Some FREE Christmas Tracks Currently Available on Amazon

I am lovin' these free Christmas and holiday MP3s on Amazon! Some talented acts have posted free and (yea!) family-friendly MP3s, some part of the 25 Days of Free Downloads, and others whose freebie MP3s took a little more work to find. Consider buying other tracks or the whole albums from the artists whose tunes you fancy!

You're sure to find a version of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" here that tickles your fancy. :)

"Joy to the World" by Casting Crowns
"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Casting Crowns
"Snow Angel" by Tori Amos
"The Coventry Carol" by Mediaeval Baebes
"God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" by Jars of Clay
"No Room" by Todd Agnew
"Wishing for This" by Leigh Nash
"Silent Night" by Sixpence None the Richer
"Silent Night" by House of Heroes
"O Come O Come Emmanuel" by Annie Moses Band
"Oh Come Emmanuel" by Aliqua (this one is particularly beautiful harmonized a capella)
"Oh Come, O Come Emmanuel" by Big Daddy Weave
"Winter Wonderland" by Point of Grace
"I Celebrate the Day" by Relient K
"The Nutcracker Suite, Waltz of the Flowers" by the Bonn Classical Philharmonics
"Joy to the World" by the Stroudavarious Orchestra
"Carol and the Kings" by the Allison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven (folksy banjo and piano flavor!)
"The Night Before Christmas" by Brandon Heath
"Pat a Pan" by Mannheim Steamroller
"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" by MercyMe
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Hail from Newbornland

Greetings! 'Tis I, A., who welcomed our second daughter into the world last week. I write this post from the ether of those first hazy days of life with a newborn - and a two-year-old, to boot. Am thinking today during the snowstorm how glad I am to be huddled in the warmth of our home with the baby already here, instead of anxiously hoping that a snowplow will visit our part of the neighborhood pronto so that I can get to a hospital. :)

Needless to say, deal-hunting has been moved to the back burner for these first heady days while we figure out nursing, sleep deprivation, and diapering a dimpled, wiggly little booty anew. The support of friends and family has gone a long way - we've had many meals brought to us that have made a big difference in terms of saving us cooking/cleaning/grocery shopping hassle.

Additionally, my couponing and freezer stockpile from the last few months has really helped! Tonight we popped one of my frozen pot pies in the oven - made back in November with couponed frozen veggies and crockpot-cooked chicken, of course! - and enjoyed a homemade dinner with no effort. I also have some sour cream muffins and a bit of spinach dip frozen from a couple of weeks ago - my little Christmas present to myself when I don't feel like cooking. And lastly: a stockpile of nonperishables like tea, brown rice, peanut butter, cereal, honey, powdered milk, etc. will ensure that even in weeks to come when that much-needed trip to the grocery store just doesn't happen, we won't exactly waste away.

Since our little one has joined us, Mel has been keeping y'all going with posts in the last two weeks, and my abundant thanks go to her for her efforts. I plan to rejoin her in posting in the coming days, though my posts (including the 5 Reasons to Visit Giant posts) are likely to develop a more concise style, headlining only the very best deals spotted, since my hands are more-than-occupied with about 8 lbs. of hungry baby these days.

I hope that now that we are past most shipping deadlines and fast approaching Christmas, you are also able to relax, enjoy the fruits of your own coupon savings from the past few weeks, and focus on time with loved ones. Don't worry - there will be plenty of opportunities to coupon shop again in 2010. :)
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Lands' End: 25% off everything + free shipping through 12/20!

Lands' End is running a new promotion: 25% off EVERYTHING plus free shipping through 12/20.

Enter promotion code DEC21 and pin 00003196 at checkout.

5 Reasons to Visit Giant this week 12/18 - 12/25

Five Reasons to Visit Giant This Week:

1. Sweet Seedless Clementines are $4.44 for a 5-lb. box. Stock up for the holidays!

2. Southern Yams or Sweet Potatoes are 3 lbs. for $1! This is 1/3 the normal price.

3. Perdue 93% Lean Ground Turkey is $1.99/lb. Make your own sausage!

4. Daisy Sour Cream is 2/$3 for 16-oz. containers.
$.50/1 11/15/09 SS, $.50/1 12/13/09 SS (should double)
Final price: $.50 each if you have 2 coupons!

5. Nestle Baking Morsels, 2/$4
$.50/2 printable coupon here (should double)
Final price: $1.50/bag

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Post a comment to let us know!

DSW: Save 25% on any 2 items online through 12/16

DSW is back again, offering a 25% discount on the purchase of any 2 or more items in an ONLINE purchase. Enter promotion code CHEER at checkout.

Sweeten the deal by spending over $35 as a DSW Rewards member and enter promotion code SNOWMAN at checkout.

You could order slippers and socks for someone for Christmas, have them shipped to your door and call it a deal!

Works for Me Wednesday: Buying Christmas Ornaments

It has taken me awhile to accumulate a Christmas ornament collection. I bought lots of glass ball-type ornaments when I was in college to fill a fake tree my roommates and I had. They were cheap, and they filled the tree.

When I got married, my mom gave me a few ornaments from our collection growing up. My mother-in-law also gave us a few ornaments from her collection. But it takes a lot of ornaments to fill a tree well, in my opinion! And ornaments break over the years, especially when you have kids in the house. So I've started practicing 2 key shopping tactics to help my Christmas tree predicament.

Tactic #1.
Whenever traveling to a new place, I look for a Christmas ornament. I look hard sometimes, seeking out specific stores or local markets. I enjoy opening up our ornament boxes each year and remembering our travels, and our tree has a lot of variety on it because of this. My favorites are our wooden violin ornament from Austria, hand-painted wooden ornaments from Germany, "Mele Kalikimaka" kukui nut ornament from Hawaii, and seashell ornament from St. John. If possible, I use a fine tip Sharpie marker to mark the back of each ornament with the city/country of origin and year of travel.

Tactic #2.
I look for ornaments on December 26. Each year I go out shopping early in the morning on December 26, scouting out 50%-75% sales and buying wrapping paper, ribbon, and other assorted Christmas items for the following year. Craft stores are a great source for unique ornaments at reasonable prices, so I always look at Michaels or AC Moore to try to find something I'd like to add to my Christmas tree.

What works for you in this department? Leave us a comment to share your ideas.

Domino's: $5.99 large pizza + Cinnastix for busy days!

If you haven't caught wind of the great Domino's deal right now, head over to Moneywise Moms for the details. Dinner AND dessert for $6? And not having to cook? Priceless of course! I know it's not the healthiest dinner, but you could add a side of steamed veggies or garden salad and make it a bit healthier.

Reader Jen said she has capitalized on this deal twice this week. Sounds like a great idea for a busy weeknight to me! The deal only works for online orders. I know it works in my zip code; check to see if it works in yours!

Free Lotion: Olay body lotion rebate

Slickdeals posted a great rebate available through Procter & Gamble. Can't beat free body lotion, especially during this cold and dry time of year!

Buy any size except trial size of Olay Quench body lotion and send this rebate form in for reimbursement. Up to two rebates per household through February 12, 2010.

Rebates are always a bit of extra administrative work, but to me it's worth it in certain instances. This one is definitely worth it - around $20 of lotion for free?!

Before you buy the lotion go through your coupons - you might be able to save a few additional bucks by using one!

Menu Plan Monday

It's time for another menu plan already! Is it me, or is December flying now? What's on your menu this week?

I plan to take a meal to A. as she's home from the hospital with her new baby girl. It will be fun to visit! I'm not planning to cook a lot the first half of the week because I'm sick. And I didn't get to cook the chicken parmesan last week, so I'm putting in on my menu plan again.

Monday: Chicken noodle soup, salad

Tuesday: Burgers on the grill, baked sweet potatoes, steamed veggies

Wednesday: Stromboli made with Emeril's basic pizza dough, steamed veggies

Thursday: Chicken parmesan, salad

Friday: Chicken chili in the Crock Pot, possibly this recipe

Saturday: Dinner with friends

On the sweets/baking list:

Rice Krispie treats

Gingersnaps *similar to the linked recipe but I use the Betty Crocker recipe in my cookbook with shortening in the recipe

Pumpkin cheesecake, similar to this recipe

Caribou Coffee: 17th birthday specials Monday, 12/14

Caribou Coffee is celebrating its 17th birthday. Today, Monday December 14, head into your local Caribou for these specials:
$1 Medium cup of Caribou Blend coffee
$2 Medium Guittard Mocha
$3 Small Latte and any bakery item
$8.99 for a pound of Caribou Blend coffee

Though I'm not as infatuated with Caribou's lattes as I am with those at Starbucks, I do love the setup of our local shop. It has a kids section complete with a chalkboard on the wall, big bin of toys, and kids' table. My toddler loves to go there and asks to stop in when we drive by it. My MOMS Club chapter even plans group outings there because of the kid-friendly setup.

