Monday, May 31, 2010

A Day Late

I didn't do my weekly shopping yesterday. I didn't have to much to get so I went today! It worked out well too, it was not busy at all.
I think my big savings was on French's 20 oz mustards. Walmart had the brown & spicy and the regulars for $1.37 each and I had six 50¢ coupons ( making them 87¢ each,  reg $2.36 each). We are well stocked on mustard now. LOL. We do use mustard a lot so this is not overkill. LOL. They also had Hunts Ketchup for $1.00 each, last week there were some 20¢ coupons in paper. I bought a couple, this too we use a lot of.
I "ad matched" the Hy-Vee ad at No Frills and got 4 packs of Oscar Meyer Weiners for 99¢ each and then used my $1.00 off 2 packs making them 49¢ each (their regular price is $3.26 each). I also "ad matched" the Fareway ad for Gracias Nacho Cheese 2 -$3.00 (reg is $2.99 each) I got myself 4 at that unbelievable price!

Dave had another "find" for me. Just what I was in need of too.

I didn't measure it but it is 7 or 8 feet tall (it only clears the basement ceiling by an inch or 2) and has deep shelves perfect for storing . It is all metal and has adjustable shelves. There is nothing wrong with it and no rust. I can just imagine how much this would have cost new!
I am almost done with two of my "makeover projects" and can't wait to get them on here for you to see. Both appear to be turning out really good.

My peonies bloomed early this year and I had to really search for some blooms fitting for the graves.
Here are some pictures of them when they were at their peak last week. They smell so fabulous!

They line both sides of my drive and are a magnificent view when in bloom.
Here is a previous planter "redo". When we moved here there were 3 of these very large planters. This was my first ever re-creation (I only did the one).
before
after
Thanks for stopping by. Please stop again. Have a good evening!
                                     
                                                                            

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Saturday Finds




Not many yard sales today due to the holiday weekend. I did manage to find a few good deals though.
A dozen quart canning jars with the rings - $4.00

This new drainer, looks like it was not a cheapy to begin with, $1.50 ain't bad though. I needed it. The dishwasher has been broken since Thanksgiving. I really don't miss it though and I have noticed that the electic bill has dropped too.


 This has to be my favorite find of the day! These vintage Christmas glasses, the unopened box was $1.00!! I would say they are over 30 years old at least!

I have been working in the yard all day, planting and planting. I had to get all those perennials I bought into the ground.

My neighbor is always giving us stuff. Last summer she cleaned out her garage and I got a lot of "odd" things. This Pepsi thing was amongst it.

I put it aside with the stuff  "I don't want to throw away, but don't know what to do with" (LOL). If I don't figure something out after so long then I usually put it on "freecycle" .
Today I put it to use. I needed to take a bunch of gardening things from the backyard to the front yard and didn't want to make too many trips since it is quite a ways.
 Voila I had an idea!

It worked great! It has handles and drainage. I can rinse it off easily. It can be left outside and won't fill up with rain water.
I may just have to find some more uses for it.
The pool is filling and will be for the next two days, but it will be ready by Memorial Day! My son can't wait to get into it. Me - not so much. I am just not a water person.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Sunday Deals and etc.




This was my great Wal-mart deal.
Total worth $15.25 > I paid $3.85

Here are a couple of the highlights:
The Bar S hot dogs are on sale $1.00 each I used a $1.00 on 2 pkgs coupon.
Ovaltine $2.94 and I had a $2.00 coupon
Wal-mart sent out $5.00 gift cards to everyone in town about a month ago so I used that also.
The cashier said to me "wow you saved a lot of money, I 'd like to take you shopping with me". LOL.

I got all this free today

Total worth $10.69 > I paid nothing!

On my regular grocery trip today, I price matched Land O Lakes milk gallons for $1.97 each plus I used a 55¢ coupon for 2. They cost me $1.70 each (reg $3.28 each).
I also price matched 16oz Roberts sour cream 99¢ (reg $1.98)  plus I used 30¢ coupon costing me 69¢.

Dave's "junkyard finds"
He  found this brand new cast iron pan at work this week and brought it home to me. It has never even been used! Cast iron pans are my favorite to cook with and they are not cheap so this was exciting for me!



Worked more on the flower bed. We got all the Iris replanted and that was it. It has been horribly HOT and humid all day.
I will start planting the flowers this week.
Back to work in the morning. These weekends just don't last long enough.
Have a good evening!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Yard Sale Saturday- Not







The weathermen predicted it would be sunny and hot this weekend. However, when I got up to go to yard sales it was raining and the few that were still on, had nothing.
I did have some store deals though this evening.
At Target the total before coupons was $18.61, I paid $3.11

The Tide, Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner actually paid me 3¢ each.
The Rayovac batteries both were free.
The First Aid Kits I paid 22¢ each, the Degree Deoderants I paid 47¢ each and the Kotex I paid 22¢ each.

