Jeepers, Creepers, Look at those Peepers!

Being a BzzAgent, I was asked to perform a 4 week challenge using L'Oreal Paris Lash Boosting Power System with Lash Boosting Serum and Mascara. I am about 2 weeks into my challenge and am really impressed so far! This is a 3-step mascara system which claims to be able to strengthen your lashes, make your lashes appear fuller, healthier and longer. So far, I believe they are living up to their claims!

I know, you are thinking "3-steps! I don't have time for that!" I know you are thinking that, because that is precisely what I was thinking when I first received the package in the mail!! However, this mascara goes on so smooth and coats well, it literally takes me less time to use this system than several mascaras that I have tried before, since I dont have to put 4 or 5 coats of mascara on to make my lashes appear the way I want them to.

The first step is the clear lash boosting serum. Once you let that dry (by the time you put on your blush or whatever other makeup you want to put on, it will be dry), then you put on a coat of the primer base which is basically like a "white mascara". It coats your lashes and brings them to a terrific length in just one swipe of the brush! Then, you simply put on a coat of the masara and you have thick, full, and long lashes that every woman wants.

I have found there to be no flaking of the mascara and it easily comes off with makeup remover without any smudging or "raccoon eyes" afterwards. I have also not had any "lash loss" since using this system, even when removing the mascara. I would highly recommend anyone with faint, thin, sparse eye lashes to give this product a try!

Once I complete my 4-week Challenge I will try to post my before and after pictures here so we can tell the difference it has made in my lashes, with and without the product on.

If you have tried this product, please feel free to share your opinions of the products here for everyone else to read as well!

Tina

Bi Lo Deals 1/20 - 1/26

Here are my "best picks" for BiLo this week.

Do not forget:
* BiLo doubles coupons up to 60 cents face value
* BiLo does NOT take competitor coupons or any coupons with another store logo, even if a manufacturer coupon and not a store coupon

BOGO Deals

Shady Brook Farms Turkey Franks or Smoked Sausage $3.79 ($1.90 each)

Arnold Bread $3.69 ($1.85 each)
.55 off SS 11/1, 12/6, 11/8 (makes it .75)

Other Deals

Sargento Natural Shredded Cheese $2.00
.55 off November and December All You Magazine (makes it 90 cents)

Pillsbury Biscuits, Crescent Rolls, Breadsticks, French Loaf $1.67 each
.40 off 3 Grands! SS1/3, 11/15, 11/8
.30 off 2 Grands! SS 1/3, 11/15, 11/8
.40 off 2 SS 1/3, 12/6
.50 off 2 SS 11/8, 12/13, 11/15, 11/22
.25 SS 12/13, 11/15, 11/22
.40 off 2 SS 1/24, 11/5, 12/13

Chobani Greek Yogurt $1.00
$1.00 off SS 12/13 (makes it FREE)

Southern Home Split Chicken Breast 99 cents/lb.

Boston Butt Pork Roast 99 cents/lb.

Fresh Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters 10 lb. bag 59 cents/lb.

Welche's Grape Jelly/Jam $2.00
.55 off SS 1/3 (makes it .90)
$1.00 off 2 SS 1/3

Hunt's Ketchup $1.00
B2G1, January All You Magazine

Pepsi 2 liters - .99 each

Purina Puppy or Kitten Chose 3.4 lb. bag $4.00

Dawn Dish Detergeant $1.00 each
.50 PG 1/17, 12/27 (makes it FREE)
.25 PG 12/27 (makes it .50)

Happy Savings!

Tina

Publix - Best Deals of the Week 1/20 - 1/26

Here are what I feel are the "must buys" and the best deals for this week's sales at Publix. Of course, any of the items that are BOGO (Buy One/Get One) in this week's sales flyer are automatically half off so if you need those items, now is a good time to buy any of these if you need them this week. However, I have only listed the BOGO's that I feel are at rock-bottom or pretty close to and time to stock up to have extras on hand if you can!

Do not forget:
* Publix doubles all coupons up to a face value of 55 cents
* Publix will accept competitor stores coupons
* Publix will accept stacking of a store coupon and manufacturer coupon for the same item.

