Free Cascadian Granola Bar

Looking for freebies in your mailbox? Go here to sign up your free granola bar sample from Cascadain Farms. By signing up you will also receive coupons from them in your e-mail.

The Grocery Gathering~ Meijer

Meijer Deals 12/28-1/3

First let me apologize for my lack of Meijer postings. December has been a hard month for me. Not only have I been dealing with the busyness of the Holidays but also many health issues. I am back though and will be searching for the best deals for you.

Buy 10 of the following items for $20 an get $5 of your next shopping trip.

Nabisco Premium saltines
Macaroni & cheese Crackers
Dunk'ems
Nabisco Nilla Wafers
Nabisco Nutter Butters
Nabisco Newtons
Nabisco Newtons
Asst. Post Cereals
A1 Steak sauce
Kraft Miracle Whip
Kraft Mayo
Kraft soft Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Kraft Philadelphia Cracker Spreads
Planters Nuts - Select varieties

Jell-O Ready to Eat Pudding
$1/2 Meijer Mealbox coupon
$1.50 per package

Coolwhip Aerosol Cans
$1/2 Meijer Mealbox coupon
$1.50 per can

Jell-O No Bake Dessert
Oscar Mayer Wieners
Oscar Mayer Precooked Bacon
General Foods International Coffee( this is a great deal on this coffee)

Bagel-fuls
$1 coupon here
$1 per box

DiGiorno for One Pizzas
Kraft singles 12 oz
Oscar Mayer Lunchables


Other Deals

Ekrich Smoked sausage 2/$4
$1/2 coupon 11-02 S exp.01-31
$1.50 per package

LifeSavers Candy bags 5/$5
$1 coupon 10-19 S exp.12-31
Free Until Wednesday

Ragu Pasta sauce 3/$5
.50 coupon(doubled) 11-16 RP exp.01-25
$1.17 per jar
Buy one Ragu Pasta Sauce and get one Muellers Pasta free

ABCs for Babies~Parents® Toy Review

As a first time Mom about 9 years ago I became a avid reader of Parents Magazine. It was so valuable to me as a first time Mom for ideas and advice. There website today is a very valuable source for moms of babies to teens and all the ages in between.

Parents® is also industry leader when it comes to toys. Parents toys have received over 52 awards, including a Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal and the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.

Recently I received the Architecture ABCs from Parents® to review. My youngest is almost 6 years old so I didn't think she would fully appreciate them so I sent them for a local toy drive for families in need.
That being the case, I was very impressed with them and wished my kids would have had blocks like these when they were young. They are squeaky and squishy and oh so colorful. I loved the fact that they were soft with no dangerous hard edges. Each block has an adorable creature on it form an alligator to zebra, there is an animal for every letter in the alphabet

If you have a baby this year on your gift list yet to buy for these blocks would make a great gift. You can find them at your local Target store or at target.com for $19.99. As a Mom this product has my Mom's Seal of Approval.

Amazon Holiday Sampler

Love free music? Are you wanting more Christmas music? You are in luck, Amazon is offering a Holiday sampler of music for free. You can download the MP3s right to your computer for free. There are 5 songs that you can get.

1. I wish you a Merry Christmas


2. Deck the Halls


3. The Nutcracker Suite


4. Auld Lang Syne


5. Jingle Bells

You can also get more free Christmas music from Amazon's 25 Day of Free holiday music.

Tea Lovers Gift Guide

1.Adiago Teas Variable-Temp Kettle As a tea lover this is tops on my list. I love electric tea kettles but this is a notch above because you can set the temperature in which it shuts off. This is great if you love green tea which will taste bitter if the water reaches boiling.

2. Small Origami Tea Tin from Teavana. These are a must to store loose tea.

3. The Republic of Tea Sampler Cube. The Republic of Tea has many great teas. This is a great way to be able to try a variety to see what your favorite is. My favorite happens to be the Vanilla Almond black tea which is not in the sampler.

4. Abaca Holiday Tea Box from The Mighty Leaf. Tea boxes are always a great gift and this one has some great holiday flavors. There teas come in whole leaf biodegradable tea pouches.

5. Culinary Teas Christmas Sampler. I love Culinary Teas. Holiday teas are a big hit with tea lovers. My favorite tea from this company is their Caribbean Blue Lady Tea. This happens to be my all time favorite tea.

