Some Of My Favorites...Home Tours!

Earlier this week I stumbled across a blog that was participating in a Parade of Homes over on Poppies at Play. I was hooked and each day looked forward to the next batch of bloggers who were showcasing parts of their homes in this virtual tour. In all there are 20 bloggers who have let us in for a peek.

Take some time to go through these...maybe take a few at a time. I found so many things that inspired me, had several moments of ooohhhing and aaahhhing. I hope you enjoy this tour as much as I did! Thanks Poppies at Play for hosting such a fun tour!

Parade of Homes Day No.1

Parade of Homes Day No.2

Parade of Homes Day No.3

Parade of Homes Day No.4

Parade of Homes Day No.5

Good Printables To Use For Triples

Here is a list of good coupons you can print to use this week at Harris Teeter for Triple Coupons...

Internet Printables:

Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta - $2.15
.75/1 http://www.smarttastechallenge.com/index.cfm
=FREE

Old El Paso Green Chiles – 1.65
$0.55/1 http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?bt=vi&tqnm=zaaqbxr832881&o=60559&ci=1&c=GM&p=TFWYe75d
= Free

Carnation evaporated milk 69¢ for 5 oz can,
50¢/2 3/21 Red Plum
.50/2 IP http://www.nestlefamily.com/SpecialOffers/Default.aspx
= 2 free

Nescafe Tasters Choice 7 ct on the go packets- $1.19
.50/1 Nescafe Taster's Choice product, any - 02-28-10 SS
.75/1 IP http://www.tasterschoice.com/offers.aspx
= free

Yoplait Greek Yogurt 1.19
$.45/1 IP http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?...=GM&p=pWoTrRvS
=Free

Newman's Own Organics Dog Food 1.59
$0.50/1 IP www.coupons.com
=.09 each

Starbuck’s Ice Cream – 2.50
$.75/1 IP https://ssl.unilever.com/starbucksicecream.com/Coupon-Reg.aspx?coupon=a
= .25 each

Green Giant Steamers – 1.19
$.50/1 IP http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?bt=vi&tqnm=zaubbli445511&o=58605&ci=1&c=GM&p=XKdGm4IV
=Free

Sargento Reduced Sodium Cheese – 1.59
$.75/1 IP www.coupons com
= Free

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls – 2.15
$.70/1 IP http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?bt=vg&tqnm=zdzubjr13777994&o=62937&ci=1&c=GM&p=9ayGs05J
= Free

Coffeemate Creamer – 2.00
Use $.75/1 IP http://www.coffee-mate.com/coupons.aspx
= Free

More Info for Grocery Good Deed

The other day I posted a quick message about donating some of your freebie grocery deals (or any pantry items!) to a local food bank because people who are struggling need help year round, not just in the winter when we all tend to think about it. I mentioned a local food pantry for my local readers. Here is some more info from Joy, the lady who runs With Love From Jesus.

You can help Joy help the hurting

A note from our precious Joy:

If you can sow into this NEEDED FOOD DRIVE, you can drop off your donations at 5226 Indian Trail - Fairview Road, Indian Trail, NC 28079 or you can mail a donation to With Love From Jesus, PO BOX 612, Indian Trail, NC 28079. If you don't have time to shop, we will go to Aldi's and shop for you! Thank you in advance for any help you can give!

www.withlovefromJesusCharlotte.org

NEEDED ITEMS:
Milk, eggs, cheese, butter, canned meats - ie..treet, spam, potted meat, canned ham, salmon, or those frozen banquet meals; canned or frozen veggies, crackers, oil, mustard, mayo, ketchup, oodles o noodles, flour, cereal, syrup, grits, oats, canned fruit of all kinds, healthy snack items for kids, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, elbow macaroni, canned tomatoes, ravioli, spaghetti o's, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, juices, etc. We also need toilet tissue, paper towels, paper plates - especially for homeless folks, laundry detergent, dish detergent.

We have 8 freezers and 3 refrigerators to accommodate perishables and frozen items!

Thank you again and please keep this matter in your prayers!

Blessings,
Joy

A Little Something to Share...

I've been quiet the last few days between doing family stuff and then feeling under the weather. I missed writing up my "favorites" post on Friday. I will get back to that this Friday. I've already got some good ones to share with you all. There is one from last week that I planned to share that I'd like to go ahead and share with you now. I "met" Leslie last week through Amanda's Dishing It party. I am enjoying her blog and want to share one past that really caught my attention.


Leslie had me laughing last night when I read her post about her husband's project turning into what she called If You Give a Man Some Seeds from her post about her garden. This sounds just like something my husband would end up doing. Leslie is one of my new friends from the party this week. I just love her blog name...Goodbye, House! Hello, Home!

