Sunday Coupon Preview

Did you ever wonder how frugal bloggers (like me!) are able to post deals almost as soon as the Sunday paper comes out? It's not some magical coupon mojo!  I always head over here to get ideas for the best deals of the week.

Don't believe me? See for yourself! Check out the rock stars at Sunday Coupon Preview and let me know what coupons for next week you are most excited about. I'm most excited about the Luigi's Italian Ice coupon in tomorrow's RP insert -- my kids love it!

Natural & Organic Coupon Round Up -- 8/13

There are so many new printable coupons for natural and organic products this week! Make sure to print these out and bring them with you on your shopping trips!

Simply Organic

• $1/2 Simply Organic Spices

• $1/1 Simply Organic Grinder

• $1/1 Simply Organic Vanilla -- 4 oz

• $1/2 Simply Organic Spices

• $.50/1 Simply Organic Mini Spice

• $.50/1 Simply Organic 2 oz Vanilla Extract or other flavoring

       • $.50/1 Simply Organic Grilling Seasoning or Marinade

Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics

         $.50/1 Tea Box
$1 off any personal Care
$1 off any Mama Wash
$1 off Angel Baby Bottom Balm

Online Printables

$1/1 Late July Snack Chips

$1/1 Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread

$1/1 Muir Glen Printable

$1/4 HappyMorning or HappySqueeze Products

$.50/2 Plum Organics Items

$1/1 Kashi Pita Crisps

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

$1/1 Cascadian Farms Coupon

$1/1 Barbara’s Cereal

$.75 off Silk Soymilk

$.60/1 Ricola Throat Lozenges

$.75/1 Snikiddy Snack Mix (zip 90210)

$.50 off 1 Seventh Generation Baby Product

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

$.50/1 Chocolate Bar

$.75/1 Pretzels

$.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

Stonyfield Farms

$.50 off 3 OSoy 6oz Yogurts

$.50 off 3 Organic Yogurt Cups

$.50 off 1 YoToddler 4 pack

$.50 off 1 YoKids 6-pack

$.50 off 1 OSoy 6 pack

$.50 off 1 half gallon organic milk

$.50 off 1 YoBaby Drinkable 4-pack

$.50 off 1 Oikos Greek Yogurt

$.50 off 1 4-pack Stonyfield Activia

Facebook Coupons

$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 3 Brown Cow 6 oz yogurts

$.50 off Greek yogurt multipack

$.50 off 32-oz  NonFat Yogurt

$.50 off 32-oz Cream Top Yogurt

$.50 off 16 oz Greek Yogurt

Mambo Sprouts

$1 off 2 Lifeway Kefir Products

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

$.75 off Organic Valley  Soy Creamer

$2 off Bach’s Rescue Remedy Pet Product

$1 off Late July Crisps

▪ $1/1 Box Of Yogi Tea

▪ $1/1 Arrowhead Mills Breakfast Product

▪ $1/1 Box Of Numi Organic Tea

▪ $1.50/2 Envirokids Products or Nature’s Path Toaster Pastries

▪ $1/1 Nutiva Organic Chia Seed

▪ $1/2 Van’s Products

▪ $2/1 Rice Select Texmati Rice

▪ $.75/1 Mori-Nu Tofu

▪ $1/1 Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate Bar (3.5 oz or larger)

Amazon

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.

Barbara's Bakery Snackimals Oatmeal Animal Cookies, 7.5-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6)) -- Use code BARBBTSI and Subscribe & Save to pay only $16.51, or $2.75 per bag.

Annie's Homegrown Organic Cheddar Bunnies, 11 Ounce Boxes (Pack of 4) -- Use code Y7RBIXY3 plus Subscribe & Save to get these 11-oz boxes for only $3.08 each!

Charlie's Soap Powder - 2.64 lb (80 Loads) -- $9.71

Head over here to find more good Amazon grocery deals.