6. Frosted Thermal Travel Tumbler from Teavana. These are great looking mugs to take your tea with you. They come with a built in tea strainer that easily comes out once your tea is done steeping.

7. Reflecting Beauty Gift Box from Simpson & Vail. Flowering teas have become very popular and can take enjoying tea to a new level. Not only can you enjoy the taste but also the look. Simpson & Vail is my favorite place to shop for tea. Whenever I am in Connecticut I am always sure to pay them a visit.

As a tea lover these are things I would love. If you are looking for a gift for someone who likes tea these items should help you in your search.

Frugal Friday~Holiday Help Part 2

Last Friday I mentioned using survey rewards to purchase Christmas presents. This year in addition to these survey rewards I have obtained several Christmas presents using My Coke Rewards. I won't mention what they are in case certain family members are reading but I can say that it about $100 worth of gifts. We are not big Coke drinkers in our house but I have several friends and family who give me their caps and codes from their Coke boxes. This does take time as you can only enter 10 codes a day but it has been well worth my time and effort. If you are like me any little bit helps when it comes to cutting down on Holiday spending. So, it is a little late for Christmas this year but start now and next Christmas you could have some pretty good gifts.

Delgo: In Theaters Everywhere Dec.12,2008

Delgo is a new animated action adventure movie that is coming to theaters this Friday December 12. It's impressive voice cast includes Freddie Prinze, Jr. (Delgo), Jennifer Love Hewitt (Princess Kyla), Anne Bancroft (exiled Empress Sedessa) as well as Chris Kattan (Filo), Val Kilmer (Bogardus), Lou Gossett Jr. (Nohrin King), Michael Clarke Duncan (Lockni Stonesage Council), Kelly Ripa (Kurrin), Burt Reynolds (Delgo’s Father) and Sally Kellerman (Narrator).

The story takes place in the magical land of Jhamora which is divided between two cultures – the Nohrin, winged masters of the skies, and the Lockni, the terrestrial tribe who harness the mystical powers of the land. When Delgo (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), a reckless Lockni teenager, forms a forbidden friendship with the spunky Nohrin Princess Kyla (Jennifer Love Hewitt), hostilities between the two peoples escalate, setting the stage for an exiled empress (Anne Bancroft) to exact her revenge and reclaim her rule.

Falsely imprisoned, Delgo and his best friend, Filo (Chris Kattan), must put aside their differences to join forces with a sworn enemy, Bogardus (Val Kilmer), and travel to the mysterious land of Perran to rescue Princess Kyla. Here they encounter fanciful creatures and discover more than just a kidnapped princess, they learn the value of different cultures and the importance of working together.

Combining a magical world, heart-pounding action, and forbidden romance, Delgo is the story of an unlikely hero who must prove his innocence, rescue a princess, reveal a traitor, end a war, and unite the peoples of Jhamora

Being a Mom I realize the importance of family friendly movies. Although this movie has not received much publicity I have watched the trailer and it looks like a very well done animation. I am looking forward to taking my family to go and see it. For more information and to watch the trailers visit delgo.com

Wordless Wednesday

All Aboard the Polar Express

For more WW go here or here.

Free Coffee Mate at Meijer

This Week at Meijer Coffee Mate is on sale for 99 cents. You can get $1 off printable coupon here which makes it free. The Peppermint Mocha that is out this time of year is my favorite. Even though I have 3 in my fridge I am hoping I can find some this week.

Christmas Tea Sampler

Looking for some great Christmas teas. Culinary Teas is currently offering their Christmas Tea sampler. It includes:

Cinnamon Spice Tea - 1 oz loose tea sample
Candy Cane Tea - 1 oz loose tea sample
Cherry Cordial Tea - 1 oz loose tea sample
Cranberry Orange Tea - 1 oz loose tea sample
Orange Spice Tea - 1 oz loose tea sample
Pumpkin Cream Tea - 1 oz loose tea sample
Gingerbread Cream Tea - 1 oz loose tea sample
Heavenly Plum Spiced Tea - 1 oz loose tea sample

These teas sound so yummy. I have recently tried the Cranberry Orange thanks to Denise at Culinary Teas and I can tell you it is a very good tea.