BOGO Items

Fresh Express Salad Blend $3.99 ($1.99 each)
Some stores have been noted to have $1 off coupon in store dispenser near salads

Kellogg's Nturi Grain Bars $3.49 ($1.74 each)

Krusteaz muffin, Bars of Cake Mix $2.69 ($1.34 each)
$1 off 2 SS 12/6 (makes it .34 cents each)
.50 off SS 12/6 (makes it .34 cents each)

Uncle Ben's Original Converted Rice 5 lb bag $6.99 ($3.49 each)
$1.00 off 2 RP 1/3 (makes it $3.00 each)
$1.00 off RP 1/3 (makes it $2.49)

Uncle Ben's Country Inn Rice $1.49 (.74 each)

Hunt's Canned Tomatoes $1.39 (.69 each)
$1 off 4 in December All You Magazine
.45 off 3 SS 1/24

Taco Bell Home Originals Dinner $2.69 ($1.34 each)

Kraft, Seven Seas, Good Seasons Dressing $3.19 ($1.59 each)

Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn $4.89 ($2.44 each)
$1 off December All You Magazine

Nabisco Ritz Crackeres $3.79 ($1.89 each)
$1 off 2 SS 12/13
$1 off Nabisco Crackers SS 1/24

Arnold Bread $3.69 ($1.84 each)
.55 off SS 11/1, 12/6, 11/8

Red Baron Pizza $5.79 ($2.89 each)

New York Frozen Texas Toast, Rolls or Sticks $3.29 ($1.64 each)
.50 off SS 11/8, November and February All You Magazine (makes it 64 cents each!)
.50 off in February Womans Day Magazine

Mennen Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick Deodorant $2.79 ($1.39 each)

Lysol All Purpose Cleaner $3.19 ($1.59 each)
.50 off SS 1/3

Other Great Buy Items On Sale

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, Breasticks, Loaves $1.66
.50 off 2 SS 11/22
.40 off 2 SS 1/3
.25 off SS 11/15, 12/13, 12/6
.40 off 2 SS 12/13, 11/15

Pepsi Products, 2 liters $1.00 each
.50 off 2 at Target.com

Stacy's Pita Chips $2.50
$1 off SS 1/24

Weight Watchers Frozen Meals $2.00
$1.50 off 7 - January All You Magazine
$3.00 off 10 SS 1/17
B5G1 Smart Ones Breakfast Products SS 1/10
B3G1 SS 1/10

Blue Bell Ice Cream $3.99
$1.00 off at bluebell.com

Oral-B Advantage Toothbrush $2.00
.75 off PG 12/27, 1/17
$1 off PG 12/27, 1/17

Happy Shopping!

Tina

Can you have a Paperless Kitchen??

"Does no one have paper towels on sale this week?"...... That is how our dinner conversation started the other night.

Since I started this "extreme coupon shopping" about a year or so ago, my family has learned that unless something is on sale AND I have a coupon for it, the chance of my buying it are very slim! I try my best not to have to buy something unless those two criterias are met, but of course there are times when I just HAVE to have something that is not on sale. (Such as when I somehow forgot to stock up on toilet paper and we run out and I have to pay full price for it......we can't exactly go without toilet paper now can we!) So....yes, I will go buy what I MUST for full price, but I will moan and groan about it for a week afterwards.......Of course, there are also those items that will rarely ever meet the criteria, such as fresh product and meat. (However, even those items must be at least on sale to get purchased........)

So, when my family went to go sit down for dinner the other night to eat their messy BBQ Chicken, hubby automatically goes to grab some paper towels to pass out for napkins. When the roll was empty, he asked the question about the paper towels not being on sale. I found it funny that he picked this night to ask me about the paper towels since we have not had paper towels or paper napkins in the house in just about a month or so now and the fact that I had just wondered to myself that same day when anyone was ever going to notice - or had they noticed and just not mentioned it.....I simply replied "I don't know, I didn't look because I didn't want to buy any." Hubby quickly responded "Just wondering since we have been out now for several weeks." WOW - the family did notice and just never bothered to ask about them - I assume they didn't mention since they just assumed they had not been on sale! LOL

Now, do not think I have just left my family defenseless and they had to use their sleeves to wipe their mouths and their pants to wipe their hands. I have been placing cloth napkins beside every ones plates now for several weeks. However, most nights I have noticed that after dinner the napkins are still neatly folded by their plates and unused. It is funny how if there are paper napkins or towels, each person will run through 2 or 3 at each sitting to keep their hands and mouths clean, however you put a nice cloth napkin at their plates and I guess they simply did not want to "get them dirty". LOL - You see, I didn't mention to anyone in the family the fact that I was thinking about going paperless. I have found that if I want to try something new out around the house, it is best just to do it and not mention it. It usually seems to go a little smoother that way.

