Vacation Time!

My Dear Readers~


I wanted to let you know that starting at 11 am today my family and I will be on a much-needed vacation.  Don't worry, though, Mindfully Frugal Mom is never on vacation and I have planned some great posts to tide you over until I return on Wednesday.  I won't be doing my Wegmans coupon match-ups this week, though, so I encourage you to visit I am That Lady or Happy Deal Happy Day if you are headed to Wegmans this coming week.


Sarah

Natural & Organic Coupon Roundup --7/23

Who says there aren't coupons for natural, healthy foods!? My favorites this week are all the Kashi coupons and the Athenos coupons. I love Feta cheese over fresh grilled vegetables!

Wegmans

$1/1 Yogurt or Vinaigrette Dressing

$1/2 Naan Bread

Newman’s Own Organics (can print 2 per computer):

$.50/1 Organics Chocolate Cup

$.75/1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil OR Balsamic Vinegar

$.75/1 Organic Snack Sticks

$.75/1 Organic Licorice Twists

Earth's Best 

$1/1 Wipes

$1/7 Jars of Baby Food

$1/2 Sesame Street Products

$5/1 Canister of Infant Formula

$.55/1 Organic Infant Cereal

Various Printables

$1/1 Late July Snack Chips

$1/1 Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread

$1/1 Muir Glen Printable

$1.10/4 Larabar

$.75/1 Truvia Natural Sweetener

$1/1 Athenos Feta Cheese

BOGO Athenos Feta Cheese (can be combined with $1/1)

$1/1 Hain Celestial Products

$.50/1 Driscoll's Berries when you sign up for email offers (possible future coupons)
$1/1 Alexia Frozen Product Coupon when you sign up for their email list

Kashi Products

$.75/1 Kashi Frozen or Pizza Item

$1/1 Kashi Pita Crisps

$2/1 Kashi Product (Recyclebank Coupon, go HERE to learn more about Recyclebank.)

$2/4 Kashi Products Target Coupon

Stonyfield Farms

$.50 off 3 OSoy 6oz Yogurts

$.50 off 3 Organic Yogurt Cups

$.50 off 2 Yogurt Smoothies

$.50 off 2 Oikos Greek Yogurt

$.50 off 1 4-pack of Smoothies

Facebook Coupons

**RARE** $2/1 Weleda Facial Care coupon when you "Like" Weleda on Facebook

$1 off 1 Wholly Guacamole product when you "like" them on Facebook.

$1 off 1 Alexia Product when you "like" them on Facebook

Brown Cow

$.50 off Brown Cow 32 oz yogurt

$.50 off 3 Brown Cow 6 oz yogurts

$.50 off Greek yogurt multipack

Mambo Sprouts

$1 off 2 Helios Nutrition Organic Kefir

$1 off 2 Lifeway Kefir Products

$1 off 1 KeVita Probiotic Drink

$.55 off 1 San-J Gluten Free Asian Cooking Sauce

$.75 off Organic Valley Half and Half

$1.00 off 1 Olivia's Organics Salad

$1/1 Hillshire Farms Lower Sodium Lunch meat

Seventh Generation

$.50 off 1 Seventh Generation Product

$.50 off 1 Seventh Generation Baby Product

$2/1 Seventh Generation Baby Product

Amazon

Pacific Natural Foods Organic Soup, Creamy Butternut Squash, 16-Ounce Cartons (Pack of 12) --$21.63 when you use use Subscribe & Save and code PACIFIC5

Clif Kid Zbar, Variety Pack, 8 Chocolate Chip, 8 Chocolate Brownie and 8 Honey Graham, Pack of 24 -- Use Subscribe & Save to get 24 bars for only $11.90, or only $.50/bar.

Head over here to find more good Amazon grocery deals.

Target

$1/2 Morningstar Farms Frozen Items

$1/1 Boca Frozen Meatless Item

$1 off 6-ct or larger Nutrition Bars (like Luna or Clif)

$2/4 Kashi Products Target Coupon

*All Kashi Products B4G1 until Saturday night.*

Wegmans’ Nature’s Marketplace July Magazine:

$1 off 1 Family Size Popcorn, Indiana Kettlecorn

$1 off 2 Kashi cereals or snacks

$1 off 1 Bach's Rescue Pastilles 

$1 off 1 Bakery on Main Fiber Power Gluten Free Granola

Fun Mail Day!