I encourage you to sign up for the Caribou emails here. You'll get a freebie around your birthday!

To find a Caribou Coffee near you, click here.

Old Navy: 20% off any online purchase through 12/15 - AND $7 pajamas!

We posted here about the 20% off any online purchase coupon code Old Navy has available through tomorrow, 12/15.

Old Navy just raised the ante by sending an email highlighting a sale on $7 pajamas. I like how the toddler sleep sets fit my little one, and $7 is a great price for them. The $7 sale applies to seasonal sleep sets like these and there are 1 or 2 additional prints on sale for $8.

I also like the flannel pants and cami tops like these for myself. $7 for flannel pants and $5 for basic camis is cheap! Can't beat these prices, so snatch them up while they're still available!

I'm guessing the same sale is on in the store, but if you want the best deal buy your pj's today and take advantage of the 20% coupon code by entering ONSAVE20 at checkout.

1800flowers.com: new $20 coupon!

If you missed the November 1800flowers.com freebie A. posted about here, there's another chance for a big discount!

Slickdeals has the scoop on a $20 savings pass you'll receive when you sign up for the 1800flowers.com mailing list. Click here to do so and let us know if you receive one!

I know I for one would love some fresh, festive flowers for a centerpiece on my dining room table. I'll have a house full of guests and this would be a nice touch! I signed up earlier and hope to use that coupon code myself.

Old Navy: 20% off any online purchase through 12/15

Old Navy is running a great sale - 20% off any online purchase through December 15.

Enter code ONSAVE20 at checkout.

And now for the fine print:
**Offer valid on Old Navy merchandise only through 12/15/09 at 11:59 pm ET in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) at Old Navy online. Not valid at Old Navy stores. Qualifying amount applies to merchandise only, not value of GiftCards purchased, packaging, applicable taxes or shipping & handling charges. Offer limited to one-time use only. No adjustments on previous purchases. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts, including Gap Inc. employee discount

Lands' End: 25% off everything + free shipping through 12/14!

Lands' End is back with another sale:
25% off everything + free shipping through 12/14.

The fine print: excludes gift cards.

Enter promotion code DEC14 and pin 00001248 at checkout.

Happy shopping!

DSW: Save $10/$49 or $20/$99 off online purchases!

I am a big DSW fan when it comes to online shopping for shoes. My tactic lately has been to go to the store, try on a pair of semi-fashionable shoes, and then buy them online.

Since becoming a DSW Rewards member, I've realized that it pays over time to buy shoes for myself in the same place, like DSW. I don't spend over $200 a year on shoes for myself, including sneakers, but I do enjoy buying a new pair every few months depending on my needs. It's even more enjoyable when I get great deals!

This fall I fell in love with these ruffled flats when I visited the store. I *really* liked the teal color and noticed the store didn't have my size in stock. I also remembered that I had a DSW rewards coupon at home from my last purchase. So I went home and bought the same shoes online, saved $10 from the rewards coupon, found a coupon code on RetailMeNot for free shipping, and bought my husband some socks to make up the difference. $10 of free socks and adorable shoes delivered to my home? Can't be beat!

On to the latest DSW sale... you can save $10 on a $49 purchase or $20 on a $99 purchase by shopping online. Use promotion code 2XLOVE at checkout. Let us know what you buy!

It's Friday: Earn Mega Swag Bucks today!

It's Friday: Earn Mega Swag Bucks today!

Every Friday is Mega Swag Bucks Day!

Never heard of Swagbucks? It's one of our favorite websites because it's easy to earn free prizes by using the Swagbucks search engine. And on Fridays, users have better chances of winning Mega Swagbucks denominations.

The way it works:

• Go to Swagbucks through our referral link by clicking here.
  
• Sign up and create a new profile for yourself.
  
• Search a few times a day, and you'll start seeing points accumulate.

I use Swagbucks to search 2-3 times a day, 3-4 days a week for things I would normally research. It has taken me about 4 months to earn a $10 Starbucks gift card. Sweet! There are lots of other prizes in the Swagbucks store.

As a disclaimer, if you sign up under our referral link, we will receive Swagbucks thanks to you.

A.C. Moore: BOGO Crayola, 40% off Thomas & Friends

I've recently taken to shopping at A.C. Moore because my toddler has fallen head over heels for Thomas & Friends!

In the Sunday circulars, A.C. Moore always has a 40% off one item coupon. In November, I started driving out of my way to visit the store to stockpile wooden engines one at a time at the discounted price. The Thomas engines all run over $12 a piece, which adds up quickly!

Well, this week ALL Thomas & Friends wooden railway, cars, vehicles & playsets are on sale for 40% off. That's the cheapest you'll find Thomas gear, cheaper than the sales Amazon runs for sure. So if you have a Thomas lover on your giving list, head to A.C. Moore!

And don't forget to sign up for A.C. Moore's new rewards program. I just got a notice that I've already accumulated $10 in rewards! Yeah!

Rite Aid: $25 gift card for prescription transfer

Rite Aid recently changed its Sunday circular format, so this week I've been scrambling to find new prescription transfer coupons.

I located them on page 14 of the D.C. area circular. Rite Aid included 2 coupons for "Get a $25 gift card and a coupon booklet with over $75 in savings when you transfer your prescription."

I clip these whenever I see them and keep them in my coupon organizer. When my husband had his wisdom teeth removed last month, I used 2 coupons on his prescriptions at CVS and received $50 in gift cards! I'll be using those gift cards for toiletries we need and stocking stuffers. Can't beat that!

Target also had a coupon on page 39 of this week's circular for a $10 gift card with a prescription transfer. Most drug stores honor competitors' coupons; all it takes is asking!

5 Reasons to Visit Giant this week!

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 12/11-12/17

1. Super G Boneless Chicken Breast, $1.99/lb Sold in packages of 3 lbs. or more - a great stock-up price to get ready for the holidays! For chicken recipes, check out my meal plan here.

2. Blueberries or Blackberries, 2/$4

3. Progresso traditional soup, Buy Two Get Two Free

$.50/2 11/08/2009 SS (should double), $.50/2 10/25/2009 SS (should double), Printable $1.10/3 here

Final price: ~$1.50-$2.00 each

4. Ragu Pasta Sauce, 2/$4

$.60/2 11/15/2009 RP, should double

Final price: ~$1.40 each

5. Giant Apple Sauce, 3/$4

This is a great stock-up price! I use applesauce as a substitute for oil in some of my holiday baking.

Don't forget to cash out your card rewards by today, December 10. You can save up to 20% with your Giant card. For details, click here.

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Post a comment to let us know!

Old Navy: 25% off one item coupons in Sunday paper circulars

The past 2 weeks I've noticed that Old Navy has been running coupons on the inside of their Sunday paper circulars. If you still have yours and haven't clipped it, pull it out!

I clipped mine last weekend and was pleasantly surprised to find lots of deals in-store that weren't published on the website. For instance, I found a new pair of "Sweetheart" jeans on sale for $19 and used the 25% coupon on them. If you're looking for gift ideas, Old Navy also has lots of fun flannel pants, socks, colorful hat/scarf combos, and fun gloves & mittens for all ages. There is a suite of argyle tops/sweaters for most sizes if you or someone on your giving list like argyle.

During my store visit, my cashier put a coupon for $10 off a $50 or more purchase. The coupon is only good in-store and expires December 24.

I plan to go back this week with my 25% coupon and $10 coupon if possible! This might be a great "double dipping" deal.

Nursing cover for $8.95 shipped!

Udder Covers has a great deal right now - order a stylish nursing cover for $8.95, shipped!

Full price for these is $32.95, so be sure to enter discount code Christmas before checking out. I just tried it and know it works! Hop on the deal; I'm not sure when it will run out.

There are 6 different fabrics available, and the nursing cover features a rigid top to offer better sight lines to baby but also offer privacy for Mama.

Thanks to reader Kamber for the tip!

Lands' End deal through 12/10: 50% off most outerwear PLUS free shipping!

Lands' End has been running some kind of sale every day since Thanksgiving, it seems. Last week I scored this sweet cotton dress for my niece for $12.99, shipped! I also went through Ebates to make the purchase, earning me back an additional $.58.

Today and tomorrow, Lands' End has a 50% off most outerwear sale running, complete with free shipping. Hats, boots, scarves, coats, vests, etc. are all included for all ages.

To capitalize on the sale, use Promotion Code DEC10 and PIN 00008104 at checkout.

