Milestones with Your Daughter

My SweetPea. I look forward to celebrating many milestones together!

I was reading a question posted on Facebook by Confessions of an Earthy Young Mama where she asked the following, "At what age do you think you will 'let' your daughters wear make-up and shave? How old were you when you started?" This really got me thinking about my milestones growing up and what I hope to do for my daughter.

For me, I know I didn't start wearing make up to school and shaving until 8th grade. I would wear make up for dance competitions, but nothing to school. It seems that 8th grade was a popular answer for many of the mothers who answered this question. Yet, to me, it wasn't so much the age that I was interested in but how the mothers were introduced. Unfortunately, no one else shared that info. I loved how my mother always made my milestones special. Here are just a few examples.

In 3rd grade was when I got my ears pierced (for the 1st time ;-). I remember that my mom made it a mother/daughter evening. We had dinner and then we went to the mall. I had it done at Piercing Pagoda and got gold ball studs. I don't recall it hurting and afterwards we got desert. I remember that we had it done at that age because I would be able to take care of them myself. That is exactly my thinking when it comes to Sweet Pea. I can't imagine getting her ears pierced at her current age because I have seen little girls who had them done too early and they never learned to take care of their ears themselves. They got so use to having a parent do it, they never did it properly. I love the idea of having a minimum age that I would let Sweet Pea get it done, but also knowing that I will leave the decision of when it happens up to her.

The next big milestone was make up. Again, it was a mother/daughter evening and I was in 8th grade. We went to Clinique. The ladies did a make over with the face cleansers and make up. Then my mom got me some of their products. It was great to learn how to put it on but then get to go have a meal and feel grown up with my mom. I am hoping that I will instill in Sweet Pea that she does not need to wear make up before then, so I can hold off on this milestone until middle school, but only time will tell. I know, in school at least, I still felt that I should wear make up, but never an unnatural amount. Normally just some concealer, powder and blush and a little eye make up (no liner). I don't understand some of the styles today (maybe I am too old ;-). I seriously just hope that I can help Sweet Pea see her inner beauty and that make up should be used as a tool, but not a necessity.

The third big milestone was shaving. This was also 8th grade and happened around the same time as other female "milestones". I remember my mom had gotten me a Caboodles (do any of you remember them?) and filled it with a razor and shave cream, along with a few other grown up girl items. I think there was even bath supplies in there because I first had to conquer shaving in the tub before moving up to the shower. Again, the milestone was made to feel like a special one.

While I am not wanting Sweet Pea to grow up any faster than she already is, I can't wait to share in these, and many other, milestones with her. I am so lucky that I had a mother who made even the smallest of milestones a special one. I am lucky that we have such a close relationship that I can call my mom my best friend (she was maid of honor at my wedding also). But most of all, I am honored to have a mother who taught me how to be a wonderful mother to my own daughter. I know I will be able to take what my mother taught me about making the milestones in my life special and pass that on to my daughter. I LOVE YOU MOM!

What milestones do you remember when you were growing up? What special things did you do or what special things do you plan on doing with your daughter?

Wildman, Mimi and I petting the stingrays!

Walgreens, 4/15/11

Today I wanted to take advantage of a few more offers at Walgreens. Total amount of product was $38.54, out of pocket was $11.28, total saved was 70.8%.

(2) Schick Hydro Cartridges: $11.98 each - (2) $3.00 printable coupon - $11.98 (B1G1 free) = $5.98 or $2.99 each

(2) Schick Shave Gel: $3.79 each - (2) $1.00 printable coupon - $3.79 (B1G1 free) = $1.79 or $0.89 each

(2) M&M Eggs: $0.75 ea - $1.00/2 SS cpn (4/3) = $0.50 or $0.25/ea

(2) Lifesavers and Starburst Jelly Beans: 2/$5 ($2.99 and $2.01) - $1.00/2 SS cpn (4/10) - $1.00/2 in-store cpn = $3.00 or $1.50 each

Then I came home and found a letter from Blue Diamond apologizing for it taking so long for them to get me some coupons and they had enclosed 4 $1 coupons for their Almond Milk. We LOVE this stuff and this, combined with the blinkie $0.55 coupons at Krogers last week, I can't wait for a good sale. These have a much longer shelf life than regular milk, so it is easier to stock up.

Wild Man wanted a picture of the gifts he got in the mail from his Great Grandma!

Living the Green Life

Since I will be away from the computer on Earth Day, I thought I would take a moment now to dedicate a post to my families green living in honor of Earth Day. I first started making homemade cleaners after being directed to a book by another mother. The book is called Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan. This is a great go to guide for making your own homemade cleaners. Karen does a great job of listing the effectiveness of the recipe and breaks down the cost and savings. She also does a thorough walk through of what is in store bought cleaners. The only downside to this book is that when it comes to certain cleaners (laundry and dishwasher to name a few), there are no recipes, just recommendations on how to decrease what you currently use. So, for those of you who just want to cut back, the book is a great way to get started. For me, I was looking to replace what I was using, so I had to go to the internet.

Now, I will be the first to admit that when I made the full switch to making my own cleaning products, it wasn't necessarily due to trying to help the planet. That was an added bonus, but the real reason was that we had just moved to a new state and I no longer had my part time work at home job. Childcare would be too expensive, so I wanted to cut costs where ever I could. I had already started doing some things (natural air fresheners, scented baking soda) before we moved, but the full switch was after the move.

In my previous post, Homemade Laundry Detergent, I went through my recipe for making laundry detergent. In that post, I mention the ingredients of Borax, washing soda and essential oils. Those three ingredients, along with baking soda and vinegar, are all you need to make almost any homemade cleaner. And really, if you are a newbie to making homemade cleaners, you just need the baking soda and vinegar to get you started. The following are a few cleaners that I love.

Automatic Dishwasher Detergent

1 C Borax

1 C Washing Soda

1/2 C Kosher Salt

1/2 C Citric Acid or 4 packets unsweetened lemonade

Mix all the ingredients together, label and store. Use 1 rounded TBS per load.

I store my detergent in a yogurt container. The citric acid can normally be found near canning supplies, otherwise the unsweetened lemonade works well. You want to use one of these in order to prevent the cloudy look on your dishes.

Rinse Agent for Dishwasher

Vinegar

Just pour the vinegar in the rinse agent dispenser. Works wonders.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Borax

Essential Oils

Pour 1/2 C (or less) Borax into toilet bowl. Add a few drops of essential oil. I alternate between tea tree oil (due to its many disinfecting properties) and peppermint (for the aroma). Use scrub brush and brush the borax and oil all over the toilet bowl like you would normally clean. Let sit. The longer you let it sit, the cleaner it gets. If you can let it sit overnight, great. Otherwise, I have flushed within 5 minutes of scrubbing and my toilet bowl is still sparkling and smells great!

All Purpose Cleaner

Spray Bottle

Vinegar

Water

Essential Oil

Add equal parts vinegar and water to spray bottle. Then 15-20 drops of essential oil. This can be used as you would any all purpose cleaner. This is also great for mopping the floors. Just spray the floor and use rags or your mop to clean.

Carpet Deodorizer

Shaker Bottle (I use an old Parmesan cheese bottle)

Baking Soda

Essential Oil

Fill container with Baking Soda. Make a well in the middle of the baking soda and add 15-20 drops essential oil. Since essential oils can eat through plastic, that is why you make the well. Shake to mix. Then shake over carpets. Works best if you can let sit overnight, then vacuum the next day.

Air Freshener

Cotton Ball or Baking Soda

Essential Oil

Place cotton ball or baking soda in a container and add 10 drops essential oil.

Fabric Softener

Vinegar Essential Oil

I use one of the Downey Balls and add 1/4 C vinegar and a few drops tea tree oil. I then close up the ball and add to the laundry.

There are tons of other recipes, but these are a few of the ones I use the most. I find for mirrors, I tend to just use either a microfiber cloth or shammie. If there is stuff stuck on the mirror, I will add a squirt of the all purpose cleaner. To make things easier overall, it is great to have a gallon jug of scented vinegar pre-made. Just label it scented and add your essential oil directly to the vinegar. This works best if you are using the same essential oil for many things. Or, you could have a gallon of scented vinegar just for laundry.

Some other steps my family has taken to be more green:

- Only wash in cold water (except for cloth diapers)

- Use cloth diapers

- Signed up for a special program through our electric company where we pay wholesale per hour for electricity usage instead of the standardized rate. Then, we run the dishwasher at night and only do laundry on the weekends when rates are lowest. This cut our electricity bill in half.

- Recycle

- Compost, we even have a mini composter in the kitchen

- Veggie garden

- Give away or re-purpose items instead of throwing them away

So, those are some of the most used recipes in my home and ways we stay green. What are some recipes you use? How does your family live green? I love trying out new recipes, so if there is one that you have heard about but are unsure about trying, let me know. If I can find the ingredients, I will definitely give it a shot.

Putting Unused Coupons to Good Use

I was actually going to write this earlier, especially when it looked like those in the military would go without pay, but luckily it has worked out.

Those of you who get coupons probably pitch them once they have expired. They may even be some of you who don't even use the coupons that come in the paper and pitch them when you get them. DON'T! You can actually put your coupons, even the expired ones to good use. There is a program called Overseas Coupon Program that lets you send those unused and expired coupons to military families overseas.

The program is really easy. You can go onto the base listings to see which ones are accepting the coupons. Then you fill out an application to "adopt" the base. You can then start sending them your coupons. They don't accept printed coupons and there are a few other restrictions, but they accept a majority of coupons. The Commissary and PX will allow coupons to have expired over 2 months prior, but OCP asks that the coupons you send have an expiration date of 2 months or less.

I do believe there are some posts in the U.S. that you can also mail to, and if you live near one you should find out. I know from personal experience that you live on a shoestring budget when you are part of the military. It gets even harder when you have a spouse overseas and you can't contact them on a regular basis. I can't imagine how difficult it can be for the families living overseas and away from the rest of their family back in the U.S.

As OCP states, this is not a tax deductible donation but a patriotic donation. So, take a little time at the end of the month and set aside the coupons that have expired or that you won't use and put them to good use. Help out our military families who have so much they already have to deal with.

Getting the Most for Your Money!

Most of you who read this blog are probably SAHMs. Yet, I feel that this reaches beyond us. What I am going to discuss affects anyone who spends money. I want to help you make sure you are getting the most for your money.

My husband works really hard to allow me the opportunity to stay at home with our kids. I see how tiring his job is and how thankless it is. This makes it all the more important to me to make sure we all get the most for the money he makes. For example, in the past two weeks I have saved us $2,285 and that is not using coupons. That is by contacting companies and doing my research.

Example one, the $60 gift card that was in my mail last week. I received this from Yankee Candle after I contacted them regarding a broken jar topper I had received as a gift. It had only been on top of one of the Yankee Candle large jars for about 20 minutes and it shattered. I took pictures and wrote the company. When I didn't hear anything back after a few days, I posted a comment on the Yankee Candle Facebook page. Within an hour I had a reply on Facebook with a different e-mail to send my concern to. Within 10 minutes of resending the e-mail, someone from Yankee Candle contacted me. Now, the topper itself is worth less than $20, but because companies want to keep your business, they will almost always go above and beyond and send you more than what the product was worth. In this instance, I was not being petty. When I am using a product correctly, it shouldn't just break, especially when it is new. Also, I have children, I don't want something that is going to shatter glass all over the place.

Example 2, the $15 gift card from Bath and Body Works. I had one of their lotions and the pump would not work. Since I don't splurge on their lotion very often, I was upset. Not only did the pump not work, but it was a glass bottle that I was having to shake to get lotion out. Not very safe. I contacted them via e-mail and received a call the next day. I also gave them an idea of how to improve another product. In return, I received the gift card. I was still able to use the other lotion, it was just an inconvenience and not something I would expect for the price I paid.

Example 3, the $2200 savings we are getting from a roof we are having installed this week. This was simple enough. We got 3 quotes, then I went to the second highest to see if they would meet the lowest. They were willing. Then I went to the company that we really wanted and had the highest bid. I called and told the salesman that we really wanted to go with their company, but they were a lot higher than the rest. I told him everything the other companies were willing to do and he then brought his price down to meet the other companies and we are getting the gutters done also. All it took was about 10 more minutes of my time, instead of just going with the guy who gave us the lowest bid. Now we are going with a company that has put roofs and gutters on many of the businesses and homes in the area, along with most of the buildings at the rail yard.

One final example deals with my mortgage. Any of you who have a mortgage (and for some of you who rent, you may experience the same thing) know that each year you will get a statement from the bank explaining how they are going to change what you pay due to increases in taxes or insurance, etc. Last year we got the letter and they were wanting to double our mortgage. After a mild heart attack, I took a deep breathe and contacted the bank. I asked them to explain the breakdown of what would be causing the increase in charges. I then called my insurance company to see what they thought my insurance would be for the next year. Then I called the county assessors office to see what the taxes would be for the next year. Once I had collected those numbers, I called back my mortgage company and relayed the information. They were also trying to convince me that due to some federal ruling, they could require a certain percentage to be in escrow at all times. That is actually not true. They couldn't make me, they could request. So, after crunching the numbers, instead of my mortgage doubling, it went up by $1.

I will say that making the calls and doing all of this leads me to be teased a lot by my family. About two weeks ago they were really giving it to me. Normally it is something along the lines of, if something goes wrong, a remark is made that I should call about it. I don't call about everything, just things that I feel could be better. I just remarked back that I am just making sure we get our monies worth and, in the long run, I have probably saved us more than we have spent.

How do I get the results I do? First and foremost, it never hurts to ask. I have contacted pet food companies and grocery stores and in each case, I have gotten more back than what I put into the product. Also, don't call when you are upset. When you start out upset, you won't get anywhere. As a consumer, we have the right to expect certain standards and to contact the company if they don't meet our standards. Before you call, think about why you purchased that product and/or why you went with that company. I usually start an e-mail or phone conversation with that reasoning. With Yankee Candle, I explained that I have used their products for years because of the quality and smell. It is always good to start with a compliment, then explain your issue. Companies want to keep their consumers and are more than willing to appease you because an unhappy consumer is ten times more likely to tell others about their bad experience than a happy consumer. Do your research. My dad has said I should call companies on behalf of others for a living. It doesn't take a lot of time. I have never spent over 30 minutes between the research and contacting the company. I won't say that every time I contact a company, it goes well. But I do have a pretty good success rate. I also have no problem asking to speak with a manager. That is why they are there and, most of the time, the first person you speak to may not be able to help you anyway.

If you are a little hesitant to contact a company, try the easy route first. Figure out what one of your favorite products is. It can be a food item, beauty item, anything. Go to the website for that company and find their e-mail address. Then write them an e-mail telling them what product(s) you like and why. Within a few weeks, 9 times out of 10, you will receive coupons from that company.

I truly believe everyone deserves to get the most for their money. Especially in times like these where gas and food prices are on the rise, we should be expecting more for the little luxuries in life. You may not feel like you can contact a company, but I promise you can. If I could hand out homework, I would tell you to contact that clothing store, grocery store, ice cream brand that you like, then let me know how it turns out. Or, if you have an issue that you aren't sure how to contact the company about, let me know. I have figured out most ways to either get contact info for a company or to at least get around some of the red tape.

I promise, you can all get the most for your money, it just takes a little practice!

Walgreens, Staples, Target 4/6/11

I was bummed about Target today because I had hoped to get the Blu Ray of Tron and Tron: Legacy with the $8 off, but they didn't have one of the discs. Which could turn out to be to my advantage since I got a $5 gift card with my purchase today that I can now put towards the dvds when they are back in tomorrow or Friday. Total products for today $27.81, out of pocket $6.51, savings was 76.6%.

Similac: $5.54 - $5 mailer cpn = $0.54

Gerber Good Start: $9.29 - $10.25 mailer cpn = $0.96 money maker

Both formulas I give to a local charity. I get so many coupons and I don't use formula, so I may as well put them to good use.

Kandoo wipes: $1.42 - $1 cpn 4/3 RP = $0.42

Olay facial cleanser: $4.99 - $2.00 mailer cpn - $1.00 Target mailer = $1.99

Olay lotion: $5.99 - $2.00 3/27 SS cpn = $3.99

I then got a $5 gift card for purchasing the two Olay products.

I also got a $0.05 credit for using my own bags, you get this credit per bag you bring and use.

I did my Walgreens purchase in two transactions.

First transaction:

Pantene Conditioner and Shampoo: 2/$7 -$2 mailer cpn - $1 P&G cpn = 2/$4 or $2 each

M&Ms: 2/$5 - $2/2 All for You cpn - $1 Walgreens cpn = 2/$2 or $1 each

I then got a $2 Cash Back from the Pantene purchase

Total product was $12, out of pocket was $6.96, 42% savings

Second transaction:

(2) Schick 3 blades 4 ct: 2/$8.49 (BOGO free) - $4 cash back from last week - $2 cash back from previous transaction = 2/$2.49 or $1.25 ea

Total product was $16.98, out of pocket was $3.17, 81.3% savings

I originally went to staples for ink, but saw this deal and couldn't pass it up. They have their HP 500 ct paper for $5.99 each. You then get a rebate form to get $4.99 back on each package. If my printer had not quit when it did, you can then print off $1 HP cpn

and you could get both reams of paper for free!

Free Stuff for the week of 3/28

So, the number of things that I got free this week isn't a lot, but the value of what I got is. That gift card is a $60 gift card from the Yankee Candle Company that they sent me after I contacted them regarding a concern. My next post I will go over some of the ways I have contacted companies and gotten coupons or gift cards and how it doesn't take a lot to get results.

The other items in the picture are part of the Target beauty sampler that I had signed up to receive. I got lip balm, lotion, (2) shampoo, conditioner, lipstick, carrier and over $25 in coupons.

Not for free, but exciting enough was the fact that I received my Blissful Booty AIO diaper with snaps today! Can't wait to get it washed up and have Sweet Pea try it on.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

The necessary ingredients

Since it was time for me to make this last night, I figured I would go ahead and share the recipe. I love making my own detergent. It takes less than 20 min. Plus, it seems to last forever. I have made it only 4-5 times during the past 1 1/2 yrs. So, here is the recipe:

Homemade Laundry Detergent

3.1 oz bar Ivory soap (of Fels Naptha)

1 C Borax

1/2 C Washing Soda

Water

Essential Oils

5 gallon container

I found it easiest to use a cat litter container that I washed out. You could always mix your detergent in a large container and then transfer to smaller containers, but I guess I am lazy and just prefer to keep it in the same container.

Shave soap and place in a pot with 5 cups of water. Bring the water just shy of a boil and stir until the soap is completely melted.

While waiting for soap to melt, pour 3 gallons of hot water into a 5 gallon container.

Add the pot of water and melted soap and stir.

Once thoroughly stirred, add the 1/2 C of washing soap and stir until dissolved.

Once dissolved, add the 1 C of Borax and stir. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil at this time.

