Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

Last year we had snow which made everything look like a fairytale.  This is a view out my front window of my garden shed.  (It also doubles as a squirel hotel in the Winter) I'm not complaining, but it sure looks a lot different this year.  Hopefully this Spring we will get buckets full of rain so we don't have any issues with fires.

The deal...

What's so great about the second half of February? Easy...great candy and great prices!  Its an opportunity to splurge a little on Godiva Chocolates.  Godiva is having their after Valentines day sale on all their seasonal candy, up to 40% off!  The expressions of love gift set, which comes with an adorable stuffed bear with 8 pieces of dark chocolate and a 29 piece heart shaped box is marked way down from $100.00 to $59.00.  My personal favorite is their coffees, and they are on sale now too.  You can get either their set of three which includes the Chocolate Truffle, Caramel and Breakfast Blend Coffees for $35.00, marked down from $42.00 or individual bags of the Breakfast Blend, Caramel, Chocolate Truffle, French Vanilla or Hazelnut Cream for regular price of $14.00.   There is free shipping if your order is between $75.00 and $300.00,  just use coupon code SHIP75 when you check out.

Hope you are having a great Thursday!

C.Q.

Tastefully Tueday...

Nothing says Valentines Day quite like chocolates so why not save some cash and make them yourself this year?  I found this great recipe at All Recipes and its super easy to make these little gems.

Luscious Chocolate Truffles

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract **

In large saucepan, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer the mixture into a medium bowl. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm.      

Shape mixture into 1 inch balls; roll in desired covering and/or decorate them. Refrigerate in a tightly covered dish.

**For more variety divide the chocolate mix into four even parts and add 1 Tbsp of different flavoring (in place of the Vanilla) to each batch.  Chill each batch separately, they will cool faster that way too.

Makes about 70 candies, prep time is only 10 minutes, but the total time needed is about 3 hours.

Coupons:

$0.50 off one bag of NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Morsels

$0.50 off any Simply Organic Extract or Flavor

Today's no cook options are from a couple of places.  First, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream is offering a free scoop if Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Ice Cream today only between 5:00 and 8:00 at participating locations.  The other coupon is from Boston Market; they are offering a free dessert when you buy an individual meal with a drink.  This offer is good for today only and you need to print the coupon to bring in with you and give to your server when you order.

A big thank you to everyone for stopping by yesterday for my first ever blog hop, I hope you will all come back next week and meet another great blogger.  Have a great Valentines day.

C.Q.

Tastefully Tueday...

Our weather turned cold again so today is a great day for baking.  With Valentines around the corner I thought I would post something fun for the day  I found this treat at Food Network, you can find all sorts of wonderful things there!


Black Forest Cupcakes

1 (18.25-ounce) box devil's food cake mix

1 1/3 cups black cherry soda

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 container vanilla frosting

2 teaspoons cherry extract

1 to 2 drops pink food coloring

24 whole maraschino cherries with stems

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin tins with paper liners.  In a large bowl combine cake mix, soda, vegetable oil and eggs. Using a hand mixer combine all ingredients, batter will still be somewhat lumpy. Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake 19 to 22 minutes, turning the pans halfway through baking. Remove to a rack and allow to cool completely.  In a large bowl combine frosting, extract and pink food coloring. When cupcakes are cool ice with pink cherry frosting and top each with maraschino cherry    

Variation: Orange Cream Cupcakes

Prepare using a yellow cake mix and Orange soda. Substitute twisted orange slices for the cherries.

Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time 22 minutes, total time is 32 minutes.   The recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Coupons:
$1.00 off any 3 7UP, A and W, Sunkist, Vernors, Squirt, RC Cola, Diet Rite, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Hawaiian Punch, Dr. Pepper, or Big Red at Meijer.
$1.00 off one dozen Davidson's Safest Choice Eggs

Today's no cook option is from Bruegger’s Bagels.  Stop by on their Facebook page and like them to get a printable coupon for 3 free bagels.  Just bring it in with you on February 9th.  Remember that most Bruegger's are not open very late so be sure to stop in early.