Welcome ~ Dishing It with Amanda

I am excited to be taking part in Amanda’s first Dishing It party at Serenity Now to get to know other bloggers. If you are stopping by from this party, welcome! And for my new subscribers (there have been several of you recently) this welcome is for you too!

First, an introduction…

My name is Jennifer and I am a 30something wife and mom in North Carolina. I’ve been married to my hubby for 13 years (time flies) and am Mommy to 2 kiddos ~ a 9 year old daughter and 6 year old son. My son has Alopecia, an auto-immune disorder that causes hair loss. I will share this on my blog in an upcoming post. I am blessed to be an at-home mom right now.

Some things I love are ice cream, pajamas, flip flops, getting lost in a good book, chick flicks, ice cream, home décor, and, of course, family and friends. Oh and did I mention ice cream?

I have been thrifty my whole life but really learned how to coupon and start saving a few years ago when my husband started his own company. Living off of unemployment and savings really forced me to look at how we were living and make some changes. So, I dove into couponing and once I learned the ropes I discovered how much I enjoy helping others do the same. Initially that was how my blog started but I am learning to branch out and share other parts of my home through my blog. I hope you will stick with me as I continue to grow Home Matters.

Now onto the party...For the first Dish It party, Amanda has asked us a few questions. Her questions are in bold followed by my answers.

I want to know about your blog!

~How long have you been blogging?

Hhmm, it’s been about a year since I first started Home Matters. Back in the fall, after some technical difficulties, I re-launched it. And now as I learn more about the blogging community I am beginning to grow it.

~Why did you start blogging?

I originally started my blog as a way to share some of my coupon info, deal shopping and freebie finds with my local friends. I thought it would be easier to put it all in one spot instead of sending out several emails each day. Eventually as they started telling their friends I saw my subscriber numbers grow. A few months ago I began adding some recipes to my blog and linking to a weekly recipe blog party. I began receiving comments (who knew I would get so tickled over a few little comments?!) and getting more subscribers. Hhmm, maybe I should learn a little more about this blogging stuff. So, I began blog hopping and finding SO many really awesome blogs out there. I am still learning a lot about blogging and am still trying to find my voice on here but I am excited about growing Home Matters, adding new features and beginning some giveaways. I hope you’ll stick with me!

~Tell me about your blog's title. Why did you choose it?

My family is number one for me, of course, and I strive to create a HOME for us, not just a house to live in. To me HOME conveys comfort, security and being surrounded by things and people you love. And I want to do all of this as inexpensively as I can since I have always been a very thrifty person. It just seemed like a good name to me J

~What do you blog about?

I love to share my couponing info and grocery deals and help others learn how to slash their grocery budget too. Plus, I like to share other deals I find and I am all about getting things for free (samples, etc). As much as I love to share this info I will never be the most thorough bargain blog out there and I am not trying to be. So, I love to direct readers to my favorite bargain blogs and give credit to them as much as possible. I am in the process of adding a new blog roll to my site for many of these fellow bloggers.

As I am learning about blogging and finding my voice, I am doing more with adding recipes each week and am getting ready to start showing my thrifty finds (aka Goodwill goodies) and showing some thrifty home projects we are working on. I guess my blog is a continual work in progress as I learn J

~What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I love sharing deals with others and hearing that I have helped them save money. And as I blog more I am learning that I love meeting fellow bloggers. There is so much out there that I love discovering and I am continually being inspired.

Be sure to head on over to Amanda's party and meet some other bloggers and share the love with them (and don't forget me too...we all LOVE the comments!).

Mealtime Monday ~ Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Have you been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on Friday nights on ABC? It has been pretty interesting to see this guy take on people's attitudes toward food in Huntington, WV. And, at times, I have found it pretty eye-opening, like when he breaks down school lunch programs.

The most eye opening (and stomach-turning) part for me was the first week when Jamie had a group of children in a kitchen discussing chicken nuggets. He gave them a pretty gross glimpse of what can go into those processed little bits. The kids were naturally grossed out (as was I) and they said they would NOT eat that stuff. Then he proceeded to make a little nugget shape, roll it in breading and fry it. Amazingly, the kids decided that they WOULD eat that since it was fried and looked like a nugget. UGH!

So, last week during Spring Break my daughter invited a friend to our home for a sleepover and they choose the dinner menu of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. No problem, I said. However, I just didn't want to throw some processed stuff in the oven or microwave. So, I treated them to some homemade chicken nuggets and mac & cheese and sliced strawberries...they gobbled it up. YUM!

