Free Burt's Bees Lip Balm

I absolutely love Burt's Bees products! Now to celebrate their 25th anniversary, they are giving away 1000 coupons per day for the next 25 days. These coupons are for a free product from Burt's Bees. It starts at 9 am EST. I tried this morning, but they were gone before I got them! They apparently go really fast! You can try again tomorrow and for the next 24 days. Good luck. Enter here.

Walgreens and CVS Deals 05/24- 05/30

You can check out more details on Walgreens and CVS deals at the blogs below.


Money Saving Mom

The Thrifty Mama

Coupon Mommie

Southern Savers




Here are some things I see. Be sure to look for clearance items which may be free or fairly cheap with coupons!


Walgreens:


Weekly Deals
David Sunflower Seeds

Use: 3/$3-$1/2 coupon in May All You Magazine

Price: 2/$1 after coupon!
Trident Gum 3/$2 after in-ad coupon-

Use: $0.75/1 coupon from 5/10 SS insert

Price: FREE + $0.09 cent possible overage after coupons!
Vitamin Water 3/$3

Use $1/1 coupon from 4/5 SS insert

Price: FREE after coupon!
Energizer Batteries $2.99 after in-ad coupon-

Use: $1/1 coupon from 5/3 SS insert

Price: $1.99 per pack after coupons!


Weekly Register Reward (RR) Deals
Reach Ultra Clean Toothbrush or Floss 2/$5, earn a $3 Register reward when you buy two-

Use: BOGO coupon from 4/26 RP insert

Price: FREE plus $0.50 in overage after coupon and RR!
Colgate Wave Total Toothpaste $2.49, earn a $1.50 RR when you buy one-

Use: $1.50/1 from March All You magazine or $1/1 printable HERE

Price: FREE or $0.49 moneymaker each after coupon and RR!



CVS
Weekly ECB Deals
Colgate Total Advanced $2.99 Earn 2 ECBs Limit 1

Use: $1/1 Printable HERE or 5/10 SS insert. Also a $1.50/1 in the March All You Magazine

Price: FREE + overage after coupons and ECBs!

Speed Stick Pro Deodorant $3.99 Earn 3.99 ECBs Limit 2=FREE after ECBs!

Other Deals
Post Trail Mix Crunch Buy One Get One Free

Use: $2/1 Printable HERE

Price: Cheap or possibly FREE? (buy 2 use 2 coupons)
Purina Beggin’ Stips or T-Bonz $2.99

Use: $3/1 Printable HERE (Do the free quote and use code B3KCA, continue and choose a deductible then save. Then enter email and save. Coupon will be emailed to you. Not valid in all states so see information the bottom of the page for participating states).

Price: FREE after coupon!
Sobe, Propel or Gatorade Buy One Get One Free Limit 8-Sobe

Use: BOGO Printable HERE

Price: 2 for FREE after coupon and sale!
Tena Serenity Underwear Buy One Get One Free

Use: Free after mail-in-rebate from the 4/26 SS insert-$2/1 Printable HERE

Price: 2 for FREE plus possible overage after sale, coupon and mail-in-rebate!
Shick Disposable Razors (trial size) .99

Use:Buy 2 and use (1) $2/1 from the 5/10 SS insert (exp 6/21)

Price: FREE after coupon!

St. Ives $1.49 (trial size)

Use: $1.50/1 from the 5/10 SS insert

Price: FREE after coupon!

Kroger Deals 05/24- 05/30

The deals at Kroger are basically the same as last week. Check out the following blogs for more details!
Saving Your Cents
Coupon Mommie
Southern Savers

Here are some I found worth mentioning.

Kraft BBQ Sauce $1 ea-
Use:$1 off Kraft BBQ Sauce printable-.75/1 Kraft BBQ Sauce SS 5/10
Prce $0.25- FREE (Also, I purchased 5 last week and received a $2.50 catalina coupon good toward my next Kroger purchase!)
Glaceau Vitaminwater: $1 ea
Use: $1 off VitaminWater10 from the 4/05 SS insert OR .50/1 off VitaminWater10 here
Price: FREE
Angel Soft 4pk Bath Tissue: .99
Use: .50/1 from the 4/19 RP insert(regional: not in SE region )
Price: FREE
Green Giant Boxed Frozen Vegetables: $1
Use: .50/2 Green Giant Boxed from the 4/05 SS insert OR .50/1 Green Giant Veges here
Price: FREE with .50/1 printable OR .50 each with $1/2
Quaker Quakes: $1
Use: $1/1 from the 3/29 RP insert
Price: FREE
Weber Grilling Spices: $1
Use: .50/1 from the 5/17 SS insert
Price: FREE
Pedigree Dentastix: $3.89
Use: $2.50 /1 Dentastix coupon from shortcuts
Use: $2.50 /1 from the 4/19 RP insert or $2.50/1 here
Price: FREE when you stack the shortcuts coupon with the manufacturer coupon
Mahatma Rice: .99
Use:.50/1 from the 4/26 RP insert
Price: FREE

Ingles Deals

Here are the details I see. For a more detailed list visit Saving Your Cents. Be sure to check out the mark downs in the meat and produce sections! I have been finding great deals on Organic items lately including Turkey bacon, chicken sausage, apples, potatoes, and sweet potatoes! At my Ingles they also have several buggies in the front filled with mark downs. I have been getting various things such as diapers for very little and have even had overage on a few items!


