Couponing Chronicles Part 4

Ah...  Yet another grocery shopping adventure with coupons!  I had a whole bunch that needed used up before March 31 so I loaded up my hubby and my baby and off we went to the local grocery store.  I was VERY excited because this was my first trip actually stacking coupons and I couldn't wait to try it out to see what the savings would be!

My favorite coupon deal was going to be the store coupon for $3.50 off Gillette Men's Deodorant (Retail is $3.99) and buy one Gillette Men's Deodorant and get a Gillette Men's Body Wash FREE.  So instead of spending $8 on a body wash and deodorant, I ONLY SPENT $.49!  WOOO!!!  I also had a $1 off Old Spice deodorant and a buy one deodorant and get a body wash free.  So instead of paying $6.88 for a deodorant and body wash I ONLY SPENT $2.69!  Lets us say that hubby has enough deodorant and body wash to last him a while! :)

My other favorite coupons were for the Gerber 1st Foods.  I had $.55 off one and $1 off when you buy 4.  Well they're only $.95 to begin with so instead of spending $3.80 I ONLY SPENT $1.80 (Our store doubles coupons up to $1)!

I signed up to get information on Happy Baby products and in turn they sent me a coupon to get one item FREE up to $3.99!  So I bought the most expensive thing allowed which was organic oatmeal.  Instead of spending $3.99 I ONLY SPENT $0!!!  Its really worth signing up for coupons with manufacturers.  They usually have great coupons right from the source!

So at the end of the day:

TOTAL BEFORE SAVINGS: $74.43
BONUSCARD SAVINGS: $4.70
COUPON SAVINGS: $25.13

GRAND TOTAL (After tax): $46.64!!!

THAT WAS A TOTAL SAVINGS OF $29.83!!!!!!



Do you see how much we've saved JUST THIS YEAR for using our store's Bonuscard?  Amazing!!!

How do I find such great coupons?  Well my mom has so kindly donated her weekly Sunday newspaper which is by far the greatest place to find the most coupons to clip.  Ask neighbors, friends, family to save their coupon ads for you and you can use one coupon per item (Although some places let you use one coupon for multiple items.  Check with your local store for their coupon policies!).

My favorite deal-seeking websites:

http://www.coupons.com - This has a lot of the Sunday coupons but also has a great compilation of internet-only coupons in one place.  All you do is check mark the box next to the coupon you want and it will print them all at once when you're done coupon "shopping"!

http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com - This woman is absolutely amazing!  She updates her site/Facebook page every hour on the hour with amazing deals that she finds across the internet and circulars.  I highly recommend "liking" her on Facebook since she updates whenever she finds a great deal.  I've found a lot of my free trial coupons through her!

http://www.weusecoupons.com  - This is a forum of avid and newbie couponers who share their shopping trips and the best coupons they can find.  "Like" them on Facebook and they update your page with new and hot entries by fellow couponers to know when the latest deal is going down.  I LOVE this site because they actually have a lot of local grocery store shoppers on there so I can find the latest deals and steals at my local grocery store :)

Introducing Solids

One week ago today my husband and I decided that we would give our little guy his first taste of solid food.  I was a little worried.  One for the fact that its just yet another wonderful achievement in the process of growing up   (-sniffle-) and two for the fact that we never really introduced the concept of a spoon to him!  But he's been eating more and more formula at shorter intervals in between feedings and our pediatrician thought it would be a good idea to start solids soon.  So we stocked up on some oatmeal and decided to start the next week.

And here we are after his first week...and I got to say...he's loved it!  We started out with really runny oatmeal (Oh my goodness was that a mess...!) and after a little fussing he settled down into his highchair and ate EVERY bite!  Since then I've made it more thick and it certainly has cut down on the messes.

I am very impressed with how well he's taking the spoon feedings.  Just a few days after starting him on solids he now knows that the spoon means food!  Once he sees the spoon he opens his mouth ready for the next yummy bite (So cute!).  Then he chomps down on it and goes "Mmmmm..." (Even cuter!) or well what sounds like "Mmm..." :)  But I do have to be quick with that spoon or else he gets mad that he's not getting food fast enough!  And if I linger too long by his mouth, he'll grab the spoon and try to feed himself!  Then it just ends up in a mommy/baby battle for the spoon where I win but, I get the spoils of oatmeal flung on me.