Why am I telling you this story? Well, I am trying to go to a "paperless kitchen". After cutting my grocery bills as much as I can with shopping sales and using coupons, I have started looking at our budget to see in what other ways I could reduce not only wasteful spending, but products that we are simply wasting and can do without. The simplest adjustment I thought we could try first, was to stop using so much paper towels and paper napkins. It seemed we were running through at least one roll of towels per day - clearly someone in the house was eating them since that is the only reason I can think we use so much in a house of 4 people!

So, back in December when we ran out of paper towels and napkins, I simply did not buy any more. I had received some cloth napkins and additional kitchen towels over the holidays and that is what we are now using.

The transition to cloth from paper has not been that difficult, at least not to me. We now have cloth napkins that we use at dinner and then simply toss in the wash. Of course, since my family is scared to dirty them apparently, I have not had to wash them too often. However, since the topic has now been brought up that we have no napkins and that there are actually cloth napkins sitting at everyone's plate, and apparently they have now been given "permission" to use them, I imagine they will start using them more. I guess they thought I was simply putting them on the table for the table to look nice........

I have sponges and dish rags that I use to clean the counters and when we wash our hands in the kitchen, instead of simply grabbing a paper towel to dry our hands, we actually use a Hand Towel - that is what they are for - right?!

When friends and family discover that I was "going paperless", the first question that always arises is "What do you drain your fried french fries and bacon on?" Well, to be honest, I do not fry things in my house for the most part. I bake my french fries (on Pampered Chef stoneware so there is no grease!) and I do not fry bacon (GASP - you live in the South and don't fry bacon?!) When I brown ground meat, I simply dump it in a colandar to drain the grease - no need for a paper towel there either!

In addition to cutting out paper towels and napkins, I have also cut out paper plates. I used to buy these simply because I got tired of coming home to a sink full of dishes when the kids were home after school and seemed to try to dirty every plate and glass in the house before I could get home from work. At one point I threatened to throw out every nice plate, glass and silverware and simply live on paper plates, plastic cups and plastic utensils so they could simply throw out their dishes, but I quickly realized that was just silly. So, I went the total opposite direction. After about 100 meltdowns to coming home to dirty dishes piled everywhere, the kids are now putting their dishes in the dishwasher for the most part - that or they are throwing them away, which I guess would explain the missing dishware...hmmmm.

I hope this encourages you to look at your household use and expenses and see if perhaps you could go paperless too, or cut things in other areas that may simply be a waste.

Please feel free to leave a comment or share your tips or questions about going paperless in your kitchen!

Happy Savings!

Tina

Free Spaghetti at Fazolis!

Go here and register for Fazoli's email club and get a coupon to print for a free small spaghetii with the purchase of a drink.

Happy eating!

Tina

FREE Taco from Taco Bell

If you hurry, you may still be able to get a coupon for a free Fresco Taco if you click here. The company had posted this last month and then "ran out" of coupons. They have graciously "re-loaded" the coupons. Not sure how many there are left, but print yours while you can!

I'll be passing this one along to my daughter for a free after-school snack!

Happy Shopping!

Tina

Publix "Must Buys" 1/13 - 1/19

Here are the items that I feel are the best deals at Publix this week!

Do not forget:
*Publix doubles coupons up to face value of 50 cents
* Publix will take competitor coupons (check with your specific store to make sure they do)
* You do not have to buy both items on BOGO. Buy one at half price.