HORMEL LITTLE SIZZLERS SAUSAGE12 Oz.
5/$5 ---- You're Saving 5.90 ON 5

KRAFT SHREDS, CUBES, OR CRUMBLES8 Oz. - Selected Varieties
2/$4 ---- You're Saving 1.76 ON 2
Use: $1/2 OR $1/1 from coupons.com
Price: $1.50 each or $1 each WYB 2
Also, there is a tearpad at Ingles with a $0.50/1 coupon which will double to $1 off!

KLEENEX FACIAL TISSUE75-200 Count - Selected Varieties
3/$4 ---- You're Saving 1.94 ON 3
Use: $0.50/3 coupon from coupons.com
Price: 3/$3 ($1 per box)

KRAFT CHEESE SINGLES12 Oz.
2/$3 ---- You're Saving 1.66 ON 2
Use: $1/2 from coupons.com (no longer available)
Price: $1 each WYB 2

TYSON FRESH BONE-IN SPLIT CHICKEN BREASTFamily Pack
$0.98 ---- You're Saving 1.30 Lb.


BREYERS ICE CREAM48 Oz. - Selected Varieties
2/$5 ---- You're Saving 4.96 ON 2
Use: $0.75/1 from 4/05 insert or $1/2 from 5/17 RP insert
Price: $1.75-$2 (WYB 2)

Week 2 of NO MONEY SPENT SHOPPING ($400+ with $0 OOP!!!)!!!!!!!

**UPDATE:I ADDED PICTURES!*

If you remember two weeks ago I posted about my trip with no money spent shopping. Well, last week while we were at home on the farm on vacation, I did the same thing! This time I purchased well over $400 worth of groceries and did not pay anything out of pocket! Plus, I received $37.50 worth of rebate checks in the mail! I have just about used all the money on my cards now, so I may not have as much success the next week, but two weeks of no money spent is a little note worthy don't you think?
My sweet, wonderful children and husband put up all the groceries before I could get any pictures, so I will just list my deals. I hope to have pictures and very successful trips again this week. I am having so much fun getting these deals. A special thank you to all of those blogs out there who post the deals at different stores!

Kroger trips above not pictured: 2 packages Hamburger buns, 2 packages hotdog buns, 4 cans baked beans, 10 packages, 8 vitamin waters, 2 odwalla juices, hot dogs, 1 package diapers, 3 packages rice, 2 jars baby food, 2 pineapples, 3 packages strawberries, 2 packages rice cakes, 3 zone bars, weber grilling spice, 2 scotch brite sponges (We had lots of company over the weekend for Memorial Day as well as for putting up hay! I had coupons from a Kroger mailer which helped take $5 and $6 off!)
Trip 1 to Kroger:
Total before coupons: $68.22
Total after coupons: $30.96 (used $89 Visa rebate card from Staples $58.04 remaining)
Trip 2 to Kroger:
Total before coupons: $65.14
Total after coupons: $6.37 (used $89 Visa rebate card from Staples $51.76 remaining also received a Catalina for $2.50 off my next purchase from Kraft!)
Trip 2 to Kroger:
Total before coupons: $74.45
Total after coupons: $2.76 (used $2.50 Catalina and used $89 Visa rebate card from Staples $51.50 remaining)
Trip to Walgreens
Total before coupons $23.56
Total after coupons $3.57 (used Walgreens gift card with $4.07 remaining, I should be getting another one soon worth $20 from the last month of Easy Saver Rebates leaves $0.50 remaining also received $9 back in Register Rewards!)
Trip to Target (not pictured 3 cans of pringles, 3 sponges, 5 coppertone sunscreens, 1 Quaker bites, 3 pounds apples)
Total before coupons: $44.94
Total after coupons: $10.59 (used 1 $3.91 gift card and 1 $5 gift card, paid remaining $1.68 with Visa Rebate card from Staples $39.82 remaining)
Trip to CVS (pictured at right also not pictured 2 bags of Lay's potato chips)
Total before coupons $25.73
Total after coupons and ECBs $1.88 (used Visa rebate card from Staples $$37.94 remaining and have $10 in ECBs to spend on a later trip!)
Trip to Earth Fare
Total before coupons: $28.44
Total after coupons: $11.30 (used Visa Rebate card from Staples $$26.64 remaining)

Trip to Ingles (not pictured apples, potatoes, 5 packages rice, and little swimmers diapers I which were marked down to $4, but I got them for $1 since I had a $3 coupon!)
Total before coupons $72.50
Total after coupons: $7.37 (used Visa Rebate card from Staples $19.27 remaining)

To recap:
The total of all my trips before coupons was $402.98
Total after coupons: $72.92
By using the Rebate card and other gift cards I yielded:
Total out of pocket: $0!
I still have $19.27 remaining on my Visa Rebate Card
I also have $14.38 from my Edo card plus another $25 I won to add to it.
And $9 Register Rewards, plus $20 gift card from Walgreens, and $10 ECBs)
With $58.65 left in cash cards, I think I may be able to go three weeks in a row with no money out of pocket.
Stay tuned. I will go shopping either Thursday or Saturday. I will try to post my shopping details with pictures for the week as soon as I can.
I would love to hear how all of you have done.

