Meet me on Monday...

Ohhh Monday comes fast!! Java over at Never Growing Old is back at hosting the wonderful Meet Me on Monday blog hop and I couldn't be happier! 




Here are this weeks questions:

1. What are you wearing right now?
2. Do you have any freckles?
3. What is your favorite Lifesaver flavor?
4. What is the last movie you saw in the theater?
5. Would you rather live without TV or without music?

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1. What are you wearing right now?  

Ha ha, not that! Comfy lounge pants and a sweatshirt

2. Do you have any freckles?

Well it depends on who you ask, if you ask me I would say yes, if you ask my Dr. he would say no, they are Solar Lentigenes.

 3. What is your favorite Lifesaver flavor?

Butter Rum because it was Grandmas favorite and what she always had in her purse, or the very rare coconut ones that were mixed in with the other tropical fruit roll.  I don't think they even make that variety anymore.

4. What is the last movie you saw in the theater?

A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey, so yup, haven't been out in awhile.

5. Would you rather live without TV or without music?

This would be a tough one, probably without music, but only because if you have cable or satellite TV there are music stations you can get.  Is that cheating?

Have a wonderful start to your week everyone!
 
C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Most of the folks I know are in the middle of this seasons The Biggest Loser series.  I am not a big fan, honestly, Jillian Michaels scare the C**P out of me!  I think she may actually have been a drill instructor in a prior life.  If you are interested in the show though why not take advantage of the game opportunities to lose some inches with the contestant?  There are two versions of the newest version of the game Biggest Loser Challenge, one for Wii and one for the Xbox Connect.

If you just want the game for Wii the lowest price was with Amazon for $27.99, because you would be over $25.00 you qualify for the free shipping.  If you would like to order the full bundle package with the game, Wii Fit Plus & Balance Board, Stability Ball and air pump and the Biggest Loser Pocket Cookbook that is also the lowest price at Amazon for $139.99

If you would like to work out with Jillian or Bob on your Xbox 360 then you need to look at the Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout your can find just the game at Amazon for $45.54, or if you have the 360 Kinect hooked up to your system there is the bundle which includes the Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout Video Game for XBOX 360 KINECT, Stability ball with pump, the Biggest Loser pocket journal/recipe book plus a FREE Biggest Loser Workout Music download.  This was available from Amazon for $49.99.

I hope you are all having a fun weekend!

C.Q.

Hey! Hay! Hay! Garden the easy way...

Gardening is a fantastic way to save money through the summer as well as putting stuff up for the winter months, but want if you live in an area that has no place for planting or soil that is to hard to work with?  Maybe you just want to put an attractive edge around your driveway?  Here is a great idea that my friend Mr. B from One Mixed Bag sent me last night, he is a master gardener and knows how much I love to dig in the dirt and so he thought I might like this idea.  Its a pretty simple an fun way to plant , its also great for folks that have a bad back or a hard time bending or sitting on the ground.  The first thing you will need are square hay bales, you can typically find these at your local feed store or if you live in the country you can often find local farmers advertising that they have hay on the area stores cork boards and community news papers, some local garden center may even give away free bales. 

The average dimension of a small square hay bale is 14" x 18" so you can measure out how many you need.  The next step is to lay them out where you want them with the string side running around the bales, not touching the ground or it will rot and the bale will come undone in mid summer.  Then add a nice layer of compost to the top and water it down.  When you have this step completed the next thing to do is water your future garden for the next 10 days to "cook" the hay.  OK so what the heck does that mean?  Well in a nut shell you are starting the compost cycle, with the compost material on the top and the water it will start breaking down the bales and they will get warm, you will be able to tell when the process slows down because the bales will get cooler, usually around 10 days.  There are a couple schools of though at this point, you can either add fertilizer when you start the cooking process or add it when you plant so each plant gets exactly what it needs to grow, the choice is yours.

After the 10 days you are ready to plant, make sure you grow plants that will work in your climate and keep in mind where you have planted, for example, while Zucchini would be a great plant for this application growing it along your driveway is not the best choice because it like to send out long runners.  If you are looking at food planing think about root crops like Carrots, Beets or Parsnips in places where you don't want runners.  If you want to plant flowers with your root crops consider fun edible ones like Violet, Marigold or Nasturtium.  For areas where you have space you can plant any number of things, Pumpkins, Beans, Cucumbers, Corn, anything you can think of, the sky's the limit.  Your hay bales are also great for herbs, especially the varieties that tend to over take a garden, such as all the  Mints, Borage and Comfrey.

