Orlando Area Rummage Sale/Bazaar

For those of you in the Orlando area who love a good deal and want to support an amazing cause -- this is for you! This Saturday and Sunday (May 9th and 10th), Morning Star School for special needs children is having its annual bazaar. Both days will feature a rummage sale that is to die for. There is always a ton of stuff, and my friends, it is priced to sell! I always find cool home decor stuff, games, tons of clothes, furniture, pictures, etc.

Sunday is a family day, full of kids entertainment (music, bounce houses, etc - which are free) and more shopping. There will be a bake sale, silent auction, raffle, and a lot more! Stop by and check it out!

Open for "business" at 7am on Saturday!

Letter to Publix

Dear Publix,

I used to really like you. We used to be friends. I could come to see you and get wonderful deals.
You let me stack coupons, you let me save.
Not only did you let me save - I saved on quality items.

Unfortunately, my feelings have changed.

Yes, you still have good sales and let me stack.
But buying rancid meat from you 6 times in the past 8 months has left a bad taste in my mouth (or smell in my house).
You seem to be hiring fewer friendly people these days... I dread checking out.
Instead of being excited to come see you every Thursday morning, I find excuses to put it off.

I thought we really had something.
I'm trying not to throw away a good thing because of a rough patch.
But I really don't like you much right now. Shopping with you is decidedly not a pleasure.

I hope you change. Soon.

Love, Me

BOGO Power Bar, Burger King Coupons!

Click here to grab yourself a B1G1 Power Bar coupon! For those of us less interested in power and more interested in taste: there is something for us as well. Hello, B1G1 Burger King sandwich coupons. Choose from 1 of multiple sandwich options. That'll make your mouth happy. :)

Free Make-Up!

NoMoreRack.com is giving away free make-up when you refer friends! No purchase necessary! Register and post your code!

$10 for a $50 giftcard to Vistaprint.com

Navigate your way over to LivingSocial to get yourself a $50 gift card to Vistaprint for only $10. The deal is listed under Gainesville, FL but you don't have to live there to get it. I have a calendar and business cards I made on their site and I love them! There is also a deal to get 250 basic business cards for free (just pay shipping). Scrap-bookers: this is another avenue for your addiction!

Unadvertised Publix Deal -- Regional?

At the Publix in Sebring, FL I found that Traditional Medicinals Teas are on sale from $5.49 to $3.99. There is also a $1/1 Target coupon to pair with the sale. $2.99 is definitely a stock-up price as I haven’t ever seen it for under $4.99! My favorites are Cold Care P.M. and Throat Coat, but they have so many options for digestion, pregnancy and general wellness. I much prefer tea to NyQuil any day.

Cheap Gift Cards... just in time for V-Day.

Slickdeals.net lists this great deal: Restaurant.com has a new 80% off code LOVE available. The $25 discount certificates are normally $10 or $15 (depending on restaurant), but are $2 or $3 with the code. They also sell $10 certificates for select restaurants for $4, making them 80 cents each with the code.

Hello, cheap Valentine's date

Shopping Trip 11/6

8 Toaster Strudel (BOGO @ $2.39) = $9.56
minus 4 1 Box Free coupons = $0

2 cartons of Hood Simply Smart Milk (BOGO @ $3.59) = $3.59
minus 2 $1 off 1 Man Q's = $1.59

2 7.5 oz tub of Country Crock butter spread (BOGO @ $1.69) = $1.69
minus 2 $.50 off 1 Target Q's and 2 $.40 off 1 Man Q's = $.89

2 Schick Quattro Titanium Razors (BOGO @ $8.99) = $8.99
minus 2 $2 off 1 Man Q (10/24/2010 Smart Source Insert) = $4.99

2 16oz Coffee Mate Creamers (4 for $6) = $3
minus 2 $1.50 off 1 Man Q's = $0

2 boxes of Krusteaz Cookie Mixes (BOGO @ $2.19) = $2.19
minus 2 $.55/1 Man Qs (blinkies) = $1.09

2 12 oz cans of Maxwell House Coffee (2 for $5) = $5
minus 2 $1 off 1 Man Q's (9/26 Smart Source Insert) and 1 $2/2 Target Q's = $1

1 50 oz Bottle of Wisk laundry detergent (On sale for $4.49) = $4.49
minus 1 $2 off 1 Target Q and 1 $1 off 1 Man Q = $1.49

2 bags of Rold Gold Pretzels (BOGO @ $2.99) = $2.99

1 Yellow Onion = $.35

1 bunch of Garlic = $.33

1 Bag of Carrot Chips = $1.69

6 eggs = $.79

The total before coupons came to $44.66, so we used a $5 off $20 Publix Coupon and a $5 off $30 Aldi Coupon ($34.66). After subtracting all the coupons listed above, we owed only $7 (plus $.88 in tax).

