4th of July Yogurt Parfait Push Pops

Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone is enjoying this day celebrating our Nation's Independence and spending time with family. Today I made "Fire Cracker" Push Pops for the holiday! It's just a yogurt parfait, in a convenient push pop container!

Ingredients:
Raspberries
Blueberries
Vanilla Yogurt
Agave Syrup
Honey

For the Vanilla yogurt, I added a few teaspoons of the agave and a few tablespoons of honey and mixed it together. I layered the bottom with raspberries, spooned the yogurt mix in the middle and topped it with blueberries!

I love these plastic push pop containers! I actually bought these reusable containers from PinkCakePlate.com who has a tutorial on how to do cake push pops here: http://pinkcakeplate.com/tutorials-2/cupcake-push-pop/. She had actually bought these from a wholesale supplier and needed to sell some of her "stock". While I am not sure where she bought these particular ones, if you do a search for push pop plastic containers you should be able to shop around!

DIY: Mother's Day Treat Jar with Cocoa Meringue Cookies

I love Mason Jars, I did a treat jar for my mother for Mother's Day. I tied some ribbon around the jar, I then used my Cricut Machine to do some diecuts for the pennant tie around and the flowers on top. I really love just taking a Mason Jar and jazzing it up with diecuts and ribbon, it's really easy DIY gift that only takes a few minutes!

I almost did a print out of the Mother's Day saying but I figured my mom would want something personal. I filled the jar with Cocoa Meringue Cookies! These are delicious and easy to make if you know how to do a Meringue. If not, it's okay I didn't either but I have some tips to share that I found helped make this batch.

I overexposed the pic just a little bit, the reason being is that Meringue cookies that are tinted brown just don't look right in a picture, lol.

There is a right way and a very wrong way to do Meringue cookies.

Here is the right way:


and here is the very very wrong way:

Bad Batch, Bad!

I am no Meringue expert, in fact the "wrong" picture was my second attempt and finally I mastered it with that last attempt. Here is what I have learned about doing Meringue:

Sort the egg whites from the yolks when the eggs are cold. BE careful, do not let any of the yolk drip or the fat saturates the yolks and it will not work.

Let the egg whites sit in a glass bowl for about 30 minutes so they obtain room temperature. It is important to use a non-reactive bowl and utensil when doing a Meringue. This is a non-porus items such as stainless steel and glass.

Do not add anything to those egg whites until they peak. I mixed my yolks with a hand mixer (use a mixer, your arm will fall off if you try to mix a Meringue without a mixer) for about 5 minutes. It won't look like much is happening until about minute number 4, continue until they make those soft "peaks". Which means you can take the mixer in and out and it forms mountain peaks basically.

Heat oven to 300 Degrees

Here is my recipe:
3 Egg Whites
1/2 tsp of Vanilla
1/8 tsp of Cream of Tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
Chocolate chips if you so desire

Beat the egg whites according to the directions above. Once you have your peaks, slowly add your Vanilla and Tartar while continuing to use the hand mixer. Then, gradually and I mean sloooowwwlly add your sugar while still using the hand mixer. Once your soft peaks are back and the sugar is dissolved, take a spoon and stir in the cocoa.

I decided to do half the batch with and half the batch without dark chocolate chips. I would say they were both fabulous, I dusted the chocolate chip portioned cookies with additional unsweetened cocoa.

Cook in the oven at 300 degrees for about 9-10 minutes.

Let harden then serve!

Best Valentines Prices in Phoenix

Looking for the best prices on valentines day goodies? Here are the prices for Roses, Candies and more in Phoenix:

Grocery:

Albertson's
Dozen Roses (assorted colors) $17.77
9" heart cake $5.99
Strawberries 1 lb package $1.77

Fry's
1 Dozen roses $17.77
Single Layer Cakes or Cupcake $4.99
Fresh Strawberry Pie $4.99

Safeway
1 Dozen Roses $17.99
10 Stem Tulip bunch $6.99
Valentine Bouquet $9.99
1 lb Strawberries $2.50

Bashas
Dozen Roses $17.77
Valentine's Bouquet $9.99
Strawberries $1.99

Candy

Walgreens:

Select Mars Valentines Day Candy $.49
Coupon: $1/2 HERE or 1/30 RP
Final Price = 2 FREE