If you would like more information there is  a wonderful web site dedicated just to hay bale gardening, they also have a book for sale called The Guide to Straw Bale Gardening which is available in PDF for $9.99 through Pay Pal, it's located at the bottom of their first page.

Have a great weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie...

This weeks offer is three free months of Food and Wine magazine from Pepcid.  I have a subscription to Food and Wine myself and really look forward to its arrival in my mail box.  It of course features great information on Wine and has some scrumptious recipes, but it also has feature articles on travel, kitchen design, and cooking style.  Its also a lot of fun to see the Top Chef feature at the end of the shows season.  To receive the three free issues all you need to do is check the three free issues box and fill out the on line form from Pepcid.  If you would like, you can also check the box from Pepcid requesting their emails which will on occasion include special offers.

Have a great Friday everyone!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

This little red squirrel was up on our deck hoping for a free handout on one of our colder days.  The squirrels in our yard all seem to be camera hams and I swear they put on their cutest faces when they see my camera.

The deal...

JC Penny is having both their Window sale and their Home sale.  With the Window sale you can save 40% - 60% off of window treatments and it even includes hardware and made to fit items.  The Home sale has great stuff for your home as well as some pretty nice outdoors items.  Penny's will always ship for free to your nearest store for you to pick up or they have free shipping right to your door with orders over $69.00 when you use coupon code WEHAVEIT at check out.  Until March 20th you can get an additional 15% off site wide you can use coupon code ANDTAFMR or you can print the coupon to bring into the store with you.  There is also a printable coupons for $10 off $25 or more good 2/25 and 2/26 only, online use code LUXURY for the discount.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

grandee ~ \grand-DEE\  noun

DEFINITION: a man of elevated rank or station

EXAMPLES: After winning the golf tournament, it was expected that the young player would shake hands and pose for pictures with the grandees who had supplied the prize fund.

"[George] Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention (1787), helped sell the notion of a strong and united nation to his fellow Virginia grandees, and served two terms (1789-1797) as our nation’s first president before retiring to his beloved Mount Vernon." -- From a book review by Peter Rowe in The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 7, 2010

DID YOU KNOW? In Medieval Spain and Portugal, the "grandes" ("great ones," from Latin "grandis," meaning "great") were at the pinnacle of the ranks of rich and powerful nobles. A grandee (as it came to be spelled in English) could wear a hat in the presence of the king and queen -- the height of privilege -- and he alone could address a letter directly to royalty. (Even Christopher Columbus had to direct his reports of the New World to an important noble at court, who read them to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.) Today the term can still be applied to nobility, but it can also be used for anyone of importance and influence anywhere, such as the "pin-striped grandees of London's financial district."

~THE REBATE~

Those of you with little picky eaters will love this rebate.  Since this is a full price rebate, even if you don't have children at home please consider doing this offer and donating it to the local food bank.  Children's food items are always in need.  PediaSure is offering a full rebate on either a six pack of PediaSure or one 4-pack of PediaSure SideKicks.  All you need to do is fill out the online form and print it out, then mail it together with the original dated cash register receipt with the UPC Code written on it and the PediaSure or PediaSure SideKicks purchase price circled.  There is a limit of one rebate per household and the rebate can no exceed $13.99 excluding tax.  All purchases must be made by 3/6/2011 and received by the PediaSure by 4/3/2011.  I was also able to find a printable coupon for $2.00 off of any one PediaSure item at Smart Source.

Have a great mid week everyone!


C.Q.

Lets Pump Up Michele's Twitter Followers!

Good Morning! Michele is feeling a bit under the weather this morning. I though we could do something to make her feel better when she is up and running again.

I want to surprise Michele and see if we can get her some more Twitter followers today. If you are a regular reader to her blog, you know she has a ton of great information. She really researches her stuff. She doesn't just slap a blog post up, as I have been known to do. Michele really looks hard for the best deals and rebates for her readers.

She has worked hard to get even more followers. For the longest time it was 13 of people reading. Now she has expanded her horizons and has a ton more people following. I know it makes it a lot more fun for her.

Michele has not offered a giveaway on her blog yet. I bet if we get her Twitter followers up, I might be able to talk her into doing one. Who knows what kinds of treasures she has laying around her house. Something fun and good I'm sure.

