I am a slacker!

Hello (any?) followers. I am swamped with wedding stuff and have started to neglect my blog... will update eventually....

Random Retail Coupons

If you are planning on hitting up the Memorial Deal Sales for some new clothes here are a couple of coupons that may help you out.

You can click HERE to score an additional 15% off sale and clearance apparel at Macy's (Exp 5/30)

 You can click HERE to get $10 off a $50 purchase at JC Penneys (Exp 6/10)

You can click HERE to get $40 off $100 or $60 off $140 (in store or online!) at New York and Company (Exp 5/30)

You can click HERE to get 15% off (in store or online!) at American Eagle Outfitters (Exp 5/26)

Shoe Discounts - Payless& DSW!

I have 10 pairs of black heels that are all pretty similar, but obviously I need more! Like most women, I have way too many shoes. Oh well, I NEED them!

If you are in the market for some new shoes before the end of the month....

You can score 20% off your online order at http://www.payless.com/ by using the code 47010. Expires  05/31/11

OR

You can take $10 off your entire purchase at http://www.dsw.com/ by using the code 348. Expires 5/30/11

The Power of Coupons

So I'm not going to go into detail of every coupon I use, but this just goes to show you that taking the time to look through the Sunday paper can definitely pay off. Check it out:

Why yes, I did save over $70 (19%!) off my grocery bill! I only make one big trip a month, so this consisted of coupons I got from the last 3 Sunday papers as well as some I had printed (for free!) online.

I never really use coupons anywhere other than the commissary. So for you military ladies, you have no excuse! The commissary for the most part is cheaper than other grocery chains, and you don't need to track specific sales. I just clip what I know I'll use, and use them all at the same place - not a crazy amount of planning needed.  I usually save 15-20% off our bill each month - that adds up over time!

The extra bonus is that we are now set until the wedding, and since we will be in HAWAII for a month we will not need to do any June grocery shopping! I'd say this would save us money but I'm sure we will blow it all and more in Honolulu!

FREE Jewelry! Another Great Deal!

If you are unfamiliar with http://www.tanga.com/ it is a great "daily-deal" website where awesome bargains can be found. Today they have free jewelry!

You can get a FREE Faux Pearl Necklace and Earring Bundle! You only pay shipping ($5.99). You can choose between Black, Pink, Purple, Silver and White! This is great if you're looking to add to your jewelry collection.

Sidenote: Tanga often has great daily magazine deals. I have been able to score a year subscription to several magazines for only $3.99. It's a good website to keep an eye on.

Heads up! Old Navy Flip Flops for $1!

This Saturday, May 21st, Old Navy is having a $1 flip flop sale! I do believe it's only for normal, solid color flip-flops. They aren't the best quality, but you can get pretty much any color imaginable to pair with a cute summer dress - or just a pair to keep by the door when you need to run outside for a minute. Not bad for a buck!

Blockbuster Express - Free Rental - Today Only!



If you use the Blockbuster Kiosk (similar to RedBox) you can use the code MONDAYFUN for get a free rental! Good for today (May 16th) only. This is only good on the $1 movies though. If you are lucky enough to have time for a Monday movie - go for it!

I see a lot of these promo codes... I think every Monday they have a new one...

Cheater's Shepherds Pie

I remembered to take a picture!

Whenever I have leftovers, I try to incorporate them into a new meal. So when I have leftover mashed potatoes, I make Shepherds Pie. Now, some hardcore cooks may get all fancy and actually make the crust, make the gravy and cut up the veggies - not me. I use frozen pie crust, frozen veggies and like I said - leftovers! That's why this is Cheater's Shepherds Pie! It's an easy meal to throw together.

What you need:

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• Frozen pie shell(s)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Worchester sauce
• Frozen veggies of your choice (I just use a mixed bag)
• 1 can beef gravy
• Leftover mashed potatoes

NOTE: This recipe yields two pies - I freeze the extra one for an easy meal on a busy night!

Directions:

1. Bake pie shell according to directions
2. Brown beef and onion - drain.
3. Add a couple of tablespoons of worchester sauce (I like a lot)
4. Add gravy and vegetables to the mix and heat for a few minutes
5. Add the whole mix to a pie shell
6. Top with mashed potatoes
7. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25min

Easy pie filling:

Final product:

Unfortunately I lost track of time and baked it for over 30 minutes and burned the crust....

Still good though!

$1 for a Small Popcorn or a Small Drink!

Regal has a great coupon for this weekend - pay $1 for either a small popcorn or a small drink! It says one coupon per person but I used this same deal last month at the Regal in Bethesda and they let me use both. So Matt and I were able to share a drink and popcorn for only $2! Trust me, the drink is huge - comparable to a "large" (maybe more) at a regular fast food place... Not exactly sure how many ounces it really is.

You may have the same luck using both - it depends how much the concession stand worker cares. Just be super nice! I used to work it retail - I certainly didn't do any favors for people who were assholes to me!