Hershey’s Drops 2/$5
Coupon: $2/2 Select Hershey’s Chocolate 01/30/11 SS
Combine with $2/2 Hershey’s Minis, Drops or Pieces, Walgreens, Feb coupon book
Final: 2/$1

Target:
Wonka Sweetart Lollipops – $2
Coupon: $1/1 printable coupon HERE
Final Price: $1 per bag

Christmas Clearance ~ 75% off

All stores should be at 75% by now for the Holiday Clearance! I went to Walmart and saw a good selection, just no lights or trees. I went to 2 Targets yesterday and was VERY disappointed, there wasn't much left at all! However, when I went to Target in Flagstaff a few days ago they were STOCKED! I should have took a look but didn't have time, darn!

But what I did find was the dollar section pink dots were 75% off and I did find some goodies for only $.25 each!

If you find a good store in Phoenix that seems to be stocked, please comment!

Did anyone find any hot deals this weekend on Christmas Decor?

After Christmas Sales: Bonus Items to Look For!

When shopping for holiday items on clearance, don't just stick to decor! Here are some great things to look for that you can use now or all year round!

Coffee Creamers ~ Most stores have the holiday flavors already marked down! If you are in Phoenix, Fry's stores have them marked down to $1 and these don't expire till May! Combine with coupons from Coffee Mate and International Delight!

Food Storage ~ Look for saran wrap, tin foil and containers that were marked for holidays. I use these all year round, in fact I still use Halloween storage bags from years ago to store things!

Candles and air fresheners ~ I noticed these were half off to at some stores! Who doesn't want their house to smell good all year round?!

Baking items ~ With Valentines Day and St Pattys Day coming up, you could use red and green sprinkles and frostings for these holidays or just for fun! Use cupcakes wrappers for muffins you eat at home.

Toys ~ Look for little toys to keep on hand when impromptu birthday parties come up. You know, the ones that your kids tell you about the night before!

Lotions and other smell goods ~ Find holiday scents that you could use all year round.

Wrapping Paper ~ now one would think that this is holiday specific but turn it over to use the white side year round and have your kids decorate it!

Christmas Decor ~ Time to Stock Up!

I love shopping for Christmas Decor post season, it's a great time to stock up on beautiful items and I don't have to pay full price!

Stores like Walmart, Target, CVS and more are already at 50% off. Did you know Target goes to 90% off?! This is my absolute favorite sale of the post season, it only lasts for about 2 days so you have to keep an eye out for it! If you live close to a Target, check in every day! Walmart will go to 75% off with some good deals as well, I got my Christmas Tree there 2 years ago for around $7!

Have you found any good deals for Christmas Decor? Please comment!

Target and Walmart $15 Stocking Challenge

Christmas is here and the stockings are hung, but what to put inside?!

I recently took on a challenge, my own challenge of putting together stockings for $15 at Target and Walmart. I did two stockings at each store, one for a boy and one for a girl. The $15 includes a stocking and the goodies inside. Here is what I found!


Target

I love the Target dollar section, the stock constantly rotates and I can always find a great deal!

Target has a candy section designated specifically for the holidays! I found candies starting at $1

In the stocking section, I found cute stockings for only $2!

Here is the stocking I put together for a Boy:

$2 polar bear stocking
$1 polar bear chocolate
$3 train (3 pieces from the dollar spot)
$1 push car from the dollar spot
$1 slinky from the dollar spot
$1 lollipop from the dollar spot
$1 paint by number activity set from the dollar spot
$1 Glow sticks from the dollar spot
$3.99 Lego Set

Here is the stocking I put together for a Girl:

$2 Penguin stocking
$1 penguin chocolate
$3.99 lip balm candy cane
$1 jump rope from the dollar spot
$1 hello kitty note pad from the dollar spot
$1 puzzle from the dollar spot
$1 headband from the dollar spot
$1 shower gel from the dollar spot
$1 lotion from the dollar spot
$1 gloves/2 pairs from the dollar spot
$1 lollipop from the dollar spot

I think one of my favorite findings was matching the stockings with chocolates! The dollar spot really rocked with stuff for the stockings.

------------------------------------------

Walmart:

Walmart doesn't have a designated dollar section however, there were many deals I found throught the store for a dollar! There is a holiday gift section in the front as well as toy bins in the aisles with toys from $1 - $3 dollars. Hint: Look for the displays with green as shown below!