Target

$1/2 Morningstar Farms Frozen Items

$.25/1 Plum Organics Baby Food Product

Wegmans’ Nature’s Marketplace August Magazine:

$2 off 1 Weleda Facial Care Product

$1 off 2 Kashi cereals or snacks

$1 off 3 Clif Products

$1 off any 1 Clif Crunch Box

Wegmans Printable:

$1 off Whole Grain Blends

Budget Travel Magazine: Only $3.73!

Budget Travel is so much fun to read even if you aren't planning a trip!  Each issue is packed with articles about affordable and enoyable travel to just about anywhere!

Normally $11.97/year, today only you can subscribe for only $4.73.

Enter code PXSS814 at checkout to get an additional 15% off, making today's deal only $3.73

Head over here to snag this deal!

AboutOne: One Year of FREE Family Organizational Software

AboutOne is a household management system that lets you store ALL your information in one place. You can store and manage anything you can think of for your family, from health records, to home inventory (for insurance purposes), to school artwork, to education information. 


I just signed up for AboutOne and I am so excited to finally get all my information in one place. One cool feature is that you can just type kids' milestones in as they happen, and then AboutOne will compile a newsletter with all the milestones every month.


I'm so happy to be using this to organize my kids' health information. Both have been diagnosed with asthma, and take similar -- but not identical -- medications  to treat it. Finally, something to help me keep track of all their meds and doctor appointments!


If you're trying to get organized for the upcoming school year, AboutOne may be a great option to help you! Head over here to sign up for your FREE year!

Plum District: $20 for $40 on Kids' Shoes!

There are so many good deals today, I just don't know what to do with myself!

This Plum District Deal is really exciting because I know so many kids who need back to school shoes!  I've always been kind of a shoe snob -- and I blame my grandma because she always made us get Stride Rite shoes with proper arch support.  She always stressed the importance of wearing supportive, sturdy, and well-made shoes.  


Here's the thing though -- those wonderfully sturdy shoes are not cheap! Whenever I can find a deal on my favorite brands (like Keen, Stride Rite, and See Kai Run) I jump on it.


Todays' deal at Plum District is $20 for $40 worth of shoes at TinySoles, like this pair of (machine washable!) Stride Rite shoes that would be perfect for preschool:

 

These Stride Rites are on sale for $40.50 with free shipping, so if you bought them from this link, they would only cost you $20.50 shipped!  


What a fabulous price for shoes for Fall!  Head over here to snag this deal.


The Fine Print:

• Cannot be used towards taxes and shipping
• Cannot be combined with other offers

Mamasource: $10 for a Hardcover Photo Book!

I saw this deal for a $10 PhotoBin hardcover book, and immediately thought, "I am going to make one of those books for my kids with all their friends in it!"


Besides being a hardcover, each page will fit up to 6 photos -- plenty of room for all those summer vacation photos, too. Ooh, that's a good idea -- I might make a vacation memory book too. Good thing each person is allowed up to 5 books!


If you're creative, there are a variety of customization options. If you're not -- like me! -- just upload photos from the computer and PhotoBin will do the rest.


Flat rate $5 shipping not included.


Head over here to Mamasource to grab this deal!

Because No One Doesn't Like Free!

If you're not doing Swagbucks yet, what are you waiting for? Swagbucks is the search engine that actually rewards you for searching the internet like you normally do. 


Plus, Fridays are Mega-Swagbucks Days, so you have the chance to earn even MORE swagbucks, getting you to those free gift cards sooner. I've earned enough to spend $65 at Amazon so far. I use these gift cards whenever I find a great Amazon deal on Natural & Organic items, so that I am able to spend even less!


If you go here to sign up and use code AUGUSTBONUS to start off with 80 Swagbucks. You'll be well on your way to the 450 that you'll need for your first $5 Amazon gift card.

Frugal Fridays: Chicken Quesadillas with Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

You might have noticed that I changed the post title from $5 Friday to Frugal Fridays. I wanted to have a little more leeway regarding recipes that I'd like to share with you!