Then I made a stop at Hyvee to grab some sale items I wanted.

I ended up paying  35¢ each for the Van Camps  Beans (reg 69¢ each), $1.38 each for the Crystal Light (reg $2.98 each) and 77¢ each for the Marcal Toilet Paper (reg $3.28 each).
total worth $25.98> I paid  $12.10
This was the first store I have been able to find the Marcal at, however, they do not carry the single rolls. I have a whole bunch of coupons for a free single roll. I hope I can find them before they expire at the end of this month.

It did become sunny, hot and humid and I think I pushed myself a bit too much with the new flower bed project. But, I managed to get a lot done.
From about 9 am until 3:30 ish I dug and dug and dug. I had to move the Iris and a rose bush. I replanted the Iris that were still in bloom as I went. I will replant the rest tomorrow.


Oh, and Dave moved my umbrella trellis for me before I started the digging. The problem next was what to do with all the dirt. I did not need all this to go back. I mentioned that it was too bad I didn't have another box cause I could use the dirt and grow even more veggies. This is when Dave informed me that he had all the stuff to make me another box.  Yahoo!!

Now I am going to plant some acorn squash and maybe a pumpkin. I also will probably add another row of green beans and carrots.


I got some good deals on perennials this week.
Home Depot had their 6 in pots reg $5.98 for $3.98
 
While I was at Menards Friday picking up manure (ugh), I found a rack of perennials marked down to $2.98 each! So I bought 4 more.

I am sooo sore and stiff and tired. I hope you have a good evening!



Sunday, May 16, 2010

Sunday Deals & etc


I really did not need much at the grocer today and the ads this week really did not have any really "great" deals. I only ad matched one item - Crystal Farms cheese for $1.28 and I had a 55¢ off coupon. They had family packs of roasts for $1.99 a lb. I picked one up for $10.54 and there are 3 roasts in it. That is just over $3.00 per roast ( and 3 meals). I divided them up as soon as I got home and put them in the freezer.


 I did receive a nice "bonus" from the store. I did not know that my grocer, No Frills, had register rewards until today.  I received a coupon for $3.50 on my next grocery purchase. It came in handy this evening when I had forgotten to buy ice cream. So I used it and only paid 8¢ for the ice cream!

Thanks to Target "match ups" by Marcy over at Stretching a Buck I had BIG savings at Target today!


All this totaled $33.10 before coupons! I paid $4.85
 ( they actually paid me on some of it - the coupons were more than the item price) such as-
  5 Carefree mini pads paid me 3¢ each to take them , 3 Tide paid me 3¢ each , 1 Herbal Essence shampoo paid me 3¢, 2 Jergans lotions paid me 1¢ each.
The rest went like this:
 Lea & Perrins Worcestershire price $2.54,  I paid 54¢
Bic pens 10 pks  price $1.02 each,  I paid 2¢ each
Bliss bag price $3.39,  I paid $1.39
Bliss bars  price 99¢ each,  I paid 44¢ each
Dove Ultimates Deoderant price $3.49,  I paid 49¢
Nexcare bandages price $1.87,  I paid 37¢
Band-Aid bandages price $1.82, I paid 57¢
Wow!

A few "finds" in the mailbox this week

Baby Formula, Cascade tablets, Dove Men's Body Wash, Head & Shoulders Shampoo, and John Frieda shampoo/condtioner and smoothing lotion.

I worked on the new flower bed again today.
When we moved here 3 years ago, there was a  rose bush by the house, almost under the pine tree that has not grown and has basically just "existed" . It is in the area where the new bed is going. I dug it up today and moved it out into the sunlight. I am hoping it will finally begin to grow and bloom as it was meant to.

I put it here by the bird bath. (That is my doggie laying back there, she seems to make her way into my yard pics LOL)

Once again I am "beat". Another day of "manual labor". LOL.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a nice evening!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Yard Sale Saturday



There were not to many today, again, it was probably because they forcasted all week it was going to rain today. Once again it was a beautiful day in the 70's.  I managed to find a couple of things though, but, not much.
Umm. Yes, I think I have a cookie cutter addiction, lol. No. No. I don't think an intervention is needed - (yet). LOL. The whole bag was 50¢ and I wanted the bat. There are a few other ones I plan to keep too.


These cooling racks were 25¢


I picked up these 8 Kerr quart canning jars for 25¢ each, definitely a deal! Since I started canning again last year ( I had not canned in over 20 years until last summer) I cannot believe the outrageous price for jars.