Here is the stocking I put together for a girl:

$2 stocking
$1 soaps (3)
$2 watch
$1 coin wallet
$1 bath beads
$1 bath fizzies
$1 lip gloss (2)
$1 bubble bath
$1 Christmas tree sucker
$1 M&M candy cane

Here is the stocking I put together for a boy:

$2 stocking
$.98 hot wheels (2)
$5 Spongebob bath set
$1 polar bear cup
$1 paddle ball toy
$1 candy ring set
$1 bath/body loofah
$1 M&M candy cane
$1 toy recorder
$1 bubble tape bubble gum

Thanksgiving Dinner

This year I did my shopping for Thanksgiving dinner this year at Smart and Final. I was really impressed with the prices, in fact I got some super duper deals!

Turkeys were only $.39 a pound with $25 purchase. These turkeys averaged out to be between $5 and $6 each!

Yams were $.49 lb

Cream Cheese was only $.99 each

Champagne, only $3.99 a bottle!

Chips only $.99 a bag

Ham only $1.99 lb

Cornbread Mix only $.39 a box

Dryer's Ice Cream $2.99 each (you must try the Peppermint, it's to die for)

What I like about shopping at Smart and Final for an event such as a holiday is I can do my shopping in one place. They have meats, produce, dairy and so much more. Also, I will be honest, I hate doing dishes so I do buy disposable ware. But what I found out when I went shopping is that Smart and Final carries eco-friendly disposable plates! Easy for me, great on the environment!
Here is my shopping whrrl of everything I bought, well most of what I bought. I actually got a lot of stuff that I forgot to take pics of such as the cubed cheese packages and pecans!

More check-ins at Smart and Final

Powered by Whrrl

Since I cooked all day, I really wish I could have gotten more pics of Thanksgiving but it was so chaotic I barely had time to take these pics!

Yams and Mashed Potatoes

Now there are a few things I found out about Smart and Final that I didn't know before:

They have baked goods. I am not talking tiny donuts and muffins baked goods but if you look at those cupcakes up there, that is from Smart and Final! Don't tell anyone though that I passed them off as my own. Well to make the deal a little better, these were actually marked to 75% off at the end of the day, the day before expiration. Which was fine for me, dinner was the next day.

I also found "Red Band" bananas. These are more ripe bananas that were marked $.10 cents less per pound than regular bananas. Another perfect item for me since I was making pumpkin banana bread!

For the main course we had a Brined Turkey. I bought all my seasonings at Smart and Final (as well as my $5 turkey of course). But what impressed me was the week before, I went to another store and bought a container of cinnamon for much more than what Smart and Final had it for. The container at Smart and Final was also about 5 times larger! When I looked around at Smart and Final at all the seasonings they had I was really impressed. There was a large selection and the prices were truly the best I have seen in the seasoning world.

Here are a few recipes I used:

Brined Turkey

• 1cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock or 1 large can of Chicken Broth and 1/2 gallon of water
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water
  

  Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

  Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

  Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

This is really easy to do and the best part is, it makes the turkey so moist! By the way, this is an Alton Brown recipe!

Yams:
I boiled the yams for about 20 minutes, then peeled them. I then added 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of liquid ginger. I beat them for about 1 minute them added marshmallows.

For the punch I used Lemon Lime Shasta, Langers Peach Strawberry Juice and maraschino cherries.

The ham was easy! They come with a ham glaze and they are already cooked so I put it in the crockpot and let it be!

*I was given a giftcard by Collective Bias for Smart and Final but all opinions are my own.

Free Thanksgiving Recipes

Need some ideas for Thanksgiving recipes? Try Mr. Food FREE eNewsletter for free recipes!

Frugal Gifts ~ Teacher Gift Baskets

Around the holidays, I love coming up with creative gifts to give that are awesome yet frugal. Every year I put together a gift basket that my kids teachers can enjoy as a token of appreciation for all they do. Since our kids school is so small, it's easy for us to create one large basket for the teachers.

My idea for this gift basket was to create something they can enjoy on a quiet evening at home, completely away from the chaos of children. My idea sparked when I was asked to put together something with Cold Stone Hot Cocoa. How perfect! First, I didn't know that Cold Stone made hot cocoa and was excited by the price and the taste.