And don't forget to sign up for an Ebates account using our link below if you don't have one already. Save those pennies! Currently Ebates is offering 3% cash back on Lands' End purchases.

Works for Me Wednesday: making my own sausage

I've recently started making my own sausage. I admit that I love the salty, unhealthy taste of sausage, and it's a comfort food for me that bring back memories of my mom's cooking on the farm.

In a pinch while trying to come up with a meal to take to a friend who recently had surgery, I needed sausage but didn't have any. I spotted a package of ground turkey in my freezer and bing! the idea light came on. This isn't the first time I've made sausage, but it was the first time I made turkey sausage.

It's so easy - and I like that I can control the type of meat,amount of fat, and amount of salt by making it at home. Plus, it's cheaper than buying prepackaged sausage at the grocery store. Here is the seasoning I like for either ground turkey or ground pork. I've tried several different recipes I found online, and this combines a few of my favorites.

Homemade Sausage Recipe

1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sage
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix together thoroughly(I use my hands) and shape into patties. Fry in ungreased skillet, or bake 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes in shallow pan. Use paper towel to remove excess grease.

*** Perdue 93% lean ground turkey is on sale at Giant this week through 12/10 for $1.99/lb. Stock up on some to have in your house over the holidays - I know I'll be making stuffed shells and breakfast casseroles for all my guests and this will come in handy!

Staying sane during busy times

How do you stay sane during busy times?
I feel like the past 4 weeks have been a blur. My husband and I both had surgery during a 2-week window, and we also started potty training our toddler around the same time. I went away for a weekend to attend a wedding, then we all went away for Thanksgiving, and I feel like I've been catching up ever since. Or is catching up an elusive, unattainable balance?

Whatever the case, the holiday frenzy seems to be hitting me early this year. So back to my main question - what keeps you sane during busy times? For me, it has been to get out some of my organizing tools that I haven't used since the end of the summer. I'll share some details on those in this post.

Weekly Organizing Spreadsheet
I tabled my old standby, a one-page printed Excel spreadsheet that a friend shared with me when I became a stay-at-home-mom. I keep it in a clipboard near my computer, and the clipboard is a bright color that is easy to spot if it gets piled upon. That happens a lot, unfortunately, thanks to my paper organization problem! I date each day at the top of the sheet, using one page per week, and write my to-dos, meals, cleaning to-dos, shopping/errands, etc. Please open the attachment to view a sample of this spreadsheet. Tailor it and print away!

I've also gotten out my tote bag and placed it where I see it each time I leave the house. Again, for some reason with all the craziness I haven't been doing it. Since getting it out again last week, I returned a few items, did an ATM deposit, and took some books back to the library. How was I getting by without it?!

Gift Planning Spreadsheet
As we head into the holidays, I'm also using a gift planning spreadsheet. I blogged here about how we're doing a gift exchange on one side of the family this year, and I'm excited about that. But when November comes around each year, I'm generally overwhelmed by the fact that we have 6 family birthdays in the 8 weeks leading up to Christmas! Those coupled with our regular Christmas gift giving and the coordinating of a gift program I do for a ministry organization tap me out. Oh, and did I mention that my toddler's birthday is also in December? There's a party to plan each December, too!

Check out my version of a gift planning spreadsheet. In it I track names and wish list items, prices, and items yet to buy. I print this every 2 weeks to keep myself current and place it in my purse. That way it's with me when I'm out; I certainly can't keep it all in my head.

Meal Planning
I've fallen off the band wagon with meal planning during the past few weeks, but I follow my blogging partner A.'s menu plan when I don't have the energy or creativity to come up with my own. I also maintain a "Meals We Like" spreadsheet that is a simple list of meals I know that we all like in the event that I have absolutely no ideas. Which happens a lot at this time of year!

Let us know what works for you!

Menu Plan Monday: chicken week!

We're late in posting this today, but we still plan to eat this week! I plan to cook with lots of chicken since it's taking up a lot of space in my freezer. And A. plans to head to the hospital to have baby #2 very soon! Please pray for her and her family.

Here's what's cookin' this week:
Monday: Grilled margarita chicken, bean salad
Tuesday: Aglio e olio with peas, garden salad
Wednesday: Chicken parmesan, steamed vegetables
Thursday: Slow Cooker Tortilla Chicken Soup, cornbread muffins
Friday: Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina, garden salad, bread
Saturday: Tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches

Happy eating!

Anatomy of a Freebie - Wielding November's 1800Flowers $40.00 Fresh Rewards

Remember way back when - There was a freebie $40 Fresh Rewards credit at 1-800-FLOWERS hot off the presses? You simply created a set of date reminders (for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.), and rewards points were credited to your account. These points were then converted/posted as a $40 credit in the first ten days of the following month. So when I caught wind of the deal in early November, I signed up using my "junk coupon" email account - and set the account to filter/forward to my regular email any message that might be related to when my Fresh Rewards status changed.

Today I received my serial number and PIN for a $40.00 credit. It was fabulous! I ordered some flowers for my mother-in-law's upcoming birthday, and here are how the discounts stacked up:

$29.99 for the flowers (white calla lilies with red roses, so pretty!)
$12.99 for weekday delivery
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$42.98
+$1.92 tax
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$44.90
($40.00 Fresh Rewards code)
(15% discount of $4.50 using code BIRTHDAY15)
Grand total: $0.40

Did I mention I also clicked through ebates to get 10% cash back? Yes, that's only $0.04 cash back, but at this point, it's pure sport. So real grand total = $0.36.

I am so excited to hear how the delivery/quality of the flowers goes. You can bet I'll be on the lookout for future 1800flowers offers. The November-era posts about this deal didn't reveal any expiration date, so it may still be good if you haven't checked it out yet!

Disclosure: If you join ebates using our referral link, you'll get a $5 bonus to start, and so (thanks!) will we..
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Unusual Stocking Stuffer: Baconnaise, Cheap Today on Amazon.com

So, I was browsing through my Google Reader, when a part of Mrs. Moneysaver's Christmas gift guide post caught my eye. She had mentioned a Bacon Lover's gift pack of novelty items (bacon lip balm, anyone?) - and I have more than a few bacon lovers in my immediate family. A part of the gift set, Baconnaise, is basically bacon-flavored mayonnaise. My brother actually just described this condiment to me over Thanksgiving break, dubbing it, "Everything that is simultaneously right and wrong about America."

When I went to check out the gift pack on Amazon, it was out of stock at the moment, but I looked further down the page, in the "Customers that Bought This Item Also Bought..." section - and saw the Baconnaise by itself! Three 15-oz. jars are priced at $14.29, but after a 15% Subscribe and Save discount (you can cancel the subscription immediately after placing your order) and a 20% discount offered on J&D products through December 31, I paid $9.29 for three jars.

True, normally couponing would lead me to pay much, much less for mayo, much less any condiment, but in this case I was willing to pay ~$3.10 per jar for the novelty aspect - and for those bacon-loving family members of mine. :) This is one stocking stuffer they'll never see coming.
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Some Can't Miss Deals and FREEBIES: $5 Hallmark freebie, MORE FREE Amazon MP3s, Robeez, Vera Bradley, Burt's Bees, World Market, etc.!

I'll admit that it's exciting to realize how much retailers are competing for our hard-earned dollars. :) Every weekend 'til Christmas is sure to have hot Black-Friday-level deals - woo! Here are some deals hurtling through the blogosphere.

A $5-off-any-purchase (no minimum!) coupon good for Hallmark Gold Crown stores. Won't last long - print now. Expires 12/24.

Amazon keeps on giving away the music! I've downloaded so many free holiday MP3s that I've almost doubled my Christmas music collection. Freebies 4 Mom gave the scoop on 3 freebies available today - thanks, Heather!

Today you can get 30% off Robeez and free shipping at Endless.com. Robeez deals are harder to find, so if you like the brand, shop this deal! Thanks, Baby Cheapskate!

Use code 20offsale to get an extra 20% off sale items at VeraBradley.com this weekend. Clicking through ebates to get to the Vera Bradley site will get you an extra 3% cash back.

Whooowee, I love it when you can stack coupons and discounts. Dana of Mrs. Moneysaver posted a great scenario for ending up with LOTS (and lots!) of Burt's Bees products for a scant $25. This is is an ideal opportunity to split up the variety for stocking stuffers. Thanks for the tips, Dana!

Mommy's Wish List posted a coupon good through tomorrow, December 6th, for 25% off your purchase at World Market. Thanks, Lea Ann!

Bargain Briana says if you go to Denny's, you can use her linked coupon to get a free Peppermint Pancake Puppies coupon with any purchase at Denny's through 12/11. Thanks, Briana!
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Disclosure: If you join ebates using any of our referral links, you'll get a $5 bonus to start, and so (thanks!) will we..