I was so excited to find all these rare coupons and samples in my mailbox today!

Definitely the best package I got was from Dr. Bronner's.  I got an idea from Healthy Life Deals to send away for some Dr. Bronner's coupons because I haven't ever found any on my own. Less than 2 weeks later, a package containing the following arrived:

• $1 off any lotion
• $1 off any fair trade organic coconut oil
• $1 off any pump soap
• Sample of Unscented Baby Soap
• Sample of Shikakai Soap in lemongrass lime
• Sample of Shaving Soap Gel
• Sample of Lavendar Coconut Lotion

Also in my mailbox:

• $1 coupon for Aveeno Lasting Color
• Samples of Aveeno Lasting Color Shampoo and Conditioner (no longer available)
• $.75/1 coupon for Honey-Nut Cheerios
• Sample of Honey-Nut Cheerios (from Vocalpoint)

Do you want to find FREE stuff in your mailbox? Make sure to "Like" Mindfully Frugal Mom on Facebook or subscribe to our email list so you never miss a deal!

$5 Fridays: CSA Edition Part III

Right at the beginning of the CSA season, I posted my basic recipe for Kohlrabi Slaw.   With our CSA, we get a double share and split it with my dad and step-mom. Well, they're on vacation this week so every time I look in my crisper I see 6 kohlrabi bulbs and about 100 carrots staring back at me.  


They're so beautiful that I couldn't stand to see any of it to go to waste, so I tweaked my Kohlrabi Slaw recipe a little and came up with this meal.  We had it last night, and again -- both kids ate every bite!  And no, that doesn't happen all the time, or even most of the time!
This $5 Friday meal is sort of a mish-mash of a couple of ideas, but it's a good way to make the most of your CSA veggies.


I used the Barbecue Marinated Chicken from My Once a Month Slow Cooker Freezer Cooking from the Stockpile day.  It involved literally dumping 3-4 chicken breasts in the crockpot, covering it with barbecue sauce, and turning it on low for 5 hours. That's it.  I'm happy to report that it held up to freezing and thawing perfectly and was tender and juicy. 

Photo Credit

For the Kohlrabi Slaw, my only goal was to use up a bunch of veggies and apples that were "on the edge." I used:

• 4 whole kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and julienned
• 20 carrots (the CSA carrots are much smaller than supermarket ones), peeled and julienned
• 1 onion, peeled and julienned
• 2 organic Granny Smith apples, peeled and julienned

Dressing: I normally recommend Wegman's yogurt Coleslaw dressing, but I was out, so I made my own!  Whisk together the following and mix it with the vegetables:

• 1 cup Mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise because I had several jars from a Green Moms Meet sampling opportunity)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard seed 
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp poppy seeds

The dressing turned out sweet, tangy, and delicious with the tart vegetables and sweet apples. 

This meal was quick, easy, kid-friendly, and didn't involve turning on the oven! Perfect for a heat wave!

Total Cost:

3/4 lb boneless chicken breast -- $1.25

1/2 jar barbecue sauce -- FREE ( used $1/1 coupon from 5/15 SS on a $.99 jar at Target)

Kohlrabi, Carrots, & Onion -- $2.50 (I'm guesstimating based on the cost of our CSA)

2 organic apples -- $.70 at Wegmans

Dressing -- $.25 (Vegenaise was free)  you could use Wegman's Coleslaw Dressing for $2.29 using this week's coupon

Total Cost= $4.70

2 ThredUp Boxes for Only $6!

I just found out about an even better deal on thredUp boxes from Savemore.


The price of 2 boxes is $16, which is a good deal. But if you are a new customer to Savemore and sign up through this link, you will earn $10 off your first purchase, making the deal only $6 (with free shipping!!)for 2 boxes of kids' clothes, toys, or books.  I definitely consider that a rock-bottom price, since all the thredUp boxes I have received have had at least 8 items in them.


This offer expires July 23, and you may only buy 1 for yourself and 2 as gifts.


Redeem at http://thredup.com/savemore


(Thanks, I am that Lady!)

Wegmans: Shopping for Vacation and Under $80

I had a great Wegmans trip last night, despite the fact that it was the second time that I tried to get there yesterday. The first time I didn't go because my 3 year old wouldn't put his pants on.  For realz. And there was no way I was going to do it for him. 

