME category. I am going to check this out today at my local Target.

Target.com

Hot Wheels fans on facebook

Visit Hotwheels and become a fan on facebook. They have something special in store for all of their facebook fans later in the week. It could be coupons, it could be a free car. Who knows? I am hoping its a free car, that would be a great addition to an Easter basket. My kids love hotwheels

Walgreens Photo -20 4x6 prints FREE!!

Get 20 free 4×6 prints from Walgreens Photo when you enter the code 20FREE4X6B. You must be registered with Walgreens Photo to get this deal. This offer must be redeemed by March 31 and offers free shipping when you choose in-store pickup.

Dinsey Store Spring Sale

Check out the DisneyStore.com. They are having a great sale! You can save up to 50% off on a huge selection of toys, kids clothes, adult clothes, sleepwear, home décor, and more. Some of the children's t-shirts are as low as 5.99

Dunkin Donuts free coffee.

Don't forget it's Monday- Head over to your local Dunkin Donuts to get a free medium hot or iced coffee! Make sure your local DDs are participating.

I think I am going to head there later today!!

Check out their website

Go to http://www.dunkinathome.com/ and you can sign up for a free sample of their "turbo" coffee =)

Hot Prints Freebie

Don't forget to visit HotPrints.com. Each month you can make a free paperback photo album. I just made for my kids. Can't wait to see how this one turns out. If you have never used their service, check it out. I was very pleased with the first book I made.

In God's Protection

I always say a small silent prayer before we travel anywhere. Today I am very thankful that I did. We were traveling when we saw a young woman spin out of control and wreck her car. She was traveling with a small child and dog. Her dog flew out of the back window of her car. We stopped to offer assistance. Thankfully no one was injured and the dog only had a few cuts. It could have been so much worse. It is terrifying to witness such things first hand. I am thankful tonight for so many things

Clone Wars

I am really excited over the fact that there is a new Clone Wars episode on tonight. I originally was very skeptical. But I have to say that I am bigger fan of the cartoon then I am 3 live action movies.
First of all Jar Jar, I really don't need to say anymore there. What was meant for comic relief was awkward and annoying. It is a blessing that he only pops up in the cartoon like once a season, so far. In the cartoon he serves his purpose. The Jedi JarJar episode was funny, it brought humor to a tense situation.

Second, the movie versions of Anakin and Padme were stiff and painful to watch on screen together. You could have replaced the 2 actors with cardboard boxes and had more sexual tension and love. it would have been interesting! At least in the cartoon version, you get a sense of these characters relationship. You feel it, they are a little more flirty when they are together, but privately they are loving to each other. I buy their relationship, they love each other but they have to hide it. It is painful to hide, but they live with it and make it work. I loved the episode where Anakin wanted to prove to Padme how much he really loves her, by giving her his lightsaber. "My lightsaber is my life, you are my life" OMG to a Star Wars nerd, that is like a Shakespearean sonnet! You know the depth of meaning, there is no questioning how much he loves her. And compare that to "I love you", "I know"... Han Solo and cartoon Anakin are pimps. I don't mean that in a negative way at all, it is just these characters know how to play the man card and they do it well.

Let me talk about Anakin for a minute. This is probably one of my least favorite characters in the entire movie series! How is this possible? Movie version was wimpy and whiney! I am loving the cartoon version. Cartoon version is a little bit of a bad ass. You need this!! He is supposed to become Darth Vader, the badest mamma jamma in the galaxy, don't wimp out! Bring it!! That is why I really enjoyed the episode when Anakin interrogated Poggle the Lesser to help save Ashoka. You were like OOOOHH SNAP! He went there! It was nice to see that little touch of Vader coming out. Which brings me to Ashoka....

In the feature Clone Wars, Ashoka annoyed me. She called R2, Artooie. My reaction to this was, I threw up a little in my mouth. I wanted to rip her head tails off for that. However, I forgive her because thankfully I can't think of an episode where that has been repeated. Maybe it has, but hopefully I was out of the room at the time. I really love Ashoka just because she is spunky, fiesty, and she compliments the character of Anakin. My daughter adores her!

(((Which if anyone from LFL is listening (and I doubt they are) PLEASE MAKE MORE ASHOKA MERCHANDISE!! THERE ARE LITTLE GIRLS & STAR WARS MOTHERS THAT LOVE STAR WARS AS MUCH OR MORE THEN THEIR BROTHERS, HUSBANDS, OR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS . HUMOR US FOR ONCE!! NOT THE FANBOY GEEKS WHO CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THE 9,000th BOBA FETT REPACKAGE CRAP THAT SITS ON SHELVES FOREVER!!!! MAKE A 12 INCH ASHOKA!!!! WE NEED & WANT HER!!! thank you )))

The only sad thing with Ashoka, is you know things don't bod well for her. I am kind of fearing that inevitable. Why couldn't she have been in the movies?? Although, I fear what her character would have been like. I don't think she would have been as enjoyable.