Starbucks: bring your own travel mug to get more and save money!

Starbucks fans may know that customers save $.10 per drink by using their own travel mug.

I recently stumbled onto this truth because I noticed it in fine print at the bottom of one of the pricing signs in my local store. I finally remembered to put my travel mug in the car a few weeks ago, and I was pleasantly surprised when my large mug came back to me overflowing with my favorite tall skinny vanilla latte. I'm not kidding, I couldn't even put the lid on, the steamed milk was so high!

I tried this again at another location about 2 weeks ago, and then again this morning. Starbucks consistently fills my 16-ounce mug to the brim even when I order a tall (12 ounces) sized drink. Yahoo! I even filled my mug up with water at home to be sure it is larger than 12 ounces. It's definitely 16 ounces, thanks to my chemistry experiment!

So next time you visit your local coffee shop, take your own mug. I know for sure that both Starbucks and Caribou Coffee offer the discount. Let us know if anyone else gives your more drink for free!

If you haven't signed up for their email newsletters yet, I encourage you to do so. Both Caribou Coffee and Starbucks offer a coupon for a free drink on your birthday amongst other deals.
Click here to sign up for the Starbucks emails. **You have to create a profile and register a gift card to participate.
Click here to sign up for the Caribou Coffee emails.

FREE MP3 of the Day, Every Day 'Til Christmas, on Amazon.com

Amazon is giving away a FREE MP3 downloadable Christmas song every day in December until Christmas Day. Currently on the "revealed" list are Casting Crowns, Tori Amos, and a group I've never heard of called "Mediaeval Baebes". But with free songs, you never know what you'll end up liking! Go check out the freebie download of the day and brush up your holiday tunes collection. :)
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5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 12/04-12/10

Cheap-ish cereal at Giant this week, if you're needing some!

Five Reasons to Visit Giant This Week:

1. General Mills, Kellogg's or Quaker Cereal, $1.88/box
   Trix, Kellogg's Raisin Bran, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, Rice Krispies, Quaker Life Cereal, Cap'n Crunch Cereal
   $1/2 General Mills Cereals, Coupons.com AND Betty Crocker website AND Pillsbury website, final price: $1.38/box
   $1.50/2 Kellogg's Raisin Bran, final price $1.13/box
   $1/3 Raisin Bran, 11/08 RP
   $1/2 Kellogg's Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks or Frosted Flakes cereal, 11/08 RP, final price: $1.38/box
   $1/1 Kellogg's Crispix, All-Bran, Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes cereal , 11/08 RP, final price $0.88/box Reader Kate let us know that this Rice Krispies coupon was for a 10 oz.+ box, and the sale item is for a 9 oz. box. Thanks again, Kate!
   
   
2. Dannon Yoghurt, 20/$10
   $1/10, 09/13 insert, 10/25 SS, 11/15 SS
   Final price: $0.40/cup
   
   
3. Wish-Bone Salad Dressing, 2/$5
   $0.75/1 printable
   Final price: $1
   
   
4. Reach Dental Floss, Waxed, Mint, Unwaxed, or Clean Burst, $0.99
   $1/1, 04/26 RP, 06/21 SS, 10/18 RP
   Final price: FREE!
   
   
5. Birds Eye Boxed Vegetables, 10/$10
   $0.50/1, 11/08 SS, probably applies
   Final price: FREE

Here are other Giant coupon matchups, sales, and deals that we spotted for the week of December 4 through December 10.

Porterhouse or T-Bone Steak, $4.99/lb.

SUPER G Homestyle Roasting Chicken, $0.99/lb.

Sweet Sweedless Clementines, 5 lb. box, $4.77, limit 2

Bunched Broccoli or Broccoli Crowns, $0.99/lb.

Snow Crab Clusters, $4.99/lb. (Save at least $4/lb.)

Stouffer's Entrees, 5/$10

10/$10 Sale
Pepsi 2-Liters
Progresso Vegetable Classics Soup - coupons vary regionally - ($1/4, 10/25 SS) ($0.50/2, 11/08 SS, 11/15 GM, 10/25 SS)
Barilla Pasta
Glaceau Vitamin Water
Furmano's Tomatoes
Celeste Pizza for One
Oscar Mayer Basic or Jr. Lunchables
Giant White Bread

Second Page

SUPER G Drumsticks or Thighs, $0.99/lb.

Oscar Mayer Fully Cooked Bacon, 2/$6
$0.75/1, 11/15 SS
Final price: $1.50/each

Nature's Promise Boneless Chicken Breast, $4.99/lb.

Nature's Promise Boneless Beef Chuck Steak, $3.99/lb.

Third Page

Minute Maid Orange Juice and Simply Lemonade and Simply Limade, or Gold Peak Iced Tea, 2/$4

Cabot Bar Cheese, 2/$5
$1/3, 08/02 SS
Final price: $2.17/each

Giant Fancy Shredded Cheese, 2/$4

Nature's Promise Instant Oeatmeal, 2/$5

Blue Diamond Nut Thins, 2/$5

Toiletries and Health

Nature's Bounty Vitamins, BOGO
$2/1 and $1/1, 11/01 SS
Use two coupons since you are getting two bottles!

Met-Rx Protein Plus Bars, 2/$4
BOGO coupon, 09/20 insert ("other")
Final price: $1/each

Catalina deal: Buy $10 worth of Garnier products in one transaction and receive a coupon at checkout for $3 off your next order.

Fructis Hair Care, $2.99
$0.75/1, 11/08 RP
Final price: $1.49

Nutrisse Hair Color, $6.99
$2/1, 11/08 RP
Final price: $4.99

Nutritioniste Skin Care, $2 off retail
$1/1, 10/11 RP
$2.50/1, 11/08 RP
$1/1, 09/13 insert ("other")

Deal idea: Buy 4 Garnier hair products, use four $0.75/1 coupons, spend $6, get $3 back. Net: 4 for $3, or $0.75/bottle

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This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Post a comment to let us know!

PARADE Magazine: Huggies coupon spotted!

If you still have the November 29, 2009 edition of PARADE Magazine, pull it out!

We just spotted a high-dollar Huggies coupon on page 19. It's a manufacturers coupon for $2 off any one Huggies diapers (48-count or larger). Expires 12/31/09.

Works for Me Wednesday: Freezing Cookie Dough - for You and for Others!

It's Wednesday - time for another "Works for Me!" tip, inspired by the blog carnival/series at We are THAT Family. This week's carnival features folks' best gift tips, so check it out!

If you're like me, cocooning indoors on icy cold winter nights conjures an urge for a hot drink...and a fresh-from-the-oven cookie!

Unfortunately for me, making a huge bowl of cookie dough when this craving strikes can be disastrous - sampling (ahem) suddenly snowballs into just plain snarfing cookie dough while I wait for multiple batches to bake. Even worse: I'm 'tied' to the oven all evening if I plan on baking it all.

So I freeze cookie dough. Though I commonly make double or triple batches, I bake just enough for whatever immediate purposes I have - and freeze the rest. Unlike other baked goods, like muffins, which do better baked then frozen, freezing then baking is generally best for cookies. This saves me calories (from sampling and overbaking), time (from not being tied to the oven all evening), and future hassle (say, if I suddenly need to attend an event requiring a dessert).

Here are some tips to get started if you want to freeze cookie dough:

If your cookie recipe calls for balled up cookie dough, freeze it in the ball shapes. If it calls for "flattened" pieces (as with the fork-indented peanut butter cookie recipes), freeze it already flattened. To prevent the cookie dough pieces from sticking to each other, you can do some or all of the following to reduce stickiness:

• Coat the cookie dough in a layer of granulated sugar (this works well for molasses crinkles)
• Set cookie dough balls in ice cube slots of an ice cube tray. Freeze for at least half an hour before consolidating the frozen dough balls into a container together.
• Use wax paper to separate layers of cookie dough pieces - this works well with "flattened" dough pieces, which you can then store in a gallon zip bag with extra air squeezed out.
• For storage in the freezer, use a gallon storage bag (see above), or an airtight container. If you make lots of cookie dough to freeze, consider labeling the container with the type and date of dough involved.

Having a variety of cookie dough at the ready is also a quick and easy gift source. Who doesn't love to receive an assortment of cookies? It can work for hosts/hostesses, teachers, extended family, hairdressers, mail carriers, etc. (just don't let cookies take the place of a nice extra tip for those whose services keep you going all year...)