The flavors are:
Dark Chocolate (my favorite flavor)
Reduced Sugar
Cocoa with Marshmallows
Rich Milk Chocolate

I also purchased mugs, Biscotti, aloe socks, chocolates and items to make chocolate covered marshmallows. I love to put a personal touch by making something and chocolate covered marshmallows are quick and easy. They also look and taste great! When the hot cocoa is hot, the marshmallow is stirred in and melts with the heat.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows:

Ingredients:
Large Marshmallows
Chocolate Chips
"Sucker" Sticks (these can be found in the cake/Wilton aisle at Walmart)

Directions:
Melt 1/2 chocolate chips in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Take the sucker sticks and insert them into the marshmallows.
Stir chocolate to ensure the mixture is completely melted.
Swirl the marshmallows into the chocolate.
Set on wax paper to dry (freeze if the process needs to go faster).
Wrap in cellophane treat bags or sandwich bags, just cut off the bottoms ~ frugal tip!

I took curling ribbon and wrapped everything up along with some cute giftbags and holiday colored tissue paper.

I used a medium- large gift basket to hold the items. Straw/Wicker Baskets can be found at Walmart, I actually stock up when they are on clearance so I had this one on hand already!

Another frugal tip is to look for mugs at your Goodwill or Dollar Store.

This basket was easy, fun and only cost around $30 to put together!

Check out my Whrrl for my full tutorial and more pics!

This shopping trip was sponsored by Collective Bias. All opinions and ideas are my own.

Toys R Us Hasbro Games Deal! 7 Games for $13 Total!

November 7th - November 13th you can get 7 Hasbro games for only $13 or $1.85 each at Toys R Us after rebate/giftcard.

Purchase $35 worth of Hasbro Game and get a $10 gift card. Purchase Hasbro games which are included in the Hasbro Mail-in Rebate and get 7 games for $13!

Chutes & Ladders — $3
Candy Land — $3
Ants in the Pants — $5
Don’t Break the Ice — $5
Memory — $5
Hi Ho Cherry-O — $5
Buy 1 $9 Game (Trouble, Scrabble or Monopoly)
Pay $35 plus tax out of pocket

Get a $10 Gift Card
Submit the $12 Mail-In Rebate

They have to be different games so buy as many of the low ones as possible and 1 of the $9 to get the deal to work!

I do this every year! At this point my kids have all these games but at this price it is great to stock up on to give away as gifts this Christmas or for a birthday.

$3/1 GE Holiday LED Lights Printable Coupon

This newsletter contains a printable PDF coupon for $3/1 GE LED Strand of Holiday Lights. I didn't see any restrictions, this could make for some pretty cheap lights this Christmas!

Go here to print the coupon: http://itascamantrap.com/pdf/nov2010.pdf

Smart and Final ~ My Wine and Cheese Party

This weekend I had a Wine and Cheese party. I purchased all my wine, food and supplies at Smart and Final. I made myself a challenge: Do a wine and cheese party complete with wines, food and plates etc for under $100.00. I love entertaining and Smart and Final had everything I needed to make it complete!

In the video below, I show you around Smart and Final along with what I found. Did I stick with my budget? Watch the video and see!

I found 5 wines for around a total of $33, and they were delicious! I also featured First Street Cheese's. These were reasonably priced and fairly delicious!

Here is my whrrl, see all the pics from my shopping trip and my party!

What I liked about shopping at Smart and Final was that I was able to get all of my wines, foods and supplies all in one place. Everything was easy to find and reasonably priced!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cheddar Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned or cooked pumpkin (I used fresh cooked pumpkin)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin. Stir remainder ingredients. Shape into a ball; place on a serving platter. If desired: Score sides with a knife to resemble a pumpkin and add pretzel stick or celery leaves for a stem. Serve with crackers and/or vegetables.

Spicy Cream Cheese Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 package of cream cheese at room temperature (4 ounces)
1 tsp of chipotle seasoning
Peaches, Strawberries and Kiwis
3 Tortillas

Directions:
Toast tortillas in oven on 375 for about 15 minutes, flip half way through to prevent curling. Mix cream cheese and chipotle, spread on toasted tortillas. Garnish with fruit, cut and serve.