I hope you are all having a great Tuesday!

C.Q.

Friday's Freebie...

Today's freebie is a fun one for Valentines day.  Each day The Card Store is giving away 10,000 free valentines cards.  Just pick the card you want and head over to check out.  Fill in all the information and then enter coupon code 10KPEOPLE to get your card for free, including shipping.  A great way to say "Be mine" without spending a cent!

Hope you had a great week so far!

C.Q.

Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

I took this picture at our local train museum last year.  They show a short movie on train history in the museum and the seats that are there are from the 1920s.  I loved the look of them, even though I think they would be a bit uncomfortable to sit in for any length of time.  In the 20s a film over a half hour was very rare so the seats were designed to be comfortable by putting cushioning in the back and forming the seat.  I can just imagine someone sitting here watching a Charlie Chaplin film.

The deal...

Here are a couple of fun deals for Valentines.  First get 30% off your order of $30.00 or more at Fannie May until 2/3/12 (need to hurry for this one).  Who doesn't love chocolates?  They have so many choices, from the standards of the Chocolate Assortment box or Mint Meltaways to gourmet Truffles or Deluxe Berry bundle.  Just enter coupon code 23304 when you check out.  Shipping is $4.99 on any size order.

The second idea is from F.Y.E. and is super fun and original.  Put together a personalized CD for your Valentine, you choose from over 4 million songs.  The first track is $3.99 and each track after that is $1.19, you can fill up to 75 minutes with music for your sweetheart.  When you are all done you get to design the cover and add gift wrapping if you want.  If you order before 2/7/12 and use coupon code VALENTINE12 you will get free standard shipping, a $5.00 value.

Hope you are enjoying your Thursday.

C.Q.

Sniqueaway for Valentines day...

OK so Valentines day is right around the corner, are you ready?  You could do the usual stuff again this year, or you could surprise your love one with a get away to someplace fun for a couple of days or more.  Awhile back I found a great place called Sniqueaway that is kind of like Groupon or Restaurant.com, only for vacations.  Sniqueaway is part of TripAdvisor and offers great deals on 4 and 5 star vacation properties at locations all over the globe.  This weeks they are offering a stay at the Nine Zero hotel in Boston for $119 - $139 per night, the usual rate is $179 - $200 per night.  The Nine Zero (this link goes to the hotel site NOT Sniqueaway) is part of the Kimpton Hotel chain and is pet friendly so you can bring your furry pal as well as your sweet heart.  Don't feel like being in the US for vacation? No problem, how about warm and sunny Mexico?  You can stay at the Garza Blanca (this link goes to the hotel site NOT Sniqueaway) in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.  You can get a junior suite or one bedroom suite for $179 - $199 per night saving $100 per night!  If you would like to travel with another couple you can get a two room suite for only $249 per night, a savings of $153 per night, then split the cost between two couples and you save even more!

The sales usually last about a week then new properties and destinations become available, I am always checking to see what is coming up.  Currently I am on the hunt for a fun get away to someplace close to us, although there is a beautiful hotel called  The Garden Gables Inn (again, this goes to the B&B site, not Sniqueaway) coming up in Lenox. MA that is a Bed & Breakfast Spa that would be a great stop for us when we visit my Nephew.  A nice feature of the site is being able to set up reminders for future deals, but if you are not interested in what is currently on sale be sure to sign up for the emails, then you won't miss a fantastic deal.

As far as travel deals go, I have not seen any other site that has been able to provide this kind of discount on such nice properties.  I know you can name your own deal and get discounts with some of those other sites, but you may end up in the smallest room they have since you don't get to see the room in advance.  When I found Sniqueaway I was overjoyed, and even though I haven't booked anything yet, I love to look at the new sales and take a mini vacation from my sofa. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

plinth \PLINTH\ ~ noun

DEFINITIONS:
1: the lowest part of the base of an architectural column
2: a block used as a base (as for a statue)

EXAMPLES: The museum workers reverently set the newly restored statue back onto an imposing plinth.
"Anthony put on his glasses and bent down, searching for a minute label taped to the marble plinth on which the Atlas figures stood." -- From Rose Tremain's 2010 novel Trespass