Finally, one last tip: if you get struck by a "cookie craving" on one of those cold nights, having a frozen stash of dough and a toaster oven can be just the ticket! Frozen dough is less appetizing (so less sampling temptation), and your mini batch can be fresh out of the oven in less than 15 minutes. Way to streamline the process!

What works for you in terms of cookie dough storage?
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New Redbox Freebie Rental Code, Expires Wednesday 12/2

The code SPNSV9 will get you a free Redbox rental, and it expires tomorrow, Wednesday 12/2. Find your local Redbox locations (and there are many) here.
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More Cyber Monday Deals - CRAZY deals - 50%+ off, FREE shipping, $3 in FREE Amazon MP3s,and MUCH MORE!

OK: I thought that my inbox and Google Reader looked overflowingly silly the past few days. (Pretty sure there was smoke pouring out of my hard drive by the time I was done scrolling through.)

This morning both were overloaded with Cyber Monday deals. I've parsed out some of the hottest online shopping deals here:

New York and Company is doing 50% off and FREE shipping (use code 3953 - no minimum!) today only! Plus, get a whopping 8% cash back by clicking to the NY&C website through ebates! Translation: you could get a $20 item for $10, shipped free, and eventually see $0.80 of that back in an ebates check, meaning the item is $9.20.

Today only, use the code MONDAY to get 20% off your entire purchase and FREE SHIPPING (no minimum!) at Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic. Click through to the site via ebates to get an amazing 10% cash back for Old Navy and Gap purchases today as well! Translation: Your $20 item is $16 after 20% discount, shipped free. Eventually you'd see $1.60 of that back in an ebates check, so the $20 item is $13.40 plus tax!

For those of you shopping to accessorize an American Girl doll or American Girl sized doll, check out the Cyber Monday Deals today - big discounts on American Girl accessories and other items! Thanks to Christy for the headsup on that one.

Borders has a Buy One, Get One 60% off deal going on when you use code BCM1219B. Today is 7% cash back on ebates. SO: Buy two $10 items. After 60% discount, you'll have a $14 total, which will ship free (limited time $10 minimum on shipping). You'll also get that 7% back as $0.98, so that $20 worth of stuff will run you $13.02 plus tax. There is also a deal on Dr. Seuss books - Buy two, get one free (cheapest one is free). I'm not sure if this BOGO60% code is usable for this, but you could get some serious discounts on Dr. Seuss if so!

Get $10 off a $25 order at origins.com (this deal good through 11/30 with code TENOFF09), and it ships free (this deal good through 12/17)! 10% cash back when you click to the Origins site through ebates - woo! This means a $25 item will cost you a net of $13.50 plus tax. Thanks, Lea Ann, for the tip!

Go here today (last day!) and use code MP34FREE to get a $3 credit at the Amazon.com MP3 store. Great for when that one single has been stuck in your head, but you don't want the whole album!

Through tomorrow, December 1, get free shipping (no minimum!) on any philosophy.com order. Orders of $75 or more will also get a LARGE bonus containing: limited-edition philosophy messenger bag, hope in a tube .25 oz., purity 2 oz., unconditional love lotion 1 oz., eye hope .2 ml, inner grace perfume roll-on, inner grace lotion 4 oz., amazing grace gel 8 oz., and the gingerbread man shower gel sample. the messenger bag features our logo on the front and an exclusive philosophy on the back. it measures 15x12x5" (sufficient for most laptops) and includes a front zipper pocket, mesh water bottle holder and side gusset cell phone pocket. Clicking to philosophy.com through ebates will earn you 5% back on your purchase today, too!

Shopping on Ann Taylor today pays off - if ever you needed dress clothes (work suits, party or church dresses, etc.), this is the time to pounce. Get 40% off your entire online purchase, plus FREE shipping on orders of $100 or more. 6% cash back from clicking to the Ann Taylor site through ebates makes the deal even sweeter. If you bought $100 worth of stuff, you'd pay a net of $56.40 - a 43.6% discount!

Disclosure: If you join ebates using any of our referral links, you'll get a $5 bonus to start, and so (thanks!) will we..

Fair Oaks Mall deal: Photos with Santa

Fair Oaks Mall is offering a good package on their photos with Santa this year. In addition to the reasonable pricing on photo packages, some including a free calendar and photo cards, they're including Chick-fil-a coupons and other kid-friendly store coupons.

The theme this year is the Polar Express. Go here for more details.

Thanks, Andi!

Menu Plan Monday

Ooooof. Still here, and definitely carbo-loaded from the last few days. Keeping things basic yet again owing to less and less desire to cook. Check out other post-Thanksgiving menu plans at OrgJunkie!

Monday: General buffet o' leftovers (last day of these, probably). My sister-in-law made and shared a delectable lobster bisque that simply must not be allowed to go to waste. :o)

Tuesday: Grapes and tangerines, sauteed shrimp and green beans.

Wednesday: PB&J, baby carrots with ranch dressing.

Thursday: Fruit and yoghurt smoothies, cheeses, crackers (trust me, we can eat enough cheese to make a meal with no problem ;-p).

Friday: Apple slices, romaine Cobb salad with whatever's handy (veggies, bacon, shredded cheese, etc.)
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Some Cyber Monday Deals to Browse - Amazon $5 Music Albums and Magazine Subsccriptions, 50% of Snapfish photo books, and BIG e.l.f. discounts!

Here are some Cyber Monday deals that we've seen that are already generating buzz!

Amazon.com's Cyber Monday deals have already kicked off! Many music albums for $5, $5 magazine subscriptions on top magazines like Real Simple and Southern Living, Cyber Monday deals in toys and games, and on and on. The deals go on and on!

Using the code RRBOOK on Snapfish.com (through 12/2) will get you photo books at 50% off! Check out the listings of prices (starting at $2.49!) - a lot of good grandparent gifts in this realm. Thanks to Frugal Coupon Mom for the heads up. Clicking through eBates to Snapfish.com to make your purchase will net you 18% cash back (unless percentages change between today and tomorrow). If you're a new Snapfish customer, you can also go to this link before you first register your new account to get a $10 credit (Frugal Coupon Mom reports that this cannot be used on the 50% discounted photo books, but it's still free credit for another Snapfish purchase! Thanks, FCM!). THEN go to the Snapfish site through ebates to get your cash back.

Through 11/30, you can get 70% off e.l.f. mineral makeup using the code CM70MIN on eyeslipsface.com. Click through to elf.com via eBates to get 6% cash back. Code EH75CE will get you 75% off the current stock of metalic makeup bags.

Disclosure: If you join ebates using any of our referral links, you'll get a $5 bonus to start, and so (thanks!) will we.

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 11/27-12/03

Is it just me, or are the deals pretty subdued this week? I'm typing these through the ether of pumpkin pie and mingling with relatives, so let us know with a comment if there are any deals we're missing! :)

Five Reasons to Visit Giant This Week:

1. Giant European Salads (9 Varieties) or Dole Salad Blends, 2/$4
   Note: Page 2 of the ad says: "Save $1 instantly on your produce purchase. Use your Giant card and purchase 2 Dole Salad Blends or Complete Salads in one transaction, and $1 will be deducted instantly from your produce purchase at the register when you check out. Limit 1 offer per transaction."
   This might make the Dole Salad Blends 2 for $3 (?)
   
   
2. Post Cereal , 3/$4, or $1.33 each
   Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, Honey Comb, Raisin Bran, or Golden Crisp
   Must buy 3
   I couldn't find evidence of any related coupons on AFullCup - anybody else have luck?
   
   
3. Sargento Shredded Cheese, 2/$5
   $0.55/1, November All You
   $0.50/1, 11/15 SS
   $1/2, 08/30 SS (exp. 11/30)
   Lowest possible price: $1.40/each
   
   
4. Deal: 5 Free Redbox Rentals when you purchase $20 worth of Proctor and Gamble brand health and beauty care products.
   
   Herbal Essences Hair Care or Aussie Hair Care, 3/$10
   BOGO Herbal Essences, 10/11 P&G, final price: $1.66/bottle
   $1/1 Aussie, 10/11 P&G or October Marie Claire, final price: $2.33 bottle
   
   Sample deal: Buy 6 Herbal Essences items (totals $20), use 3 BOGO coupons, pay $10, get $5 in free Redbox rentals. (Net: 6 for $5...sort of, assuming you'd rent movies anyway.)
   
   
5. Flap Deal: This week save an extra $0.10/gallon of gas when you purchase any 4 participating items with your Giant card!
   Deal idea: Buy 4 Nature's Promise yoghurts for $3. If you are filling up at least 30 gallons this week, this could be worthwhile, depending on the prices of gas in your area.

Front Page

Top Round, Bottom Round, or Boneless Chuck Roast, half price (Save at least $1.75/lb.)