The whole sampler is currently on sale for for $17.09.

Pillsbury "Home is Calling" Giveaway Winner.

I have chosen my winners for the Pillsbury goodies using Custom Random Number Generator.

The winners are:

1. Petra
2. silverhartgirl
3. judybrittle

I have sent them all e-mail. If they don't respond by Tuesday night I will choose a replacement winner. Thanks to all who entered.

My Avon giveaway ends tonight.

Celestial Seasonings Tea

Amazon is running a sale right now on Celestial Seasonings Tea. If you enter the promotional code TEATEA78 when you check out you will get 15% off your purchase. They have a large variety of tea that you will want to check out. I am not sure how long this sale ends so you will want to act fast.

Frugal Friday-Holiday Help

In the past I have posted about the different survey sites that I use to earn a little extra money. You can find a list here.When I receive checks I usually put them in my checking account but I usually stockpile my giftcards and save them to buy Christmas presents for my husband. I don't have much income since I stay at home so it is important to me to feel I am using my own money to buy his Christmas gifts. One year I just bought my husband a wallet and filled it with giftcards that I had earned. With the points that I earn from Zoom Panel I save them up until October and then order my prizes. Last year I got my husband a car vac, 2 DVD's a CD and 10 music downloads for both him and my son. When December comes around it is a great feeling to know most of my shopping is already done.

For other great frugal ideas visit Biblical Womanhood.

Tea With Presidental Families

There was a very interesting article in the Washington Times today about the importance of tea in US history. If you are a tea lover you will want to read this article. It featured the book Tea with Presidential Families.The book is about tea stories involving every President from George Washington to Bill Clinton. After reading the article I think I may have to add this book to my tea book collection.

Avon Gifts for the Holiday and giveaway

The winner is #10 Kristina. Congratulations

Are you looking for that special gift to give but are unsure what it is? Why not condiser giving the gift of great skin. Avon has a line of products called Liiv Botanicals that would be a hit on your holiday gift list this year. The set includes:

• liiv botanicals Vital Day Cream with SPF 20 Nourishing formula with natural plant extracts protects skin from harmful UV rays, stress and the environment.
• liiv botanicals Vital Night Moisturizer Recharge skin at night with rich botanicals and rejuvenate skin’s texture and tone.
• liiv botanicals Vitalizing Eye Cream with SPF 15 With active plant botanicals, our rich formula absorbs quickly, helping to retexturize the delicate under-eye area.
• liiv botanicals Rejuvenating Facial Cleanser With super-oxygenated water and powerful botanicals, this cleanser invigorates skin.
• liiv botanicals Vital Body Moisturizer With Active Plant Essence Technology, rich formula helps lock in skin's natural moisture.

What is their secret? Potent formulas enriched with powerful botanicals...dye-free and preservative-free to breathe new life into your skin. I really liked the Body Mosturizer which did a great job of hydrating my dry skin.

Recently I was given the opportunity to try this line of products thanks to Avon and MomSelect. I thought the products have a very fresh smell and left my skin feeling clean and fresh.

Save yourself some money by entering the code JINGLE30 at checkout to receive free shipping with a $30 purchase when you shop with an eRepresentitive. This offer is good through January 1, 2009.

I am giving away a set of these skincare products valued at over $50 to one lucky reader. To enter leave a comment telling your favorite Avon product is in the comments area. For extra entries, blog about this giveaway and leave the link or mention the giveaway on your Twitter page. Make sure you leave a separate comment for each. A winner will be chosen randomly and notified by email. Make sure to leave me a way a way to contact you should you be the lucky winner! The winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address or an alternate will be drawn. This contest is open until 11:59 pm December 7, 2008

Tea in the Bedroom

This weekend I did something that I have never done before. I served tea on my bedroom floor. My girlfriend and her husband were staying with us and their infant son was sleeping on the bed. They didn't want to leave him alone in the room so we all decided that we would play the game we were planning on playing on the floor of my room so they could keep on eye on him. While playing, we decided we wanted some tea so I filled up my tea tray and carried it up to my room. We sat and drank tea and played while the baby slept on the bed. My daughter was so taken with it she asked if we could have tea today in my room. I got the tea tray ready and a shortbread for each of us and we sat and had tea on my bedroom floor. I think this could become a tradition. It was such a special time.