Blog of the Week

The winner for Blog of the Week is Engineer a Debt Free Life. I have been very impressed with Money Savin' Momma and her ways to earn and save money. Recently, she posted about a diaper trial. You can get diapers to try out for free and upon completing the survey, you will get $10! I recently completed the trial and survey and just got my check! It was very easy to do. Not only did I get a free two weeks worth of diapers, I also received $10! What a deal! She also lists many legitimate online survey companies where you can take surveys and get paid! I have tried a few of these myself and have received checks! I have also received points where I can redeem gift cards or other prizes. Some other highlights of her blog include free swag codes to grow your swag bucks, other free sample deals, and tips for how to get out of debt and remain debt free. One of the best things is that most of their tips do not even require leaving your house! How cool is that?! So check out the blog which is ran by Engineer and Money Savin' Momma. Let me know what you think!

Also, if you would like me to feature your blog, site. or business, please send me an email.

Thanks for reading!

Menu from the Farm

Monday- Memorial Day

Breakfast- Pancakes, fruit salad

Lunch- (we skipped because we had a late breakfast and an early supper)

Supper- Cookout with Tim's family (Thanks, Sherry for all the contributions!!) Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, tortilla chips, baked beans, watermelon

Tuesday

Breakfast- Cheesy Mexican Omelet, fruit salad

Lunch- Peanut Butter and Jelly tacos (for those of you who have asked, the jelly is what I made last year it is low sugar and all natural the cherry and blackberry are from our farm, I also made blueberry, strawberry, plum, and peach from locally grown fruits)

Supper- Cheeseburger pie (using left over hamburgers), baked beans, salad

Wednesday

Breakfast- Grits and cinnamon apples

Lunch- Pecan Chicken Salad

Supper- Beans and Cornbread (from our neighbor. Thanks, Sally and Toby!)

Thursday

Breakfast-Applesauce Pecan Muffins

Lunch-Egg Salad (make enough hard boiled eggs for breakfast on Friday and to make homemade Thousand Island Dressing)

Supper-Bean Burrito Casserole, Spanish Rice,
Friday
Breakfast- Hard Boiled Eggs, fruit (depends on what is on sale)
Lunch- Leftover Bean Burrito Casserole
Supper- Butternut Squash and Turkey Sausage Soup
Saturday
Breakfast- Pancakes (I made pancakes a lot over the past week, and we had forgotten how much we loved them even though they do take a while to make as it takes at least 40 to feed my crew! So, Tim and the children have now requested we have pancakes every weekend! I have chosen Saturday since we usually have more time!)
Lunch- Snacks (fruit and veggies, pancakes usually keep us full until supper!)
Supper- Front Sight Night! We will have fun party foods. Lately, it has been whatever "fun" foods I have been getting for free from various stores.

Thankful!

What a great week we had last week! Tim was off all week, and we were able to get all our hay put up before it rained. The Lord blessed us with a wonderful hay crop this year! We also had lots of help from our wonderful neighbors and friends! God is so good!
I am going to try to get started blogging in full swing again this week. I have a lot to catch up on around the house, but since we are officially finished with school until fall, I may have a little more time to blog.
Some of the things I want to concentrate on more are great deals out there whether they be at the grocery store or another store or site. I also want to give more gardening tips and hints as well as freebies when I can find them. I want to give tips for managing a large family and lots of little children. I also want to provide a place for encouragement for everyone whether you are gardening, homeschooling, parenting, or any other endeavor you are pursuing in life. I want to hear your comments and if you have knowledge in a particular area, please let me know, and you may be able to write a guest post for me.
Thanks for all the emails over the past week. I also appreciate all of you from Debt Proof for Living who have visited! Stay tuned for more to come! Thanks for reading!
Blessings!

Vacation Week

I am sorry I have not posted this week. I appreciate all the emails. My husband ended up taking off this week so we could get the hay done. We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors and friends who came to help us as well! We finished the hay last night and are stacking round bales today. The rest of the week, we plan to take it easy, and I plan on not even turning on the computer! Hopefully, I will have some pictures next week and be back to some normal posts. I appreciate all of you from Debt Proof living who have come to read my blog. I also appreciate Mary Hunt for answering my question and for her dedication to helping others get out of debt. Feel free to post your comments or send me an email if you have any questions.
Have a blessed weekend!

Friday Freebies from the Farm

It's Friday!