My husband just went out yesterday and stocked up on a whole bunch of baby food.  I think we may start introducing the new foods in another week for at least 3 days at a time to see if he has any allergies.  Hopefully he doesn't!  (I had an allergy to cranberries when I was little and haven't eaten them since!)

Free Giveaway!!!

Hello everyone in the blogger world!  I am so VERY excited to share with you some awesome FREE giveaways going on now on my Facebook page!!!  Please read the rules and you can enter to win some fabulous prizes to help you on your shopping sprees :)  I want to highlight all of the wonderful entries from some really talented moms that I know.  Please check them out and let them know that I sent you :)

Enter here: 300 Fans November Mommies Giveaway


FAITH'S CANDLE

FB :http://www.facebook.com/pages/Faiths-Can
dle/186113244741003
Etsy : http://www.faithscandle.etsy.com/

Hand makes Soy Wax candles with excellent scent throw. Soy wax burns longer and smells stronger than your normal paraffin wax candles. They make any room smell great! She offer 6 oz-16 oz jar candles with even more coming soon! Her candles start at just $4!




WEAVING WOMAN
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Weaving-Woman/173412899375762?sk=wall
Etsy: http://www.weavingwoman.etsy.com/

"Primary Flowers": Using the flowers weave and basic primary colors, these earrings are lightweight and cute. Nice for wearing anytime. The earrings hang from black ear wires and measure about 2 inches. This item is valued at $5 (plus free shipping!)




CATZRULEZ CLOCKS

FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Catzrulez-Clocks/174125049299613
Etsy: http://www.catzrules.etsy.com/

She can make a clock of just about anything, custom orders are her specialty! Looking for something a bit different that no one else will have, let her know what you're looking for and she'll work with you to create the perfect clock for you or a loved one! She can even match bedding sets/room decor!




NIKYCOLE SHOP

FB: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002014558722&sk=wall
Etsy: http://www.nikycoleshop.etsy.com/
Blog: http://lifeinthethriftylane.blogspot.com/

FREE SHIPPING ON YOUR ORDER

In her shop you will find hand made magnetic tie backs for curtains, hair clip holders, and much more. She's constantly creating new items so keep checking back at her Etsy shop!




FLUFFY TOT

FB: www.facebook.com/fluffytot
Etsy:www.fluffytot.etsy.com

Fluffy Tot is giving away a free pacifier clip for your little one (in the color shown)! Made of 100% cotton flannel with a certified lead-free metal clip on one end and a ribbon loop on the other to attach to your little one's favorite pacifier. The clip has plastic inside to protect clothing, but is very strong and won't be pulled off easily. Just put the ribbon through the "handle" on the pacifier and then thread the clip through the loop of ribbon.

Fluffy Tot is a shop full of handmade gifts for baby and kids including bibs, burp cloths, cloth wipes, pacifier clips, hot and cold therapy packs, and coming soon bean bags! Please visit today to check everything out!

*Winner to pay $2 s/h

Holy Wowsers...

I have been quite the busy bee!  And the fun hasn't even come into full swing yet!  I've donated quite a few of my personalized jewelry pieces to various Facebook giveaways and I've gotten almost 200 (Yes I said 200!!!) new and wonderful fans out of it!  And that's just from two giveaways!  PHEW!

Here is a list of the FREE giveaways that you are more than welcome to participate in:

Lovely Little Ladies Boutique on Facebook (Giving away a Large Personalized Charm) - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=205016122859969&set=a.203252416369673.59944.155019914526257&theater

Lily's Frillies on Facebook (Giving away a Large Personalized Charm) - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=193335644038771&set=a.193332130705789.43134.122301761142160&theater

Budget Savvy Diva on Facebook (Giving away a Small Personalized Charm) - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=191100400927607&set=a.191084030929244.39835.104455762925405&theater

I think after those three I'm going to take it easy for a while and then be on the look out later for a few giveaways/auctions.  I need to get cracking on this big order for a big name deal-of-the-day website!  I can't wait to finish that and send it off!!!  But I'm still waiting on the necklace part of it to get here, I have all of the other supplies.  They just need to be stamped and assembled.