I can't claim that I will never throw some Tyson nuggets in the oven ever again (white meat only, thank you) but we are really trying to make some better eating choices in our home. Quick and easy recipes for good stuff come in handy.

Here is my quick and easy chicken nugget recipe...Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (cut into 1 inch pieces)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine first 5 ingredients in a heavy-duty zipper plastic bag. Seal bag and shake well to mix dry ingredients.

Dip chicken in butter and shake a few pieces at a time in breadcrumb mixture.

Place chicken pieces in a greased baking dish.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until browned.

And here is my previous post for mac & cheese. It's not exactly healthy but...everything in moderation, people!

**This recipe is linked to Jen's Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace. Check out all of the yummy recipes at both of these blog parties this week!

Yes, I am a GLEEk!

I am excited that one of my favorite shows is returning tonight after a long break. Maybe you've discovered this little gem too? It is called Glee. It began last summer and was a big hit right away. It won a Golden Globe for Best TV Series Musical or Comedy.

It has also taken the music industry by storm...25 songs by the cast have landed on Billboards Hot 100 list in 2009, 2 soundtracks have been released and fans have downloaded the songs 4.5 million times. One of my favorites is Don't Stop Believing from the pilot episode (check out the performance on a recent Oprah show)
(thanks to an article in The Charlotte Observer for some of the stats listed above!)

This show is funny, including some dark and twisted humor, sometimes poignant and always full of great music.

One of the blogs I follow, Serenity Now, has a post about this show too...and hers includes a couple of video clips! Check out Amanda's post to see what you've been missing...or to catch a glimpse of what's coming up in the next few weeks.

So, are you a fellow Gleek? If you watch the show (or you give it a try tonight), let me know what you think.

Best Deal Magazines Deal of The Day

Here are the magazine deals this week from Best Deal Magazines...

Plus, take an extra 15% off when you use code PXCJ418 (code expires 4/18)

Monday...Harper's Bazaar $4.29 (1 year)
Tuesday...Woman's Day $4.29 (1 year)
Wednesday...Life Extension $4.29 (1 year)
Thursday...Hot Bike $4.29 (1 year)
Friday...Backpacker $5.29 (1 year)
Saturday...Mac Life $5.29 (1 year)
Sunday...Boys Life $5.29 (1 year)

Some Of My Favorites...

I've been trying to stay away from the computer this week so I could "take a break" and focus on the kiddos during Spring Break. It has been fun and I'm sad to see them go back to school on Monday...ok, well a little sad...but a little glad too so I can get some stuff done around here!

I haven't done very much blog reading this week but do have something fun to share with you.

One of my favorite home decor blogs is The Nesting Place ~It Doesn't Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful.
On Thursday she hosted a Mantle Party where fellow bloggers posted links to their posts and pictures of their mantle decor. My mantle is always a source of aggravation for me because I never seem to know how I want it to look. So I really enjoyed taking a peek into other people's homes to see what they've done. I hope you enjoy it too!

Then today The Nester posted about some changes she made to her mantle that include some of her children's artwork...love it!

Hope you enjoy these posts and hope they inspire you!

Happy Weekend!

Reminder: FREE 8x10 Photo TODAY

Remember to get your FREE 8X10 photo at Walgreens today! Enter the code BIG8x10 at checkout (and be sure to choose in-store pick up to avoid shipping and keep it totally free).

Help Provide Fresh Produce To Struggling Families

As you know I am excited about the produce co-op I participate in with Your Neighborhood Produce. I am also excited about something they are trying to do right now and you can help with just a click of a button.

Pepsi is giving away money every month for great ideas and Your Neighborhood Produce is in the running for some of this money to support their project to provide fresh produce for a year to struggling families in the Monroe, NC area. You can vote once a day. Please consider helping Your Neighborhood Produce reach their goal.



Go here to vote for their Blessing Basket project...

Produce Co-Op Payment & Pick Up Reminder

For my local Indian Trail friends who participate in the produce co-op (or those of you interested in trying it), the next payment due date is THIS Sunday (4/11) at 11:59pm.

Pick up for this basket will be NEXT Thursday, April 15th from 12noon-1pm at Sardis Baptist Church in Indian Trail.

For more information or to see the other pick up locations in the Charlotte area, please visit Your Neighborhood Produce. **Pineville, NC and Rock Hill, SC are the newest locations**

Free for Kids This Weekend

Here are a few free activities to do with the kids this weekend...

** Make a mini baseball game at the Lowes Build & Grown Clinic on Saturday, 4/10 at 10am

be sure to register here and arrive on time (these clinics are popular and fill up fast!)

** Make a personalized door hanger at Lakeshore Learning this Saturday, 4/10 from 11-3!

While you are there, check out the great resources they have for your kids to use at home.