These "old" Jello molds, this Lennox vase and another small vase (not pictured) for $1.00
 Then there was this cute little plant stand which I just love for only $3.00

Someone put a board on it which was easily removed. I was going to put it on my front stoop but then it really looks good in my kitchen soooo we will see where it ends up and then I will have an updated picture of it.

I have been so busy the past two days working on some "projects" I have been wanting to do for a long time.

First I finished that flower pot I got last week that needed a redo.

When I got it, as you can see, the paint was chipping off of it. Since it is plastic I primered it.

and painted it

When I saw these flowers I just new they would set it off and they sure do!


My daughter gave me this beautiful Jasmine plant for Mother's Day. It smells AMAZING!!



This was the perfect reason to get started on the new flower bed in the front yard. Today we started. We laid out a design with a rope, then I cut along the rope. The rope outlines the shape I want for the bed. Dave then took the tiller and cut the top layer off . That is as far as we got today and I am "pooped"!

This was in the yard when we moved here. I like it but the design "thingie:" really hasn't worked for me. As you can see I haven't even weeded it yet this year. It seems that is all I even do to it - constantly.
Well it will be coming out. The umbrella will be moved to the new flower bed and that Jasmine plant will use it to climb up. (I will be painting it before it is put back in the ground).


I don't know if I have ever mentioned that my "man", Dave , works in the "scrap metal" business (aka: junk yard). You just won't believe some of his "finds".  Maybe I should start a page just for him (lol), or at least a segment.
Anyway he found these this week.Yep those are Wilton cake pans. Nothing wrong with them. Someone brought them in with their load of scrap metal. (OMG!)

Bathroom update:
Friday I did get the cupboard doors sanded and painted. We picked up new hinges and the doors should be ready to hang tomorrow.
The light fixture has been primered and Dave says he will spray paint it tomorrow for me ( I am only good with a brush , lol). I will do some painting touch ups in there tomorrow also. I have not yet come up with a glazing technique for the walls yet (to take away some of the "blue". That is another chore for tomorrow too.
I am so sore from all this "manal labor" LOL. 


Thanks for stopping. Have a good evening!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mothers Day


I am taking the day off from blogging. I would like to share these flowers with you and I hope your day is as nice as mine. All my kids and my parents together for a picnic in the house (it is like 50 degrees outside lol and no sun).



Thanks for stopping and again - Happy Mothers Day!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Yard Sale Saturday

We had a great time at the "city wide" yard sales in the next town. We got some great deals and filled up the back of the truck LOL.
My son picked up that cool picture for 50¢. I got that pet carrier for only $3.00
We have looked at many aquariums with extras for our pets (hamster and rats) and have not found one for less than $30.00 (at yard sales).
We found this aquarium with cage topper and  the extras for only $10.00
WHAT A STEAL!

It came with alot of extras not pictured. We fixed up our hamsters cage with some of the stuff. The rats are lovin it!

I found this adorable frog for my garden for 50¢.
These old Dr. Seuss glasses for 10¢ each.
I think I may have to keep that "Grinch" one for myself ( I just adore him)! LOL.

this box of edging for only $3.00, last year I bought 20 feet (at Menards on sale) and it cost me almost $20.00, this is 120 feet! :)

Wilton Elmo cake pan for $1.00
Another shelf to match the others I have picked up for my kitchen, with that green ivy. This one has hooks. It was $1.00 (one hook needs a bit of straightening - no problem).
An Anne Rice book for 25¢, she is one of my fave writers and I have never read this one. I also collect her books. I was eyeing this new "vampire" series book at Barnes and Noble recently but won't spent $16.00 for it. This one is new for $1.00, can't wait to read them both!

A BIG bag of cookie cutter for $1.00 (see all those vintage tin copper colored ones). Well worth the buck!

Tupperware for 25¢ ( I can't pass up cheap priced Tupperware for some reason). A car charger for my phone. NEW in package 50¢. I have been looking at these and they want $25.00 for them at my service provider. Jeez!

This recipe box was 40¢ (odd price LOL). After looking up the others on ebay that I picked up last week, I discovered there is a market for these vintage ones.

Wow it was a fun day. Great deals!  Weather couldn't make up it's mind, sunny then cloudy, windy and cloudy then back to sunny and windy. The only steady part was that it was cold. When we started out on our adventure it was like 47 degrees.


Yes I did work on the bathroom after , like I said I would. I also got the light fixture primered and that flower pot primered also. I will have pictures of their outcomes soon.
It is late and I am tired.

Thanks for stopping and I hope you had a great deal day too!