Lean Cuisine Entrees, 5/$10
$2/3, September All You
$1/5 or $1/3, 09/13 RP
Lowest possible price: 3/$4, or $1.33 each

Fresh Pork Tenderloin, $2.99/lb. (Save at least $3/lb.)

Tropicana Pure Premium, 2/$5
$1/2 Trop50, 11/15 RP
Final price: $2/carton

Extra Jumbo Raw Gulf Shrimp, $6.99/lb.

Tomatoes on the Vine, $1.88/lb. (Save at least $0.61/lb.)

BOGO deals:
Perdue Boneless Chicken Breast, Small Pack
Utz Potato Chips
SoBe Lifewater, $0.25/1 printable, use two since you'd be buying two
Orchard Perfect Ripe Avocados
Thomas' English Muffins 6-pack
Mott's Apple Sauce

Second Page

Cucumbers, 4/$3

Giant Sliced Bacon, BOGO

Oscar Mayer Bologna, BOGO

Nature's Promise 94% Lean Fresh Ground Turkey, $3.59

Third Page

California Pizza Kitchen Pizzas, 2/$10

Aunt Jemima Great Starts Breakfast Entrees, 4/$5
$1/2 frozen pancake, 10/04 SS
Final price: $0.75/each

Breyers Ice Cream, 2/$6
$0.75/1, 10/18 RP (may be regional)
Final price: $1.50/carton

Yoplait Yoghurt, 10/$6
$0.40/6, 11/08 SS
Final price: 6/$2.80 (~$0.47)

Giant Egg Nog, $3.49

Giant Yoghurt, $1.88

Nature's Promise Baked Whole Wheat Crackers, $1.89

VitaMuffin, 4-pack, $3.99

Fourth Page

Tostitos Tortilla Chips, 2/$6

Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna 4-pack, $2.99

Nature's Promise Canned Organic Vegetables, 10/$10

Entenmann's Little Bites, BOGO

Sunbeam or Schmidt White Sandwich Bread, BOGO
$0.25/1, 10/11 RP, use two!

Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 2/$5

Toiletries

Ricola Natural Cough Drops , 2/$3

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Post a comment to let us know!

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you have a wonderful, relaxing, recuperative Thanksgiving today!
(And good luck to those of you with enough energy and fortitude to conquer Black Friday...) ;)


Psalm 34:8-10

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.


With thanks for photo to flickr's Cameron Nordholm,
under creative commons license.

Works for Me Wednesday: Buying in Bulk

I have friends who make fun of me for buying 25-pound bags of flour. True confession!

I do find it prudent for our family to buy certain things in bulk. We have a Costco membership, and I make 1-3 runs to Costco per month. It's true: I buy 25-pound bags of flour! I also buy these items:

eggs (7 dozen at a time!)

confectionary sugar (5 lbs.)

brown sugar (5 lbs.)

shredded mozzarella cheese (5 lbs.)

shredded cheddar cheese (5 lbs.)

ground beef (6 lbs.)

deli meat

I have a whole shelf of canisters in one of my kitchen cupboards for the dry baking goods. For anything that doesn't fit there I put the item in Ziploc bags and store them on shelves in our basement.

I buy several other items regularly at Costco, like milk, bread, salad, etc., but on today's post I'd like to highlight the items that require dividing up and storing. We don't have a lot of storage space, so I'm judicious about what I'm willing to divide into smaller bags and store. It's worth it on our budget, and this practice saves me from making extra runs to the grocery store for staple items.

I do bake a lot, and I try to keep myself on the Zone diet as much as possible. A Costco membership really helps in both areas.

What do you buy in bulk? If you buy in bulk, where do you purchase your items? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Cottontails Diapers at Giant, 50% Off Large Boxes! $0.16 or less per diaper.

I did another Giant run today (I'll sheepishly admit that we were already almost out of Clementines, a huge craving of mine.).

As I came to the milk/butter/eggs stretch, I noticed in one end-of-aisle markdown shelf that there were three boxes of size 6 Cottontails diapers - my daughter's size! - marked down from $17.98 to $8.99, for each large box of 58! That's ~$0.16/diaper. I'm sure willing to give'em a shot at that price, especially daytimes!

Not sure exactly why they were marked down, but often packs of diapers will be marked down for no other reason than to make shelf space for different "denominations" - for instance, could be stocking a new box containing 52 diapers for $17.98, an unfortunately common occurrence in the past couple of years.

If you're at Giant in the coming days and have any kiddos in diapers, check out the markdowns section! You might be able to snag them even cheaper since the largest sizes are the highest cost per diaper.

Other deals I snagged:

Stacy's Pita Chips, $1/bag
Sunkist and Diet Sunkist, $1 for a 12-pack
Philly cream cheese, $0.58/block
Land O Lakes butter, normally ~$3.79/lb., $1.24/lb. after doubled $0.75/2 coupon
Clementines, $4.44/box
Tangerines, $4.44/box

See the Giant deals for this week here.
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Tuesday Deals Roundup: Bath & Body Works Freebie, Chick-Fil-A "Cow"lendars, New Printable Kraft Coupons, Black Friday Buzz, and FREE ATMs Nationwide!

The deals keep a' comin'! Check out some of these pre-holiday coupons.

Bath & Body Works has a great coupon out for teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, hostess gifts or just to update your personal stash! The coupon will get you a free item of your choice ($13 limit) with any $10 purchase. Some exclusions apply, so check the fine print. Click here to link to the coupon. Thanks, Coupon Cravings!

Don't forget that Chick-Fil-A is running a special for a free Chick-Fil-A calendar with the purchase of a $20 gift card. When this deal advertised a few weeks ago, I ran to my local Chick-Fil-A, and I'm close to buying a 2nd gift card. I know I'll spend the money in the next few months, and the 12 coupons on the calendar are worth it to me! These calendars do sell out, so think about stopping by before the holiday rush.

Go HERE to see a new release of printable Kraft dairy products coupons - INCLUDING a $0.55/2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese coupon. (Yes, this is the week of obsession with cream cheese...) If you use this printable $0.55/2 at Giant during this week's BOGO Philly Cream Cheese sale, you can get two blocks for $0.90, or a new low stockup price of $0.45/block. Other hot coupons available at the link are $1/2 Cracker Barrel or Kraft shredded or chunks, $0.55/1 Velveeta, and $0.55/1 Breakstone's Sour Cream (could make the Breakstone's very cheap!).

If the prospect of Black Friday shopping makes you dance with glee, check out Black-Friday.net for updates on the latest Black Friday sales buzz on the net.

Since you're out and about more with holiday obligations and travel, check out Mommy's Wish List's post on how to find fee-free ATMs nationwide. Thanks, Lea Ann!
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NEW Redbox Freebie Rental Code - Use ASAP!

Inside Redbox just reported that the code DLLNS26 will get you a free rental, and while so far it seems to be working everywhere, the expiration on it is unknown. Suggestion? If you're out running errands today, stop by the nearest Redbox and give it a shot. You have nothing to lose but about 30 seconds of your time. Find your local Redbox locations here.
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Check out Amazon Wish List!

In contrast to A's post last week on using Froogle for tracking wish list and gift items, I recently discovered the new Amazon Wish List feature. I, too, have used Froogle in the past, but I now believe Amazon.com has a better setup. Hooray!

As you may know, Amazon sells pretty much everything, and at great prices. But sometimes you can't find something you'd like on Amazon; their wish list in the past was incomplete without the new "wish list button." To set up a wish list with Amazon, go here. Then go here to grab the button and put it on your toolbar at the top of your internet browser. It couldn't be easier to track wish list purchases now!

Amazon offers the capability to set up your own personal wish list and any number of other wish lists. So you can set them up for other family members or even set up a "shopping list" like I did to track the items I think I'll buy for others as I see them throughout the year.

Again, hooray for Amazon! I'm really excited about how easy this feature has made my gift planning.

Menu Plan Monday

Whew! I spent the weekend filling my freezer with recipes from Don't Panic! - Dinner's in the Freezer based largely on what was already in my pantry, and a little bit on what was on sale at Giant this week.

I made some cheesy spinach dip (with that cheap Philly cream cheese, of course!), some sour cream muffins, some mushroom palmiers (these were for Thanksgiving), and a couple of chicken pot pies. Hardly a mountainous tribute to Money Saving Mom's ever-productive Baking Day/Freezer Cooking Day, but in my current state, it was an achievement for me to crank these out.

Now the hard part will be for me to resist raiding my freezer supply until after my baby is born, which could theoretically be pretty much be any day now.