What did we have free this week from the farm?

Eggs and more eggs! We found a nest full of guinea eggs! We ate a few, but plan on hatching them to replenish our stock. Here is a picture of them in the incubator. Many thanks to Lenoir City High School FFA for letting us borrow the incubator!

We also had lettuce, green onions, asparagus, greens, and a few small new potatoes from the garden as well as our beef in the freezer and chicken eggs from our neighbor (Thanks, Mr. Boston!). I also used basil and dill for seasonings in some of my recipes. I had to replant beans and corn this week because the deer have been eating it. We have not had deer problems in a few years. I think we need to get a dog! :) I hope we will have peas ready by next week. We have had tons of rain and more on the way which has given lots of weeds!

My Shopping Trips This Week (NO money spent!)

I did not do a lot of shopping, but I did take advantage of some great deals. I went to Target, Earth Fare, and Ingles. I also went to Wal-Mart, but it was for flowers to decorate my husband's grandmother's grave this weekend.

Target

I did not spend even one penny of my own money! I used coupons and a gift card to pay. I still have money left on the gift card and two more to use next week!

Here is what I bought:

2 Swiffer dusters on clearance ($1.25 each, I was hoping to generate a $5 gift card, but was glad to get extras of these for cheap for the children to use, they LOVE them!)

6 packages of Kraft cheese ( $1.52 each used 3 $1/2 target coupons and 3 $1/2 coupons from here and here)

2 Kraft Thousand Island Dressing ($1.59 each used 2 $1.50/1 from Sunday's paper and 1 $1/2 Target Coupon)

4 Hershey's Bliss Candy Bars ($0.99 each used 4 $1/1 Target coupons)

2 Pringles Chips (by registers, not pictured $0.69 each used 2 $0.50/1 Target coupons)

Total before Coupons and Tax: $20.14

Total after Coupons with tax: $5.44

Used 1 $1.09 gift card and 1 $5.00 gift card, for a total of $0 out of pocket and $3.91 left to spend!

Ingles

I went in to get some Organic Potatoes which were on sale. Little did I know I would find such great Organic bargains. That makes two weeks in a row!

Here is what I bought:

1 bottle French's Worcestershire Sauce ($0.98 used 1/$0.50 from Sunday's paper)

2-5 pound bags Organic Potatoes ($1.99 each)

3 packages Organic Apples ($0.99 each, they weighed from 3.5-5.5 pounds each!)

2 Think Green bars (2/$1 used 2 $0.50 coupons from Mambo Sprouts coupon booklet)

1 Ball Pickling Spice ($0.40 used 1/$0.25 coupon from jars I bought in the past)

1 package of 2 Gloxinia bulbs ($0.35)

4.78 pounds Organic Sweet potatoes (not pictured, $3.27 for almost 5 pounds)

Since Ingles doubles coupons, I got overage on the Worcestershire sauce, bars, and spice!

Total before coupons and tax: $12.95

Total after coupons with tax: $10.30

Not bad for Organic, plus I paid with a $25 Edo debit card I won from the My coke instant win game, so I did not pay anything of my own money for this trip again!

Earth Fare

Here is what I bought: 1 package of toilet paper($1.29 used $1/1 coupon from a recent Sunday paper)

2 Rice Tortilla packages ($3.19 each used 2 FREE Item coupons from writing Food for Life)

Total before coupons without tax: $7.37

Total after coupons: $0.32

I also used my Edo debit card mentioned above which left me with $$14.38 left to spend.

That's my totally free shopping trip which was approximately $45 of groceries for FREE! Total savings: 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blog of the Week!

This week I am highlighting Super Savings Made Easy. It is a blog by my dear friend Jessica. She is also the person who really got me to couponing and finding the very best deals again. She also inspired me to blog. Her blog has lots of great deals from all the stores in the Knoxville area. Like me, she also has a house full of children. Jessica often gives coupon classes. All the income earned goes to pay for her medical expenses as well as those of her infant son. Both Jessica and her son Thomas have some serious health issues. However, with God's help Jessica just keeps on plowing through! Visit her blog and show her your support through prayer as well. Thanks Jessica! You are an inspiration to all of us young mothers!

Free Farmer's Market Cookbook

Go here for a free Farmer's Market Cookbook!

Menu from the Farm (with Recipes!)

Here is our menu for the week. I already have a picture to put with this post. I also have a few recipes at the end. These recipes originally came from Taste of Home. It is of the fruit salad my son made for lunch. He is 7 years old and is starting to cook more every day. So far, he has made oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly tacos, turkey and cheese tortillas, scrambled eggs, microwave popcorn, and fruit salad. He even made me a fruit salad for mother's day! My six year old daughter is cooking too, but is not using the stove at this point. However, she can put in all the ingredients and read a recipe to get it ready for the oven! It is quite a blessing to have the older ones to help! The best part is they enjoy it and they are helping me, doing school work, and having fun all at the same time!

Sunday- Mother's Day (my husband and children did all the cooking and cleaning! It was quite a treat!)