DID YOU KNOW? "These ivy-clad arcades -- / These mouldering plinths ... are they all -- / All of the famed, and the colossal left…?" In these lines from "The Coliseum," Edgar Allan Poe alludes to a practical feature of classical architecture. The plinth serves the important purpose of raising the base of the column it supports above the ground, thus protecting it from dampness and mold. The humble plinth is usually a mere thick block. It’s humbly named, too, for the Greek word "plinthos" means simply "tile" or "brick." English writers have used "plinth," a shortened version of the Latin form "plinthus," since the beginning of the 17th century. The meaning was extended to bases for statues, vases, or busts in the 18th century.


~THE REBATE~

Have kids on your Valentines list or looking to start putting together a Easter basket?  Now through March 22, 2011 when you buy any Hasbro 4 Furry Frenzies or Snuggimals you can get an exclusive pink Furry Frenzies ladybug free.  Just mail in the four original UPCs from the packaging together with the mail in rebate form.  Requests need to be postmarked by March 22, 2011 and received by Hasbro no later than March 31, 2011.  This one is going to require some patients, the lady bug will be mailed in 10 to 12 weeks from receipt of your request. 

I hope you are all having a great week!

C.Q.

Meet February...

Hello to you all, I would like you to meet February. February is known for romance, chocolates, National Black History Month and the big game, but did you know February is also….

AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month: AMD stands for age-related macular degeneration; a disease that affects part of the back of the eye called the macula, and can cause the center part of your vision to become blurry or wavy.  Prevent Blindness America has a great short quiz to find out if you are at risk. Coastal Contacts is offering a coupon code for 15% off your entire order, just enter code RMNFEB15 at checkout, they also have free shipping on orders over $38.00.

Deaf History Month:  Miracle-Ear has locations nation wide and a printable coupon for a free hearing test, however the actual hearing aids can be very costly.  Hearing aids are available at low or no cost to people that qualify though.  You will need a doctor's diagnosis is necessary to qualify for hearing aid assistance, plus they are great sources of information on the products and services available to you.  Another option is to contact the hearing aid manufacturers directly, like drug companies, many of them will help with the cost, especially for families of children.

Bake for Family Fun Month : How about every one's original favorite, Original Nestle Toll House Cookies?  These would be great for the game this weekend too. Here are some coupons to help you out:

$1.00 off any Arrowhead Flour
$0.50 off two .Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
$1.00 off on any 8 oz. or 16 oz. Organic Valley Butter
$0.50 off Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
$0.50 off Imperial Sugar Light Brown, Dark Brown, or Powdered Sugar
$0.75 off Organic Valley Eggs
Or you could save the mixing and get $0.75 off Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough

National Hot Breakfast Month:  Save $1.00 at Target on Multi pack Quaker Instant Oatmeal, or you can get a buy two get one free coupon from Better Oats Oatmeal, just find them on Facebook and then go to the promotions tab and click the like button to get your coupon.  More into Cream of Wheat?  No problem, get $1.00 off Malt-O-Meal When You Buy 2 Malt-O-Meal® Cereals 12.5 oz or larger.

National Pie Month and Sweet Potato Month:  In honor of these I found a wonderful Sweet Potato Pie Recipe from Paul Dean for you.  Did you know that despite a physical similarity and a frequent confusion with their names, yams and sweet potatoes are not even distantly related. They are in two different botanical families. Yams are actually related to grasses and lilies!

National Bird Feeding Month: Petco is having their Bird Feeder sale with 15% or more off, plus they have free shipping on all orders over $60.00.  Wonder whats coming to your feeder?  WhatBird.com has an incredible app for $29.99.  Although that may seem a little high take into account that you can carry this with you easily and you can hear the actual bird's call, something no guide book can do for you.  Once you have identified your bird you can check it off either on the app or you can download and print a free state by state check list, especially nice of you are going bird watching on vacation.

