The Power of a Dress

There was a dress needed emergency for my niece's Brandy daughter Nikya this week. I had 72 hours to buy material make a dress and ship it out. I succeeded, but there was some much needed reflection and inner peace that came from making this dress.

There is truly magic in the right dress for any girl of any age. There is something about creating something for a special loved one that is hard to put into words. You tuck special prayers and ask the Lord to guide these young ones with every stitch you take. One of a kind this dress surely is, but it's more about a young girl's "where there is a will there is a way", and a sentimental older girl's love for family.

Grocery Shopping- Week of May 19, 2014 (Huron County)

Here's some of my favorite buys of the week from our Huron county stores that I will be stopping at later on in the week.

Gardner's- Their ad runs till Sunday May 24, 2014. Make sure and check their store ad out for additional coupons. They have FABULOUS steak prices and of course Kraft product special buys this week. Check out there website for a look at their weekly ads.  

Schild's IGA- Ad runs till Sunday May 24, 2014. They also have steak on sale, and Kraft items. I will be purchasing quite a bit of produce here that they have on sale this week. I will be purchasing my "splurge" items here my favorite deli meat that is on sale this week, and Smith's Sweet Iced Tea. Two of my favorite summer favorites.

Miller's Market- This is a little special nugget in New London. We of course get their flyer in the mail and it's a hop skip and a jump to the store. They win hands down on meat prices for me and my family two weeks in a row this week. Plus they double coupons everyday up to .50 cents. Check them out at millersmarkets.net 

Aldi's- there ad only runs till 5/20. Special deals there for me is lettuce at .79 and strawberries at $1.29.

CVS- have some unbelievable good deals using the extra care bucks this week and manufacturing coupons. Don't be afraid to do multiple transactions. You must have a CVS card to get the deals, if you don't have one it only takes a second to sign up.

Walgreens- they actually have FREE items using their register rewards program this week. Great deals on sunscreen too!!

Everyone have a great weekend!!      

Memorial Day Grocery Shopping Week of May 19- Sandusky

Here it is Memorial Day weekend shopping and I'm not even close to wanting potato salad to be honest I haven't even put away my hat and glove box yet. Mother Nature hasn't been real clear what season she wants to be in so I'm unsure what outerwear I should put away, lol. All that being said here goes some of the highlights of sales out there this week. Please keep in mind some of these store prices actual end tomorrow so we will actually be getting NEW ads before the weekend hits.I'll be posting throughout the day for the huron and lorain county ads.

Meijer-sale ad runs through Saturday May 24, 2014. (yes, I know it's a superstore, but I only went on the grocery side if that helps.)

• A.1. Steak Sauce $2.99
• Lawry's Seasonings $2.49
• Ground Beef (80/20) $2.49/lb
• Sweet Corn 6/$1
• Raspberries (6 oz.) 5/$5
• Coke (24 pk) $5
• Gatorade (8pk) 2/$8 *watch for the $1 off 2 coupon hanging off some pks
• Hershey's Bars 2/$6 *plus there's a SS coupon online
• Twizzlers $1.69
• Peaches $1.88/lb     

Kroger- this is one that only last till Tuesday May 20, 2014. They are having a huge digital coupon sale that means is totally loaded straight on your card and they are big values.

• Chicken Breast $1.88/lb.
• Viva or Cottonelle $6.99 with $2 digital coupon= $4.99
• Tide $11.99 with $2 digital coupon = $9.99
• Kettle Chips $1.99 w/ $1/2 coupon
• Tostitos $2.99 w/ $1 digital coupon = $1.99
• Breyers Ice Cream $2.99 w/.50 digital coupon = $2.49
• Pringles 2/$3 w/ digital coupon = $1
• Green Leaf Lettuce .99
• Bread $1 plus .75 Ibotta = .25

Dollar General- the major sale item this week for me was the coke products $2.50 a 12 pk!!!     