Monday

Breakfast- Oatmeal and eggs

Lunch- Fruit Salad and Plain Yogurt (I should add that I got the apples and pineapples free)

Supper- Steak quiche (leftover steak from yesterday's lunch), vegetable medley (using leftover veggies from previous meals), greens, asparagus

Tuesday

Breakfast- Homemade Granola, Fruit, Goat Milk

Lunch- Spaghetti, salad

Supper- Baked Shrimp and Asparagus, spaghetti squash, salad

Wednesday

Breakfast- Brunch Pizza Squares

Lunch- Taco Salads

Supper- Onion Salisbury Steak, raisin carrot salad, greens, and Apple Cobbler

Thursday

Breakfast- Cherry Pecan Muffins

Lunch- Peanut Butter and Jelly

Supper- Teriyaki Stir-fry, rice, greens

Friday

Breakfast- Grits Casserole, eggs

Lunch- Egg salad tortillas, salads

Supper- Pizza

Saturday

Breakfast- Pancakes and Sausage

Lunch- Salmon melts, salad

Supper- Snack/Party Food

Recipes

Fruit Salad (an easy one just mix your favorite fruits together and add some pecans, almonds, walnuts, or anything else you may like)

Steak Quiche (Leftover Quiche)
1- 9inch pie crust (premade or homemade)
1 3/4 cup steak, shopped (can also use ground beef or roast, lamb, chicken, or turkey may also be substituted)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tbs. flour
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tbs. steak sauce or BBQ sauce
1/8 tsp. each dill weed, dried basil, and dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups (8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese)
Sprinkle beef and onions into the crust. In a bowl, beat the flour and eggs until smooth. Add milk, steak sauce and seasonings; beat until smooth. Stir in cheese. Pour into crust. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until center is set.

Granola (my recipe)

8 cups Old Fashioned Oats

8 cups Puffed Rice Cereal

2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

2 cups finely chopped fresh fruit or dried fruit (optional)

1 cup butter

1 cup honey (agave nectar or maple syrup work well too)

1 tbs. cinnamon (optional)

In large saucepan melt honey and butter. Add cinnamon and stir well. In a large bowl, combine oats, cereal, nuts, and fruit. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture and mix well. Transfer to a lightly coated baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, stir and bake an additional five if needed.

Baked Shrimp and Asparagus

12 ounces asparagus

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (Walmart has shrimp already cooked fairly inexpensive)

2 cups white sauce(see recipe below)

1 tsp. soy sauce or worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients and spoon into a greased 8 inch casserole. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees until asparagus is tender and shrimp turns pink. Serve with spaghetti squash noodles or hot rice.

White Sauce

2 tbs. butter

2 tbs. flour

1/2 tsp. ground mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce

2 cups milk

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium, heat. Add flour, mustard, salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Stir until bubbly. Whisk in milk a little at a time. Heat to a boiling. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Onion Salisbury Steak

1 pound ground beef

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 medium onions, sliced

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. water

In a bowl, combine beef, salt, and pepper and shape into ovals. Brown patties on one side in a skillet and add onions. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Stir flour into skillet until blended. Gradually add water. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Serve over meat and onions.

Free "No Farms No Food" Bumper Stickers

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I am an avid supporter of farms especially small family farms! Unfortunately, there are those people out in the world who are out to destroy small farms! I know, it is crazy, isn't it! They obviously do not realize the hard work and dedication of farmers in the United States of America and their determination to provide food for America despite the turmoil they face with government regulations as well as corporate "farms" trying to monopolize the industry. Now, you can support your farmers in yet another way. Go here for your free bumper sticker which says, "No Farms No Food!" You can get up to 20 bumper stickers free. If you get more than one, pass them on to friends or even to a local FFA chapter. I am sure FFA students would love to receive these and put them on their cars!

There are other ways to support farms as well.

• Buy local! Very important! Go here to find a local farmer's market near you. You can also find other farmers in your local area who sell various things by asking your local Farmer's Co-Op or Tractor Supply. If you are in the East Tennessee area and are looking for beef, please let me know. Our next beef will be ready at the beginning of 2010. It is hormone and antibiotic free!




• Write your congress person as well as the President and urge him/her to support small farms.




• Join the Farm Bureau in your state. You do not have to be a farmer to get great insurance! By becoming a Farm Bureau member you will not only get excellent insurance rates, you will also be up to date on local farm happenings in the area as well as your state.




• Purchase from or Donate to a local FFA or 4-H chapter! Not only will they greatly appreciate the extra money since their departments are so low funded, you will also be helping a young farmer get an education to become a better farmer. You can also support the FFA through Campbell's Soup here.




• Attend commuter meetings involving farming in your area.

There are many ways to support small farms. Let me know of ways you support small farms as well! Enjoy your farming freebies. I hope to see many of the bumper stickers around!