Obi Wan, well he never has been one of my favorites. But, I grew up with the originals, so he was just an old man, not that exciting. Then comes along Ewan!! I can't complain about Ewan. He came, he brought his performance, and actually saved Episode 3 with 5 seconds of man pretty on screen, only to have it crapped on by FrankenVader!! What am I talking about? I will tell you. You know in Ep. 3, when Obi Wan comes walking ( no, not walking) SWAGGERING down the ramp to confront Anakin, he swaggers down that ramp and that jedi robe melts off, HOT! That right there sums up the whole movie and Obi Wan! Thank you Ewan!! I enjoy the cartoon version as well. I loved the recent Mando episodes and the sexual tension with the duchess . Nice, Obi Wan needs a woman!! I would love to see Obi Wan have a touch of playboy jedi. Keep it interesting.

All I can say is thank you Clones Wars writers and actors. Your work is appreciated.

Quilts

I love quilts. My grandmother made each of her grandchildren a quilt. Mine is pink with little dutch girls on it. I have had it since I was around 4 years old. Sadly, my grandmother passed away shortly after that. I never got to know her very well, but I treasure my quilt and my children enjoy it too.

I found this etsy shop from reading another blog. http://www.etsy.com/shop/sillymamaquilts

Check it out, she has some beautiful items.

Embarrassing Moments

We have all had those moments when our kids embarrass us. We do our best to try to teach them manners, but in the end somewhere along the road the manners went missing. This is one of our stories....

I feel very strongly that children need to be taught the correct words for body parts. There was a girl that I went to collage with, she was 20 years old and could not say the word penis, without turning bright red and giving a nervous laugh. That annoyed me. Grow up! It is a word, you have a 50/50 shot at owning one of your own. Its not some deep, dark mystery that can only be spoken of in hushed tones.

So when my son was around 2 he was fascinated by his body parts. We would name body parts over and over again. One day, we were at the grocery store, just shopping. It was nice, just the 2 of us taking our time. He and I were conversing, then suddenly out of nowhere shouts as loud as he can, MOMMY!! I HAVE A PENIS. Trying to be one of those calm and cool moms, I said, Well yes, you do. But, we don't need to tell everyone. After that he was fine, we continued shopping.

The next time was in church, during Christmas services. I tried to have things with us to keep us entertained. During a vocal solo, my son shouts MOMMY, I HAVE A PENIS! (oh lord! really, now is the time for him to remember this fact) so much for Silent Night. I know everyone heard him. I calmly said, I know you do, but we don't need to share the information with everyone. I got him playing again then a few minutes later, he shouts again, MOMMY, YOU HAVE A VAGINA! ( Dear Lord, is this a test? Why me? Please grant me the serenity...)
yes, son I do, but please don't tell the whole church. I just wanted to crawl under the pew. I think about it now and laugh.

I share this story with other parents. I wouldn't change a thing. Teach them the real names of body parts. I am glad they know their body parts. I don't want them to be embarrassed or ashamed of their bodies. I think to be a successful parent, you have to have a good sense of humor and talk to God daily. I have found he has a good sense of humor too.

I want to win a blog giveaway

There is another blog The B Keeps Us Honest that is hosting a Star Wars mimobot giveaway. My husband and I are Star Wars nerds for life. How, why do things happen? Let me tell you our story, then I will get back to the contest.

Being young children of the 70s our minds were imprinted on by Jedi Master Lucas. We were mesmorized by these characters that came from outer space. We were dazzled by the (at that time) state of the art special effects. We took to our young hearts that all things are possible if you just use the force, and yes the force is always with you. Yoda taught us that size matters not, and that good and evil can have some shades of gray, from a certain point of few.

My husband and I met because of Star Wars. We met online in a Star Wars chatroom! of all places! It was after the release of sadly, The Phantom Menace. To me the new trilogy is a four letter word. Jar Jar , i can only hope was caused by some sort of medication side effects or maybe a few late night drinks, but in the end there really is no excuse for it. Still we talked all things Star Wars, Life, Love and Happily Everafter. Our wedding cake had a vintage Han Solo and Princess Leia figure on top of it. We went there!

Growing up, I always wanted to be Princess Leia. She was strong, witty, in charge and had great hair. I tried fiercely to get my parents to change my name to Leia. I was met with the argument that my name was close enough, just missing a few letter. Fastforward 30 years, I have my own daughter, and can you guess what her name is?? Thats right (ding, ding, ding, we have a winner) we went there too. There was no other choice. People have asked me, "how did your husband convince you to name a child after a Star Wars character? " I just smile and say it was my idea!! :) And no my son's name is not Luke, however Obi Wan was considered but in the end was rejected.