You don't see any fresh vegetables because we have such an abundance of veggies in our CSA basket. We're literally drowning in cucumbers, carrots, onions, zucchini, and fresh peaches!

So anyway, we finally got there, and I was able to get lots of vacation cottage-friendly snack foods like granola bars, organic cereal, and fruit.  Here are some of my best deals:

Kellogg's Gluten Free Rice Krispies -- $3.29 

Used $.70/1 from 7/10 RP

Used $1/1 Wegmans' coupon that printed on the back of my receipt

Total out of pocket: $.89

Silk Soymilk Cartons (2) -- $2.39 each

Used (2) $.75/1 coupons

Final Cost: $.89 each

Cascadian Farms Granola Bars -- $3.29

Used $.85/1 printable (no longer available)

Final Cost: $1.59

Fig Newman's -- $3.99
-$2 from Shopper's Club
Used $.50/1 printable
Final Cost: $.99


Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie packs -- $3.00
Used $1/1 printable
Final Cost: $2.00


Kikkoman Soy Sauce -- $1.79
Used $.55/1 from 5/15 SS 
Final Cost: $.69


Kashi Pita Crisps -- $3.29
Used $1/1 Printable
Final Cost: $2.29


Barbara's Puffins Cereal -- $3.49
-$.99 Shopper's Club
Final Cost: $2.49


Driscoll's Organic Strawberries -- $3.49 and Local Raspberries -- $2.49
Used $.50/1 Printable
Used $1 off $5 Wegmans' produce coupon (no longer available)
Final Cost: $1.99 each

What to Do With All That !$^&%*%*$ Zucchini

I promise the words “Deceptive” or “Sneaky” will not appear in this post.

Ideally, I believe that vegetables and other wholesome foods should be presented to children simply and in their natural state.  

I'll wait until you're done laughing.

 I have a friend whose child is so averse to vegetables, he picks flecks of green oregano off his pizza.  

Even if you and your family don’t mind eating vegetables al fresco, there comes a time when everyone is mildly (or extremely!) sick of eating the never-ending summer bounty of zucchini.  For the next couple of weeks I’ll be presenting a variety of different zucchini recipes for normal cooks who just want their families to eat healthy food, darn it, and stop whining! 

Maybe that’s just me, though.

A few tips if you’re in the business of disguising zucchini. While the skin is edible (though it should always be washed well first), you will have better luck hiding the featured ingredient if you use a vegetable peeler (I like the OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler) to peel off all traces of the green skin. The pale green flesh is much less noticeable for recipes in which it is imperative that no trace of any offending green shows through.

Anyway, let's kick this thing off with one of my absolute favorite ways to "hide" zucchini in baked goods: lots and lots of chocolate.

These delicious muffins are such a decadent dessert, no one will know that the star ingredient is the Vegetable-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

(adapted from Bakingbites.com)

2 c. flour (could do 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup white)

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs (OR 1 egg plus 1 tbsp water with 2 tsp ground flaxseed -- again, upping the healthy factor)

1/3 c vegetable oil (or a comparable amount of applesauce)

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 medium zucchini, shredded

1 c. chocolate chips or chunks

1. Preheat Oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt

3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined

4. Fold in  zucchini and chocolate chips until evenly distributed

Bake for 25-35 minutes. Makes 1 dozen muffins. Can easily be doubled; these muffins freeze beautifully.

New Wegmans Coupon: $1 off 2 Naan Bread

Wegmans' Thursday coupon is out! 
This week it is $1/2 packages of Naan bread. Each package contains 2 "loaves."


I've purchased this Naan before and it is perfect for any number of savory toppings, from fresh vegetables to olive tapenade.


You should be able to print this twice.

Amazon Deals!

I love the Amazon deals this week. After using my Swagbucks, I will probably get at least the Clif bars for free!! 


Here are the best deals:
Clif Kid Twisted Fruit Rope, Variety Pack, 8 Strawberry, 8 Mixed Berry, 8 Grape, Net Wt. 16.9 Oz. Pack of 24 -- Total Cost: $13.40 or $.56 each when you use Subscribe & Save.


Clif Kid Zbar, Variety Pack, 8 Chocolate Chip, 8 Chocolate Brownie and 8 Honey Graham, Pack of 24 -- Use Subscribe & Save to get 24 bars for only $11.90, or only $.50/bar.
Bob's Red Mill Granola, Crunchy Coconut, 18-Ounce Units (Pack of 4) (other varieties available) only $11.40 or $2.95 per bag!