Ingles Deals

I am going to try my hand again at the best Ingles Deals. Here it goes. Let me know if you find any thing worth mentioning. I should also add that last week in the mark down buggy in the front of the store there were lots of freebies and money makers! Kraft Salad Dressing was marked down to $1.49 so with the $1.50 coupon, it was a $0.01 money maker! There were canning items marked down which I got for free. Also last week, I got 7 packs of Organic Bacon and 8 packs of Organic Sausage for $0.69 each after the markdowns and coupons I had! The bacon is normally $3.98 or more per package and the sausage is usually $4.98 per package!

ORGANIC POTATOES
$0.98
APPLE OF THE MONTH GOLD DELICIOUS
$0.98
TYSON THIGHS OR DRUMSTICKS Family Pack
$0.98 per pound
HORMEL NATURAL CHOICE LUNCHMEATS9 Oz. - Selected Varieties
2/$5
OSCAR MAYER MEAT HOT DOGS16 Oz. - Bun-Size or Regular (Excludes Beef)
BOGO ---- You're Saving 2.98 ON 2
Use $1/2 coupon here and here
CAMPBELL'S TOMATO OR CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP10.75 Oz. Can
10/$5
Use $1/2 coupon here (MAKES IT FREE WHEN YOU BUY TWO!!!)
JFG SELECTED MAYONNAISE OR SALAD DRESSING32 Oz. Jar - Selected Varieties
2/$4
Use $1/2 SS 5/10
BREYERS ICE CREAM48 Oz. - Selected Varieties
2/$5.98
DEL MONTE PINEAPPLES
$2.98
LAURA LYNN POTATO CHIPS Selected Varieties
5/$5
LAURA LYNN WHITE MILK Gallon Jug - All Varieties
$2.48
Those are all the deals I see. Let me know if you find any good ones at Ingles. Be sure to look for all the mark downs especially in the meat and produce sections!

Friday Freebies from the Farm!

I thought it would be fun to start posting all of our yummy garden freebies since garden season is underway. This week we ate heartily from the farm. We had lots of greens, lettuce, eggs, beef, asparagus, and green onions. I have also been using things from our garden last year. We used blue corn, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, cherries, pumpkin, apples, green beans, okra, green peppers, chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, and pecans (from my brother's farm). I would love to hear about all the freebies you are getting as well whether from your garden or elsewhere!

Getting Rid of Garden Pests

As it gets warmer, more and more pests come out to eat our delicious gardens. There are many chemicals on the market to control these crop damaging insects or animals, but who would want to eat something that has been sprayed with poison? Not me if I can keep from it. Therefore, I try to use alternate means of getting rid of those pesky garden pests.

The key to successful gardening or farming is to use what the "experts" call Best Management Practices or BMP as well as Integrated Pest Management or IPM. Below is a list of some BMP and IPM to use in your garden.

• Weed! Keep weeds out of your garden! They will choke out your plants as well as attract pests. One of the best ways to prevent weeds in an already established garden is to use mulch. How can you mulch frugally? Leaves, straw, pine needles, even shredded paper all make a great natural biodegradable mulch for your garden or flower beds. If you are just beginning an area of a garden, you can put down card board boxes before planting. Cover the boxes with soil and sow your seeds or plant your vegetables or flowers. You can use newspaper the same way.



• Get a dog! For problems with deer or rabbits, a dog will usually do the trick of keeping them away from the garden. Even just the smell of dog can keep them away.



• Pick off the insects. A favorite of my children is to take a cup of water with a drop of liquid dish washing liquid and pick all of the bugs off the plants and drop them into the liquid. They will drown and sink to the bottom of the cup. We have contests to see who can pick off the most or fill his/her cup first! It can be fun. However, make sure you know what the insect is before touching. You do not want to be bitten. This method works especially well for Japanese and Potato Beetles. If you do not know what an insect is, go to the library and check out a FREE book. There are also lots of sites on the Internet for insect identification. If you still cannot identify it, call your local Extension agent for free help, after all, that's what he or she is there for. If you home school it can be a great science lesson too!



• Encourage beneficial insects! There are lots of beneficial insects. The most common is the Lady Beetle. Make sure you do not get rid of these! They will eat aphids which are almost always on something in every garden. Be careful of spraying insecticides as most are non selective and you can kill the beneficial insects as well. To encourage beneficial insects, by choosing to plant a few nectar producing plants as most insects eat the nectar. Some of these plants include cabbage, carrots, and sunflowers.



• Plant strong smelling flowers such as Marigolds or Lantana (be careful with Lantana as it is poisonous if eaten). The strong smell often deters pests including insects.



• If you feel you really need to spray something, make your own spray. You can use Essential Oils such as Tea Tree Oil or Orange Oil mixed with water and spray on the flower where the insects are. You can also make a homemade spray using hot peppers (habaneros work best) mixed with water. These sprays work systemically and are non selective. The orange oil messes with the respiratory tract and the insect suffocates.



• Make a sticky yellow trap. Many insects such as white flies are attracted to yellow. You can paint a two liter coke bottle and paint it with yellow paint. You can also plant yellow flowers.