As for the start of this week, I initially was kind of stumped. (After cooking all weekend, you kind of lose steam for the week ahead, you know?) I've decided that as with last week, I'll be doing simple dinners, to keep my kitchen clean and my brain less cluttered, since Thanksgiving pretty much grabs the rest of the week by the horns. :-)

Monday: Tilapia, brown rice, cubed papaya

Tuesday: Three-cheese tortellini with sauce, Clementines

Wednesday: Travel to my relatives' house (yay!)

Thursday: Gobble gobble gobble!

Friday: Leftovers, presumably.
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Toys (and Other Gifts) with Staying Power: Books Edition

A soon-to-be-well-loved book can be one of the greatest gifts that you can give a child. While a standard list of classics and award-winners is undoubtedly a great place to start, we thought that we'd add a few inexpensive suggestions (perhaps unfamiliar to you) to spice things up. The recipients' parents will thank you in the long-run, too, because to fit this "Staying Power" series, the books must:

1. Be a good value - No $100 easily-destroyed treasuries here
   
2. Be long-lasting/resilient - The story does not lose its appeal after just a few readings
   
3. Inspire creativity - The story sparks conversation and interaction
   
4. Span age groups - Any age group reading the book will enjoy it
   

So here we go:

Cinder Edna
$6.99 paperback, $12.23 hardcover
This take on the Cinderella story reveals the parallel life of Cinderella's next-door neighbor, Cinder Edna: a take-charge kind of girl who cleans parrot cages in her spare time in order to afford to put a dress on layaway so that she, too, can go to the ball. Those familiar with the traditional Cinderella tale will also delight in meeting studly Prince Randolph's younger, more pragmatic brother Rupert.

Anything by Mo Willems, like...

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
$10.19 hardcover, 2003 Caldecott award-winner
Even very young toddlers who are just learning the meaning of, "No!" themselves will get a huge kick out of this book, in which a crafty pigeon tries every trick in the book to get behind the wheels of a nearby bus. His lines ("Let's play 'Drive the Bus'! I'll go first.") will have the older readers laughing out loud. Just one of many in the hilarious pigeon series.

Anything by Graeme Base, like...

The Eleventh Hour
$7.99 paperback, $9.32 hardcover
As with all Graeme Base creations, The Eleventh Hour is a visual feast that readers of all ages will enjoy. Horace the Elephant throws himself an 11th birthday party, and invites all of his animal friends. But the party takes an ugly turn when it emerges that the birthday feast prepared for the occasion has been secretly gobbled up by one or more in attendance. Now the questions are: who has an alibi? Will less-obvious clues from the pages exonerate other party guests? From the lush, intricately detailed illustrations, to the hidden clues and puzzles, to the overarching whodunnit mystery (with an officially sealed answer section at the back), The Eleventh Hour could easily become a family favorite, even for older children.

What authors/books do you enjoy giving children for Christmas?
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Run to Giant: Lifetime Supply of Clementines, and Enough $0.58/block Philly Cream Cheese to Feed a Small Army

It was a very good run to Giant today. Other than maxing the limit on the cheap Clementines, I bought a whole bunch of frozen spinach, shredded cheese, and 18 blocks (no joke) of Philly Cream Cheese.

To his credit, my husband did not question my sanity when I asked him to load 18 blocks of the cream cheese into the cart. He simply counted them out, and then patiently asked, "Wait, how are these going to be $0.58 a block?"

I had six coupons from a Kraft dessert booklet (collected over a couple of different trips) that has been on dessert displays at Giant and Shopper's Food Warehouse - for $1.25 off 3 of Jell-O, dessert baking chocolate, and/or Philadelphia Cream cheese.

So here's how I ran the scenario:
18 blocks of cream cheese, BOGO (regularly $2/block): $18
6 x $1.25/3 coupons = -$7.50
=======================
Final price: $10.50 for 18 blocks, or $0.58/block!
(You can also use two of these $1.25 coupons to get 6 for $3.50)

There was also a $1/3 in the 11/15 Red Plum. Here's how a similar scenario would work:
18 blocks of cream cheese, BOGO (regularly $2/block): $18
6 x $1/3 coupons = -$6
=======================
Final price: $12 for 18 blocks, or $0.66/block. Still CHEAP!
(You can also use a couple of the $1/3 coupons to get 6 blocks for $4.)

Tonight, I will be making a few batches of freezable and oven-ready warm cheesy spinach dip - and also freezing the remainder of the cream cheese. If you use cream cheese, this is a stocking up opportunity for sure, so keep an eye out for that Kraft dessert booklet!

With a lot of cream cheese around, you could make:

Mexican Hot Dip (only 5 ingredients!)
White Chocolate Cheesecake (*drool*)
Cream Cheese Frosting (so useful this time of year!)
Italian Cream Layer Cake (intriguing)

And a personal favorite I've made many times (a company-pleaser!):

Garlic-Lemon Double Stuffed Chicken
"Not your everyday chicken dish! Stuffed with Cheddar and cream cheeses, then drenched with a garlic-lemon-butter sauce, your friends and family will be begging you to make this recipe - believe me, I know!"

What are you waiting for? Go pounce on this cheap staple! :) Check out all of this week's deals at Giant here.
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Reader Comment - $2 Catalinas for every $20 Spent on Kraft Dairy?

Ooooo we just got a hot comment from reader Lynn, as follows:

I got a Cat today telling me about a Kraft cheese/dairy promotion at Giant for a $2 OYNO Cat every time you spend $20.

1. Buy any Kraft cheese or dairy product using your card now through 5/8/10 (yes, a 6 MONTH promo!!)

2. Earn a $2 grocery coupon every time you spend $20 on Kraft cheese or dairy products (purchases can be made over multiple shopping trips)

3. Save by redeeming your grocery coupon on your next shopping trip.

Lynn, THANKS so much for taking the time to type out these details! This could turn out to be a very sweet deal indeed.

Has anybody else gotten this Catalina deal? If it's truly a "multiple shopping trip" Catalina, then it must be tied to your BonusCard, so be sure to use your Giant BonusCard when you shop! I am wondering if the cream cheese deal going on this week (which, even without the Catalina deal, would bring the price from $2/block down to $0.58/block, potentially) would count toward this Catalina...?
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FREE 24-7 Christmas Tunes, Beginning Today on 97.1 WASH FM, and on the WASH FM Website!

This post is a part of the Frugal Fridays carnival, hosted by Life as Mom.

Starting today, 97.1 WASH FM has kicked off its "Washington's Home for the Holidays" tradition. That's right: 24-7 holiday tunes, and you can listen on your radio or listen live from 97.1 WASH FM's website. (Click the "Listen Live" button in the upper left hand corner...)

Now that's one freebie I won't forget to enjoy in the coming weeks. I love the variety of songs, and it meets my desire for Christmas tunes pretty much anywhere without having to buy new music.
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The Food Bank Challenge: Ideas for This Week on How to Stretch $10 to Donate

Gina of Moneywise Moms has started a Food Bank Challenge in the past week! She's challenging us (that would be couponers and generous-hearted folks in general) to see how far $10 of our monthly food budget can go for donation to a local food bank or charity. (Check out our post on finding your local food bank!) Gina has a fabulous Mr. Linky to get us in the collaborative spirit, too, where you can share your blog's Food Bank Challenge entry.

When I saw this challenge, my first thought was, "Ack, I just donated a couple of boxes' worth of stuff last week!" I wish that I had taken pictures. :) But that shouldn't stop me from getting another box started.

If you're up for the challenge, but aren't sure where to begin, check out this pretty painless scenario, with a Thanksgiving theme.

Head to Target, and spend:

• $1.60 for 8 cans of Del Monte vegetables, using one Target coupon and one 11/15 insert coupon (Thanks, Christy!) Make a couple of them green beans - your recipients could make green bean casserole with the next two ingredients!

Then make one other trip, to Giant:

• $3.50 for four cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup (buying these four will also net a $0.10 gas discount all week)
• $1.99 or less for one can of French's French Fried onions
• $2 for two bags of Stacy's Pita Chips (these are normally much more expensive!)
• $0.92 for one jar of Heinz gravy (normally ~$2.50/jar!)

===========================================
Subtotal pre-tax: $10.01
Value of items to be donated: ~$18

OK, so I went a penny over on the spending - but I think we're going for the spirit of the law here. :)

This isn't the result of a gung-ho shopping excursion - it's a stripped down sample run to show you how easy donating $10 spent on food can be. You don't have to do extra trips to Shopper's triple coupons to make a sizeable donation set (that might have been last week's aforementioned donation, heh) - and you don't need a huge supply of inserts, either. So are you up for it? See the latest on the Food Bank Challenge here!
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Now through 11/25, get $10 from Bing cashback via PayPal on a $25 purchase!