Aveeno Baby Natural Protection SPF 30 Lotion, 3-Ounces -- only $7.55 when you choose Subscribe & Save and use code AVEENOJL at checkout. All Aveeno products are up to 30% off until July 31.
Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes, 350 Unscented Wipes -- only $.02/wipe when you use Subscribe & Save

Printable Coupon Roundup!

I'm still seeing a ton of  high value printables from coupons.com, including many for natural foods. Make sure you print them now because we never know when they'll disappear!

Here are my favorites:
$1 off Athenos Feta 
$.75/1 Breyers Blasts
$.75/1 Minute Maid Enhanced
$.75/1 Kashi Frozen Entree or Pizza
$1/1 Olivia's Organics Salad
$1/2 Gerber Graduates Puffs

New Coupon Booklet at Wegmans!

I finally dragged my family out of the air conditioning tonight to do some shopping at Wegmans in preparation for our vacation this weekend.


In the bottom of our cart, I saw a somewhat crumpled up booklet, and upon further inspection realized it was a brand new Wegmans Summer Savings Coupon Booklet!  I was so excited because there were some fabulous deal from the last one by combining manufacturers coupons with the Wegman's coupons. 

I found the booklets in the store in the front of the pharmacy section (and yes, took 2 more).  If you can't find them at your Wegmans, ask at the customer service desk for one. 


Here's just some of what you'll find:

• $1 off any Cover Girl Mascara
• $5 off any professional Hair Care Product (great if you're loyal to a certain salon brand!)
• $1 off any Aveeno body lotion
• $1 off any Wegmans suncare
• $1 off One a Day multivitamins
• $1 off Aleve
• $1.50 off any Nivea body wash (combine with $2/1 in this weekend's RP insert)
• $1 off any Reach Toothbrush or floss
• $1 off Sensodyne
• $3 off Crest Whitestrips

I'm working on a list of match-ups using these Wegman's coupons and available manufacturer's coupons. Coming Soon!

I'm wondering if this booklet is only available in certain regions or in certain stores. If you find it at your Wegmans, would you mind letting me know? :)

Free Pack of Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs!

Sign up here for a Free Pack of Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs!

Free Pete's Tofu Sample!

Sign up here for a Free Sample of Pete's Str-Fry Tofu

Seventh Generation Wipes only $.02 each!

Amazon has an amazing deal on  Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes, 350 Unscented Wipes.   I purchased this deal the last time it came around in April, so I'm excited to see it again! 

Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes, 350 Unscented Wipes are normally $14.99 at Amazon. Right now they are on sale for $11.89 ($.03/wipe), but go down to $8.32 ($.02/wipe) when you choose Subscribe & Save.  This is definitely a stock-up price, and the cheapest I've been able to ever get Seventh Generation wipes, even with a coupon at the grocery store.  The Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes, 350 Unscented Wipes also qualify for FREE super saver shipping!


Remember, you can always cancel subscribe & save after your order ships.

Yoga Journal: $3.73 for One Year

Today's Deal of the Day at Best Deal Magazines is Yoga Journal.


Head over here to order your subscription for only $3.73!


Yoga Journal is full of nutrition advice, health tips, and revitalizing yoga techniques.


List price for this magazine is $21.95.  Best Deal's price today is $4.39, but get an additional 15% off your subscription when you use code PXSS724.

No-Poo Experiment: Update

It's 6 weeks out from The No-Poo Experiment, so I thought I'd share with you the aftermath -- what happened, and what I've learned. Sadly, No-Poo just didn't work for me. I have medium length, thick, wavy, dry-ish hair, and it always looked and felt greasy and stringy while I was No-Poo-ing. I really gave it an honest try, because it really would have been great to get rid of shampoo, both from an environmental standpoint and from the budget. Since then, though, I've been very aware of how and when I use shampoo and conditioner. 


First, I have been shampoo-ing my hair less and less. I routinely go 5-7 days between washes.  Since I'm washing my hair less, I'm using less product, so less sodium laryl sulfate (and other irritating surfactants) is going into the septic system and onto my skin. I'm also using less water when I shower, since it takes less time on a daily basis. Less is always more when it comes to chemicals and water usage.