Normally, you have to "like" Regal's Facebook page for this. But I'm going to experiment. Click Here and you should be able to just print that page. You can print as many as you want to so bring some for friends!

Note: This is only good for THIS weekend (May 13th-15th) but the coupon will no long be printable as on 6pm Friday - so print now!

EDIT: So that link seems to load very slow. If it isn't working, you can "like" Regal's Facebook page and try that route.

Mothers Day Feast!

So as usual, I forgot to take pictures while cooking. The "meal" part of this blog is going to be tricky. Anyway, I visited my parents this weekend. My mom is super busy taking care of my two toddler nieces so for Mothers Day she got the night off and I made her dinner. She wanted a picture....

On the menu:

Chicken Parmesan

Mashed potatoes

Fettuccine alfredo

Parmesan asparagus

Is it just me or does Parmesan never look like it's spelled right?

Anyway - you can find TONS of chick parm (as I call it from my restaurant days) recipes online - just google, there are many varieties. The pasta is pretty easy - just pick a noodle shape and add alfredo. For the mash potatoes I like to throw in butter, sour cream and cheddar cheese into the mix to make them delicious.

The last time I tried to grill asparagus I burned it and so I looked around for a different recipe. So here is an easy recipe to try something new with it.

You need:

Fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Brush asparagus spears with oil; place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 6 minutes; turn asparagus. Bake 6 minutes longer or until asparagus is tender. Combine Parmesan cheese and garlic salt; sprinkle over asparagus.



$1 Movie Tickets this summer! Sweeeeeet!

So this one is for those of you that have kiddos. Regal Cinemas is having a great deal this summer! For the next nine weeks, every Tuesday & Wednesday moviegoers of ALL AGES can get tickets to select G or PG films that begin at 10am for just $1.00!  This would make a great inexpensive activity during the summer!

You can search for participating locations here.


To my local (MD) friends - I checked and the only theater in the area that is participating is

MAJESTIC STADIUM 20 & IMAX

900 Ellsworth Drive

Silver Spring MD

301-565-8884

I looked up the schedule for you. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that I'm sure these are subject to change. We all know not everything on the internet is true so before you go I would definitely call them to make sure the deal is still on! ALSO, I have never heard of or been to this theater so please don't hold it against me if it sucks!

Here are the dates and what moves are playing:

6/21-6/22 (10am)

ASTRO BOY

MEGAMIND

6/28-6/29 (10am)

DESPICABLE ME

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

7/5-7/6 (10am)

BARNYARD

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

7/12-7/13 (10am)

MARMADUKE

YOGI BEAR

7/19-7/20 (10am)

RAMONA & BEEZUS

SHREK FOREVER AFTER

7/26-7/27 (10am)

ALPHA AND OMEGA

KARATE KID

8/2-8/3 (10am)

NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS

TALE OF DESPEREAUX

8/9-8/10 (10am)

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID

OPEN SEASON 3

8/16-8/17 (10am)

CLOUDY W/ MEATBALLS

PIRATES WHO DON'T DO

Free Ice Cream!

What's better than ice cream? FREE ice cream!  Haagen Dazs is having a  Free Cone Day TOMORROW, May 10th from 4-8pm.  You can receive a scoop of your favorite flavor totally free. If my USUHS friends are reading this -  the following places in Besthesda are participating!

Bethesda
7305 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814

Montgomery Mall
7101 Democracy Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20817

You can fine the other participating locations on their Facebook page HERE

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

So I think it's pretty obvious that this blog is going to contain more deals than meals. I don't really remember to document things when I'm cooking... I also have become super busy and often resort to quick and easy (and not so fun to share) meals. ANYWAY, I was pretty busy this afternoon, so for Cinco de Mayo I just did plain old tacos. I used to just brown ground beef and add the taco seasoning. However, I make a taco dip that always disappears at parties, so now I adapt from that and make tacos a little more fun by dicing up onions and green peppers into the mix, and also adding frozen corn (I am known for sneaking in vegetables where I can). It adds a little something for your meat mixture.

I know this doesn't look very appetizing, but it's yummy - especially when you add all your favorite taco toppings!

FREE Photobook for the Troops!

The USO is offering a great opportunity to send a 20 page 5x7 photobook to any deployed troop completely FREE! This would be a great morale booster to someone serving overseas! Click here for more info!

30% A Single Item at Old Navy!

I love Old Navy because they are one of the few stores tht sells pants that I wont have to get hemmed! Now through May 12, if you "like" Old Navy's Facebook page and click on the "Hottest Ticket" tab you can score a coupon for 30% any one item! Good only in stores - not online. This could work out for some really cheap flip flops or clearance item... or just take a sweet discount on something else you've had your eye on.

Random note: Companies are jumping on the Facebook wagon! Very often you can "like" a page and score a sweet deal! I hate having a ton of crap in my newsfeed, so I just "like" them, print the coupons, then unlike them! Simple as that!

$5 off a $15 purchase at TGI Fridays!

If you are going to TGI Fridays between now and June 30th, click here to score $5 off your $15 purchase!