Easy Macaroni and Cheese (with REAL cheese)

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package macaroni
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Let the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain well and return to cooking pot.
In a large bowl, combine the cheeses, mix well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Add the half and half or milk to the cheese, once noodles are drained add them to the cheese/milk mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges; serve.

Cheese Fondue

2 cups milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons ground dry mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
In a medium saucepan over low heat, mix together milk, Worcestershire sauce, ground dry mustard, garlic and flour. Heat until almost boiling. Gradually stir in Cheddar cheese. Continue heating until all the cheese has melted. Keep the mixture warm and melted in a fondue dish.


Shrimp Cheddar Dip
Ingredients
1 lb Shrimp (peeled, cleaned and cooked)
1/4 cup Mayo
1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
Take all ingredients and add them to a food processor. Pour into ramekin baking dishes and bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Dip crackers into the cheese dip.
*add hot sauce for a spicier flavor.

Easy Fruit Dip
Ingredients
1 jar of Marshmallow fluff
1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces)
1 tbs of Honey

Directions:
Beat the cream cheese until it's smooth, add the fluff and chill until ready to serve!


*This party was sponsored by Collective Bias.

FREE Photo on Canvas: Great for Holiday Gift!

I love the holidays and of course shopping but I hate guessing what others want or need for Christmas. One thing that every family members get is some type of photo gift of my kids. I am really excited for this freebie I found today, a FREE* photo canvas! I think this would make a great gift for my mom!

Don't want to give this away as a gift? Make one for yourself!

*Pay S/H

Halloween Party Supplies and Planning with Celebrations.com

I love holidays, I feel like a little kid when I get to plan events around the holidays. This weekend my kids and I are attending/participating in a Halloween Party with our Moms Group that is a Trunk or Treat. I used Celebrations.com to choose decor to decorate our car with and items to use for the party. Celebrations.com has a lot of cute and scary items for Halloween. It was really great to get all of my items from the website because they have everything from party invitations to party favors to large decor! The items available on Celebrations.com can be used to decorate a house, used for a party or even for creating a scary haunted house!

About Celebrations.com:

Celebrations.com is the destination for party ideas and party planning! Celebrate life's most important occasions with simple party planning tools, including invitations you can create and design yourself, budgeting tools and drink calculators (it's neat, check it out).

Get expert advice from the most knowledgeable experts in the party planning industry including ideas for great decorations for you home, gifts and favors for your family and friends and fun crafts you can make with your children. And, you can share your own party ideas, recipes, photos and videos.

Celebrations is proud member of the 1- 800- Flowers .com family of brands. and the other brands in the family – Cheryl & Co., Fannie May, The Popcorn Factory, and Ambrosia.

Here are a few features from Celebrations.com:

Party Planner Service ~ Plan your party, send invitations, coordinate details and connect with friends.
Here is a small preview of the email invites I created:


Party Ideas ~ Find recipes, photos, DIY tutorials, ideas for themes and more!

Halloween and Other Party Supplies ~ These supplies make it easy to have a 1 stop shopping experience. Prices are reasonable, there is a wide selection and ordering is easy!

Check out these budget friendly recipes and tips for your Halloween Party from Celebrations.com
http://www.celebrations.com/article/budget-friendly-halloween-recipes-and-tips

Follow Celebrations.com is on Facebook, Follow them here: http://www.facebook.com/partyideas


Interested in what I chose from Celebrations.com? Stay tuned for more posts!

*I was given the opportunity to choose some items given to me by Celebrations.com. I was not compensated for this review nor was I told what to write. All opinions are of my own, stay tuned for more excitement!

Set up a free holiday call for your family and friends

http://www.holidayphonecalls.com/?banner=frysfood

Get a free phone call from Santa, Sammy the Snowman or Tony Stewart Nascar Driver! You schedule the time and who you want the call for and from. Courtesy of Fry's Foods (Kroger)!

Saving Money During The Holidays: Price Matching

Did you know Target and Walmart both Price Match? This can help make your shopping during the holidays so much easier and quicker.

Here are the details:

WALMART

Our goal is always to be the low price leader in every community where we operate. Our customers trust us to have every day low prices ... there's no need for "special sales."
Our unbeatable promise:

Store managers make the final decision in always taking care of our customers, but we do have guidelines for matching our competition.