Once completely mixed, put the lid on the container and let sit overnight.

The detergent will look cloudy and have soapy lumps, but that is because you aren't using all the additives that store bought detergents have to keep the smooth consistency.

That's it! I timed it last night and, even with a few interruptions, it took me less than 20 min to make. I add tea tree oil and some lemon/eucalyptus to my detergent this last time. When I first made it, another lady had been taking part in a contest where you needed to have some type of food in your homemade cleaner, so she had added grapefruit zest. I went ahead and added orange zest at the time and it smelled really nice.

The best thing about this detergent is the cost. I bought 2 boxes of Borax, 2 boxes of washing soda and 7 bars of Ivory soap 1 1/2 years ago. I still have 3 bars of the Ivory soap, almost all of one box of the washing soda and 1/3 a box of the Borax left (I use the Borax to also clean toilets and a few other things). I am washing clothes and cloth diapers for less than a penny a load.

Next I am going to try a recipe for a stain remover that I found. After that (and once I have used up my current supply of store bought facial cleansers) I want to try a homemade facial cleanser recipe that I found.

RESPECT!

Someone didn't want to leave the mall.

I have been trying to figure out all night how I was going to write this blog. Let me start with what got me riled up about writing this.

Today, Wildman, Sweet Pea and I were heading into Aldis. We were actually just putting our quarter in the cart when I heard this father yelling and a kid screaming. I looked over as a father had his son draped over his shoulder (probably 6 or 7, maybe older) and the father threatening him, "I will blister your a$$ for how you are acting!" I literally got tears in my eyes as I watched them turn a corner and head to their car. If I had not had my kids in tow, I would have hauled myself over to that man and given him a piece of my mind, but, not knowing how he would react to that, I didn't want to put my kids in harms way. Instead, I turned to Wildman and told him how no parent should ever speak to their child that way. Now, a little background on Wildman. He is, and I have been told by many, the most compassionate little boy. If he hears any child crying or upset, he has to find them and figure out how to help them. So, of course he was trying to figure out what was going on. I explained to him that, under no circumstances, should any adult speak to a child like that and they shouldn't threaten. I told him that the father was not acting like a very good father at that moment.

You can say that I am being judgemental, that I don't know what the father may have been dealing with or how the son was acting. I say this, how can we teach our children to respect others if we won't respect them?

The reason today got me so riled up (I literally had tears in my eyes when walking into the store) was that, just a week ago, my husband came home telling me of a similar story. He had run to the liquor store to get some wine for the company we had over. As he was parking and getting out, he hears a woman cussing at 3 little boys. There is a burger joint in the strip mall that the liquor store is at and, from what my husband gathered, the whole incident involved a burger. My husband and I are very much on the same wavelength when it comes to parenting (whether he wants to admit it or not, I think I am wearing him down :-). He hears this "woman" (he thinks she was either teenage or early 20's so we don't know if these were her kids, siblings, what) and he steps in. He tells her something along the lines of how that is no way to speak to the kids. She throws some choice words at my husband and continues on her way. I could really tell all of this bothered my husband when he came home. Just like today really bothers me.

You said what to your kid?

Now, I am not trying to tell anyone how to parent. I know there are still many out there who use spanking as a punishment. For some reason, that was never a way I wanted to parent. I didn't know why, I just knew it would make me feel like a hypocrite if I would spank my child but then tell them not to hit someone.

It wasn't until I happened to catch an episode of Super Nanny a few weeks ago that what I felt was actually put into words. Now, a lot of what she does on the show would not work for me, but there are a few things I have taken to heart. On this particular episode, the father spanked, but he would also put hot sauce in his sons mouth. Jo called this corporal punishment. It was what she said next that rang true to me. She asked the father what happens when his son turns around after being spanked and says "that didn't hurt", will he hit harder? Or, what happens when just a little hot sauce doesn't work, will he use the whole bottle?