Thank you to all of my new fans and to the new visitors of my blog!!!

Auction/Giveaway!

Hello all!  I just wanted to pass along this exciting news.  I entered some of my jewelry into Purrs~N~Grrrs Facebook page's "500 Fans Giveaway/Auction"!  You can check it out with the links below and enter to win and also bid (who knows, you may get a great deal!).  Just make sure that you "like" her page, enter your email address (and bid if applicable), and "like" my own Facebook page (link is in the listing).  Its that easy!

Personalized Pea Pod Necklace Auction:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=149661678430997&set=a.149200288477136.32818.138678239529341&theater

Personalized Small Charm Giveaway:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=149661178431047&set=a.149199695143862.32817.138678239529341&theater

Also...STAY TUNED because I sent some of my items to websites that do reviews and giveaways and I will list them here too!  I also have EVER BIGGER news that I'm SO SUPER EXCITED about!  I'll update my *ahem* 4 readers when I get it done :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Erin go bragh!




This week has been quite the busy one!  Although I've had a little more down time than usual, so used it in the best way...  I was lazy!  I haven't used that word since waaaaaay before my little guy was born.

Our little guy had his 4 month doctor's appointment on Tuesday and did very well.  He didn't pee on the nurse this time, hehehe...  But I'm really noticing his fear of people he doesn't know getting to close to him.  He starts to cry when they get inside of his "bubble".  This includes both sets of our parents!  Breaks my heart...  He now weighs 15 lbs, 8 oz and is 25.25 inches long!  Just about doubled his birth weight.  He did very well with his shots, of course he cried when he got stuck but as soon as mommy picked him up, he was so much better.  He also didn't get the little fever and fussiness like he had last time, knock on wood.  My little guy is quite the trooper!

Ah...the wonderful spring weather is finally making its appearance in Pennsylvania!  It was so beautiful in the high 50s yesterday and its supposed to hit 70 today!  Me and my little guy are going to lay out a blanket and have fun playing outside for a while today.  I even might drag out his exersaucer so mommy can garden a bit!  I went out yesterday and got pansies to add a bit of color to my front flower bed.  I really just want to tear apart the flower beds.  The two former owners over the past 15 years made such a haphazard way of things, ergh...  There are bulbs poking out everywhere!  I already re-arranged the bushes in the flower bed closest to the house last year, how those were arranged gave me a headache.  I just hope little man will let me get most of it done!

Enjoy the nice weather folks!!!

Couponing Chronicles Part 3

I know it has been quite a few days since I posted a new blog, but it certainly has been quite the busy weekend! I think I'm still exhausted from my latest coupon adventure and taking my little guy along for the ride.

So our local grocery store, Weis sent me this AWESOME flyer a few weeks ago about their "Price Freeze" campaign that's once again going on.  It contained 4 weeks worth of coupons.  The first was $5 off your order of $50 or more and then 3 coupons for FREE items.  This past week it was a free 2-liter Pepsi product, free Celeste personal pizza, and a free carton of Weis brand ice cream.  Now Weis normally isn't my first choice to grocery shop since now I know for sure that Giant prices are far better, but I couldn't pass up free items!  So I printed a few other coupons, grabbed some formula checks, and headed out.

My goal was no more than $50 for groceries so here's what I got (Now don't judge my nutritional value of my list, it was just an odds and ends trip):

- Potato Chips
- Hot Dog rolls
- Bread
- Personal pizza
- Frozen dinners (2)
- Butter
- Ice cream
- Bulk frozen french fries
- Rice-A-Roni
- Noodle-A-Roni
- Brownie mix
- Instant rice
- RTF Similac formula (2)
- Gerber Good Start formula
- Iced tea mix
- Diapers
- Diet Pepsi

Total before discounts: $59.40  
Total after store specials: $57.12
Total after formula checks: $46.87


Coupon savings: $11.50
Weis Club Savings (including the special FREE coupons): $12.27


Total after coupons: $25.38


Oh yes, you've read that correctly.  I saved 40% off my grocery order just from coupons!!!  And here is my list just in case you don't believe me:


It really PAYS to coupon!!!