We have taken our love of Star Wars to the next possible level. 2 years ago, my husband and I became members of the 501st Vader's Legion. What is this? It is a costuming group that has movie quality costumes. We dress up for charity events, cons, local community events, you name it, we will dress up for it! My husband has an amazing Vader costume. This group works a lot with Make A Wish and Toys for Tots just to name a few. Our path of nerdom is complete. Yes, our kids love it! they dress up too. We are known in our neighborhood as the family with the R2. We built our own fully functional R2 D2, who by the way has been making test runs through the neighborhood.

Ok, now why am I talking about this. The B Keeps Us Honest is giving away a Darth Vader mimobot and I would love to win this for my husband!!! Mimobots are flash drives that come disguised as various Star Wars characters. They have other designs as well, but for this household Star Wars rules. I got an R2 D2 mimobot. I love it, it makes it so easy for me to carry information with me. That is why I have to win one for him. I am sure you are saying, why not just buy another one. We have been looking for a Vader and haven't been able to find one. I know I can order one online, that is where mine came from. I share it, but my husband really tries to steal it! I have thrown down with him over it several times. If you are a pop culture junkie, then a mimobot is a must have! Please help bring balance back to this Star Wars family, we need 2 mimobots.

Check out The B Keeps Us Honest and her other awesome giveaways! http://thebkeepsushonest.blogspot.com/2010/03/mimobot-star-wars-flash-drive-review.html

Free Food

There are lots of listing for free food items this week. Of course, none of them are in my area :(

March 15, 2010

Bucca-di-Beppo was working on breaking a world's record on Friday, so to share with all of their costumers they are giving away a free bowl with meat or marina sauce with the purchase of any Bucca small or large pasta or entree. They will also match every portion of spaghetti given away with a donation of uncooked pasta to various homeless charities with a minimum donation of 10,000 lbs of uncooked pasta.

Dunkin Donuts will be giving away a free hot or iced medium coffee every Monday in March. Check to make sure your local store is participating.

March 17th
Baja Fresh – wear green and you will get a free Baja Fresh Burrito with the purchase of a large drink

March 23rd
Ben & Jerry’s – Get a free scoop of ice cream

Ziploc Giveaway

Since I am new to blogging, I am trying to grow my fan base. Our goal is to reach 150 fans or more in 3 weeks!! Can we do it??? I don't know but I certainly want to try.

I will be giving away a Ziploc prize pack to help you with your spring cleaning and organizing. The winner will be chosen at random on April 5th. I will contact the winner by email .

So join me on facebook and please follow my blog! where I talk about trying to live green, fun for families on a budget and just whatever else comes to mind. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Squeaky-Grocery-Cart/321896761077?ref=nf

Samples

Don't you love samples? It is a nice way to try new products. Sometimes, you are like SCORE!! It's been a long day, I could use a little snack to get me through the store. Then there are my kids....

My kids think that every time we go to Costco, we are there to eat. Costco isn't for shopping, it is a full serve restaurant. The appetizers are the various samples of bakery goods, meats, cheeses, and assorted frozen products housed in their stores. The main course, is of course, the hot dog and drink for $1.50. There have been several times when my kids were offended that the samples had not started yet or we got there too late for samples and to insult to injury, we did not get a hot dog. I totally agree with these Cosmo articles, that says you can make a cheap date night at places like Costco. You can fill up on samples before you turn the corner of their food isles and they just keep feeding you all the way up to the check out.


"Mom, we need to try this!"
"well, lets see what it is.... Tilapia with Mango Salsa"
"Honey, I am not sure that you will like it"
"No, I want to try it" "OK"

This conversation from my 5 year old, who acts like you mortally wound him any time you offer him food, that heaven forbid, has lettuce on it!

If I made Tilapia with Mango Salsa at home would my child eat it? yes, no, maybe?? I don't know. The chances of our house eating the tilapia, slim. I can't eat fish. Mango salsa, bring on a bag of corn chips and it's a party.

Is it the allure of food on stick? Maybe every new food we try at home needs to be on a stick. I mean think of fairs or carnivals. The MN State Fair serves all kind of food on a stick (my husband is from MN and speaks of this often). That is one of their selling points for their fair. They are always looking for what else can go on stick. Lettuce on a stick.... anyone??

I guess I just need to invest in tooth picks, mobile food carts, and fancy little paper cups.

More adventures from inside the squeaky grocery cart....

Ziploc party and me

I absolutely love the website www.HouseParty.com . If you have never heard of it please check it out. You look through a list of available parties, sponsored by major companies. Then fill out a questionnaire, and if selected as a hostess they send you these amazing party packs to help you host a part.