Those were the questions that made me realize why I could never use punishment with my kids. What do they learn? They learn to fear doing something because there is pain, but do they learn the reason behind why they shouldn't do something? I respect my kids and I respect their intelligence. I know that my son truly understands wrong and right on his own level and, if I give him enough time, he understands why something he did was wrong.

My parents love telling the story, when showing how stubborn I am (and was) about how, when they spanked me once (I was around 4 or 5), I did turn around and say "that didn't hurt". It was then that they realized that spanking was not the route they wanted to take. Instead, I recall being grounded once, maybe twice. It wasn't because I was a goody two shoes, it was because I knew my parents respected me and my decisions and that there wasn't anything I needed to keep from my parents. We had an open relationship. My mom can still remember the one time I really lied to her and that was senior year of high school. At that time, I lied more because I was afraid of disappointing them.

I know I have rambled some, but it all comes down to this, respect your child. Just because they are little and younger does not mean that they don't feel the same things as you. I am not going to say you should not spank, I just can't do it. I feel that any punishment a child receives should be done in private and, for me, it is quite time and getting up when he is ready to apologize and let me know what he did wrong. How would you feel if your boss started berating you in front of your coworkers? Or if you are chastised by someone in front of a lot of people. Children feel the same way. Show your children the same respect that you want to be shown. You will be amazed at how things work more smoothly in a household that shows love and respect.

The bottom line is to act how you want your children to act, love how you want them to love and show them respect so they can show respect to others.

Wildman and Sweet Pea say, "Show us some RESPECT!"

Target and Aldi's 4/1/11

So, it has been awhile since I went to Aldi's, but after seeing their produce prices this week, I was reminded why I loved going there. I got everything above for $15.09. The grapes were $1.49 for 2lbs, strawberries $0.99/lb and bananas were $0.39/lb. Plus, I have yet to find anyone beat their prices for baking supplies. They don't take coupons, so most of the name brand stuff is cheaper elsewhere, but I love what they do have. Plus, their milk usually is cheaper than other stores.

Wild Man was pretty proud of our Target shopping adventure. $84.79 worth of product for

$33.34, a 60.7% savings.

Kandoo flushable wipes: $1.42 - $1/1 (mailer cpn) = $0.42

(2) Purex Crystals: $2.99/ea - (2)$1/1 Target cpn - (2) $1/1 printable cpn (no longer available) = $0.99/ea

Tangled: $19.99 - $5 printable cpn (even though it says 4 disc combo pack, it works on just the blu ray, I don't know about just the dvd) = $14.99, plus there are two more $5 rebates you can do, one from Success Rice and one from Cost Cutters. So, you could get the blu ray for $4.99

(2) Sobe Water: $1.00/ea - (2) $0.50 printable Target cpn = $0.50/ea

(2) Zyrtec 5 ct: $5.39 - (2)$4/1 printable Target cpn - (2)$2/1 printable Zyrtec cpn = $1.22 money maker

(2) Special K cereal: $2.50/ea - $1/2 printable Target cpn - $1/2 Special K cpn = $1.50/ea

(4) Knorr rice: $1.02/ea - (2) $0.50/2 printable Target cpn = $0.77/ea

(4) Market Pantry Fruit Snacks: $1.39/ea - (2) $1/1 printable Target cpn = $0.89/ea

(2) Wishbone salad dressing: $1.89/ea - $0.75/1 Wishbone cpn (my computer couldn't print it twice) - $1.50/2 printable Target cpn = $0.77/ea

(2) Mio Beverage Enhancer: $3.50/ea - $1/1 mailed cpn - $1/1 cpn 3/27 Smartsource insert = $2.50/ea + a free 24 pack of Ice Mountain water

Based on the past two days, and the fact that there are no good sales at Kroger this week, I think I am bypassing shopping there this week and making meals based off of my pantry stock. Hopefully they have some better sales starting next Thursday.