Spring Cleaning Caddy Giveaway

Right at Home is giving away Spring Cleaning Caddies to the first 3,000 to respond. Hurry and sign up now as these go fast!

The reusable cleaning caddy is filled with:

• One box of Shout® Color Catcher® sheets
• One Pledge® Multi Surface Duster
• One pouch of Pledge® Natural Beauty Wipes

Good Luck!

Printable Coupons

Here are a few "different" printable coupons for you...

GE Energy Smart light bulbs starting at $2.99 at Target
Use the $2 off Target coupon HERE
and stack it with the $1 off HERE

Get a FREE 20oz Coke or Dasani water with the purchase of a 20oz Coke or Dasani water at Target

Save $1.00 on 7-Up...(1) 20oz bottle, 2-liter bottle or 6-pack (1/2 liter bottles)*this should get you some free 7-Up or at least REALLY cheap

Free Portrait @ Picture People

Use this coupon here to get a FREE 8x10 or 10x13 portrait at The Picture People. Plus, you will also get 25% off your portrait order (although you do not have to purchase anything in order to get your free portrait). This coupon expires 6/20/10.

Thanks Who Said Nothing In Life Is Free!

Bi-Lo week of 4/7/10

It's a big BOGO sale at Bi-Lo this week...gotta love it when their ad is full of BOGO deals!

As I stated in my previous post, I am taking a break from the computer this week to hang out with my kids on Spring Break. I am linking this to Southern Savers' list; however, please keep in mind that her list shows coupons doubling to just $0.60 face values. Ours in the Charlotte area will double up to a $0.99 face value. Keep that in mind when referencing her list and pulling out your own coupons.

Harris Teeter week of 4/7/10

It's a decent week at HT this week. The 2 big ones that jump out at me are gallons of milk for $1.99 and 1 lb. packs of strawberries for $1.25.

I am "taking a break" from the computer this week so please refer to Southern Savers for her HT info this week.

Hope everyone enjoys their Spring Break this week!

Get 20 FREE Photo Prints TODAY

Get 20 FREE 4x6 photo prints TODAY at Walgreens. Use code PRINTS20 at checkout and be sure to choose in-store pick up to avoid postage.

Tomorrow's deal is 80% off collage prints.

Friday's deal is a FREE 8x10 photo.

I just LOVE the freebie photo deals!!

Free Samples

I love freebies...including free samples! Each week I can count on getting something fun in my mailbox for free. In the last few days I have received a free sample of Beneful Incredibites dog food (my doggie loved it!) and several coupons that were sent to me after I contacted the companies with compliments or questions.

Here are some samples you can sign up for right now...

Suave Professional sample

Kotex sample pack (choose from 4 different packs)

Dove Men + Care

Pantene (this is through Vocalpoint, a word-of-mouth group...I've mentioned this group many times and highly recommend you join for great samples and coupons)
*not sure if this will be a small sample or a full size bottle...not long ago I received a full size bottle from them*

Photo Deals at Walgreens This Week

Here are some great photo deals to take advantage of this week at Walgreens....

Today (Tuesday) get an 11x14 poster print for $1.99...use code POSTER199 at checkout online

Wednesday get 20 FREE 4x6 prints

Thursday save 80% on collage prints (4x6, 5x7, or 8x10)

Friday get a FREE 8x10 print

***check Walgreens online each day to receive the online discount code for that day's deal.

Produce Co-Op Pick Up

Today was my day to pick up the produce co-op that I participate in. For those of you local to me, I really think you are missing out if you don't give this a try. Go here to see all about Your Neighborhood Produce and find a pick up location near you (they are all around the Charlotte area). The more people participate the more selection you will see in your basket.

Here is what came in my basket today (this is the original basket for $17.50...less than you'll pay at the grocery store)...

lettuce

cauliflower

zucchini

red potatoes

green beans

tomatoes

pears

apples

bananas

grapefruit

lemons

I pick up at the Indian Trail pick up...the next payment due date for that location is on Sunday, April 11th for pick up on Thursday, April 15th.

Psst...Pillsbury Crescent Spring Celebration

Psst...

Have you heard of this? Psst...is a word-of-mouth group from General Mills. I have been a member for about a year, I think. I've had many opportunities to sample new product, receive great coupons, etc. And now they have another new opportunity called My Get Together...




My Get Together is an opportunity for you and your family and friends to try new products and recipes and receive special offers and goodies to take home. I am excited to have been selected as one of the hosts for the first My Get Together party coming up in about a month! Stay tuned for more details...



If you are interested in Psst...and My Get Together, be sure to visit the website here.