After all coupons, our grand total (including tax) was $7.88. That gives us a savings rate of 90.5% for this week! Woot!

For the "Least of These"

I recently learned of a ministry/charity called Reece's Rainbow. This organization has multiple goals, however its primary function is to find adoptive homes for disabled children living in institutions. My heart is especially touched by this organization's function, as my youngest brother has Down's Syndrome.

My brother, Joseph, and Me

The need for the intervention Reece's Rainbow provides is great. Disabled children in other countries are often not allowed to leave the hospital with their mothers. They are funneled into mental institutions for children, generally called "baby houses," until they are somewhere between 4 and 6 years old. At that age they are put in adult institutions from where adoption is all but impossible. In many of the baby houses and adult institutions, the residents are kept sedated in order to make them more manageable. They are kept in cribs almost all day, sometimes even tied to them. This is one such institution. To make matters worse, international adoption costs $15,000 on the low end, sometimes soaring to $30,000. There are a lot of would-be parents who simply can't afford this.

 The need is so great that it it easy to be discouraged. However, here is an easy way to help. Jennifer over at MckMama is trying to raise $20,000 to help one little boy named Sam. You can make a secure donation (as little as $1) to Sam's adoption fund (which is managed by Reece's Rainbow, a 501(c)3 non-profit) below, help fund a adoption of a family who has already committed to a child, or choose another child to support individually.

Sam (from Mckmama's Blog)

These kids are desperate for love, affection and compassion. They are surely those our Lord refers to in Matthew 25: 37-40: "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "

Blockbuster Express Code for a Free Movie

Rent a movie tonight - for free! Use code MDVD1 at the kiosk or at blockbusterexpress.com. The code expires at midnight tonight (10/04).

2 Year Lego Magazine Subscription - Free!

 

If you have a kid 6 years or under who can't get enough of Legos, here's something for you. Now you can get a free 2 year subscription to LEGO Magazine! Click here and follow the prompts.

Note: That link is for US delivery. For the UK, click here. For Ireland, click here.

Have a book? Want a cookie?

Great American Cookies is hosting a book drive! Simply bring a brand new or gently used book to your local location between 10am and 2pm. They'll give you a cookie for your contribution. Sweet deal!

New Arm & Hammer Coupons

Click Here for $10.50 in new coupons!

Publix Trip Tomorrow!

Since we're moving, I'm trying to keep us eating out of our fridge, pantry and freezer for the most part. That being said, I am planning on buying:

8 packages of Pledge Dusters (BOGO @ $3.99) - I will use 4 $2/2 Target Qs and 4 $2/2 Man Qs (9/26 SS)
1 3lb bag of apples @ $1.99
This brings my total to: $1.95 and my savings to over $32. Not too shabby.

I love dust cloths... and we're going to need them with all this moving business.

Free Blockbuster Express Rental

Like free movies? Click here to reserve a title online for free. Type in the code "SSD19B" to make it free! Just pick it up at the location most convenient for you and enjoy!

Offer expires 9/30

Search for Casa de Wadley, Part 2

Over the course of the day we visited several homes, with varying degrees of success. We ended up with three possibilities, but we aren't crazy about any of them. Some were in bad parts of town, others won't allow pets, and still others were ridiculously expensive.

Hubby and I are trying to remain full of faith that the Lord has something for us. It isn't that we are refusing to take anything other than perfection, but we don't want to settle for anything other than God's best for us. I feel that to do that would be a deliberate decision not to trust Him. We know He has it all under control. "God is Sovereign," I keep repeating to myself. He has brought us this far, practically dropped this position into our laps, and cleared the path for us. Still...sometimes serving a last-minute God is really stressful!

Search for Casa de Wadley, Part 1

Hubby and I spent the weekend looking for our new abode. The trip was... eventful. It started with me ever so sweetly offering to drive down so over-tired hubby could sleep. This went just fine (since I had a book on CD) until the rain hit. Then came traffic. Then traffic and rain together.

I knew most of the way since we had a straight shot down I-95 then took I-4 through Orlando - both of these roads are familiar territory, so I drove along with no concern. Until Hubby woke up and asked where we were. "Still North of Lakeland" I replied confidently. "What?!" my groggy husband exclaimed. I assured him he shouldn't worry because he told me I didn't have to look for US 27 (our exit) until we were South of Lakeland. Apparently, he thought he was telling me that our destination was South of Lakeland. Oops. We were practically in Tampa.