If you are not following her on Twitter yet, just click her button and start. If you have friends you think might enjoy her posts, pimp her Twitter button to them. I think it would be fun to see how many Twitter followers we can get her in one day.

I'm curious, what is your favorite part of Living on Less? Which day do you look forward to? What was the best deal or rebate that you were able to take advantage of? I think that would make her smile, knowing that people actually take advantage of her deals.






P.S. Thank you all for your great suggestions about what type of hop we can host. It turns out that Java will be continuing doing Meet Me on Monday. That was a nice surprise to get in our email this morning. We will keep your suggestions if we decide to do a hop on another day.

Calling all readers...

This evening Bernie over at One Mixed Bag and I went to do out weekly Meet me on Monday blog hop and found that Java who hosts it has decided to leave her blog in favor of more family time.  We truly enjoyed doing the Meet me on Monday hops but totally understand Java's reasoning and wish her nothing but the best.  So long story short, Bernie and I were talking last night trying to figure out what we were going to do on Monday's now and thought maybe we could co-host a blog hop of our own, that left just a couple of questions, not the least of which is figuring out how to start something like that.  We are up for the challenge but would love to know what you, our faithful followers would like to see in a blog hop.  Do you like the Meet me on Monday's where you get to know each other or a Monday's Moments where you post something awe inspiring or inspirational, could be a story, a video, a picture, or Monday's Riches with a picture, coupon, deal for something indulgent or over the top, or or or well you get the idea.  We want your in put so we can put something together that will take off and that you all will enjoy coming back to each week.  Looking forward to what you all have to say!

Have a great week everyone!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

I am currently working through a wonderful book challenge at Book Chick City and my February read was called Heat Wave by Richard Castle.  Some of you may recognize the authors name from the television show Castle.  The book is based on the characters of the show so if you are a fan it adds an extra dimension to the book, if you don't watch the show it won't matter when reading the book.  Heat Wave is the story of Nikki Heat, a tough as nails female detective in New York City.  Her current case takes place during one of the cities hottest heat waves, making everything she does just that much more difficult.  On top of the heat and cities rolling blackouts, she has been saddled with a civilian ride along, Jameson Rook.  Jameson is a well known, extremely handsome, magazine journalist with friends and poker buddies most people only dream of knowing, and a knack for playing just outside of the rules.  The story opens with Detective Heat and her team investigating the probable murder of a wealthy real estate mogul who, as it turns out isn't as wealthy as everyone thought.  The ever changing list of suspects will keep you guessing through the whole book, was it the wife, the nanny, the business manager, the Russian, or the ex mistress?  Every twist and turn brings Nikki closer to the truth and the reader more and more eager to find out if their hunch is right.  This is a fast paced and fun read for anyone that likes mysteries or enjoys the weekly television series.  So, you may ask, just who is the ghost writer for this book since Richard Castle is a fictitious TV character?  Well it seems this is the best kept secret since we all wondered who shot JR on Dallas.  If I had to wager a guess myself I would say look at the guest stars on the show, Stephen J. Cannell, James Patterson, and Michael Connelly.

The book is available new in paper back from Go Hastings for $5.66, hard cover from Overstock for $12.80 and the unabridged MP3 audiobook read by Johnny Heller also at Overstock for $15.28, Overstock has free shipping through February 28, 2011.  The Kindle edition is available from Amazon for $5.00 as is the Nook version from Barnes and Noble.

 

If you are a fan of the TV show Castle on ABC you will see the similarities between the characters in the book and the characters in the series, the obvious two being Richard Castle/Jameson Rook and Detective Kate Beckett/Detective Nikki Heat.  If you haven't seen the shows they are a great mix of drama and humor with a good mystery to keep you in suspense until the end.  If you would like to check out the show you can purchase seasons one from Buy.com for $19.98 with free shipping and season two from DVDs Direct for $21.95.  If you would like to watch on line or find out more about the show, actors, books check out the Castle website.

I hope everyone is enjoying the last day of the weekend.

C.Q.

Saving a bundle on your bundle of joy...

I found out this week that one of my friends is going to have a baby and she asked me if I knew of places to find coupons, discounts and free baby items, and while this isn't my specialty area, I am going to give it my very best shot this week.  So, here is what all I found, if you have more items to add and share please feel free to post them for everyone.