Next, since I'm using less shampoo and conditioner, a bottle of shampoo takes about 6-7 weeks to use -- that is 8 bottles a year. Based on that figure, I have enough shampoo and conditioner in my stockpile (from buying with coupons at under $1 per bottle) to last at least a year and a half.  That's just good "cents" (sorry, I had to go there.)


Finally, on a note of pure vanity, I think my hair looks better when I shampoo it less frequently. Maybe it's because I have dry hair to begin with, but it's really true that your hair does adjust to how often you wash it. When I used to wash it every day, it felt greasier after 2 or 3 days. Now, it doesn't start feeling greasy until at least day 5. And even then sometimes I wash it just because I feel like it would be gross if I didn't. It is gross, right?


I spoke to a hairstylist about this who had this anecdote to share: at her former place of employment, there was a girl who went a whopping 13 days (!!!) in between washes. This frugal soul was ridiculed, however, because her fellow employees said that whenever she walked by, there was an unpleasant odor wafting through the air. 


I can deal with being called a dirty hippy. But smelly hippy? That's where I draw the line.

Free Sample of Garnier Moisture Rescue

Sign up for a Free Sample of Garnier Moisture Rescue!

And the Coupon Giveaway Winner Is. . .

Megan! 


A huge thank you to everyone who entered and who continues to support Mindfully Frugal Mom!


Congratulations, Megan, you should have an email from me instructing you on how to claim your coupon and sample pack!

Seventh Generation Sale at Amazon

Amazon is running a sweet special on Seventh Generation Liquid Laundry 2x Ultra Concentrate - Free and Clear, 150-Ounce.  It's normally $31.43, but today it's on sale for $24.99 ($.17/oz).  Amazon is making this detergent Subscribe and Save eligible, so when you choose Subscribe & Save, you get an additional 15% off, making this giant tub of laundry detergent only $21.24 ($.14/oz), with free shipping!

This deal also works on Seventh Generation Liquid Laundry 2x Ultra Concentrate, Baby, 150-Ounce, making it $18.69 ($.12/oz) with Subscribe & Save.

Remember, you can always cancel Subscribe & Save after your order ships.

If you do Swagbucks, make sure to apply your Amazon gift cards to make this offer even cheaper!

Shutterfly Hardcover Photo Book only $9

Today Plum District is offering a 20-page, 8x8 Hardcover photo book from Shutterfly for only $10. PLUS, you can use code FUNFUN at checkout to get an additional 10% off your order, making today's deal only $9.


These beautiful books make fabulous gifts, or make one for yourself as a keepsake of a vacation, or a memory book for your child's first year.


The fine print:

• Offer for NEW Shutterfly customers only
• Tax and Shipping not included
• Limit 1 per customer

Under $60 for the Week at Target!

I'm really, really happy with today's Target trip. Even though I only saved 26%, I got some amazing savings AND (more surprisingly)  both kids were basically under control in the store (thanks to a steady stream of snacks, but I do what I have to do!).

Here's the visual recap:

I went to Target mainly for the Kashi deal, but wanted to pick up a few staples -- bread, cheese, milk -- as well.  I came up with some fabulous deals.  Here's how things went down:

• I did the Kashi deal, getting 3 boxes of granola bars, 1 frozen meal, and a box of crackers for only $1.64 each.
• 3 packages of cheese (shredded and block) on sale for $2.15 each (I use these for quesadillas for the kids -- they love them and I can sneak some veggies in them)
• St Ives Travel Size Body Wash -- $.99 ea minus $1/1 Coupon (7/10 SS)= FREE
• 2 Hefty One-Zip Freezer Bags (need to replenish after Freezer Cooking Day!) -- $2.02 each minus $1/2 coupon (4/10 RP) = $1.50 each
• Toddler Cherokee Jeans -- on clearance for $4, used $2/1 Target Coupon = only $2!
• Mossimo Satchel -- $13.98 on clearance, used $5 off a $19.99 handbag purchase Target Coupon = $8.98!!
• Dove Men+Care Deodorant 2-pack-- on clearance for $3.38
• 2 Silk Soy Milk -- $3.29 each - $1/1 Coupon (from Coupons.com, unavailable now but there is another one in 7/10 SS)= $2.29 each

Total Before Coupons:$78.84

Total Out of Pocket: $58.84

Percentage Saved: 26%