Today's Frugal recipe comes almost completely from this beautiful CSA basket that came yesterday:

The fresh cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapenos, and onions were just begging me to make a salsa. Because I always plan my meals around condiments, quesadillas sounded like a fabulous accompaniment, especially since I had some leftover chicken from my freezer cooking extravaganza.

Chicken Quesadillas

• Tortillas
• Shredded chicken (I used 2 breasts, this is a great way to stretch your protein and use up leftovers)
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 1 ear of corn, cooked and cut off the cob

Sprinkle all ingredients in between two tortillas and bake in the toaster oven for 5 minutes at 400.

Tomatillo Salsa

• 5 large tomatillos
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Finely dice all the vegetables and mix with the spices.  The beauty of this salsa is its fresh simplicity.  All local, organic ingredients, picked fresh just hours ago. Gorgeous!

 The bright, sweet tomatoes really pop in your mouth, and are a perfect accompaniment to the cheesy, gooey quesadillas.  

Vistaprint: 250 Business Cards for only $2!

Vistaprint is offering an amazing deal today: only $2 for 250 premium business cards! I actually ordered my business cards for Mindfully Frugal Mom through Vistaprint, and they turned out perfect. I would definitely recommend them -- there are thousands of designs to choose from.


These are definitely not just for business owners, though -- here are some unique uses for business cards:

• Make "mommy cards,"  so you can give out your contact information to your children's friends' parents or teachers. 
• If you're a teacher, you can share your educational website with students.  
• Create personalized gift cards
• Print your child's allergies/health information to pass out to teachers, scout leaders, babysitters, etc.
• Moving Cards
• Summer Camp Cards-- to help children keep in touch with friends they meet at camp

Shipping for most areas starts at $5.67.  Under $8 for 250 cards is still an amazing price! Make sure to snag this deal today, as it ends at 11:59 pm EST!

3 Things To Do with School Supplies -- Even if You Don't have School-Age Children

Even though neither of my children is old enough to go to kindergarten yet, I've still been paying attention to all the fabulous sales on back to school items available.  


I have been taking advantage of the back to school sales to buy crayons, construction paper, kid-friendly scissors, markers, and composition books, and it's not because I have a list from their teacher of school supplies to buy! I stock up at the end of the summer on all sorts of craft supplies, and do several things with them throughout the year.


1. Stock up the gift closet!  A coloring book with a set of crayons makes a great gift for a toddler or preschooler.  I've also been seeing sketch pad and marker sets with the back to school items that kids of any age would love.   I also use small craft items as stocking stuffers during Christmastime.  Look ahead to the upcoming year and think about what occasions would call for small gifts.  A small construction paper booklet, a pack of crayons, and a glue stick wrapped together nicely makes a wonderful gift.


2. Donate items.  My local YWCA, which helps women and families in need,  is accepting donations of all types of school supplies, including crayons, colored pencils, 3 ring binders, and spiral notebooks.  By taking advantage of these sales and shopping around, you could make a donation that would really help those who need it without spending a lot out of pocket.  Contact a local school that you think might need supplies and ask them what they need. You could also go here to see how to donate school supplies to children in Africa.


3. Put special items aside and dole them out throughout the year. My children are still young, and crayons easily get broken, stepped on, or eaten.  I'm looking forward to being able to bring out a brand new pad of paper and sparkly markers some gloomy winter day when we can't leave the house. Sometimes something (anything!) that's new is really exciting for kids.  An old magazine, a glue stick, and a piece of construction paper is all kids need to create something fun.

What unusual uses do you have for all these school supplies?

One Step Ahead Costumes: 50% off!

I just noticed this deal on Zulily and had to share!  One Step Ahead has adorable Halloween costumes, and a select group are on Zulily today for 50% off!  There are many infant costumes available, but also a few toddler and little boy and girl costumes.


I know it's still summertime, but there's never a bad time for a good deal!
This costume in infant & toddler sizes is only $14.99:

Click here to go to Zulily and check this deal out.
Shipping is not included, but if you place more than one order in 24 hours, shipping is free for each subsequent order AFTER the first one.