• Encourage birds, frogs, and lizards as they will also eat the insects.



• If crows are a problem, you can keep a radio playing all the time, hang a scare crow, or hang aluminum pans to ward them away.

Observe your garden and watch the insects. Are they really doing a lot of damage or is it just minor? If it is minor, think BMP and do not do anything. If it is major, you may want to try one of the above mentioned tips. Remember that Organic Gardening is all about growing plants in harmony with nature and the pests of our garden are all a part of nature. However, sometimes it is important that we act so that we do not lose our crop and all the work we have put into our garden.

There are many ways to get rid of pests naturally. I have only listed a few. There are a variety of methods you can use according to what type of pest is harming your garden. For more information contact your local extension office or library. I will also be willing to try to answer your questions as well or at least point you in the right direction for help!

Happy Gardening!

Blog of the Week (actually a website)!

There is a site which I have been using off and on for about two years. It is called Kizoodle. It is a place where you can earn points by "selling" items from your house. You can sell your child's toys, clothes, etc. You can also sell your clothes, coupons, etc. I have gotten some really nice things and not had to pay much at all. You pay the shipping for all the transactions.
It is free to sign up. You just go here and fill out the information. To begin, you post an item you want to "sell." You buy and sell for Kiz credits. You can post your item and decide how much you want to charge. Think of each credit as being worth $1. You can also post pictures of the item which will help to sell it. You decide what to charge for the item as well as for shipping. After you have had one item kizoodled, you can begin purchasing items. You can ask the seller to hold an item for you if you do not have enough credit, but know some are coming.
I have had lots of success especially in getting and posting coupons. I can make lots of Kiz credits for very little shipping costs by posting coupons I have which I will not use. Some of my most popular posts are Baby Formula coupons as I will never use these and seldom ever find that I can get formula for free or really cheap, but I continue to get these type of coupons in the mail.
I have a referral code for you to use. If you use My Referral Code: S3VXSC, you will automatically receive 2 Kiz credits just for signing up!
If you have any questions, go to their site and read their questions and answers section.
I hope you enjoy kizoodling as much as I have! Here is a section from their site:

About Kizoodle
Here's what it is and how it works:
What is the Kiz Store? One of the most exciting and unique features of Kizoodle is the member’s ability to exchange (Kizoodle) kids and mom stuff they list at the Kiz Store. You can post your kids clothes, toys, and mom stuff you no longer want or need and at the same time exchange items from other members from across the country that will fit your kids or pique your interest. It’s unique because unlike other buy/sell sites you do not exchange money, you swap your stuff for credits we call Kiz Credits.
What is a Kiz Credit?A Kiz Credit is the “currency” members of Kizoodle use to “Swap then Shop” meaning you swap your items for Kiz credits and exchange Kiz Credits for other items of your choice found on the site using the Kiz Credits. Think of 1 Kiz Credit to be a value of about $1. Remember, Kiz Credits have no value outside of Kizoodle!
What is Kizoodling? With Kizoodle’s method of item exchange you are no longer constrained by the traditional concept of swapping my item for your item. In the Kizoodle community, you exchange your item for Kiz Credits to anyone who is a member and then shop for any listed item nationwide using the Kiz Credits as currency. That is the essence of Kizoodling. It’s not truly swapping nor is it selling: Kizoodling is the middle ground.We think the process provides a fresh and cost effective alternative way of gaining access to stuff for your kids as they grow while getting rid of the things they have outgrown. And we can’t forget to mention Kizoodling is really fun and a great way to make new friends!!

Ingles Deals

I thought I would try my hand at posting some deals I see. There is only one other blog I know who posts Ingles deals, and she is not posting this week due to technical problems. So, I thought I would try to post this week.

There are a few good deals this week. I am just listing the best. You can check out their full add here.

Also, be sure to check the baskets in the front of the store for mark downs. I got a package of Good Nights diapers for $.5o last week because they were marked down to $2.50! The package had been torn, but all the diapers were still there! Ingles also marks down their meat every morning. If you are not buying beef from us, they have some great deals on yummy USDA Choice Beef most every morning.

FREE ITEMS!!!!!!!!

CAMPBELL'S TOMATO OR CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP10.75 Oz. 10/$5
Use $1/2 coupon here. (Makes it FREE when you buy two!) You can print two per computer and use only two internet coupons of the same item per transaction according to their coupon policy. However, some Ingles will let you use more. It really depends on the cashier.