4 Months Old

On Sunday my adorable little guy turned 4 months old!  I can't believe its been 4 months already.  Well...half of me can and half of me can't.  I sure don't miss those sleepless nights with a newborn!  I mean some days it feels like it was just last week that I had him and other days it feels like a whole year has gone by.  It just the hardest thing to explain but that's really what it feels like.  But its magical nonetheless.

Its amazing how much he's grown!  This past month he's accomplished so much and had one heck of a growth spurt!  He finally rolled over of his own free will (he rolled from his back to his tummy at 2 weeks but that time he was just really mad about bath time!) and continues to do it every so often when he goes on his play mat.  His head control is even better than before.  When he's on his tummy he'll sit there on his arms with his head high in the air just looking around.  He's even been trying to crawl!!!  He has the leg motions down, but hasn't quite figured out the arms.  His legs are SO incredibly strong that he can scoot himself in circles and across the floor while on his back!  He can also stand up by himself from a crouch (we just have our hands there to catch him since he hasn't worked on the balance thing yet, lol) and stand for a few moments before he wiggles to another position.

He also LOVES toys!  My parents got him an exersaucer (Which I really think helps him gain leg strength) and its just chock full of toys, but I add on a few of his favorites!  He loves to explore all of the toys and plays with each one in turn.  He can push buttons and spin things and even flip pages in the book that's on there.  Of course he's always putting things in his mouth and chewing on them, but he loves it!  My favorite is that he's actually grabbing for toys to play with if you offer them to him.  Its so adorable!

His depth perception must be getting better because he can grab things a little more easily now unlike before when he was flailing about and would just happen to grab on to one.  His newest thing yesterday is putting his hand on my face and moving it around.  The way his eyes study what his hand is doing is just amazing.  I wish I could be in that little head of his to see what he's thinking as he does what he does.

Here's a picture of my 4-month-old little guy:


Such a cutie!  And I'm so in <3

Designing Diva

On Saturday I had to work and I was chatting with one of my friends from work about her upcoming "new bedroom" project that she wants to tackle this summer and it really got me to thinking that I really MISS doing interior design work.  I went to the Art Institute and I have my degree in Interior Design but unfortunately due to where I live, design firms are in VERY short supply.  Plus most people hear "interior design" and automatically think "big bucks"!  But with me, that is NOT the case!  I've been toying with this idea for years, ever since I entered college but I just never found the balls to get it up and running.  But now with my Etsy shop being so much fun I'm thinking...maybe I could do this!

I would offer more reasonable prices for services than the typical designer would (AKA: $50-$100 a hour!!!) and I would be much more creative with budgets and do my very best to NOT go over the budget!

I'm thinking that I would offer 2-3 options:

1. A one-time consultation where I would discuss with the client what they are looking to do and what should be done.  I would do on-site sketches and brainstorming to get the client going in the right direction and the encouragement they need to get started.  It would be a one-time-only fee of $100 for up to 4 hours (If they did want further appointments I'm thinking I would do $50 for up to two hours after that).

2. An initial appointment ($50 per room for up to 2 hours) to do one room where I interview the client and what they are looking for.  Then it would be $10 an hour after that while I do research to find the best deals with what they are looking for (works best if they want an entire overhaul) and then return with a portfolio and design board of a design based on their wants.

3. Working per hour to do design work (see above) and physical labor ($15-20) in their home.  

These are just initial ideas of stuff to go on at the moment.  I really need to work out a concrete business plan with prices, etc.  I'm getting kind of excited with the idea but also a little apprehensive since I work in retail on the weekends and that's guaranteed $10/hour work.  Not quite sure how I'll juggle a design business, retail work, and an Etsy shop!