Coupons for babies are pretty easy to find and I was able to track down; the Gerber website offers a sign up for their coupons as well as special offers, articles and tips for you and your little one.  Registering at PlanningFamily.com for free will get you into the site to use the interactive tools and download coupons.  Diapers.com is a site designed very much like Alice.com except its for babies, right now they have a few great coupons, the first is for 30% off diapers for three months using coupon code BCDIAPERS30PCT, the other is for 10% off anything on the site using coupon code BC10PERCENT.  The great thing about this site is that they offer everything you could need and deliver it right to your door, no fuss no muss, you can save that part for baby.

The next thing I got to thinking about was the diapers, I did a little research and found that the cost of using cloth and cleaning them at home saves a ton of cash.  I found a great comparison at Baby Cotton Bottoms and I was utterly stunned at the cost difference, not having kids myself I never realized what a gargantuan expense this was!  For those times when disposable is the only way to go I was also surprised to see that Huggies has a reward program, all you need to do is enter the codes from the packages on to the web page and they track your points for you, you can redeem them for a bunch of things from the reward catalog.  As long as you're visiting the Huggies site, why not enter to win free diapers for a year in their sweepstakes?  Pampers also has a program called the Pampers Village & Gift and Grow.  To sign up you just need to enter your information on the web page and then enter the codes from Pampers products.  You will also get a free kit with $329 of offers as a welcome gift. Need a cute little nursery bag for organizing the changing area?  Every day at 11:00 Central time Nursery Water puts up an number of bag they give out for free, just be one of the first to click and they will get one out to you, if you miss it that day check back tomorrow, they reload this every day.

Another big expense is the car seat, with so many companies out there offering different models I really can't tell you who's to buy and who's to avoid, but what I can tell you is that no matter which one you ultimately pick be sure to register it with the manufacturer, that way if there is ever a recall you will know right away and can keep your child safe.  In looking at the many models out there I also found a few sites that said to check with your health insurer to see if they will cover the purchase of a car seat, I was surprised to see that some of them will.

If you plan on using formula you can register to join the Enfamil Family Beginnings.  By filling in your information on their web page they will send you gifts up to $250 which includes up to $60.00 in Enfamil savings as well as samples of their products.  The Similac Strong Moms program is similar, just sign up on their web site for up free offers, samples and coupons. 

The third expensive item I tackled was clothes.  I think kids grow a full size in a day when they have growth spurts so clothes are always in demand.  I found a wonderful site called thredUP, they understand that kids grow, clothes don't so they have a program where moms can swap clothes and toys on line.  The program costs nothing except what it costs to ship the clothes to the new mom, in turn your box is mailed to you free from another member.  This is a wonderful idea and with the price of children's clothes could possibly save the equivalent of a semester at Harvard, OK, not that much but you know what I mean.

A few sites I stumbled on that I felt were worth checking out and joining for coupons, freebies, tips, tricks and networking were Zulily which offers discounts kind of like Groupon, except for children's needs. Planning Family which offers free baby stuff, sweepstakes and contests as well as access to professional advice videos.  Baby to Bee which has savings on diapers and formula as well as a nice area to print coupons.

Have a great weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie...

I know I always post a freebie here each Friday but today I am going to give you a great tool to get a freebie EVERY day if you want.  Just go to All You Magazine's daily freebie web site, enter your email and they will send you a daily freebie you can take advantage if you want.  Yesterday's was Maggi Onion Soup Mix, today's isn't out yet so it will be a surprise.

Have a great Friday everyone! 

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

This is an old school in Northern Wisconsin that the hubby and I used to pass quite frequently.  After we moved I realized how much I missed seeing it and when we were out driving that direction one day I decided to have him stop so I could get some pictures before it completely collapses.  I love old buildings and can just imagine what they would say if they could talk.

The deal...

Yankee Candle is having their $5.00 Presidents day sale.  You can get any small jar candle, a box of tea lights, a QuickScent Candle starter kit or an Electric air freshener kit for $5.00.  They also have a mix and match 2 for $5.00 section the antibacterial products and lip balm. Yankee Candle always has the $5.00 flat rate shipping but when you spend over $100 you will get free shipping.  If you have a Yankee Candle near where you live you can print a coupon for $10.00 off your $25.00 purchase, if you need to order on line you can get the same coupon by entering code TAHSV at the checkout.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

proselytize ~ verb

DEFINITION(s):
1: to induce someone to convert to one's faith
2: to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause

EXAMPLESE: Liza is a staunch environmentalist who always feels the need to proselytize to anyone who doesn't recycle or drive a hybrid automobile.

"There is also no denying that in some of its iterations, the pacifism that [John] Lennon championed can seem truly beautiful. So long as the world is plagued by hate and war, people are going to look fondly upon those who proselytize for peace and love." -- From an article by John McMillian in the Boston Globe, December 5, 2010

DID YOU KNOW? "Proselytize" comes from the noun "proselyte" (meaning "a new convert"), which comes from the Late Latin noun "proselytus." "Proselytus" means "stranger" or "alien resident," and comes from a similar Greek word ("prosēlytos"). When "proselytize" entered English in the 17th century, it had a distinctly religious connotation and meant simply "to recruit religious converts." This meaning is still common, but today one can also proselytize in a broader sense -- recruiting converts to one's political party or pet cause, for example.


~THE REBATE~

From now until February 28th you can get a free $10.00 gift card via email by March 4th from Amazon when you order $20.00 in magazine subscriptions.  One publication I love is All You which is full of coupons and great money saving tips every month.  You can get it right now for 6 months for $10.00 or dive in for the full year for $19.95.  If you are looking for some great new recipe ideas check out Taste of Home for only $12.98 for 7 issues. This magazine is full of great easy ideas for great cooking on a budget and limited time. 

Hope you are all having a great week!

C.Q.

Crafting is Like Crack

I want to get something off my chest. Crafters are like drug dealers. There I said it and feel better. I was not a gal who did crafts until the start of the year. I didn't own one crafty item. I had no desire to make anything with my own two chubby hands. Could care less about craft stores. Crafty for me meant ripping out an article in a magazine, hoping to get to it another day.

That all changed starting this year. I took up a challenge and have been dipping my toes in the craters wading pool. I used to laugh when Michele and Jen told me what they spent on Scrapbook supplies. I would hang up the phone and mutter, "Its like crafter's crack!" I could not understand getting excited over papers. Paper? Who cares about paper? Sadly, I must confess, that I now do. I got into making cards. There I said it, I'm a card maker. Granted some of my attempts have looked like a blind 4 year old monkey made them, but I try.

The thing I'm discovering about crafters is that they want others to be addicted as well. They help feed my addiction by giving me crafting supplies. I don't want to use the term pimp or pusher, but if the shoe fits? Michele sent me a bunch of treasures to help me get started with Valentiene's Day cards. My friend Teresa had me go "shopping" in her craft room. I have another friend who is going to dig through her craft stuff and see what I might need. Michele and Jen are going to be Scrapbooking this week and are putting together a package of goodies. I have been over to Hobby Lobby 12 times in the past two weeks. Well maybe not 12, but it seems like that.

It was kind of how kids get hooked on smoking. Everybody is doing it. Come in, it won't hurt. Ha!
The crafting thing sneaks up on you and before you know it our hooked. "Oh, I'll just go LOOK to see what Hobby Lobby has this week." Ya, right. There is no such thing as "just looking" at a craft store.

To help feed Your addiction http://hobbylobby.com/weekly/coupon.cfm Now I feel as if I have done my part to help "pimp" crafting.

Meet me on Monday...

I am not sure where the time goes, but it's Monday again!  Every Monday Java over at Never Growing Old hosts a Meet me on Monday blog hop that is always fun and helps to introduce new folks. Hop on over and check it out!!

Today's Questions:

1. Did you get any Valentine's Gifts?
2. What is your favorite topping on something toasted?
3. Do you pick out your outfit the night before?
4. What food item do you absolutely despise?
5. Righty or lefty?

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1. Did you get any Valentine's Gifts?
 

The hubby and I generally don't do anything different for holidays than we do any other day, it shouldn't take Hallmark to tell us when to celebrate life. :)


2. What is your favorite topping on something toasted?

I love cream cheese, I can put it on toast, bagels, English muffins, it get warm and a little softer yummmmmm.  I think I need to go make an English Muffin, I'll be back in a jiff.......

3. Do you pick out your outfit the night before?

Depends on if we are going to Walmart, then I get all dolled up.  Seriously though, since we are both retired we can take our time with what to wear when we go out, I usually change my mind and my outfit about 3 times before we are out the door, you would think I never go anywhere with how much I fret.

4. What food item do you absolutely despise?

Liver and onions, I can't even handle the smell!  Oh, and almost ANY food on the show Bizarre Foods!

5. Righty or lefty?

I am a right handed person as a general rule but when my hands get sore I can do some things with my left so I get a little break.

Have a great Monday everyone!
 
C.Q.