BOGO Items

Progresso Soup $2.29 ($1.14 each)
$1 off 4 SS 1/3
50 cents off 2 SS 1/3 and 12/6 (makes it 64 cents each)
25 cents off High Fiber Soup SS 11/15 (makes it 64 cents each)
25 cents off Rich & Hearty Soup SS 12/6 (makes it 64 cents each)

Hellman's Mayonnaise $4.89 ($2.44 each)
60 cents off RP 11/15 (makes it $1.84)
$1.00 off 2 RP 11/15 (makes it $1.94 each)

Chicken of the Sea Solid White Tuna $5.99 (2.99 each)

Smucker's Preserves or Marmalade $3.13 ($1.56 each)
$1 off 2 SS 1/10 (makes it $1.06 each)
$1 off Smuckers Orchards Finest Preserves RP 12/6 (may or not be on sale)

Kellogg's Cereal (Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Sugar Smacks, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Rice Krispies) $3.99 ($1.99 each)
$1 off 2 Rice Krispies RP 12/13 (makes it $1.50 each)
$1 off 2 Frosted Flakes or Corn Pops RP 12/13 (makes it $1.50 each)
$1 off 2 Froot Loops or Apple Jacks RP 12/13 (makes it $1.50 each)
$11 off 2 Kelloggs Cereal RP 1/10 (makes it $1.50 each)

Duncan Hines Brownie Mix $2.59 ($1.29 each)
55 cents off 2 SS 10/11 (makes it $1.02 each)
$1.00 off 2 SS 10/11 (makes it 79 cents each)

Quaker Chew Granola Bars $2.99 ($1.49 each)
55 cents off RP 1/3 (makes it 94 cents each)
$1 off 2 RP 1/3 (makes it $1.00 each)

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $2.74 ($1.37 each)
50 cents off 2 SS 1/3 (makes it 87 cents each)
$1 off 3 SS 1/3 (makes it $1.03 each)

Tostitos Salsa $3.49 ($1.74 each)
$1 off 2 in January All You Magazine (makes it $1.24 each)

Thomas English Muffins $2.99 ($1.49 each)

Cheez-It Baked Snacks $3.99 ($1.99 each)
$1 off 2 RP 12/13 (makes it $1.49 each)

Pop Secret Popcorn $4.39 ($2.19 each)
$1 off 2 RP 1/3 (makes it $1.69 each)

Lender's Bagels $2.09 ($1.04 each)

I Can't Believe Its Not Butter $2.58 ($1.27 each)
50 cents off RP 11/15 (makes it 27 cents each)
$1 off 2 RP 11/15 (makes it 79 cents each)

Birds Eye Voila! Meal $4.99 ($2.49 each)
$1.50 off 2 SS 1/10 (Makes it $1.75 each)

Pedigree Dentastix Snack Food $3.79 ($1.89 each)
$1 off Pedigree Treat RP 12/6 (makes it 89 cents)
$1 off Dentastix RP 12/6 (makes it 89 cents)

GE Extra Soft White Bulbs $1.99 (99 cents each)
$1.50 off at Target.com (FREE)

Fantastik Cleaner $2.99 ($1.49 each)
75 cents off SS 1/10 (makes it 74 cents each)

Lysol Bathroom Cleaner $3.69 ($1.84 each)
50 cents off SS 1/3 (makes it 84 cents each)

Hefty Cinch Sak Bags $6.49 ($3.24
44 cents SS 1/3 (Makes it $2.69 each)
$1 off 2 SS 1/3 (makes it $2.75 each)

OTHER SALE ITEMS

Chobani Greek Yogurt $1.00
$1 off SS 12/13 (makes it FREE)

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables $1.00
.60 cents off 3 SS 1/3, 12/13 (makes it 60 cents each)
$1 off 3 SS 1/3, 11/22 (makes it $1.00 each)

Aleve 24 count $3.55
$1 off Aleve Product RP 10/25 and 1/3 (makes it $2.55)

Contact Cold & Flu $5.39
$2 off RP 1/10 (makes it $3.39)

Mentos Gum $1.00
55 cents off SS 10/11

Jolly Time Microwave Popcorn $1.00
50 cents off SS 1/10 (makes it FREE)

Quilted NOrthern Bath Tissue $5.99
$1.00 off at Target.com

Happy Shopping!

Tina