APPLE OF THE MONTH GOLD DELICIOUS
$0.98/ pound
VIDALIA SWEET ONIONS
$0.88/ pound

BANQUET POT PIES 6.5-7 Oz. - Selected Varieties
3/$2

HEALTHY CHOICE COMPLETE DINNERS, STEAMERS, OR ALL NATURAL ENTREES9-12 Oz. - Selected Varieties
4/$10

Use $1/2 from 4/5 Smart Source
REDDI WIP TOPPINGS6.5-7 Oz. - Selected Varieties
2/$4
ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S MICROWAVE POPCORN2-4 Pack - Selected Varieties
2/$4

Use $1/1 from May All You Magazine
HUNT'S SNACK PACK PUDDINGS OR GELS14 Oz. - Selected Varieties
5/$5

Use $1/3 from May All You Magazine
HUNT'S TOMATO SAUCE15 Oz.
$0.88

HUNT'S TOMATO PRODUCTS Selected Varieties
5/$5

Use $1/2 from May All You Magazine
RO-TEL DICED TOMATOES10 Oz. - Selected Varieties
$1.08
CHEF BOYARDEE CANNED PASTA OR MICROWAVE CUPS Selected Varieties
5/$5

Use $1/4 from April All You Magazine

LAURA LYNN BUTTER QUARTERS8 Oz.
$0.98
LAURA LYNN LARGE WHITE DOZEN EGGS
$0.78

There is also a rebate deal going. Buy $25 of Con Agra Foods get $34 in coupon savings. The deal with coupons is found in the May All You magazine which can be purchased through subscription or at Wal-Mart. The deal can also be found here.

The participating brands include:

Snack Pack, Hunts, Reddi Whip, Chef Boyardee, egg beaters, slim Jim, Hunt;s Tomato Ketchup, Healthy Choice, Hunt's Manwich, Peter Pan, Ro-Tel, Orville Redenbacher's, David. Crunch N Munch, Hebrew National, and Banquet.

Menu from the Farm May 4 - May 10

Here is a list of what we will be eating the next week. If it is anything like last week (which I did not post), it could very well change from day to day according to whether or not we have company or anything else happens. However, having a stockpile and lots of yummy things from our garden is a wonderful blessing when you have unexpected visitors in large numbers! On Friday night, there was just one, so no big deal since I am already cooking for 7, one more does not make much of a difference. On Saturday, there were supposed to have been 4 extras, but ended up with only being 3. No big deal there either. However, on Sunday morning some friends called and asked if they could come over in the afternoon. They are some wonderful friends of ours who we have not seen in about 4-5 years. So, we were thrilled they were coming. However, I had to think quick for a meal because it was not just one or two people, but 8 people in addition to our eight plus my mother-in-law who is friends with them as well. So, for Sunday evening I cooked for 17 people! I took two sirloin tip roasts out of the freezer and put them in the crock pot. I also made mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, blue corn bread, fruit salad, apple crisp, and my mother-in-law made a sweet potato casserole. The green beans were from our garden last year, the corn meal in the cornbread was also from our last year garden. The beef was what we had raised as well. I made the apple crisp from canned pie filling I canned from last years apples in our orchard, so for the most part, the meal was relatively inexpensive and very fast and easy to make!

Sunday
Breakfast: Waffles, turkey bacon, fruit salad
Lunch: Homemade Pizza, tomato soup
Supper: Roast beef, Mashed potatoes, green beans carrots, sweet potato casserole, blue corn bread, fruit salad, apple crisp

Monday:
Breakfast: Grits, eggs, fruit salad
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly Tacos
Supper: Leftovers from Sunday night

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal, fruit
Lunch: Mini meat pies, peas, yellow squash with onions
Supper: Roast Beef Quiche, carrots, greens, green beans, mashed potatoes

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Homemade Granola, fruit, milk
Lunch: Spaghetti, salad
Supper: Bean Soup, corn bread

Thursday:
Breakfast: Muffins, fruit
Lunch: Leftover meat pies
Supper: Bean Burrito Casserole (made with Wednesday leftover beans), salad

Friday:
Breakfast: Cereal, fruit, milk
Lunch: Turkey Tortillas, carrot sticks, applesauce
Supper: Spaghetti Squash Supper, fried green tomatoes

Saturday:
Breakfast: Pancakes, turkey sausage, fruit
Lunch: Taco Salad
Supper: Snack supper, chips, dip, salsa, celery sticks, carrot sticks, sausage balls, popcorn, anything else we have that is fun to eat

On Saturday, we have started having a fun family party night after all of our chores are finished. The first week were by ourselves. My mother-in-law joined us the next week. Last Saturday we had some additional guests. This Saturday my mom and dad will be here as well as some other friends. It is a fun time to spend with the children and a great way to reward ourselves for a hard weeks work! Many of the things we eat on that night are things which I got for free or really cheap! If you have fun things you do with your family that do not cost very much, please comment or send an email and let me know! I am always looking for fun, new and interesting as well as inexpensive to do as a family!

I'm Back!

It's been a while since I posted! I apologize! I have been extremely busy with the garden and life in general. We also had unexpected company three nights in a row this week! However, we are so glad everyone came to visit as it had been quite a while since we had seen any of our guests.
It looks like it is supposed to rain most of the week, so I should be able to blog a couple of days. Stay tuned next week for a special surprise. Hint: My first giveaway! I will give more details soon! I would love to see any pictures of any of your gardens or any deals you have snagged lately. More later! Thanks for continuing to read my blog!