Wegmans' Weekly Coupon: $1 off Grain Blends

Wegmans' Thursday coupon is out! It's nice to see a coupon for these Grain & Rice blends because they are normally $2.99 for 8 oz.  They do offer a number of health benefits, however -- they are a good source of fiber, protein, and iron. Head over here to print it out.

New Baking Coupons from Simply Organic

Don't wait to print these coupons out for Simply Organic Baking Products!  Wegmans carries Simply Organic products in the Nature's Marketplace. All of the following coupons can be found at this link.

• $1/2 Simply Organic Spices
• $1/1 Simply Organic Grinder
• $1/1 Simply Organic Vanilla -- 4 oz
• $1/2 Simply Organic Spices
• $.50/1 Simply Organic Mini Spice
• $.50/1 Simply Organic 2 oz Vanilla Extract or other flavoring
• $.50/1 Simply Organic Grilling Seasoning or Marinade
• $1/1 Simply Organic Baking Mix

Thanks, Organic Deals!

Trying to be Crafty: Canvas Covered Diaper Box

I'm going to say it right now: I am not artistically inclined in any way.  I have a wide skill set, but those skills do NOT include anything involving knitting, sewing, or crafts. Most of the hand-crafted items I have made in the past are serviceable and competant,  but not artful in any way.  So when I am sharing a craft with you, my dear, patient, forgiving (right??) blog readers, know that this is in no way a tutorial. It's just a real-life view into my humble attempts to create. 


Now that my giant disclaimer is out of the way, I can share what I did yesterday while my children -- gasp -- played quietly and nicely together. 


In February, I saw this gorgeous post by Positively Splendid, where she shows you how to make these beautiful storage baskets out of diaper boxes! Here is what she did:

Photo by Positively Splendid

Amazing, right?  So I thought, I have some diaper boxes lying around, I could totally do this.  I asked my mom for some scrap canvas fabric, found an old diaper box, and picked out a cute patterned fabric for the liner.

And then I put everything in a bag where it sat in a corner of my bedroom for six months.

I may have a little problem with procrastination.

Better late than never, right? I finally dragged the giant bag of materials downstairs this week and got to work.  This is what I was starting with:

Just a diaper box with the flaps cut off and a swath of bright red canvas fabric. Since I was using a remnant that was about 1 1/2 feet wide and 6 feet long, I couldn't use any of the instructions in the tutorial from Positively Splendid, so I just kind of did my own thing. Thank goodness for spray adhesive!

Here are some action shots:

Center the box on the fabric, spray the adhesive on the side of the box, and pull tightly to get the kinks out.

 Trying to do the other side. Whoops:

 See that giant gap between the edge of the box and the fabric? That's what happens when you arbitrarily fold over the fabric (to make a clean edge) and don't pay attention to what you're doing. I had to undo the folded edge and sort of fudge it to get it to match up on both sides.  It's a good thing spray adhesive takes 30 minutes to set.

Finally, the box is wrapped. Now onto the "lining:"

I just folded over the unfinished edges and secured them to the box with spray glue. I probably should have used regular craft glue on the edges to make them a little cleaner, but I'm lazy so I didn't.

One more whoops. I ran out of fabric with about 4 inches to go!  I can't even say I mismeasured because I didn't measure my second fabric at all.  More compliments to spray glue -- I can't believe I never used the stuff before. Make sure though, that you're using it in a well-ventilated area. I had all the windows open and a fan going. That stuff is pretty toxic-smelling.

I found another scrap and matched it up as best I could. The lining, and in fact, all the fabric, was attached using spray adhesive. No pins, no sewing, no needles. 

Voila! My first (only?) craft of 2011 is finished.  I know that my 3 year old could probably have done a neater job, but I needed a storage bin for paperwork and other miscellanea, and this looks better than, well, a diaper box.  I do love storage bins, so I'm planning on making another one for Mason's school artwork and papers.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback!