Friday's Freebie...

Today only in honor of National Coffee day Krispy Kreme is giving away a free 12oz cup of House Blend Coffee to its guests. No Purchase Necessary.  To get your free cup of coffee, stop by a participating Krispy Kreme location in the U.S. and Canada today only, Thursday, September 29th, from 6am-10pm.

Hope everyone is looking forward to a nice weekend!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

Today the wind is up and it is raining and cool outside, definitely time to bid adieu to Summer.  This picture was taken last year in my garden and is a beautiful White Admiral butterfly.  Its nice to have sunny pictures to look at in the Winter!

The deal...

During the fall and winter I love to burn candles but it can be expensive, but when you shop Yankee Candle from now until October 2nd you get two full size jar candles when you buy two at regular price.  You can shop on line and use coupon code Q3B2G2 at check out; or you can print the coupon an shop in stores.

Hope you are all having a great Thursday!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

sic \SIK\  ~ adverb

DEFINITION: intentionally so written -- used after a printed word or passage to indicate that it exactly reproduces an original.
EXAMPLES: His letter said the people were “very freindly [sic] to me.”

"A subsequent memo … concluded that the 'doctors will submit one invoice which will include the special payments formally [sic] being made to their spouses along with there [sic] normal consulting services fee.'" -- From an article by James B. Stewart in The New York Times, June 25, 2011

DID YOU KNOW? The adverb "sic," usually enclosed in brackets, is a word editors use in the reproduction of someone else's speech or writing to indicate that an unexpected form exactly reproduces the original and is not a copier's mistake. "Sic" comes from Latin, in which it means "so" or "thus." Though it's a useful tool, some usage commentators feel it is bad manners to use a "sic" to needlessly call attention to someone's error or to deride the language of a less-educated person.

~THE REBATE~

I love this one because it supports a cause that is near and dear to me.  From now until October 31st Proctor and Gamble will send you a $10 rebate when you spend $50 on their Venus, Olay, Secret, Cover Girl, Pantene, Safe Guard, Ivory, Aussie, and/or Herbal Essences.  The bonus is that for every $10 they give in rebates they are donating another $10 to The National Breast Cancer Foundation.  Just print out the rebate form to fill out and mail it in together with your original dated receipts with the purchase prices circled.  Requests must reach them by November 30th, allow 6 to 8 weeks for the rebate to arrive.

Hope you are all having a great week!

C.Q.

Tastefully Tuesday...

This time last week was our last day in Chicago, so I thought I would give you a very simple recipe that goes with our trip and a stand by at any Cubs or White Sox game....The Chicago Dog.  Its really simple, you may have the hardest time finding the right bun.

Serve boiled beef hot dogs on poppy-seed buns with dill pickle and cucumber spears, sliced tomatoes, sweet pickle relish, pickled peppers, diced onion and yellow mustard. Sprinkle with celery salt. NO Catsup on a true Chicago Dog!

Today's no cook option is from Wienerschnitzel.  Just print the coupon and bring it in with you for a free pretzel bun chili dog with purchase of a pretzel bun chili dog at regular price. The coupon is good through October 30th.



Have a great Tuesday!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Not a lot of folks know that September 25th is National Comic Book Day, but I thought I would give it a little attention.  There is also a Free Comic Book day in May where many stores give out a free comic book.  I don't know if your local stores may be celebrating today with some sales or freebies but its worth checking out if you or someone you know is a collector (its not too early to be thinking about your holiday shopping).  If you like today's artwork it is an actual mural that you can purchase at Stargate Cinema for 42% off its original price of $250.00, today its $145.99 with free shipping, and it is huge ~ a whopping 6' x 10.5'  so if you have an avid collector this may be a perfect holiday gift.

Growing up I read a lot of the Archie comics, they were my favorites and I was not even sure if they print them anymore or who's comics they were, but with the help of the Grand Comics Database I was able to find out that the comic is still around today and that when it started it went through many transformations, large and small.  Its a great place to start looking for information on starting a new collection or filling in an existing series.

Currently one of my favorite authors has one of her book series being made into comics for Marvel.  I purchased the first in the series and liked how it followed along with the book and brought the characters to life, it had been a very long time since I read a comic.  Your can check out Anita Blake for your self at Marvel.  Also be sure to check the other major comic publishing house DC Comics for whats new with them, there are so many more characters than when I was a kid, and the ones I loved, like Wonder Woman are still there (she does appear to have been pumping iron over the years though, she has gotten some beefy biceps).  Dark Horse Comics features Star Wars and Buffy among other well known names, and Image Comics is the home of Spawn and Whitchblade.

There is also a growing amount of comics on the web, just check out Online Comic Books, it can be your own guilty pleasure because no one will ever find comic books sitting around your house.  Can't get enough comic book movies? Stop over to Comic Book Movies to discuss Ann Hathaway as the new Catwoman, your favorite episode of Dr. No or the upcoming Superman: Man of Steel currently being filmed. 

Have a current comic and wondering about its value, you can sign up free at Comics Price Guide and find out more about your one comic or your entire collection, you may be surprised to see what you have!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

C.Q.

Silly Saturday...

Woke up with a headache this morning so I will continue the Saturday Sojurn next week and tell you about the second half of our trip to Chicago.

Have a great weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Friday's Freebie...

If you have a child who dosen't like taking their vitimans then check this out, US Nutrition is giving out samples of Disney shaped vitiman gummies.  Just fill in the on line request form and select your choice of either the Disney Princes or Cars shapes. There is a limit of only one per household.

Have a great Friday everyone!

C.Q.

Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

I am getting caught up again with my blog and house work after spending a week with two of the best girl friends a gal can have.  We were in the Windy city of Chicago so it seemed like a good idea to post a picture of the skyline as seen in the reflection of the "bean" in Millennium Park.  We had a wonderful week together and made so many memories!  Now I will have something REALLY fun to scrapbook this winter when the weather turns cold and snowy.

The deal...

Halloween is right around the corner and its always fun to have treats for guest who stop by for a visit, not just the kids who come to the door.  Now until September 25th Fannie May Candies is offering 25% off your order of $49.00 or more, just enter coupon code 17195 when you check out.

Hope you have all had a great week so far.

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Growing up and still today I love movies, almost any genera with the exception of gory horror.  Just give me a bowl of popcorn, a large soda (and a box of tissues if its a tear jerker) and I am set.  Growing up I watched Siskel and Ebert and loved their takes on the movies, not that I always agreed, but I loved hearing what they had to say.   I was saddened in 1999 when Gene Siskel passed away, and in 2002 when Roger Ebert found out he had thyrod cancer I was hoping he would get better and return to At The Movies with his new on air partner Richard Roeper, but he was not so lucky and as time went on he was not able to return and in 2008 Richard Roeper did not renew his contract because his friend and co-host was unable to return.  Roger Ebert has now lost his ability to speak due to the cancer, but that has not kept him silent.  He has written his Memoirs titled approperatly Life Itself: A Memoir.  I have purchased the Kindle version at Amazon for $14.99, if you want it in hard cover I was able to find it at Walmart for $17.10 plus tax with free shipping (Amazon was a close second at $17.90), if you would like the audio version of the book you can find it for $23.09 at Amazon.

From Amazon's Product Description:

Roger Ebert's journalism carried him on a path far from his nearly idyllic childhood in Urbana, Illinois. It is a journey that began as a reporter for his local daily, and took him to Chicago, where he was unexpectedly given the job of film critic for the Sun-Times, launching a lifetime's adventures.

In this candid, personal history, Ebert chronicles it all: his loves, losses, and obsessions; his struggle and recovery from alcoholism; his marriage; his politics; and his spiritual beliefs. He writes about his years at the Sun-Times, his colorful newspaper friends, and his life-changing collaboration with Gene Siskel. He remembers his friendships with Studs Terkel, Mike Royko, Oprah Winfrey, and Russ Meyer (for whom he wrote Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and an ill-fated Sex Pistols movie). He shares his insights into movie stars and directors like John Wayne, Werner Herzog, and Martin Scorsese.

This is a story that only Roger Ebert could tell. Filled with the same deep insight, dry wit, and sharp observations that his readers have long cherished, this is more than a memoir-it is a singular, warm-hearted, inspiring look at life itself.

"I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out."

Have a beautiful Sunday!

C.Q.

Saturday's Sojourn...

It has been a while since I have done a Sojourn post, but since I am actually in Chicago I thought I would share a bit of where we have been, I think I will save the rest of the vacation for next Saturday.  It will also give me an opportunity to share some of the ways to get great deals on travel.

I guess its easiest to go in order, I received an email from my local airport (we are on a smaller terminal) saying they were offering deals out of here direct to Chicago for $99.00 each way, usually they are $130 or more so that cinched that we were flying.  If you like to travel its worth while to be friends with your airport on Facebook or subscribe to their emails, you can get advance notice on air fare deals that way.  I paid for the tickets using a card that earns mile on that air line as well, and booking it right through them got me double miles towards my next flight somewhere.

Next up was trying to figure out where to stay in the city for under the usual $300 a night.  Being out at the airport may save up front, but it costs a fortune in cab rides, and actually
can wind up costing more than spending the extra to stay in the
heart of the city where you can walk to everything.  I am a member of Snique Away, a great site that offers hotel deals, kind of like Groupon but for lodging.  They have great offers each week, so its always something new.  The deal that came up was for the Hotel Burnham, just a few blocks away from Millennium Park, and we got to save a third of the hotel price. Like all the Kimpton Hotels, it is a smaller boutique property that offers outstanding service, they allow pets but if you can't travel with your family friend they have a program called Guppy Love, you get a gold fish in your room that the staff takes care of for you, no need to do a thing, other than name him/her and enjoy the company.

We arrived early so we had plenty of time to unpack, meet up with another friend of ours who flew in separately and unwind before our night of wining and dining on board the Odyssey dinner cruise.  I purchased a $50 certificate from Restaurant.com during their sale for only $10, so we saved $40 and got to enjoy a great 3 course dinner while listening to live music and watching the Chicago night skyline go by.

Thursday we went on a Chicago Film bus tour, we purchased the tickets on Groupon so we paid 1/2 price for the two hour tour.  These are fun ways to see the city in a new way, and Groupon often has different types of tours and activities on sale if you watch for them.  It was fun to see the spot where they filmed one of my all time favorite movies,  Ferris Bueller's Day Off, of course I had to hum a little Twist and Shout for the rest of the day! As an added bonus we got to see the police cars and they are using for the new Superman move being filmed here, they all said Metropolis and were parked in front of Union Station, how cool is that?!?!  That left the rest of the day for shopping.  Ahhhh shopping, I do a lot of reward sites that pay you to read mail, click links and/or shop through them so I had and still have a lot of gift cards for Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Old Navy, Sephora, Williams Senoma, etc. so it was a fun day!

Friday was our princess pamper day, we all had a lemon cream Mani/pedi at Eshe Spa, a wonderful oasis in the city and a place I would put at the very top of my to do list again, what a wonderful group of gals we had help us!  They are a Spa Finder Spa and I was able to cash out from reward sites and my Discover cards points for Spa Finder gift certificates, the visit was totally paid for using hobby money or Discover rebates.  You can also get good deals on Spa Finder certificates at eBay. After that we went to have High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel, I was able to get a $50.00 Peninsula Dining certificate by cashing some of my points out of my American Express rewards account, so that was a great treat on a budget.  Ahhh what a day!

Today is double discount day at the Art Institute of Chicago, so today will be a day of culture and beauty.  If you have a museum near you that you enjoy check into becoming a member, many museums are reciprocal so you get discounts in many places.  I am a member of the Art Institute as well as the Field Museum and have used those memberships to get into and get discounts in Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul so far, I will have to see where I can visit when we go to Virgina for Christmas.  If you don't want to join check the museum's web site, they often have free days; usually once a month, and they will have it posted on their events calender.

It seems there is never a shortage of things to do in Chicago, this morning they were filming another scene from the new Superman move in Daley Plaza, right next to the hotel so I was able to get some fun pictures of that before we even left for the museum.  Next week the dining, the ball game, the chauffeured ride to the airport and so much more.

Have a wonderful weekend!

C.Q.

Friday's Freebie...

As the weather gets cooler we don't always get the weekend weather that's great for kids to get out; so this week I am featuring a couple up comming events they will enjoy, first is the Lowes Build and Grow Clinic.  On September 24th they will be offering a class on building a fire truck, complete with a siren.  After that, Home Depot is offering a Kids Workshop on October 1st from 9:00am - 12:00pm building a Fire Rescue Helicopter. 

Hope everyone is looking forward to a great weekend!

C.Q.

Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

A couple Summers ago we had family come visit and we went over to a quaint little town on Lake Superior where my hubby spent a lot of time with his family.  It was a beautiful day with a little haze in the air over the lake that gave this sailboat a kind of surreal look.  It reminded me of a scene out of Goonies, only with a sailboat instead of a pirate ship.

The deal...

You or someone you know a movie buff?  Movies Unlimited has a sale on movies that have newly been released to DVD.  You can find some great deals, like the fun Sci-Fi Ultimate collection, a three-disc set that includes "Dr. Cyclops," "Cult of the Cobra," "The Land Unknown," "The Deadly Mantis," and "The Leech Woman" for only $19.99.
Have a great week everyone!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

raconteur  \ra-kahn-TER\ ~ noun

DEFINITION: a person who excels in telling anecdotes

EXAMPLES: A bona fide raconteur, Turner can turn even mundane experiences into hilariously entertaining stories.

"The story is constructed as a light mentor piece in which Henry, a sometime college literature professor, Christmas ball collector and raconteur, takes a boarder into his crummy New York apartment." -- From an article by Dennis King in The Oklahoman, September 10, 2010

DID YOU KNOW? The story of "raconteur" is a tale of telling and counting. English speakers borrowed the word from French, where it traces back to the Old French verb "raconter," meaning "to tell." "Raconter" in turn was formed from another Old French verb, "aconter" or "acompter," meaning "to tell" or "to count," which is ultimately from Latin "computare," meaning "to count." "Computare" is also the source of our words "count" and "account." "Raconteur" has been part of the English vocabulary since at least 1828.
 
~THE REBATE~

Fall is here and its time to start cooking things "low and slow", nothing like a great Brisket for that!  From now until December 31st you can get a $5 mail-in rebate when you buy a 5 pound or larger Sadler’s Smokehouse Whole or Sliced Beef Brisket.  Just fill in the rebate form and mail it in together with a copy of the receipt and proof of purchase.  This offer is limited to one per household.
 
I hope you are all enjoying your week, I am on my way to Chicago with friends and will put up a Saturday Sojourn this month all about Chicago and where we have been and where we are going. 
 
C.Q.

Tastefully Tueday...

I love fall soups, epically when you can use things from your garden as the main ingredient.  Last year I had a over abundance of pumpkins so we cooked them and froze them.  On Sunday my niece and her boyfriend came for dinner and we decided to use the last of the frozen puree to make a quick, easy and delicious pumpkin soup.  Everyone loved it and it is perfect as we head into Fall. 

PUMPKIN SOUP

6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
5 whole black peppercorns

Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.  Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.  Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

For today's no cook option I found a couple of coupons for Denny's; the first is good only until Saturday September 17th, but its a great coupon, get 20% off your entire check, just bring in the coupon and present it to the server.  The second coupon is for a free cheese quesadilla and is good until November 7th, 2011.  You can not use these two coupons together but I wanted to share them both since they were such nice deals.
 
Have a great Tuesday everyone!
 
C.Q.

A day of remembrance...

To anyone who lost a loved one, friend or co-worker in the 9/11 attacks I offer you my condolences and sympathy.  The nation had its heart broken as we lost many wonderful people that day.  Today I am watching the ceremonies, remembering the day and crying at the loss.  As one survivor mourns the loss of one life, so do we all mourn with you.

Michele