Given my directional challenges, we should have set the GPS up the second we knew I was going to drive. Just for safety's sake. Now we had added an extra 45 minutes to our trip. Great.

When we checked in to our hotel, I thought the worst was over. Wrong.

After struggling to make it through the night, our alarm didn't go off. The result was a mad scramble to get to the restaurant in time for breakfast. There's nothing like starting a long day in a rush.

Nothing Good Comes from 2 am Postings, but I'm Doing it Anyway

It's 2:28 am.

I'm awake.

I hate it.

I'm not awake because I'm sick. I'm not up because I'm taking care of someone else who is sick. I'm up because I am staying at a pretty icky hotel (by my standards anyway). This is my first, and hopefully last, experience sleeping at an Econo-Lodge. Why the fancy diggs, you ask? Because it's the best Sebring, FL has to offer.

I knew from the time we pulled up that this was going to be bad. There's not anything "wrong" with the place, per se, it just has that feel to it. When we walked in our room was definitely cool and even more definitely humid. Ick. There is no mini iron (that I was counting on to chase the wrinkles out of my Sunday morning skirt), puny curtains that don't quite block the light from the blaring hall fixtures, and no clock in the room anywhere. Also featured are: pillows that are so over-stuffed you could break your neck on them and toilet whose lever must be held down for 20 seconds before it will flush.

Add to this situation a recently viewed program on bed bugs and you have a recipe for hotel disaster.

That hubby of mine booked this place at the suggestion of a friend. I'm really beginning to think that we need to go to the Residence Inn or Holiday Inn Express tomorrow night.

I am in total disbelief that I will have to wake up for an 8:30 breakfast tomorrow. Even worse, I will be meeting some people we will be working closely with for the first time. Any thoughts I had about being charming are quickly evaporating. 

You are my nemesis.

Going Green

Lately I've been feeling convicted about how I treat/mistreat the environment. My sweet husband lovingly asked me if I am becoming "one of those tree-hugging crazies." I don't think I am, although some changes that I am considering will be out of the American norm. Here are some of the things that I have been considering (and no I am not committing to make these changes - just pondering):

1. After we move I want to stop buying paper napkins and towels. This is the easiest one, I think. Not only will it save a lot of money, but our classy factor will increase a hundred fold if we eat with cloth napkins every night.

Martha would approve.

2. Feminine products. Yeah, I know. Super nasty. The idea of using one of these things more than once makes me cringe, too. But, think about it. They're expensive. They're wasteful. The good news: we have options. Pads, tampons and... diva cups? I am afraid that the tampons would give me an instant case of TSS, but that may just be my grossed-out sensibilities talking.

Admit it. You think the owls are cute. And it has snaps!

3. When we have kids (no Mom, I'm not pregnant) I really, really want to use cloth diapers and wipes. Yes, there will be a lot of laundry but I think it would be worth it between the savings and the decreased incidence of diaper rash and other un-pleasantries.

Teach 'em young

4. Number three made me think: How hypocritical is it to make your kid use cloth diapers when you use trees to wipe your butt? This is the thing on my list with the biggest "ick factor." I know that for thousands of years people went to the bathroom with out a toilet, much less toilet paper, but it's just so - expected, and normal, and nice, and easy. There are, however, many alternates to tp. Some people use cloth wipes, other simply get a bidet. I'm leaning towards a bidet, but I think this may be where the green train stops. I would rather be married. I still maintain that cutting down trees to wipe your butt and immediately throw away is the ultimate waste.

See. It's not that scary...

5. Switch to a CatGenie rather than using our current nasty box and traditional litter. Cat litter is terrible for the environment. It is bad to make and worse to throw away. Making this alteration would also allow us to make change #6.

6. Switch to re-usable grocery bags rather than plastic. This is something that I really want to do, but, we have cats. Our cats have a litter box. It has to be cleaned out. We have to have a place to put their... deposits. That place is a plastic bag. See our predicament? Save us, CatGenie!

Stylish!

I'm going to stop this list here, lest I overwhelm myself. 6 is a good start, after all. I'll keep you updated as to our progress. I will say that we have switched to using CFL bulbs almost exclusively, so that's good right?

Free Toaste Strudel

You have the chance to win yourself some free Toaster Strudel! Register to play the game here. I have played four times and yesterday I won four free boxes! Yay! You can play once per day per email address. They mail the coupons to you within 5-6 weeks. Try your luck!