National Care About Your Indoor Air Month: Receive $10.00 back by mail with the purchase of any Filtrete Room Air Purifier by 3M.  Just Mail in the rebate form along with the original UPC code from the package and the original cash register receipt dated between March 15, 2010 and March 31, 2011, submissions must be received by April 30, 2011, one per household.

Festival of Camellias Month: If you want to start getting info on your summer flower garden, check out this beautiful flowering shrub.  You can purchase a wide variety of Camellias for your garden from the Camellia Forest Nursery.  The  Burpee Seed Company has the Pink Champagne variety only but you can use coupon code take10 at check out for 10% off your total order.

Chocolate Lover's Month: Somehow this was not a surprise.  Godiva has some beautiful Valentines chocolates this month as well as a few great coupon codes.  Note all of these codes expire on February 8th so act quick.  Coupon code LOVE will get you $10.00 off your order of $60.00 or more, HUGS will get you free shipping on your order of $60.00 or more and HEARTS will get you upgraded guaranteed Valentine's Day delivery on your order of $75.00 or more.  Remember to check out Godiva's free Rewards Club as well, its a nice little program that gets you a free piece of chocolate each month as well as free shipping on all your on line orders and some other very nice perks.

I hope you have all enjoyed meeting February, I have enjoyed sharing the introduction.

Have a great weekend everyone!


C.Q.


 

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The picture...

Last week my hubby went for a walk through Gooseberry Falls State Park and got this great shot of the old pier covered in ice.  The park is a wonderful place for picture taking all year long.

The deal...

FTD is offering a few different deals for Valentines day.  The first deal is $10.00 off of select floral arrangements specifically designed for Valentines day.  The other deals are coupons you can use at check out; code RETMENOT20 will get you 20% off site wide, this can not be combined with other sales on the site so I have a direct link to FTD and the discount will show up if you go in through here.  If you want to send a nice mixed bouquet of roses with a little box of chocolates these are on sale for $29.99 marked down from $39.99.

Have a fantastic day everyone!

C.Q.

You can't put a price on love...

Well depending on your situation, this weekend will either be Valentines day or Singles Awareness day. Either way its a chance to either pamper the one you love or give yourself a gift of self indigence. Even if you are in a relationship your best bet may be to take the self indulgent route, a statistical fact I found while writing this was that in the United States, 64% of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts. If you are looking for some ideas or are one of the 64% mentioned above then this is for you.

Another fact is that 110 million roses, mostly red, will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period. If you want to stand out from the crowd and spend a little less on a bouquet of flowers then check out the meaning of flowers and put together your own grouping. Don't forget to send along the meaning, kind of like a romantic road map. I would encourage using a local florist so you can see what your getting, but if you must use an on-line florist you can find coupons to multiple places at Coupon Craze. While you are at the florist be sure to ask if they have any roses that have wilted and can't be sold, they will usually give these to you for free or next to nothing. No, I have not lost my mind, these usual toss aways at the flower shops can turn into a romantic evening of rose petals for the bath tub, dinner table or bedroom. Big effect for just a little work.

If you have the time and the know how you can plan a romantic meal at home with candle light and music, but if you are considering going out to dinner be sure to check for restaurants in your area at Restaurant.com to see if they have any great places in your area, you can get a $25 dining certificate for $10.00, that's a great deal!

So your all ready to run out to the local grocery store or Target and pick up a box of chocolates? Why not re-think that and spend about the same amount for something that's going to mean a lot more? Be creative and make a box of cup cakes for your sweetie.

Traditionally jewelry is also given on Valentines day, and whether its a gift for your sweetheart or a gift for you there is no sense in paying full price. Gorden Jewelers has a bunch of coupons currently available.

The tried and true poem is a romantic stand-by that has been around for hundreds of years. Try your hand at a verse expressing your love, if your having a hard time you can find a little help and inspiration (and quite a few giggles) with a poem generator.

Most importantly, remember to have fun and make it memorable, a dear friend of mine and her sweetie spent Valentines last year with table linens and china they brought from home at a McDonald's, it is something they will always be able to look back on, remember and smile. That's what its all about, creating memories that will stand out, not spending a lot of cash.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

C.Q.