A new deal in hot off the presses!!

PayPal users can now get $10 from the new Bing cashback service by making a $25 purchase through Bing cashback, now through 11/25. Only those with an email invitation from PayPal who are new to Bing may participate, so if you have a PayPal account, check your email (and perhaps your spam?) for the invite.

Details and sign-up link found here.


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5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 11/20-11/26

I am irrationally excited about the "holiday pricing" of Clementines! Whenever these go below $5 for a 5 lb. box, I end up like a kid in a candy store. Here are five great reasons to stop by Giant this coming week:

1. 5 lb. box Sweet Seedless Clementines, $4.44, save at least $1.55. (Note that during summer months these are around $10 for a box!) Limit 2.
   
   
2. Land O Lakes Butter, $1.99/lb., save $1.50 each, limit 3
   $0.55/1 printable for registering, likely to double.
   Final price: $0.89/lb. Not too shabby!
   
   
3. Green Giant Boxed Vegetables (frozen), or Prepared Vegetables, Simply Steam Seasoned Vegetables, or Rices, 10/$10
   $0.50/1 Just for One, 11/15 GM
   $0.40/1 Fresh Steamers, 10/04 GM and 11/15 GM
   $0.60/3 Boxed Veggies, 10/04 GM and 11/15 GM
   Final price: Ranges from potentially FREE to $0.60/package
   Note: There were also many Green Giant printable coupons on coupons.com earlier this month; I don't see any now, so they may have run through their campaign print limit for the month. But the AFC listed values of these would make for some FREE Green Giant if you have'em!
   
   
4. Philly Cream Cheese, BOGO
   Check out our BOGO/coupon deal here which shows how to drive the price down to $0.58/8 oz. block!
   
   
5. Heinz HomeStyle Gravy, 4/$5 (normally $2 each)
   $1/3 printable available here
   Final price: $0.92/jar

Here are other Giant coupon matchups and deals that we spotted for the week of November 20-26.

Front Page:

Louisiana Yams or Carolina Sweet Potatoes, 3 lbs. for $1.

Edy's Ice Cream, 2/$5

Beef Rib Roast or Semi-Boneless Rib Steak, $5.99/lb. (Save at least $4/lb.)

7-Up, A&W, or Sunkist 12-packs, 5/$10, must buy 5.
$1/1 Sunkist 12-pack (or $1/2 2-liters), 11/15 SS
Final price: $1/12 pack!

Super G Spiral Honey Glazed Sliced Ham, $1.79/lb. (Save at least $1.40/lb.)

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Drinks, 64 oz., 2/$4

Snow Crab Clusters, $4.99/lb. (Save at least $4/lb.)

Deer Park Spring Water 24-pack, $3.99 (Save at least $1.50)

Smithfield Sliced Bacon, BOGO
$0.55/1, 10/25 RP, use two since you're buying two
Final price: $2.79 for two, or ~$1.40/pack, compared with $4.99/pack retail

Third Page:

Several listings of turkey prices, starting from $0.47/lb.

Giant said in an ad two weeks ago that it won't be undersold on turkeys. Since that proclamation, I've seen turkeys priced at $0.40/lb. at Wal-Mart, and this coming week's Shoppers Food Warehouse ad says again that it is selling turkeys for $0.38/lb.

Also see our writeup of last week's ad for the summary of Giant's available fully-cooked full-scale Thanksgiving dinners made to go!

Fourth Page:

Sabra Hummus, BOGO, gets you two for around $4.39, or ~$2.19/each

Reddi Wip Instant Whipped Cream, 2/$5
$0.50/1 printable, must choose Reddi Wip man after playing game
$0.50/1, 11/15 SS
Final price: $1.50/can

Stacy's Pita Chips, 2/$4
$1/1, 11/15 SS
Final price: $1/bag!

Fifth Page

Orville Redenbacher's Double Features Popcorn, 2/$4
$1/2 here, after you play the game chose the Redenbacher character
Final price: $1.50/box

Canada Dry, 7-Up, A&W, or Sunkist 2-liters, 10/$10

Newman's Own Salad Dressing, $2.99
$0.50/1, 10/25 RP
Final price: $1.99/bottle

Swanson Broth Cartons, 2/$4
Either $0.50/2 or $0.40/1, 11/08 SS
Final price: $1.20-$1.50 per carton

Back Flap

This week save an extra $0.10/gallon of gas when you purchase any 4 participating items with your Giant card!

I don't normally profile these deals because buying whatever's required usually exceeds the value of the gas money to be saved.

But, this week, if you buy four cans of the Campbell's cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup and use the coupon listed below (09/20 SS), you'll pay $3.50 for the privilege of filling up at $0.10/gallon less for the week. If you can fill up two large vehicles' tanks in the during the week, your discount on gas will probably exceed the value spent on the Campbell's soup.

Back Page:

Coke 2-liters, 10/$10

Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce, 10/$10

Pillsbury Pie Crusts, 2/$5
$0.50/2, 11/15 SS2, or also from coupons.com
Final price: 2/$4

Campbell's Cream Soups, 10/$10
$0.25/4, 09/20 SS
Final price: $0.87/each

French's French Fried Onions, 6 oz. can, $2.99
$0.75/1, September and November editions of All You magazine
$0.50/1, 11/08 SS
Final price: as low as $1.50/can

Pillsbury Quick Bread Mix, 2/$4
$0.40/1, 11/08 RP
Final price: $1.20/each

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Post a comment to let us know!
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Works for Me Wednesday: Using Froogle for Christmas Wish Lists

It's Wednesday - time for another "Works for Me!" tip, inspired by the blog carnival/series at We are THAT Family. Check out this week's tip carnival here.

If you have a Google or Gmail account, then Froogle is worth checking out! Our family (and extended family!) has used Froogle for the last few years as a way of composing Christmas wish lists. For hard-to-shop-for people, like my tech-oriented brother, or my "I have everything I need!" husband, it is a wonderful way to avoid giving them, "I'm clueless..." items year after year.

Froogle is an especially useful tool for a number of reasons:

1. It has the searching "reach" of the Google search engine.
2. It offers you the chance to filter your results by relevance, price, store, and other categories.
3. You can add an item to your private Froogle "Shopping List", and share it as part of your public "Wish List" at will. This way you can track items of interest without everything being listed on your "Wish List".
4. Froogle lets you send a link to family and friends for purposes of sharing your wish list.
5. Froogle covers the inventory of almost all major retailers online, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, J.Crew, L.L. Bean, Lands' End, Nordstrom, Zappos, etc.
   

I love Froogle because, as items occur to me year-round, I can add them to my Froogle list, preventing last minute "What do you want for Christmas?" scrambles. In my case, it is often music or books that spark my interest - but I make it plain to my family that in most cases, used copies are more than fine. Froogle also gives folks the chance to surf your wish list far in advance of a birthday or Christmas, so they can also bargain-hunt on particular items instead of being tied to paying retail on December 19th.

As for my young daughter, I keep a very book-heavy Froogle wish list in her name, so that family members can see a list of classics, old favorites, and relatively new titles that aren't yet in her collection. If a book at another child's house catches my daughter's attention, I also can try to add the title to the Froogle list later.

Have you tried using Froogle? What wish-list strategies work for you?
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Tuesday Deals Roundup: Freebies, Toys R Us and Babies R Us Black Friday Scoops, and Free Organic Coupons by Mail!

This time of year, the deals and freebies just come at you like a firehose on full blast. But there are still some jaw-dropping standouts. Check'em out:

Jamba Juice is giving away free flatbreads (Tomo Artichoki, Four Cheesy, Smokehouse Chicken or MediterraneYUM) to the first 150 customers TODAY, Tuesday November17, 2-5 p.m. Thanks, Lea Ann!

Baby Cheapskate has the scoop on the Toys R Us Black Friday Ad and the Babies R Us Black Friday Ad. Thanks, BC!

Frugal in Virginia rounded up all FREEBIES at SeeHere. Get 100 free photo prints for joining (you pay shipping on these), plus up to 100 free photo cards with envelopes (both sets ship to you free!) via two 50 photo card freebie deals. Thanks, Dana!

If you're doing a lot of Amazon shipping this year, check out FillerItem.com, where you can search for minimally priced fillers to get your order eked over $25 for FREE Super Saver shipping. The lowest I saw today was a $0.15 item! Paying $0.15 extra to avoid $6+ in shipping charges is so worthwhile.

FREE Dunkin' Donuts coffee sample - just read Bargain Briana's post. Thanks, Briana!

Crystal Paine told readers how to get a FREE booklet with $10 in coupons from Organic Valley. Thanks, Crystal!
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