$2 Small popcorn at Regal Theaters this weekend!

I'm not going to lie, I usually sneak my candy and drinks into the theater, especially if there's a Target nearby. You can get a bag of popcorn and a drink at Target for around $2 - can't go wrong!

You'd be surprised what you can fit in your purse... here's proof (yes, this is my purse):

However, if you have better morals than I, or simply don't have time to get your illegal snacks, you can "like" Regal's Facebook Page and get a coupon for a $2 small popcorn. To clarify, this is NOT $2 off... this is a coupon so that you PAY $2 for a small popcorn.

A few weeks ago they had $1 small drink and $1 small popcorn coupons that I used when Matt and I went to the movies. Keep in mind that a small drink at the theater is actually quite large - we just got one small drink one popcorn to share, spent only $2 and were just fine for the movie.


Speaking of sizes - that's how the theaters get you! Yes, it only 50 more cents for the jumbo popcorn, but are you seriously going to eat all that?!? Unless you have a ton of friends/children to share it with - don't do it. The only exception to the rule is with Slurpees. You can never have enough Slurpee. Mmmmm...

1/2 price Frappachinos at Starbucks!!! Starting May 6th!

Deal alert - if you are a fan of the doubly-chocolate chip Frappuccino (or any frap) like I am, Starbucks has a Happy Hour Coming up! It doesn't start until Friday, but you can plan ahead for a Starbucks run!

Starting May 6 and running through May 15, come into participating stores between 3-5 p.m. for a half-price Frappuccino® blended beverage of your choice.

Details found here: http://www.starbucks.com/blog/happy-hour-returns/1005

CVS Bargain Shopping WIN.

Bargain Hunting! One of my favorite hobbies.

A lesson in bargain hunting: it requires planning.. You have to see what's on sale and know what coupons you have. Luckily, there are about 978658643 websites out there that will do that for you. I personally love http://www.hip2save.com/. There are also plenty more - just google "weekly coupon deals" and there will be a wealth of money-saving blogs to choose from.

Here is an example of some excellent sales I scored at CVS. I did this two weeks ago so these sales are no longer available... but I wanted to share how everyday NORMAL people find a good bargain. I'll try to keep my posts updated so in the future you can go out and score some deals too!

My haul:

The breakdown:

Transaction #1

• Thermacare Heatwraps - regular price $6.99 but CVS has a deal where if you buy 2 you get $4 in Extra Care Bucks (money to be used on next purchase).
• Bought 2 @ $6.99, used 2 $3 off coupons that I printed online, got back $4 extrabucks.
• Final Cost -That's like paying $1.99 each!
• Reach Floss - Reg. $1.99, on sale for $1. Used a $1 off coupon printed online
• Final cost = FREE
• Colgate Toothpaste - Reg. $1.99, On sale for $1. Used a $1 off coupon found in Sunday paper
• Final cost = FREE
• Nivea Bodywash - Reg. $6.99, on sale fo r $3.88. Used $3 off coupon found in Sunday paper
• Final Cost  = 88 cents!
• BIC Lighters - Reg. $3.19 - Took online survey about BIC lighters and got a FREE coupon
• Final Cost = FREE
• Orbit Gum - Reg. $1.57, On sale Buy1 Get1 Free - used $1 off 2 coupon found in Sunday paper
• Final Cost = 28 cents a pack!

Transaction #2

CVS was having a Buy 1 Loreal Product Get 1 50% off sale, so I picked up:

Mineral Foundation - $14.99

Eyeliner - $10.49 (which became $5.24 with my 50%off)

-Used $2 off any Loreal face product found in Sunday paper

-Used $2 off any Loreal eye product found in Sunday paper

-Used $4 off Extra Bucks from previous transaction

Final Cost = $12.23  for over $25 worth of makeup!

I paid out of pocket roughly $22 for ALL of the products in the picture.... still cheaper than what I would have spent on makeup alone! Total retail value of all goods was about $58.... HOLLA

My first recipe! Spaghetti Pie!

So this is an easy weeknight recipe. It's great because these are ingredients you usually have on hand at home. Originally found at: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Pie-2/Detail.aspx

You will need:

6 ounces spaghetti, cooked

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 eggs, well beaten

3/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese, divided

1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese

1 cup pasta sauce

1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Note: When I first got into cooking, I used to follow recipes to the T. Now I pay no attention... so put as much sauce and cheese as you want!

Directions

1. Toss spaghetti with olive oil in large bowl. Stir in eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour spaghetti mixture into greased pie plate; form into a crust. Like so:

2. Spoon ricotta cheese over spaghetti crust.

3. Top with pasta sauce.

4. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 25 minutes. Top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.

5. TA DA! Spaghetti Pie!

NOTE: The outer edges of spaghetti did become a little crispy while baking. To avoid this, you can cover the WHOLE top with ricotta and sauce - but then you lose the fun pie-looking aspect of the dish. You can also bake this in a regular dish too - doesn't have to be a pie plate!