•     

Driving Across Ohio To Get My Kids For Easter

As I get older and my family gets older it's the little things like having them all together that are absolutely priceless to me. I know all to well the sacrifices especially the girls have to make to indulge me in this. I've worked on this blog post for a week, because I get so emotional with the blessing I have in them all. I spent last Thursday & Friday driving across Ohio picking up my kids so I can see them all for Easter. Thursday I went and met dad & to get Brandon in Marietta, and Friday I went to get Madeline from college in Defiance. Yes, it's all sweet and lovely, but this particular blog post will be addressing the concerns I having in the driving longer than 20 minute distance trip. Here we go:

•  If we are paying to drive the turnpike shouldn't there be a discounted rate for construction zones lasting longer than 3 miles? Especially since fines are doubled in these areas.
• Just a thought, but for everyone involved I feel the Amish buggy's should have a lot more reflective gear placed on them for night driving.
• On holiday traveling weekends we all know there will be more people out so why why why can't we all be more patient with each other....including myself??
• Those who are in charge of designing our highways, why put an exit ramp and an entrance ramp at the exact same point of merging?
• Gas prices...I just shake my head. That being said the makers of my fine automobile did a fine job, 1 tank covered all the way to Marietta & back. 1 tank covered to Defiance and back.

We all jump the hoops of life to go after the things we want most. For me this Easter weekend it was to have my children home.

Terrific Target- Week of April 13-19

I am starting to really love taking a trip to Target with the new smartphone. There is a couple beautiful mobile coupons to make the grocery trip easier this week, and hello don't forget the awesome cartwheel app. That little cartwheel app saves you money on the things you already put in your cart, beautiful money saver. My daughter & I was talking recently about cereal prices so I've been paying attention for some deals on cereal, and came across this little deal:
*Now Target doesn't put their cereal prices online you must actually go to the store to see the actual price, but their cereals have been randomly running sale prices lately.
*There is cartwheel discounts on Frosted Mini-Wheats, and Rice Krispries, a mobile coupon of $10 off of $50 worth of groceries spent
*Target paper coupons on Fruity Pebbles, and manufacture coupons on general mills cereals, I believe Kellogg's website also has coupons on Frosted Mini-Wheats & Rice Krispries, plus there is Kashi cereal coupons out there. 

On to more "Easter" type groceries and beyond this week at Target:

• dozen eggs 99 cents
• 24 pk. water $2.50 + cartwheel
• Easter candy on sale + mobile coupon on 2 large bags
• tons of Target brand groceries that have cartwheel or target paper coupons
• *totally non-grocery item that I've had my eye on is a super cute purple purse to match my shoes

Happy Easter Weekend!!!

I Caved...Over Cupcakes

Yes, I did the unthinkable I went to a supercenter at 10pm at night over cupcakes. Why? Why? Why? you may ask...here's the story. It was my son's birthday and he was taking cupcakes in to one of his high school classes on Monday morning. It was a Sunday and my favorite local bakery was closed Sunday & Monday, some of my other runner up bakery was very pricey. I looked high and low at all the stores I could think of in the close towns. My son suggested we make them, I considered this. As time progressed on late into Sunday evening I caved, and went to the supercenter. I wasn't disappointed over the price, the convenience, or the cupcakes. I almost had myself convinced that I may have been overreacting to the supercenters. Right up until the checkout where the cashier was totally not friendly and almost tipped my cupcakes over, and the doors that I came in were now closed and I had to walk all the way back down out the other set. There was no sign posted just closed, and when I asked an employee they said 'go around' like it was no big deal.

The supercenters have their place in peoples lives and some people absolutely love them, but for me I will continue to shop my little local stores. I will probably visit the supercenters occasionally so don't have a heart attack if you see me there, but they aren't my go to stores any longer. I guess I have reached the point in my life that if I'm paying money to a store I want to be treated like a human being and since stores still treat me like that I will shop those stores.

Crossing to the dark side...or technology

I call it the dark side others call it technology, civilization, etc. I bought smartphones for the family. Yes, you heard me right. My very very patient son-in-law walked me through the process step by step. He didn't make me feel stupid about knowing so little about all the advances they had made throughout the years. He taught me how to use the features that I needed without pushing all kinds of extra things that I wasn't ready yet for. I of course wanted the "coupon" apps which I'm learning more and more about, but he literally had to start with teaching me the non slide out keyboard. The billing part wasn't the horrible thing that always took my breath away he was able to find a plan that worked for us with a special promo. I strongly encourage any of you that don't like your current phone or if I truly wasn't the last person without a smartphone let me know and I'll get you in contact with him. Thanks Casey for everything.