We do honor "Preferred Shopping Card" advertised prices. Must be like items, be advertised and require a competitor's shopping card, for the discount to apply.
We do not honor advertisements that require a purchase in order to receive the advertised price or free product.
We do not honor "Buy One / Get One Free" advertisements.
We do not honor double or triple coupons or percent off advertisements.
We do not honor other retailers' "Misprinted" advertised prices.
We do not honor Internet Pricing.
We do not honor competitor advertisements from outside of the store's or Club's local trade territory.

TARGET

How does price matching work?
If you find an item in a competitor's printed ad that is priced lower than it is at your Target store, we will match the price. The competitor's ad must be local and current, and the product must be the identical item, brand name, quantity and model number. Target.com is excluded from our price matching policy. Competitor catalogs can also be ad matched as long as the catalog displays a valid date and meets all other qualifications.
What if I've already made the purchase at Target?
No problem. Within seven days of purchase, bring your Target receipt and the competitor 's current printed ad. We will reimburse the savings to you.
What qualifies as proof of a competitor's advertisement?
Please show us the entire printed advertisement. Photos, photocopies, or mobile phone versions of the ad cannot be accepted as verification of competitive pricing.
What does 'identical store item' mean?
The program covers items with the identical brand name, size, weight, quantity and model number of the item at Target stores. We reserve the right to verify a competitor's advertised price and the availability of the product.
Can I use coupons when price matching?
Target does not match coupon-required offers but guests can use Manufacturer or Target coupons when requesting a price match. Target coupon policy: Target accepts one manufacturer coupon and one Target coupon for the same item (unless prohibited).
What do you mean by local retail competitors?
This refers to retail stores located within the same market area as a particular Target store. Examples of a market area can be a city, a metropolitan area or a specific rural region.
What about online price matching?
All online pricing, including Target.com, is excluded from our price matching policy, as well as online retail promotions or products advertised on another company's web or mobile sites.
Other price matching exclusions include:
Online retail promotions or products advertised on another company's web or mobile sites, even those advertising in-store prices.
Competitor's free product, bundled offers, or special purchases
Gift cards and coupon-required offers
Sales tax promotions
Timed events (e.g., early bird, doorbusters)
Limited time or quantity items
Damaged product or opened packaging
Clearance or closeout items
Prices advertised only as a percent off or $ off
Mail in offers or instant rebates
Product services (warranties, assembly, etc.)
Going-out-of-business liquidations
Special financing
Used or previously owned items
Display merchandise
Pricing or typographical errors
Club or loyalty programs
Owned brands (i.e., Home, Merona, Circo, Market Pantry and Archer Farms)
Mobile coupons
Target Portrait Studio, Optical, and Clinic offers

Free Carnation Holiday Recipe Guide (mail or pdf) and Other Freebies

Carnation Helps You Cater to a Holiday Houseful

The holiday season is filled with fun and food to be had---from potluck parties to festive brunches to game day gatherings. Let CARNATION help you find easy and delicious ways to keep your whole quirky clan full of that holiday spirit.

With recipes as flavorful and varied as each of the family members and friends you can expect to see this holiday season, CARNATION makes all your holiday meals and desserts richer and creamier.

Have it mailed to you or you can download it.

http://www.verybestbaking.com/products/carnation/virtual-kitchen/holiday-guide.aspx

Free Baking Stencils http://www.verybestbaking.com/promotions/free/stencils.aspx

Recipes for Gift Jars http://www.verybestbaking.com/promotions/free/jars.aspx

Gift Tags: http://www.verybestbaking.com/promotions/free/tags.aspx

Halloween Decor on The Cheap!!

So September is over, time to get out that fall decor and decorate!

My first and biggest tip for saving while decorating for the holidays is always stock up for holidays AFTER the holiday when things are extremely cheap.

Today I went to the Dollar Store (99 cent only store to be exact) and picked up a few cool things to decorate the house inside and out that were actually of fairly good quality.

I also went to Walgreens and I found stuff already clearanced for 75% off! We picked up a nice assortment of lights to decorate for Halloween. Use those RR rewards from all the freebies this week to get an even sweeter deal on Halloween Decor!

Also check out the craft stores, they usually have sales of 40-60% off during October.

Thrift stores are also a good place to find some like new items.