The first party I was selected to host was one for UL talking about safety at Christmas. My party pack contained items to make Christmas wreaths! It was so much fun! We had 20 people over, served cookies and hot chocolate, and just had fun decorating and getting ready for the holidays.

Well I got selected to host the upcoming Ziploc party. I just have to laugh about it because I am not a person that is well organized. I would love to be, but I think my DNA is just lacking in the organizational gene. Maybe Ziploc can help me. I was amazed at all of the products that were in the party pack. All of which are BPA free. I didn't even realize they made this many types of containers.

I absolutely love the rectangle divided storage containers. These are amazing for packing lunches. If you had asked me 6 years ago if I would be excited about a storage container, I would have laughed. I love how things change when you become a mom. The simplest things excite you the most. I really am considering keeping all of these (sorry guests) those wont be making it to the gift bags.

Now my problem is what do you do at a party that is Ziploc themed. I have a week to figure this out.

Southern Snow!

Last week, we had a brief snow storm. (If you know anyone from the South, you know that at the sight of one flake there is a mass exodus to the grocery store. You must have bread and milk survive in an inch of snow! And you must beat everyone else there! You don't want to be those poor saps that got there late. Because, all that will be left is rye bread and hot dog buns so beaten in the bread and milk frenzy that they are left unrecognizable ) The kids and I ran to the grocery store just to pick up a few items. Ideally, it should have taken us somewhere around 20 minutes. I was using coupons, so I was trying to get my coupons while shopping. My son (age 5) is throwing extra items into the cart, my daughter (age 2) is acting like she is driving a NASCAR from the seat of the giant buggy.

Can I talk about those buggies for a second? Who invented those ridiculous carts? They are impossible to drive. I know my family alone is responsible for knocking out at least 2 old ladies and a couple of free roaming small children with those things. Not to mention that one cereal display that went flying (we don't speak of that or shop there anymore.)

We were in the produce department, nearing the end of our shopping trip (Thank You Jesus!) After the usual brother/sister knitpicking through the entire store, I asked my son to hold on to the coupons I was going to use at check out. Thinking that would keep his hands occupied finally! My daughter also decides that she wants to hold coupons. Fine, here hold these! They were expired so no big deal, until I look back over at her. She is taking a break from Nascar, politely snacking on a coupon. I am thinking REALLY??!! You are eating a coupon, are you lacking in a fiber? I am pretty sure I got a coupon for some Fiber One bars, I will go get some now.

We made it to the check out, relatively in one piece. We had 2 extra items tossed in, those being a pack of playing cards, and skittles (I guess my son is planning to be a card shark or something) one eaten coupon, and a mom who is frazzled beyond belief heading out into a Southern "blizzard". When I get in the car, I realized that I got the bread, but forgot the milk. Where is Calgon when you need it? Stay tuned for more adventures inside the squeaky grocery cart.

I am really needing some advice about blogging. I thought this would be easier, but I just feel kind of frustrated with it. Any advice, anyone? Bueller...?

I just love cereal! There are so many to choose from, squares, circles, with marshmallows or without. When I was pregnant with my son, I craved Lucky Charms like crazy. Which was really strange because as a child, we were never allowed to have sugary cereal. That stems from a disastrous Pink Moo Cows incident. I guess that is why they don't make them anymore.

I had a coupon for the Quaker Oatmeal Squares. They were crazy cheap like 1.75 then a dollar off, so I was obligated to buy a box for that price. I have to say they are awesome! Crunchy, cinnamony, it reminds me of sort of cinnamon pie crust almost. I think I am in love! Well, thanks for sharing breakfast with me.

So this is my first blog entry for the Squeaky Grocery Cart.

I finally watched the movie Julie & Julia. It really inspired me. No, I don't really want to cook my through a french cookbook, it has been done. I just need something to do. I became a stay at home mom last year, mainly for my mental health. I had a job that was going nowhere. I had a love /hate relationship with it. At the end of the day, I would feel like I had nothing left to give my family. I lost several people very close to me and one of my children was hospitalized. All of these things happening in a relatively short time period. It shook me to my core.

Since that time, I just have felt kind of lost. I had these grand ideas that my house would be spotless, that I would make spectacular meals every night, and that my children and I would have a wonderful time together. Well, I feel like my house is in total chaos some days, I don't know if anyone would call Taco Tuesday spectacular, and some days I would just love to sell my kids on ebay (figuratively speaking).

So the where did the Squeaky Grocery Cart come from? I started just posting stuff on facebook. I was bored and read a blog about using coupons. Being on a budget, I needed it. Now I am hooked! This is my new outlet for surviving motherhood on a budget and my little spot in the world to vent.