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

100 Fans!

I am pleased to announce that two days ago my Facebook fan page for my Etsy site reached 100 fans!  I'm so very excited!  It was a rough few days to get over that hump of 50 but I had a lot of my Etsy friends spreading the word about my shop and here we are today, at 107!  I love logging on each morning and see that little fan ticker grow and grow.

Now I can only hope that this will spread the name of my shop and what I can do to far off places that my all of my friends and family couldn't reach.  It would be a truly wonderful thing if this helps get my Etsy shop moving even faster.  I mean I truly LOVE what I do for my Etsy shop and also the fact that I get to stay home with my little guy and get paid for doing what I love.  Its an amazing feeling!

My favorite item right now are these Personalized Charms.  My version is about 50% cheaper than all of the other sellers out there.  I just get out my metal stamps and stamp away at the silver-plated charms.  It helps get some frustration out, LOL!  Plus they turn out SO pretty in the end and are a wonderful gift to a friend or mom.

You can get the "Olivia" charm for free just by referring 10 people to "like" my Facebook page!: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iwancio-Design/164189086961451

I hate growth spurts...

If there is one thing I hate about having an adorable baby, its growth spurts.  I really miss my little 20 inch 8 pounder!  I swear these little ones grow an inch overnight!  I went to work this weekend and I came back to a bigger baby!  This week I've started packing up some of his 0-3 month clothes.  His legs are way too long for the footed onesies, he has to keep his knees bent just to wear them!  His onesies won't be too far behind.  They are fairly tight on him now.  We might be able to get another week or two out of those at least.  I'm glad that his clothes are so far still being pretty true-to-size on him.  Although I have some 6 month clothes that are clearly summer clothes, so I may just have to give up on them!

The cutest thing happened last night!  My husband got home from work and he was holding our little guy and I started to show him a video of our son laughing which was just so cute.  As soon as I pressed play our son swiveled his head around to look at the screen and started to smile at the video of him laughing!  Then he started to giggle when he giggled on the video!  It was SO freaking adorable.  My hubby and I got a good giggle out of watching him get so amused by watching himself laugh!

But that is one thing that is wonderful as our little ones grow older.  New discoveries.  Each time my little guy gets to another milestone, my heart swells with such joy that its absolutely indescribable.  Just within the past two weeks our little one has rolled over numerous times on his play mat, tried REALLY hard to crawl (Still hasn't worked out the arms yet, but the legs know what they're doing!), he's full of belly laughs, and is now grabbing at toys.  He's growing more interactive by the day (and cuter too, I might add!) and some days I can't wait to wake up in the morning to see what he's going to learn next.

Crafting Momma

Crafting is my passion, I eat, sleep, and breathe it every day of my life.  I enjoy it with so much passion and only my loving husband and sweet little boy bring me more joy than spending my days crafting away.  I enjoy the discovery of a new design and that eureka moment where I go, "I could make that!".  Then my mind ticks away and sits and muses over how I could make that design and what my shopping list should be and if I have any of the materials on hand.  I always have a pretty decent stock-pile of completely random supplies on hand so when I do find that wonderful idea, I can usually get to work on it right away.

I also love when people ask me for my creative help.  It brings me such great self-esteem that someone is seeking my help for a creative problem.  I've made costumes for friends, planned birthday parties, made wedding bouquets, planned weddings, organized weddings, and have even knitted a blueberry hat at the request of a friend.  And for you, you reader of this blog, I can even help you out per your request for a crafting/decorating conundrum. 

If you haven't already noticed, I do have an Etsy shop which is full of my current craft projects (www.iwanciodesign.etsy.com).  My Etsy shop's Facebook page gives fans and followers updates on what my next crafting endeavor may be (www.facebook.com/pages/Iwancio-Design/164189086961451 With lots of free giveaways to lucky fans!).  I absolutely enjoy doing this and it makes my day when I get that wonderful email that a delightful item has been purchased from my shop or a wonderful comment on the Facebook page.  So please check them out and don't hesitate to ask me any questions or send any requests my way!  Hopefully one day I can do this full time and stay home with my little boy :)